“Here's my card.” I handed him a card from my front pocket. “I’m off tomorrow if you want some help around here. Four hands are better than two.” Lame. I was officially lame.
He cocked his head as if he was looking at me from under the brim of a cowboy hat. “Is that what sheriffs do in these here parts?”
I smiled at the cheesy accent he added to his question. He was clearly teasing me. “I’m the deputy, but no, this isn’t part of my job description. I just like to help people.” But mostly just him because I wanted to eat him up. I mean, I liked helping people in general because it made me feel productive, like I was contributing. I’d been that way for as long as I could remember. “I could help you throw the rest of this shit out. I don't know much about construction, but I can throw out trash like a boss.”
“You know what, I think I'd like that.”
I knew I would. “I'll see you tomorrow then.”
“I can’t wait.”
Five
Leo
What had I been thinking when I said he could come over?
I'd already gotten most of the junk out of the main living area, and when the officer came by, I was taking a break. A cat break.
It felt so good to be able to shift at will. My cat was loving it. More than once, I let him out to chase off the plethora of things crawling in the dilapidation that was my home. That wasn’t what he liked best. My cat loved to sit in the grass, soaking in the sun. Back in the city, outside time had been reserved for the night when it was easier to hide. But here, time and daylight didn’t play a part in our decision making process.
Although, the distant sounds of wild animals might keep him close at night. My dads would have found that funny—or not, I didn't even know. They’d all but excommunicated me. But to them, our family were the wild animals to be feared in the night.
Of course, they had been spouting that when they thought I would grow up to be a mighty beast and not a pussy cat—literally.
Had I been anybody but their omega son, they’d have excommunicated me. Of that I was sure. But as the Pride Alpha, my dad played the part of loving father, saying we could make it work while treating me like something stinky on the bottom of his shoe. He didn’t even let me participate in pride activities. In so many ways, it was worse than being kicked out.
They said we could make it work in public, but in private, that work had a very different meaning. They put up with me because they had to, and in their own way, they loved me. I think. But I crushed every expectation they had of what our family would look like long-term, and there was no way around that.
But it wasn't like I had a say in my recessive gene pool. That was all on them.
I allowed the pretense that the door was at least partially open for me to come back when I left the pride. It was better for my father, and part of me was scared to leave the only life I’d ever known. Having the possibility of returning if I needed to gave me the strength to move on.
And move on I did. Not that I had a lot to show for it just yet.
I was tempted to call Ron and tell him I didn’t need his help after all. It really wasn’t the best idea to be alone with the man. My cat, the one that was so quick to obey me and give me the reins, was in full-force, power positioning when the man was around. He’d even pushed me back enough to get cuddles from the guy. The only reason I regained control was because Ron mentioned cutting off our balls.
Although, my cat chanting mate, mate, mate through my mind as I chatted with the guy didn’t help much either. But he was definitely wrong about that. Ron couldn't be my mate. He was human.
And as nice as he seemed, human and mate didn't exactly go together. It was just a fact. Never in the entire history of our pride, had a lion successfully taken a human mate. And the one failed attempt I was aware of hadn’t been a simple this isn’t working out thing. Unfortunately, blood was shed...in abundance.
My cat was just taking our instant attraction to officer hottie, paired with our need to get laid, as more than it was.
I still couldn’t believe my cat had to go up to him and rub against him. Then he rolled on his back in such an obvious plea. Give me attention! Give me attention! How freaking embarrassing. I wasn’t even in heat. Only true cats did that. I wish I had that as an excuse, but it was just my cat being all possessive and desperate.
And then Ron turned out to be so nice and funny and obviously interested. In the city, cops didn’t just show up at your place for no reason. In the country, it seemed like they sort of did, and not only when they were on duty. Today was his day off, and Ron was on his way over to help me empty the house full of grossness. Of course, there was the possibility that he was coming out of curiosity more than anything else. But, still, he was coming.
And there was no hiding the disaster that was the house. At least he knew it wasn’t me who was the pig. This isn’t a date. Except it felt like one.
This was a very bad idea.
I climbed out of the trailer with my phone in hand, ready to walk over to the one area on the land that had reception. Before I could dial, he pulled in with his pickup truck and climbed out, giving me a little wave. Too late to cancel now.
He looked so different wearing civilian clothes. Although, all I could really see was a nice tight-fitting gray shirt. He looked amazing. How was it even possible for him to look better than in his uniform?
Mate.
Damn, my cat needed to simmer down. Thinking like that was only going to get us in a pickle.
“Hi,” I called as he opened the truck door and climbed out.
“Good to see ya.” He walked around the truck and grabbed a toolbox. “I’m not really good at fixing up stuff, but I've got some tools that might come in handy if we need to break things up to help them fit in the dumpster.”
That was a mighty big tool box for someone who didn’t use tools, and I was grateful for its presence. I only had the bare minimum as far as tools went. My savings was going to weep when I eventually hit the homestore.
