Tearing Down Walls (Miracle Book 5)

by Shea Balik

  “And finally, I would like to introduce the man who has challenged Chief Refugio Costa for leadership of the Council, Saber Thorsen.” It wasn’t until Brecken said his name that Saber managed to break the spell he’d been under watching his mate.

  Striding to where the other challengers were, Saber faced the crowd. He’d been waiting to take Refugio down for most of his life. Now that it was here, Saber couldn’t wait until the man arrived.

  His gaze went back to where Chadwick stood. Saber just wished things were settled with his mate.

  “Now that you’ve met the challengers, I expect everyone here to help get things ready for the main event in two days.” Brecken gestured to Edrick. “If you have any questions, direct them to Alpha Edrick.”

  Edrick didn’t exactly look pleased to be the go to man, but he also didn’t shrink back from the responsibility. Saber understood completely. Being the Alpha was a huge responsibility, one few actually wanted. But when it was hardcoded into their DNA it was hard to ignore the call to protect those they felt responsible for.

  The moment Brecken was done, Saber strode off the porch and headed right for Chadwick, who seemed to be intent on running from him, again. Patience was one thing, but this was getting ridiculous. If Saber had any chance with his mate, he needed to know more about Chadwick and knew just the person to talk to.

  Turning on his heel, Saber headed away from the small grouping of homes that had somehow managed to remain standing when just about every other building in this abandoned town had collapsed. He may have arrived in Miracle a short time ago, but already Saber knew where to find the men he needed to speak with.

  Walking down the main street of town, which really was the only actual street the town had other than the dirt path that led to the homes Edrick and his men had been using, Saber was amazed to see so many buildings in various stages of both demolition and construction. It appeared they were planning on tearing down the entire town and starting from scratch.

  From what Saber had heard, Edrick and his men hadn’t been in Miracle all that long, yet they clearly had worked fast as two buildings were completely done and two more were nearly finished as well. It was one of the finished buildings that Saber headed to, the Mousetrap Café.

  Strange name considering two mice actually owned the place, but as Saber was learning, there was nothing normal about the men who’d decided to make Miracle their home. One even believed there was a ghost haunting the place. It was like a three-ringed circus, yet, the more Saber got to know the men who lived there, the more he liked them and wouldn’t change a thing.

  Opening the door to the Mousetrap, the bell jingled alerting the owners someone was there. Not that it wouldn’t be easy to know as the place was packed to the brim with patrons. By the grumbling going on around him, it appeared Jari and Harper, the owners, were struggling to keep up with the orders being placed.

  “Need some help?” he asked Iniko, who was running around the place like a chicken with his head cut off as he desperately tried to keep up with everything.

  Iniko stopped in his tracks and stared at Saber for a full minute as if in a trance. Then he blinked and smiled up at Saber. “Does a bear shit in the woods?” Iniko asked.

  Several growls erupted all around them. Saber stared at each and every one of them until they backed down.

  Iniko pointed to the counter. “There are aprons behind the counter and order pads, although why Jari refuses to get iPads for us to use, I’ll never know,” Iniko grumbled as he headed to a table with the four glasses of soda he was carrying on a tray.

  Saber went to the counter and pulled out a slip of material that he assumed was the apron. He chuckled as the strings didn’t even reach around his waist. Not that it mattered. Saber didn’t see himself as an apron kind of guy anyway. Then he picked up one of the order pads and a pen and headed to a table where three people had just sat down.

  “Good afternoon,” he greeted. Two men and one woman stared at him with their jaws hanging open. Iniko thrust menus in his hand as he passed Saber on the way to the kitchen. Not missing a beat, Saber handed one to each of the people sitting there, who looked at it like it might bite them. “Can I get you something to drink while you look over the menu?”

  It was the woman, a bat shifter, who came to her senses first. “Oh, uhm, yeah. I’ll just have a water to start with.”

  The man to the right of her, another bat shifter, ordered a cola. But the second man, a sheep shifter, just couldn’t seem to stop staring at Saber like he was some sort of hallucination. The woman elbowed him and finally he jolted back to reality. “Uh, right,” he said but it was obvious he had no idea what he was supposed to do.

