Sean realized he’d paused, the spoon halfway to his mouth, as he listened to Dani’s story. He ate his soup quickly as he ruminated on her words. “What changed?”
Dani scooped the vegetables into bowls, snapped a lid on each one, then stored them in the refrigerator before she came back and took a seat across from Sean. “Avarice, hatred. The same petty squabbles the humans were undergoing had infected the wolves. One by one, good Alphas were forced out or hunted down and killed, and the rot began to creep into our society, moving forward like a tide, until there were more bad Alphas than good.” She shrugged. “Of course, these are stories, and I don’t know how valid they are.”
“She wasn’t wrong. There’s a stain on many of the Alphas I’ve encountered. Some of them start out seeming nice, but that all changes when…. It changes.”
“When what?”
Dani was so easy to talk with that Sean wanted to unburden his soul. But Gareth deserved to hear it first.
“No, nothing. It’s fine.”
“Okay. If you ever need to talk, my kitchen is always open to you.” She tilted her head in the direction of the bowl. “Would you like some more? I’ve got plenty.”
He leaned back and patted his stomach. “No, but thank you.”
“If you’re feeling up to it, tonight I’ll make you some fresh pasta.”
“I’m sorry, I—”
She flicked her wrist in his direction. “Will you stop apologizing? It didn’t go to waste. I promise. Caleb has a great, gaping maw instead of a stomach. It’s a good thing Gareth has money, because otherwise the pack would go hungry just feeding my son.”
Sean couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of him. When Dani arched her brows, he lost it completely. God, it felt so good to let loose and find humor in something.
When he could finally breathe again, Sean reached for Dani’s hand. She curled her fingers with his, and the connection between them was… nice.
“He seems like a good guy. Your son, I mean.”
She sighed, squeezing. “He’s the light of my life. I would do anything for him.” She pinned Sean with a stare. “Did your parents kick you out? Because that stuff makes my blood boil.”
Warmth washed over Sean. She cared about him. “No, it was worse than that.”
Her eyes went wide. “Worse? What could—?”
He held up a hand to forestall her. “I’m going to tell Gareth about it when I see him next, but he should be the first person to know.”
“Okay, that makes sense. He’s Alpha, after all.”
Yes, he was. An Alpha unlike any Sean had met or even knew existed. Maybe the one person who could finally—no, best not to get ahead of himself. Hopes died easily, and dreams were quite often crushed under their own weight.
“Do you have plans for today?”
“Mm-hmm. Gareth’s going to show me Lydon, and then we’re going to have lunch so he can talk to me about joining the pack.” He bit his lip. “Do you think it’s a good idea?”
“I can’t make that choice. It’s something only you can decide. If you want my opinion, though, listen to Gareth with an open mind and heart. I know you’ve been hurt in the past, so you have to weigh his words and decide if it’s something you can deal with. Gareth’s a good Alpha. He’s not perfect, he makes mistakes, and—”
“And what?” Gareth entered the kitchen. “Go on, Dani. And what?”
“He’s got a nasty habit of being snoopy.” She returned her attention to Sean. “He’s opinionated, but he’s a good man, and if he makes you a promise, it’s as good as gold.”
Sean grinned. “Sounds like a ringing endorsement to me.”
Gareth blew out a breath. “The two of you shouldn’t be allowed to talk. If Sean joins the pack, I see so much trouble in my future.”
Sean drew back. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear that Gareth was prophetic.
Chapter Six
GARETH COULDN’T stop watching Sean as they wandered the streets of Lydon. His eyes were wide, his jaw dropped open on more than one occasion, and he seemed genuinely surprised by the people’s reactions to him.
“Everyone seems so… happy.”
“Well, I would hope so. A lot of work goes into keeping the town clean, the people happy and healthy, and still maintain the surrounding environment.”
Wolfgang Gates strolled up to them, a wide smile on his face. “Good afternoon, Alpha.”
Gareth nodded at him. “How’s your wife?”
He chuckled. “Big as a house. She told me after the baby was born, I was never getting sex again.”
