by Lynn Hagen
“Same here.” Noel curled his hands around his mug. “My parents died in a car crash. Bart was twenty and I was sixteen when it happened. My brother raised me for the next two years, then I went off to college. I was in my first year when I had to come back home. Bart isn’t a very responsible person. He’d lost our parents’ house and ended up moving into a rental he couldn’t afford, so he had his friends move in with him. Then I had no choice but to move in, too.”
Wow. Noel couldn’t believe he’d just spilled his heart out to a complete stranger. In truth, getting that off his chest felt good. Noel had let a lot of things fester inside him, including a lot of resentment and hate toward his brother.
“Why’d you have to leave college?” Bobby Ray sat Noel’s plate in front of him, then took a seat.
“He blew through the money from our parents’ life insurance policy. There was none left to pay for my tuition or books.” Then Bart got meaner, knocking Noel around and blaming him for everything wrong in Bart’s life. Then again, Bart had always been mean toward Noel and he couldn’t understand why. But the abuse hadn’t started until Bart had been strapped with the responsibility of Noel.
The only reason Bart had agreed to be Noel’s guardian was because the will had stipulated it. If Bart hadn’t agreed, he wouldn’t have gotten his share of the money.
Noel quickly wiped at the fallen tears with his palms. Bobby Ray probably thought he was a loser now, but for some reason, Noel couldn’t shut up. He felt as if the floodgates had opened and all his secrets were pouring out. “Bart took his anger out on me, blaming me for his rotten life, for his misfortunes, for losing his job, and…” Noel bit his lower lip. “He started hitting me for it.”
Bobby Ray’s gray-green eyes turned stormy. “He hit you?”
Noel shrugged. “I got a job at the clinic in town and saved up enough money to move out, but Bart refuses to let me leave, and he keeps stealing my savings. So I’m pretty much stuck there.”
“He hit you?” Bobby Ray repeated.
Noel pushed his eggs around his plate with his fork. “Can we change the subject?”
If Noel was going to be trapped with this handsome man, he didn’t want to ruin their morning. Being chased by bears, having a mountain lion coming after him, and nearly falling over a cliff had already started his day off wrong. He definitely didn’t want to cry like a baby at Bobby Ray’s table.
Bobby Ray grinned and Noel’s heart instantly felt lighter. “You gotta eat. You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted my cooking.”
Noel glanced at Bobby Ray’s plate, which was piled high with eggs, sausage links, and toast. “Do you always eat that much?”
The eggs were soft and fluffy and the sausage was so good that Noel might’ve drooled a bit while eating it. There was hardly any food at home because Bart and his friends always got high and ate everything.
“I’m a bear.” Bobby Ray chuckled. “Gotta keep up the calories.”
“And the sweets,” Noel teased.
“That, too, Sugar.” Bobby Ray winked at him and Noel melted into goo. He was so sweet and sexy, and staying in the mountains with him would be wonderful.
But Noel was a realist. It always started out wonderful and exciting, but then the sizzle fizzled, and the guy moved on. That was how it always went when Noel had dated in college. “I guess I can spend the weekend,” Noel relented. “But you’ll have to show me how to get home Sunday. I’m scheduled to work Monday.”
“What do you do at the clinic?” Bobby Ray shoveled a forkful of eggs into his mouth.
“Clerical work.” He’d actually gone off to college to become a doctor, but Bart had ruined those dreams. He’d ruined a lot of things for Noel.
“Why don’t we just enjoy the here and now?” Bobby Ray asked. “Like how I want to fuck you in every position and in every room of this house.”
Noels face heated to nuclear levels. Despite everything about this crazy situation, he wasn’t averse to having sex with this smoking-hot guy. When would he ever get another chance to spend a weekend with someone like Bobby Ray? Never. He decided to enjoy his time. Lord knew it would pass too fast.
When he was finished eating, Noel got up and stretched. He took his plate to the sink and washed it along with the pans Bobby Ray had used, then looked through the window over the sink.
The backyard had a hammock, chairs, and a grill. “Can we barbecue today?”
He gasped when Bobby Ray’s chest pressed against his back. Bobby Ray set his plate in the sink, then nibbled at Noel’s ear. “Darling, we can do whatever you want.”
