Restitution From His Mate

by Charlie Richards

  “Not on purpose,” Logan said, because he wasn’t certain who had pulled the trigger. He didn’t think he’d done it, but since he and Zander had both had their hands on the rifle, he couldn’t discount accidentally setting the weapon off. “And my buddies are mated with gargoyles.”

  “I didn’t know they lived around here,” Greg mused.

  Logan didn’t bother correcting the young wolf’s misconception. Instead, he yanked his t-shirt over his head, then his belt from his pant’s loops while saying, “Lift his torso. Can you do that? I’m gonna cinch my t-shirt over his wound, so it’ll stay in place while we move him.”

  Greg slid his arms under Jimmy’s shoulders and heaved.

  When the beta let out a groan, Logan grimaced. He fought against a sudden odd urge to shove Greg away and yell at him for hurting him. It was ridiculous. Fear sliced through Logan’s veins, knowing exactly what the unexpected urge meant. He’d seen his buddies go through mating urges. He’d just never expected to feel them himself.

  Later. Deal with it later.

  “What the fuck happened? Who the hell are you?”

  Logan ignored the angry words and finished cinching the belt, holding the makeshift bandage in place. Then, he lifted his gaze and saw an auburn-haired, leanly-muscled male. A blonde wolf now sat beside the gray wolf. From its size, Logan guessed it was another teenager. “You got a car nearby?”

  “My home is six miles,” the guy answered. His eyes narrowed as he took in the scene, including the gun and a clearly in shock Zander.

  “Help me carry him. My buddy’s truck is only a mile and a half away,” Logan said. He glanced toward Greg. “Zander is gonna need a hand. Can you help him up?”

  “Who the fuck are you?” the guy snapped again.

  Logan glared at the other guy. “My name is Logan McByrne, if that’s so bloody important to you. Now, are you gonna help me help the beta or not?”

  The man blanched, glancing between everyone again. “Fine, but give me the rifle first.”

  Narrowing his eyes, Logan clenched his jaw. “Fine,” he snarled. Still, he reached down and handed the weapon to…whoever the other guy was. Logan curled his lip and he asked, “Can we get Noleander help now?”

  Damn, but do these protective urges feel weird.

  The other man took the weapon, slung it over his shoulder, then crouched beside Noleander’s head. “Lead the way.”

  Logan did just that. After he squatted between the beta’s knees and gripped each thigh, he grunted as he rose to his feet. With his back to the others, he felt horribly vulnerable, but couldn't do anything about it.

  “Greg, help Zander, would ya, kid?” Logan asked.

  Logan glanced out of the corner of his eyes as he walked as quickly as he could—while fighting the tension he felt in his own back caused by carrying Noleander’s heavy body—in conjunction with how the dude at his back moved. At least Greg wrapped his arm around Zander’s shoulders and urged him to his feet. Logan heard the crunch of leaves and glanced left and right. He spotted the young shifters trotting beside them, casting uneasy glances at him and the beta.

  All Logan could think was…I’m in so much trouble.

  By the time Logan reached Zander’s pickup truck, sweat dripped down his back. The shifter was damn heavy. “Greg, leave Zander and open the tailgate,” Logan ordered.

  Evidently, he had enough confidence and force in his voice to get the young shifter moving. Greg propped a still-in-shock Zander against the fender of the truck, then jogged to the end of the vehicle and opened the tailgate.

  Oddly, the thought that shifters could move so easily while naked, their willies bouncing in the wind, popped into Logan’s head. That told him that he just might not be okay, either.

  Damn.

  Logan helped carry Noleander around the truck and to the bed. He shoved the shifter’s legs onto the bed of the truck, then moved his hold to the guy’s butt. He tried not to allow his fingers to flex, to enjoy the feel of the male’s firm globes, but he knew he didn’t completely succeed. The guy’s ass was fine, after all. Once Noleander’s lower body was on the truck—what the fuck kind of name was that, anyway—Logan climbed onto the bed and helped slide the man the rest of the way in.

  “The keys are on the visor,” Logan told the other man. He settled on the bed of the truck and pulled the beta’s head onto his lap. “Drive where you will.”

  Fuck these mating hormones!

