Chapter Two #3
“It’s not,” Peter confirmed. “I’m used to keeping it a secret. I, well, I’m a kelpie shifter.”
There was a moment of silence. Peter waited for someone to ask questions, but no one did. They were giving him time.
This gave him hope that it would work, after all. Maybe he could find a home with the pack. Maybe he could be safe here and live a happy life. “So obviously, I don’t go around telling people about it,” he explained. “The only person who knows is Vincent.”
“You never told your ex?”
“No. Even in the beginning, when he was acting normally, I didn’t know if I could trust him.
I was planning on telling him eventually, but, well, we all know that he’s not a trustworthy person.
” Peter snorted. “Far from it. I’m glad I never told him.
I’m sure he would’ve used it against me, and he would’ve made it harder for me to run. ”
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but I’m not sure what a kelpie is?” Braden asked.
He sounded confused, and Peter told himself that there was nothing adorable about it. Braden had asked a question, and that was it. The good thing was that he didn’t sound disgusted, just curious. It wouldn’t be good if he was disgusted by his mate.
Not that Peter was planning on telling him they were mates. He didn’t think he could deal with that right now.
When Peter didn’t answer, Vincent took the lead. “Like Peter said, they’re shifters, pretty much like unicorns and wyverns. They’re water horses.”
“Water horses?”
“It’s exactly what you’re thinking of. Peter has an affinity with water, obviously, and he can shift into a horse.”
Peter risked glancing up. Braden was frowning lightly, but he nodded at Vincent.
“I see. Thanks for telling me.”
Peter found himself smiling despite himself, or at least, he tried. His split lip still hurt a bit, so he stopped himself before he could reopen the wound.
“Well, from one horse shifter to another, you’re welcome with this pack,” Toby said, leaning closer to Peter.
Peter smiled. Toby was a unicorn, so he knew what he was talking about.
It felt good to be welcomed by him, and Peter realized that he shouldn’t have been afraid.
Of course these people weren’t going to be afraid of him or disgusted by what he was.
Why should they be? Their situation hadn’t been any different from Peter’s before they arrived here.
They had to keep what they were a secret and fear for their lives if it came out.
They knew what Peter had gone through. They’d probably felt the same way he did until they realized that they were safe here.
Now, they were happy and settled, and Peter wanted that for himself, too.
He wanted not to be afraid.
“Thank you,” he murmured. “It feels good not to have to hide it. It’s been a long time since I haven’t had to.”
“Well, you’ll never have to hide it again if you stay with us. We have a lake in pack territory, so you can shift and swim there. This can be your home, Peter. If you’re looking for a place to belong, you’ll always belong here.”
It would be less painful to cry now since Toby had healed Peter, but Peter still didn’t want to, not in front of all these people.
“I’ve heard of kelpie shifters,” Camden said. “But I can’t say that I know much about them. Do you have any special abilities like Toby?”
“I can manipulate water,” Peter told him, since he was being honest today.
“I don’t often do it because, well, it’s a bit obvious when I do.
It’s also harder when I’m not near a body of water.
” Peter had lived most of his life away from one, hiding amongst the humans.
He hadn’t liked it, but he hadn’t had a choice.
Or maybe he’d thought he didn’t have a choice. He could live near a body of water now, though. There was one right here in pack territory.
“And your ex doesn’t know anything about this?” Braden asked.
“No. He doesn’t like shifters, so I never even told him I was one.
” In hindsight, that should’ve been the first red flag, and maybe it had been, but Peter had already been in too deep.
He’d tried to break up with Lou once, a few months into their relationship.
Lou had found a way to change his mind, and after that, it had been too late.
The next time Peter had brought it up, Lou had hit him.
“What do you think he’ll do? Will he come after you?” Camden asked.
“He’ll try. He doesn’t like losing control, and me leaving means he doesn’t have control over me anymore. He’ll know exactly where to find me, too. He knows that Vincent lives here and that he’s the only person I would go to if something happened. I don’t have anyone else.”
Vincent reached over to squeeze Peter’s hand. “You do now. Everyone here is going to do everything in their power to keep you safe. You don’t have to worry about Lou anymore. I know he’s dangerous, but he won’t be allowed to touch you ever again.”
Peter wished he could believe that. He knew that Vincent was being truthful and that he truly believed what he was saying, but Peter knew better. Lou was dangerous. He was also stubborn and sneaky. If he wanted Peter, he’d find him.
* * * *
brADEN AGREED WITH Vincent, but he also knew that this would be more complicated than Vincent clearly seemed to think.
Braden had lived this situation on his own skin.
His father hadn’t come after him and Penelope when they’d left, but it was mostly because by then, he’d been too drunk all the time to do anything about it.
He hadn’t been abusive to them because he wanted to hurt them.
There was no excuse for what he’d done, but he’d been nothing like Lou.
Braden didn’t know Lou, but he could already tell the man enjoyed what he’d done.
Peter had said his ex would find him, and Braden agreed.
There was no way that Lou wouldn’t at least try to get to Peter.
That meant he was going to try to get into pack territory, which could be dangerous.
There was no way to know how unhinged the man was.
Would he hurt other people in his quest to get to Peter?
How far was he willing to push himself to get what he wanted?
It was a given that Lou would get into pack territory, but that didn’t mean that Peter wouldn’t be safe here.
Braden would make sure that he was. It wasn’t only his job.
In a way, the pack had become family. Remi lived with them now, and Braden had seriously thought about moving closer.
