Chapter Four #3
No one cared about what happened to the paranormal or humans after the threat was removed.
Who was there to help the innocent heal?
Aaron was. Or he and the team would be once their newest venture got off the ground.
Aaron couldn’t complete that task until he had made sure that this pack was gone and the town safe for those who might come.
“Why are you hiding?” Aaron called out. He wasn’t sure what this dream was trying to show him. Could he be hurt in a dream? That was probably something that Aaron should have figured out before this.
It was so fucking frustrating! Why was Aaron given dreams and visions that he had no way of controlling.
Or even figuring out what they meant. Except…
the last dream had led him straight to the puppies that he’d rescued.
And this dream wasn’t like the others either.
It was clear. Huh. What did that mean? Why were the dreams suddenly making sense?
Not that Aaron planned on complaining when the dreams might actually be helpful.
He jumped as the growling started in front of him.
This was only a dream. A hint to some mystery that Aaron was supposed to figure out.
Instead of running scared—it wasn’t like he had a weapon on him here, or the ability to call for backup—Aaron rolled his shoulders and lifted his chin, showing no fear. It was him and the monsters hiding in the woods.
Aaron watched as a pack of six hyenas approached him.
Fear filled him, yet Aaron faced the angry shifters. They might be in animal forms but somewhere inside them was human. Could they be reasoned with?
“What do you want?” Aaron demanded. Maybe one of the hyenas would shift.
The tallest hyena, black spots gleaming under the moonlight, stepped forward with his lips lifted in a snarl.
“Your best bet is to leave this area,” Aaron said. “We’re already aware of you. We have a whole file on your activities. Leave while you still can.”
Quickly the hyena in front of him shifted into a naked dark-haired man with the same snarl on his face.
Aaron lifted a brow. He really hadn’t expected that to work. “And you are?”
“I thought you had a full file on us,” the shifter replied.
It was more of a series on incidents provided by the council. Photos of the carnage they left behind. A few blurry pictures. Names had not been provided. “Why don’t you humor me?”
The shifter grinned, showing off crooked yellow teeth. “How about no?”
“Obviously you wanted to talk, or you wouldn’t have shifted,” Aaron pointed out.
“Or I just wanted to tell you to leave. We’ve decided we like it here. You all already have all the little humans doing your bidding. Perfect for us.”
“We aren’t going anywhere,” Aaron said firmly. “You should think this through. Are you prepared to go up against powerful alphas and other paranormal creatures? Like I said, we read your file. We’re not helpless humans like your previous targets.”
The shifter cackled. “They were too easy. We’ve been bored. And it’s not just powerful paranormals here, is it?”
A chill ran down Aaron’s spine. “What do you mean?”
“It’s not just the paranormal in the area. All those mates. The sweet, innocent, and human mates.”
“You won’t get close to them,” Aaron promised.
“No?” the shifter asked. “It’s so easy to get close. To appear like just another customer or town person. To watch those fun little romps around the forest.”
They were watching the family. Aaron’s family. “I don’t know if that’s more brave or stupid.” He hummed. “No, it’s stupid.”
“We might not even kill them all,” the shifter said. “We could have some fun with them first. They must be very good at pleasing their mates.”
Disgust filled him.
“First we just have to deal with your nosy ass,” the shifter told him.
Aaron pressed his lips together. They couldn’t hurt him. This was just a dream.
The man shifted before launching himself at Aaron.
Aaron yelled as he stumbled back.
“Hey, easy there. Aaron. Come on, man. Open your eyes.”
He’d been throwing his hands up to protect himself, but when Aaron opened his eyes, it was his mate leaning over him. No, not his mate. Carter. It was Carter.
“There you are,” Carter said quietly. “Are you okay?”
Pushing the blanket off his chest, Aaron took a deep breath. “Fuck! It was just a dream.”
Carter sat on the couch next to Aaron’s hip. “Must have been one hell of a dream.”
“Yeah.” Aaron rubbed his hands roughly over his face. “Shit! I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
The smile that Carter gave him was soft and sweet. “You passed out and I didn’t have the heart to wake you up.”
And Carter must have covered him up with a soft blanket. That was sweet. Too sweet.
“Do you want to talk about the dream?” Carter asked quietly.
Aaron considered what he should do. He hated to involve Carter any more than he already had. Except Carter was a cop. And he just might have some insight into what to do about the threat to the town. He nodded.
“Let me get you some water,” Carter told him.
“Thanks.” Aaron waited until Carter was in the kitchen before pushing the blanket the rest of the way off and swinging his legs off the couch.
He’d been laid out on the couch and all the lights were turned off.
The only reason he could see was because of the kitchen light that reached the living room.
He glanced over at the kennel where the three puppies were still fast asleep.
At least he hadn’t woken them. Or Hudson and Bas.
That would just be embarrassing. The dreams that plagued Aaron nightly were bad enough.
He didn’t need to be disrupting anyone else’s sleep.
That was the main reason that Aaron had chosen to stay in one of the cabins on property instead of the main house.
“Here you go.” Carter handed Aaron a bottle of water.
“Appreciate it.” Aaron twisted the cap off the water and took a long drink.
Carter sat next to Aaron on the couch. Close. Close enough that their legs were pressed together. Aaron had to take another drink to cool the heat that flashed through him.
“I’m sorry that I woke you,” Aaron said.
“I don’t mind,” Carter said.