  Clenching his jaw, Logan stared defiantly at the other shifter.

  “Interesting,” was all the guy said as he put up the tailgate. Then, he rounded the truck and urged Zander into the back of the cab, followed by Greg. The pair of young wolves hopped into the bed with Logan and settled half on top of Noleander. Because of his blood loss and the cold metal of the bed, he knew it was for the best, to conserve his body heat.

  That didn’t mean he liked having others near the beta.

  Logan braced his legs on the wheel well when the other shifter got them moving. As he watched the trees go by, it occurred to him that he probably should have been more concerned about where he was going and with whom. Still, Logan knew there’d be time enough for answers on who these shifters were.

  After a surprisingly short drive, the shifter turned into a driveway and a house appeared through the trees. As soon as the shifter slid from the truck, he started issuing orders.

  “Greg, help Zander into the house and put him in my study. Kyle, call the alpha. Cindy, call Lacy.” By that time, the shifter had reached the foot of the truck and lowered the tailgate. The young wolves leaped from the bed and headed toward the house. Greg helped Zander from the cab. “Logan, help me carry Jimmy into the house.”

  “Jimmy?” Logan couldn’t help but question. What was Noleander then? Still, he moved and started helping the guy slide the beta out of the truck.

  “Yes,” the shifter replied, grunting as he took the injured shifter’s weight. “The man you’re fawning over is Beta James Noleander. Jimmy. I’m Head Tracker Aaric Tamang. My brother is Alpha Abbott Tamang,” Aaric rattled off. “Oh, and you and your friend are in a world of trouble if Jimmy dies.”

  Logan growled upon hearing someone speak of the man he helped carry and dying in the same thought.

  Aaric must have misunderstood, for he snapped, “Well, you should have thought of that before you shot him. Greg told me on the drive over what happened.”

  “It was an accident,” Logan replied. “Zander was already freaked out about seeing James shift once. What the hell was he thinking doing it again?”

  “Is it true that you’re his mate?” Aaric asked bluntly.

  Logan grimaced as he walked through the front door, left standing wide open by Greg. He really didn’t want to answer that question, so kept his mouth shut.

  “Head left,” Aaric ordered. “So, it’s that way, is it? Got a problem with shifters or homosexuality? Either way, you’d better pull your head out of your ass, ’cause your buddy, Zander, is banging a male vampire.”

  “Damn, I thought it sounded hinky,” Logan grumbled, heading down the hall. So Zander was being coerced by a vampire. His poor friend just might go off the deep end before everything got straightened out. “And, neither is the problem. My best friend is Marty Beakman, a guy, and he’s mated with a gargoyle, which are all males.”

  After lying James on the bed, Logan cringed upon hearing the shifter’s groan and getting a good look at the pallor of his skin.

  “Lacy is on her way,” a teenage girl—Cindy, probably—said from the open doorway.

  “So is the alpha,” a boy added, standing behind her shoulder.

  “Who’s Lacy?” Logan asked, unable to hide his curiosity. Was that the beta’s wife? Girlfriend? Sister?

  And why the fuck do I feel a need to keep her away from him?

  “Doctor Lacy Koshmill,” Aaric stated, yanking a pillowcase off a pillow and laying the fabric over James’ groin. “She’s ou
r pack doctor.” He turned toward Cindy. “How long?”

  “Ten minutes,” she replied.

  Aaric nodded. “I’m gonna grab supplies,” he said. “Cindy, sit with him.” Frowning at Logan he stated, “I need you to come with me.”

  Logan tensed. “Why? Where?” It suddenly occurred to him that he was holding James’ right hand in both of his…not that he could remember when he’d picked it up. Slowly, he forced himself to release the shifter’s hand.

  “I need you in the den with your buddy. The alpha’s gonna want to talk to you.”

  While Logan understood that there were rules, and he’d managed to release the injured male’s hand, it took a hell of a lot of self-control to walk away from him…which pissed him off even more. He didn’t do relationships, so these urges were not only foreign, they were damn irritating.

  “Where is it?” Logan asked gruffly. He clenched his jaw and strode from the room.

  “This way,” Kyle told him, leading back down the hall to another door.

  Logan refused to look back. He strode through the doorway the teenager indicated and found a large study, complete with massive desk and one entire wall of bookshelves.