“Isn’t that what she told you the other four times?”
“Yessir, she did. Who knows? Maybe this time she’ll stick to it.”
Gareth frowned. “You don’t believe that.”
A dismissive wave. “Please. She loves me, and she knows I’m wild about her and the kids.” He eyed Sean. “Who’s your friend?”
“Wolfgang Gates, this is Sean Adler. I’m showing him the place so he can get a feel for it.”
“A pleasure to meet you.” Wolfgang stuck out his hand.
Sean’s eyebrow arched as he shook the proffered hand. “Wolfgang?”
He sighed. “My parents thought it would be funny to name me after Wolfgang Puck.” He grinned, wide and open. “He’s one of us, you know.”
“Wolfgang Puck, the world-famous chef, is an actual werewolf?”
He slapped his knee and let loose with a laugh. “He’s easy.”
“Don’t tease. Sean’s new and doesn’t understand your sense of… um, humor.”
Wolfgang wiped a tear from his eye. “Sorry, Sean. I have no evidence that he is, but then again, no one can say for sure he isn’t. Either way, I hope you like Lydon. Would be nice to get some fresh blood here.”
“What about Alina?”
“Oh, she’s fine. Lyram and a few others got her moved in over the bakery, just like you wanted. She figures a few weeks before she’s ready to open. Kate is dying for sweets, so I’m trying to convince Alina to open sooner.”
“Tell her she has to try the apple-lavender scones.” The memory of how delicious they were made Gareth’s stomach growl. “And now I’m hungry.”
“Come by the restaurant. I know you like to try new things, so tonight’s special is right up your alley. My supplier laid in a month’s worth of Japanese Wagyu ribeye steak, and Karl”—he turned to Sean—“that’s our chef”—then back to Gareth—“cut them very thin, seasoned them with a little black salt and pepper, and is grilling them one at a time. My first mouthful, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. It puts most other meats to shame.”
A groan rolled out of Gareth. “I wish I could, but I’ve got a lot to do tonight.”
Wolfgang laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “How about if I have one of the waiters bring your dinner to your office? We can make it for two, if Sean would like to join you.”
Sean was gaping. “You have a restaurant?”
“Sure.” Wolfgang shrugged. “What werewolf doesn’t like meat?”
Gareth sighed. “There was that vegan werewolf in Boston a few years back. Last I heard, he’s still not eating meat.” When Wolfgang reared back, obviously horrified, Gareth laughed. “He’s an anomaly, though.”
“I just… that’s weird.” He shuddered dramatically. “Please tell me you want steak for dinner. I need to get that thought out of my head now.”
“Sean, are you busy for dinner tonight?”
“What?”
“I was wondering if you’d like to sit in my office with me and have a steak?” Gareth frowned slightly. “I don’t know how good of company I’ll be. I’m working on a project that’s going to be taking up a lot of my time.”
Now Gareth’s mind was on the food, rather than working on ideas to increase the population of Lydon without stressing the surrounding areas. He had to be careful, because a large influx of people and houses might alert the humans that lived in neighboring towns.
<
br /> Sean gave a half grin, where he bit the corner of his lip and the other side turned up. It was… adorable. “I haven’t had a steak in… God, years.”
“Okay, then that’s a yes. One steak for the Alpha and one for his guest. I assume you both want them rare?”
Sean’s stomach gurgled, and Gareth had to bite back a laugh. When Sean’s eyes glazed over and he licked his lips, Gareth knew he was sold.
“Rare’s fine for me. I think Sean’s okay with it too.”
“Fine. I’ll have Anthony serve at, say, seven?”
Gareth turned to Sean. “Will that work for you?”
One slow blink. Then another. “You’re asking me?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
Sean reached up and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “We’ve got to talk.”
“We’ll—and by we, I mean Anthony, because I promised the wife I’d be home early—see you at seven, Alpha. I hope you like your steak.” Wolfgang gave a wave, then headed down the street.
