by Jane Perky
The wolf then parted from him and started for the kitchen. He followed Axel, stopping at his broken door as the werewolf disappeared into his yard and past the two trees where Axel nearly gave him an attack earlier.
Hearing police sirens in the distance, he winced and headed back to his house. He had some explaining to do.
Chapter Four
“Well, you have my number. Call me if you need anything,” Sergeant Fields told Ryan.
The forty-five-year-old policeman had been the same cop who sat his eighteen-year-old self down ten years ago to talk to him about his parents’ accident. Ryan was relieved they sent Fields instead of some younger cop who probably considered him a crazy hermit, like the rest of his neighbors.
“I will,” Ryan promised.
“If your cameras caught anything, let me know,” Fields said as Ryan walked him out the door.
“Of course, but it’s probably just a couple of bored teenagers with too much time on their hands.”
Ryan lied, because the last thing he wanted was to get the local authorities involved in whatever mess he placed himself in. He wasn’t sure if Fields bought his story, but it wasn’t the first time the local hooligans played pranks on him.
With Fields gone, Ryan found himself entering a room he seldom ventured into anymore.
He turned the knob leading to his father’s study and let out a breath. Everything remained the same, from his father’s grand mahogany desk, to the matching shelves which contained dusty books. After the car accident, Ryan had stripped down the furniture in the rooms of his parents and Tom, leaving parts of the house empty.
Ryan had moved everything to the basement, never intending to open that door again. He didn’t know why he kept the study intact. Ryan could almost see his father behind the desk, reading a newspaper, but unlike his eighteen-year-old self, he was a lot older now and wouldn’t let old memories return him to a place of depression.
Ten years was a long time to grieve and set that sorrow aside, except he wasn’t fine at all. Ryan still couldn’t step out of his house. Inside, he was safe, though his recent encounter with Axel shattered the notion he held onto for so long. If a werewolf could easily cross his yard and break into his home—was anywhere really safe?
Still, Ryan didn’t give Fields a physical description of Axel, as if he wanted to keep that little secret to himself. He didn’t think Axel would hurt him, not when the werewolf had brought him to the couch when he fainted. Ryan walked to where the painting hung, frowning.
It was an ugly thing, splotches of color formed some kind of horse and the artist was unknown, or so he thought anyway. Axel certainly thought it was valuable. Grabbing the frame with both hands, Ryan gently pried it from the wall. With the ugly thing in hand, he walked out of his father’s study.
Heart racing, Ryan headed to the kitchen and out the back door. Cool night air kissed his face as he set the painting near the door. He made a quick dash inside, grabbed a pen and a memo, and scribbled a short message for Axel before heading back outside. Ryan pasted the piece of paper on the top of the frame.
Ryan pressed a hand to his chest, realizing his heart still beat faster than usual. He felt a little intoxicated, dizzy with excitement. Instead of thinking up ways to tighten his security, he’d practically just given Axel an invitation to come back. What the hell was he doing?
He remembered the intense way Axel looked at him, how that scorching look made his skin all hot and him all flustered.
“The guy who trapped himself inside his own home falls for his would-be burglar. Just great,” he muttered. It was a little sad and pathetic, and yet an emotion he hadn’t felt in a long time took root inside of him. Hope. Right now, it felt like a tiny flame, eager and hungry to grow bigger.
What if Axel didn’t return and the ugly painting would remain there rotting for days, months even?
No, Ryan didn’t think so. If Axel had spent days doing surveillance, then the werewolf wouldn’t just give up easily. He looked at his messy yard, to the two trees where Axel stood only hours ago. Everything felt surreal. In a single night, Axel managed to break his usual routine and shatter his illusion of safety.
Illusion, yes that was the word, because maybe Ryan had just fooled himself into thinking he created an unbreakable fortress. The first few years after his family’s death, he held onto that belief desperately, scared of the outside world, of the simple fact his parents and brother were run over right outside their own house.
