by Ellis Leigh
My stomach dropped, and my skin went cold. He wasn’t letting me get away from this morning’s conversation.
“Garrett, please—”
“What are you running from?”
Yup. Just as I’d thought. All that running, all that petting, all the sweetness—negated with five words.
I turned away from him, folding my arms across my waist, doing my best to hold myself together. “I’m not running anymore, and I’m not talking about this.”
Garrett didn’t respond, didn’t make a noise or a move. He simply waited me out, something I had a feeling was a skill of his. Patience.
I finally turned around and met his stare, not wanting to fight with him. Not wanting to lie either. “Fine. I was running. But when Liam found me at the gas station, the worst was over. I had things under control. I’d already gotten away from him.”
Garrett’s blue eyes turned darker, his lips flattening into a thin line, but he didn’t say a word. Still waiting me out. Pushing that patience of his to its limit, it seemed. He might as well have given me truth serum for how well his silence dragged the words from me.
“Garrett—”
“I want a name.”
Of course he did. “There’s no reason to hunt him down.”
“He scared you enough to make you leave your life behind. That’s a damn good reason, in my opinion.”
Yeah, maybe. But that didn’t mean I had to like talking about my past. My mistakes. My stupidity.
“You’ll think I’m an idiot,” I said, my voice low and quiet.
But Garrett heard me. Heard me and knew just what to say to get me to talk. “I’ve watched you with my herd, with the others, and I know for a fact that you’re being too hard on yourself right now. You’re sweet and kind and smart, Waverley. Nothing you’re going to tell me about what led up to you running from a threat will change my opinion of you.”
Oh. My sweet Garrett. I let him pull me against his chest, let him wrap himself around me. Let him hold me up as he whispered, “Tell me, beautiful. Let me help you.”
So I did. “His name’s Chance. Chance Evers.”
“What kind of shifter is he?”
The weight of that question, the assumptions he’d make once he knew. I almost didn’t tell him. But this was Garrett. My sweet stallion with a heart of gold. I could deny him nothing.
No matter how weak it made me look.
But first, I had to get him to let me go. Had to retreat halfway across the aisle. Had to dig deep for the courage to admit my secret.
“He’s not a shifter at all,” I said, trying hard to keep my voice from failing. “He’s human as far as I can tell. But he’s dangerous.”
Chapter Sixteen
Garrett blinked, the only sign he gave that my admission had affected him. That blink said more than any words could have. Shifters usually didn’t mess with humans unless they mated to one. It wasn’t a rule; it was just how things were done. We couldn’t be ourselves around humans—couldn’t admit our dual nature.
But as foxes, we tended to like to be a little sneakier than most other shifters. Sweets and sneaking around—those were our vices. Being with Chance had fulfilled both for a while. Until he’d almost killed me.
“Garrett, please,” I begged, not wanting to go into this. Not wanting to bring that bad memory into this place. This ranch. To give it power.
But Garrett would not be swayed. “We need to know, Waverley. To keep you safe. To keep the entire herd safe.”
The herd. It wasn’t just me anymore. Something I hadn’t really taken into consideration. The bitter taste of guilt burned a path up my throat, pulling words from me as I tried not to think about my ex coming to the Hidden E. “He’s a pastry chef in Providence, where I’m from. He liked to make me cupcakes.”
Garrett grunted. “For your fox’s sweet tooth.”
“Exactly, though he didn’t know about my fox. I kept the secret and played off my obsession as a regular human craving.” I shrugged, unabashed about my need for sugar. “It all started well enough—I pretended to be human, he fed me sugary treats, and occasionally we got together for…more than cupcakes.”
Garrett growled and cracked his neck, looking ready to charge. To fight. “Is there a reason I would need the details about that aspect of your relationship?” He looked relieved when I shook my head. “Good. You don’t need to tell me more, then.”