“Let’s see now….” Gareth put a hand on Sean’s arm but did his best to ignore the chuffing of his wolf, who wanted… something.
Still not telling me?
Once again, rapid-fire images of Sean flooded Gareth’s mind. A mishmash of pictures, with Sean shifting to his wolf, of Sean’s anger, his laughter of a few moments ago. The smell of his skin. His weight in Gareth’s arms.
Holy shit. You want him.
Gareth never had sex with pack members, and he couldn’t understand why his wolf was insisting that Gareth wanted Sean as much as it did.
Another image came to mind then: Gareth, in bed, nude, stroking his cock while images of a naked Sean pranced through his mind.
There is such a thing as boundaries, you know.
The wolf chuffed, seeming smug. It didn’t matter. Gareth was in control, and he absolutely did not have sex with pack members. Even if they had red hair, a soft pelt on their chest and stomach, two freckles over their left nipple, and slender hips, as well as a firm, muscular butt, and a long, thin dick.
No, Gareth didn’t do that at all.
SEAN’S STOMACH fluttered when Gareth opened the door to his office. If Sean had been expecting something small and messy, he was mistaken. Gareth’s workspace was huge, with a large desk in the corner of the room, which held a computer with an enormously wide screen. On it, Gareth had opened three spreadsheets, each replete with numbers.
“Come on in. Dinner should be here shortly.”
The man looked incredible. A black henley stretched over his wide chest, a pair of cargo pants, and….
“Hello Kitty socks?” Sean bit his lip to keep from laughing. “That’s… cute.”
“Shut up. Dani gave them to me, and I have to wear them on occasion, or she asks about them.”
The hits kept coming. “Why do you care? You’re the Alpha.”
Gareth blew out a slow breath. “Okay, I know you seem to have had issues in the past with Alphas, and I haven’t given you reason yet to trust me, but I absolutely, one hundred percent care what my wolves do and think. They’re the heart of Lydon, and without them, we don’t have a town or a community.”
He seemed so sincere. And on their trip through the town, Sean had seen how the people reacted to him. There wasn’t any fear, only smiles and laughs. When Gareth met a young woman with a pup, he bent down and spoke with the young girl, who smiled up at him, then held out her arms. Ryker would have batted her away or worse. Gareth picked her up and booped her nose, which made her dissolve into peals of laughter.
There was no doubt that Gareth was nothing like Ryker.
“Sean?”
He jerked his head up, only to find Gareth giving him a curious smile.
“Why not take a seat. I really have to get back to work.”
Sean stepped into the office. The smell of leather mixed with a more delicate scent. “Dani was here recently.”
It wasn’t a question. Sean’s wolf knew Dani’s scent now, just as it knew Gareth’s. Hers was cloves and spices and reminded Sean of the fall, whereas Gareth’s was something primal, deep, and mysterious.
“When I told her you were coming, she insisted that she needed to clean in here, even though she dusted two days ago. It made her happy, so I let her do it.”
Gareth’s chair protested under his bulk, the springs squeaking, and Sean watched, amazed that Gareth’s hands, despite being so large, danced over the keyboard effortlessly.
“What are you working on?”
“Dani convinced me that we needed to allow more pack members in Lydon. And you were the catalyst for that.”
“Me?” Sean squeaked. “How am I responsible for any of this?”
Gareth swiveled and stared at Sean. “Because you needed help. Dani reminded me, in her not-so-subtle way, that we need to help, especially because of the problems you’ve had with other packs. My ancestors built Lydon as a haven, where those wolves who didn’t fit in would have a home.”
Years before, Sean’s grandmother had told him that such places existed. She said in her time, they were sparse, but previously they’d been everywhere. He’d always dismissed them, though, especially after dealing with Ryker. Maybe it was Sean who needed the reality check.
“Listen, I know you’re busy, but can we talk?”
Gareth stopped what he was doing and gave Sean the full weight of his attention. Sean shifted uncomfortably on the seat.
“Of course.”
