Chapter 6

Chapter Six

" O ur mate link," Dylan said flatly.

The conversation had started badly and now the ground was ready to swallow Ross whole.

"Yes," Ross agreed.

"They want you to investigate me through our mate link."

"Yes."

Dylan had asked these questions on repeat. Ross didn't know how else to answer him.

"They still think I'm a traitor."

"They don't know, Dylan. And they're scared after what happened with Jake. We're humans. We don't have a shifter's instincts. This is the only way they can think of delving into your mind."

Ross reached out as the blood drained from Dylan's face.

"No!" Dylan yanked away from his grip and backed away from Ross. "You have no right to do that. It's assault. Even shifters don't do that to each other."

He slammed up a barrier in their link. It was as if he'd slammed a door shut and Ross gasped at the emptiness inside his mind. He couldn't feel his mate anymore and it hurt more than he could say. "Please, Dylan."

Dylan shook his head, his lips pressed in a thin line until they were barely visible. Ross knew Dylan was angry, but he was also scared too.

"I'm not a fucking traitor. I may not be able to remember anything, but I know it in here." Dylan placed a hand over his heart.

"I know that."

Dylan sneered. "You just said you want to rape my mind to find out."

Ross stared at him, horrified. "No, baby, no." He reached out a hand, but Dylan folded his arms across his chest, his expression bleak.

"You're going to enter my mind without my consent. What would you call it?"

"No. I'm not."

For the first time Ross saw confusion in Dylan's expression.

"What?"

"I said I'm not. I told them I wouldn't do it."

Dylan slumped and Ross rushed to hold him up. To his relief, his lover stayed in his arms, leaning against him.

"But you just said…"

"I told you what they wanted me to do and why. You didn't give me a chance to tell you the rest of the conversation."

Dylan stepped away from him and Ross let his arms drop, even though all he wanted was to hold onto his mate.

"Next time lead with that, you bastard."

"I'm sorry." Ross was an idiot. He'd been so busy trying to tell Dylan about the conversation he hadn't thought it through. He took a deep breath. "I told Eli and Niles where to shove their idea. Then I called in Owen, plus Milo turned up too. And Owen and Milo lost their fucking minds at Eli and Niles. I'm surprised you didn't hear the yelling."

"I guess I was lost in thought. What did Owen and Milo say?"

Ross grimaced. "More or less the same as you did with added curse words, most of which were in wolven. Milo said he'd arrest anyone who did that to you, and he'd throw away the key. Owen swore that he would leave the pack if anyone ever tried that dangerously stupid idea."

Dylan grinned, just for a second. "They said that?"

"Yeah. I'm paraphrasing Owen's language." Ross ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know what half the cuss words mean, and I've worked with Vets all my working life. Then Owen explained in excruciating detail how other shifters would react if they heard about humans doing that to their kin." Ross shuddered, remembering the explanation.

"How did Eli and Niles take it?" Dylan asked.

"Quite well."

Dylan burst out laughing at Ross's dry tone. "So they behaved as normal. Niles threw his arms up and Eli scowled?"

Ross snorted, then Dylan's words struck him, and he tilted his head. "You remember how they act?" He phrased it carefully, not wanting to make an accusation but Dylan furrowed his brow.

"No, it just came out like that." He squinted at Ross. "That is what they do all the time, isn't it?"

"Yep, that's exactly what they do. Niles nearly knocked out Eli as he swung his arm and Eli's face is gonna stay like the grump he is if the wind changes. Eli's a good man but he's out of his depth trying to understand being part of a pack, not being in charge, and dealing with an international cartel of hunters trying to wipe us out at the same time. None of that is in his wheelhouse."

Dylan sighed. "I need to remember that when I'm yelling at him."

Ross shook his head and pulled Dylan toward him. "You're my mate. That's all that matters. I'll stand between you and Eli."

Dylan gave him a sweet smile. "But Eli is right. If this were anyone else, I'd insist we find out what happened before I trusted them with my pack."

"Do you think the shifter doctor can help?"

"Maybe. But why don't we try it the old-fashioned way?"

"What do you mean?" Ross asked.

"Between Milo and the Cavalry and me, do you think we could trace what happened to me?"

Ross held out his hand and squeezed as Dylan entangled their fingers. "I don't know, baby. Let's ask."

Back in the kitchen, everyone looked up as Ross led Dylan in. He scanned everyone's expression, especially Eli's. No one looked hostile, to his relief, just mainly concerned, and Eli looked resigned as he got to his feet.

"I'm sorry, Anderson. I guess Ross has told you what we suggested and yeah, we understand now what a stupid idea that was."

Dylan inclined his head. "I know you want to protect your pack. But I've got a suggestion if you and Milo agree."

"Go on," Eli said warily.

"You didn't find me before, but you were focused on the hunters, not finding me. Between your resources and the sheriff's, could we look for me the old-fashioned way? CCTV, phone calls, etc."

Milo nodded. "I've already put in a call to the sheriff's department where you went missing."

Ross smiled at him gratefully. "I'll help too."

"You're working for me, remember?" Eli growled.

"Resigned, remember?" Ross shot back.

"Time out, guys," Niles said. "Ross, we don't accept your resignation and Anderson works for us too, if you remember. That hasn't changed. You're both on a special assignment to find out what the hell happened to Anderson. We can give you the information up to the moment he went missing."

"You're right," Eli huffed. "There was so much going on. We were focused on the hunters, not you. I'm sorry, Dylan. You got lost in the melee and that was wrong."

