Chapter Five

It mattered a hell of a lot to Colt. This wasn't an accident. Someone had beat his mate and left behind dark purple bruises over his stomach and chest. Colt wanted to know the name of the person he was going to kill.

"Is this why you stopped texting me and didn't show up for lunch?" He sat on the bench next to Milo, resting his elbows on his knees, chin resting on his hands as he stared at his mate.

It had to have been done sometime after Colt and Milo texted yesterday morning. His mate had seemed fine, saying he had to get ready for work. That was the last time Colt had heard from him until Milo had reached out tonight.

His wolf was going crazy, ready to break free and hunt. But Colt had to force an outward calm so Milo had a sense of safety. Colt knew how important it was to feel safe after something like this happened. Whenever he had been beaten, it had been Jared who'd consoled him. It had been his cousin who'd held him when he shifted to heal. For days afterward, Kellen had disappeared, and when he returned, he'd sat in a corner of their room by himself, unable to look at Colt.

Kellen had refused so many times to punish Colt. And when he did, their mother flailed the skin off of Kellen's back then told him she would do it again if he shifted to heal.

Colt didn't know who'd had it worse. He and Jared as Kellen beat them with that leather belt or Kellen when he refused to hurt his little brother and cousin. The images never faded in Colt's mind of Kellen lying on the kitchen floor, his back so raw and bloody that it was a miracle he hadn't died from his wounds.

"What happened matters to me," Colt said softly.

"Why should it?" Milo asked, his gaze focused on the ground. "We've only known each other a few days. Any sane guy would run from the thought of dealing with someone going through this, so I don't blame you if you don't want to see me again."

He stopped himself from resting his hand on Milo's knee. One, Colt had no idea if his mate's legs had suffered the abuse, as well. Two, he wasn't sure his touch would be welcomed right now.

"Because you matter, Milo. You're not invisible to me, and I'm not running anywhere." Colt ran a hand through his hair as he sat back. Even though he'd been through abuse, he wasn't sure how to handle this. Did he press harder for answers and take a chance that his mate would shut down and demand to go home? Or should he wait until Milo eventually opened up to him and told him who'd done this?

What if Milo was hurt again while Colt waited to gain his mate's trust?

"Can we just…" Milo glanced up at him, and Colt was sucked into his mate's gorgeous hazel eyes. "Can we just hang out? I just want to enjoy this night with you."

That was a lot to ask. Colt had tried to kill his brother when he'd seen the bruising on Atlas's neck. Now he had to sit here and pretend his mate hadn't gone through hell when all Colt wanted to do was end the bastard who'd done it.

Even so, Milo came first, and right now, he needed that feeling of safety. Colt pressing the matter wasn't in his mate's best interest at the moment. It was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do, but Colt decided to change the subject.

"What made you give your wolf green eyes?" He'd stared for hours at the pictures he'd taken of Milo's tattoo. Even the wolf's fur was the same coloring as Colt's.

If that wasn't fate, he didn't know what was.

"I planned on them being blue, just like the one on my phone case. For some reason I told Rob at the last second to make them a deep green." Milo's smile wrecked Colt. "It's eerie that I met a guy with the same color eyes as my tattoo."

"Or fate." Colt winked, trying to give Milo the night his mate wanted. "How do you know we weren't destined to meet?"

"Do you know how crazy that sounds?" Milo shook his head as he stared up at the night sky, visibly relaxed now. "As much as I want to believe that fate is real, I know it isn't, Colt. There are only coincidences and luck."

"I think believing that it's real, that there are some things you can't blame on coincidence or luck, makes life more interesting." He shrugged, hoping to change Milo's opinion. "Why are you so against it?"

Milo looked him right in the eye. "Because some people don't get a happily-ever-after, some who fate craps all over. I used to be filled with a lot of things, Colt. It's hard to find wonder in the world when—" His mate looked away.

Colt clenched his jaw when Milo stopped right before he was about to reveal something important. "When life keeps throwing left hooks."

"Exactly."

Standing, Colt turned to face him. "If you're up to it, do you want to take a walk with me? We can go as slow as you want, or we can just sit here. I'm fine with either one."

Milo glanced around. "It's dark out. What if there's something dangerous in the forest?"

"The only dangerous thing will be me." Colt walked to his Range Rover and rolled the windows up before he shut off the engine. He took his phone and wallet from his pocket and stored them in the center console before he locked the doors.

Then he stored his keys behind a nearby rock. Although he had no intention of shifting, something told him not to carry any of those things with him, and he tried to always listen to his gut.

When he headed back toward the table, he saw that Milo was standing. Colt wanted to envelop his mate in his arms and never let him go.

Returning to the table, Colt stood in front of the guy. He brushed his knuckles over Milo's soft cheek. As badly as Colt wanted to kiss him, he wasn't making a move while Milo was injured.

But damn, with the way Milo looked at him with yearning in his eyes, it was hard as fuck to restrain himself. Colt felt the pull, too. That deep connection that drew mates toward each other, that consuming need to touch and taste and bind their souls together.

"Come on." He took Milo's hand and lead him toward the path. Colt kept his strides short so his mate wouldn't feel the need to keep pace.

