“What is it?”
“I’m not sure,” Nic replied. “I’ll deal with it tomorrow though.”
“Is it about the attack?”
“I’m guessing, but I’m not going to go running off. It could be a trick.” He pulled Mandalay closer. “Tonight, I want to be with you.”
* * * *
His last act as the man in charge, Palmer thought as he slipped into the woods away from Malfoy’s prying eyes. He stood there waiting for ten minutes before he smelled the man he was meeting.
“What did you want to see me about?” his companion asked quietly. “It’s not safe for me to be here.”
“I know that, but I’m leaving,” Palmer told him. “I didn’t anticipate being replaced, but my brother thinks I’m a screw-up.”
“What do you think he’d say if he saw you now?” the other man asked curiously. “I’m sure you didn’t ask me here to kill me.”
“My replacement is going to go for broke,” Palmer answered. “He’ll do whatever it takes to take control of this area. He’s bringing with him two people that are considered very good at what they do. A woman and a man.”
“And?”
“The woman’s good at the game. She knows how to move product, and they will be moving product as soon as they set things up here. She’ll make an attempt to addict your people. This drug is extremely addictive and will eventually kill.”
“It’s something new?”
“Yes. We’ve been working on it for a few years. I’m going to New York where I’ll be deprived of selling it. Coke and heroine are what they push up there.”
“The goal is addict shifters to make us vulnerable?” his companion asked.
“Yes, but only certain ones. Your security and anyone who might be weak enough to try it yet have some power in the pack.”
“What about the hits?”
“They’ve stillin force, but the drug will be tried on some first. If they can addict Brayclaw and Reno, they’ll consider that a win and push of them to kill for them.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I’m tired of being fucked over by my brother,” he muttered. “Consider it a courtesy call.”
“I’m not sure I believe you.”
“Don’t,” Palmer replied. “You’ll get the point loud and clear when your pack takes a hit and one is planned for soon.”
“Someone’s coming,” his companion said. “Did you—”
“Go,” Palmer ordered. “That’s no doubt Malfoy. I’ll message you the name of the man who’s taking over and some of his strong suits.”
Palmer walked away, leaving the man on his own. He hoped he didn’t get caught, but he already had a plan B just in case this man wasn’t trust-worthy.
“I was just looking for you,” Malfoy said. “Manny is here.”
“Let’s go and greet him properly,” he said.
Malfoy went ahead of him, and Palmer sent a message before dropping the phone and breaking it.
When he stepped out of the clearing, he saw Manuel on the back porch, but coming up behind him, he heard steps and turned. He came face-to-face with the bright eyes of a woman.
“W—” She moved, and he broke off as she stepped back. Behind him, a gun went off, and he closed his eyes, not wanting her face to be the last thing he saw.
Chapter Thirteen
Sunday dawned bright and clear. Mandalay woke with a flutter in his chest and smiled as he thought of his mate.
His mate.
This wasn’t going to be easy, though. His father was going to be a major problem, and Mandalay wasn’t sure how his mother would react. She seemed to accept that he was gay, but to accept it and to come face to face with it was another matter.
He frowned at the sound of voices and climbed out of bed. Grabbing his robe, he pulled it on and headed downstairs.
“Are you sure you didn’t see anything?”
“I told you no, Reno,” Nic said, sounding annoyed.
“Well, what about Beaker?”
“I’ll check around and find out where he was last night. I know where he was supposed to be, though.”
“Where?”
“On duty,” Nic told him. “If he’d have called in, I’d have known about it. Kimble and I have agreed on a no call-in period. Anyone who does better have a damned good excuse or he’s in trouble.”
“Okay, so, one of his own men had to have done this.”
“Yes. More than likely. I don’t see any of the moles here going after the guy. Have you discussed this with Jody or Kimble?”
“No. I will later, though. Just let me know if you hear anything. This isn’t just about finding this guy’s killer for the human justice system,” Reno said. “Whoever killed him might be behind the attack on us.”
“That’s possible, but I got a cryptic message last night from someone wanting to meet about the attack. Then, I got another message telling me the attacker was a pack called Saw.”
“I’ve heard of them,” Reno said. “They’re small, but they’ve been growing. They’re based out of Texas.”
“How close to the border?”
“Close enough that I’ll put in a call to the panthers. They might just be moving shit for Wildhead.”
“And they want to carve out a place here to expand their territory,” Nic said coldly. “I’ll get to looking into that tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“I have things to do today,” Nic said. “Besides, I can make a few phone calls today and be ready to hit the ground running tomorrow.”
“Fine, just don’t allow your dick to keep you from doing your job.”
“Why don’t you kiss my ass, Reno?” Nic asked caustically. “We’ll talk tomorrow unless you get something today I need to be concerned about.”
Mandalay headed back upstairs to change, wondering what Nic had on his agenda. Normally, Mandalay spent most of Sunday with his family. They either hung out at home watching movies and then had dinner, or they headed into the city for a day at a museum or something.
