Chapter Five

All through breakfast Alex couldn't stop thinking about the situation with his father.

He couldn't bring himself to call William "dad" because that title was reserved for someone deserving, something his father was not.

Why, after five years, had his father shown up insisting on a "mature" relationship with him? That was fucking rich coming from William. If Alex compared his father to a child, there was no difference. They both threw tantrums when they couldn't get their way and used manipulation to get what they wanted.

But a child didn't know any better. William was fully aware of what he was doing.

Slater raised his hand for the check, causing Alex's thoughts to center on the guy. Now he was questioning his relationship with Slater, wondering if things were moving too fast.

They'd only met a little over twenty-four hours ago, and yet Alex was acting like he had no resistance around him. Should he continue at their current pace and see where it led, or should they slow down and give each other some space so they had time to think?

Although he still felt Slater's beast trying to pull him toward it, what was he getting himself into? They were both aware Alex knew the truth, but what truth? What kind of beast lived inside Slater?

Most people would think it was just some personality issue, or they themselves were going nutty. But Alex had felt that strong pull toward it, had very clearly seen those amber eyes in Slater's.

No one was going to convince him Slater didn't have a beast dwelling inside of him.

But the human part of Slater was amazing. Funny, sweet, and caring. Alex really liked spending time with him, liked how the guy looked at him, treated him, and…everything. The thought of stepping back left an ache inside Alex.

"I wanted to take you to breakfast, but we never made plans beyond that. Did you want to hang out?" Slater asked as they exited the diner.

Glancing toward his car, Alex wondered what he should do.

"Hummingbird." Slater touched his chin softly. "I'm sorry your dad put you in this mood."

"He's my father, not my dad." That was only half of Alex's turmoil. The other half stood right in front of him.

"Because a dad loves his child and cares about their wellbeing." Slater nodded understandingly, his bluish-gray eyes conveying sympathy. "I get it. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure he stays away from you and your mom."

That was exactly why Alex was so torn. The rational side of him was telling him to take a step back because, even though the beast had some kind of pull over him, it was dangerous.

But Slater wasn't. He'd just proven once again how caring he was.

With a flutter in his stomach, Alex smiled up at him. "Sure. What do you want to do now?"

Slater grinned mischievously. "We could take a walk."

That sounded perfect, but Alex couldn't resist teasing him. "What is with you and exercise? You already tried to kill me yesterday."

Slater snorted. "I think you have that backward, hummingbird. I'm surprised I'm not walking with a limp."

Alex still couldn't believe he'd done that. He'd tried his best to execute the kick as perfectly as Slater had, but it was clear he should buy a Taser instead.

"I think we're even since a mountain landed on me and tried to turn me into a pancake. My pride is still recovering from being crushed."

Slater crossed his arms and arched a thick brow. "You scared Marbles. She's probably traumatized."

"You're blaming me for traumatizing her?" He stared incredulously at Slater. "My face almost collided with the house because of her." He mirrored Slater's folded arms. "I think she needs to apologize for terrifying me."

"You're adorable when you whine." He chuckled softly and slid an arm over Alex's shoulders. "Let's walk off Roman's delicious breakfast."

"Or we could do some arm curls." He playfully elbowed Slater in the gut.

"Ophf!" Slater bent slightly as if Alex had actually hurt him.

Alex laughed. "You're such a faker! There's no way my arm hurt those muscles."

Slater flexed for him, and Alex almost passed out. He already had huge biceps, and the curl only made it larger.

"No one likes a showoff." He yanked on Slater's arm to lower it but forgot what he was trying to do when he touched what felt like warm, hard steel. Then he pulled his hand back when he saw he was caressing the guy's arm.

Slater looked tenderly at him. "You can pet me any time you want."

Heat erupted in Alex's face. "You get some kind of twisted thrill when you make me blush, don't you?"

"Your whining isn't the only thing I find endearing." He lightly grazed a knuckle against Alex's cheek. "Is your face the only place you blush?"

A burning heat sparked between them, a static charge filling Alex with a craving for those lips. Slater's eyes reflected the same longing. Their heads gravitated closer, like two magnets irresistibly drawn to each other.

"What are you?" Alex whispered, their lips inches apart. "What do you want with me?"

He wasn't speaking to Slater. Alex was talking to the glowing amber in his eyes. The beast was once again trying to pull him in, making Alex want to surrender to it.