Oh, my poor, jealous mate. I hurried across the aisle, wrapping myself around his body and holding him tight. Reminding him that I was his now. Mate to him and the rest of my stallions. He sighed and yanked me closer, possessing me with his touch, encircling me with his arms and practically pulling me off my feet.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, hating that I had to tell him any of this. It wasn’t like he couldn’t guess I’d had other partners—sex was sex in our world, beautiful and fun and enjoyable. But usually, once mated, all those past partners got locked away, never to be brought up. Mated pairs could be violently jealous of one another, protective to the death. Having to tell him anything about another sexual partner went against my nature, which was why the herd mating had seemed so impossible at first. This reaction—this anger—was exactly what I’d expected the stallions to feel for each other. It was almost a relief to see it directed at someone outside the herd just to know he cared enough to be angry. Almost.
“Don’t apologize for having a life before us,” Garrett said, nuzzling my neck. “I could watch any of the other guys here fuck you six ways to Sunday without an ounce of anger or jealousy, but my stallion doesn’t like thinking of you with men outside the herd. And neither do I.”
“I know.” I rubbed my hands over his shoulders and back, my body responding to the nearness of his. But it wasn’t the time. I still had a story to tell, one I dreaded. So I did what I needed to, pulling myself from his possessive hold but hanging on to his hands to keep us connected. To keep the memories from sweeping me away. “The first time Chance hit me, I thought I was going to betray my secret and shift right there in front of him.”
Garrett looked ready to grab the other stallions and stampede straight to Chance’s door. “You should have chewed his fucking hand off.”
“Trust me, my fox wanted to. But I figured I should hold it together. I didn’t want to have to go into hiding because of some asshole human, you know? So I walked away from him, told him he was never to contact me again. I assumed it was all over.”
“But it wasn’t.”
Not by a long shot. “He started showing up at the cookie store where I worked. It was such—”
“Hang on,” Garrett interrupted. “You worked at a cookie store?”
I couldn’t hold back my grin. “Yeah, at the mall. It was the best job.”
“Were you paid in cookies?”
“No, but I taste-tested every batch and got to take home what was left over if I worked a closing shift. I always worked the closing shifts.”
Garrett laughed, shaking his head. “You are such a fox.”
“Guilty.” I shrugged, unable not to. But the lightheartedness quickly disappeared, and I frowned. “I had to quit that job because of Chance. I didn’t want him scaring the other workers or the owner. And when he couldn’t harass me there anymore, he started showing up at my apartment. One night, I woke up to him inside my apartment.”
“That motherfucker,” he spat, the words harsh and brutal as they exploded from his mouth.
“Yeah. That’s about right.” I would have called him worse, but motherfucker worked. “By that point, I thought I had tried everything I could think of to get rid of him on my own, so I called for help. I shouldn’t have.”
“What happened?”
“My neighbor heard me yelling and came over to save me. Chance became a man possessed. I honestly have never seen a human move the way he did. He beat that poor man to the brink of death right there in my living room without breaking a sweat and faster than I could have thought possible. There was somet
hing otherworldly about the way he fought, the way he attacked. He’s either well trained in some sort of fighting art, or he’s not human. I wasn’t sticking around to find out which.” I shook my head, breathing deeply to settle the sick feeling in my stomach. “He told me no one could save me, that I was next if I didn’t do what he wanted. I couldn’t risk anyone else getting hurt, so the only option I had left was to run. I know it was stupid not to consider the possibility, but I honestly thought it’d be over.”
“He followed you.”
My nod was slow, my eyes losing focus as I remembered the fear, the mind-numbing panic every time he appeared somewhere I’d been hiding. When it started to sink in that I might not be able to escape him. “All the way across the country. No matter the city, he’d show up. Pittsburgh, Nashville, Tampa, New Orleans, Dubuque. Everywhere I went, he followed. And everywhere he showed up, he killed someone. Desk clerks, waitresses, truck drivers, hotel cleaning people—all right in front of me as if to make a point. I had no idea how he was tracking me—still don’t, not really—but I knew I needed to truly disappear. And to put some serious distance between us.”