Milo's assurance that he was safe with Colt hadn't gone unnoticed. The guy might not want to talk about what happened to him, but in every other aspect, the human completely trusted him. His willingness to walk into a dark forest in the dead of night with someone he'd just met a few days prior spoke volumes.

A wolf howled in the distance. Milo stopped and glanced around nervously. "I've never heard one howl in real life before. As much as I love them, I don't think I want to meet one face-to-face and get attacked."

Milo had no clue he'd met one already. That a wolf was holding his hand and walking next to him. "You're safe with me, shorty. I promise I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"No offense, but I don't think you can fight a pack of wolves."

"You just crushed my ego." Colt pressed a hand against his chest like he was really wounded by his mate's statement. "And I seriously doubt there's a pack of them."

If there was a pack and they were wild animals instead of shifters, Colt could scare them off. But that would require him shifting. As much as Milo loved them, Colt seriously doubted his mate would handle it well if he had to shift to defend them.

Milo squeezed Colt's hand tighter. "I have to be certifiable to keep walking after hearing that, but…" He glanced up, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "But I never get to do this sort of thing, and sharing this moment with you makes it even better."

Moonlight crept through the canopy of trees, illuminating their path. "I like spending time with you, too." He smiled at his mate. "What would you do if that wolf came up to you and shifted into a man?"

Milo chuckled. "I'd probably pee my pants and hide behind you."

So much for Colt shifting in front of Milo tonight. He was struggling to find a way to tell the human that he was a shifter and that they were mates. Milo's infatuation with wolves should have made breaking the news a breeze, but the guy had already said he didn't believe in fate and that he would piss himself if a wolf did that.

For now, telling Milo the truth could wait.

Colt slowed when he scented a wild bear nearby. He'd been so focused on spending time with Milo that he'd forgotten about the wild predators that called the forest their home. That was a hazardous oversight. If he could put enough distance between them and the bear, the animal might not detect their scent since they were downwind.

Milo was staring up at the moon, oblivious that they'd slowed their pace even more.

"We should start back," Colt said. "I don't want to exhaust you."

"I'm doing okay. I can walk farther before we have to turn around," Milo said. "I'm soaking up the peace and quiet out here." He squeezed Colt's hand. "Just as long as I don't hear any more howling."

His wolf snarled when the scent grew even closer. Their paths were going to cross if he didn't turn Milo around. Colt would have to shift in order to defend his mate, and he didn't want to hurt the bear or have Milo suffer a nervous breakdown.

"I wore the wrong shoes for this," Colt lied. "As much as I'm enjoying our walk, my feet are starting to hurt."

Milo frowned. "What're you talking about? You're wearing hiking boots."

His mate wasn't going to make this easy. Colt gently turned him around. "We really should head back."

"Um, okay."

If it were up to Colt, he would lift Milo into his arms and get them back to his truck in no time. His mate was still walking slowly, and Colt racked his brain for an excuse of why they needed to pick up the pace.

As his wolf fought to get free, the hairs along Colt's arms stood on end. The bear was dangerously close now, and they weren't moving fast enough to escape the situation.

Colt cursed seconds before his wolf burst free, spinning around to confront the bear that had just wandered onto the path behind them. His wolf snarled as the bear rose to its hind legs and roared.

Behind him, Milo screamed. Colt prayed like hell that his mate didn't run. Though he wouldn't get far because of his injuries, the bear might give chase. If it didn't, Colt would become separated from his mate, unable to protect Milo if another predator was close by.

The massive bear dropped to all fours, unhinging its jaw with another roar. Colt jerked forward, trying his best to scare the beast away instead of engaging in a fight.

After another less menacing roar, the bear wandered off the path and disappeared into the shadows.

Colt shifted back to his human form, bracing himself as he turned to face his mate. Milo was trembling slightly, his eyes bugging out of their sockets. "You're naked!"

That was what Milo's mind was focusing on? "Because my clothes shredded when I shifted. I'm not looking forward to my ass getting gnawed on by the mosquito population as we walk back."

Milo stood there staring at Colt's cock as a deep blush painted his cheeks. "You're naked," he said more quietly. "Your wang is hanging out."

Colt frowned. Was Milo having a meltdown or getting turned on? "I already told you why. I need to get my go-bag from my truck so I can get dressed. I can already feel the mosquitos attacking me."

They began to walk, but Milo was doing so backward while he continually swept his gaze over Colt's naked body. His cock would harden if his mate didn't turn attention on something else.

"You're going to fall on your ass if you don't watch where you're going."

"But you're naked," Milo repeated matter-of-factly as he stopped. Was his brain not rationalizing the fact that Colt had just been a wolf? The guy was acting as if Colt's clothes had simply vanished for no reason and he was trying to figure out how that happened.

"What do you remember before I was naked?" Colt slapped a mosquito on his upper arm and then his neck. The damn things were irritating.

"The bear." Milo furrowed his brows. "It was behind us. Then there was a wolf. It scared the bear away."

"Where did the wolf come from?" Colt moved closer as he scratched where he'd been bitten. He was going to end up with mosquito bites all over his body if he didn't get to his truck. It was as if a neon sign was over his head advertising a free meal to the pests.

