Chapter Ten

 

Trailing a minute or two at the most, he pulled up behind Dean’s car. The motor was still ticking as metal cooled when he marched past it. He pounded on the front door. “Dean!” Not loud enough to scare neighbors, but hopefully Dean got that he was serious.

The door whipped open. The anger was clear. The green of his eyes sparked like fireworks. “Fuck. Off.”

Dean went to slam it on him but Cade shoved his foot in the way to block it. “You want the truth,” he challenged. “Open this damned door.”

“Which truth?” he jeered.

“About why I was there. Why I didn’t answer.” His voice lowered with honesty. “I’ll tell you everything.”

“Don’t know why I’m trusting you, again.” Grudgingly, he widened the door opening.

“Because I haven’t given you any reason not to trust me,” he replied. He walked in cautiously. Dean was silently fuming. The door shut smartly.

“Fine. Talk.” He crossed his arms.

“I was telling you the truth. I had hoped I could dig a little and find something overlooked. As for why I couldn’t answer, wolves can’t speak.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “You. Are. Insane.” He reached for the doorknob. “Goodbye.”

“I’m asking again. What color were its eyes?”

“I told you — gray.”

Cade grasped him by the shoulders and forced Dean to face him. “My family has a secret. Myself, Quade, and Chris. It is inherited from our father. Once a month, we gather to run. We run as a pack. Wolves.”

Slow-dawning realization leeched his face of color. “That’s not possible,” he croaked.

“Oh, it’s very possible. We just don’t advertise for safety reasons. I rather like having my skin, this one and the furry one, intact. We’re wolf shifters.” He heaved a huge breath as he said those last three words. Something he’d never dreamed of telling another human being was finally out in the open. “It’s not something we share freely.”

“So that…dog…”

“Wasn’t a dog,” he replied calmer. “I snooped the fields, the dumpster, and had finished the storage room where you’d mentioned the rags had been stored. I’d just walked behind the bar when you pulled up. I hid until I had no choice, because you found my motorcycle.”

He still held onto Dean’s shoulders. The man hadn’t moved beneath his hands. “I didn’t want you to find out like this.”

Dean blinked and edged a step away. “Fine. You can go now.”

Cade didn’t trust that tone. There was something…hollow in Dean’s gaze. “Do you believe me?”

“Sure,” he said, almost too quickly, rushed even. He avoided touching Cade as he reached for the door. “Thanks for explaining it.”

Cade’s hand blocked the door. “Dean?”

“What?”

“You saw the wolf. You talked to him. He knows who you are.”

“Sure he does,” he said, like he was addressing a child, or a mental patient.

Cade sighed. His chest ached with failure. He wasn’t going to stand there all night arguing over it. “Okay, I can tell this isn’t going anywhere.” He pushed on the door to shut out the cold. “Can I at least use your bathroom before you kick me out?”

Dean pressed his lips together, like the request went against his better judgment. “I suppose.”

“Thanks.” He refrained from reaching to touch the man. Clearing the living room, he walked past the kitchen to the small bathroom in the hallway.

Once inside, he flicked on the light and started stripping. Item by item he tossed his clothes on the sink counter until he stood naked. Tugging the tie from his hair last, he dropped it in a boot.

“Okay. I hope you’re ready for this,” he muttered. Whether he meant Dean, his wolf, or even himself, he had no idea. He heard Dean shuffling around in the living room, probably antsy to get rid of him.

Too bad it wasn’t going to happen.

He cracked the door open so the wolf could paw at it and focused. Dean’s tread was distracting and loud from the other room as he merged, letting the wolf come forward.

Almost as soon as he landed on four paws, he started to growl. Noises were clearer, more distinct. Thuds and grunts. The wolf scratched at the door. A scent reached him. Tangy. Pungent. And it was Dean’s. Fear.

Something crashed to the floor. Cade clawed to get the door open. He whipped around the doorframe to race down the hallway toward the ruckus.