“I’m gonna go in the backyard.”
Bobby Ray grunted.
“I promise I’m not going to take off, but I’ve never laid in a hammock before.” It looked big enough for him and Bobby Ray, and Noel hoped the guy joined him. Lazing around in the shade sounded perfect.
Bobby Ray’s hands slid to Noel’s butt. “I was hoping to get you into my bed, handsome.”
“We have time for that.” Noel turned and smiled up at Bobby Ray. Damn, he still couldn’t believe how gorgeous Bobby Ray was, and the man wanted him. How lucky was Noel? Very. The hot, gay guys in college had never looked his way. Even his roommate had said that Noel looked too geeky to get laid. So all Noel had dated were guys just like him.
Nerds.
He would have given his left nut to have one of the gorgeous men in college pay him any attention.
But Bobby Ray didn’t think him too geeky. In fact, he stared at Noel as if he worshipped him.
“Go on out there,” Bobby Ray said. “I’ll grab a sleeve of crackers and some bottled water.”
“Why do you need crackers?”
Bobby Ray winked at him. “They ain’t for me. They’ll help settle your stomach. Dane ate a ton of them when he was pregnant.”
Noel rolled his eyes. “You really are a strange man.”
“Deny it all you want, handsome.” Bobby Ray went to the fridge. “But you’re carrying my cub.”
With a shake of his head, Noel exited the kitchen door. God, the sun felt wonderful on his face, and the warm breeze was welcoming. He’d started toward the hammock when he noticed a stranger entering the backyard.
“Are you one of Bobby Ray’s brothers?” Noel asked. Clint, Bobby Ray, and Walker had a family resemblance, but this guy was too lean and looked nothing like them. Then again, Bart and Noel didn’t look alike. Noel looked like his mother with just a dash of his father thrown in. Bart looked like some guy in the family photo album that their dad had said was their great grandfather.
Noel stopped in his tracks when the stranger snarled at him, showing off his sharp canines. The menacing expression made Noel spin and race back toward the kitchen door. Before he could reach it, the man tackled him. Noel screamed as he tried to get away. The wolf nipped him in the arm, but Noel was too terrified to look at what damage the wolf might’ve caused.
A loud roar filled the air. Noel’s heart thumped wildly in his chest as he shoved the stranger off at last, rolled, pushed to his hands and feet, then ran toward the bear by the house. He had to be insane to race to a bear for safety, but something told him the bear was Bobby Ray.
Noel shrieked when he looked over his shoulder and saw the stranger shift into a wolf. He snapped and snarled with his ears pinned back as his front legs spread slightly. Bobby Ray rushed toward Noel, and the wolf did the same.
Noel lost his footing and hit the ground. The bear ran past him before the two clashed. Growls erupted as they bit at one another. Bobby Ray rose to his back legs, swiped with his forepaw, then dropped to all fours, landing on the wolf.
Another bear barreled into the backyard. Noel scrambled to his feet and rushed inside, watching through the back door made of glass. The wolf yelped, wriggled from under Bobby Ray, and took off. The other bear took off after it. The remaining bear shoved to his hind legs, and as he rose up, he changed back into Bobby Ray.
Was this place always this crazy? Noel rubbed hi
s arm where the wolf had nipped him. He nearly passed out when he pulled his hand away and saw blood.
Bobby Ray came inside, took one look at the blood on Noel’s hand, and cursed. “Let me see.”
“There’re men who can change into wolves?” This was all too much for Noel. He’d left home to get away from craziness, only to run right back into it.
“It won’t need stitches.” Bobby Ray went to the sink and wet a cloth. Noel simply stood there staring at the back door, terrified the wolf would return.
Bobby Ray wiped at Noel’s arm. “Have a seat at the table while I make a call.”
Noel bit his lip as he did as Bobby Ray asked.
Bobby Ray grabbed the cell off the counter and dialed. “Clint, there was a wolf shifter in my backyard. Please don’t tell me that was one of Jesse’s men.” Bobby Ray listened for a moment. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. A nomad?”
Noel knew what a nomad was, but had a feeling there was more to it in this world.
