With a Wolf’s Support

by Charlie Richards

  Movement to his right caused Jerry to shy to the left. He heard the thud of a body hitting the ground just as arms wrapped around his torso. Finally, he found his voice.

  Jerry’s high-pitched scream rent the air.

  “Easy, sweetheart. Easy, Jer. You’re okay. You’re safe. Hush, baby.”

  Leo’s deep crooning voice registered in Jerry’s terrified brain at about the same time as the big man’s earthy scent registered in his nose. Finding both soothing, Jerry sagged against the man. He turned in Leo’s embrace and gripped his t-shirt with both hands as he buried his face against Leo’s torso.

  “That’s it. You’re safe,” Leo continued to whisper. He kept one hand wrapped securely around Jerry’s waist, holding him close. Using his other hand, he rubbed up and down Jerry’s spine. “No one will ever harm you again. You have my word.”

  Realizing he couldn’t bury his head in the sand, so to speak—not if Leo was to have a chance at keeping his promise—Jerry lifted his head. “There’s more of them,” he whispered, his voice a little hoarse and scratchy from his screaming.

  Jerry glanced to his right and spotted the unconscious figure of one of Myron’s right-hand men. Luther stood over him, his hands clenching and unclenching as if struggling with something... maybe a desire to snap the guy’s neck. Jerry sure appreciated that the dark expression wasn’t aimed at him.

  “Myron is back that way with a guard,” Jerry told the cousins, untangling the fingers of his right hand from Leo’s shirt so he could point. “And there’s two more on the grounds s-searching f-for more wh-wh-whores.”

  “They won’t find any here,” Leo stated on a growl. Lifting his hand, he cupped Jerry’s jaw and forced him to tip his head up and meet his gaze. “Wanna know why?”

  Furrowing his brows, Jerry tried to understand the glitter in Leo’s eyes and the firm slant of his lips. “Why?”

  “Because there are no whores here, Jerry,” Leo stated, his voice quiet and firm. “None at all.”

  Jerry opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He snapped his mouth shut so he could swallow hard. He didn’t understand how Leo could believe that, but from the firm expression on his face, he sure seemed to.

  Uncertain what the right thing to say was, Jerry simply nodded.

  “Come on,” Luther urged softly, his voice holding a gruff quality. “Let’s take this asshole back to his friends. I’m sure the others have rounded them up by now.”

  That caught Jerry’s attention. He tore his focus from Leo’s handsome face and turned to peer at Luther. The man was almost as big as Leo but nowhere near as good looking. At least, Jerry thought so.

  Leo nodded, releasing Jerry only long enough to turn him before returning his arm around his waist.

  Unable to resist the offered comfort, Jerry snuggled against Leo’s side as they began heading back the way he’d just come. He watched as Luther lifted the fallen gangbanger and tossed him over his shoulder. Luther made it look easy, reminding Jerry that the people around him weren’t human.

  Suddenly, Jerry thought he was okay with that. Being held against Leo, even though they were headed back toward the second-in-command of the Domingo gang, he still felt safe. He found it to be a novel experience as it had been so very rare over the last half dozen years.

  The sound of voices reached Jerry before he spotted the men.

  “You know, I had intended to leave your gang alone, since your gang didn’t traffic in humans.” The melodious tenor sounded mildly bored. “But seeing as you’ve decided the fill the gap created by the downfall of the Robles gang—” A cold chuckle filled the air. “Now, it will be my genuine pleasure to destroy you all.”

  “You better be careful what you say to me, gringo.” Jerry recognized Myron’s voice. “You won’t like what will happen if I think I’m threatened.”

  Jerry and his group rounded the bend, revealing Myron standing in the path where he’d left him. The difference was the gun that had been tucked into the waistband of his jeans was no longer there. The guard who’d stayed with him had also been unarmed, and he now knelt on the cold ground.

  The other pair were still nowhere to be seen.

  Peering at the men that Myron glared maliciously at, Jerry tried to remember their names. He recognized Declan, of course. The huge African American sat on the bench Jerry had vacated, and he stared at Myron with a cold expression.

