CHAPTER TWO

"L ance, come to town to the Black Bean as fast as you can," Aaron spoke with an urgency that had Lance giving him his complete attention.

"Why, what's up?"

"I just gave our mates a ride into town. They had car trouble out on old 28. They're sitting, at this moment, in the Black Bean having coffee and pie." Aaron switched his phone to the other ear and looked out his window at the coffee shop across the street. "Their names are Molly and Ronan James. Molly is mine, so I know that Ronan is yours."

"I'm on my way." Lance quickly hung up and headed for his car. The Manor house was located twenty minutes from town, but he knew he would make it in record time. He was elated by the knowledge that his Fated mate was waiting for him at the Black Bean. "Ronan," he rolled the name off his tongue several times and loved how it sounded.

. . .

"That was fortunate," Ronan said at last.

"What?"

"We were rescued by a mechanic. Maybe our luck is improving." He grinned.

"Do you think he knew we were lying?" Molly asked, embarrassed by her inability to spin a good lie.

"Absolutely, but hopefully, he doesn't care enough to . . . care." Ronan picked up one of the sugar packets, opened it, and poured it into his coffee. The pie arrived, and it looked like it was the best in the county. Ronan wasn't aware that he was hungry until his eyes landed on that scrumptious piece of pie.

"Did you notice how buff that guy was? I've never known faded denim and a t-shirt to look so damn good." Molly winked at Ronan as they continued to scarf down their pie.

"I'm not dead, so yes, I noticed." He smiled. "I've never seen you so smitten, Miss Molly. If we weren't on the run, I bet you would want to hang out in this town for the next few days just to get your fill of Mr. Aaron Beaumont." They both laughed and teased, forgetting for the moment their dire circumstances.

Approximately fifteen minutes later, Aaron came back into the coffee shop and slid into the booth next to Molly. "Well, I have good news, and I have not-so-good news."

"Give us the good news," Molly said while shifting in her seat to see him better.

"I have all the parts necessary to fix your car." Aaron reached over and patted Molly's hand where it rested on the tabletop.

"Now, the not-so-good news." Ronan prompted.

"It's a time-consuming repair." He went into a long explanation of what he needed to do which neither Ronan nor Molly understood. "I won't have the car finished until late tomorrow. You will have to get a room for a couple of nights." His glance went from one to the other, gauging their acceptance.

"Can you recommend a place that is comfortable and cheap?" Molly asked.

While Molly and Aaron discussed possible accommodations, Ronan noticed two uniformed officers enter the shop and start to pay them way too much attention. "Maybe we should be going." Ronan blurted abruptly and began to get out of the booth while grabbing at his sister's hand. Molly caught on immediately when her gaze fell on the police near the door.

"Thank you, Aaron, for all your help," Molly stuttered as she began to pull away, "but we'll just look around town on our own, and I am sure we'll find something suitable." Aaron stood there bewildered by their behavior, but once he saw the police, he understood and followed them to the door.

Before Molly and Ronan could get out of the coffee shop, the two cops stopped them by stepping in front of the door and blocking their escape. They placed their hands on their hips with fingers hovering near the firearms strapped there and looked down their noses at them. It was a typical cop stance engineered for intimidation.

"Are you Molly and Ronan James from Traverse City, Michigan?" The tall cop with blond hair spoke while the other one with red hair and freckles continued to stare.

Ronan pulled his sister close, and neither spoke. They noticed that Aaron was standing behind them. The tall cop abruptly reached out and grabbed Molly by the upper arm. "Both of you are coming to the station." His words were harsh, and suddenly Molly began to cry and pulled back from the Officer's grip.

Ronan wasn't sure if he'd imagined it, but he thought he heard a growl from behind them, and then the cop let go of Molly's arm so fast it was as if he had received an electric shock. Aaron moved to position himself in front of Molly and glared at the two officers.

"What's the problem, boys?" Aaron asked sharply. The two cops looked suddenly less intimidating and more like two ‘boys' being reprimanded.

"They're wanted for questioning regarding a crime back in Michigan." The red head explained. "We received an APB on these two this morning from a D.A. in Michigan."