Time passed and the home he was so proud of began to feel restrictive, like a maximum security prison. Maybe part of Ryan longed for someone to break through the defenses of his house, because he was sick of being afraid all the time. Whether or not his werewolf thief would return, only time would tell.
Ryan didn’t regret his crazy decision one bit, because he’d never done anything reckless in his entire life. Hell, it felt like he’d been hibernating in the dark for a decade and was only beginning to wake up now.
Ryan headed back inside the house to take a shower and catch some sleep before morning came.
* * * *
Axel went back to his apartment right after meeting Ryan to shower and change. He planned on re-assessing the situation, because he now had plenty to think about. By right, he should call the operation off, tell his buddies he spectacularly failed because the target had seen him, except he had a feeling Ryan wouldn’t tattle on him. He didn’t know how he came to that conclusion, but gut instinct told him his mate wouldn’t rat him out to the local authorities.
It was no longer about his pride either, that he lost the crew an easy job, but something else entirely. Wolves weren’t known for backing off from the hunt and Axel just found a treasure beyond price. His mate.
Axel restlessly paced his apartment. He wouldn’t be able to get any sleep at this rate, especially when thoughts of Ryan preoccupied his mind.
Axel didn’t know what possessed him to exit his apartment, to take his car and drive back to Ryan’s neighborhood. No police cars in sight, he noticed. The street looked like it usually did at eight in the morning, with kids piling into their parents’ cars, ready for school and adults to work.
He found a perfect parking spot in the next street. Axel got out. Making sure no one saw him, he used the trees and foliage to his advantage, before arriving to the fence surrounding Ryan’s back yard. He knew what he was doing was foolish, risky given the events only hours ago, but he wanted to be close to his human, to rub himself all over Ryan and imprint his scent all over the human.
Calm down, he told himself. Axel jumped over the fence and landed on his feet without making a sound. He moved past tall untamed bushes and to his usual spot between the two pine trees. Axel scanned the house and spotted Ryan in his usual spot in the kitchen, typing on his laptop. The amazing thing was, Ryan had drawn all the curtains open, giving him a perfect view of Ryan’s back.
Axel’s second surprise turned out to be the gift sitting on Ryan’s porch. He frowned, wondering if the painting was a trap. Axel didn’t make a move until Ryan moved to the living room to continue his work. Utilizing his supernatural speed, he crossed the yard to where the painting was. He plucked the note and read it out loud.
“Next time, use the front door.” Axel smirked, unable to help it. Ryan kept delighting him in so many unpredictable ways. Ryan would make a good mate, one who’d constantly keep Axel on his toes.
Taking the painting, he looked back into the house, then made his exit. The urge to see Ryan, to talk to his little human arose, but he eventually decided to put it off. The next time they met, circumstances would be different. Axel would put his A-game on. With the painting in hand, he exited Ryan’s property and walked back to his car. With the painting stowed in the back seat, he went behind the wheel.
His phone rang and he picked up instantly.
“Roman says he might have found a minor flaw in Lowe’s security system—” Zane began, but Axel cut him off.
“I got the paintin
g.”
Zane paused. “Wait, you serious?”
“Yup, you guys at Roman’s place right now?” They made Roman’s apartment their go-to meeting place to plan heists and strategize.
“Yeah, but you still haven’t told me how you did it.”
“Easy, good old-fashion breaking and entering. I grabbed the painting while Ryan was asleep,” Axel explained. He couldn’t believe he was lying to one of his best friends. That didn’t seem right, given all they’ve gone through, the dozens of missions they’d been in, the numerous times they all came close to dying. It didn’t matter though, because soon enough, he’d explain to them what Ryan was truly to him—his better half.
“All right. See you soon. Grab some burgers at O’Malley’s while you’re at it, too.”
“Got it.” Axel ended the call and drove up their favorite burger joint for a couple of burgers, fries, and shakes, before heading to Roman’s apartment. Roman’s place was located in a pretty rough neighborhood, ideal for them because they blended well with the local gangs and other colorful flavor on the street. He parked his car, then grabbed the painting in the back along with the take-out.