  Saber knew he was an imposing figure. Most smaller creatures, like bats and sheep, usually ran away screaming when they came face to face with him. He wasn’t sure why. Sure he was big and fierce, but it wasn’t like he was a normal predator of theirs.

  Still, he felt bad and wanted to help the little guy who had started shaking as he tried to figure out what he was supposed to say. “Would you like a drink?” Saber reminded him as gently as he could.

  “Whiskey,” the man said.

  Admittedly, Saber hadn’t had a chance to look at the menu, but he was pretty sure the small diner didn’t serve alcohol. Before he could say something, the woman slapped the sheep shifter on the arm. “They don’t have liquor here.” Then she turned to Saber. “Sorry about my friend here. Why don’t you get him a lemonade, it’s his favorite.”

  Saber nodded and wrote down the request before hustling off to get their drinks. Once made, he returned to the table and the rest of the afternoon went pretty much the same. Any table he greeted lost their ability to speak at first. Even when they did find it, they were clearly uncomfortable.

  He’d never been so grateful when the Mousetrap emptied about ten minutes before closing. Saber sat heavily on one of the chairs that lined the counter. His feet ached from running around all day. Who knew serving food would be so difficult?

  “I have no idea what made you come in here and offer to help, but thank you,” Jari said when he walked in from the kitchen. He poured himself a juice and sat down on one of the other chairs. Harper was wiping down the counter and Iniko was still busing tables.

  That reminded Saber why he’d come in to begin with. “Actually, I’d been hoping to talk with you.”

  Jari’s eyebrow rose up. “Oh? About what?”

  “Chadwick,” Saber answered honestly. Maybe if things were different, Saber would be more willing to take his time and woo his mate, but when it came to this world one thing Saber knew, nothing was ever easy. He seemed to always have to fight some bully who thought it was okay to prey on the weak.

  Sure, he’d always won, but Saber also wasn’t an idiot. Anything could happen in a battle. It wasn’t like he was immortal. Saber didn’t want to waste even a single day now that he’d found his mate.

  “What about him?” Harper asked as he tossed the towel he’d been using into a bin of sanitizer water and then sat down.

  “He’s my mate,” Saber announced since he was pretty certain Chadwick hadn’t bothered to tell anyone.

  Jari visibly winced and Harper looked at Saber as if he were sorry for him. But it was Iniko who said, “Well, that sucks for you.”

  None of those reactions had been what Saber was hoping for. “Is there something about Chadwick I should know?”

  A snort from Iniko was followed by him saying, “You mean other than the fact that he’s a narcissistic asshole who prefers to order people around instead of listening to what they want?”

  Saber was a little shocked by the vehemence in Iniko’s voice. He hadn’t expected Chadwick wasn’t liked by the men he considered friends.

  “Don’t listen to him,” Harper said. “He’s just pissed because Chadwick wouldn’t agree to all of Iniko’s designs for the small grocery store he is opening up.”

  Iniko glared at his friend. “None of the ideas, Harper. He di
dn’t agree to any of them.”

  Curious, Saber asked, “What did you ask for?”

  Iniko put his hands on his hips as if he were becoming incensed about the topic, even though the building itself was done. From what Saber had heard they were just waiting for the food to be delivered at the end of the week so Iniko could officially open. “All I wanted was the store to be three stories so we could put in a slide.”

  Saber shook his head, thinking he must have heard Iniko incorrectly. “I’m sorry. Did you say slide?”

  Iniko’s eyes lit up. “Yeah. That way people wouldn’t find shopping so boring.”

  Saber didn’t want to upset the mouse shifter by telling him he was crazy, so he just said, “I guess that would be fun, but with all the other things that have to be done to get this town back on its feet, I would imagine Chadwick didn’t feel it was the best use of his time.”

  Jari’s eyes got really big and he curled his lips in as if he were trying not to burst out laughing.

  “Yeah, well, Chadwick told me I was off my rocker and needed to consider getting on medication.” Iniko scowled at Jari when he apparently couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.

