Chapter Two

The following morning, Alister woke to the bright sun trying to blind him. He tossed the blanket over his head with a grunt and tried to fall back to sleep.

Until he remembered last night.

Had he really stayed up until sunrise talking with Wyatt? The guy had been so easy to talk to that it felt like a dam had broken. Alister had spilled so many things about not only his parents but his life with Paris.

Alister slammed a lid on that line of thought. His bestie was better off without him. As much as he loved the guy, Alister knew he was a burden. He'd also nearly gotten his best friend killed last night.

"Didn't I say no?" he asked his thoughts. Alister tossed the comforter back, shielding his eyes as he got up and closed the curtains. The room darkened to some degree, allowing him to finally look around without fear that the sun's rays would blast his retinas.

Alister inhaled the delicious smell of food then followed the heavenly aroma. He stopped short of entering the kitchen when he saw Wyatt at the stove, his back turned.

Sweet sparkly hell. Wyatt had on a pair of white silk shorts that reached his knees, but his torso was bare, gifting Alister with a scrumptious view of the man's muscled body.

Wyatt's entire back was inked, as were his arms. Alister was dying to walk over to the stud and take a bite of him. He trapped a groan in his throat as his gaze glided lower, his eyes feasting on a nicely rounded ass.

"I was going to wake you when the food was done," Wyatt said, though he hadn't turned around.

"What're you making?" Biting his lower lip, Alister moved slowly into the room, still eyeing Wyatt's body. There was no better way to start a day than seeing a half-naked, barefooted man at the stove.

"Just some pancakes and bacon." Wyatt pointed the spatula at the cupboard to his left. "Mind grabbing some plates?"

As he moved even closer to Wyatt, Alister asked, "What time is it?"

"Three something in the afternoon last I checked."

Alister's mouth fell slightly open. He'd always dealt with broken sleep, which made him tired throughout the day. He couldn't recall the last time since he'd slept so soundly.

As he passed Wyatt—still unable to rip his gaze away from such perfection—Alister's nose twitched. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes and let the electric air of an approaching thunderstorm fill his lungs. Images appeared in his mind of dark clouds looming on the horizon, their shadows creeping closer and casting the landscape into an eerie twilight. The temperature rose, the air becoming dense and heavy with moisture. And then, with a deafening boom, thunder echoed across the sky, shaking the ground beneath them.

Alister loved thunderstorms, reveled in overcast days, but he'd woken up to a bright sun. So why did it smell like an approaching storm?

His eyes flew open as he glanced at the large windows overlooking the backyard. The sky was cloudless, the sun still shining brightly. Then his gaze slid to Wyatt.

Numerous times his dad would regale Alister with how his mom's scent was like running through a field of wildflowers. His mom had often said when she'd met Alister's dad, she'd been reminded of peppermints and hot cocoa.

They'd also told him about the pull. His dad explained that it felt like an unstoppable force had guided him to his mate.

Alister's heart raced wildly as Wyatt cut off the burner and turned. His gaze swept over Alister as the side of his mouth turned upward. "I like how messy your hair is in the morning. Glad to know I'm not the only one with unruly hair in the morning."

Absently, Alister touched his hair as his gaze swung up to Wyatt's. It was long on top and shaved low on the sides. Alister had seen how styled it was the morning they'd met, but at the moment, it was a silky mess.

Snapping out of his daze, Alister opened the cupboard and grabbed two plates. "You're the first guy, aside from Paris, who's seen my hair like this. Don't you dare tell anyone I don't spring out of bed looking extraordinary."

"Your secret is safe with me, but you do look extraordinary." The warmth of his smile made Alister's insides sigh.

Clutching the plates to his chest, Alister nibbled his bottom lip. "Can I ask you something?"

"What's on your mind?" Wyatt eased the plates out of Alister's hands and filled them.

The words were stuck in Alister's throat as Wyatt took their plates to the table, set them down, then grabbed a container of orange juice from the refrigerator.

Alister froze when Wyatt reached above his head, all those sinewy muscles now inches from him. If he was bold enough, all he had to do was lean his head forward and trap one of Wyatt's nipples between his teeth.

"What did you want to ask me?" Wyatt pulled two glasses down, but he didn't create any distance between them. Alister was captivated by the sight of hard pecs covered in intricate tattoos.

"Our food is getting cold." Wyatt walked to the table. "We can talk while we eat."

Alister joined him. "This looks delicious. Thanks for cooking."

"You're welcome." Wyatt got up to retrieve the syrup from the pantry. He plopped the bottle in the center of the table before he sat back down. "I'm a decent cook, but since it's just me, I usually grab something to eat at the diner."

A moan escaped Alister when he bit into his bacon. "It tastes like you cooked it in maple syrup. I tried making a grilled cheese sandwich once." He poured juice into both glasses. "I set off the smoke detector and ruined a brand-new pan, along with my sandwich, which resembled a lump of charcoal."