Ronan cringed when he heard the news. Jordan was obviously carrying through with his threat to accuse them of burglary. A part of him had wished that Jordan was just posturing in hopes of neither of them accusing him of assault, but it looked as if Jordan was not giving up on the desire to have him physically. The thought sickened him to the point that suddenly, he felt like he needed to throw up.

"I'm going to be sick," Ronan announced as he rushed to the bathroom, which was located off to the right of the front counter. No one tried to stop him, but he heard his sister yell to him, ‘everything will be okay, Ro' it was an assurance he wasn't buying at the moment. Once he emptied his stomach and cleaned up, he gathered his nerve and headed back to the fiasco that had suddenly become his life.

Upon entering the room, all eyes were on him. "Feel better?" Molly inquired, and he nodded but remained silent. He noticed that Aaron had moved to drape a protective arm around Molly's mid section, and apparently, she liked it, because she was not objecting.

Ronan walked up to her side, and she reached for his hand and held it tightly. Once again, he thought he heard a faint growl, must be a dog in the room somewhere , he thought. The two officers backed up so quickly that they nearly stumbled over each other. This was a very strange scene.

"Come to the station with us, and we can probably clear this right up." They urged, and Aaron motioned for the Officers to go, and they did. ‘ Wow, that man has some serious clout for an auto mechanic,' Ronan considered as he watched the action play out in front of him.

"Let's go to the police station, and you can explain your situation in more private surroundings. Please don't worry; I won't let anything happen to you or your brother. You have my word." Aaron spoke directly to Molly, who let out a slight whimper and squeezed Ronan's hand.

Aaron's expression grew more intense at the sound of Molly's distress, and he pulled her closer to him. His familiarity concerned Ronan, but Molly seemed to be eating it up, and he appeared to be a comfort to her, so Ronan let it pass.

"You have nothing to fear, Molly." Aaron continued to assure her and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head.

"Let's go with them, Molly." Ronan agreed. "We knew he wouldn't give up easily, and maybe these people will believe us. Jordan has no power here." They walked together to the Police station located one block down on the same side of the street as the coffee shop.

Aaron never released Molly from his embrace. Ronan, jealous of the support Molly was receiving, wished that someone was holding him right now. The two cops led the way and kept looking back over their shoulders to make sure they were following.

Ronan wasn't sure how this was going to play out. If worse came to worse, he decided to give Jordan what he wanted. He would not stand by and see Molly hurt or charged with a crime. He would contact Jordan and agree to whatever he wanted with the understanding that Molly was released and would never be bothered again. That thought made his stomach begin to retch again.

The man wasn't ugly, but his attitude and the power and control he exerted on others made him unattractive. Jordan Randall was a very unpleasant man when denied his wants and desires. Ronan was fairly certain his life as Jordan Randall's boy toy would not be a pleasant life. He had witnessed Jordan humiliate his current boyfriend over something as trivial as not having picked up Jordan's dry-cleaning in a timely manner.

It suddenly dawned on him that perhaps his current boyfriend was also blackmailed into the position. Jordan liked force and making people do what they didn't want to do. He hoped that the authorities of Lonepine would believe them and take their side in this matter, although he knew it to be a long shot at best. Authority types tended to stick together.

…

Lance squealed his tires as he came to a stop in front of the Black Bean. He saw Aaron up ahead with two of his officers and two . . . humans. ‘ The trouble must be coming to a head,' he thought as he ran to catch up to the group.

"Aaron." He spoke as soon as he was close enough. The group came to an abrupt halt. Aaron and the two officers turned to regard him and waited as if for direction. Ronan turned at the same time.

He had been feeling a little nauseous until now. Suddenly he was overcome with such a sudden flash of carnal craving that it startled him. The man behind them calling to Aaron was shockingly gorgeous. That was the only way he could describe him. His height, body, black hair, and black eyes were the sum total of every wet dream Ronan had ever had in his entire life.

He'd never had this kind of reaction to anyone, and it startled him. Ronan felt rather than saw the man give him a once over, and then he turned to question Aaron. It was obvious by his quick dismissal that he found Ronan lacked somehow, but still, Ronan let his gaze travel the man's broad chest encased in a snug white button-down and then down his waist and narrow hips. Ronan wondered what he looked like beneath those snug, faded jeans.