  A broad-shouldered Native American stood nearby. He was one half of the vocal pair he’d heard the previous evening. Jerry was pretty sure his name started with a C, but he couldn’t place it. Next to him was his much smaller lover. He had light-brown hair, hazel eyes, and a wiry frame. That man held some kind of handgun in his right hand and tapped it almost absently against his thigh.

  “Ah, you brought my merchandise back to me. I suppose that will make up for what your guy did to my man there,” Myron stated, glancing at Jerry and the guy Luther unceremoniously dropped on the ground. Myron’s eyes narrowed, “If he’s permanently injured, I’m—”

  Quick as a striking snake, the small man lashed out. He slammed his gun across Myron’s face, causing the big gangster to stumble backward and drop to one knee. Myron’s glare was filled with hatred as he lifted his left hand to his mouth and wiped blood from his split lip.

  “You’re gonna pay for that, gringo,” Myron snarled.

  Just as Myron finished speaking, the sound of approaching footsteps drew everyone’s attention. From around a bend in a path appeared the two other gangsters. Jerry’s heartrate spiked for a second, but then he spotted Manon and a redheaded woman behind them, each of them carrying a gun and pointing it at the strangers.

  The sneer on Myron’s lips remained, but his face paled a little.

  “Now that we’re all here,” began the guy who’d just pistol-whipped Myron. “Allow me to make introductions.” He pointed at himself, then at a few others. “I’m Jared. This is my lover, Carson. That’s our boss-man, Declan.” He pointed at Jerry. “That nice man you tried to kidnap is Jerry. He’s not merchandise, and neither are any other humans around here.”

  “You’re faggots?” Myron blurted out, derision in his voice.

  Jared offered a wide smile that looked more creepy than happy. “You just keep digging a deeper hole, Myron.” While Myron’s eyes opened just a little wider, betraying his surprise, Jared laughed. “Yep, I know who you are.”

  “Then you should know that your only option is letting me go.” Myron rose back to his feet, his expression gaining confidence. “Otherwise”—he waved his hand, indicating the house and grounds—”all this will be gone within a day.”

  “You seem to be under the impression that anything you say matters to me.” Jared smirked at Myron, appearing more than a little amused. “It doesn’t.” His lips parted in a wide grin. “In fact, you will just be the first.”

  Without preamble, Jared lifted his gun and pointed it at Myron’s chest. The gangster must have finally recognized his mistake, for his eyes widened, and he opened his mouth—maybe to beg for mercy. Myron didn’t get the chance. Two shots in rapid succession echoed through the morning air.

  Myron’s body toppled, blood blooming on its torso.

  Jerry gasped, staring as shock filled him.

  Leo tightened the arm around Jerry’s waist. At the same time, he placed his palm along his temple. He used the hold to turn Jerry’s face toward his chest, pressing his head into him.

  Closing his eyes, Jerry fought against the trembles that suddenly began racking his body. He’d seen plenty of men killed over the years, so he wasn’t totally certain what he was feeling. Instead of trying to parse out the sensations, he focused on the men shouting just out of his line of sight, but he didn’t turn to look at anyone.

  “Now, gentlemen,” Jared stated, sounding bored. “You can either tell me what I want to know, or you can join Myron.”

  “Go to hell!” one guy cried.

  That was followed by a co
uple more shots, and Jared replied glibly, “After you.”

  Jerry couldn’t help it. A hysterical giggle escaped him.

  “Easy, Jerry,” Leo murmured into his ear. “They’ll never hurt you again.”

  Nodding, Jerry lifted his head. “That’s not it,” he mumbled, his heart tripping wildly in his chest. “I should feel bad, yet... all I feel is—” Jerry paused, shaking his head.

  To Jerry’s relief, Leo’s smile held a wealth of understanding. “Vindication? Satisfaction? Maybe even a little pleasure and relief?”

  Jerry nodded as he nibbled his bottom lip.

  Luther stepped close and rumbled, “That’s totally normal. People like these assholes hurt you for years.” Crossing his arms over his chest, he added, “They deserve everything Jared is going to give them and more.” A cold smile curved his lips. “And don’t you worry. It’ll happen, too.”