“He attacked Noel.” Bobby Ray paused. “No, he’s okay. Wade helped me chase the wolf off.” Another pause. “We’ll be right over.”
Bobby Ray tossed the phone back on the counter and let out a deep breath. “Let me get some clothes on, Sugar. We’re heading to my brother’s.”
“What about the wolf?” Noel never wanted to run into that stranger again.
“Wade won’t let him come back. We’ll be fine.” Bobby Ray headed out of the kitchen, and Noel sat there, reeling from what just happened. He didn’t want to go back outside.
Bobby Ray returned fully dressed. “Don’t worry, hon. He won’t attack you again. I’ll make damn sure of that.”
The vehemence in Bobby Ray’s tone said he was telling the truth. Slowly, with his nerves wrung tight, Noel rose and followed him out the door.
* * * *
The son of a bitch was fast. Wade tried to keep up, but the nomad left him in the dust. He snarled as Duane, Walker, and Trigger caught up to him. Wade shifted and slammed his fist against a tree. “The bastard got away.”
“He was just in Jesse’s territory,” Trigger said as he shifted. “How’d he get here so fast?”
“It doesn’t matter. He attacked Bobby Ray’s mate.”
“What?” Trigger looked at Wade as though he’d lost his mind. “What mate?”
“The mate he found in the woods last night,” Walker said. His grave expression turned humorous. “The guy’s already pregnant.”
Duane looked as though he wanted to murder someone. “That nomad attacked a pregnant mate?” he shouted. “We have to find him and kill the son of a bitch.”
Wade agreed. The human’s fear had been so potent, he’d scented it from his own backyard. “Not sure where the wolf is headed, but we need to track him down.”
Wade growled as three wolves headed their way. They had to belong to Jesse’s pack. Clint had told him Jesse’s men would be in their territory.
“One hell of a job you guys did,” Duane snapped. “Real fucking fantastic.”
Avery was the first to shift. He spat on the ground and curled his lip. “So he came into your neck of the woods. Big deal.”
“He attacked a pregnant mate!” Trigger went after Avery, but Wade pulled him back. The last thing they needed was to start a war.
Avery’s eyes widened as Declan and Bruno shifted into their human forms. “I didn’t know that. Is the mate okay?”
“He was bitten,” Wade snapped.
“Then we hunt,” Avery snarled.
“Really?” Walker said, crossing his arms over his bare chest. “Thought that was what you guys were supposed to do in the first place. If you’d been doing your jobs, Bobby Ray’s mate wouldn’t have gotten hurt in the first place.”
The tension was too thick. Relations between his family and the wolves had already been stressful when Clarence was alive. Now that he was in control of their clan, Clint was trying to bring peace to the different shifters in the mountains. Handing the wolves their asses would be counterproductive to that goal, though it would’ve been enjoyable to kick their arrogant asses.
“You know damn well tracking and catching a nomad ain’t easy,” Declan said. “Took you guys forever to hunt your daddy down.”
Wade lost it. He jumped at Declan, but Trigger grabbed Wade and shoved him back. “The mutt is just trying to provoke you.”
Wade glared at Declan. “You want a piece of me, then we can settle this right now.”
Clint’s objective flew out the window. Wade wanted to claw that smirk off Declan’s face.
“Look.” Bruno held up hand. “I can’t believe I’m being the levelheaded one here, but we need to stay focused. There’s a threat in these mountains, and I ain’t talking about each other. We need to find that nomad and kill him before he hurts someone else.”
“He’s right,” Duane said. “Now stow your egos and let’s find him.”
“I’ll stow my foot up his ass,” Wade murmured.
“You could try,” Declan replied. “Ain’t no pussy-ass bear gonna take me down.”
Wade went for Declan again, and again Walker pulled him back. Wade jabbed a finger at Declan. “We’ll settle this after we catch the nomad. You mutts can run on home. Apparently, you suck at tracking him.”
Declan grabbed his groin and flipped Wade off. “Suck this, bear.”
Wade’s eyes widened when Trigger hauled back and slugged Declan. The two went at it, and Duane, Walker, and Wade stopped the other wolf shifters from interfering.
“See,” Wade complained, “that should’ve been me putting the hurt on him.”
“Enough!”