He had no idea which was the order of the day, but a call to his mother would settle that. He put in the call as he headed back downstairs to the sound of hammering.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Mom,” Mandalay said as he entered his kitchen.
“Hi son, what are you up to today?”
“I don’t have anything planned,” he said.
“Nothing with Nicolane?”
“No,” he said. “We didn’t make plans last night.”
“Why don’t you bring him over with you then? I’m sure your father will hate it, but I think it’ll be good for us all to see you two together.”
“Mom, Dad isn’t going to go for that.”
“He won’t like it, but he has to at least go through it once before he can say he hates the idea.”
Mandalay grimaced.
“What is all that noise?”
“I’m not sure,” he said. “Nic is here, but I haven’t talked to him yet.”
“He stayed the night?”
“It was strictly innocent, Mom,” he said quickly. “He slept on the couch. It was just too late for him to leave after we got done listening to music.”
“Music?”
“He wanted to hang out after our walk.”
“Walk?” his mother asked.
“We had dinner and took a walk,” Mandalay answered. “It was a nice evening.” He smiled and sensed his mate’s energy even before he came into the room. Mandalay turned to watch Nic stride in.
“I got that window boarded,” Nic told him. “Someone will come fix it tomorrow.”
“Window? What’s going on over there, son? You said it was all innocent. Sounds like some kind of wild party to me.”
He covered the speaker. “Thanks, Nic,” he said. “It’s my mom. She invited you to come over for the day.”
Nic gave him a skeptical look. “I kind of hoped we could spend the day together,” he said. “I
don’t think I’m ready to have your dad glaring me down for an entire day.”
“Honey, is everything okay?”
“Mom, can I call you back?”
“He doesn’t want to come?” Mya asked. “I don’t think I like the sound of that. You have six days left in the week to spend with him, and I won’t interfere with that. Sundays are ours.”
“I’ll call you back.”
“Put him on the phone,” she insisted.
“M—”
“Now, son,” she broke in firmly.
Mandalay handed over the phone. “My mom wants to talk to you,” he said quietly.
Nic took the sleek device. “Hello, Ms. Mya.”
“Nicolane,” she said in a chastising tone, and Mandalay watched his mate wince. “I’m not going to stop you from courting my son, but I will stop you from stealing him on Sundays. That is family time. You can come with him or not, but he will be coming over, do you understand?”
“Ms. Mya, I’m not trying to interfere with that,” he began. “I just want to spend the day with Mandy, that’s all.”
“I’m sure you do,” she said sternly. “But you’re a big boy. You know full well that we don’t always get what we want, don’t you?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Then, I expect Mandalay here by twelve. If I were you, I’d bring my carcass over to show that I’m man enough to not only court another man but meet his family.”
Mandalay’s eyes widened in surprise, and he covered his mouth to stifle his reaction. Nic looked a little perturbed, and Mandalay prayed he didn’t say anything to piss his mother off.
“My manhood isn’t on trial—”
“That is where you’re wrong,” she cut in, her tone hard. “This visit with us is as much about your coming out as a couple as it is about your staking a claim on our son. If you’re the right man for him, prove it. Get your butt over here.”
“M—”
“Give the phone back to my son,” she said angrily.
Nic obediently did as ordered, but Mandalay saw the chill in his eyes and wondered if this was going to be a problem in their relationship. He couldn’t deal with that. His family came first.
“Mom?”
“Your father wanted to go into the city, but I thought it would be safer to have a quiet day in. So, I expect you here no later than twelve, and bring two movies,” she said.
“I’ll try to make it,” he said.
“Don’t try,” Mya told him. “If you don’t, this won’t look good for Nic. A real man faces the challenge of meeting the family of the man he means to claim without flinching. If he can’t do that, he’s not the man for you.”
“Bye, Mom.” He ended the call and set the phone on the bar. “You heard her.”
“I did, but I don’t agree,” Nic told him. “In my family, you only bring family into things after you’re certain and grounded in your relationship.”
“If we hadn’t mated last night, I’d agree with you, but it’s too late for that,” Mandalay said. Then, he slowly shook his head. “Okay. Don’t come. You’re right. I forced this on you.”
“I just want us to get to know each other without your family’s scrutiny, Mandy,” Nic told him. “I’m not worried about what they think because at the end of the day, it’s what’s between us that matters most.”
Mandalay sighed. “In part I agree with you, but can’t you try to see this from my side?”
“I did that last night, and I’m still doing it,” Nic told him evenly. “I didn’t come apart—”
“You weren’t ready,” he cut in softly and took a step back. “You wanted to wait for months before mating me.”
“I did want to wait a few months, and I told you why,” Nic said without hesitation. “I’ve known I’d mate you for years, but there hasn’t been time to get to know you.”
“You’re saying that like you can’t get to know me if we spend Sundays with my family,” Mandalay snapped. “Just go. I’ll tell my family you had something better to do.”
“Mandy, don’t try to twist me around. I’m not a child to be guilted into this. I know the time isn’t right, no matter what your mother thinks.”
