by Odessa Lynne
Gerald understood the sentiment. He’d feel the same if he were sitting on the other side of that table.
“If they didn’t fill you in,” Gerald said, “I really didn’t mind the blowjob. That’s one fantastic piece of meat you’ve got.” He smiled again.
Hot color burned bright on Devon’s cheekbones. “They filled me in and you goddamn know it.”
“I never did anything I didn’t want to do, so no need to feel guilty.”
“You fucking asshole. What you did trying to get closer to Brendan—and whether or not you wanted to do it—isn’t my goddamn problem. The fact that you’ve been passing intel along to someone outside the den, that’s my fucking problem with you right now.”
For the first time since Devon had entered the room a flicker of something that might have been betrayal darkened his eyes.
Gerald smiled, gentler this time. “It wasn’t personal, Dev. I had a job to do, and I’m a loyal guy. I do what I can for my country. I like you. I like the wolves. But you’re not my people. The people outside the American Protectorate, the ones still trying to survive and thrive in the U.S. of A., those are my people.”
That was really the crux of the problem. Devon wouldn’t understand, because the wolves were his people. He hadn’t had anyone before—Gerald had done the research. Life hadn’t always been kind to Devon Fletcher, and the humans who should have taken care of him, made him feel loyal to his own people, they’d been the worst kind of people humanity had to offer.
Devon had found a good home with the wolves, and he was loved here.
Gerald had family, even if he rarely saw them, and he knew plenty of good people. The States had his loyalty and he was willing to do his part to keep his country strong and powerful enough to maintain order, and if he was lucky, he’d see the world move back onto its axis and regain a measure of promise for the future that’d been coming before the wolves’ heat had changed everything.
“You’re just goddamn lucky Brendan never did like you that much anyway. This would be going a lot different for you if he’d trusted you with anything important.”
Gerald smiled again. “Gotta keep the smart ones from getting too close.”
Devon’s nostrils flared wide and he smacked his hand on the tabletop. “You goddamned prick.”
Gerald wondered how much longer Devon would hold off. Maybe it was the cuffs. He’d been expecting a punch from the moment Devon had stormed into the room.
Then again, Devon stormed just about everywhere. You either loved him for who he was, or you hated him.
Gerald had a soft spot for Devon Fletcher.
He spread his hands a bit and jangled the chain. “I take it they’re not going to let me stick around until after heat season ends.”
Devon pushed back from the table, leaning into one shoulder on the hard-backed chair he sat in and crossing his arms. The warm wood gleamed under the glow of the ceiling light. “Oh, you’re not getting off that easy. Fancy this, asshole. You’ve got two wolves ready to stake a claim now that Trey’s decided we’d be better off keeping you close rather than letting you go.”
Gerald’s easy expression turned abruptly to a frown. He sat forward, pushing his elbows into the table. “What? Is that the reason for this little confrontation? So you can tell me they’re not letting me go?”
“Somebody had to be the one to break the news.” A triumphant anger gleamed in Devon’s eyes. “Serves you right, asshole. You’ve been fucking your way through Trey’s wolves for years, probably gathering intelligence the whole goddamn time. Now you’re going to get to mate one of them.”
Gerald bit off a curse. He sat back, letting the chain drag itself with a clack, clack, clack into his lap. “Fine. I can do that. A heat mate for old times’—”
“Not as a heat mate, asshole. This is something else.”
Gerald’s back stiffened. “Oh fuck no. I won’t mate one of them, not like that. That’s crazy. They have to let me go.”
Devon smirked. “Haven’t you learned anything yet? You don’t get to decide that. When they fight it out, the winner gets the prize. That’s going to be your ass, pal, for as long as the winner wants it. I’m hoping it’s for the rest of your goddamn life.”
Coming in 2016 from Odessa Lynne, Gerald’s Lot, book 7 of the Wolves’ Heat series!