  “Actually, I think he also said that you should consider having yourself measured for a straight-jacket,” Harper added. “He had a point.”

  Iniko spun to shoot his best friend a look of betrayal. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”

  Harper shrugged. “Sorry, but I can’t support something that would end up creating chaos. I mean, what happens when the person using the slide drops whatever they are carrying? It would end up being a scrambled mess.”

  Jari laughed harder. “Scrambled mess.” Then he hit the top of the counter with the palm of his hand. “If you let the slide end up on the sidewalk we could do one of those old PSA commercials about drugs when it’s hot out.”

  “Not funny.” Iniko put the dish pan he’d been using to collect the various dishes from the tables on the counter. “Good luck running this place tomorrow without my help.” Then Iniko stormed out.

  “Oops,” Harper said. “I think we may have taken that too far.”

  Jari just shrugged. “As for Chadwick, I honestly think he’ll make a good mate. He just needs to know you won’t force him to be someone he’s not.”

  That was something Saber had figured out on his own. What he didn’t know was where Chadwick would get that idea. “Why would he think I’d do something like that?”

  “Edrick, Lucca, Hudson, Chadwick, and Kellach were forced to hide their sexuality from their pack since Chadwick came out at five,” Jari said.

  “Five?” Saber couldn’t hide the surprise from his voice. Not many kids knew what sexual orientation even was at that age, much less know which way they leaned towards.

  “Apparently, that was when Chadwick announced one day he’d meet his knight in shining armor.” Jari tilted his head to the side. “Or was it his prince?” Then he shook his head. “Not that it matters. His mother heard him and made the boys promise to never say a word about it. She made sure to let them know Chadwick would be killed if anyone found out.”

  This time it was Saber who winced at the news. “That had to have been hard.” Saber ached to be able to go back in time and wrap that little boy up in his arms to protect him.

  In the time since his father had been killed, the laws regarding same sex matings had completely changed. Some of the animosity and bigotry had been there years earlier but no one had been able to act upon them until the Council decided to make it a sin punishable by death.

  That law had not only inflamed those who thought they had a say in who other people loved and mated, but enforced their ridiculous hatred of a group of shifters.

  He understood that having to hide who Chadwick was would have been difficult. But it still didn’t explain why he was so determined to push away the mate he’d been dreaming of since he was five.

  CHAPTER 5

  “After the stories I’d heard, I thought he’d be…” Hudson shrugged. “Bigger. More evil.” Hudson ran his fingers through his hair. “Hell, I don’t know, but it definitely wasn’t him.”

  Chadwick had to agree. Refugio stepped from the back of a black SUV leaving Chadwick somewhat…well…underwhelmed. The way the man was described, he’d thought he’d be ten feet tall and five hundred pounds of pure muscle.

  He’d thought that the man would look like he ate children for fun. Maybe have a black goatee that ended in a point and a handlebar mustache. Why those things? Chadwick had no clue. Probably from the old cartoons he used to watch as a kid.

  Instead, Refugio was maybe six-one and didn’t look like he was even two hundred pounds. The smile on the man’s handsome face didn’t scream evil to Chadwick, but then again, neither did Kellach’s father and he’d nearly beaten his son to death when Kellach was caught kissing another man.

  The army of men that poured out of the SUVs that had escorted Refugio there were the only menacing thing about the Council Chief. That right there had Chadwick’s claws coming out. Not the thirty or so men who were guarding the leader, but the rumors didn’t come out of thin air. If there was one thing Chadwick had learned from years of hiding who he was, it was the ones who seemed harmless who could do the most damage.

  “Careful Kitten, I wouldn’t want you starting something you have no chance of finishing.” The warmth of Saber’s body as it pressed along Chadwick’s back sent chills of desire running through him.

  At the same time, Chadwick was pissed that his mate had so little faith in him. “I’m not a child. I can take care of myself,” he whispered back vehemently.