Mandalay wasn’t sure he agreed. “If you don’t come, they’ll all think you don’t mean to claim me or you’re not man enough.”
“Is that what you think?”
“I don’t know what I think,” Mandalay admitted. “Right now, I’m just confused and wondering if you’re going to be spending the day with someone else.”
“I’ll be out of the den and maybe with one of the other soldiers checking out some things that I was going to put off till tomorrow.”
“If I don’t go, my family will be upset.”
“I’m not going to stop you,” Nic told him. “I just can’t go with you today.”
“Can’t or won’t?” Mandalay asked, struggling to be fair.
“Pick one,” Nic said. “I’m not going to allow you to manipulate me on this, pretty baby.” He reached for Mandalay’s hand. “There are times when I’ll fold for you because you’re my guy, and I’ll want to see you happy.”
Mandalay’s wolf processed the information and his skin chilled. “Nicolane—”
“I’m not rejecting you, Mandy, so pull your animal back,” he ordered. “I’m not rejecting your claim.” He put Mandalay’s hand over his heart. “You just can’t get your way on this.”
“What if I wanted you to come over later?” he demanded.
“I’ll come if you call,” Nic said.
“Come with me to buy the movies,” Mandalay said. The wolf was waiting, watching for any sign of rejection. “I need to grab a few things from the store anyway.”
“Fine. I’ll drive.”
Mandalay rolled his eyes. “Dominants.”
“Grab your stuff. I don’t want you to be late getting to your parents’ place. That’ll just be another strike against me.”
Mandalay nodded. “My mom is going to have a few harsh words for you tomorrow.”
“I’ll take ’em like a man,” Nic assured him.
Mandalay headed to his room for shoes and his wallet. Then, he went back downstairs to grab his phone from the kitchen. He didn’t sense Nic and assumed he’d already gone out to his truck, so he followed.
“Don’t turn this into a mountain,” Nic was saying. “I said I’d be over later.”
Mandalay locked up, his wolf going from calm to furious. Nic moved away from him, going down the stairs, and that further infuriated him.
“Just chill out,” Nic said. “I’ll talk to you when I get there.” He pulled open the door for Mandalay.
“Who was that?” Mandalay demanded.
“Kelley,” he said. “She wants to talk about something, so I’m taking her with me when I get back.”
“About what?”
“I’m not going to cheat, Mandalay,” he said coldly. “Soldiers will call, men and women. They’ll want me to come over or whatever, and it’s part of my job to find out what their problem is.”
“I know that,” he snapped. “It just sounds suspicious that she wants you to come over today.”
“Get in,” Nic muttered.
“No.”
“Fine. Go alone. I’ll go get Kelley.”
Mandalay growled, the wolf coming out. What the hell did Nic think he was doing just blowing him off?
Chapter Fourteen
Mandalay grabbed him by the collar of his shirt when he started to head around to the other side of the truck.
“Nic.”
“Pretty baby, you can’t have it both ways,” he said evenly. “I can take you there or I cannot. It’s up to you.”
“Damn you! Why can’t you just come with me?”
“I told you why,” he said softly and cupped Mandalay’s cheek. “You’ve got to deal, baby. I mean, you aren’t going to ask your mother not to chew me out, are you?”
Mandalay growled and released him. “I’m just frustrated because I
know I fucked up last night.”
“It’s okay,” Nic assured him. “We’ll get past that unless you refuse to let it go.”
“I’ll—let’s just go.” He climbed into the truck, and Nic was in on his side within minutes.
Nic started the engine and backed out.
“I’ll eat with my parents, but we can have dessert if you come over around seven.”
“I’ll grab something on my way back into the den,” Nic told him. “Anything in particular?”
“You choose,” he said.
The drive was peaceful, Mandalay thought as he stared out the window, thinking of his family. He hadn’t expected things to be so hard.
Well, he hadn’t known what to expect. He thought they’d mate and everything would be like it was with his parents. However, their relationship was the result of years of work. He couldn’t expect to have that in one day.
Compromise, his mother had said, was how they got through the hard times. They both gave, but she never gave so much she lost herself, because that was when things would go truly bad.
The submissive had to be strong enough to hold the family together, to know herself, and the man she loved well enough to know when to give him space, when to take some for herself, and when to force a group hug.
Today wasn’t the time for a group hug, Mandalay decided and glanced at Nic’s profile. His face was slightly tense.
And trust.
A submissive has to know when to let go of their fears and just trust.
His mother was going to be an invaluable source of wisdom for him as he grew in his own relationship, but he would have to take her best advice if he was going to keep his mate.
“What are you going outside the den to do?”
“I got an email. I want to talk to the panthers.”
“Does Jody know?”
“He knows what he needs to for now,” Nic said. “Why?”
“I’m just trying to get to know you and your job,” he said. “I want to be the kind of mate you can count on for support. Not the kind that flies into jealous rages every time he doesn’t get his way.”
Wolf’s Fall Page 9
