“I’m very pleased that your brother understands that the practice of banishment is outdated and utterly asinine.” Mr. Andaluz’s tone was sharp, the disgust for the practice evident.
“He does have a good head on his shoulders.” Cory nodded lightly. “So, who wants a sandwich? I bet if we ignore the time of day, we could break out Stephen’s beer since he ran off and left us.” He was good at this shit.
“I could use one of both, thank you, Sheriff.” Laurel’s father stood and smiled, and the man was suddenly stunning, jovial.
Boom. He smiled at Hector, who fluttered a bit, but who was trying to get his shit together. “I know Trey wants turkey. What would everyone else like? Hey, River. You do rounds?”
“I did.” River offered him a smile.
Ask River about Miguel.
Okay. “Hey, man, help me get the beer out of the back fridge?” he told River.
“Sure, man.” River followed him through the huge kitchen to the beer fridge. “Everything okay? Anything new on the crazy bastard front?”
“The grandkids slashed the tires. They’re pretty grumpy. What do you think of Miguel?” He popped that right in there.
River’s eyes went bright, shiny, shocking the fuck out of him. “You can’t have him.”
“Hey, man.” The wolf was right there. Damn. “I don’t want him. I have a mate.” He held up his hands, making himself nonthreatening. Does Miguel have this fire too?
You’re going to have to tag-team visit Santa Fe. I’m not giving up my right-hand man.
Neither am I. Cory chuckled when River had the grace to look shamefaced.
“Sorry, Cory. He—he makes me a little nuts. Trey had to separate us.”
“Wow. Wow, I—Congratulations?”
“Is it? I can’t leave Stephen; he’s Trey’s second. We can’t.”
Trey’s…second? Interesting.
“You’ll figure it out. Just like I have to.” He hauled beer out of the fridge, handing a twelve-pack to River. “I can’t let Trey leave me again, so we’ll have to make it work. Santa Fe isn’t that far.”
“Are you moving? Are they coming here?” Jesus, River was throwing off so many pheromones that he couldn’t bear it.
“Hey. Nothing is even in the planning stages yet. I just know now that Trey and I are together, we’re staying together.” He loved Trey. Trey loved him. And he couldn’t lose his mate.
Never again.
“Oh. Okay.” River took a deep breath. “I feel like I just took a hard left turn and almost ran off the road.”
“I get it. I was there two days ago.”
“Yeah, I bet you still are. But at least you knew Trey was all… you know. Your deal.” River rolled his eyes. At himself, Cory thought.
“I do. Now. I know.” He had no doubt.
“Yeah. So, I’m kinda in shock. You know? I mean… Damn.” River was really rattled.
“Breathe, buddy. Seriously, in and out. Breathe.”
“I am. I think? I don’t want to pass out.” River carried beer, almost bouncing off walls.
He had to laugh. Just had to.
“Asshole,” River murmured.
“Yep. Get used to it, buddy. I’m all newfound confidence these days.” He wasn’t sure what it meant, but he knew he’d take it.
“Yeah, yeah. Smile.” They headed back into the main room. Trey was sitting with Laurel’s father, chatting away, with Pops Yazzie just sitting quiet and still.
Cory handed out cold beers, then went to sit by Pops, feeling a pull of sympathy for the man. “Are you all right sir?”
“My sons hate me. I’m tired of this. I didn’t ask George to do any of this.”
“I know that.” He nodded gently. Not that Pops had defended anyone either, but really, he wasn’t anything but your basic beta wolf. His children had to be a complete surprise to him. “They don’t hate you, but you are all uncomfortable together.”
“I thought Trey would die; I never once thought Stephen could make Alpha.” And that was the problem, wasn’t it? Hector had no faith in his boys.
“Mmm.” He made the noise as noncommittal as possible to his anger. “Now might be the time to change your thinking.”
“I’m not stupid, Sheriff. What was I supposed to do? If I had done anything, George would have come after us, and Stephen wasn’t ready.”
“I didn’t say a thing. I was just as bad.”
Hector glanced at him. “You fought for him at the time. You were just a kid.”
