Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

A s they drove away from the yard toward the road, Ross felt Dylan relax for the first time since he'd been stupid enough to propose the plan to him.

"Come here?" he asked, holding out his arm.

Dylan hesitated, then he shifted over in the seat and snuggled against him. Ross didn't hide his own sigh of relief as he inhaled his mate's scent. Even if Dylan hadn't opened the link between them, at least he was in Ross's arms again.

"I'm not angry with you," Dylan said after a few moments.

"You're not?"

"Well, yeah, I am. But you didn't know what you were asking."

"I had an idea," Ross admitted. "That's why I said no."

"None of you know anything about wolves," Dylan insisted.

Ross squeezed Dylan's shoulders. "That's true. And we haven't had time to breathe since Joe made the call to the Cavalry. Eli's a good boss. He is," he protested as Dylan gave him a skeptical look. "You just don't remember. But he likes everything organized and under his control. You don't remember but the Cavalry is designed to take on short-term missions, not ones that turn into international genocide of a species we didn't know existed." He felt Dylan shiver. "I'm sorry. I should have been more tactful."

"I have to know the truth." Dylan burrowed closer to Ross as if he needed the comfort. "My head is empty. It's as if my world only started five days ago when I knew I had to get here."

Ross wanted to say they'd fix him, but he couldn't promise that, and he wouldn't lie to his mate. He knew nothing about amnesia, especially in wolves.

They reached the highway, the clouds of dust dissipating as they drove away from Sapphire Ranch. Joe had insisted on a separate entrance to the office so that strangers didn't go near the ranch house, and everyone thought that was a sensible move.

"What's the story about Owen?" Dylan asked. "He's not like Cal and Milo. He's wilder, more wolfy."

"He was exiled from Cal's family's pack years ago. He's been a lone wolf ever since."

"Poor guy. That had to be hard."

Ross turned onto the track leading to the Cavalry office. "He struggles being part of a pack, even a new one like ours."

"Which was why he threatened to leave so easily," Dylan said.

"He could turn wolf and never be a human again."

"But he's mated to a human."

Ross sighed. "I think if Owen leaves, Zeke will go with him. I know he wants to become a shifter."

Dylan raised his head. "Do you want to become a wolf?"

While waiting for his mate to appear, Ross had had a long time to think about it and so he didn't hesitate when he said, "Yes, but not immediately. I want to get to know you and our differences first of all."

"Huh. I'd like that." Dylan laid his head on Ross's chest. "What about the others?"

"I think Joe will turn if only to keep the pack together. He's struggling with his father returning with Peter, both of them alpha wolves."

"He's a strong alpha for sure," Dylan said.

"Even I can feel it as part of the pack," Ross agreed.

"And Eli?"

"Not unless he's forced to."

Dylan sat up, his brows knit together. "We can't force a human to become a wolf, Ross. That would be like you invading my mind."

"Think Joe Senior needing to be turned or he'd die. Eli is too much of a dominant personality to change otherwise."

Dylan muttered something under his breath that Ross didn't hear, but he could guess. Ross sighed and slowed the truck to a halt.

"Is something wrong?" Dylan asked, looking uncertain.

"I know you're floundering at the moment, but Eli is doing his best to protect the pack and take care of us and bring down the hunters."

"You mean I should cut him a break?"

"Something like that."

"My wolf said the same thing," Dylan admitted, "but it's hard when you're made to feel the villain without knowing why."

Ross stared at him. "Your wolf did? Your wolf talks to you?"

Now it was Dylan's turn to stare at Ross like he'd lost his mind. "Of course my wolf talks to me. What do you think he does? Gets packed away in a drawer every time we shift?"

"I didn't really think about it. It's all so new. When our link was open, I could feel you and your wolf, but I just felt you were one being."

"Oh." Dylan seemed mollified by Ross's explanation. "No, we're two beings joined together by shifter magic."

Ross grinned. "Magic? Are there wizards and witches too?"

Dylan rolled his eyes. "They only exist in books."

"How do you know?" Ross teased.

Dylan paused. "I just do."

Ross smiled at him. "Maybe your memory will return like a jigsaw. One piece at a time."

"Maybe."

Ross started the truck and Dylan settled against him again. He pressed a kiss to the top of Dylan's head and meandered to the office. They had to start piecing together Dylan's life, but could they not just have a few minutes ‘them' time? Maybe Joe Senior and Peter had a point. Not everything had to be about life and death.

They dumped their packs in the small apartment attached to the office. It was barely one large room with a bed, a couch and a dresser, plus a tiny kitchen area and a bathroom. It was private and their own space which Dylan needed right now. Ross looked in the small refrigerator.

"Cal, you're an angel," he mumbled, because the shelves were full of Cal's cooking.

Dylan looked over his shoulder. "Thank goodness. I don't remember how to cook."

Ross grinned. "I cook. I mean, I won't kill you. And I can teach you to cook if you need me to. But Cal is so much better at it."

"He's a natural alpha's mate," Dylan said.

"It's odd to think he's only had that chance since he came here."

