THE NEXT few days were relatively normal as finals wrapped up and everyone started leaving for vacation. Dexter had overtime a few nights, and Talon and Orion always made sure to meet up with him on his lunch breaks. He would usually find himself back at their place after shift, having amazing sex before sleeping like the dead.
He could really get used to this.
Then he had to wonder if he was already used to this.
He put in for vacation the week of Christmas as well as the one after, and his supervisor merely gave a grumble about it, but the sick custodians had come back on rotation, and they had plenty of coverage. He knew it was rather late to put in for such an extended vacation but he hadn’t taken much time off since getting the job, so he had a lot of time to use.
He was working up to being excited about spending time with Talon and Orion’s families and argued with himself not to be nervous or anxious. If his boyfriends told him their families wanted to meet them, then they did.
The Agency hadn’t gotten back to them yet. Talon spoke to someone named Mackenzie, and she apparently took a report. She warned them it might take a bit to send someone out, and to cooperate with the local authorities as much as possible.
Officer Monroe called him before he left for his shift Wednesday night. The campus police had paired with the city police, but Officer Monroe was lead on the case.
“Anything?” he asked as soon as he answered.
“We have some leads,” Monroe said vaguely. “I wanted to call and ask if there’s anything you left out of your report. Anything you remembered and forgot to tell us? You know the campus even better than I do, and I’ve been working here for three years.”
Dexter swallowed hard. He knew Orion didn’t tell the police about the woman’s motivation for going after him. He wanted to tell them, he wanted to give law enforcement all the information they needed so they could protect Orion. But what if he was wrong in his suspicions? What if he said something that damaged a good friendship?
Stacey had become a point of contention between him and Talon. As much as he understood and even partly shared his suspicions, he couldn’t fully push his mind all the way to the other side.
He swallowed hard. Would Stacey really do such a thing? That would mean she knew about shifters. And that might mean… that Beau was a shifter. It made the most sense.
“Mr. Fortis?”
Dexter cleared his throat. “Could you give me the suspect’s description again?”
“Five foot nine, about one hundred sixty to one hundred and seventy pounds. White, female, slender build with some muscle tone. Seems to know campus. That’s a lot of suspects, Mr. Fortis. Trouble is, we have a lot of people bailing for the holidays. If you know anything, you have to tell me. Your boyfriend’s life is at risk.”
“Don’t you have any records on her access card?”
“Unfortunately she used someone else’s card to access the building. We’ve confirmed that person’s locations during the assault.”
Dexter squeezed his eyes shut. “Maybe I know someone that fits that description. But I could be wrong. I hope to God I’m wrong.”
“Name?”
Feeling like a traitor, he took a careful breath. “Stacey McAdams. She’s an adjunct professor in the medieval studies program. But she left to spend time with her family a few days ago, before the attack on Orion.”
“She’s the one that was harassed by her abusive boyfriend, right?”
“Yes.”
“Hmmm. We’ll check her alibi. Her number still the same?”
“Yes,” he said, his heart galloping. “I’ve tried to call her, but it goes straight to voicemail, saying she’s on vacation and won’t be communicating with anyone.”
“And that didn’t seem suspicious to you?”
“I guess it does if I’m telling you,” he said rather heatedly.
“If she contacts you, let me know immediately.”
“I never said she attacked Orion.”
“But your gut says she did. Instinct is good to listen to. Any reason why it points to her?”
“She didn’t approve of my relationship with Orion and Talon.”
“Enough to shoot one of them?”
“Apparently,” he said through gritted teeth.
“We’ll look into it. Next time you have a gut instinct, contact me, yeah?”
“Yeah,” he said softly.
“We’re upping our patrols around Mr. Matias’s building and the apartment complex he shares with Mr. Horn. I suggest he doesn’t go anywhere alone. I would say the same to you, but that’s the nature of your job, isn’t it?”
“If it is Stacey—I’m not staying it is—she would never harm me.”
“I’ve heard that a lot in my time. Eighty percent of the people are wrong. I don’t want you part of that percent, you hear me?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Keep your eyes open. You got my number?”
“Yes.”
“Good,” he said again. “Goodbye.”