The story started slow, with Sean mixing in the stories of Lottie, of Ryker wanting to take Sean as a pet, and the other horrors he’d seen. Through it all, Gareth sat there, fists clenched, his teeth gritted, and a low, guttural growl emanating from his throat.
“He collared you and said you were going to be his pet? At fourteen? That’s obscene!”
Sean’s cheeks heated. “He often took the virgins, claiming it to be his right as Alpha.”
Gareth pushed out of the chair and stalked away from Sean.
“Gareth?” Sean reached for him. “Are you okay?”
He held up a hand. “Don’t. Just give me a minute.” Gareth’s nostrils flared as he breathed deep. “I understand your mistrust. I’m sorry that happened to you.”
The words were strained, and Sean couldn’t help but notice the ripples of Gareth’s muscles, desperate to shift. The man was having a hard time holding his anger in check.
“Do you want to go out for a run?”
“I invited you to dinner. It would be rude if I—”
The words were guttural, Gareth’s eyes bleeding color as they shifted to his lupine set. Sean knew that if he didn’t get Gareth out into the woods, he’d lose control of his wolf.
“Let’s go. Together.”
A quick breath. “Are you sure?”
Yes, Sean was certain. Gareth was the only Alpha Sean had met who deserved his title and had earned the chance at winning Sean’s trust.
“Let’s run, Alpha.”
Sean pulled off his clothes, and grinned at Gareth as the change washed over Sean. Seeming to take that as permission, Gareth yanked off his clothes, letting them fall to the floor in a haphazard mess. Sean averted his gaze, allowing Gareth a modicum of privacy—plus, he didn’t want Gareth to think he was perving over the big muscles on display. All the muscles.
When Gareth completed his transformation, he threw back his head and yowled. The sound chilled Sean because of the pain that was evident in it. Gareth truly did care, and that fact allowed Sean’s heart to thaw finally.
Sean yipped, and a moment later, Dani opened the door to the study.
“I’ll keep the food warm.” She stroked a hand over Sean’s head. “Take care of him, would you?”
There was warmth in her voice, and if Sean could cry in wolf form, he would. As it stood, Gareth rushed out the door, with Sean following close behind him. Gareth moved quickly, as though he was trying to outrun his rage, but Sean kept pace with him. When he closed the gap, he nipped Gareth on the tail,
hoping to get him to play instead of letting the anger take hold of him.
It worked.
Gareth spun, glaring at Sean, who hopped around, taunting. Gareth’s lips curled, revealing his sharp canines, but Sean knew it was all for show. He wanted Sean to pull him out of his head. So, of course, Sean did what any good wolf would do.
He tackled Gareth.
The two of them tumbled to the ground, rolling around in the grass. There was such joy in wolf form. Scents were sharper, sights were more vibrant, and Gareth was… just more. Sean found himself at ease, wanting nothing more than to spend time with Gareth. He’d been alone so long, and now? Dani, Caleb, Gareth, even Dr. Franklin. They’d welcomed him, made him feel as though he was part of something.
Made him want.
He shifted again, lying on his back, staring up at the stars. Here in Lydon, he could see forever.
“Are you okay?”
Of course Gareth would worry about him.
“Yes.”
He lay beside Sean. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Gareth hummed. “Mother Moon blessed this land. Of all others, she shines brightest here.”
Sean rolled to his side. He and Gareth were so close, he could easily reach out to touch him. “Do you believe in Mother Moon?”
“With all my heart. She’s what makes me want to be a good Alpha for my people—her people. The legends tell us that Mother Moon looked upon humanity and found it inherently flawed. She could see that they lacked the strength and conviction of the animals. All except a certain group. These people were brave and cunning. They worked together to not only survive, but to prosper. She smiled down on these people and decided to grant them a gift. She took their bravery and cunning and placed them in a form with the strength and conviction of the wolf, making two halves whole.”
Sean had never heard the story told like that. “When people talk about Mother Moon today, she’s only myth and legend. A childhood tale parents tell their children so they grow up believing there is good in the world.”
The Night Wolf Page 6