Wyatt's infectious laughter made Alister chuckle. "I'm glad you didn't burn your place down."

"I think every resident in the building was thankful I didn't set the poor sandwich on fire." Alister's chuckle settled into a smile. "The apartment and the hallway outside my door smelled like toxic cheese for a week."

"I'll show you how to make one." Wyatt ate a forkful of pancakes.

"No thanks." Alister wrinkled his nose. "Every time I see a grilled cheese, the memory of that nasty smell fills my mouth and I want to gag."

Wyatt tapped his bare foot against Alister's. "So what did you want to ask me, or did you change your mind?"

"I haven't changed my mind." Alister took a sip of his juice as his heart started beating wildly again. "You've been nice enough to let me stay here, and I don't want to freak you out."

Curiosity filled Wyatt's light gray eyes. "I don't freak out easily, butterfly."

The cheetah shifter gave off a calm and easygoing vibe, qualities Alister had always been drawn to. He'd met other men who seemed that way at first, until they realized Alister was a complete trainwreck and dumped him.

"I'm not saying you are, so don't race for the nearest exit, but I think…" Alister slapped his palm on the table, annoyed with himself. He'd never had a problem speaking his mind, and he would be damned if he started now. "I think we're mates."

"Tell me why you think that." All those delectable muscles were on full display when Wyatt draped an arm over the back of his chair and settled into a relaxed pose.

"When I passed you to get the plates, it smelled like the air does before a thunderstorm." Alister tapped his nose like Wyatt needed a damn visual aide. "Tell me I'm crazy and we're not mates, and I'll drop the subject faster than a grilled cheese sandwich."

A low, rumbling purr vibrated in Wyatt's chest. He leaned forward and pulled Alister's chair toward him until their knees touched. "What if I said you're not crazy?"

"Then fate screwed you over, boo." Alister tried to push backward, but Wyatt curled his legs around the bottom of the chair, preventing him from escaping. Why was Alister panicking? Regardless of what Wyatt said, the guy wasn't an asshole. He was a good person. For once, Alister hadn't picked a jerk. Fate had chosen the cheetah for him, so he needed to calm down. "When did you realize we were mates?"

"When I was at your apartment last night." Wyatt drew the chair even closer, a playful, closed-mouth smile curving his sensual lips.

"You've known since last night and failed to mention a life-altering discovery to me?" Alister planted the heel of his hand against Wyatt's forehead when the guy leaned toward him as if he wanted a kiss.

Wyatt sat back with a sigh. "Do you think last night would have been the right time to discuss it?"

Alister's emotions had been all over the place after he'd shifted back into his human form. The overpowering smell of blood had wreaked havoc on his senses and nauseated him. The destruction of his apartment and learning what Paris had gone through only intensified his horror.

In that state of mind, he wouldn't have been receptive to finding out Wyatt was his mate. Alister had already decided Paris was better off without him. He would have thought the same thing about Wyatt last night.

"It would have been the worst time," Alister admitted. He stood and took his dishes to the sink, missing Paris so badly he wanted to cry.

But Alister was sticking to his guns. For the past forty years, Paris hadn't been able to live his life the way he'd wanted to because the guy had been too busy saving Alister from one bad decision after another.

It was about time Paris lived for Paris, especially now that Cannon was in his life.

The thought of severing their friendship hurt like hell, but Alister knew it was the right thing to do.

Lord knew Alister was a pro at making bad decisions and prayed he didn't screw things up with Wyatt. Hopefully, his mate never decided Alister was too big a burden and washed his hands of him.

Could Wyatt do that?

The only mated couple he'd ever known was his parents, and they'd never told him if mates could walk away from each other.

Great, now he had something else to fret over.

* * * *

As much as Wyatt wanted to ask Sheriff Harper for his two-week honeymoon period, Cannon was already on his, and Wyatt didn't want to leave the station shorthanded. The two new deputies seemed to be working out, but if Wyatt took off the next fourteen days, that would leave the department shorthanded all over again.

Unfortunately, suggesting Alister hang with someone while Wyatt was a work hadn't gone over as well as he'd hoped.

When Cannon hooked Alister up with people to hang out with, the red panda hadn't seemed to mind, so why was he giving Wyatt so much grief over the same damn thing?

"I don't need a goddamn babysitter," Alister argued as they stood in the living room. "Do you think I'd fall for some guy's charm knowing I have a mate?"

"No." Wyatt scrubbed a hand over his hair, ready to pull it out. "But Negan said something about cashing in on you. You've yet to tell me what he meant by that."

Wyatt had considered calling Cannon to get answers, but he wanted to hear the truth from his mate. Also, knowing how na?ve Alister was didn't set Wyatt's mind at ease. Their town was a great place to live, but they still had their fair share of scumbags who wouldn't think twice about pulling one over on a guy with a broken asshole detector.

Negan had been the worst, and Alister had fallen for his bullshit. Not that Wyatt thought Alister would fall for another asshole, but there were a lot worse things out there that could befall his mate.