“Bye.” He hung up and stared at his phone, feeling horrible and scared. Orion had bad dreams, and it was a team effort between him and Orion to keep Talon calm and patient. The first impression Dexter had of Talon—aloof and untouchable—was quickly dismantled. When it came to those he loved, Talon was a fierce guardian.
At least Orion’s bruised face was starting to heal, and his laptop was still usable despite the water. He reprinted all his students’ papers, so despite his office being an active crime scene, he still managed to grade everything and continue working on his dissertation. They were already making sure Orion didn’t go anywhere alone, and after Talon explained the situation to his supervisor, Orion even got to stay in the INC’s labs while Talon worked.
Tugging at his hair in frustration, Dexter grabbed his backpack and stormed out of his home, barely remembering to lock up. This entire situation was fucked up and he had no clue what do.
The night was uneventful and turned into Thursday morning without ceremony. It was close to end of shift, and Dexter was thinking of driving home, showering, packing a bag, then staying the entire weekend with Talon and Orion. Or better yet, maybe he should invite them over to his home? It was bigger, and he would like them in his house, his bed. He wanted them in his sanctuary.
Christmas was just a few days away, and he wanted to ask them to stay with him for a few days. When he brought up a Christmas party to Beatrice before he left for work yesterday, and before Monroe’s call, she was thrilled and enthusiastic and also planned to bring her new beau. Dexter was curious to meet the man who had so won over his wild neighbor. His spirit mother.
Dexter rolled his cart out of the bathroom and pulled out his phone to group text Talon and Orion when a bestial growl echoed through the empty hallway. He froze, and his heart flew into his throat. With a white-knuckled grip on the phone, he turned his head and looked toward the noise. The lights far down the hall were off because they were motion triggered, and he knew he was the only one in the building. Or had been.
The lights all flickered on to reveal a large wolf, fur gray-and-black flecked. It stood at the end of the short hallway, watching him, ears back and teeth bared. Sharp claws clicked on the floor as it took a few steps forward.
A cold sweat broke out on Dexter’s forehead, and he forgot how to breathe for a moment. Then his mind clicked: shifter. Wolf shifter. Audrey?
The wolf snarled and stopped halfway down the hallway, watching, waiting.
Images of Talon and Orion flashed through his mind. If this was Audrey, she was going to make good on her threat and remove Dexter from the equation. Jesus Christ! First Orion and now him? Why did no one want them together? He tightened his grip on the cart and made sure his focus stayed on the wolf, not toward the stairwell door a few feet away. He took a deep breath and prayed.
Then he shoved the cart forward and dashed to the door. The wolf snarled again and charged. He slapped his card to the access box before yanking open the door and plunging through. He slammed the door shut behind him just as the wolf pounced. The impact rattled the door, and the beast howled in anger.
Dexter cried out in utter terror before dashing up the stairs to the first floor, heading for the exits. He fumbled with his phone, trying not to drop it or trip and break something. He shoved through the door and jogged down another hallway that looked identical to the one in the basement. He turned toward the exit and stumbled outside, the chilly wind nipping his face and through his shirt, reminding him painfully he didn’t have his coat. It was back on the cart. Lightposts illuminated the dark morning, and a few stars could still be seen.
Adrenaline coursed through him like a wildfire as he hustled away, craning his neck around. He finally managed to hit Orion’s number, only because he was alphabetically first, and after the second ring, the panic started to set in again. He’d yet to figure out how to initiate the mind meld they did, despite practicing.
Orion answered on the fourth ring. “Dex? What is it?” His words were sleep roughened, and the murmured voice in the background proved Talon was beside him.
“Wolf. There’s a wolf after me. I can’t…. I don’t…. What do I do? Jesus fucking Christ, what do I do?”
A howl echoed around him, bouncing off the silent grounds, the freshly fallen snow. The sound conveyed a warning and a promise at the same time.
Predator to prey.
Dexter froze, stomach roiling. He slowly turned around as Orion shouted in his ear. Three wolves. Three were ranging around him, making him acutely aware he was nowhere near a hiding place. Buildings surrounded him on all sides, but he might as well have been in a vacant field, for all the good they did. Wolves were top predators, swift and strong, and they excelled at speed and teamwork. He couldn’t hope to outrun them.