  “What do you mean?” Jerry heard the sound of a gun again, and it occurred to him that the cousins were leading him away from the action. That was just fine with him. “What’s going to happen?”

  Leo grinned down at him. “Alpha Declan has given Jared free rein in this case.”

  Luther chuckled once more. “That means Jared is going to clean house... literally.”

  “And he likes to blow things up,” Leo added, snorting. “And while he does that, we’re going to take you some place safe.”

  “Where?” If the estate with all the fences and security wasn’t safe, where would be?

  “There’s a cabin we own back home in the mountains of Colorado, and recently, the renters moved out. We’re going there,” Leo told him. He paused and turned Jerry to look at him, keeping one hand on his waist and using the other to cup his jaw and tilt his chin up. “That way you can take your time deciding what you want to do in a safe environment.” After a second, Leo’s expression turned uncertain as he asked, “Is that okay?”

  Jerry hesitated an instant. Alone in a secluded place with Leo? Even as he wondered how he would manage to hide his attraction to the man, he nodded and found himself saying, “Yes.”

  Seeing Leo’s pleased grin caused Jerry’s heart to trip in his chest.

  I might be in trouble for a whole new reason.

  He sure liked seeing Leo happy, though.

  Chapter Five

  Leo figured he’d railroaded Jerry into coming with him and his family back to Stone Ridge, seeing as he’d asked his mate at a vulnerable moment. Still, now that he had his human back in shifter territory, his wolf felt so much happier. Leo’s animal wasn’t a very patient creature, and he didn’t understand why they couldn’t seduce and claim their pretty human immediately.

  It wasn’t often Leo found himself at odds with his wolf, and it left him a bit unsettled. Still, for his mate, he would deal with it. Leo would give Jerry as much time as he needed.

  “Wow,” Jerry whispered, glancing around with interest. “This place is... you called it a cabin, but it really looks like a farmhouse?” As he finished speaking, his brows drew together, a shadow crossing over his features. After swallowing hard enough to cause his Adam’s apple to bob, Jerry whispered, “And look at all this snow!”

  Leo peered through the windshield of his pick-up truck. Taking in the large structure, he winced. While he and his family had always referred to it as the family cabin, it did look like a farmhouse.

  His father had given the structure a facelift and expansion around eighty years before... when he’d put in indoor plumbing. Before the renovation, it had been a two-bedroom, off-the-grid cabin with an outhouse. Once Leo’s dad had finished, the place boasted seven bedrooms, four bathrooms, and two fireplaces—one in the great room and one in the master bedroom at the back of the house. When both fireplaces were roaring, they would heat the entire home, even in the winter time.

  Wanting to ease whatever had caused Jerry’s concern, Leo decided to tell him all about it. He exited the cab, then reached back in and grabbed his duffle bag from behind the seat. As he did that, he started to talk.

  Leo led the way through the foot-high snow, using his legs to create trenches for Jerry to follow in. He told about his great grandfather and how he’d built the first cabin. While unlocking the door and guiding his mate inside, he explained how their family had used the cabin as a getaway from the rising human population. They’d also coordinated family pack runs from there, too.

  When Alpha Declan had moved his pack to the area, Leo’s grandfather had moved on. That had been over a hundred years before. When Leo’s father had chosen to stay, it had split the family—some leaving and some staying. Leo and most of Leo’s father’s side had stuck around. Luther was his father’s sister’s son, and most of that side had left.

  Leo and Luther had always been best friends, and his buddy had chosen to stay... the last remnant of that side of the family. That was what made him so close to his cousin, so instead of thinking of Stephani as a second cousin, she immediately became an honorary cousin. Hell, since the girl’s mother had never been in the picture, they’d practically raised her together.

  While Leo and Jerry trooped from his truck to the house, he explained all those things. The time it took to make several trips gave him plenty of time. They gathered all Jerry’s newly purchased clothes—jeans, t-shirts, flannel shirts, thick socks, and a heavy coat, not to mention a pair of hiking boots as well as a pair of snow boots. Leo had loved providing for his mate. On top of that, they’d had to carry in all the groceries. Due to the sometimes unpredictable weather in the mountains, Leo had made certain they had enough food for several weeks.