"My Bengal tiger," Slater said softly. "It—"

"Alex?"

He jerked his head away from Slater's at the sound of his mother's voice. Slater pulled back, his tiger receding.

"Mom?" He turned and saw her strolling across the street, looking as stunning as ever with her perfectly styled blonde hair and trendy outfit.

She was so beautiful, appearing a lot younger than her forty-six years. Any time they were out together, Alex had to scare away the vultures who hit on her.

Not that Alex was very intimidating, but so far, he'd done a good job of making the vultures fly away.

"I was heading to the diner to pick up the salon's breakfast order." She looked between them, her blue eyes wide with curiosity, silently asking Alex if this was the deputy friend.

"Could you be any more obvious?" Alex rolled his eyes. "Mom, this is Deputy Slater Kingsman. Slater, meet my mom, Rebecca Preston."

"Becky," she corrected, giving Alex a knowing smile.

"The pleasure is all mine, ma'am," Slater replied with a charming smile.

"Is this the deputy who was at your place at seven this morning?" His mom raised an eyebrow.

"Nope. I like to rotate between all the deputies in town. Keeps things interesting." Alex reached behind him and patted Slater's arm. "Don't worry, tiger . You're still my number one cop."

Both he and his mom turned to look at Slater when they heard him emit a low growl. Alex was just joking around, but apparently Slater didn't find it very funny.

Alex slowly turned back around to face his mom. Slater said the tiger wouldn't hurt him, but that deadly growl wasn't comforting. Alex frowned when he felt Slater place his hand on the small of his back. Was that his way of claiming his territory?

"I have to get the food to the salon," his mom said. "Make sure you two drop by my house for a visit. Don't bring one of your other deputy boyfriends." Her smile was teasing and pretty before she walked inside the diner.

Alex whipped around. "Seriously, you just had to growl in front of my mom?"

"You feel the strong pull." Slater narrowed his eyes.

"What?" Alex scrunched up his face as he looked at him. "I fail to see how that has anything to do with that little snarl of yours."

"Hummingbird." Slater slowly blew out a breath. "Tease about rotating through men again and my growl won't be so soft. Don't even mention other men."

"Screw you." Alex punctuated each word with a poke to Slater's chest. "You can't tell me what I can joke about, and you can't act like a jealous ape. I don't even know if I'm your boyfriend or if we're just friends who can't keep our mouths and hands off each other."

"We're mates." Slater's voice was still a bit snarly.

Alex had a feeling he knew what that meant, but he was too pissed to care right now. "I'm going home. Go growl at a fire hydrant."

That hadn't been what Alex really wanted to say, but he'd stopped himself from telling Slater to go fuck himself.

"Alex," Slater said, taking a step closer.

Spinning around, Alex stormed toward his car and opened the driver's door, using it as a barrier between them. "I won't tolerate someone trying to dictate or threaten my life, Slater. We're finished."

As he drove away, tears stung his eyes, and he could feel himself unraveling. It shouldn't hurt this much—like a chisel hollowing him out. But it did, and Alex didn't know how he was still managing to drive because, inside, he was crumbling.

But he couldn't stay. If he did, things would never be the same between them. He would grow to resent Slater for trying to control him, just like he hated his father for doing the same.

The mere thought of William added fuel to the fire inside of him, a mixture of anger and pain churning on an already stormy sea.

Alex pulled over to gather himself and watched as Midnight Falls slowly came alive under the early morning sun.

Maybe his feelings for Slater were all in his head, a projection of his own longing for something more meaningful in his life. It was foolish of him to become so attached to someone he'd only met two days ago. Worse, he'd convinced himself they were meant for each other.

They weren't. It was just a physical attraction, a fleeting moment of pleasure he'd tried to turn into something deeper and more significant.

That had to be true. If it wasn't, why did Slater simply stand there and let him walk away? He didn't even try to stop him, which only added to Alex's heartache and confusion.

And what about the beast inside Slater? Had Alex even felt it pulling him in, or was that just one more thing he'd foolishly convinced himself of?

Resting his hands on the steering wheel, Alex watched the traffic go by as he took deep breaths to calm himself down. He wouldn't let this defeat him. He would work through these emotions and get back on his feet again.

Even though he knew he would never be the same after this.

