Chapter Four

Slater slowly woke up, reaching for the warmth of Alex's body, but found the couch empty. They'd fallen asleep cuddled on the couch last night, but it seemed his hummingbird had taken flight. He sat up and rubbed the last remaining sleep from his eyes, feeling a part of him missing without Alex in his arms.

Last night had felt like a dream, his tiger's desire for dominance had clashed with Slater's human will. Alex had called to his beast in the most primitive way, causing Slater to struggle to keep his animal leashed. For the first time ever, his tiger had come dangerously close to the surface, closer than ever before, and Slater was sure Alex had seen it.

It was shocking his animal hadn't tried to break free when Slater had gotten his mate off last night. God, Alex had been so gorgeous falling apart on the very couch Slater was sitting on.

The rich aroma of coffee pulled him out of his thoughts, followed by the sound of someone moving around. Slater got up and walked into the kitchen then paused.

Alex stood in front of the coffeepot, oblivious to Slater's presence. His back was turned toward him, and he had earbuds in his ears. With one hand resting on the counter, Alex bounced his hips back and forth in time with whatever music was playing, eagerly awaiting his morning caffeine fix.

Leaning his shoulder against the wall, Slater watched his mate dance unknowingly for him, his heart swelling with affection. Alex looked carefree and beautiful, and even though he didn't know it, every move he made tugged at something deep inside Slater.

But then he shuffled his feet like he was doing some fancy dance move and banged his knee against the lower cupboard, causing Slater to wince in sympathy and make a mental note to buy some padding for those dangerous knees.

"Jeez!" Alex jumped and stumbled backward, his hand clapping over his chest when he suddenly noticed Slater standing behind him. "Warn a guy before sneaking up like that!"

"Sorry." Slater chuckled. "I smelled the coffee and wanted a cup."

Alex removed his earbuds and set them aside. "I just started brewing it. I had to search your kitchen to find coffee then had to figure out how to use your fancy grinder. Who even buys whole beans?"

"People who want a truly fresh cup of coffee every time." Slater walked the rest of the way into the kitchen and leaned against the counter, facing Alex. " You can smell how fresh the grounds are as it brews."

He loved the way the morning light caught Alex's sandy-blond hair, making it shine like gold. He found himself getting lost in those piercing blue eyes, feeling like he was drowning in them.

"Coffee all tastes the same to me." Alex shrugged.

"You must be joking," Slater let out a disbelieving laugh. " You're telling me you would choose gas station coffee over freshly ground and brewed coffee?"

Slater may not be a coffee expert, but he could definitely tell good from bad.

He avoided drinking coffee at work because it always left a bitter aftertaste. On his first day, he had tried some but decided it wasn't for him. He didn't know how his coworkers consumed two or three cups of the stuff.

"I have to admit it does smell pretty good." Alex poured some of the dark liquid into two mugs beside the machine. "How do you take your coffee?"

"I'm all about the cream," Slater replied with a smile. "It sweetens the tastebuds."

Alex gripped the carafe tightly with a flicker of lust in his eyes.

The guy was an expert at picking up on innuendos, as evidenced by last night when Slater flirted and his mate caught on to them effortlessly.

"Right." Alex cleared his throat and set down the carafe, nearly missing the counter in his rush to get to the fridge. When he returned, he thrust the container into Slater's hand.

"Everyone has their own preference for how much cream they want. I'll leave that up to you."

Slater couldn't resist teasing him, leaning in close and whispering, "I don't mind you handling my cream."

He loved handling his mate's last night.

Alex sucked in a soft breath, his cheeks turning a delicate cupid-pink that only drew Slater in closer. Needing a kiss more than coffee, he brushed his fingers under Alex's chin and gently tilted it upward before their lips brushed together, his mate's breath tickling beneath his nose.

Alex's lips were so soft against his. They parted slightly, allowing Slater's tongue to slip inside with gentle kitten licks as he savored the sweet, slow kiss. A low purr rumbled in Slater's chest as their bodies pressed together against the counter.

The feel of Alex's fingers flexing against his biceps destroyed Slater's senses.

As much as he wanted to take things further, to take Alex the way he wanted to, he couldn't. Not yet. But even just this innocent kiss left him feeling breathless and dizzy.

Pulling back, Slater drew in a deep breath. "Good morning, hummingbird."

Alex let out a shuddering breath before he slowly composed himself. "Good morning. Are we still going to breakfast?"

"Most definitely." After pouring cream into his coffee, Slater took a sip then sighed. "You can't beat freshly ground."

Alex added cream and sugar to his own cup, stirring it slowly before taking a sip. His eyes closed briefly while he smiled in pure bliss. "You've officially made me a believer."

"I told you." Slater winked.

After a few more sips, Alex set his cup down.

It seemed they weren't going to talk about last night. For now, Slater would let it go.

"If we're going to be in public, I have to stop by my apartment first." He gestured to his shorts. "I refuse to be seen in these."