“I’m his mate. I failed him. I thought he was dead.” And he’d walked away.
Trey’s gaze found him. Are you all right?
No, but it’s not your dad’s fault.
Everyone needs to chill the fuck out. Everyone.
I know. Let’s sneak out. “I’ll be right back, Mr. Yazzie.” He stood, then drained his beer. He needed to be rude so he could hold Trey in his arms.
I’ll be right there. Good man.
He headed outside, doing his job at the same time as he waited for Trey. He checked the danger areas, looked for anything odd.
“Let’s run away from home.” Trey’s voice slid up over his spine before the warm hands did.
“Oh, please?” He hung his head, letting Trey rub his back and shoulders.
“After the wedding. Three days. We leave when the cake is cut.”
“Sounds perfect.” There would be way less danger to Stephen and company if Trey was gone, so he could go to Santa Fe and see all the things.
“Good. I want to show you my home.”
“I can’t wait to see it. Man, you were right about River and Miguel. Well, about River’s side anyway.”
“Right? He can’t steal my best friend, you know. I don’t approve.”
“What does your best friend say?” Cory hadn’t seen Miguel yet, not since this new development.
“I haven’t the foggiest. We haven’t had the chance to talk.”
“Ah. Gotcha.” He turned to slide his arms around Trey.
Trey sighed; the sound satisfied as hell. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. This is just way more stress than I had thought. You know how you convince yourself it will all be fine?”
“I do. Hell, you didn’t even know I was coming.”
“No, but I knew our newest Alpha marrying an outsider would set some people off.”
“She’s amazing, isn’t she? Too bad she doesn’t have a brother to marry you off to.”
“Don’t. You’re my mate.” He didn’t even want to joke about it.
“I am.” Oh. Oh, okay. That easy agreement felt amazing.
“Well. Good.” There it was. He took a kiss because he had to.
Trey leaned into it, trusting him to hold on. So, he did, resting his back against the side of the house where they’d stepped off to, letting Trey press against him.
He groaned, tongue sliding between Trey’s lips, pushing in to beg a taste. That was so good, making him forget everyone and everything else.
“Boys? Boys, where are you?” Miguel’s voice rang out.
“Shh. Don’t answer.” Trey blew him a kiss.
“Nope. He’s your buddy. If you say I can ignore him I will.”
“He’s a good man, but I want to run away from home with you.”
“Yeah. I know we have to get through this week, but damn.”
“Yes. Exactly. I need a few weeks of you in my bed before I’ll feel calm.”
His body jerked. “Please. Anything.”
Trey met his eyes. “Goddess, do you know how hot you are?”
“Huh?” Cory was very busy exploring back and ass with his hands.
“Hot. You. I want to suck you off right here.”
“Don’t you dare, boss. You have to come see. One of the sisters is…not her measurements.” Miguel didn’t even look embarrassed.
“Damn it.” Cory rested his forehead against Trey’s. “Get your work done, baby. Then we’ll go.”
“I want to do your tailoring mys
elf. No one else gets to measure your inseam.”
“Sure.” Cory chuckled, pleased as punch. “You can feel me up anytime.”
“Excellent.” Trey groped him, rolling his balls and making his belly tighten.
“Stop it! I need help!” Miguel was sounding a wee bit frantic.
“Relax. Relax, brother.” Trey turned to Miguel, humming softly in a way meant to calm.
Miguel immediately eased, nodding and even finding a smile.
He couldn’t even be jealous. This was about pack, not them being lovers, he could tell. This was Trey doing his job, calming his packmates.
Good man. Cory made sure his erection had gone down before trailing along. “So, what’s wrong, man?”
“She’s pregnant, and she doesn’t want anyone to know. It’s another pack.” Miguel’s eyes were huge. “The dress doesn’t fit.”
“Oh, God.” Trey moaned. “Alterations.”
“By six inches in the bust, and we can’t corset her too tight.”
“Thanks to the moon herself that you’re here, Miguel.” Trey gave Cory a quick kiss. “I have to go, love. See you at two for your fitting.”
