Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

R oss was tempted to pause, to stay and hear what Dylan had to say, but he pushed the door open to allow the wolves to get out and clomped down the stoop, wanting his mate to see that he trusted him to give him that privacy, despite the fact it killed him to be shut out.

He pulled his phone out and called Joe.

"Zeke told me," he received by way of greeting. "Cal wants in. He's on his way over in wolf form."

Ross grinned. Cal would take any excuse to go wolfy.

"I should tell Owen and Dylan."

"Zeke messaged Owen."

"And the older pair and Milo?"

"They're hunting tonight. Milo's working today but another time? It's the full moon soon. Eli's insisting Milo gets as much chance as possible to shift. He's had too many years hiding himself."

"Eli is?" Ross said dubiously.

"I know, I can't believe it myself. You know how he's all ‘I'm the alpha human'. But he'd do anything for Milo. He's gotten men guarding the perimeter now so you can let them run free."

In other words, don't follow them. Ross grunted and disconnected the call. He received a message a second later.

We all know how you feel.

Ross sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He knew that, he did, but this was his mate and he'd waited so long for him.

The click of nails distracted him, and two wolves appeared at the top of the stoop, one a darker gray than the other. The lighter one trotted down the steps, over to him and nuzzled him. Ross buried his fingers in the deep, warm fur, needing the connection between them. It calmed him and he breathed out, releasing a knot of tension in his chest.

"You need to wait for Cal," he said to Owen.

The wolf huffed, so human in its disgust it made Ross chuckle.

Then another gray wolf appeared between two of the barns. The wolves turned, ready to fight, until they realized it was Cal.

"Your playmate's arrived," Ross said. "Have fun, boys. Remember to check in."

Dylan nuzzled against him once more, hopefully that meant he agreed. Then he left to join the others.

Ross watched them go wistfully. It would be fun to run alongside them. He'd never realized how limiting the human form was until he watched wolves racing across the land. He sighed and headed into the office. There was no point sitting around feeling sorry for himself. It would be hours before they returned.

He sat in the office and stared at the empty whiteboard, thinking it was a good representation of Dylan at the moment. It was up to him to fill in the pieces of his mate's life.

Ross made a call.

"Watkins."

"Boss, where was Dylan when he went dark?"

"Near San Antonio."

"Can you be more specific?"

"No."

Ross gritted his teeth. He knew why Eli couldn't be more precise, but it was damned irritating. "I'll start with the hospitals around there."

"You lost your helpers?" Eli sounded amused.

"You know I did. But Dylan needs this time. And you don't mind Dylan being with the Alpha's omega?" Ross challenged.

"If I tell you someone is watching them, are you going to get pissy?"

"Yes," Ross flared. Then he sighed. "No. I'd do the same."

"I know you would," Eli agreed to Ross's surprise. "It's as much for Dylan's safety as any of them. We know our mates are in danger."

"How do you let Milo out of your sight every morning?"

"I hate it," Eli confessed, "but it's his job, at least for a while longer and he'd cuff me to the bed if I tried to stop him."

"Kinky," Ross murmured.

"Ross."

He grinned at Eli's warning tone. "Yes, boss?"

Eli grunted. "Start south of the city." Then he disconnected.

His boss had thrown him a bone. A small one, but a bone nevertheless. It was time to make some calls.

"Ross?"

Ross smiled at the tentative voice of his mate. "Having fun?"

"So much fun," Dylan confessed.

"I'm glad."

"What are you doing?"

"Phoning hospitals, trying to find out if you were admitted. No luck so far."

"You're not having fun."

"You can make it up to me later," Ross suggested hopefully.

He heard a chuckle over his link.

"I can do that. I have to go."

Before Ross could respond the link was broken. Ross sighed, disappointed at Dylan's lack of trust. His mate was willing to check-in but not leave the link open. Ross would have to discuss that with his mate before they did anything else. He couldn't be mated to a man who didn't trust him.

Ross opened his laptop, clicked on a map of San Antonio and a list of hospitals and prepared to get the professional runaround. He worked all afternoon, making call after call. Someone had to know Dylan. After three hours he slumped back in his chair, biting on his thumbnail, a horrible habit when he was stressed and one he'd never been able to quit. He'd called every hospital and clinic in the city and surrounding the city, but not one of them admitted to having a Dylan Anderson as a patient anytime in past month. Maybe Eli was lying to him, and Dylan had been nowhere near San Antonio. He hated that the events of the past few days had left him mistrusting one of the pack, more to the point a man he'd respected for years.

He stood, rolling his shoulders to ease the tension, and strolled out to the yard. It was getting dark now, the deepening shadows around the buildings making it hard to see far. Dylan had checked in every hour but hadn't committed to when they would return. Joe and Zeke didn't seem to be bothered, but they probably knew Eli had eyes on them.

Lights breaking up the twilight distracted him, and he looked up to see a vehicle halfway down the road to the house. He wasn't expecting anyone and sent a message to Eli.

Got a visitor.

The response was immediate. Niles. He has news.

Ross took a deep breath and expelled it slowly. Good. In the mood he was in, he'd probably shoot them before they got out of the vehicle. He waited for Niles to reach the yard.