A purr threatened to escape as Slater admired the way they hugged Alex's body, outlining his cock beneath the fabric. "If you didn't want to be seen in them, why did you wear them?"

His mate shrugged and took another drink of coffee. "I wasn't sure what we would be doing, so I wanted something with maximum flexibility."

Slater chuckled as he heard the sound of a lawnmower starting up outside. "Do you want me to smuggle you out so my neighbors won't see them?"

"Only if you roll me up in a rug so it'll be obvious you're carrying a body." A teasing grin spread over Alex's face. "Breaking news: Deputy Slater Kingsman spotted carrying a suspiciously shaped bundle in the wee hours of the morning. Stay tuned for updates!"

Slater shook his head with a grin. "You've been watching too much news."

Alex hid his grin behind the rim of his cup. "Fine, be a spoilsport and let me just walk out the normal way instead."

"Come on, suspicious bundle." Slater set his coffee cup in the sink and turned off the machine. "Let's head to your place and then go get some breakfast."

His mate softly laughed as they made their way out the door.

A guy could happily overdose on that beautiful sound.

* * * *

As soon as Alex walked through his apartment door, he gestured toward the couch. "You can have a seat. I promise I won't take long."

"Try not to smack your knees into anything while you're in there." Slater chuckled.

"Very funny." Alex rolled his eyes but was thankful Slater hadn't gotten angry about the accidental knee to the groin.

What blew his mind was the fact that Slater hadn't wanted anything in return. What guy didn't want some kind of release while they were fooling around?

None that he had ever met.

But Alex could tell Slater was different. Not just because of the selfless act last night or the mind-blowing kisses they shared but he also had a kind heart. When Slater had offered to show him how to fight, Alex thought for sure the guy would want to be paid for his services, but so far, Slater hadn't mentioned anything about money.

Which was always in short supply with Alex.

After tossing his shorts onto the floor, Alex grabbed a pair of jeans. He still couldn't believe he'd actually walked out of the house with those shorts on, let alone let Slater see him wearing them.

They were the shorts he wore when he cleaned his apartment.

Hastily throwing on a shirt, he made a mental note to shower later. Alex glanced at his phone lying on his bed, stunned he'd run out yesterday on his way to his lesson and forgotten it.

He was blaming it on Slater.

The guy was taking up way too much space in Alex's head, probably with his feet kicked up, sipping on a fruity drink and basking in all the free real estate.

Did Slater allow Alex to take up too much space in his head too? The question made Alex think about last night. He no longer believed the beast was just a figment of his imagination. Slater had purred when they'd kissed both times, and after that mind-blowing hand job, his belief was solidified that the beast and Slater were one and the same.

That desperate yearning to surrender to it still throbbed inside Alex, and he could still feel the pull of its call.

He jumped slightly when his phone starting ringing, and then he blew out breath and forced the feeling of surrendering to the beast away. Swiping his phone off his bed, he saw it was his mom.

"Hey, Mom." Alex didn't think Slater would mind waiting a few more minutes while he talked to her. But he didn't want to take too long. His hunger was growing, and he had his stomach set on chocolate chip pancakes.

"You had me worried, sweetheart," she said with a note of concern in her voice. "I tried calling you several times last night. You never ignore my calls. Are you okay?"

"I just forgot my phone at work." A small lie. "Is something wrong?"

"It's about your father."

Alex's jaw clenched tightly at the mention of William Preston. His father was the only topic that could make his blood boil. "What about him?"

"He's insisting on seeing you, Alex," she said tensely.

"He can insist all he wants, but that's not happening." He was on cloud nine after the breathtaking kiss in Slater's kitchen and what they'd done the night before. Alex thought nothing could ruin his day. Not when he would be spending it with someone who constantly made his heart stall.

He'd been wrong.

"We've actually been talking on the phone, and from our conversations, it seems like he has." Her voice was hesitant, as if she was afraid of upsetting him.

"He's a narcissist." Alex wanted to yell those words at his mother, but he'd never disrespected her before, and he wasn't going to start now.

But he was so angry that he felt like punching something.

"Was," she said, but without conviction.

"People like that don't change, no matter how much they try to convince you otherwise. He's still a narcissist. Everything always had to be done his way without any room for compromise."

Alex touched the small scar under his right eye, a reminder of the one and only time William had lashed out physically at him. But once was too many.

"He keeps asking me to convince you to have a mature relationship with him."

"Oh my god!" Alex laughed bitterly in disbelief. "If he's truly changed, why do I have to try to have a relationship with him instead of the other way around? If he's truly changed, he shouldn't be badgering you about anything."

"Alex," she said softly.

"Why can't you see it?" He pressed the heel of his hand against his forehead as he closed his eyes. "Please, Mom. Stop talking to him. He hasn't changed. He's just manipulating you to get back into our lives." His throat tightened as he spoke. "He'll only make you miserable again. You've been so happy since you divorced him."