Growling, he tucked his legs and launched at the person struggling with Dean. The man shouted in surprise, losing his grip. Dean fell to the ground, catching himself on his hands, gasping. He reached for his throat, visibly shaking.

Cade snapped and growled at the person in front of him, backing him up. Dean heaved and gagged, pulling Cade’s attention away from his attacker for a split second.

It was all that was needed for the man to lunge for the front door and flee from the house. Cade jumped after him, trying to get a leg between his teeth, but he missed.

When Cade wanted to pursue, the wolf refused and the three or four seconds they struggled, the guy leaped into a pickup truck and spun tires to get away.

Cade cursed, shaking the wolf, but he wouldn’t be swayed. Dean had been hurt. Mates first.

A last look proved the vehicle was gone anyway. Going to have a long talk about that, he warned. The wolf trotted back to the house like it owned the world.

Cautiously, he cleared the steps and peeked into the living room through the gaping doorway. A lamp had been knocked over, creating an odd halo of light, but it was still on, brightening the room. Dean was resting on his calves, breathing easier.

When his gaze landed on the wolf poking its head into the house, his breath hitched, clicked, and stopped. His eyes grew wide.

The wolf, of course, obeyed now when he instructed it to shut the door. Inside, Cade rolled his eyes with exasperation. With shoves of its nose, he nudged at the door until it clicked.

“What the hell,” Dean croaked. “Cade!” He twisted to call over his shoulder without losing his focus on the wolf. “Cade. Man, this isn’t the time for bullshit.”

The wolf sat. Cade didn’t try to get closer. Faced with the truth, Cade had to be patient. At least now he couldn’t argue or deny. Not when Cade sat five feet in front of him.

He watched as Dean cautiously rose to his feet, wobbling a little. “Cade, seriously, asshole. Did you go to China to piss?”

The wolf chuffed with laughter. Cade hated making him nervous again, but sometimes reality had to be faced head on. And after this, it was clear someone had a target on Dean. He had faith that truck and driver was the same one responsible for the ripped out stud at the bar. No way in hell was he going to walk out that door now.

With stuttered steps, Dean moved further away, into the kitchen and then the hall. He never let his gaze stray from Cade until he was out of sight.

“Uh, Cade,” he tried again. “What the—? Son of a bitch.” Dean reappeared moments later carrying all of his clothes, even his boots. “So this is what took you so long to begin with?”

The wolf nodded with Cade’s answer.

Dean’s eyes closed briefly and he sank to his knees on the floor. The pile of clothing tumbled from limp fingers. Shock dulled the color of his eyes when he gazed at Cade. “You can understand me?”

The wolf’s head bobbed again.

“What just happened?” he asked.

Cade couldn’t answer, so he did what he could to get answers. He snuffled on the ground where the man had fallen and found his scent in the carpet. He trailed it first to the master bedroom, a door that now stood open, then backtracked down the hall to the rear door.

The mechanism had been popped. The metal framework around the door was bent out of place. He trotted to Dean and nudged him gently at his elbow. He wanted his clothes but guessed they’d get to that point soon. He was positive Dean wasn’t ready to see the transition happen.

“I can’t believe this,” Dean muttered, but found his feet and followed him down the hall. “Fucking shit!” He smacked the wall by the rear door when he spotted what Cade had found. “I have to call the police. You better—” He waved a hand in the air. “I sure as hell can’t explain a wolf.”

Dean didn’t so much as look at him as he cleared the living room for his bedroom, shutting the door between.

Whether it was for Cade’s privacy or Dean’s mental state to calm, he didn’t hesitate. Clothes were going to be a necessity to be questioned by the cops.

 

* * * *

Dean fell over backward onto his bed. When did his life take a sharp left into fantasyland? There was a motherfucking wolf in his living room. Okay, maybe not now. Now, there would only be Cade. He shuddered, still fighting the obvious with the unreality of it.