The elevator in Roman’s building still wasn’t working, no surprise, so he took the stairs to the third floor. There was a couple of tattooed youths hanging in the corridor, but seeing him, they returned to whatever they were doing. No one wanted to mess with a group of rogue shifters.
It seemed his crew expected him, because Zane opened the door before he could knock.
“Damn, you really got the ugly thing,” Zane remarked, taking the painting from his hands. “What’s this?”
Zane raised his eyebrow and he silently cursed, realizing Ryan’s note remained pinned in place. Axel decided remaining silent would only make him guilty. Instead, he said, “As long as we got the painting, it doesn’t matter, right?”
“Getting all defensive suddenly?” Zane asked with wolfish grin. “So, what exactly happened? You use your charms and the human handed it over?”
“Something like that.”
To his surprise, Zane didn’t push, only laughed and let him in.
“So,” Axel ventured, setting the take-out on the dining room table near the door. “It won’t be a problem if I keep seeing Ryan, since we got the painting anyway?”
Zane’s amused golden eyes met his. “What you do in your personal time is none of my business.”
“Damn right,” he replied.
Lured by the scent of food, Ivan and Roman came over.
“What are you two talking about?” Roman asked, grabbing one bag and unwrapping a burger. The other werewolf finished it off in three bites and started on another. Shifters had big appetites, so he made sure he ordered for eight, not four.
“Axel’s new love interest,” Zane drawled.
He glared at Zane.
“Oh, that human he’s obsessed with?” Roman asked.
“What the fuck?” Axel demanded.
Roman rolled his eyes. “Brother, we’ve known for a while you have something for that human. He that good in the sack?”
Axel snarled. “We haven’t gotten that far,” he admitted.
“Aw, Axel. Off your game?” Zane teased. The bastards.
“This one’s different,” came Ivan’s quiet voice. Axel met intense icy blue eyes. Most men and even other paranormals took one look at Ivan’s eyes and scars and wisely ran away, but like Zane and Roman, he trusted his brothers with his life. “Be careful.”
“A puny human won’t stand a chance against Axel,” Roman scoffed, but Axel knew what Ivan met.
The big guy clearly saw what the others couldn’t, that Ryan wasn’t just a fling to him, but something so much more.
“I will,” he promised.
“I wish you the best of luck,” Ivan said. Having spoken his piece, Ivan grabbed his bag and returned to his favorite position in the living room.
“What was that all about?” Zane asked.
Axel shook his head. “I’ll tell you next time.”
Chapter Five
About two in the afternoon, Ryan decided to check on the painting. Shocked it was gone, he blinked. Ryan hadn’t even heard or seen any sign of Axel. Then again, what did he expect? Axel just admitted he was a thief, maybe he did this sort of thing for a living.
The werewolf could have grabbed his prize and run, never to be seen again. Somehow, that thought made his heart all heavy. Disappointment hit him like a ton of bricks, and he clenched his fists by his sides. What exactly did he hope for? That Axel would walk right into his kitchen and say hello?
Tears prickled in his eyes. God damn it. He was pathetic and hated himself instantly for daring to hope, for what? That he had some kind of chance with the werewolf thief? Why would Axel linger, much less stop to talk to him?
Axel could be anywhere by now, had probably skipped town to seek other opportunities. For all Ryan knew, Axel could be halfway around the world, laughing at Ryan, free and unfettered.
“Stop it. Feeling sorry for yourself won’t help,” he whispered.
Rubbing furiously at his eyes, he headed back to the house. There was no use crying over a heartless bastard, and that painting meant nothing to him anyway. No, it was the company he craved, even if it belonged to some heartless, good-looking jerk who looked at him like he was the most desirable man in the world, like he was someone worth knowing.
Now, Ryan knew better. Men like Axel got off on jerking the heartstrings of the sad and miserable, the freaks like him, except that judgment felt too harsh. All he had was one encounter, but he didn’t imagine the shadows in Axel’s eyes, or missed the scars that marked Axel’s body when he shifted.