  Zander sat on a sofa. When Logan walked in, his gaze lifted to meet Logan’s eyes and he whispered, “What the fuck is going on, Logan?”

  Sighing, Logan shut the door behind him, crossed the room, and settled next to his friend. “These guys aren’t werewolves,” Logan told him. “They call themselves shifters,” he explained. “There are all different kinds of shifters out there, from wolves to rhinos.” Logan wondered if he’d get the opportunity to call his friends. Just how much trouble were he and Zander in?

  “Th-That’s not possible.”

  “Look, it is possible,” Logan insisted. “You saw several of them change with your own eyes.” He rubbed his palms over his face, trying to get the sexy image of a naked James out of his mind. “And if it makes you feel better, the reason you’re so enamored with Juarez is because he’s a vampire.”

  Zander’s face paled. “What?”

  Maybe Logan shouldn’t have dropped that bombshell, yet. Oh, well. No one ever claimed he was tactful. That was why Marty was the face of their construction company. Logan turned and brought up his left knee onto the sofa, his left arm rested along the back and he faced Zander.

  “Look, I’ve known about these guys for a while now. Most of them are good guys, just like you and me,” Logan assured. “I don’t know why the vampire has fixated on you, but we’ll figure it out. Okay?”

  A loud knock on the door drew Logan’s attention. He didn’t even get a chance to respond before the door was pushed open with enough force to bang against the wall stopper and start to swing closed again. A barrel-chested, dark-haired man put up an arm and stopped it. The man frowned, his gaze sweeping back and forth between them.

  Deciding his friend was traumatized enough, Logan slowly stood and stated, “I’m Logan McByrne. I’ll take responsibility.”

  “I’m Alpha Abbott Tamang,” the big man said, his deep tone surprisingly soft. “I understand you know about us. How?”

  Logan had already told the others, so wondered why they hadn’t passed the information on. “I’m here on vacation, helping Zander Wheeler with his goat ranch,” he said, tilting his head to indicate Zander. “I’m from Durango, Colorado. I learned of your existence when my buddies mated with a couple of gargoyles. There are a number of shifters in the clutch.”

  Alpha Abbott stared with a narrow-eyed gaze for several seconds as if assessing him. Finally, the man crossed his arms over his chest and asked, “Does that mean you’re familiar with our use of restitution?”

  Nodding once, Logan had figured that would be coming. One way or another, reparation needed to be made for the injury caused to Jimmy. “I am.”

  “Good,” the alpha said. “If Jimmy dies, your life is forfeit, so you’d better hope Lacy can heal him,” he told him bluntly. “If he lives, Jimmy chooses the restitution.”

  Logan nodded again. He’d figured as much. He wondered if the alpha had learned yet that James thought they were mates. Would he allow James to make that choice if he’d known?

  Chapter Four

  Jimmy groaned, then cut off the sound, deciding that was a bad idea. It just sent more waves of pain shooting through his body.

  What the fuck happened?

  “Back with us, Beta?”

  Recognizing the sound of his alpha’s voice, Jimmy tried to think back…to remember. He forced one eyelid open a crack and squinted up at Alpha Abbott. He read the concern on the other man’s face and he inhaled slowly struggling to grasp…a scent tickled his senses, distracting him.

  Finally, it clicked. He’d been out running with the teens, showing them tracking techniques. Having been busy with them, he’d completely missed the scent of a human. The guy had witnessed him shift, and he’d given chase. That man had led him to his mate.

  “Logan,” Jimmy rasped.

  “Relax,” Lacy murmured, appearing in Jimmy’s line of sight. “He can’t harm you anymore.”

  “No,” Jimmy mumbled. Damn, he needed to be able to talk. “Water.”

  Lacy cupped his nape and lifted his head. She held a small cup to his lips. “Slow sips,” she cautioned. “The slug lodged in your collarbone. You lost a lot of blood, but now that I’ve gotten the bullet out and closed the wound, you should heal quickly. You’re lucky that asshole isn’t a very good shot.”

  Jimmy nearly spit out the sip of water he’d just taken. Glaring, he managed to swallow. He growled low in his throat before snapping, “Watch your mouth, doc. That’s my mate you’re talking about.”