  Saber’s lips brushed against his ear as the deep rasp of his chuckle sank into Chadwick like the finest of whiskeys. “I’m very aware of how skilled you are on the battle field, Kitten, but Refugio is as underhanded as they come. Don’t let his appearance fool you. Fair is not in the man’s vocabulary.”

  Chadwick looked back over his shoulder and gave Saber a scowl. “And who said it was in mine?”

  Saber smiled down at him, then leaned forward to place a kiss against the tip his nose. “You may not have given me much of a chance to get to know you, Chadwick, but I’m still quite observant. Not only is fair in your vocabulary, it is ingrained deep in your bones.”

  Chadwick melted at his mate’s words. The annoyance he’d felt when Saber had indicated he didn’t think Chadwick could win against Refugio was gone and he found himself leaning back into Saber’s body.

  Firm hands were placed on his hips, as those lips kissed him again, this time on his nape. “Please, don’t judge me for what I’m about to do or say,” Saber whispered against his skin.

  Chadwick had no clue what his mate meant, but he didn’t like the defeated tone of his voice, especially when he would be facing Refugio in the ring soon. “I’m sorry,” Chadwick spit out before thinking about what he was going to say. “I don’t mean to push you away.”

  Chadwick could feel Saber’s lips curve into a smile against his skin. “I know, Kitten. I just hope, one day, you’ll trust me enough to tell me about it.” Saber’s hands gripped Chadwick’s hips tighter as if desperate to hold on to him. “We may not have been able to complete our mating but know we are mates in this world and the next.”

  Another kiss was placed on his nape and then Saber was gone. Helplessly, Chadwick watched his mate stride toward Refugio and his possible death. They wouldn’t fight yet, as theirs would be the last of the challenges, but since he didn’t want to distract Saber from facing Refugio in the ring, he would be unable to tell Saber that if he could do it all again, Chadwick wouldn’t have run from Saber.

  The thing was, even though that’s what Chadwick wanted to tell Saber, he knew it wasn’t exactly true. He’d been running from reality for far too long to let it catch him now. Even now, after finding Miracle and gaining his freedom, Chadwick was still hiding. Instead of using silence and solitude, he’d switched to jokes and laughter.

  Su
re, it was more in keeping with who he was, but it was still hiding. Instead of admitting he was terrified of not being able to admit his feelings, he became snarky and mocked those around him.

  “Saber, I didn’t think you’d actually show up.” Refugio’s snide tone had Chadwick’s hands curling into fists. He didn’t know what the man was about to say, but he knew it wouldn’t be good. “After the way you tucked tail and ran when your father died, I assumed you were hiding in a cave somewhere.”

  “Ah, Refugio, I told all of the thousands of men you’d sent after me over the years exactly how to find me.” The cold, calculating smile on Saber’s face was just as chilling as Refugio’s. “Don’t tell me they never bothered to inform you of my whereabouts.”

  Chadwick had no idea where this was leading, but he had the sense it wasn’t going to be good. Saber was purposefully goading Refugio. In Chadwick’s experience, it wasn’t helpful in a fight. Sure, it might distract one’s opponent into doing something stupid, but usually it was best just to keep one’s mouth shut and concentrate on the actual battle.

  “No?” Saber asked when Refugio didn’t reply to his taunt. “Could it be your men aren’t as loyal as you thought?” Saber looked over Refugio’s shoulder to a man standing behind him. “Why, hello, Bosce. So good to see you again. I’m sure, being Refugio’s personal bodyguard, you told your boss how to find me.”

  Bosce’s face went ghostly white as he took a step back from his boss. But Refugio didn’t let him get away. A bang of a gun went off and Bosce crumbled to the ground.

  Saber made a tsking sound. “Not that I blame you for wanting to make the traitor pay for betraying you, but the rules of challenge are quite specific. No guns.” Saber cocked his head to the side. “You weren’t going to be a coward and cheat, were you, Refugio?”

  The nonchalant way Saber talked about Refugio killing Bosce put Chadwick’s hackles up. From what Saber had said, it sounded like Bosce had helped Saber in the past, so why would he purposefully put the man in Refugio’s crosshairs? Saber had to know what the Council Chief would do. It just didn’t make sense.