A light tap on his bedroom door not too long after pulled him out of his crossed thoughts.

“Can I come in?”

“Sure,” he answered.

Cade sat on the edge of the bed, but didn’t touch. “I’m sorry for springing it on you like that,” he said. “If I’d left, you’d never agree to see me again.”

Dean grunted.

“Did you see who it was? I didn’t get a real good look.”

“I think I’ve seen him at the bar,” he offered. Hell. He had no idea. “Someone broke into my house and tried to kill me.”

The ghosting feel of fingertips brushed over his throat. “Are you okay?”

“It feels bruised. He had something. A wire. What do they call them? A garrote?”

“That’s what it looks like. It’s raw but it didn’t break the skin.”

He opened tired eyes. “Thank you. What does that make now? Three times?”

“Twice. Tossing out drunk trash doesn’t count.”

Dean snorted and Cade’s lips twitched. “I don’t want to call the police. I want to be numb.”

“I know, but this is serious. Someone is out for you.”

Dean gazed at the man. Gray eyes. Now he saw it clearly. No wonder the wolf had stood outside of the bar for so long. There was no mistaking them now. He knew that gaze, and well. Right now it was filled with concern.

He raised a hand to touch the side of Cade’s face. “Why do your eyes stay the same?” He wasn’t ready to think about why someone wanted him dead. He couldn’t go there. Not yet.

So was it any saner that he wanted to talk about Cade’s ability to change into a damned wolf? He had no idea.

“Dad tried to explain it once. Babies are born with nearly fully grown, but not developed, eyesight. That’s why the irises always look so huge for infants. It’s a sensory tool that wouldn’t take the change without adverse repercussions. We don’t lose a lot of our vision, some color, but everything else is enhanced. Scent, hearing. We also heal faster and cleaner. The change isn’t exactly painless but it becomes second nature, and it happens so fast, we really stop noticing.”

“That is remarkable. All three of you?”

Cade smiled, a lot kinder now. “Yeah. We’re all animals.”

Dean chuckled. His eyelids drooped. Life was just weird.

“Feeling calmer now?”

“Yeah. Just shook up. Maybe Kelly or whoever they send out will be able to get prints off the back door.”

“At least it doesn’t look like he wanted to rob you while he was at it. Who knows how long he was here.”

Dean rolled his head on the bed to study his surroundings. The room looked untouched. Small favors.

“What did I do? Who did I do it to?” he mumbled. “I haven’t really spoken to anyone since Daniel died. The people I was friends with have drifted away. There’s Garret, but he worked for me. He has a wife and a baby. He wouldn’t do something like this.” He frowned, cupping his throat. “He wouldn’t do something like this, either.”

“You said it looked like someone from the bar. A regular?”

“I’m not sure. I only saw him when he was on the ground avoiding teeth.”

“Heh.” Cade sounded pleased with that description.

Dean hefted up onto propped elbows. “Might as well get this over with.”

Cade stood and offered a hand. “We better get the logistics right before they get here. A wolf chasing him out of the house isn’t going to fly.”

“No, but a large biker dude with size sixteen boots sure will.”

“They’re fourteen, thank you,” he groused.

Dean jostled him, laughing roughly.

Dean phoned the police while Cade also made a call. “I need to get someone to do the PM checks. I’m not leaving tonight,” he explained when he was done.

Dean frowned, but didn’t argue. He doubted his asshole home invader would return tonight. Trying to swallow reminded him exactly why Cade staying really wasn’t such a bad idea.

It took a while after making the call before a cruiser pulled up, making Dean antsy. He didn’t relax until Officer Archer and his sidekick knocked.

Reports were taken as well as pictures of the bruising around Dean’s throat. He stayed out of the way while Officer Saucedo did the fingerprint search around the door.

“Are you in the system?” he asked Dean when he was finished. Kelly was currently picking at Cade for his side of the story.

