Chapter Nine

Gordon

Sheriff Butch raised an eyebrow at me. “I’m surprised you left your bed and your luscious mate.”

I bristled at the leer as he said ‘luscious.’

You don’t think I’m luscious?

Damn, of course my mate had to hear that. Now the hurt rolled off him.

You know I think you’re the most luscious creature ever to walk the earth.

You do?

Red sounded breathy, even at my snappish tone, and I realized it was the words that mattered to him. My mate needed my words.

I do, honey. You and me, we’re fated to be together forever.

If Red could deal with an over-libidoed goat with a love of flowers, then he was mine.

I can!

That breathy note was destined to drive me wild, and I couldn’t wait to show him how excited I was when I finished doing what I had promised him. Perhaps we could try out his backyard, doing it amongst the flower scents could be fun. Then a cough distracted me from my thoughts and I looked up to see the sheriff rolling his eyes like he’d known exactly what I had going on in my head, which of course he couldn’t… could he?

“Much as I’m pleased for you, Gordon…”

By pleased, I suspected by the way he said it, he meant exasperated.

Always an over-explainer, I tapped at my temple. “I’m sorry, but it’s all new and hard to focus. There’s so much going on in my head.”

“I get it,” Sheriff Butch assured me. “Every newly mated couple is the same.”

I’d beg to differ as I’d had no action and now all my goaty-goatness was there for my stalk of rhubarb wanting to unleash everything—all at once. But I asked, “Does every couple broadcast their love to the whole town?”

I was part of a weird and wacky pride, these things weren’t something we had cause to talk about in the past when it wasn’t sexy times we were broadcasting. When we’d formed, it had taken us time to quit broadcasting every thought to each other, but we’d gotten used to it. Being part of Valentine Growville was a whole new freaky experience. It was as if our thoughts were on blast to the whole town, especially the newly mated couples—that was how it appeared with the side looks the stalks gave us. Get a rhubarb mate, sign into the rhubarb superhighway.

Thoughts changing tack of their own accord, I smiled, thinking of my Red as I’d left him in bed.

You should have seen me in the shower, Red said coyly. Tim saw the bite marks on my ass cheeks.

I shivered as I remembered putting them there.

“Oh Great Rhu, either focus or go back to your mate,” the stalk in front of me said, frowning hard enough to give him a monobrow, which wasn’t a good look on him.

I shook my head, trying to clear my horny thoughts. Damn, that rhubarb had me tied up in knots.

“Gordon!”

I jumped at Butch’s yell. “I’m listening,” I protested, hoping to convince him I was.

“I haven’t said anything yet,” he snapped. “But now I have your attention, why are you being chased by monsters?”

I pressed my lips together.

He sighed, rested his elbows on his desk, and steepled his fingers together. “Why is no one from the pride talking to me?”

I didn’t look sideways at Maximus, who’d joined me. No, if I didn’t look, then there was clearly nothing to see. Right?

“We just want the lions out of here,” I muttered, still not looking at the silent lion next to me.

Sheriff Butch gave us both a hard stare. “I get that. We do, too. But this is more than just a pride dispute. The monsters are going after members of my town, and I can’t have that. Crimson has asked me to handle it. If the pride doesn’t start talking,” his gaze moved to Maximus, “then I’ll have to take action.”

What kind of action? Red said, sounding concerned, evidently hearing the whole conversation.

It’s okay, I soothed, even though I was out of my depth. I didn’t need a map to understand what Butch was saying. I wasn’t the alpha of the pride and I gave Maximus the side-eye, seeing that he looked undecided. My only concern today was my beautiful mate. I needed to know he was safe.

“Are either of you going to answer me?”

I forced a smile and glanced at Maximus fully. “The sheriff wants answers, alpha.” Please give him some, I need to get back to my mate.

We never used his title, but this was important, and Maximus hesitated before he gave a curt nod.

“I know he does. He should be talking directly to the alpha of the pride. That’s me,” Maximus said pointedly to the sheriff.

“The alpha of the pride isn’t talking, is he?” Sheriff Butch huffed in exasperation. “So I’m speaking to the new alpha of a member of my parcel whose mate was nearly kidnapped, twice. And you both came to me, remember?”

“I did,” I confessed, sensing the macho face-off they had going wasn’t really going to get us anywhere.

“Sorry, Maxi,” I tagged on. “I need to know Amell and the others will be locked up far away from my omega. Red is scared.” I hoped he’d forgive me for divulging that information. “And I’m worried there are other monsters out there. I’m scared for my mate and my town.” I made sure they understood I meant both prides.

Both men gave me an identical nod, and I breathed out a sigh of relief.

“I’ll handle it from here,” Maximus rumbled. “You take care of Red.”

I wasn’t sure I’d resolved anything, but I’d confessed my fears, told them my mate and my pride needed to be safe. I had one final stop to make before I returned to Red, because I had already organized for the locksmith to go to Red’s home.

Back in the pride house, Leonidis, Drew, and Randy sat at the kitchen table, nursing large cups of coffee. As the three unmated members of the pride, I guessed they were spending more time together.

Randy waved at the coffee pot and I nodded. I was part of this pride too, and I wasn’t going to forget that.

“What are you doing here?” Leonidis asked once I had a cup and took a seat.

“I asked Drew to get something for me.”

“It’s in the yard by the back door,” Drew replied.

I grinned at him. “Thanks.”

“No problem. How’s Red doing?” Before I could even speak, he scowled at me. “I don’t want to know how you’re doing Red. I’ll leave that to Glass and Tim, whose sex singing gymnastics have reached an all-time high.”

“At least Ricky is more discreet,” Randy said, and we all mumbled our agreement.

I took a long swallow of coffee. I didn’t drink much coffee as everyone said I was hyper enough, but after pleasuring my mate, organizing locks and facing the sheriff, I needed the caffeine hit.

“The only thing weird about Ricky and Burke is the mini bull’s penchant for climbing, thanks to his unborn kidlets,” I said, idly wondering what Red would do when he was pregnant.

I’m not climbing anything, he insisted. I have a fear of heights.

That was a shame. I loved climbing anything and everything.

You’re a goat, I’m rhubarb. We stay closer to the ground.

My mate had a good point.

I felt a sudden wave of fear over our link.

Red? What’s wrong? I banged the cup down on the table, coffee slopping over the side.

Drew scowled at me. “Hey careful, that’s my favorite cup.”

I ignored him, focusing on my mate.

There’s someone at the door. I don’t know who it is. I don’t recognize the scent.

Where are Burke and Tim, aren’t they there with you?

They left just a few minutes ago.

Shit, I’m on my way. Don’t you open the door. Even as I said it, I sprang to my feet, and so did the other three men, looking at me with obvious concern.

“Is Red under attack?” Drew demanded, in a way that suggested he’d already picked up my fear.

“I don’t know,” I confessed, “but there’s a stranger at the door.”

“I’ll drive,” Leonidis said, grabbing the key fob from the hook as he headed towards the door, not waiting for me to answer.

“You don’t have to—”

Drew squeezed my shoulder. “We’re family and now, so is Red. We’re coming. Let’s make sure your mate is safe.”

I took a deep breath, blinking back the tears as we exited the house and piled into the van. I was a lucky goat.

We’re coming, baby.

All I heard was Red’s scared whimper.