"Are they being arrested?" the man asked incredulously. Upon hearing those words, Ronan returned to reality and let the daydream pass. This man was someone important; he was someone that everyone answered to; Ronan could sense that in the actions of the other men. He shook off the ridiculous lustfulness of his thoughts and let his gaze drop to the sidewalk.

He stepped back from the group of men and moved closer to his sister. He was no match for men like these, either mentally or physically. Like Jordan, they were probably used to taking what they wanted and treating the weaker like shit. Ronan hated feeling helpless, but that was exactly how he felt. Everyone around them was suddenly in control, and it ate a hole through him.

He looked at Molly and realized she was feeling the same way. The men were talking among themselves, something about the APB and the need to get a statement, so Ronan whispered to his sister in hopes that they would not hear.

"We need to get out of here. These guys are all authoritative assholes, and they're scaring the hell out of me." He noticed his hands were shaking and tried to shove them into his pockets. Molly took his hand and held it.

"We will, when we can, I promise."

"They're going to send me back. They won't believe us." Ronan stated, defeated. "If they do, I'll go along with whatever Jordan wants. I can't let him hurt you." Ronan's eyes darted around the area in hopes of seeing an escape route.

"Quiet!" the man shouted, and the silence fell like a hammer. No one spoke, and everyone stood still. He moved to stand in front of Ronan for a moment and then reached out to tuck his knuckle under his chin. He raised Ronan's face up so he could look into his eyes.

"Don't be scared; I will never send you back, on that you have my word. Trust me, you are safer here than anywhere on the planet."

Ronan was shocked that this man had heard every word he'd said to Molly amidst all the talking and noise on the street.

"My name is Lance Hendricks, and I am the Mayor of Lonepine. What is your name?" He already knew, but he wanted Ronan to tell him.

"Ronan James, and this is my sister Molly." Lance was a nice strong, capable name, and Ronan liked it. Trust me, he said, and crazy as it was, Ronan felt as if he could. The man had an aura about him once he came close that made Ronan relax and feel safe, for the moment anyway.

He watched as Lance's eyes bore into his, searching for agreement or understanding. He wasn't sure, but he enjoyed it. Finally, Lance looked over at Aaron, although his hand did not leave him and Ronan found the connection comforting. He let his palm brush across Ronan's cheek, and his hand came to rest on his shoulder as he gradually pulled Ronan close and seemed to almost tuck him under his arm. It was exactly what Ronan had desired not ten minutes ago, and it made him feel safe and secure.

The man was huge and solid and smelled amazing. Ronan had to concentrate very hard on not reacting to his nearness. Not a good thing to have happen in front of a man who was probably as straight as the day was long. He had found that there were very few men comfortable and secure enough in their own sexuality to be flattered by the attentions of a gay man.

It was best to keep his attraction to himself. He wondered if Lance had sensed how scared he was, and this was simply a show of comfort. He didn't care, comfort rarely came these days, and he wouldn't pass up the opportunity even if it was temporary and meaningless.

"Let's finish this discussion inside." With those words, everyone walked into the Police Station without further discussion. Ronan noticed the strange looks that they garnered from the two cops as they watched the way Aaron and Lance were holding them. The officers were very careful not to get close to either him or Molly. Before, they were full of authoritative bravado, and now they acted like two school boys in fear of being disciplined.

"We didn't know." They defended themselves to Lance and Aaron.

"Well, now you do." Lance's statement was harsh and final, and both men lowered their heads in response.

Chairs were shuffled around, and soon they were all seated with Lance still keeping a protective arm around Ronan and Aaron doing the same with Molly.

"Explain why you accosted these two fine people," Lance demanded.

The red-headed one spoke first, which surprised Ronan because he looked like the timider of the two. He told them of the APB from Michigan and then reached over to a desk, took several papers, and handed them to Lance. Lance removed his arm from around Ronan but kept body contact. He read them in silence and then handed them to Aaron to read as he put his arm back around Ronan's shoulders.

"Did you and your sister break into Jordan Randall's office and tamper with evidence?" Lance asked.

"No, sir, Molly nor I would ever do such a thing." Ronan kept eye contact with Lance as he explained. He knew that was important. He could crumble later, but right now, he needed to be strong; he needed for this man to believe him; otherwise, they were screwed.