Aaron snorted. Maybe not this time. But the sleepless nights would add up.
It was impossible to have a relationship with someone when Aaron couldn’t sleep in the same bed all night long with his partner.
Eventually his partners wanted more from him and when Aaron gave in and stayed over at night, his dreams always messed things up between them.
The only person who hadn’t complained was Leo.
Aaron and Leo’s relationship had always been more of a friends with benefits arrangement than a true love connection. They’d been each other’s first kiss, first hand job, first blow jobs, and first time having anal sex. Eventually Aaron’s feelings had changed.
Leo had figured it out even before Aaron had put his feelings into thoughts. While Aaron had been struggling with what he wanted, Leo had been paying attention to him.
Friends. That was the speech that Leo had given Aaron.
They would always be best friends, but they couldn’t be lovers any longer.
His heart had been broken. Aaron’s feelings for Leo had seemed so real.
Until Leo had called everything to a halt.
It had been a hard few months after that.
Aaron didn’t know if they’d ever be able to recover the closeness they’d once had.
He should have known better. Leo was too damn stubborn to allow Aaron to push him away.
It had taken Aaron longer than he liked to admit before he realized that Leo had been right. Aaron loved Leo and he always would. He just didn’t love Leo as any more than a friend.
And now Aaron was sitting next to his mate. His fate. Aaron’s perfect match if he believed what everyone said about mates.
How horrible would it have been if Aaron had found his mate when he was with someone else.
“Take your time,” Carter said, placing a hand on Aaron’s knee.
Shit! He was sitting next to his mate and thinking about another man. That didn’t feel right to Aaron. “Sorry.” He didn’t even know what he was apologizing for.
“It’s fine.” Carter squeezed Aaron’s knee.
Damn it! How was Aaron supposed to resist this man?
“Just start at the beginning,” Carter said.
The beginning of what. Him and Leo? That didn’t sound like a good idea at all.
“I know the dreams upset you,” Carter said.
Aaron groaned. The dream. He had to get his shit together. “It was the hyena pack.”
“The one that you think might have set the fires. And killed the mom dog and other puppies,” Carter said.
Aaron really shouldn’t have told Carter about all that. Not if he wanted to keep Carter safe. Carter was human. He might not be one of the claimed mates, but Carter was important to Aaron. Information was key and if Carter was going to be able to protect himself, Aaron had to stop holding back.
Carter winced. “I know the focus should be on the fires but it disgusts me that they killed innocent dogs.”
“Yeah, me too. I know they’re dangerous. I was talking to the leader. I won’t say alpha. I don’t think he is one. He didn’t feel…right. There’s something wrong with all of them.”
“You said before they felt evil,” Carter said.
“It’s like the humanity has left them.” That was the only way that Aaron knew how to explain the emptiness he’d sensed inside the shifter. Beyond the threats was just the feeling of wrongness.
“They’re killers,” Carter said. “That’s not unusual. Working cases in Boston, I’ve seen it.”
Of course, Carter could understand. “They want our town,” Aaron whispered. “He said they like it here.”
“They can’t have it.” Carter turned toward them.
Aaron swallowed hard. The fierce look in Carter’s eyes made Aaron want to smile. He liked how protective Carter was over the place that Aaron now called home.
“Was there more?” Carter asked.
“Not…really. He threatened us. Mostly the mates. It…I feel like that was what I was supposed to find out in the dream. I need to be able to protect everyone,” Aaron confessed.
“Then we’ll find them before they can hurt everyone,” Carter declared.
“Yeah.” Except Carter couldn’t help him with this. A human against a pack of hyenas? That was too dangerous. “I need to call Leo.”
“Leo?”
“He’ll know what to do,” Aaron said. Leo would be able to figure this out. His friend would help Aaron keep Carter safe. Aaron was worthless with powers that didn’t work.
“I know what to do,” Carter said stiffly. “I’m a cop for this town.”
“It’s too dangerous.” Aaron grabbed Carter’s hand that was still on his knee. “You have to promise me that you won’t get involved.”
Carter growled. “No.”
“No?” Aaron squeezed Carter’s hand tighter. “You can’t say no. These are evil men. Shifters with strength that you can’t match.”
“I’m a cop,” Carter repeated.
“A human! You could get hurt!”
“And you?” Carter challenged. “You aren’t a shifter either.”
“No, but I work with them. I’m surrounded by them.”
“And apparently so am I,” Carter responded. “I have one staying down the hall at this very moment.”
This wasn’t going as Aaron had planned. “You’re not listening to me.”
Carter pulled his hand away to cup Aaron’s face. “I think you’re not listening to me. I can help with this. I want to help you.”
“You…shouldn’t. I should protect you,” Aaron said.
“How about we protect each other?” Carter asked. He leaned forward while dropping his gaze to Aaron’s lips.
Was he? Would he?
A soft whine came from beside them and Carter moved away. “I should take them out to use the bathroom.”
Aaron shouldn’t feel disappointed. It was better this way. “Sure. Okay.”
“And you should try to get more sleep.”
That wasn’t going to happen. Aaron slipped his phone from his pocket.
He’d go ahead and send Leo a text. They needed to talk.
He’d try to avoid waking up Bas for now.
Leo was the planner and they needed to have a meeting.
Plus Bas was going to lose his mind when he heard there was a direct threat to Hudson and the rest of the mates.
Aaron wasn’t ignoring what Carter offered. He just needed a second opinion.