CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER EIGHT

As Luke entered the kitchen the next morning with a glint of anticipation in his eyes, Blair’s inner alarms did a little jangle. She turned away from the coffee machine. “What is it?”

He held up his cell phone. “Just received a message from River. He came through for us. Gabriel has a condo not far from his uncle’s house. I have the address here.”

Her female got to her feet, her ears pricking up. “Which means we can go question him.” Awesome. Because while she still wasn’t convinced he—

“It means I can go question him,” Luke corrected.

Both she and her female stilled. “You can’t truly expect me to stay behind.” He wasn’t serious. He wasn’t.

“It’s the right decision, Blair.”

Okay, so he was serious. And at risk of her punching his throat. She was used to him being all bossy and pushy. It was annoying, but it also challenged her. It had long ago forced her to find and own her strength.

Generally, he was demanding without trying to steamroll her, so she didn’t hold it against him. But she also didn’t let him get away with it—that wasn’t a pattern she intended to change. As such, she asked, “Right for me? Or right for you, since your instinct will always be to cover me in layers of bubble wrap?”

He stuffed his phone in his pocket. “This isn’t merely me being an overprotective ass—though, yeah, I’m exactly that when it comes to you. This is me heeding River’s advice. He made it clear that it would be a bad idea for you to have direct contact with your stalker, remember?”

“We don’t know that Gabriel is that person.”

“But it could well be him. And, if it is,a visit from you would be a bad idea. He’ll twist that in his head to feed his sick fantasies; he’ll tell himself you came to him because it’s him you want.”

Ugh, did he really have to be rational?

Luke crossed to her and palmed one side of her neck. “I know it will be hard for you to stay behind. I know it will grate on every dominant instinct you have. I know it will grate on your female. But we have to play this smart.”

“Don’t think I don’t know that you like having a reason to insist I stay here.”

He sighed, inclining his head. “I’ll always rather you were out of harm’s way. The mere thought of anything happening to you steals my goddamn breath.” He moved closer, soaking up every inch of her personal space. “Knowing there’s someone out there who believes you belong to them, who wants to take you from me … yeah, I’m not handling that well. It plays on my mind day and night. As you know, newly mated shifters struggle more with their protective instincts, especially if the bond is only partially formed—that makes this situation harder. Not gonna lie to you, I’m going to be unreasonable at times, but that’s not what this is.”

Blair sighed, unable to dispute that. He had every right and reason to ask that she didn’t interact with Gabriel. She’dask it of Luke if the situation was reversed.

“I’ll wait in the car while you speak to him.” She lifted a hand when Luke went to object. “It’s the best deal you’re getting, so don’t waste your breath arguing. There’s no danger in me coming along for the ride. You’d be lying if you said otherwise.”

Luke felt his jaw harden … because she was right. And he didn’t like it.

Even the mere thought of parting from her made him antsy—he wanted to be with her, protect her, strengthen their bond—but he needed her to stay home, where he knew she’d be safe. He didn’t want her in even the general vicinity of a male who could possibly be stalking her, even if that male had no clue she was close by. His cat was just as opposed to it—he clawed at Luke’s insides, insisting he refuse to make any such concession.

“I give you my word that I’ll stay in the vehicle,” she vowed.

“Then what would be the difference in you waiting here? In both cases, you wouldn’t see or speak with Gabriel.”

“This isn’t about him. It isn’t about my wish to question him. It’s about you. I want to be close in case you need me. You probably won’t. But I want to be there as a precaution.”

Feeling an ache begin to build in his temples, he exhaled heavily. “Blair—”

“It goes against your every protective instinct to go along with this, I know.”

“Then why push me on it?”

She flicked up a brow, visibly bristling. “What about my protective instincts, Luke? Don’t they count?”

“Of course they do, but—”

“But, what, you don’t feel you need me to have your back so I should just suck it up and let this go?” she asked, her tone daring him to agree.

“I never said that.”

“I’m right, though, aren’t I?” She gently poked his chest. “You listen here, Luke Skywhisker—”

“I thought we agreed you’d stop calling me that.” Their “agreement” had lasted all of a month.

“You’re not the only person in this relationship who gets to invoke their protection rights,” she said, ignoring him. “That’s not how this works, so don’t even entertain the idea that things will play out differently between us. Though it doesn’t surprise me that you’d think you’d get away with that shit.”

He slid his hand around to her nape and smoothed his free hand up her arm. “Baby—”

“Oh no, don’t bother changing tactics and trying to sweetly coax me into giving you your way. That ain’t gonna work either.”

He felt his lips thin. Well, it had been worth a shot.