Even though he was only human, he’d always felt welcome here, and he knew that if he asked, Camden wouldn’t hesitate to make him a pack member.
He was tempted to do just that, but he didn’t really have a reason to.
He was human. He wasn’t linked to anyone in the pack beyond friendship. Why would he become a pack member?
He glanced at Peter. Peter was a pack member now. Braden wasn’t linked to him, but part of him wanted to be. It might make protecting him easier.
But he didn’t need to be linked to Peter to protect him.
He doubted that Peter would allow anyone close beyond people he already trusted.
None of what came next would be easy for him, but Braden could tell that Peter was a fighter.
It didn’t matter how long it had taken him, the important part was that he was here now.
“All right,” Camden said. “Peter, obviously, you’re not a prisoner here, but considering what you told us about Lou, I feel it’ll be safer if you stay inside pack territory for now.
I understand that you probably have a job, but we’ll help you if you lose it.
I think that your safety is more important than any job. ”
“I’m fine with that,” Peter said. “Lou knows where I work, so I wouldn’t go back, anyway. I don’t know how I’m ever going to repay you if I don’t have a job, but I agree that my safety is more important.”
“There’s nothing for you to repay. You’re a pack member, which means we’re going to help you, no matter what. Besides, I’m pretty sure that Remi and Braden would be offended if you tried to pay for protecting you.”
Braden quickly nodded. “We’re not doing this for money,” he told Peter, giving him a smile that he hoped told Peter he wasn’t a danger to him. “That’s what the other jobs are for.”
Peter blinked. “Other jobs?”
“Remi and I own a security agency,” Braden explained.
“We provide people with bodyguards. Most of the jobs are just that, really. People need men who look big and strong and can step in if something happens, but they don’t actually expect anything to happen.
We work with celebrities, those kinds of people.
They can afford to pay us more than they probably should. ”
“And we use that money for the business,” Remi interjected. “It allows us to take other cases when we can, like yours. You’re the reason Braden is here. He’s going to stay with you.”
Peter frowned. “That sounds like you’re giving me a babysitter. I don’t need one.”
“No one said that you did. What you need is protection, and that’s something Braden can provide.”
“Peter can stay with me and Ronan,” Vincent said.
“Lou knows that’s where he’ll find Peter.
Peter said earlier that you were the one person he would ever run to when he’s in trouble.
Lou knows that, which means that if he gets into pack territory, he’s going to try to find you.
If he does, and Peter is there, things could escalate.
I’m not saying that Peter has to leave pack territory.
In fact, I don’t think he should. This is going to be the safest place he can stay for now, because of all the people here who can fight if his ex comes.
I just want to make it a little more difficult for Lou to find Peter when he manages to get in. ”
“We have several empty houses that Peter and Braden can stay in,” Camden volunteered.
“They need renovations, but they’re habitable right now.
I don’t think we should choose one of the houses that are close to the center of pack territory, but it doesn’t have to be too far away, either.
Even if Lou manages to find where you live, Vincent, he won’t find Peter there if he does, and that’s what we’re aiming for. ”
Vincent didn’t look happy, but he nodded.
He’d accept it because it meant keeping his best friend safe.
Braden wasn’t sure what Peter thought about all of this, though.
He was frowning, clearly unhappy, but he had to know it was the only way to do this.
He’d been the one to say that Lou would know to find him with Vincent earlier, after all.
“This feels like bothering a lot of people just to protect me,” Peter eventually said.
He pushed away his blond hair from his forehead, and Braden’s fingers ached with the need to do the same.
He had no idea why he was so focused on Peter and so desperate to keep him safe, but he briefly wondered if it would be a better idea to ask Remi to do this instead of him.
Maybe they could get one of the other guys in.
Braden normally had no problems focusing on his clients and their safety, but something told him that Peter would be distracting.
That still wasn’t enough for him to decide to stay away.
He needed to keep this man safe. There would be no one better than him to ensure that he was.
The pull he felt toward Peter was undeniable, like an invisible thread connecting them.
Braden had never experienced anything like it before, and it both intrigued and unsettled him.
“I was planning on staying in pack territory for a while,” Braden reassured Peter.
“Remi and I have a lot of work to do, and we work for the pack, too, so I was planning on meeting with Camden today. You don’t have to worry about disturbing my life or anything like that.
I was going to stick around, anyway. Doing it to keep an eye on you and make sure that nothing happens to you isn’t a hardship. ”
Peter didn’t look convinced, but they both knew he didn’t have a choice.
He nodded, carefully not looking at Braden.
Braden wondered why that was. Did he remind Peter of someone?
He’d be horrified to find out that he reminded Peter of his ex, so he hoped that wasn’t the case.
He was nothing like that asshole, but of course, Peter didn’t know that.
Yet. If the two of them were going to live together for a while, he’d find out. Hopefully, he’d eventually learn to trust Braden. Braden wasn’t in a rush for that to happen. His main goal was to keep Peter safe. Everything else would come with time.
Still, the urge to protect Peter wasn’t just professional—it felt deeply personal and overwhelming.
He’d never felt this way about a client before.
Maybe it was the vulnerability in Peter’s eyes, or the way he held himself like he expected the world to hurt him.
Whatever it was, Braden knew one thing with absolute certainty—he’d do everything in his power to make sure Peter never had to be afraid again, especially of his ex.
And if Lou showed his face anywhere near Peter, he’d learn exactly what happened to people who hurt the people under Braden’s protection.