He wasn’t going anywhere.
Two were black, and one was gray with black on its paws. None of them was the first wolf. He had four wolves intent on tearing him to pieces.
“Oh shit,” he croaked. “Oh shit, oh shit. Oh fuck!”
“Dexter!” Talon’s voice snapped him out of his panic. “Listen to me. Find somewhere to hide. Do you hear me? You know every building on this fucking campus, Dex. Find someplace to hide. We’re coming. We’re coming for you.”
Dexter gulped, realizing belatedly his blurry eyesight was due to the tears racing down his cheeks. “I can’t. I’m outside. Four. There are four now. Oh God. Just hurry.”
But they wouldn’t be fast enough. He was alone.
Even as Talon hung up, Dexter felt the strange mental brushing from Orion. He didn’t resist the invasion and was sure Orion could see through his eyes.
Run, Dex!
“I can’t,” Dexter whispered, tears trailing down his cheeks. He took a step back, and the wolves followed, snarling, white fangs glinting in the artificial light. The snow might have crunched under Dexter’s weight, but it barely made a sound under the large paws of the wolves.
Dexter held out his hands. “P-please don’t kill me. I-I love my mates. I would never d-do anything to harm them. I swear on my life. Please. You don’t have to do this. I mean none of you any harm.”
One of the wolves stopped and tilted its head. The one in the center snarled at its companion, who whimpered at the scrutiny. The third wolf covered its teeth and snorted, sending a small puff of breath that turned into fog into the air.
Get out of there!
Orion again. Dexter shook his head. To run would be to encourage pursuit, and he’d be ripped apart. Words were all he had at his defense.
Another howl pierced the night, and Dexter flinched. The first wolf to attack him, the slender gray-and-black one, came running toward them, eating up the ground in long strides.
Audrey!
Dexter had never heard Orion so enraged. So he was right. Audrey was the instigator of this assault, and she wasn’t one to stand on the sidelines.
She howled again, and the sound seemed to fortify the other wolves’ intent. They lowered their heads, fangs glinting.
Dexter’s heart hid in his throat.
Dexter! The agony in Orion’s mental voice nearly sent him to his knees.
I love you both, he thought as hard as he could.
The center wolf bunched when the report of a gun cracked the air. Dexter flinched harder and nearly fell on his ass. The center wolf gave a piercing yip and crashed to the ground, blood flowing from a wound to its shoulder.
The other two wolves jumped aside and crouched, scanning the area, flicking their ears in every direction. Audrey finally reached them and did the same thing.
Dexter gaped at the bullet wound, realizing it was bubbling like acid, and the wolf whined in utter agony.
Now, Dex! Now’s your chance! It’s silver. Silver hurts us.
He backed away. Audrey snarled, and the wolf to his left focused on him again. It started toward him, intent clear. Even as the wolf to his right focused on something in the distance, there was another gunshot. But the wolf about to attack Dexter flinched in time and wasn’t hit. The other wolf, however, charged in the direction of the shooter, and Dexter used the distraction to back away swiftly, swiveling his gaze around to keep all the wolves in sight.
Audrey snarled at him and snorted, as if disgusted by her teammates. Another gunshot, and a snarl sounded in the shadows.
Audrey and her remaining wolf turned to look. Dexter did as well.
His jaw dropped to the ground.
Stacey stepped out of the shadows, eyes hard as granite, gun aimed at the remaining wolves.
“Stay where you are, monsters,” she said.
Orion went crazy in his mind. Dexter winced and gripped his head.
That’s her! She attacked me!
Holy fucking Christ, it was true.
“Dexter, get over here,” Stacey said, gaining his attention once more. “Now.”
“I—you—why?”
“Dexter. Get. Over. Here. Now.”
This wasn’t the time for questions. He walked on wooden legs to her side, keeping his attention on the wolves the entire time. Once he reached her, she stepped in front of him, gaze never leaving the wolves.
“Back up,” she murmured to him. He did, and she stayed close to him. The other two wolves, eyes gleaming with rage, stalked them, heads lowered, teeth bared.