“Bottom line? I can’t sit here twiddling my thumbs while you’re heading off to essentially confront a person who could be dangerous to us—and yes, you will be in danger if he’s our boy, since he’s going to sense you’re partially bonded to someone; he’ll realize our scents have twined, so he’ll know it’s me you’ve claimed. More, he’ll know it means I’ve claimed you. Who knows how he’ll react?”

“He might not react at all. He might hide his rage and come at us later.”

“Or he might take the opportunity to get rid of you there and then.”

The bastard could certainly try, but he wouldn’t succeed. Still … “If it will put your mind at ease, I’ll take Deke to Gabriel’s condo with me.”

“You having an enforcer with you will put my mind at ease, thanks.”

Relieved she’d stay behind, Luke held back a smile, figuring she wouldn’t appreciate it.

“I’ll feel a whole lot better waiting in the car outside Gabriel’s building when I know you have someone at your side.”

Luke’s urge to smile died a fast death. “His condo could overlook the parking lot, in which case he could potentially spot you if he glanced out of his window.”

“So take a vehicle that has tinted windows. I know the pride owns a few. No, don’t even try to conjure up another pretty excuse as to why I shouldn’t go with you. I told you before, this is the best deal you’re getting. So can we be done with this now?”

Luke let out a resigned sigh. “Fine,” he muttered, knowing he wouldn’t convince her to change her mind. His cat rumbled a put-out sound, now annoyed with both her and Luke. “But we’ll also take Isaiah with us. He’ll remain in the vehicle with you.”

Her eyes flared. “You don’t trust that I’d stay put?”

Luke felt his brows snap together. “There’s no doubt in my mind that you’d keep your word unless there was an emergency that called for you to break it.” He trusted her utterly and completely. “I’ll simply feel better if you’re not alone and have an enforcer with you, much as you’ll feel better if I have Deke with me.”

She licked her front teeth. “All right.”

Luke grunted. “Good.” He dropped his forehead to hers. “You’re as stubborn as any alpha. You know that?”

In Blair’s opinion, that was a good thing. He’d otherwise walk all over her. They’d never have a balanced relationship if that were the case. She was happy to let him lead in certain situations—such as in the bedroom, since that totally worked out for her. But she’d never be a partner who failed to speak up or demand to be counted, especially if the matter at hand was important to her. “I do know that. Noelle complains about it often.”

“Yeah, well, fuck her.”

Blair snickered, melting against him as he curled his arms around her. “Now that we’ve established I’ll be coming along, I need to ask something of you. When you speak to Gabriel, don’t outright accuse him of harassing me. He’s had enough of people fingering him for crimes they have no proof he committed.”

“You aren’t at all open to the theory that he killed his parents? Or is it that you just don’t want to believe it?”

She felt her nose wrinkle. “It’s not that I’ve closed myself off to the possibility of it, which is why I asked that you don’t speak to him alone—I know there’s every chance he could be as callous as some believe. It’s just …”

“What?”

“He was ten years old, Luke. Ten. And yeah, I know kids are capable of such cruelty, but it’s not common. Gabriel was strange for sure, but not cruel. Plus, I simply don’t see why he would have done it. His parents weren’t abusive, from what I saw. He didn’t hate them, unless that was something he hid really well. It makes no sense to me that he’d have killed them.”

“Sometimes, it’s not about cruelty or hate. It could be that he felt nothing for them. That he wanted a certain something and they were some sort of obstacle it seemed logical to him to get rid of.”

Blair gave a weak shrug, unconvinced. “Maybe.”

“As for your request … I won’t outright accuse him of stalking you, but I also won’t deny he’s a suspect if he asks,” said Luke.

She briefly curled her arms tighter around him. “Thank you.”

Luke kissed her hair and then pulled back slightly. “Before we head to his building or do anything else, we need to get your cell number changed. The sooner that’s done, the better.”

She nodded. “I’ve changed my email address and closed down my social media accounts.”

“Good. We want to make things as difficult for the prick stalking you as possible.”

“Just be braced for him to react badly or do something drastic to reach me.”

Luke caught her face in his hands, his gaze serious. “He won’t get to you. And if he tries, I’ll butcher him.”

“Not before I slit his throat.”

“Hmm, we’ll discuss that another time.”

“You mean you intend to talk me into agreeing for you to make the killing blow.” Blair shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“We’ll see. I can be very convincing,” he added, his voice dropping to bedroom territory.

She smiled. “So can I.”

His eyes heated. “I don’t doubt it.”