Ross knew the admission was a big one for Eli to make. The one thing he knew about his boss was that he hated to admit he was wrong. As he often said, he was never wrong. And the idea had been good, in theory. Who knew shifters would react so violently to the suggestion? The last thing they need was all their mates losing their minds. There weren't enough couches for the humans to sleep on.

Then it occurred to him that the door was still closed between him and his mate. Ross pushed at it gently, but it stayed closed. Dylan didn't trust him enough to open the link between them.

He looked up to see Milo focused on him. The sheriff gave a quick shake of his head. Now what did that mean?

Niles coughed to attract everyone's attention. "Ross and Dylan, you get to use the new Cavalry building as your office. There's an apartment on one side which is your temporary home until Ross's house is finished…or we make alternative arrangements."

Ross breathed a sigh of relief. At least Eli wasn't kicking them out. He was, but they'd still be on Sapphire Ranch. Then Ross realized Eli had an agenda. He needed them away from the house so he could talk out of earshot of Dylan, but within his reach. Damn, his boss was a canny bastard. But he thought space between Dylan and Eli would be a good idea. The sooner they got to work, the sooner they could clear Dylan's name.

"We'll go now," he said. "Is there WiFi?"

Niles nodded. "The office is set up to work. The Cavalry resources are at your disposal, and I'll be your lead. You don't need Eli scowling at you."

"And I'd like to help," Owen said, surprising Ross. "Zeke is taking over your bodyguard shifts, and I'd like something to do."

Ross wasn't sure how he felt about that. The young wolf could be intense and at times made Ross uneasy. However, Owen had the sharpest brain in the pack and more to the point, he'd been on the road for years before arriving at Sapphire Ranch. Ross turned to Dylan for confirmation, but his mate seemed happy with the idea. He would have another wolf to talk to and one that probably understood how out of place he felt. But before he agreed, Ross looked at Zeke. Even with Owen's eyeroll, he wasn't going to agree without his huge mate's agreement. Zeke had been his co-worker for years and deserved his respect. Zeke gave a slight nod.

Permission given, Ross smiled at Owen. "Do you want to come with us or make your own way over?"

"See you over there. I need to talk to Cal and Joe first."

"There's food in the kitchen," Cal said. "Just call if you need anything. And Ross, I know you like dealing with the critters. That will be there for you when you're ready, I promise."

That was perceptive of the young wolf and Ross smiled at him gratefully.

"Thanks, Cal." He stood, anxious to get out of there. Even without their link, he could feel the tension radiating from Dylan.

"Ross, don't do anything without confirming it with Niles," Eli said.

"Understood."

Eli's expression softened for a moment. "I'm still concerned about your amnesia, Dylan. The Wild Creek doctor will be here by the weekend."

"I know him," Cal added. "He's a good wolf even if he does work with my brothers. You won't have to see him alone."

"He'll be with me," Ross growled. He wasn't leaving his mate alone with any wolf.

"I'll be happy if he can give me answers," Dylan said. He tapped his forehead. "This isn't right."

Then Ross was done. He and his mate needed to get out of there and start work. They all required answers.

Dylan let out a long breath the second the kitchen door closed behind them. "Is it always like this?"

"You mean like the world is about to implode?"

Dylan nodded.

"Pretty much," Ross admitted. "Since we arrived here it's been one crisis after another. It's been an intense year. This was just a rundown farm before Joe shot a wolf in the yard. I'd never heard of shifters or hunters and the most excitement in my life was a new Marvel movie."

"And I'd be dead and neither of us would have found our mates."

Ross turned at the gruff interruption to see Joe Senior and Peter stretched out in the Adirondack chairs, glasses of Cal's iced tea in their hands.

"You didn't want to join the party?" He jabbed a thumb toward the door.

Joe Senior snorted. "Not our business, sonny. You youngsters can save the world. Me and Peter just need each other."

As both men were around fifty, the ‘sonny' was a bit much. Ross was about to call him out when Dylan spoke.

"Why here?"

"What do you mean?" Joe Senior asked.

"Why does everything center around Sapphire Ranch?"

Peter smiled unexpectedly. Dylan had admitted the previous night that the power radiating off the alpha wolf nearly put him on his knees. Even Ross could feel it and he was human.

"We've been talking about that. Wolves live where there is power in the earth. Sapphire Ranch is a center for that power."

"Then why weren't shifters living here before?" Dylan asked.

Joe Senior coughed. "They were, according to Peter's mom. She told him that until we bought the ranch shifters had always lived here. But they died and my family took over."

Peter leaned over and kissed him with enough passion that it made Dylan and Ross look away, twitchy at the sight of two older men kissing, and the fact it made them horny. "And now wolves are one with the power again."

"Do you think that's why Cal and Owen and me came here without knowing why?" Dylan asked.

"I think so. And that's why your mates arrived here too. It could have been coincidence, but I don't think so."

"You think it was fated?" Ross asked.

"I do. Joe said you insisted on coming back after your accident."

Ross nodded. "I knew I'd find my mate here."

"How many more wolves will join us?" Dylan asked.

Peter shrugged. "That's down to the Wolf Gods, not us."

Ross stared at Peter. "There are Wolf Gods?"

Peter snorted. "You have so much to learn."

"We've been trying to save the world from hunters," Ross pointed out. "Learning wolf lore has been low down on the list of priorities."

Peter gave him a serene smile. "It will happen."

Dylan gave a sigh and Ross put an arm around him. One thing at a time. First, he needed to find out about his mate.