I laughed as I thought about a show I watched just before my move. “You ever see those home shows where couples just take sledgehammers to kitchens and they act like they demolished things all day long when all they did was break one thing and then the construction crew came in and did it right?” Everyone had to break at least one wall or countertop under the guise of adding sweat equity.
He nodded and shifted the box from one hand to the other. “It is fun, I’d imagine. Breaking the cabinets you’ve always hated.”
He had a point.
“It’s safe to say there will be plenty to break today. Nothing in that house, including the walls, are worth saving.” I showed him inside, surprised he knew which step to avoid completely.
“Yesterday, I finished emptying most of the house.” I had so much energy and needed to wear my cat out. The way he was pouncing within me, he was going to shift in the middle of the night while I was asleep, just so he could get to Ron.
Mate.
He really needed to cut that shit out.
“I got the main bedroom, the living room, and the kitchen completely emptied. I still need to get things like the carpets and appliances out, but the big stuff is all gone.” I walked down the short hallway and stopped in one of the two rooms left to conquer. “There are another two bedrooms to finish. That's pretty much it before I go to town on the carpets and such.”
I was officially going to look into permits to add on a second story or possibly lengthen the home. It was much smaller than the dimensions made it look, and I couldn't quite figure out how that was the case. But it was. And adding on was easier than taking things down to the beams and beginning again, especially since I had to do that with the rest of the place.
“How are you doing this?” He set his tool box down and looked at me.
“I just bring them out to the porch and make sure there’s nothing worth saving.” I laughed and looked around the room. “So far, nothing has been worth saving.”
/>
“And outside because of the rodents?” He pointed to a pile of evidence of said rodents.
“Pretty much, yeah.” I chuckled.
We carried the boxes out and looked through them. Most of them were women's clothing, some romance novels, and a few random knick knacks like gnomes and elves. I put a few aside to give to the local charity shop if Jase and August didn’t think Xander would want them. They could be cleaned up well enough.
The clothes were a different matter altogether. The moisture had created black mold and I doubted it had any hopes of being cleaned enough to be reused, which was a shame. At one time, these had been someone’s wardrobe, and now...not even good enough to be rags.
“It's weird seeing all her stuff,” Ron said after about the fifth box.
“August mentioned that Xander’s mother died years ago.” He and his family had come over on my second night to make sure everything was alright and to bring me some food, which I appreciated.
At first, I thought it was just a realtor welcome wagon thing since we did everything online, but I soon realized it was more than that. And as they shared their mating story, I got it. I got why this house mattered. The story of Xander and his father broke my heart. No boy should be put through that.
“I'm assuming this was all hers.”
Ron hummed in agreement as he tossed some nail polish bottles into a bag. “And you're looking through it in hopes of finding something for him?”
I shrugged.
We kept going through things, the stench and heaviness of the task the only thing keeping my erection at bay. Why did Ron have to smell so good, all orange blossom and honey? He was pretty much sunshine.
With each subsequent box, it became obvious we weren’t going to salvage much of anything, which was a shame. It would’ve been nice to have kept some things for the boy.
I didn't lose my parents in the way he did, but in a way, I did lose them. And it sucked. The few things I had that reminded me of them meant something. I couldn't imagine if I lost them completely and had nothing of theirs to look at—to hold. And his loss was total. In theory, I could go back home and build something with my parents. He’d never see his mother again.
The next room didn't look like it had too much.
“This room is...it’s like he just left.” I snapped my mouth shut when I remembered what had happened...and why the boy had to suddenly leave his home or risk more abuse by his father.
“Yeah, that was Xander’s room. Doc didn't want to get anything more than he could carry the first night. Clarence was...problematic.”
I didn’t look as hard to find things to save from this room. Any clothing would be outgrown, and that was pretty much all there was aside from a mattress and nightstand.
“Everyone in town seems nice,” I said as I was deciding on whether or not to keep a photograph of what looked like a townwide festival. It was moldy and water-stained and ended up in the dumpster, but it stirred something in me. From the looks of things, the entire town had gathered to celebrate something. It reminded me of my pride. Given I already met a rabbit here, it wasn’t too far-fetched that there were more shifters. But even if most of the people in the photo were, it wouldn’t be the same as my pride.
But maybe that was better.
“Yeah, it's a pretty good town. Got a few bad seeds because, well, everywhere does, but for the most part, you'll like it here.” Ron’s stomach growled. “Been to the diner yet? They make the best pancakes.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Do they use real syrup or pancake syrup?”
“Oooh, my man knows his pancakes.”
His. Did he mean it? No, I wasn’t going to let my mind wander down that path. He was nice, attractive, and we got along well. That was it. I merely grinned. “Well?”
“They have both because some people, for some reason I will never understand, still prefer the cheap stuff.”
I grimaced. “I guess it's fine if you don't know what real maple syrup tastes like, but if it is, there's no comparison.”
“Exactly. So, after we clean out the last of this room. Maybe we can go grab some?” Was he suggesting a date? Was the sexy alpha in uniform asking me on a date?