Standing in the elevator of Gabriel’s apartment building, Luke slid a brief look at Deke. The enforcer was a tough bastard armed with a mean right hook that could take a man down with a single punch. Little rattled Deke or garnered an emotional reaction from him. In fact, he seemed to mostly operate on only three settings—chill, tense, or surly. Recently, the latter was the most prevalent. And the guy was being very tight-lipped as to why.

“Are you going to finally tell me what’s been bugging you lately?” Luke asked.

Deke cast him an unreadable glance. “No.”

“Then maybe you could tell me why your animal is constantly in a foul mood and picking fights with any cats who get too close.”

The guy’s jaw hardened.

“Is it something to do with Bailey? I’ve noticed your surliness hits whole new levels when she’s near.” The way Luke saw it, she was either at the source of the enforcer’s frustration or she was merely exacerbating it by … well, by being Bailey—someone who delighted in driving people nuts.

A muscle in Deke’s cheek ticked. “Just leave it.”

At that moment, the elevator doors opened. Stepping out, Luke said, “The pride will only give you so much space to work through what’s wrong.”

Deke gave a single nod of acknowledgment.

They both strode along the hallway, stopping when they finally reached Gabriel’s front door. On high alert, Luke wrapped his knuckles on the door. It was a few moments before it opened, revealing a lean, blond, smartly dressed male.

“Gabriel Sanders?” Luke asked.

The male glanced from him to Deke, his face blank. “Yes.”

Luke eyed him closely, not willing to miss a single micro-expression, as he added, “My name is Luke Devereaux. I’m the Beta of the Olympus Pride.”

Recognition flashed in the cool-blue eyes that gazed at him. “What can I do for you?” he asked, his voice so flat it rubbed Luke’s cat the wrong way.

“There’s currently some … activity going on around my mate,” Luke replied. “I believe you know her.”

“If the whispers I heard that you are the predestined mate of Blair Kendrick are true, yes, I know her.” Gabriel leaned forward slightly, his nostrils flaring. “Ah, yes, her scent is blended with yours. The whispers held truth, then. I haven’t spoken to her in years. How is she?”

“Fine. If you don’t count that she’s presently being stalked.”

Something rippled across Gabriel’s face so fast that Luke couldn’t put a name to it. “Stalked?”

“Yes. Someone repeatedly left gifts on her porch. She’s also received strange calls and an email from someone who is clearly obsessed with her. I’ve been made aware that you often sneak onto her territory. I wondered if maybe you’d noticed others do the same, or perhaps you saw anyone lingering near her cabin?”

“And you also wonder if maybe it could be me,” Gabriel sensed, no sign of offense in his expression or that unnaturally dead voice.

“It’s not an idea I’m prepared to rule out, though she doesn’t believe you’re to blame. I’d be a fool to take chances with her safety.”

“I suppose you would, but I can assure you that she’s correct in this instance.” Pausing, Gabriel pursed his lips. “I do trespass on Sylvan territory now and then. It is how I heard that Blair found her predestined mate years ago. But I’ve never seen anyone hanging around her cabin or picked up any scents of strangers there.”

“Why go there at all? Why sneak onto Sylvan territory?”

Gabriel swiped his tongue along his front teeth. “I assume Blair told you why I went to live with my uncle.”

“Your parents were killed.”

“Losing them at such a young age, in the way I did, was hard enough. Being branded their murderer hurt almost as much. Having all eyes on me while I grieved—having people say I was either faking my grief or didn’t seem upset enough for their liking—made the whole thing so much more difficult. Embry insisted that my uncle take me away, and I was told to never return; forbidden from having contact with anyone in the pack, including my relatives.”

“That’s harsh,” said Deke.

“That’s spite,” said Gabriel. “My mother was Embry’s first girlfriend. He took her death hard. He wanted someone to blame. I was a convenient scapegoat. Am I bitter about it? Sure.”

Huh. He didn’t sound particularly bitter. He didn’t sound anything.

“Do I hate that, to this day, I have no clue who killed my parents? Yes—which is why I began sneaking onto Sylvan territory. I wanted to do a little spying. I hoped I might hear or see something that would solve the mystery. I never did. But I do find some amusement in just how much my trespassing unnerves the pack.” Gabriel shrugged. “Small pleasures and all that. Really, I only go there nowadays when I need a good, long run. I don’t see why I shouldn’t be able to do it on what is technically my own territory. I should never have been ostracized the way I was.”

Luke had to agree with the latter, considering there was no evidence that Gabriel murdered his parents. Pups should be protected, not tossed away.

Deke folded his arms. “Why did you never knock on Blair’s door to say hi rather than just leave cards for her to find?”