Wade spun to find Clint behind them. Everyone backed down, even the wolves. Declan wiped the blood off his mouth as Trigger took a step back, his chest heaving, his canines exposed.
“Find that fucking nomad, now!” he barked at his brothers. Then Clint turned to the wolves. “And you guys, do I need to give your alpha a call? Because I’m pretty sure Jesse would hand you your heads if he knew you would rather engage in a petty squabble than go after the threat.”
Avery, Declan, and Bruno shifted and took off.
Clint glared at his brothers. “Get your heads on straight and act like you have a lick of sense.”
Wade shifted and took off with his brothers following him. After they caught the nomad, Wade would knock Declan on his ass.
Chapter Four
Noel stepped into Clint’s gorgeous home. Whereas Clint’s home was white walls and glass, Bobby Ray’s was more rustic, and in Noel’s opinion, homier.
He still couldn’t believe the stories about the Rising men were true, let alone how modern their homes were.
“Hi.” A blond guy with a baby in his arms smiled at Noel. “I’m Dane, and this little cutie is King.”
Dane was right. King was a handsome devil. His hair was a blend of Dane’s blond and Clint’s black, but he had Dane’s blue eyes.
“I’m Noel.”
Dane led him to the kitchen, where the guy placed King in his highchair.
“I was just about to feed him. Would you like something to drink?”
A shot of whiskey would’ve made Noel happy. “Water is fine.”
Dane grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and handed it over. “You think you’re losing your mind, don’t you?” He took a seat next to Noel. “That’s what I thought when Clint knocked me over the head and dragged me here.”
Noel could tell Dane was teasing. “Like a caveman?”
Dane grinned. “Basically. I didn’t believe him when he told me I was pregnant. I thought the entire family was crazy. Still do sometimes.” Dane got up and got a bowl from the fridge. He sat back down and popped the lid on the vegetables inside and handed a slice of carrot to King. “Do you mind if I take a look at your stomach?”
Why was everyone so fascinated with Noel’s belly? With a shrug, he lifted his shirt.
Dane nodded. “Then it’s true.” He grinned. “I really like Bob
by Ray. He’s funny and sweet. I’m glad he found his mate.”
“Wait, what’s true?” Noel asked.
“Do you see that line running from your navel to your groin?”
Noel nodded. He’d wondered about that but hadn’t given it much thought. Too many other crazy things had been going on—like running from bears, mountain lions, and a deranged wolf.
“The conception line will grow darker as your pregnancy progresses. When it turns red, you’ll deliver.”
Noel’s fingers strangled his shirt. “You’re as crazy as everyone else.”
He remembered Bobby Ray telling Clint about something called the conception line, but Noel had been too busy worrying about the mountain lion coming back—and too busy thinking he had still been in some sort of strange dream.
“I know it’s hard to believe, but King is proof.” Dane set the bowl on the highchair tray. King smashed his fingers into it, laughing as the vegetables squeeze through them.
A part of Noel’s brain said Dane was telling the truth. But Noel didn’t want to believe him, refused to believe in the impossible. Men just didn’t get pregnant—no matter how much Bobby Ray, or anyone else for that matter, tried to convince him that it could happen.
“I know you don’t know me and have no reason to believe I’m telling the truth, but you’ll see.” Dane patted his hand. “Trust me when I tell you that Bobby Ray will do everything in his power to protect and take care of you. I thought coming here was a prison sentence, but the past year has been the best year of my life.”
Noel thought of Bobby Ray’s gorgeous gray-green eyes, his handsome smile, and how he made Noel’s body catch fire in the woods last night. He’d gone into battle mode when that mountain lion drew close, and had raced to Noel’s defense when that wolf attacked.
Would being with Bobby Ray be so bad? No, no, no. Noel shouldn’t think about anything permanent. He had a life in Grizzly Ridge, even if it was dismal.
“Actually, I do know you,” Noel said. “Sort of. I saw you working as a waiter in Billy’s Eatery last year. You just up and disappeared.”
“Well, for one, Clint was adamant about me staying. Two, it would’ve been hard to explain my expanding stomach.” Dane shrugged. “I told my boss I moved back home, but you see where I really ended up.”