Even as their muscles bunched and Stacey hissed in air through her teeth, shrieks filled the sky as two dark shapes dive-bombed out of the black. Talon’s great horned owl raked his claws across Audrey’s head while Orion caught the backside of the other wolf, slashing close to its tail. The wolf spun around and pounced, snapping its jaws. Orion squalled in rage, too fast to be caught.
Stacey jerked the gun around, trying to keep all parties in her crosshairs.
“Don’t shoot my mates,” Dexter said, gripping her arm.
She tried to shrug him off and was unsuccessful. “Get some sense, Dexter! These are monsters. You can see that as clearly as I can.”
“Not all of them. Just as not all humans are monsters.”
His mates fought the wolves and he wanted to help but knew he’d only be a liability. Talon and Orion steadily led the wolves farther and farther away from him and Stacey.
“It was Beau, wasn’t it?” he asked. “He was a shifter.”
The tremor that ran through Stacey’s body was answer enough.
“Talon and Orion have never once harmed me. Stacey, look at me!” He spun her around, and she lowered the gun, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “They love me. They want me. Do you get that? Do you get how amazing that is? For someone like me?”
“For someone like you?” she croaked. “A wonderful, sweet, loyal, and funny man? One who loves without question and has a saint’s patience?”
He blinked at her several times in surprise.
She swallowed audibly. “I wanted to protect you.”
His throat closed, and he hugged her tightly for a moment. Just a moment. Then he let her go and looked at his mates, knowing they couldn’t keep up the fight.
“Then protect them. They’re good men.” He saw her look. “Yes, men. I love them, Stacey. Do this for me. Please? Save them.”
Stacey took a deep breath, held it, then exhaled slowly. She blinked the tears from her eyes and spun around just as the wolf caught Orion’s wing. He cried out as he fell into the snow, and the wolf pounced.
“No!” Dexter nearly ran forward, but Stacey shoved him away.
“Stay there!” She aimed. Fired.
The bullet hit the wolf in the ribs, and it yipped, falling to the ground. Dexter ran then, dropped to his knees, and picked up Orion.
Audrey turned away from Talon and shot toward Stacey. The gun went off one more time, but Audrey dodged the bullet. Before she could attack, Talon barreled at her head, and the impact sent her stumbling over the snow with a bark of surprise. Talon tumbled as well and hit the ground with a squawk. Then he shifted, the air pulsing and rippling around him.
Audrey gained her feet and bared her teeth, eyes wild.
“Audrey, enough!” Talon bellowed, voice ricocheting off the buildings. “Your pack is down! Do you want them to bleed out while you continue to fight? The silver is eating them away!”
As if just realizing the severity of her situation, Audrey looked left, then right, growling at her whining companions.
Dexter realized Talon had positioned himself between Audrey and Stacey. He knelt naked in the snow, eyes hard, body starting to shiver. Dexter also shivered in the snow, clutching Orion close, and held his breath. Stacey was staring at Talon in shock, her gun still pointed at Audrey, not at him. Not yet.
“Look what you’ve become!” Talon said. “Look at what you’re doing. Do you really think Phoenix would approve of this? Do you really think this is the answer to our plight? We have to band together, not tear each other apart. We have always been stronger with allies.”
Sirens sounded in the ensuing silence.
Dexter grimaced. “Shit.” The campus might be mostly vacant, but that only meant the gunshots would have echoed spectacularly.
Orion mewled softly in his arms. Dexter rubbed his thumb over his head.
“Well?” Talon said. “What will you do now?”
With a disgusted snort, Audrey turned and padded over to her fallen wolves. The two with shoulder wounds could limp away haltingly, while the one with the shot rib crawled across Audrey’s back and she carried him carefully. She turned back only once, eyes gleaming in the darkness, then disappeared with the others.
Dexter stayed still and silent during the proceedings, as did Stacey and Talon. But once the wolves were out of sight, and even as the sirens came closer, Stacey lowered her gun to Talon’s back. Dexter sucked in a breath, and Talon stilled, reacting to his fear.
“Don’t!” Dexter said, staggering to his feet, then holding out a hand. “Please don’t.”
“He’s a… he’s….” But she sounded uncertain now. Her voice might have shaken, but the gun was steady.
“He’s mine,” Dexter said, stepping closer.
Orion squeaked and clacked his beak, wiggling in Dexter’s grasp.