The lanky, blond-haired co-owner of the Cavalry peeled himself out of the rental car and rolled his shoulders. "Damn, that was uncomfortable."

Ross grinned at him. "Why did you get a compact?"

"I didn't think I'd be driving that much." Niles grimaced. "I didn't know if I'd be staying. I'm a city boy. I need excitement."

"Shifters, hunters, disappearing operatives. That not exciting enough for you, boss?" Ross drawled.

"I might need to go back for a rest." Niles studied Ross. "How are you doing?"

"Frustrated," Ross admitted.

"Nothing from the hospitals around San Antonio?"

"Not so far."

Niles grinned. "Intel is 99% boring and 1% exciting. You'll be making calls and studying CCTV for days."

"Thanks." Ross sighed. There was a reason he was a bodyguard, not a tech guy.

"You're welcome." Niles jogged up the stoop. "Show me how far you've gotten."

Ross opened the door. "Coffee?"

Niles sighed as he entered the office. "Yeah. If I have to drink one more iced tea, I'll turn into a cowboy, yell yeehaw and lasso Eli."

"I can't wait for you to say that to Joe Senior's face."

Niles turned to look at him. "I'm not suicidal. That wolf could tear me limb from limb."

"You can feel the power from him?" Ross was surprised. Non-pack humans couldn't usually feel a shifter's power.

"It's impossible not to, he's so strong, and his mate is stronger."

"I'm surprised the hunters haven't come after them," Ross admitted.

"We've been keeping them on the downlow. If word gets out about their power…" Niles huffed. "I don't think we can keep them safe."

"It's not like you to admit defeat," Ross said as he headed to the coffee pot. Niles was usually insanely cheerful about their prospects whereas Eli was the opposite.

"Not defeat, just being realistic. I feel the danger coming toward us. You're going to laugh at me." Niles bit his lip.

Ross furrowed his brow. It wasn't like his boss to be so uncertain. He made the coffee just how Niles liked it and handed it over. "Like a wave of doom rolling toward us?"

Niles's expression cleared. "You mean you feel it too?"

"Something like it. I've just not been able to put it into words before."

"Before or after Anderson arrived?"

Ross scowled at him. "Before."

Niles gave him a steady look. "Don't get upset with me. I had to ask."

"I guess you did. But it has nothing to do with my mate. I felt it when Peter turned Joe Senior."

"You think he's a traitor?"

Ross gave him a steady look. "I know you haven't been here for more than a hot minute, but do you really think I'd put my friends, pack, and co-workers in danger by keeping my mouth shut if I thought for one moment Peter and/or Joe Senior were a danger to us?"

Niles shrugged. "I repeat, I had to ask."

"Are you questioning my loyalties?"

"Yes," Niles admitted. "And I'd do it again without thinking. This is your pack, the Cavalry is mine, and nothing and no one is going to destroy it."

"Try having two packs," Ross muttered. "Then you'll realize how complicated it is."

Niles gave a rueful chuckle. "What do you think Eli talks about all the time?"

"Why did you come here?" Ross asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Eli always said you would split the Cavalry into two sections. You'd man the one back in San Antonio and Eli would man the other section here. Now you're here too."

"I don't know, to be honest. I feel like I need to be here."

"Maybe your mate is coming here too?"

Niles reared back as if Ross had said something frightening. "Hell no, I'm not taking a wolf mate. I like women, remember?"

Ross rolled his eyes. "There are female shifters too." He bit his lip. "We need a mating pair to continue the pack line."

"You can look elsewhere for your baby wolves. My mate will be fully human." Niles held up his hand. "And before you accuse me of anything, I'm not bigoted, just practical. My family are good ole Texas boys. I know how they'd react to a wolf shifter. I wouldn't expose my mate to that."

"My mate."

Niles furrowed his brow. "What?"

"You said ‘my mate'. Not girlfriend, partner, or wife, but my mate," Ross said, not bothering to hide his grin.

"Slip of the tongue."

"Uh-huh." Ross drawled the word. Oh yeah, Niles was just waiting for his mate. He couldn't wait to watch it play out.

Niles made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat. "You're all wolf obsessed."

"About our mates? We are."

Which reminded Ross, his mate was due to check in again. Before he'd even completed the thought, Dylan walked in, naked and filthy and wearing the biggest smile Ross had ever seen.

"Geez," Niles muttered.

"And that's the other thing you'll get used to." Ross held out his arms for Dylan. "Nudity isn't an issue for shifters."

"We can't run in clothes," Dylan agreed, before stepping into Ross's arms and reaching up for a kiss. "Sorry I took so long, Milo joined us."

"I guess I've got a lot to learn," Niles agreed. He sighed as Ross deepened the kiss between him and his mate. "I'll be back later, guys. Get this out of your system because you will have to work sooner or later."

Ross waved him off. He had a mate to reconnect with and if Niles didn't want to be even more shocked, the straight man needed to vamoose.

Dylan raised his head as the door closed, leaving them alone. "Make love to me?"

Ross picked him up in his arms and kissed him again. "Always. But in the shower. This kiss is gritty and I don't want to think about what you've been eating."