…

Lance studied the trembling human in his arms and barely suppressed the urge to clear the room of everyone frightening his mate. As it were, he glared at the two officers that appeared to be causing Ronan the most stress and knew they could feel his anger. They immediately moved further back from them and submissively bared their throats. Lance understood they were only doing their jobs, but Ronan was still coming apart in his arms and he needed it to stop!

He took his free hand and brushed it through Ronan's hair in a soothing gesture for himself as much as Ronan. His hair was soft and thick, hanging at his jaw line and the feel of it sliding between his fingers sent a jolt of awareness to his core. "I believe you; calm yourself. All will be fine, I promise." He eased back from him a little to look into Ronan's beautiful blue eyes once again.

"Tell me what happened." His voice soothed and made it possible for Ronan to explain. Something about Lance Hendricks made you want to please him. Ronan decided to analyze that feeling later.

He felt the arm around him, and Lance's fingertips ghosted across his cheek, and it relaxed him in a way no one ever had before, not even his mom. He wasn't sure how far he would get regarding an explanation considering he had yet to speak of the incident to anyone except Molly, and she didn't know the gory details.

Ronan looked around the room and noticed everyone sitting there, staring at him and listening. The eyes that were on him made him shiver slightly. Lance felt his fear and squeezed him tighter in response.

"No one is going to hurt you, Ronan; just tell us what happened. The officers need to hear your side of the story." Lance once again glared at the two men.

The red-headed officer took his chances, and he got up and stepped toward Ronan with his hand out. "My name is Jamie McCormack, and this is Terry Moore." He gestured towards the other officer, who gave him a quick nod. "We just need to know what happened; we aren't here to hurt you."

Ronan glanced at Molly, who was still wrapped up in Aaron's arms with her blond head lying on his chest. Wow, how their world had tilted since coming to Lonepine. She nodded, which gave him the go-ahead. Ronan took the officer's hand, shook it briefly, and then quickly rubbed his hands on his thighs. It was just a nervous move as he tried to relax. He needed to stay calm if he was going to get through this.

"Jordan Randall was Molly's boss." He decided to start at the beginning. "She's a legal secretary, and as you know, he is Asst. District Attorney for our county. We all live in Traverse City, a town on Lake Michigan's coast in the lower peninsula of Michigan. We don't live in Pittsburgh; I'm sorry for the lie." He looked towards Aaron, who smiled at his confession.

"Molly has been working in Jordan's office since just before our parents died eight years ago. I was eleven, and Molly was twenty; she took custody of me at that time, and I moved in with her. Jordan seemed nice back then, although I never actually met him until I was sixteen. He gave Molly more hours after she took me in and seemed to be very understanding of her situation."

He had been staring at his hands that were both fisted on his thighs but now looked up to see that all eyes were still riveted to him. He noticed Molly give Aaron an anxious look. She was worried about him as always. He would get through this; he would do it for her. "He made Molly his personal assistant three years ago and gave her a good raise. He even became more interested in what I was doing and my future plans. He acted like a good friend, and we both appreciated his attentiveness. He gave me rides to school and work sometimes and even provided a reference for me to get into Central Michigan University. He helped me a lot." How could he have changed so much? How could he have turned into someone who would lie and blackmail to get what he wanted?

Lance saw that Ronan's mind was wandering, so he squeezed his shoulder again to bring him back. "You're safe, Ronan." He received a small smile for his effort, which warmed him to his core. His poor little mate was suffering.

"Jordan's behavior started to get strange a couple of months ago. He took me out to dinner, saying that he wanted to discuss my future. I thought it was about my major in computer programming that he thought was useless. He said there are more than enough computer repair people around, and I should set my sights higher. Our get-together had nothing to do with my major and everything to do with my social life. Wow, was that an uncomfortable dinner. I couldn't sit there and discuss my personal life with my sister's boss." He glanced up at Lance as he continued.

"I don't know how you and your friends will take this, and after hearing it, you may want to remove your arm and step back a bit, but I'm gay. I don't advertise it, but I don't hide it either, but it's not a subject I am going to discuss with the county D.A. over dinner." Ronan looked around the room, as did Molly, and they waited for the fallout from that announcement. But none came, but he was treated to a very large smile from Lance as Lance's other hand came over to rest possessively on Ronan's thigh.