William may not have laid a hand on her, but he had been an expert at emotional manipulation. Even after Alex became an adult and moved out, his father still tried to control him and force him to abide by "his rules." It wasn't until William threatened to beat Alex into submission that his mother finally divorced him.

It had been five years since Alex had seen his father, and he hoped to never see him again. Just the mention of William made all of Alex's old anxieties resurface.

But what bothered him the most, fueling his anger toward William, was that he couldn't seem to fully erase the small part of him that still loved his father.

"It's just that…" She broke off with a sharp intake of breath. "He's been coming around."

Alex's heart raced as his eyes snapped open. "You said you were only talking to him on the phone." He paced in front of his dresser, biting his thumbnail as he tried to make sense of the situation.

He came to a sudden halt. "He's forcing you to do this, isn't he?"

"Yes." Her voice shook. "Now I've done what he wanted, so hopefully he'll leave me alone. Please, son, don't let him back into your life."

He sank down onto his bed, finally connecting all the pieces. At first, he'd been so angry during the call that he thought her hesitation was simply because she didn't want to upset him. But now, it was clear that she was only saying what William wanted her to say.

"He's been harassing you," Alex said softly. "Please, Mom. Tell me the truth."

"Yes," she responded with the sound of relief in her voice, as if she were glad she no longer had to lie to her son or be William's puppet. "Mainly through phone calls. I've only seen him in person twice. The last time was a week ago."

"Why didn't you tell me, Mom?" He wanted to hold her in his arms, feeling an overwhelming urge to protect her.

She spoke with a tightness in her throat, as if she were struggling to hold back tears. "Because in the past five years you've been so happy. You're finally living your life on your own terms and becoming the incredible man I always believed you could be without William controlling you. I didn't want to take that away from you."

She was the complete opposite of his father—selfless and caring. It touched Alex deeply that she felt that way, but that wasn't a reason for her to suffer in silence.

"You have to go to the police." He thought of Slater in the next room. "You need to tell them what he's doing."

"I was hoping he would just go away."

"You're afraid of enraging him." He voiced the real reason.

"I just want him to leave us alone," she gritted out.

"Then I'll handle it from here. Finish getting ready for work, Mom. I love you."

"Alex, please don't—" she started to say.

He hung up before she could plead with him to stay out of it then walked into the living room. His steps slowed when he saw Slater's tense posture and the darkness in his eyes.

"Tell me his name."

"William Preston. I don't know where he lives now, but I'll give you my mom's address. She's a hairdresser at the local salon." Alex tried to think of any other information that could help Slater. "Do you want me to get his phone number from her?"

"I want everything you two can give me." Slater pulled out his phone and made a call. Alex texted his mom and asked for William's number.

Why do you need it?

His mom was worried that he would call William, afraid that his father would try using intimidation or persuasion to see Alex. But what she seemed to forget was that he'd never been scared of his father.

Alex had followed all the rules and stayed in line because he didn't want to be kicked out and leave his mother alone to deal with William.

It wasn't until he turned eighteen that he started challenging his father's absolute authority with silent rebellion—giving him defiant glares that showed how little William actually scared him and ignoring those ridiculous rules. Then, when Alex had finally moved into his own place, he'd no longer held back his tongue, which seriously pissed off his father.

My friend is a deputy. He's actually at my apartment right now and asked for William's phone number.

He watched the three dots appear as she typed out her response.

You never told me about him. Is he really a friend, or are you two dating?

Alex groaned. This was not the time to discuss his dating life. Besides, he had no clue how to label what was going on between him and Slater.

Phone number, Mom.

She finally sent it to him, along with a message. We'll talk later about your deputy.

That brought a smile to his face. They would definitely talk later.

"Did she send it?" Slater asked.

"Yes." He started to turn his phone around to show Slater but then quickly pulled it back when he remembered he would also see the messages as well. Alex had embarrassed himself enough already.

"I'll text it to you." As he typed out each digit, he had to fight the urge to call William and unleash his anger on him.

"I just spoke with Sheriff Harper." Slater checked his phone when it beeped. It was probably the text Alex just sent him. "He wants your mom to come down to the station to file a restraining order."

"I'll let her know, but I can tell you already she's not going to miss work to go down there." Alex' stomach grumbled loudly. "Unlike Mr. Fiago, William doesn't show his true colors in public. He's not going to show up at the salon and harass my mom."

Slater frowned. "Are you saying she won't go to the station?"

"I'm saying she'll wait until after work." Alex tucked his phone into his back pocket. "Since we've done all we can for now, I suggest feeding the hungry beast trying to claw its way out of my belly."

A deep rumble sounded from Slater's stomach. He chuckled. "I guess I have a beast inside of me too."

In Slater's gaze, Alex caught a subtle nod, a silent admission that the creature he had seen was indeed real.