Alpha King’s Secret Baby (The Runaway Mate #1)

Chapter 12

Bastien

I arrived in Delta Springs in the early afternoon, exhausted and edgy after spending the whole day in a truck. I’d stewed on what I knew—or rather, didn’t know—for the entirety of the ride. I needed answers but had to find Frankie, and I hoped he could give them to me.

The tourist trap of a town was far too crowded for November, and I had to settle for a room in a beat-up motel. But my lodgings didn’t matter. I wasn’t there for vacation.

Tobias hadn’t given me any information about where I might find Frankie, but the town wasn’t huge, and wolves had a particular scent that was hard to miss—even among humans.

I headed downtown, figuring it was the best place to start. Even if I couldn’t pick up a scent, I’d find out where the local watering holes were and ask around about businesses looking to hire day labor. If he was new in town, he might be hitting bars or seeking work. Kildaire said he’d resurfaced in Delta Springs, but I didn’t know if he’d been there prior. Either way, I had to start somewhere.

Souvenir shops, clothing stores displaying beachwear, and sea-themed restaurants lined the main road through the center of town. I expected to wait a few days before I caught a whiff of Frankie, but the unmistakable scent of a wolf shifter immediately caught my attention.

This will be easier than I thought.

I followed it down to the boardwalk, where it mingled with the smell of humans and—was that a mountain lion?

My hackles rose, but I kept my cool. It wasn’t unheard of for shifters and other supernaturals to coexist in cities, but I was used to defending my pack from everyone. I hadn’t expected shifters to gather in a smaller town like this, but it could explain why Frankie was here.

I wondered what it would be like to live without a pack. All I’d known was our isolated commune. Before Kildaire demoted me, I would never have described it as lonely, but I have a different perspective now. I imagined living among humans and hiding one’s true nature was equally isolating.

I shook my head. It was time for action, not philosophy.

Following the aroma of wolf, I ended up in a tackle shop. Rods and lures lined the walls, interrupted only by advertisements for boat rides and fishing expeditions. The scent was strong, but there were no customers in the store. As I approached the guy behind the counter, he clocked me as a fellow wolf. His eyes narrowed, and his body tensed.

“I’m looking for an old pack mate of mine. I was wondering if you could help me,” I said, getting straight to it.

“Do I look like the Yellow Pages to you?” he said, crossing his arms.

“No, but I figured you might know where people like us hang out here.” I planted my hands on the counter. He was about a foot shorter than me, and I wasn’t afraid to use my height to intimidate people. “The man I’m looking for is Frankie Delacorte. You heard of him?”

To his credit, he didn’t shrink away.

“This ain’t a community like you pack boys are used to. Everyone doesn’t know everyone,” he scowled. “Besides, if he’s your pack mate, shouldn’t you know where he is?”

He was right, but I didn’t have to admit it to him.

“Fine,” I said, realizing I wasn’t getting anywhere.

I left the store and scented the air again. I could easily find one wolf in a sea of humans, but finding a wolf in the company of wolves, humans, and other supernaturals was much harder. I needed another tactic.

I wandered around town, looking for a place to eat while I regrouped. I had money from the pack fund—at least Kildaire hadn’t denied me that—but I didn’t know how long it would take to find Frankie, and the tourist-based restaurants probably had jacked-up prices. I eyed the jambalaya restaurant with a huge mural of a shrimp riding an alligator. There was no way that place didn’t overcharge, pandering to tourists like that.

A store on the other side of the street caught my attention. Moonlight Mystics I’d have to order more. I looked forward to Theo returning from the small preschool he attended three times a week. At least he would break up the monotony by telling me about his day. It seemed silly to pay a nanny to pick him up when I’d only seen one customer the whole day, but that was the life of a small business owner. Given my skill set, someone couldn’t mind the store for me.

The bell on the door tinkled. Finally, another customer. I straightened from where I was crouched near one of the cabinets in the back of the store, ready to put on my best customer service smile and make some sales.

My heart nearly stopped, and oxygen fled my lungs when I saw him. Bastien was five years older, his jaw was more pronounced, and the skin under his eyes a little darker. I didn’t know if he had put on more muscle or if I’d just forgotten how huge he was. His hair was the same—dark and chin-length. There was a scar over one of his eyes from the mountain lions. His eyes were just like Theo’s.

“What are you doing here, Bastien?” I asked, all my anger and fear rising to the surface. If he’d found us—if he was coming for Theo—I’d kill him.

My wolf whimpered internally, separate from the protective motherly instinct that sent adrenaline flooding through me like a hurricane coming in from the Gulf. She didn’t see a threat; she only saw one thing. Mate .

That treacherous side of me would remain unsatisfied. Fuck fate. I’d protect myself and my son.

“Casey?” Bastien said, taking a step back, his shock evident. That was some comfort. He must not have been looking for me. But why was he here?

It doesn’t matter. I don’t care. I just need him gone.

“You need to leave,” I said. I wouldn’t let him intimidate me, even if he was taller and much broader. Theo would be back any minute, and Bastien had to be long gone before that happened. I could mask our scents with magic and even hide us from psychic intrusions using spells and protective symbols, but I couldn’t conceal Theo’s eyes.

Bastien quickly recovered from his shock, his eyes narrowing. I knew that stubborn look. I saw it on Theo’s face almost weekly, especially when he didn’t want a bath. Seeing the resemblance broke my heart, but not quite as much as Bastien’s rejection had all those years ago.

“I’m here to see the psychic,” he said.

“No.”

“I won’t leave until I talk to them.” He stepped forward, straightening his spine as if going into battle.

Why does Bastien want to see Vivian? Doesn’t his pack mystic have the same ability?

“I have the right to refuse admission,” I said. But I could see Bastien cared little for such rules. “Why do you even need a psychic?”

“That’s none of your business,” he said coldly.

I wished I could forcibly remove him—grab him by his big shoulders and push him out the door. Adrenaline pumped through my veins. My wolf liked the idea of touching him a little too much.

“Fine,” I said, putting more distance between us. “But make it quick.”

If Bastien wasn’t going to budge, then I needed him out before Theo returned.

His eyebrows rose, but he nodded. I pointed toward the back room where Vivian did her readings, giving him a wide berth when he walked past.

I watched him go, staring after him. His rejection tainted my memories of our one night together. I didn’t regret it, not now that I had Theo. But the pain remained.

As soon as Vivian’s door shut, I wrapped my arms around my body. Whatever Bastien was in town for, I prayed he left us alone.