“Holler if you need me.” He was going to hang around Stephen’s, do some sniffing around where Trey’s tires were slashed.
“I will. Promise.” Trey patted his butt before he went hurrying off with little Miguel.
He grinned, feeling kinda… well, giddy wasn’t a word he usually used. Still.
Things were up in the air for all sorts of reasons, but regardless he knew he’d reclaimed his mate.
Should he shift? Maybe he should, just to get more scent information.
He slipped back into the main house to strip down, finding Stephen there, already panting.
“Run with me.” It wasn’t a question, but a demand from his Alpha.
He nodded, getting his mind ready to shift. His body would follow.
Stephen was furry before he was all the way undressed and Cory was all in, his wolf surging to the forefront. His front paws hit the ground and he was running, out the mudroom and up the mesa.
Stephen worked with him, circling around, the action easy, familiar. They’d run together a hundred times. They were family, after all.
They worked across the mesa, coming down the steep back side, sliding in toward Stephen’s house again.
A whiff of danger surprised a warning bark from him, both of them going flat as the pop of a rifle shot sounded, one of Trey’s windows exploding. Stephen’s growl raised the hair on his neck, and he snapped at his Alpha, wanting to keep him low. Out of the line of fire.
Cory? Cory, mate? Where are you?
Trey. Thank the moon.
Stay inside, mate. Shooter. I have Stephen.
Shit! He could hear the vague noise of Trey telling everyone to get down below the window, and he could smell panic, but it wasn’t coming from the house.
Stephen growled softly, paws drawn under him to pounce. He was in no position—politically or otherwise—to tell his alpha what to do. His job was to support and protect.
He would throw his big ass over Stephen to take the shot if he had to. First, they had to identify where the damn idiot shooter was on the high ground.
There was a flurry of motion from the tree line, two shots in quick succession, and Stephen was running toward the sound.
Cory tore after him, amazed at how fucking fast that wolf could be. That was why Stephen was who he was, right? Christ, he hoped no one was hurt.
Three wolves stood in the thick of the trees. River had Eric pinned up against the tree, the teenager shaking with terror. A strange white wolf had the rifle and was guarding it, while Laurel snapped and stomped back and forth, her matching pale fur dotted with blood.
Oh fuck, this was going to suck so hard.
Stephen advanced, his hackles raised so he looked twice his size, which was already pretty damn big. River backed off, and Eric tried to run, but Cory tripped him, coming in low. Stephen pounced, teeth at the kid’s throat, not breaking the skin, but holding him down until he stopped thrashing.
Holding on, in fact, until Eric passed out.
Laurel’s dad shifted, standing there looking like some mythical wizard—mostly white hair long and loose, blue eyes fierce and somehow kind, all at once. “That’s enough, Stephen. Tend to your mate.”
Stephen backed away from Eric, going to Laurel and rubbing his muzzle along hers.
Cory let the wolf go, rising up to face Alder. “Can you get the gun? I’ll take Eric down and cuff him in my vehicle.”
“I’m going to go down and tear George’s throat out,” River snarled. “Destroy the whole line.”
“No.” That was Mr. Andaluz again. “That’s not what kind of pack you want to be anymore, is it?”
Stephen was the next to shift back, lifting Laurel in his arms. “No. I want to hurt them, but we’re going to do this the right way, River.”
“Good. He’s been taught the wrong things. He’s not bad.” Alder sounded so serious. “No more banishments. It’s wrong.”
A flood of people came up to them, then—girls in sundresses, Trey’s folks, someone in tears that seemed to be Laurel’s mother. Miguel leapt into River’s arms, and behind them all, watching silently, face totally void of emotion, was his Trey.
He bent down, then hoisted Eric up over his shoulder. “Trey, can you get my vehicle unlocked? I need the cuffs and all.”
Trey unlocked his truck without a word and disappeared before he got the kid cuffed and in the truck. He sat there, waiting for Eric to wake up.
River came up to him, growling softly. “Laurel was hit.”
“Goddamn it.” He took his clothes from River. Shit, he’d forgotten them. “Does she need a doctor?”
