“I need to bite you,” Tristan disclosed.
There was a hint of desperation to his voice that ratcheted up Joey’s need. He was amazed at the new things that were pushing his buttons, but he didn’t question them. The idea of Tristan biting him again made his dick even harder. In place of a reply, he tilted his head to the side, exposing his neck.
Tristan didn’t hesitate to strike and Joey cried out at the bite of pain he experienced as soon as Tristan’s sharp incisors pierced his skin. As Tristan sucked on the wound, Joey became lightheaded. The combination of the bite, the confident, firm strokes on his cock and Tristan’s length thrusting hard into his ass sent him over the edge.
He shouted out Tristan’s name as his orgasm barreled through him. He didn’t even close his eyes when he came. Instead, he held Tristan’s gaze in the mirror, watching in awe as Tristan pulled his teeth free and shouted out his name as he came. Tristan used the hand that was still on his hip to hold him in place as he emptied his seed inside Joey’s ass.
When their orgasms finally ebbed, Tristan slid both arms around Joey’s waist and held him close against his chest.
“I’m sorry for being an annoying jerk,” he mumbled into Joey’s back.
“I’m sorry too,” Joey replied.
Tristan pulled back and again met Joey’s gaze in the mirror. His eyes had shifted back to their human form.
He regarded his mate curiously.
“What for?”
“That you’re an annoying jerk,” Joey deadpanned.
Tristan stared at him for a moment then threw his head back and laughed, his entire body shaking with mirth. The movement caused Tristan’s dick to slip from his ass and they both hissed.
Joey’s smile faded and he stared at Tristan, his eyes suddenly solemn.
“I’m sorry for worrying you,” Joey said. “I promise I’ll try not to do it again. But I’ve got to say this—I don’t regret what I did. I can’t.”
Tristan placed a kiss on the top of Joey’s head. “I know you don’t. And I love you for it.”
Joey could see the truth of that statement shining in Tristan’s eyes. It wasn’t an ‘I love you’ exactly and he wouldn’t have trusted those three words even if Tristan had said them. They hadn’t known each other long enough for such declarations, but the statement caused a warm, pleasant sensation in his chest.
It felt good.
Chapter Seventeen
When he and Joey stepped out into the parking lot, Tristan was surprised by the spectacle that greeted them. Kelan was stood to one side, conversing privately with Jared, and the two asshole wolves were getting their asses royally chewed by an incredibly tall, imposing man.
Sam had to be over six feet tall, but this man towered above him. He’d even give Kelan a run for his money in the height department and, although Kelan was the strongest man Tristan knew, he wouldn’t like to call the winner in a fight between the two. Sam and Cade wore the same hang-dog expressions and their body language suggested that they were fearful of the man chastising them.
They cowered before him.
It was almost a surprise not to see a tail tucked between their legs.
“Who’s that?” Joey asked in an aside.
Tristan shrugged and leaned close to his mate to whisper, “It must be their alpha.”
They watched the reprimand in silence, but it didn’t take very long before Sam and Cade were hot-footing it to their Harleys. Tristan had expected the wolves to cut a sly, sidelong glance in their direction, to hear a snarl or see their mouths curved up into a sneer, but neither wolf looked at them. When their bikes had pulled out of the lot and disappeared out of sight, the man who Tristan had presumed to be their alpha glanced in his direction before striding over.
He stopped in front of them and thrust out his hand.
“Alpha Brady Phillips,” he greeted.
Tristan nodded and shook the wolf’s hand.
“I’m Tristan Ambrose and this is my mate, Joey Brooks. Pleased to meet you.”
Alpha Phillips shook Joey’s hand before returning to his gaze to Tristan. He cast a cursory glance over the injuries on Tristan’s face before speaking.
“I want to apologize to you personally for the mistreatment you received at the hands of my pack mates. They’ve both been in this sort of trouble before and I’ve had my eye on them for some time. They won’t come around here to bother you again.”
“We have your word on that?” Kelan asked.
Until he’d voiced the question, Tristan hadn’t even been aware that his alpha and brother had joined them. Alpha Phillips certainly knew how to hold people’s rapt attention.
The alpha placed his hand over his heart and nodded, his face solemn. “On my honor as an alpha. They shouldn’t have been in Wolf Creek in the first place. They know they are not to set foot inside another alpha’s territory without his permission.
“They have no reason to be here so I have ordered them not to come to Wolf Creek again. If they disobey they will be banished from the pack and their punishment will fall into Kelan’s hands.
“He can do with them as he sees fit without fear of repercussions from me.”
Kelan nodded in agreement, but his lips remained pressed into a tight line and Jared didn’t look any happier.
“I want to apologize to you too,” Alpha Phillips said, turning his gaze on Joey. “It is strictly against pack laws for a wolf to harm a human and, again, you have my faithful assurance that they will be dealt with over this matter.
“I don’t rule my pack with a heavy hand, but they will not go unpunished.”
Joey looked nervously to Tristan before nodding to the alpha. He appeared flustered when he replied, mumbling a hurried, “Thank you.”
With nothing further to discuss, Alpha Phillips said his goodbyes, got in his car and left the four of them standing in the lot.