  Gasping, Lacy snatched her hands away so fast she sloshed water on his shoulder. “But he shot you!”

  “It was an accident,” Jimmy forced out. “He was trying to keep the gun away from his friend and the gun went off.”

  Alpha Abbott sighed. “Aaric said as much.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Jimmy. Logan took responsibility for the gun going off. You’ll need to decide on an equivalent restitution.”

  “Shit,” Jimmy couldn’t help but mutter. He allowed his eyelids to slide shut. He didn’t know if he could do it…decide on an acceptable repayment to being shot…something that would allow his pack to view the debt repaid. How could he make such a choice?

  “Take your time on deciding,” Abbott urged. “This isn’t something that needs to be chosen this instant. You need to heal first.”

  “Is he here?” Jimmy needed to know if he was going to have to track down his mate.

  “Yes. Actually, he helped bring you here,” Abbott told him. “He’s in the den with his friend.”

  “Zander,” Jimmy mumbled, remembering the name. “His friend is Zander. He saw me shift when I was helping the cubs with tracking.” Smiling wanly, he forced his eyes open again and met his alpha’s gaze. “Cindy’s gonna be good. Has good instincts. Imagination.” After swallowing the bit of saliva the couple sips of water created, Jimmy asked, “Can I see him?”

  Abbott’s eyes narrowed, but he nodded. “I will ask him if he’ll come.”

  “Get some rest now,” Lacy ordered. “Or you won’t be awake when the human shows up.”

  As the pain radiating through his body continued to pulse in waves, Jimmy thought that was a fantastic idea. No sooner had he thought it, and his eyelids slid closed again. The pull of unconsciousness took him.

  The murmur of voices tugged Jimmy out of the deep abyss of pain-riddled sleep.

  “Obviously, he can’t see you right now because he’s resting,” Lacy hissed. “Go back to the den, human, and I’ll get you when next he wakes.”

  Logan growled, actually growled, sounding very much like a pissed off wolf. Jimmy found the noise sexy as hell and the pain actually receded when his mate’s scent sank into his senses…probably due to the rise of his arousal. Relief for any reason was welcome.

  “My mate,
your beta, asked to see me,” Logan snarled, his voice low and firm. “I’m not going anywhere. I will be here when he wakes.”

  Jimmy gasped. Logan knew about mating and he’d acknowledged their bond. He remembered calling Logan mate before he kissed him, but surely the human wouldn’t have understood what it meant. He wondered who’d explained it to Logan and if he could truly accept him. Gods above, he’d never felt such a surge of hope.

  “James?” Logan softly called his name, his voice sounding closer.

  Forcing his eyelids to open, Jimmy looked up at the handsome, scarred face of his human as he leaned over him. He wondered how the man had gotten the ragged mark on his cheek, the misshapen T that stretched from his eye to his ear, then from near the middle of that to the corner of his mouth.

  He smiled. “Hey, sexy.”

  Logan snorted, the corner of his lip turning up. “You hopped up on pain pills, buddy?”

  “Not your buddy,” Jimmy mumbled. “Your mate.”

  His gaze sliding to the wound on Jimmy’s shoulder, Logan cleared his throat. “I’m sorry about your shoulder.”

  Jimmy really didn’t like how Logan used the comment to evade his claim, but it wasn’t like he was in any position to force the issue. Instead, he lifted his hand toward his bandaged shoulder. He paused, his fingertips hovering over the covered wound.

  To his surprise, Logan gently gripped Jimmy’s hand with his own. He pulled it away from the wound and toward himself. “Hey, now. No touching,” Logan ordered softly. “Lacy already hates me enough. Don’t want to give her another reason to kick me out, right?”

  Smiling, Jimmy nodded once. “Good idea.” Deciding if Logan wouldn’t readily admit they were mates, maybe he’d be more comfortable talking about something else, he asked, “How’d you learn about shifters? You didn’t seem surprised when I changed in front of you.”

  Logan offered him a wry smile. “I’m from Durango, Colorado. It’s home to the Falias clutch of gargoyles. A couple of my buddies are mated to them,” he explained. “Some of the gargoyles are mated to shifters, too.”