"If I tell you what Negan meant, then you'll only try to put me on lockdown," Alister countered heatedly. "For a hundred years, my parents controlled my life. You've lost your gorgeous mind if you think I'll let that happen again."

Wyatt couldn't count how many times he and his sister had argued because he'd stopped her from making foolish mistakes, with her resenting him for it. That was something he'd never understood, even to this day. Now he was clashing with Alister. Was Wyatt that bad a person because he wanted to protect those he cared about?

"I'm not trying to control you or put you on lockdown." Wyatt sighed. "I'm your mate, not your warden. I want you to have your freedom, but I also don't want sleezy fuckers taking advantage of you."

"It just frustrates me that I need supervision," Alister admitted through gritted teeth as he dropped onto the couch. "You have no idea how that makes me feel. No matter how hard I try I can't tell who's being genuinely nice to me and who's trying to deceive me. I hate living this way, and now I've gone from being Paris's burden to yours."

"Stop that right now," Wyatt snarled. "You're not a goddamn burden." He didn't like that Alister saw himself that way. "You're a feisty, stubborn, beautiful man who wants to think the best of everyone. Sadly, there are too many people who don't have a good side to them."

Alister huffed out a breath. "I've seen firsthand how rotten some people are. But you're right. I want to believe the best about a person. It just sucks that they can hide their shady intentions behind a friendly smile, and I constantly fall for it."

Wyatt crouched in front of his mate. "I don't care if you call me a hundred times a day because you're unsure about a person or situation." He tucked his finger under Alister's jaw. "We're mates, hon. We're supposed to look out for each other. I'd rather you blow up my phone than me being forced to hunt down and kill whoever tried to take advantage of you."

"Be careful what you wish for." Alister gave a small smile. "I can be a very needy bitch sometimes."

"And I can be an overprotective asshole." Wyatt smirked, glad to see Alister's anguish fade. "I'll make you a deal. If you tell me what Negan meant by cashing in on you, I won't place you in ten layers of cotton."

"If you go back on this deal, I'll never trust you again," Alister warned.

Wyatt sat on the coffee table and gave Alister his undivided attention.

"Paris and I were targeted." His mate explained how he'd been swept off his feet by some charismatic guy named Sloane, unaware their "chance encounter" was really a setup.

Wyatt remained calm while he listened, but on the inside, his snarls could have rivaled deafening thunder. One, he didn't like listening as Alister described how some suave jackass had made him swoon. No guy wanted to hear about a past lover their partner had. Two, it wrecked Wyatt that his innocent mate hadn't known that Sloane was a monster in disguise.

"A few days after we met, Sloane invited the two of us to an upscale party." Alister pressed his lips together as he shook his head. "Paris said we shouldn't go, but I begged him until he finally caved."

"You couldn't have known he was deceiving you." Wyatt slid his hands over his mate's. "Men like Sloane are master manipulators. They're charming and lavish their victims with attention, telling you everything they think you want to hear. It's all a ploy to make them seem trustworthy so you'll let down your guard."

"You just described him perfectly." Alister's eyes were slightly wide. "How do you know so much about people like that?"

"I've met his kind before." Wyatt tightened his jaw.

"From the moment we arrived I felt out of place. "Alister said. "I was homeschooled and isolated most of my life, so I had no flipping clue how to socialize with people who bled power and success. My biggest accomplishments have been becoming besties with Paris and being a beast at karaoke."

Wyatt smiled, grateful that Paris had been such an integral part of Alister's life. "True friendship is priceless, and so is self-confidence."

"And finding my mate." Alister gave him a sassy smile. "Now I have three accomplishments under my belt."

"Don't forget your inner strength," Wyatt reminded him.

"I guess so." Alister's smile faded as he shrugged. "Anyway, I was already planning on ditching when Paris found me and told me he'd just overheard two men talking about that night's auction and how the twinks in the room were going to be hard to choose from."

A knot formed in Wyatt's gut as his jaw dropped slightly. "The son of a bitch planned on selling the two of you?"

Wyatt shot up from the table and stormed to the kitchen. His pulse pounded in his ears while he fought to contain his cheetah. What Negan had said now made sense.

An auction? Jesus fucking Christ. If Paris hadn't overheard those men… Wyatt felt nauseous at what could have happened. He closed his eyes, rage and shock constricting his chest.

"Now you see why I didn't want to tell you," Alister said from behind him. "Sloane said that if we didn't willingly return to the auction, there wasn't anywhere Paris and I could run that he wouldn't find us. So, despite your deal, I can already feel my freedom slipping away."

Sloane wasn't going to give up. Men like him never did. Not when he could profit off of Alister's and Paris's extraordinary beauty.

Wyatt hadn't the faintest clue how to keep his word while wrapping his mate in twenty layers of bubble wrap, ten feet of cotton, and digging an alligator-filled moat around his house.