Ross was about to explain more about Cal's pack when Dylan cupped his cheek and reached up to kiss him. All thoughts of Cal went out of Ross's head. He wrapped his arms around his mate and deepened the kiss, licking along the seam of Dylan's mouth, encouraging him to open. Dylan parted his lips with a sigh allowing their tongues to dance lazily. They kissed for long moments, until Ross slid his hands down to cup his mate's taut ass. Dylan's hand traced slow circles on his back. Ross wanted more than a simple kiss but at the same he wanted to stay like this forever, just the two of them in this small room.

"Is anyone home? Are you dressed?"

Ross sighed and pulled away at Owen's yell. "Raincheck?"

"Raincheck," Dylan agreed.

Ross held out his hand and Dylan entangled their fingers, and they wandered into what was now the downstairs office of the Texas branch of the Cavalry.

Owen looked relieved. "You are here. I thought I was going to have to explain to Mr. Grumpy you'd made a bolt for it."

Ross didn't need an explanation on who Mr. Grumpy was. Nor did Dylan from his smirk. "Not today."

"So where do we start?" Dylan asked.

They were both looking at Ross who wanted to protest he was only a foot soldier, not the guy in charge. But he took a deep breath and nodded at the whiteboard. "Let's make a list."

Owen produced a whiteboard marker. "Ready."

"That's kinda creepy," Ross pointed out.

Owen shrugged. "It ain't rocket science."

He had a point.

Dylan and Ross perched on a desk, still holding hands. Owen rolled his eyes.

"Leave us alone," Ross said. "We're still in the honeymoon phase."

Dylan turned to look at him. "Do you want to get married?"

"I think so. I'd like to be mates in the human world too."

"Congratulations, you're engaged," Owen muttered. "Do you want me to leave you alone?"

Ross pressed a kiss on Dylan's mouth and turned back to Owen. "No. You can stay."

"Thanks," Owen said dryly.

"Where do we start?" Dylan said.

Ross turned to him. "What's the first thing you remember?"

"I woke up."

"You were asleep in bed?" Owen asked.

Dylan shook his head. "No, I was running in my wolf form. It was like I'd been asleep or unconscious and my brain switched on. Someone or something was chasing me." Fear washed through Dylan and Ross tugged him closer to comfort him.

Owen nodded. "You don't know what it was?"

"No. I just knew I was being chased and had to get away."

"Do you know when this was?" Ross asked.

Dylan knit his brows together. "Five days ago. It took me four days to get to you."

"So you could have been drugged," Owen said. "I was drugged when the hunters kidnapped me."

"But that made you sleep. Dylan was awake and running."

"There are plenty of drugs that affect wolves just like humans," Owen said.

Ross thought for a moment. "What about the zombie drug?"

"Xylazine?"

"It affects humans, and if it's mixed with fentanyl, it could be lethal."

"Why aren't I dead?" Dylan asked.

"You're a strong wolf," Owen pointed out. "Maybe that kept you drugged but alive."

Dylan pinched his nose. "Why can't I remember anything before that?"

"More drugs?" Ross suggested. "Or you had an accident that made you lose your memory."

"I don't know."

Tension rolled off Dylan in waves and Ross didn't know what to do except hug him close. Dylan stiffened as if he didn't want to accept the comfort, but finally he slumped against Ross.

"Ross." Owen sounded hesitant. "I've got a suggestion if you'll allow it."

"Go on." Ross had an idea what Owen was going to say, but he appreciated Owen's tactfulness.

"Dylan needs to work off the frustration and the best way to do that is to shift and run and hunt."

Ross's first reaction was to refuse, he didn't want his mate away from him. But he wasn't a wolf, and he couldn't help his wolf like another shifter could. Owen just watched him, clearly aware of his inner conflict.

"Get permission from Zeke and I'll say yes. He calls me and tells me he agrees."

Owen's eyes flashed with anger, he still had issues submitting to his alpha, but Ross wasn't going to give in. If he let Owen go running and something happened, Zeke would never forgive him.

"You know I love you," Ross said.

Dylan stiffened and tilted his head to look at him. "You love Owen?" he asked, his tone icy.

"Not like that," Ross said hastily. "Like a brother, like a pack member."

Owen snorted. "My mate would tear Ross limb from limb if he made a move on me."

‘And I'd eat the remains," Dylan insisted.

"That's nice." Ross didn't know whether to feel flattered or scared by Dylan's declaration. Life was a lot easier when he was just dealing with humans. His phone vibrated. He was unsurprised to see a message from Zeke.

They can run but not to the limits of the ranch. Owen will check in with me.

Ross sent him a thumbs up. Sapphire Ranch had extended considerably since Ross's first visit. The Cavalry had bought the vacant farms surrounding the property to give the wolves space to run without risk of being shot.

"You can run, but Owen checks in with his mate and Dylan, you check in with me." He saw Dylan about to say no, but he fixed him with a stare. "You don't have to keep the link open, but you do have to check in with me. I'm going to talk to Joe and warn him not to get busy with his rifle." He knew Zeke would have warned him but really, he just needed a moment away from the wolves to process his thoughts. "You see anything that looks wrong, you send up the alarm and get your furry asses back here."

"Furry asses?" Dylan said icily.

"Your butts are covered in fur. What do you want me to call them?" Ross grinned at Dylan's sniff.

As he opened the door to the yard, Ross heard Owen say, "You've still blocked your mate link? That's a real dick move when we have hunters after us. Why did you do that?"