“God damn it!” Kelan exclaimed as soon as the alpha’s car had disappeared out of sight.
“What is it?” Joey asked. “You don’t think he was telling the truth?”
“Oh, I’m sure that he’ll stand by his promise,” Kelan replied. “He seems genuine enough. But we discussed another matter before you came out and I’m afraid, on that point, he’s sticking and it isn’t good news for us.”
Tristan watched as his brother and Kelan shared a quick glance in which they appeared to communicate something privately. Jared gave a small nod of his head before Kelan turned to Tristan, his face grim.
“It would appear that Evelyn Armstrong is the sister of Alpha Phillips’ beta,” Kelan explained. “And, as such, she is under his protection and he’s not prepared to hand her over to us.”
“Wait, what?” Tristan’s gaze swiveled between Kelan and his brother as the truth of the situation dawned on him. “Oh God. That was the alpha of the Gator Creek pack?” Tristan asked, albeit redundantly.
“And Evelyn has been hiding out in his pack all this time?”
When they’d been talking to Alpha Phillips, Tristan had failed to make the connection.
Jared snorted. “Hiding out in plain sight, I guess you could say.”
“That’s a crock of shit!” Tristan shouted. “Doesn’t he know what she did?”
“He knows,” Kelan replied. “I made sure of it and he didn’t look pleased. Seems it was the first he’d heard of the entire situation.”
“So what happens now?” Tristan asked. “Surely she can’t just get away with what she’s done?”
“Who is Evelyn Armstrong?” Joey asked.
Tristan explained to his mate that Evelyn had been the person responsible for all the arson attacks in Wolf Creek. That she was deranged and on a personal vendetta against practically the entire pack to avenge the death of her mate, a Council official who himself had been responsible for many deaths within the pack.
Joey’s face paled as he listened quietly.
For a terrible, brief moment, Tristan wondered whether he should have been so candid with
his mate. He wasn’t worried that Joey would write a story or expose them in any way, but the experience with Sam and Cade had frightened him. By telling him about Evelyn, Tristan was worried that Joey would think a life with him would always be so fraught with danger.
What if Joey decided that Tristan wasn’t worth it? Despite his fears, Tristan didn’t want to keep anything from his mate. It wasn’t fair to him. If he was going to build a life with Tristan then he had to know what he was getting into and the truth was, life with a wolf could be dangerous, especially for a human.
Joey shook his head when Tristan had finished explaining, his eyes wide.
“She sounds completely insane. How can her alpha let her get away with all of that? All those deaths at the dancehall? So many lives were lost that night, not to mention all those that were nearly lost, including yours.
“What if she comes back and tries again?”
Tristan sighed.
He wished there was something he could say to his mate to comfort him, but the truth was, there was nothing that could be said. He didn’t know what Evelyn had in mind. He didn’t know if she would come back, but he hoped not.
“There’s not a damn thing I can do,” Kelan said, running a hand through his hair. “It’s out of my hands. If Evelyn is under the protection of Alpha Phillips then I can’t get to her.”
“But we know she won’t just give up,” Jared said. “She’ll come for us again. We’ll be sitting ducks.”
“Not necessarily,” Kelan mused. “I spoke to Gregory earlier and he seems to think the Council is close to moving in on Evelyn. I might not be able to get to her, but the Council can.
“They have the power to override any decisions made by pack alphas.”
“Then let’s hope they move quickly. Will you keep us informed if you hear anything from Gregory?” Jared asked.
Kelan nodded. “Of course.”
“It’s been a long day.” Jared placed his Stetson back on his head and pulled it low over his eyes. “I’ve just about finished my shift. Are you heading back to the guesthouse, Tristan?”
Tristan glanced at his mate and Joey nodded in agreement, not that he needed to. It was highly unlikely that he’d still want to go for a meal at the diner after everything that had just happened.
“I just want to go back to the guesthouse,” Joey said quietly, confirming Tristan’s thoughts.
He sighed and nodded to his brother. “Yeah, we’re heading back.”
“Okay,” Jared acknowledged. “I’ll wait for you to lock up. I can’t see there being any more trouble here today, but it’s best to be cautious.”
When Tristan glanced at his mate, Joey had lowered his head, his brow creased. He wouldn’t meet Tristan’s gaze. Tristan’s shoulders slumped. It felt as if a lead weight had settled in his stomach and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
Chapter Eighteen
After disconnecting the call, Joey threw his cellphone on the bed and sighed heavily.
His stomach churned.
He stared at his packed suitcase by the door and felt a stabbing pain in his chest. He’d been psyching himself up all morning—all night, in fact, since he’d left Tristan after the incident at the garage—but he still wasn’t sure how to tell him that he was going back to the city and wouldn’t be coming back.
He didn’t even know if he was making the right decision. He liked Tristan, a lot, he’d come to care about him a great deal, but was that enough to warrant throwing away the life he had made for himself in Dallas?
Joey had spent years getting to where he was and he’d only known Tristan for a few short days. It wasn’t enough time for him to quit his job and uproot his entire life.
Joey knew he was being a coward.