“They’re both mine,” Dexter said. “If you’re my friend, you won’t harm them.”
“I am your friend,” she said. “And I must protect you.”
“I am in no danger from them.” Dexter reached Talon’s side and laid a hand on his shoulder. Then he shuffled over and put himself between Talon and the gun.
Tears tracked down Stacey’s face.
“You already tried to take Orion away from me,” he said softly. “I’m asking you to put the gun down and walk away.”
Now the gun trembled. She lowered it, her gaze locked with his. He saw her confusion, shame, and anger. Then she spun around and ran. She was damn fast despite the snow.
Talon hissed out a breath before standing.
“You better shift,” Dexter said. “Cruisers should be here any second.”
Talon glared after Stacey, his jaw ticking, but he nodded. In a heartbeat a great horned owl was flapping around his head. Dexter released Orion, and they hurried away before the authorities arrived.
THIS TIME Dexter was taken to the campus police station, and though it wasn’t big enough to boast its own interrogation room, the small office was off-putting enough. He knew his story was going to have holes and he did his best to swallow his shock and finds ways to plug them.
It wasn’t long before Officer Monroe joined him, his keen gaze assessing. Dexter couldn’t cower this time. He forced himself to sit up straighter and meet the officer’s gaze without flinching.
Monroe leaned his hip against the desk in front of Dexter and stared for a long moment.
“I’m beginning to wonder if you’re either cursed or blessed,” he said. “Start from the beginning.”
Dexter took a deep breath. “I was doing my usual rounds when I heard gunshots and noises outside. It was muffled and I wasn’t sure what I heard at first. Then I went to investigate.”
“Without calling the police? You thought you heard gunshots and went to get your fool head shot off?”
Dexter swallowed. “Look, I was stupid, okay? I didn’t want to raise a false alarm.”
“Uh-huh. Go on.”
“By the time I got up to the ground floor and looked outside, there was nothing to see.”
“So you’re telling me you missed the whole thing.”
“Yes.”
Monroe raised an eyebrow. “Okay, I can buy that.”
Dexter blinked. His tone was weird. “What?”
“We’ll have to fudge the timeline a bit. Seems our canine friends saved us the trouble of deleting the camera footage by breaking the cameras before everything went down. I’m guessing they were furry inside the building with you, right?”
Dexter gaped and nodded.
Monroe snorted. “Yeah, I bet you’re surprised. There’s more of us in the know than you might think. My youngest brother is part of the Agency. You know about them, right?”
Dexter nodded stiffly, stunned beyond belief.
“He called me a few days ago, the day after I took your initial report. They’re a little thin on resources and agents so I volunteered to keep an eye on everything. I got your back, Dex. Just let me call my bro to make sure everything can be tailored to your story. You should say you tried to call the police, but you couldn’t get reception. It’s crummy down in the basements, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. That’s what happened. Now shut your mouth or you’ll catch flies.”
Dexter’s teeth clanked as he did what he was told. “If your brother is part of the Agency, then doesn’t that mean he has special abilities?”
“Yep. Super sight. Wish I had that. His name is Mac.”
Dexter dropped his head into his hands. “I can’t believe this is my life.”
Officer Monroe snorted and stood up. He patted Dexter’s shoulder. “One thing to be sure of, you’ll never be bored.”
Dexter lifted his head. “Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”
“Didn’t know it was a shifter deal earlier. I suspected, but they’re secretive for obvious reasons and we don’t just out each other. The suspect for the attack on Mr. Matias’s office used spray paint on the cameras in the hallway, which obscured anything that happened.”
Monroe stared at him, waiting.
He relented. “It was Stacey.” Then he told Officer Monroe exactly what happened. He listened and nodded, not saying a word.
“You got balls of steel, my friend,” he said. “I would have pissed my pants if confronted with four adult wolf shifters.”
“I thought I was dead.”
Monroe slapped his shoulder. “Nope, still alive.”
Dexter scowled and rubbed his bruised flesh.
Monroe grinned charmingly. “Now you’re pissed, not scared. You’re welcome.”
Dexter huffed. “What will you do about Stacey?”