“As far as I know,” Dean replied. “I had to fingerprint for the county to get the bar’s licensing.”

Saucedo nodded. “I’ll double check what I’ve got and let you know if any of the lifts match or not.”

Dean smiled weakly. “Thanks.”

“Did he touch the back door at all?” He waved his pen toward Cade. Saucedo was writing down notes on a notepad as Dean spoke.

“No. He used the restroom. We both guessed the guy who did this thought he’d left and that was when he attacked.”

Kelly was talking to Cade, taking the same kind of report details. Dean slid a look in their direction, but either Cade was focused, or was simply avoiding looking his way. He didn’t meet Dean’s searching.

“Are you two in a relationship?”

It was asked in a matter-of-fact way, but it still managed to tongue-tie Dean. Were they? “Yeah, I guess we are.”

The other man nodded.

“It seems he’s been around when this stuff has been happening.”

Dean narrowed his eyes at the insinuation. “He helped one night at the bar, and became a friend. I’ve met his family. They’re good people. He has nothing to do with what’s been happening.”

Cool eyes met his.

That insolence only fueled Dean’s anger. “And if you check your records, he was on call for the Rose Vet Clinic in Silo the morning the bar burned.”

“Just covering bases, Mr. Eckler.”

“Well, leave Cade out of it. Considering how shorthanded you boys have been this winter, I’d rather have him at my back than having to rely on someone thirty minutes across town. If it had come to waiting for you, I’d be dead.”

Saucedo’s checks flushed red. He knew he’d scored in pointing out that fact.

“Just see if you can actually find the person behind this, because I’m beginning to think it’s the same guy for all of these attacks, including the fire. Cade saw him get into a truck before he could catch up to him. A truck was used to bring down the roof. Odds are it’s the same lunatic who torched Gemini’s!” His voice had begun to rise with growled anger.

Someone was trying to kill him and the Cassan cops were acting like the Keystone cops!

“Easy.” Cade’s calming voice rushed into his ear.

Dean closed his eyes and sucked hard, deep breaths. A strong arm wound around his waist. Dean hadn’t heard him come closer. He didn’t care if it made either of the two cops uncomfortable, he leaned into Cade’s strength. He was tired. The shock was getting to him. As if he needed one more thing today.

“If you remember any other details, don’t hesitate to call,” Sheriff Archer was saying. “I’ll see if I can narrow the vehicle search with these details and what’s already on record.”

“Thank you,” Cade replied.

“And I’ll let you know if I can find a connection to Daniel’s death in this. Give me a day or two to review the files.”

“If we have a day or two. So far, this has been random, but it’s clear he’s been following Dean enough to know where he’s going to be and where he lives.”

The arm holding him tightened as he listened to Cade.

“And whether it started out as attempted murder or not, it’s pretty clear that is his intent now.”

“I understand the worry.” Kelly frowned. “I’ve known Dean since both he and Daniel moved to Cassan. It’s not right that you’re being targeted after what happened to Daniel.”

“I appreciate you handling it, Kelly.” He knew it had to be bringing up memories for the man. He was handling it like the professional Dean had always known him to be.

Both officers left a few minutes later, the cop cruisers turning around and disappearing.

“What did he mean by that?”

“He and Daniel were starting to get close when he died. Kelly is gay, but refuses to live it out in the open. He’s the law and Cassan may be a nice town, but it’s not all that open.”

“Do you think that has something to do with all of this?”

He shrugged. “I’ve mentioned it to him,” Dean replied. “I don’t hide who I am. I’ve never been in the closet. It’s all Kelly knows.”

“That is a rough way to live.”

Dean pressed into Cade’s chest. There was understanding in his voice. He didn’t argue when Cade looped arms and tugged him chest to chest. He was exhausted, drained, and out of oh shits when it came to being shocked.

“How’s your throat?”

“Sore.”

Dean didn’t protest when Cade simply took charge and took care of him.