He still had another two weeks of vacation time left that he could use to get to know Tristan better, but that was exactly what he was worried about. If he stayed, it would be easy to fall head over heels for Tristan and, if that happened, Joey would think nothing of giving up on his dreams.
He couldn’t do that, not when he’d worked so hard to accomplish them. It would be completely insane to give up everything for someone he barely knew, whatever the circumstances. Undoubtedly, he’d come to resent Tristan and he didn’t want that to happen. Tristan deserved better.
Joey had just spoken to his boss at the newspaper and learned that Mason Jacks had handed in his resignation after receiving an offer from a local news station that had been too good to turn down. That meant that his job was up for grabs and Joey was the front-runner for the position.
His boss had told him to get back to Dallas as soon as possible to interview for the post, but he’d been assured that the interview was a formality.
The job was his if he wanted it.
Of course, there was a way that he could positively guarantee that they gave him the position. He just needed to take back the story that Mason had come to Wolf Creek to procure, and Joey had that story in the palm of his hand, waiting to be told.
Tristan had given him the entire back story about the arson attacks in Wolf Creek, which included everything Evelyn Armstrong had done and why. She deserved to be exposed and brought to justice for her crimes, but there was only so much Joey could say with using the word ‘allegedly’.
Besides, if he was to write that story, he risked harming Tristan and exposing him and his pack mates, so, reluctantly, he’d killed the story. He just hoped he wouldn’t need it. He might be ambitious, but he was far from heartless.
Even after only knowing Tristan and his family and friends for such a short time, he could see that they were good people. He would never hurt them or anyone else for personal gain. The irony was that the story—which he’d wanted all along—had been the straw that broke the camel’s back.
As he’d listened to Tristan relate what had happened, Joey had realized that the life that Tristan led wasn’t for him. When he’d first come to Wolf Creek, Joey had been looking for excitement, but this was in no way what he’d had in mind. Would he always be looking over his shoulder, or sleeping with one eye open?
How did Tristan live like that?
Joey wasn’t ashamed to admit that he was afraid. It was time to go back to his life in the city. He’d been lonely there, but at least he’d feel safe. He checked his watch just as a knock sounded on his bedroom door—Tristan was on time.
Joey’s stomach lurched.
He felt sick with nerves.
Why was this so damn difficult? But, of course, he knew the answer to that question. He wasn’t just walking away from a one-night stand. Tristan believed that they were destined to be together forever, that fate had chosen Joey as his mate. How could he be so sure that Joey was the one he’d waited his entire life for?
Joey might know nothing of fated mates, but he felt a connection with Tristan and it was going to be difficult to walk away from him.
Joey had thought about asking Tristan to come and live with him in Dallas, but he knew there wasn’t any point. Tristan had even more to give up than Joey did. On top of his home, his job and his family, he’d be giving up his pack and, from what little he knew about wolves, Joey knew how important a pack was to a wolf. He couldn’t ask Tristan to give that up, just as Joey couldn’t give up the things that were important to him.
Tristan had knocked a second time before Joey had had the nerve to cross the small space and pull open the door. Before he’d even opened his mouth to say hello, Tristan had flung his arms around his neck, tugged him closer and begun kissing him.
A moan left his lips as he kissed Tristan back, but too soon he came to his senses and pulled away. He couldn’t allow this to happen. It wouldn’t be fair on Tristan and it wouldn’t be fair on him, either. It was already going to be unbearable to leave.
He didn’t want to make it worse.
The eager smile that Tristan had been wearing when he entered the room disappeared and a deep frown creased his brow.
“Is everything okay?” he aske
d.
Joey wished he had a better answer to give, but there could be no avoiding the issue. He shook his head and gulped down the lump in his throat before replying, “Not really, Tristan. There’s something I need to tell you.”
Chapter Nineteen
Tristan nodded then averted his gaze.
He couldn’t look at Joey any longer because his mate’s expression told him that he was about to receive bad news—very bad news. When his gaze landed on Joey’s suitcase, which sat beside the door, Tristan’s worst fear was confirmed. He had to lean back against the door frame when his legs threatened to give out. He felt suddenly dizzy and his mouth was as dry as the desert. He gripped the wood of the frame so firmly that he was sure he would leave an imprint.
“You’re leaving me,” he choked out.
It hadn’t been a question, but Tristan searched his mate’s face for the answer anyway, clinging onto the hope that he’d made a mistake and this wasn’t as bad as he feared. When he saw the bob in Joey’s throat as he swallowed and the way Joey was unable to meet his gaze, Tristan knew that this was exactly what it looked like. He closed his eyes, partly to try to hold himself together, but mostly because he couldn’t bear it if he were to see pity on his mate’s face.
“Yes,” Joey whispered. “I’m so sorry, Tristan. I can’t stay.”
Tristan nodded, unsure of how to reply although he didn’t think there was anything he could say that would make a difference.
Joey seemed resolute.
“I really am sorry,” Joey went on. “I never wanted to hurt you. I wish there was some other way, but…”
When Joey left the sentence hanging, Tristan opened his eyes.
“But what?” His question sounded more bitter than he would have liked. “There is another way. Don’t do this, don’t go. You don’t have to go.”
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