Chapter One

Four Years Later

Henri Carpentier didn’t want to leave Rocky for even a second. Resisting the mating pull was getting more difficult with each passing day. Seeing Rocky’s tall sexiness all the time didn’t help. If he had to stare at Rocky’s hard, muscular chest and the way his stoic expression softened whenever their gazes met, Henri would explode with lust.

What was worse and so very confusing was Rocky’s bad boy image. And the fact he always wore jeans and either a T-shirt or a flannel with the sleeves cut off. If he chose a T-shirt, it almost always had the faded logo of a motorcycle company. Sometimes they had beer logos on them. And he wore a bandana around his head at least seventy percent of the time, which was about how often he rode his motorcycle.

Rocky’s motorcycle also made him apprehensive. That death machine would be how Rocky’s life ended. Henri had watched him from across the lake for months before the alpha had thrown Rocky and Henri together. He knew how fast Rocky left his cabin and how he pulled into the driveway.

Henri’s point was how impractical his attraction to bad boys was. Even ones who helped the clan and happened to be his fated mate.

Henri needed a break. Escaping from his dragon shifter wasn’t easy, even if they hadn’t bonded with little to no possibility of ever having such a wonderful connection. Even knowing Rocky would catch up with him, he still contemplated the best exit.

But it wasn’t about Rocky really. Rocky was amazing. He made Henri want things he shouldn’t even contemplate. Henri was always five seconds away from revealing all his secrets whenever Rocky was near, which meant they were together a lot considering their alpha directed them to be. It was getting harder and harder to resist him. He felt as though he were a vampire in need of blood rather than a turtle shifter. His eyes shifted and his fangs dropped on a constant basis, even when Rocky wasn’t close by. Henri slept at Rocky’s house two doors down from Rocky’s room, which exacerbated the issue.

He couldn’t read anymore. It was the thing he loved doing more than anything. His proximity to Rocky had stolen his concentration.

He needed time to figure out how much longer he could last before he gave in. It wasn’t a matter of if. It was when. He wasn’t delusional enough to think he could hold out forever. He didn’t want to anyway, but there were too many unknowns.

Would Rocky believe him when he said he hadn’t meant for his notes to get out into the world? Would he end up in Saint Lakes’ jail? Or worse, in the Paranormal Council jail.

Henri didn’t have the answers. He was incapable of critical thinking when Rocky sat on the couch with his long legs crossed at the ankle and his hands folded on his chest as he dosed off. In his defense, the television program had a British man talking about jungle birds. His tone was soothing. Henri would have napped too if it weren’t for needing time to himself.

Wesley took up the other end of the couch. He created a buffer between Rocky and Henri. It wouldn’t take much for Henri to close the distance and straddle Rocky’s lap. The problem was he wouldn’t want to stop there.

Wesley liked to learn about animals. The small cat on his lap had a similar agenda to Rocky. Lucy lay on her back, sprawled out with her legs stretched in front of him. Wesley rubbed her chest. Henri could hear her purr even from where he sat in the chair a few feet away.

It was a peaceful afternoon, even for Sully, who was in the makeshift office investigating something. Henri hadn’t been privy to the finer details but he had figured out he was on the phone with someone from the council. The phone call could have had something to do with a certain tyrannical senator. It seemed no one wanted to say his name if they didn’t have to. Henri wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was a Beetlejuice type of thing where, if they said it three times, they would summon him as though he were a demon or the Devil himself. While they didn’t expect the senator to pop up—the Council had him under lock and key after all—they expected something bad to happen. He wasn’t privy to what. But that was why Sully talked to the council every day since he and Wesley had been back in Saint Lakes.

It seems Sully had developed a rapport with certain council members. One thing Ladon Somerset was good at was recognizing people’s strengths. Henri hadn’t had many opportunities to spend time with the alpha, but from observation alone, it seemed he had a superpower.

Henri stood, mumbling, “bathroom.”

Wesley didn’t respond, but he hadn’t the other times Henri snuck away either. Henri got the impression Wesley found the cat-and-mouse game Henri and Rocky played amusing. He hadn’t tested the theory, but Henri was almost positive Wesley would keep his confidence, even if he hadn’t lied about his intended destination.

Rocky didn’t so much as twitch, so he wasn’t an immediate worry.

The cabin had one bathroom, and it was down the hall where the bedrooms and the office were. Henri had to pass by Sully to get to the bathroom, which wasn’t where Henri intended to go but it was in the same direction.

Rocky’s bedroom had a window lower to the ground than the one in the spare room. Henri hadn’t spent quality time in Rocky’s room, even though he wanted to roll around in the sheets because they smelled like Rocky. He’d sniffed Rocky’s pillow once. He’d also snuck out through the window one other time, so he knew he’d fit. He couldn’t say the same about the window in the spare room.

The last time he had, his trousers had dirt on them, but he was sure he’d be able to avoid it the second time.

If Sully heard the window open, he didn’t come to investigate. Sully was a wolf shifter with excellent hearing. If the phone call hadn’t distracted him, he’d have heard it. Yet he said nothing. Was it for the same reason Wesley hadn’t woken Rocky? If that was the case, Sully would call someone to monitor him or follow Henri himself while he was out. Rocky made sure Henri stayed safe even when he was in Napsville on the couch.

Henri was fine with it as long as whoever babysat him wasn’t Rocky and gave him space.

As soon as Henri’s feet landed on the pine needles, he assessed his clothing. He smiled when he saw he was as clean as he’d been before climbing out of the window.

****

Maybe Henri had hit an all-time low going to the grocery store. For an introvert, going where people were, even if most of them didn’t talk to him beyond a basic greeting, wasn’t relaxing. But he couldn’t relax anyway.