“So you hopped on a bus to Fairview.”
“There’s a fox shifter sanctuary there. A ranch where I don’t have to hide that side of myself. I thought maybe they could help hide me if I could just get there without Chance knowing. So I gave up every credit card, emptied my bank account, and figured out how to travel across the country without using my identification. And it worked. I haven’t seen Chance in months. I was one last ride from Fairview.”
“Until you ran into Liam.”
Another smile pulled at my face followed by a warm feeling in my chest, like a hug for my heart. “Right. Until Liam.”
Garrett sighed, letting go of my hands so he could pace instead. “We need his legal name, his last address, where this guy worked—everything. I want a list of every place you stopped that he killed someone and as many details as you can remember. We’re also going to need to take whatever electronics you have with you. Phone, tablet, laptop—anything.”
Head—spinning. “Why?”
“He might have put a tracker in them. Don’t worry, if Quinn doesn’t find anything, you’ll get them back. And if this jackass did monitor you with GPS, we’ll destroy what we need to and get you something new. Quinn’s the tech guy—he’ll make sure you’ve got whatever you want.”
“I’m not worried about losing them, but is that possible? Do you think that’s how he knew where I was?”
“Possible and likely.”
A wave of what felt like ice water flew down my spine as I thought about the cell phone tucked into my backpack. The one that sat turned off and unused. The one that had been on when Liam had brought me home with him. “But…then he knows where I am. Chance knows to come to the Hidden E.”
“Stop, beautiful.” Garrett grabbed my arms, holding me in place. “We already assumed he might be on his way here. That’s why we needed you to tell us what you could. Cade and Dalton, they’re monsters when it comes to protecting the herd. They’ve been all over the internet looking up your history to make sure nothing could harm you from your past. And Quinn’s been pulling some serious hours himself, searching the web for what we needed to know.”
Oh, my silly, overprotective stallions. Assuming my fear was centered on myself. “I’m not worried about me. Well, I am of course, but not wholly. What if he comes after one of you?”
“There are seven of us—if he comes for one, he’ll get all of us. But most men like that, they don’t come for the strong. He won’t run head on against any of us guys because together, we’re a force to be reckoned with. He sees you as alone and weak, so he’ll come for you. But you’re not alone anymore, and you sure as hell aren’t weak. Especially with your herd backing you up.” Garrett hugged me again, kissing the top of my head when I clung to him. When I trembled in his hold. “C’mon, beautiful. I need to get you inside and find Cade so I can fill him in.”
“Why Cade?”
“He’s the soldier of the herd. The enforcer. He’ll take care of the threat.”
“You mean like…” I couldn’t say it, but Garrett knew.
“I mean make it so this Chance guy never bothers you again.”
“You can’t just kill him. He’s not a shifter—his kind has laws and prisons and things that don’t follow our rules.” Because in the shifter world, threatening a mate was an offense punishable by death. No other shifter would blame my men for defending me, but humans? Not the same.
“He’s violent—you said he killed people.”
So many. “Yeah, he did.”
“Then he’s a direct threat to us, which makes him fair game.”
Shifter rules. Again. “But you could end up in trouble with the humans if he goes missing. You can’t kill him.”
Garrett didn’t say a word, just stared down at me. Silent. Not disagreeing but also not promising something he couldn’t follow through on.
My men would be going after my human ex.
“Garrett, this is too dangerous. I don’t want—”
A growl erupted from my handsome mate, and he picked me up right off my feet to clutch me to his chest. “He abused you, stalked you, murdered people to scare you, and planned to do god knows what to you once he stole you away. He’s a direct threat to you, to our mate. For that, his life is forfeit.”
If the surety in his eyes, the determination there, was any indication, he meant what he said. My stallions would protect me to their deaths.
A thought that didn’t ease the fear quickly burning through my gut.