Alex glanced up when someone in a police uniform stood at his car door. For a brief second, his heart skipped because he thought it was Slater. A mixture of disappointment and relief filled him when he saw it was Deputy Tenshi instead.

Wondering why Tattoo Sleeves was there, Alex rolled down his window. The nickname had grown on him. "Is something wrong? Am I parked illegally or something?"

The guy was so massive Alex was staring at his stomach. Either Alex needed to get a car higher off the ground or Tenshi needed to shrink. He couldn't even see the guy's face.

As if reading his thoughts, the deputy crouched down to meet his gaze. "How're you doing, Alex?"

Frowning, Alex replied, "Okay. Are you using pleasantries because you're about to give me a ticket?" He looked around, but as far as he could tell, he was legally parked. Maybe there was a time limit, but he had no idea how long he'd been sitting there lost in thought.

Tenshi's intense stare felt like a silent interrogation, making Alex feel uneasy. "I just wanted to check on you," he finally said.

With a mischievous smile and a wink, Alex said, "Because I'm just sitting in my car creeping on traffic. I promise I'm not trying to find a potential victim to stalk."

The deputy's eyes wrinkled in amusement. "Found any yet?"

Alex narrowed his eyes playfully. "I was eyeballing this maroon Lincoln Navigator that passed by a few minutes ago. Wanna stalk it together?"

He chuckled. "I wouldn't mess with Ian Grant if I were you. He doesn't take kindly to being hunted."

"In that case, you pick the target. Just point out a car and we can talk mad shit about them, even if we have to make it up."

There was a twinkle in Tenshi's eyes as he smiled and shook his head.

When Alex narrowed his eyes again, it wasn't for fun. "Why exactly are you checking on me, Deputy Tenshi?"

There could be a multitude of reasons. Mike and his buddies, William, or…Alex took a shuddering breath. He didn't want to admit it hurt something fierce, that he was hoping Slater had sent him.

But what they'd had wasn't real, only an illusion Alex had foolishly believed. Biting his lip, he pressed his palm against his chest. What they had might not have been real for Slater, but Alex had stupidly caught feelings, and it had turned into something real for him.

So real that the anguish was screaming for release.

The deputy's gaze softened. "Do you want to see him?"

Taking a small breath, Alex kept his eyes fixed ahead. "Desperately, but I've already lived that kind of life, and I've worked too hard for my peace of mind in the past five years. I won't let him dictate my life or threaten me again. I appreciate your concern, but I don't need him sending anyone else to check on me."

Alex slowly turned his head when he heard a low growl emanating from the deputy. His heart stopped, icing over, sliding through him to freeze the air in his lungs, from the darkness that had fallen over the deputy's features.

"He threatened you?"

"Do you have one, too?" Alex tried to swallow, but there was a hard lump lodged in his throat.

"One of what?" He tilted his head.

"A tiger?" With Slater's tiger, Alex felt as if he were being seduced. Those amber eyes scared him, and he felt the beast's power, but not once had he felt threatened.

Staring at Tenshi, all Alex felt was pure danger.

"I have a wolf," he said calmly. "But you don't have to fear me, Alex. Our animals would never harm anyone's mate." His jaw tensed. "Nor would we harm our own."

How many people had animals living inside of them? Alex had assumed it was just Slater.

"I was joking with my mom when she asked if Slater was the deputy at my apartment. I don't remember exactly what I said, but it was something about me rotating through all the deputies." As he spoke the words out loud, Alex realized how terrible they sounded. He'd only been kidding with his mom. He wasn't interested in anyone else but Slater.

God, he should have never said anything like that in front of Slater. He owed him an apology for that, but it still didn't excuse the threat.

Tenshi closed his eyes for a moment and silently cursed before asking, "What did he say to you?"

Alex didn't even want to say anything else. He felt like he was sinking deeper into a world he never asked to be a part of. "He growled in front of my mom."

The deputy's head snapped up, and his nostrils flared.

"I said something to him about it," Alex quickly added. "He was just reacting to my very, very bad attempt at humor."

Alex shouldn't have accepted those free lessons. His life had gone from an exhilarating rush to… He didn't even know what to call this mess.

"Alex."

He hung his head. "Slater told me if I joked about men again, his growl wouldn't be so little."

Tenshi shot to his feet and was gone. Then Alex saw his cruiser fly down the street.

"What the hell have I gotten myself into?"