None of them had bitten him while he'd been clothed, but now they were attacking en masse.

"It came from..." Milo looked up at Colt, his face a mask of confusion. "It was you. The wolf was you."

Unable to stand it any longer, Colt grabbed Milo's hand and moved a little faster, determined to save some of his blood for himself. "Let me know if this pace is too much for you. I'm being drained dry by nature's little winged vampires."

Milo didn't complain, but he kept raking his gaze over Colt. "You were the wolf. How?"

"Shorty, if we make it to my truck before I pass out from blood loss, I'll tell you anything you want to know." He used his free hand to slap at his chest. He didn't want to stick around so they could target his cock. Colt could shift and heal the bites, but no guy wanted to deal with their tender bits being attacked.

It felt like an eternity before they made it back to his Range Rover. Colt grabbed the keys from where he'd hidden them, thankful he'd listened to his instincts. He opened the back hatch and grabbed his go-bag, dressing as quickly as possible, though the clothes didn't stop his skin from itching where he'd already been bitten.

Rounding the truck, he opened the passenger door and helped his mate ease into the seat. Why did the look in Milo's eyes seem as if his mate was disappointed that Colt was no longer naked?

After closing the door, he got into the driver's seat, shutting out the mosquito population. "I'm going to start carrying mosquito repellent and that pink stuff people use for bites."

"Calamine lotion," Milo said as he kept staring at Colt. Then he poked Colt's arm as if to confirm he was real. "You were a wolf, but now you're not."

"I'm what's called a shifter, sweetheart. I can change into a wolf or into a human." He pursed his lips. "What came first, the human or the animal?" Colt had never thought about that before. As far as he knew, no one had figured that out.

"Were you born that way, or did you get bitten?" Milo was still poking Colt's arm. "Where is your wolf now?"

"Out grabbing a burger." Colt curled his hand around Milo's poking finger. "As much as I love when you touch me, you're hitting a mosquito bite, and it's only making it itch more. And to answer your first question, I was born this way. A human can't be changed."

"I can't become a wolf?"

"No." Colt let Milo's finger go. "As thrilled as I am that you're not hysterical, how are you handling this so well?"

Milo snorted. "I'm not. Every time I feel the panic setting in, I think of your nudity, which gives my brain a delicious distraction."

Colt grinned. "I'm glad I can freak you out and arouse you at the same time."

Milo finally sat back as his gaze focused on the trees in front of them. "I wish I didn't have to go home. Even after seeing what you are, I'm at peace when I'm with you."

It was their connection. Colt felt the same way. His wolf was content now that Milo was sitting safely in the truck. He opened his mouth to ask Milo wanted to come home with him but remembered the carnage of his bedroom. His mate didn't need to see how destructive Colt could become.

"We could go to my place and chill on the couch with no expectations," he said. "I microwave a mean bowl of popcorn."

His mate glanced at him. "Am I an idiot for trusting you so much?"

"Not at all." Since they were mates. If they weren't, Colt might question Milo's self-preservation.

"I've been told I'm a little na?ve." Milo looked out his window. "I think I'm proving that by wanting to go home with someone I barely know and who isn't even human."

Colt started the truck and reversed before he drove back to the main road. "I don't think there's anything wrong with being a little na?ve, shorty. You just have to be careful of people who prey on such innocence."

Roughly fifteen minutes later, Colt was leading Milo inside the house, taking his mate to the living room. Thankfully, Kellen and Atlas weren't in there.

"You have an amazing home." Milo looked around the living room as if he were in awe. "But I don't see a television."

"I'll grab mine from my bedroom." It hadn't been demolished in his fit of rage. Now Colt had to do some serious cleanup and express shopping to replace the furniture he'd destroyed.

Not too long ago he and Kellen had wrecked Kellen's room when they'd fought. Cleaning up the mess had been a pain in the ass. Luckily, Kellen had found a website with speedy delivery. Colt was going to use the same company to get his bedroom back in order.

"Have a seat and I'll grab the TV." Colt pulled out his phone when he was by his bedroom and sent Kellen a quick text to tell his brother and Atlas to keep their asses upstairs tonight.

After he took his television to the living room and hooked it up, Colt headed to the kitchen. He grabbed a bag of popcorn from the pantry then turned to see that Milo had followed him. His mate's fingers were curled around the edge of the island as he stood there. "I've never seen a kitchen so spacious and beautiful."

"Thanks. My brother and I live here," Colt said just in case Kellen didn't see the text and came downstairs.

"Kellen. He's the one who looks like a mountain, right?" Milo said. "The one at the reception?"

"Yep." Colt tossed the flat bag of popcorn into the microwave and set the cooking time. "His bedroom is upstairs. Mine is on the first floor."

When the popcorn was ready, Colt grabbed the bag, along with two sodas. They relaxed on the couch before he used the remote to find a comedy for them to watch. To his surprise, Milo curled into his side as the movie started. Colt slid his arm around his mate, so damn thankful that the guy hadn't rejected him. It was still fucked up what Milo had gone through, and as soon as Colt discovered who had hurt his mate, the son of a bitch was going to die.