Chapter Seventeen
Dinner went later than usual that night. Quinn had found a program running in the background on my tablet, the one I used to buy and read books. I’d turned it on every evening while I’d been on the run and even once while at the Hidden E. The way Quinn had glared at the stallions around him when he’d found it told me all I needed to know—Chance knew where I was.
Every one of my stallions sat at the table all through the evening, plotting and planning, setting up guard duty schedules and working to figure out how to keep me safe. All the while, I worried about each of them. My strong, kind Liam with his leader’s heart. He would jump into any battle to defend one of his herd, no matter the personal cost. And Matthew, with that wicked grin and filthy mouth. He’d never back down from a fight, even if he thought he couldn’t win. Quinn, with those nerdy glasses and his face always buried in some sort of screen—Chance would definitely target him, assuming him the weakest link. I had a feeling he’d be wrong, but I didn’t want to find out. Tripp, my funny, playful stallion. The thought of him hurt broke my heart. Dalton and Cade, the two fighters of the group. If one got hurt, would the other be able to keep fighting? Would two fall at once because of their connection?
And of course, my sweet, funny Garrett. The quiet one with the sharp eyes and the quick wit, the one who cheered everyone else up. The supportive stallion with the handsome smile and the heart of gold. Seeing any of the men hurt would break me, but Garrett? I couldn’t even imagine the depths of my pain if I lost him. If he ended up hurt because of me.
“So, we’re good?” Liam sat back, looking from one man to the next. “Everyone knows their roles and duties over the next few days?”
The guys all nodded, making my heart jump. What had I brought upon them?
“Good. Dalton, Cade, and Garrett—keep sharp tonight.” Liam stood, edging his way past Matthew and heading straight for me. “And you, my sweet thing. You should get some rest.”
He wrapped his arms around me, holding me close and making me feel safe as only being with one of my stallions could.
Safe and yet sad. And so very foolish. “This is all my fault.”
“Aw, fuck no.” Matthew took me from Liam, holding me at arm’s length. “It’s not your fault this human is an abusive, murderous asshole, Waverley. Do you understand? Not your fault. Don’t let me hear you saying that
shit again.”
I nodded slowly, still anxious. Still worrying what would come. But Matthew didn’t let me stew—he yanked me into his arms and kissed me, leaning me back and overwhelming every thought process I had until I was a panting, quivering mass of girl flesh. Until the only thing I doubted anymore was if my knees would still hold me up once he let me go and if there was any way possible the other stallions had missed how wet that kiss had gotten me. If they knew what Matthew had done to me.
By the heated looks on all their faces, they knew. They totally knew.
“My turn.” Quinn took me from Matthew, squeezing me close and kissing my cheek before smiling down at me. “Goodnight, sweet girl. We’ve got this.”
“Good night.” I hugged Tripp next—or rather, he hugged me. Actually, he manhandled me, picking me up off the ground and spinning me in a circle. The show-off. Dalton and Cade were next. Each took a cheek, kissing me softly before heading outside for overnight guard duty. At the end of it all, I was left in the kitchen with Garrett.
“Don’t get hurt,” I whispered, trying hard not to cry.
“Never.” He stalked closer, his hands finding my hips and his lips awfully close to mine. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”
What? I looked around but didn’t see a clock. “Uh, I don’t know.”
“I do.” He pushed me back, herding me, pinning me between his body and the kitchen island behind me. “It’s after midnight.”
“Okay. So?”
“The day of no-sex is over.”
Oh. Immediately, my pussy began to throb, and my heart beat a little faster. It was his day, his turn with me. He’d been so patient. And me? I was ready for him. Had been all day. I was ready for all my men.
“Shouldn’t you be on guard duty?” I asked, even as I slid my hands under his T-shirt and pulled him closer. “I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble.”
“I am on guard duty, which is why I’m still here.” He grunted, pressing his lips to mine just once before pulling away. “Cade and Dalton are outside guards. I’m inside—which means I get you in my bed all night long. No man here would blame me for making sure you were good and exhausted before I tucked you in for the night.”