Ronan noticed no one seemed concerned with the news, and Lance did not back away, so he continued. "I told Jordan that my relationships were my own business and asked him to accept that as politely as possible. It seemed to piss him off a bit, but he took me home, and I thought that was the end of it. Molly later informed me that Jordan was gay and had a live-in boyfriend, so I didn't understand his concern about my social life." Ronan paused to take a deep breath before continuing.

"I tried to write it off as his attempt to warn me about being accepted or give me some tips on surviving as a gay man. I was grasping at explanations that could put him back into a good light in my mind because Jordan had always been so good to us." Ronan rubbed his hand through his hair roughly before feeling the pressure of his explanation weighing on him. Everyone waited, no one commented or pushed, and he appreciated their patience.

"It all came to a head a couple of weeks ago on a Wednesday. I was waiting outside the office for Molly, and Jordan came out and caught me up in conversation, just small talk at first, and then he started getting really personal again, only this time he asked me to go out with him. I said that I thought he was already seeing someone, and he said just a date, no commitment." Ronan started to tremble, and Molly scooted to the edge of her seat as if readying herself to grab him and run.

"I turned him down, saying that I really didn't have time for dates right now. He didn't seem to buy it, but he didn't pursue it any further until last Monday." Ronan's voice started to quiver, and he shot a nervous glance at Molly. She stood and moved to stand in front of him and then crouched down, placing both of her hands over his, comforting him the way she always did.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Ronan. It wasn't your fault."

Lance leaned in closer and spoke to Ronan. "What did he do to you? Tell me." There was savageness in his tone. Katherine had said that his mate would need patience and healing, and Lance was certain he was about to hear what that healing would entail. He wanted to find this Randall character and pull his spine out of his ass. How dare he seduce and damage a young man who had looked up to him as a role model and who obviously had great respect for him.

It was clear to Lance that Randall's interest in Ronan began at sixteen, when the boy was probably coming into the handsome looks he now had. Randall decided to take Ronan under his wing to prepare him. Thankfully Ronan was nobody's fool, and neither was Molly.

…

"He came over to our house Monday evening. Molly was in town for a meeting. He asked if he could come in and we could talk. I didn't think I had anything to fear from him; he was always a good guy, a little forward sometimes but usually a good guy. I offered him coffee, and he declined; he took his jacket off, tossed it on the sofa, and came toward me. I asked him if he wanted water or milk or juice, and he laughed and said, ‘I only want you, boy.' He called me boy like I was a dog or something. I backed up and started towards the kitchen; the backdoor was off the kitchen, and I wanted to be near it, but he caught me in a heartbeat and had me bent over the back of the sofa before I could even comprehend what was happening." He shut his eyes and dropped his head as the evening returned to him. "Fucking shit!" Ronan exploded and pounded his head with his own fists in frustration and humiliation.

Lance immediately grabbed his hands and held them down as he pulled Ronan closer. Ronan thought he felt lips press to his temple, but he wasn't sure. "I was trapped. I couldn't even move the man was big and . . . I couldn't move. He told me that I was going to be his. I started to yell, and he slapped me so hard I saw stars. Then he. . . he."

"I can take it from there," Molly announced and abruptly took the seat next to Ronan.

Lance pulled Ronan closer, enveloping him with his arms and his strength. Ronan would swear the man called him baby and said that he would always protect him. ‘ I must have been mistaken. I just met this guy; he wouldn't declare such things, would he?'

"Jordan sent me to a meeting with the intention of having Ronan alone so he could assault him. Fortunately, Jordan wasn't aware that I never go out without checking on Ronan first and letting him know where I am and when I will be home. I walked in on the assault as it was in progress."

"Oh, fuck." This expletive came from Aaron as he crossed over to take a seat next to Molly. Lance looked up at him for a moment, and they both felt for these two in a way that only a mate could feel. Aaron wanted to find Jordan Randall and rip the flesh from his bones. "Did he hurt you, Molly?"

"No, his attention was all on Ronan. Jordan didn't even slow down; he just started laughing, so I jumped on him and started hitting him until he released Ronan. Ronan scrambled to the other side of the room. Jordan never took his eyes off of him; it was like I wasn't even there. ‘We will finish this boy' was what he said, and then he turned on me. He told me that if I tried to start anything, he would have me jailed on any charge he could make stick. He threatened us both with jail if we so much as uttered a word about the incident to anyone."