He was losing his mind. If he could feel Rocky against him, he was sure he’d gain a bit of clarity. He’d request a hug. One time and he’d feel so much better.

Henri didn’t realize until it was too late, and Mr. Johnson eyed him as if he’d lost his mind in the produce section of Saint Lakes Grocery, he held the peach to his chest as if it were something precious. As if that were the thing that would alleviate the ache.

Heat climbed from his neck to his face. He put the peach back and started pushing the cart out of sight before he realized he wanted to buy some.

You have lost your mind.

He ignored Mr. Johnson as he went back to the peaches and grabbed six. Usually, he’d get a couple for himself, but the last few months hadn’t been normal. Rocky and his investigators were always together. There were seven of them, including the mates. They’d adopted Anna as well. She was the only enhanced human in the clan and had taken off for Blackwing to find her mate. The last Henri had heard, things were going well for her.

The produce aisle was always Henri’s favorite. He loved all the pretty colors, and Saint Lakes Grocery made everything easy to find. He grabbed tomatoes and some romaine lettuce. The one drawback to buying from the store in town versus the big chain store a few towns over was Saint Lakes Grocery only carried local, seasonal produce.

Since Henri couldn’t cook as well as some of the others in Rocky’s family, he didn’t cook very often. He was good at making tacos, though. He’d need a peace offering when Rocky caught up with him. But everyone bought food. It wasn’t just Henri or Rocky, even though they were always at Rocky’s house. The disarray of his books embarrassed him.

Henri heard Jules laugh before he saw him. He turned in time to see Thomas, one of Jules’ mates, use his magic to push a cart. The cart seemed to move all on its own. All Thomas did was point at it. Thomas’ goal was probably to make Jules smile.

As soon as Jules saw him, he waved. Henri waited near the peppers. He hadn’t decided if he wanted a jalapeno or a pepper with less spice.

“Hi. I finished the book.” Jules had borrowed a book on the history of interior design in America in the nineteenth century. Henri had several on the subject. He had something about every aspect of history. He didn’t focus on one particular area. He would hyper-focus for a while before changing to something else. Jules had been absorbing everything he had on interior design for months without moving the needle of interest.

“Also, you’re supposed to wait with us until Rocky gets here.”

Henri nodded.

Thomas nodded by way of greeting. They weren’t friends, but they were friendly. Not the way Henri was with Jules. Henri wanted to make more of a meaningful connection but hadn’t yet. Jules seemed to be extroverted enough to create a balance for Henri. He had a feeling Thomas was more of an introvert.

“We’re having a taco night at Rocky’s place this Saturday. Would you like to come? Hacen too, of course.” Inviting Jules’s mates would help him get to know them better.

Maybe if he had more people to talk to he wouldn’t feel so desperate where Rocky was concerned. Or maybe he would, but he’d at least have someone to vent to about it. Jules was happily mated to not one, but two mates. He gave sound advice.

“We’d love to, right Tommy?” Jules smiled at Thomas.

Their expressions when they gazed at each other was what he wanted with Rocky. His secrets felt too big to work around, though, and he wondered if it would ever happen.

“Taco Saturday sounds like fun.” Thomas spoke without taking his eyes off Jules, but when he met Henri’s gaze, he smiled.

“How did you get away this time?” Jules knew more than most about Henri’s situation, but he didn’t know everything. Henri wasn’t even sure what or who threatened him or if the alpha was being cautious. All he knew was it had something to do with the senator. Imprisoning him hadn’t alleviated their worry.

“The window again.” Henri sighed. “It’s getting harder to be around him.”

“Meaning you’re getting hard.” Jules grinned. “Tell him everything and then jump his bones.”

Thomas chuckled. “Discussing it in the produce section of the grocery store is not the best place. It’s a hotbed for gossip.”

Henri had to agree. “Maybe we can talk about it on Saturday.”

The automatic doors slid open, and Rocky entered the store. Even from a distance, he seemed too large for the space. No one else existed. There was only Rocky. Everyone and everything might as well have disappeared.

Henri’s heart jumped. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to go to Rocky or run from him, so he ended up rooted to the floor.

Rocky closed the distance between them. He nodded to Jules and Thomas, who wore the same oh-shit expression.

“See you Saturday, Henri.” Jules said before taking Thomas’s hand. They, and their cart, left Henri alone to face the consequences of his actions.

Rocky kept his gaze on Henri. “What are you doing?”

“Getting supplies so I can make dinner for everyone on Saturday. I’m not contributing the way I should be.” So what if he had an edge of defiance to his tone. Rocky would have to live with it because he either pretended as though Rocky wasn’t being fair to him or he gave in to his needs.

Henri’s knuckles turned white as he held onto the cart. He wanted to touch Rocky more than he wanted to take his next breath. By the gods. He was so close to giving in.

“Sully called the Somersets for backup. You’re making me look bad in front of the alpha.” If it bothered him, he didn’t show it. In fact, he sounded somewhat amused. But a second later, he drew his eyebrows together. “Do you need space?”

Henri nodded, knowing it wasn’t true. What he really needed was Rocky plastered to him.

“If you promise to stay home, I’ll leave you to yourself for a while.”

Henri hadn’t expected Rocky to make that sort of offer, but agreed even though he knew it wouldn’t help.

“For the rest of the day?”

“And part of tomorrow. I have a meeting with the alpha in the morning.”

It wouldn’t be much of a separation, but it might give Henri enough time to clear his mind. Maybe he’d be able to think past the fog of lust Rocky’s presence created.