No, the werewolf had one hell of a story to tell, except Axel didn’t plan on sticking around to tell him. Ryan had no right judging anyone. Maybe Axel stole for reasons he didn’t understand. Either way, it was no use pondering on the “what could have beens.” Heart heavy, he went back inside. Ryan decided the best cure for heartbreak was to bury himself in his work.
Ryan returned to the living room and continued working on his current project. He couldn’t focus at first. His thoughts kept returning to his first meeting with Axel, how he foolishly threatened a scary werewolf with a baseball bat and how Axel flirted shamelessly back at him.
Had he imagined all that?
Ryan shook his head and look at his screen. Eventually, the words and numbers began making sense and he started to work. He didn’t care how much time had passed. Ryan finished off one conference call and continued working through the afternoon. He paused once to make himself instant noodles dinner, before resuming throughout the night.
He wasn’t aware of the passing of time, only his eyelids drooping, and he leaned back against the couch and decided he’d take a short break. Ryan drifted off to sleep, shivering. He forgot to turn the temperature up, but moments later, felt something warm over his body.
Ryan opened his eyes to stilts, only to make out a huge form, leaning in close, familiar brown-gold eyes looking down at him with apparent concern. For some reason, Axel had cleaned up nicely and wore a worn leather jacket over a buttoned shirt. Damn, but the werewolf looked and smelled good.
“Wanna climb you,” he murmured, still half asleep. This was surely a dream, because the real Axel was gone, probably somewhere exotic.
Dream Axel touched his forehead with big, callused fingers but his touch was gentle. Then Axel wove his fingers through his hair, stroking him.
“Ooh, that’s nice,” he remarked.
“You’re running a fever. Stay here,” Axel said, about to leave, but he reached out, grabbing Axel’s arm.
“No, please. Don’t leave me alone,” he whispered, hating the pleading in his voice. It didn’t matter if he sounded desperate, because this was all a dream anyway and he could do whatever the hell he wanted.
Axel’s face softened and the big werewolf nudged him gently to sit on the edge of the couch. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be righ
t here when you wake up.”
This was definitely the best dream he ever had. Those were the exact words he wanted to hear. The knowledge he wouldn’t wake up alone in his sad bed and big house relieved him immensely. Would Axel be in his kitchen, too, making them breakfast?
Oh, that was a nice thought. Axel reached for his hand, gave it a squeeze. He became all too aware of the werewolf, the powerful aura coming off Axel, and boy, the internet was right. Werewolves did burn hot.
He giggled. “Wow. You’re big.”
Axel actually smiled. “You have no idea.”
“Wait, are you teasing me?”
“I shouldn’t, I know. You’re not feeling well.”
“No, I like it when you tease me,” he decided.
“You should rest now, little human. Go back to sleep.”
He scoffed. “No way in hell. If I do that, you’ll be gone. I don’t want Dream Axel to leave. I want you to stay here forever.”
Man, but Ryan was a lot braver in this dream, and he liked this new side of himself.
“I’d like that, little human.”
Little human. He sort of loved that nickname. No one had ever given him one or spoke to him in such a tender way. How unexpected for a big, scary werewolf to look vulnerable, but then again, this was all in his head so anything was possible.
“Don’t you worry,” Axel continued, tone soothing as Axel patted his fingers. “I’ll be right here.”
“You promise?” he asked, scrunching his eyebrows.
“Yes. I give you my word.”
That made him laugh, because Axel sounded and looked so dead serious.
“Okay, seal the deal with a kiss?” Ryan’s words came out half-request, half-demand.
He stilled when Axel gripped his chin, rubbing at his jaw, at his day-old stubble. He liked the big werewolf’s touch, he realized, heart hammering against his chest. Ryan shut his eyes, groaned when Axel slanted his lips over his, the kiss searing, wet, and rough. Heat kindled in his insides and went right to his hardening dick.