“Yeah, I'd like that.” Mine. “My camper’s great and all, but I've been eating instant food that you can make with a hot pot, and I'm kind of ready for some real food.” Even the food my new friends brought over had been just okay, thanks to being unable to heat it up.
“Sounds like a plan.” Plan. He said it’s a plan, not a date. Not that I should date a human. Nope. That wasn’t going to happen. Especially not a human my cat was in a frenzy over.
We emptied the last of his room and started to walk out when Ron froze, staring at the paneled wall. “You know what?” He looked at one end of the house then to the other. “It feels like there's more to this place than we’re seeing.”
“I know what you mean. I was thinking that earlier today. I just can’t pinpoint exactly what it is that’s off. It's like the bedrooms are too small.”
“Mind if I use my hammer?” he asked.
“Go for it.” Not that I had any clue what I was giving him permission to do, but given that nothing in the place was salvageable, what damage could he really manage?
“I'm wondering…” He went over to the wall he’d been eyeing, then went back to his tool box and grabbed both the hammer and a crowbar. “Let's pull this siding off just for shits and giggles.”
“It has to come down anyway.” The thing was warped and mushy.
The two of us ripped the first, then the second panel down, and instead of finding insulation and another half to the wall, we found ourselves looking into another room. A room that was hidden between the two bedrooms. It wasn't large, but it was full.
“So, this is a surprise.” I blinked, almost wondering if it were real.
He just shook his head. “Yeah, it definitely is.”
“Instant noodles and a secret room?” There was no way I wanted to leave this until later.
“Instant noodles and a secret room!”
We both spoke at the same time as we stared into our discovery.
Six
Ron
When I went over to the old Clarence place, I expected hard work, possibly a little bit of flirting with the intriguing omega, and maybe a new friendship. I hadn't expected to find a hidden room, especially not one that looked like it jumped off the screen of a horror movie.
From inside the room, we were able to see the entrance to the house. There were no doors leading to the main floor, only a hatch that went down to the basement. But not the main part of the basement either. He had to climb through the root cellar then between some shelving.
It was cleverly hidden. Even with the root cellar completely devoid of junk, the only thing remaining in the room was a nearly burnt-out candle. That probably should’ve been a hint something was up because no other place in the house was clear of crap. No indication of the entrance could be seen unless you knew it was there, and then it jumped out at you. Had we not climbed out of the room via said entrance, it might never have been found.
The room itself was very different from the others. Maybe not at first glance since it was piled high with junk. But a closer look told a different story. Half the room was carefully packed. It wasn’t boxes full of clothing and knick knacks all just haphazardly thrown in. The other side of the room was filled with guns and ammunition—a lot of guns. And not just hunting rifles. There were handguns, semi automatics, and some weapons I didn’t even recognize. Around here, a collection of hunting rifles would’ve been nothing.
But this was both unusual and creepy, and it only got creepier as we opened the boxes.
“Look here.” Leo stood hunched over a box, papers in his hand. “These are all conspiracy magazines and clippings.”
What had we stumbled into? I stepped away from the guns and looked at what he was holding up. Print-offs, clippings, and entire magazines including grocery store gossip
rags, and all of them had one theme: Cancer was biological warfare used to bring forth the New World Order.
This wasn’t a half-assed attempt of going off-grid or being a prepper. This wasn’t someone in a militia. This was the result of someone hurting and trying to make sense of the world. Clarence was farther over the deep end than any of us had suspected, and looking at his hurt piled in boxes like that, made me actually feel bad for the guy.
I still didn’t, nor would I ever, forgive him for what he did to Xander and his dogs, but the hurt he felt was palpable.
“Do you think he snapped when his wife died of cancer?” Leo asked, setting the papers down.
“Or maybe before. She may not have loved him as much, or maybe she did.” I never understood their relationship, but I also came in at the tail end when she was already sick. “I'm not one to judge.”
“August told me about how he...when he found out Xander wasn't his biological son.” He didn’t say more than that. He didn’t need to. His heart was huge and empathy poured off him.
I didn’t know what more to say either. “Yeah.”
“What do we do with all this?” He changed the subject, which was good. There was nothing to be gained by trying to figure out the dead, not when their death might very well have saved others if the arsenal we were looking at was any indication of what could have happened.
“We're gonna have to call my boss.” I sighed. It was the last thing I wanted to do. “Sheriff Martin had an affinity for Clarence for some reason, and this might hurt him.” And one thing Sheriff Martin was not good with was dealing with his emotions. I’d seen more than one ticket take longer than it should because someone pushed his buttons.
And this might just do that. This was going to cause problems I didn’t want to deal with. But there was no other option.
“Should we carry this stuff out?” Leo folded over the flaps of the box.
“We should probably leave it as is.” If I was on duty, I would have. But I was there as a friend...potential date...helper...whatever it was. I wasn’t there as the town Deputy Sheriff. And really, with something like this, it was outside my training. This was a lot of guns. Please don’t let this be a Call-in-the-Feds kinda thing.
Feline The Love: An M/M MPreg Shifter Romance (River’s Edge Shifters Book 2) Page 3