"So, you ran," Lance said.

"Yes, I couldn't think of a better plan, so we dumped our cell phones and credit cards, anything he could trace us with, grabbed a few things, and left. I couldn't stay and risk that he would come after Ronan again." Molly was becoming frantic as the explanation continued as if reliving the night all over again.

Ronan pushed away from Lance and sat up straight in his chair. He needed to buck up and be a man. "He threatened that he would come after us if we tried to leave. But I thought he was just talking; I didn't think he would actually come after us or accuse us of a crime just to get me back there. He has to be mentally unstable; he's risking his career if anything goes wrong, which I hope it does." Ronan felt worse than he had the day it happened. Sitting there in front of these men and looking like a fucking wimp made him cringe.

He was assaulted; he wasn't man enough to get away from an attacker. What were they thinking, probably the funniest thing they've heard in weeks? They'll probably get together later and have a good laugh over the pansy boy and his butch sister. Shit! I can't sit here and take this; I have to get out of here. The panic started slow but was building at an alarming rate.

Suddenly Lance pulled him to his feet and drew him once again into a tight embrace. Ronan's head reached Lance's shoulder, and his strong arms circled him entirely. Lance laid his cheek on the top of Ronan's head as he spoke to him softly and ran his hand up and down his back in a comforting motion. "You're safe, Ronan. Relax. I believe you. We all believe you. This Randall character sounds like a real bastard, and he will never touch you again."

Ronan felt calmer just as he had before when Lance comforted him. What was it about this man that his presence and touch could bring him down from a panic attack in seconds? He had known him less than one hour, and yet he never wanted to leave him. ‘ This is crazy must be part of the trauma,' he surmised.

He heard people talking around him, but all he wanted was to stay wrapped in Lance's arms for the rest of his life. Is that really what he wanted? Wow, did he need to be sheltered and held? Ronan pulled back before he succumbed completely to this suddenly burgeoning pathetic sense of need. Lance loosened his grip but did not release him.

"Take Ronan and Molly to the Manor and make them comfortable," Lance spoke to Terry. "I will accept responsibility for them, and if anyone here needs to speak to them about this matter again, you will go through me first."

Lance tilted Ronan's face up to his as he explained. "I live at the Manor, a large house just outside of town. Aaron and a few of the other officers live there also. You and your sister will be comfortable, safe, and protected there until we can figure out what Randall is planning."

"You believe us." Ronan sounded surprised.

"Yes, I do." With that, Lance handed Ronan off to Terry with instructions to protect him with his life. Aaron did the same with Molly. They stood at the door and watched as their respective mates got into one of the cruisers with Terry and headed north out of town towards the Manor.

"He'll guard them," Jamie said as he came up to stand behind them. In unison, they answered with ‘he had better.'

"We need to find out all we can about this Jordan Randall without him knowing that we are checking." He turned to eye Jamie. "Can you do that?"

"Yes, sir, I can do that." He responded immediately and rounded the desk to log onto the office computer.

"Katherine said they would be surrounded by trouble," Aaron commented with a smile playing around his lips. "Can't say that I really care, though; how about you?"

"One look at that angel, and nothing mattered except getting him into my life and keeping him there." He walked over to stand behind Jamie as he searched the internet for information. "Inform the others that we are on alert throughout the perimeters of the Pack lands until this issue is resolved and our mates are no longer in danger." Aaron nodded and pulled out his cell phone.

"Jordan Randall has no idea who he is up against. He thinks he is dealing with a vulnerable young kid and his sister. He's in for a surprise if he comes around here. It will be a wolf pack that he encounters and an Alpha that would gladly see him dead before he lays a hand on Ronan again." Lance stated forcefully.

"I'm so grateful they found their way here to us," Aaron added thoughtfully.

"They're here with us, and nothing is ever going to take them away. They're our responsibility and our gift. I can't say I'm not angry about the circumstances that brought them here or for the terror and humiliation that my mate had to endure. But I am also ecstatic and overjoyed that they are here. I have my mate in my home, under my roof, under my protection, and there isn't anything on earth that compares to that feeling of completeness." He turned a bright smile on Aaron, who readily reciprocated.