“Don’t know. Stephen’s not letting anyone near her. What the fuck is going on?”
“Something set them off. The wedding. Trey. Laurel’s family coming… I had no idea her dad was an Alpha.” Clearly he was. Stephen had some explaining to do later on.
“Her dad’s something. Something special. Powerful.” River shook his head. “I don’t like this, Cory. Any of it.”
“I don’t either, buddy. This is bad.” He waved a hand at Eric. “George will want to retaliate.”
“So, we take him in too. Make him sleep in the jail until the wedding’s over.”
“Yeah. I’ll have to go see George.” Cory said it grimly, but it was the truth. As the sheriff. But he couldn’t arrest George for being an asshole. Fuck.
“If you don’t, I will. He won’t disturb Stephen’s wedding.”
Cory had never seen River so wild-eyed and livid.
Well, not until they saw Miguel packing the Mustang.
“Keep an eye on this kid.” He finished yanking on his clothes, then trotted over to catch Miguel by the arm. “What are you doing, man?”
“Boss says I should go home, that he’s right behind me, as soon as he’s got the fittings done and AAA called to tow the Escalade.” Miguel’s eyes kept sliding over to River. “We’re destabilizing things, especially him.”
“You have no idea if it’s you or the wedding. Laurel’s dad was a surprise to me, and I’m sure he was to George, too.” He patted Miguel’s arm. “Let me talk to Trey. We might need you yet.” He glanced pointedly at River.
Miguel flushed. “Should I take him, um, clothes?”
“Only if you want to, kiddo.” He winked before heading off to find his mate.
Of course, the first person he ran into was Aspen—the mythical willowy brother of snowboarding, modeling, and weird mystic doom. He knew it was him from the huge aspen branch inked across his chest. He’d wondered, since Laurel told him about the man, if the ink shifted too. Now he had his mate and proof. “Sheriff, Laurel’s been shot. Your alpha wants you, brah.”
“I’m coming. I need to see someone for two seconds.” Baby? Where are you?
What he got instead of an answer was just a rush of emotions—shame, fear, emb
arrassment, hurt.
“Tell Stephen I’ll be right there?” He wheeled off in the direction he thought Trey had to be, needing to put hands and eyes on his lover.
The whole house was in an uproar, and he followed his nose, looking for the only one he wanted to talk to.
There. Hidden away in a back room, Trey was ripping out a seam. “Baby?”
Those pretty eyes were shimmering with unshed tears, but the hint of vulnerability disappeared with a wave of one hand. “I-I can’t do your fitting right now. Soon.”
“Stop it.” He walked over to take Trey’s hand in his. “No running off until we talk about this.”
He could feel Trey relax at his touch. “Don’t do that. Don’t make it better just touching me.”
“That’s my job.” He stared into Trey’s eyes.
“I can’t stay. You know that. So does Stephen.”
“Trey. You need to be here for the wedding. He’s your brother. He needs your support.”
“I’m ruining everything. You know I am. I don’t belong here.”
“Maybe not, but for right now, we need you here. I need you to be strong.” Cory couldn’t do this alone.
“I-I can stay for the clothes. I have to fit everyone.”
“Stay for me.” He didn’t want Trey to be there for the clothes. “Just until after the wedding. I’ll do my very best to keep all of you safe.” He would call in some favors.
“What about keeping you safe? They would have shot at you, if they’d known you were out there!” All the cracks were beginning to show.
“They would have. They didn’t. At this point, whatever we’ve stirred up isn’t going to just sink back below the surface because you leave, baby.” No, the wounds of the pack had never healed in some places and now the scabs were open.
“It’s my fault.” Trey traced the claw marks that dragged across his face. “I was stupid to believe I could come home.”
“You should never feel like that. The Alpha reversed the banishment.” He shook Trey, then kissed that mouth. Hard. “You’re my mate.”
Trey gave him a smile that stopped well before the pretty eyes. “That’s without question. Always has been. Now go. I know that you have a thousand things to do.”
“Promise me you won’t run. Not today. If it gets worse, I’ll find the whole wedding a safe place.”
In Wulf’s Clothing Page 11