His smile faded. “Once she leaves campus, she’s out of my jurisdiction. I’ll alert Mac and make sure we keep an eye on her. If she doesn’t do anything more, then we’ll leave her be. Do you know if she was working for the Knights?”
“No. I really just learned about this whole secret world a few days ago. I’m still adjusting.”
“I understand. Let me take your statement, the one we agreed on, and then we can get you home, okay?”
“Okay, Officer.”
Monroe smiled, eyes warm. “You can call me Matt.”
DEXTER WAS still in a state of shock by the time he stepped into Talon and Orion’s apartment. He was mobbed by trembling, frantic mates, and they landed on the floor in a tangle of limbs and kisses.
“I’m fine. I’m okay. Orion, are you sure you’re okay?”
“My arm’s a little sore, but I’ll be fine.” Orion lay nearly on top of him, heart pounding like a drum against Dexter’s chest. “I thought we were going to lose you.” He snuggled close, shaking harder, and not from the cold.
“So did I.” He closed his eyes and relished the feel of Orion’s warm body against his. “You’re not going to believe this, but we have an ally on the campus police force. A shifter ally.”
“Who?” Talon asked.
“Officer Monroe.”
They both stared.
Dexter explained everything, his throat going dry. Talon grabbed him some water and they moved to the couch. Orion took off his shoes and massaged his feet, sitting on the table, large eyes even bigger with shock.
“Friends in high places,” Talon said softly. “Glad I called when I did.”
“You’re welcome,” Orion said smugly.
Talon rolled his eyes. Then he kissed Dexter’s cheek. “I love you.”
Dexter laid his head on Talon’s shoulder. “I love you too.”
TALON HAD called his parents and explained everything and told them the Agency had come through, though not in the way he expected. He also called Officer Monroe himself, and they made plans to meet privately so he could tell him about Audrey. Despite thinking the situation was strictly a shifter issue, he couldn’t deny it had bigger ramifications for their extended community. The exposure of shifters would also expose the Agency and other shifter allies. He’d meant what he said to Audrey: allies equaled strength.
And he’d be damned if Dexter would be made a target again.
Talon used the calming routine of making tea to align his thoughts and smother any anxiety over the future. His mates were safe and sound, and he’d damn well keep them that way.
Dexter sat on the couch, with Orion using his thigh as a pillow. He ran his fingers through Orion’s curls, and Talon let the sight of them calm some of the rage. He hoped to never see Audrey again. She better not try something like that again. He’d gouge out her eyes. While he couldn’t exactly be grateful to Stacey for using silver on fellow shifters and for what she tried to do to Orion, he was glad Dexter was all right.
Talon set down the tea before sitting on the table in front of Dexter. “Do you know why Stacey has such hatred for shifters?”
Dexter heaved a sigh. “Beau, her ex-boyfriend. I guess he was a shifter and abusive. He ambushed her on campus once and tried to throw her down some stairs. I came by, and, well, he went down the stairs instead. He’s still in prison, I think.”
Talon nodded. “So she knew he was a shifter.”
“I guess. I don’t know the details.”
“She condemned all shifters because of what one did,” Orion said softly, rubbing his face against Dexter’s thigh.
“She also saved me,” Dexter said, voice barely more than a whisper. “I don’t know how to feel about her.” He buried his face in his hands.
Talon reached over and stroked his hair. He gave it a moment before gently taking Dexter’s hands in his and lowering them. He met Dexter’s gaze and rubbed his thumbs over his palms.
“I know you’re overwhelmed. Just breathe. I am so damn thrilled you’re all right. That you’re both all right. I can’t lose either of you. I can’t.”
Dexter squeezed Talon’s hands before leaning forward and pressing their foreheads together.
“Talon, I want….”
“Yes?”
Dexter closed his eyes and said in a rush, “I want you both to move in with me.”
Talon’s mouth dropped open. Before he could speak, Orion reared up with a squeal loud enough to shatter eardrums. He tackled Dexter to the couch and kissed him all over his face.
The suddenness of the attack surprised a laugh out of Talon, and Dexter simply gasped until Orion silenced him with a passionate kiss. Orion literally mauled Dexter, humping and squirming over his body. When he finally let Dexter up for air, they both turned dazed eyes to Talon.
He realized there was only one answer to such a request.
“We would love to.”