  That included the fact that Luther, Deke, and Stephani would be joining them in a few days or so. Leo also guessed that, within the week, he would see Sara—Declan’s daughter, who’d also been rescued—and her human mate, Ricky. The detective still hadn’t—at least as far as Leo had heard—accepted that he was a shifter’s mate, even though he’d known about paranormals for a few years.

  Leo couldn’t imagine how that made Sara feel.

  By the time they’d brought everything in, Jerry shivered in his new coat. He seemed far more relaxed about their location, at least. Whatever had been bothering him appeared to have passed the more Leo talked.

  Good.

  Settling Jerry on the bearskin rug before the fireplace, Leo set about building a roaring blaze. It only took him a moment to lay the logs. Then he used old newspaper that had been left in a magazine rack to light it. Once he had the flames caught, he headed to the sofa and grabbed a throw blanket off the back of it.

  Leo knelt behind Jerry and wrapped the blanket around his human’s shoulders. Taking advantage of the moment, he rubbed his hands over his shoulders and down his upper arms. Even through the thick fabric of blanket and coat, Leo could feel his mate’s slender limbs and thin shoulders.

  My sweet human needs a bit of weight.

  Dipping his head, Leo pressed a kiss to the side of Jerry’s neck. He hesitated there, inhaling deeply. His mouth watered, and his blood heated, swiftly flowing south.

  Less than a day and a half in Jerry’s company, most of it spent traveling and shopping, and Leo was already having a tough time controlling himself.

  “Are you smelling me?” Jerry whispered suddenly, turning his head just enough to meet Leo’s gaze out of the corner of his eye.

  Leo knew he was busted but decided that wasn’t such a bad thing. They needed to talk about it sometime. Holding Jerry’s gaze, he nuzzled his nose against his cheek for a second before inhaling deeply.

  Finally, Leo lifted his head enough to reveal his smile. “Yeah, Jer,” he admitted. “You smell good to me, to my wolf.” Turning his head, Leo pressed a light kiss to Jerry’s cheek. “It’s rare to find a scent as heady as yours.” Seeing the way Jerry’s brows furrowed just a smidge and how he nibbled his bottom lip, Leo asked, “Does it bother you?”

  “I saw the way Declan and Luther would smell their, uh, partners,” Jerry murmure
d, his expression turning confused. “It means something. Doesn’t it?”

  Leo couldn’t—and would never—lie to his mate. He nodded. “Yeah, sweetheart,” he murmured, doing his best to keep his smile relaxed and confident. “Paranormals have something called a mate.” He hesitated, trying to decide on the best way to explain. Noticing the way the furrow between Jerry’s brows deepened, Leo decided to say, “A paranormal longs to find their mate, the other half of their soul. Their mate is their perfect complement. Someone who can complete them.”

  When Leo spotted how Jerry’s eyes widened and his entire body stiffened, he remembered how he’d soothed that reaction earlier—by talking, explaining. Taking heed of that learning experience, Leo bussed a kiss to his mate’s lips, then straightened even as he settled on the floor. Leo wrapped his arms around Jerry’s shoulders, urging his human to lean back against him.

  As Leo did that, he shared, “I would have been attracted to you anyway, Jerry.” He could feel the tension thrumming through his mate’s body, so he did his best to keep his tone soft and reassuring. “Just like I know you’re attracted to me. Being mates, that just happened to make what we’re feeling more intense. Our connection means”—Leo hesitated an instant, then admitted—”if you give us a chance, we’ll come to care about each other, understand each other, and soon enough, love each other, very quickly.”

  For what felt like a long moment, Jerry didn’t respond. Leo had to remind himself to keep breathing. Staring into the fire, watching the flames lick at the burning pieces, he did his best to be patient... to wait for his mate to process what he’d shared.

  “Why would you want someone like me?” Jerry finally whispered. “My own family didn’t want me because of”—a shudder went through him—”what I am.” As soon as the words were out of Jerry’s mouth, he hunched forward, curling in on himself.