“She was one of the few people who stood by me,” Gabriel explained. “I wasn’t going to repay that by putting her in a difficult position. Expecting her to keep secret that a banished member had been in contact with her would have caused her problems. No one could blame her for finding a few cards, though, could they?”

“I guess not,” said Deke.

Gabriel cut his gaze back to Luke, studying him. “A bush dog and a pallas cat. An unlikely pairing for sure.” He almost sounded amused. Almost. “I’ll bet Noelle isn’t happy that you have claimed Blair.”

“No, she isn’t,” Luke confirmed.

“She had hoped Blair would one day mate with Antoine, you know. Or so my mother told me when I was younger. He was more interested in Marianna, as I recall.”

“Blair’s sister?”

Gabriel nodded. “Unsurprising, since Marianna was sixteen and therefore closer to his age. But Noelle felt that Marianna was far too submissive to handle a male as dominant as my cousin, so she thought he’d be better suited to Blair.” He paused as a phone rang from somewhere inside the apartment. “I’m sad to say I have no idea who could be harassing Blair. If I happen to see or hear anything of interest next time I step on Sylvan territory, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

“I appreciate it,” said Luke.

“Should I expect a visit from the Sylvan bush dogs?”

“Probably. Noelle has laid the blame at your feet.”

“Of course she has.” Gabriel took a step back, readying himself to shut the door. “Say hello to Blair for me. I truly hope you resolve this situation soon.”

“Oh, I will,” Luke assured him, a note of menace in his tone that warned Gabriel he wouldn’t get away with this shit if he was in fact the culprit. Gabriel didn’t react other than to close the door.

Outside the building, Luke and Deke crossed straight to the SUV. Luke hopped into the driver’s seat while the enforcer headed for the front passenger seat.

Sitting in the back row with Isaiah, Blair leaned forward. “I can sense your frustration and uncertainty, so I’m guessing he didn’t plead guilty to harassing me.”

“No, he didn’t.” Luke switched on the engine. “Nor did he claim to have any idea who might be the culprit.” As he drove, he repeated the conversation he’d had with Gabriel.

“He seemed unmoved by the fact that you’re now mated,” Deke told her. “He didn’t reek of envy or bitterness.”

“But you’re not so certain he didn’t put on an act,” she detected.

“Maybe it’s just that something about him ruffles my cat’s fur,” said Deke. “I can’t explain it. His voice is so monotone.”

“My cat didn’t like that either,” said Luke.

Isaiah hummed. “So you’re not ready to rule Gabriel out as a suspect, then?”

Luke slowed to a stop as he reached a red light. “No, not yet.”

“I hadn’t imagined that he was trespassing with the purpose of spying,” said Blair. “I guess I can understand it. I’d want answers too, in his shoes.”

“Don’t be so certain that was his true purpose,” Luke told her. “He could have simply wanted to keep a close watch over you. Did you know that your mother intended for you to one day mate with Antoine?”

Blair rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t say she intended it; she just thought he’d be a good fit for me. Don’t forget that it isn’t unusual for my kind to choose as juveniles who they’ll later take as a mate. It’s a little like calling dibs, I guess. Adults sometimes conspire with friends to push their children toward each other. Noelle was no different in that respect, though maybe a little pushier about it later on. But that was just because she needed to establish control over me and my world so she’d feel in better control of her own.”

“Did it stop once you found Luke?” Isaiah asked.

Blair pulled a face. “She introduced me to as many male bush dogs as possible, but she didn’t urge me to consider taking any as a mate. I think she hoped that nature would take its course; that I’d simply ‘fall’ for one. One dared to flirt with me, despite knowing about Luke, but none of the others were brave enough.”

Isaiah’s lips twitched. “They were terrified of what Luke would do to them, huh?”

“No, they were terrified of what I’d do. I made an example out of the first flirt. I knocked him out with a rock, gave him a Joker smile using the blood from his scalp wound, stuffed poison ivy into his boxer shorts, set fire to his shoes just as he was waking up, and then chased him out of the woods Exorcist-style.”

“Exorcist-style?”

“I’m double-jointed, so I can bend into all sorts of positions and even dislocate my joints without causing myself pain.”

Isaiah’s lips parted. “Seriously?”

Stopping at another red light, Luke glanced at him. “You ever seen horror movies where demonically possessed women move all weird and stiff, their joints popping and clicking and cracking? She can do that. And will do it when she’s being ignored or not getting her own way and doesn’t much like it.”

Blair offered, “I can show you—”

“No, I’m good,” Isaiah quickly said, throwing up his hands.

Deke snorted, twisting to look at her. “It’s not much different from shifting, right, so why—Jesus Christ, what in the fuck?”

Luke just laughed as she righted her neck.