Chapter 8 Rey #2
“It’s a little town outside of Ithaca. More of a you-blink-you-miss-it kind of town.
Probably half the population are shifters.
No, I don’t still go there to visit the pack.
After my grandfather passed away, there wasn’t any reason to.
Yes, it’s beautiful there.” Rey turned them around to head back to the truck, keeping himself on the side of the street with the traffic and Carter toward the inner sidewalk.
He wrapped an arm around Carter’s back and put his hand into Carter’s back pocket.
The soft, bouncy flesh under his palm made his body tingle with awareness.
One more night and then they’d head to Wyoming, where he would claim his mate.
“Am I making you talk too much?” Carter asked suddenly.
Rey frowned down at his mate. “What?”
“Well, in the car you said you were usually quiet and don’t talk a lot. That hasn’t been the case since we’ve met. You’ve talked. A lot. I just don’t want to make you talk if you don’t want to. Am I?”
“No, Carter, you aren’t,” Rey said patiently. “We are getting to know one another, so it’s inevitable I talk or else you can’t learn things about me. Right?”
Carter nibbled his lip for a second, then nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. But if I am making you talk too much, you’ll tell me, right?”
Rey knew he’d never hurt his mate’s feelings by telling him that, but he nodded. “Of course, sweetheart.”
“Promise?”
Rey hid a wince. He hated to promise something he might not do. He’d rather chew off his own arm than ever hurt Carter. His mate had been through enough. “Yes, Carter, I promise.”
“Thank you,” Carter said, bumping his temple against Rey’s pec.
They made it back to the truck, and Rey opened Carter’s door for him.
Once Carter was in, he shut it and went around to the driver’s side.
It was getting late, and they still had about an hour to get back to the lodge.
Once again, Carter kept up a string of chatter on the way, but Rey listened to everything his mate had to say and would add his own thoughts where he thought Carter expected him to respond.
The sun had long since disappeared by the time Rey parked the truck in front of the lodge. Food lined the same tables, and people sat in various places, chatting and laughing. “Why don’t you grab some food, Carter? I’ll be back out in a few minutes, hmm?”
He wanted to see if he could locate an unclaimed room for them to use.
Both of them had chosen a bunk bed in a communal area, and Rey didn’t want to be parted from Carter, even if just for sleeping.
Most of the pack was outside, but he found Kasey and Seth cuddled together on a sofa inside. “Hey,” Seth said, smiling at Rey.
“Alpha-mate,” he said.
Seth frowned. “I’ve told you to call me Seth.”
“Sorry, Seth.”
Seth smiled. The little silver feather earring he wore in one ear sparkled in the light when he tipped his head. “How are things with Carter?”
“Good, actually.” Rey perched on the arm of a recliner near the couch. “He’s sweet, amazingly smart, and gorgeous. I really lucked out.”
Kasey smiled. “I’m happy for you, Rey. I know you’ve always been against the idea of a bond mate. You’ve wanted to wait until you met your true mate. I’m glad you found him.”
“Why are you in here instead of with him?” Seth asked curiously.
“I wanted to find out if there are any unclaimed rooms. Both Carter and I chose a bunk when we got here. I don’t want to spend the night away from him.” Not much embarrassed Rey. Even showing vulnerability about his mate didn’t make him shy away from the truth.
Seth hummed. “Um, I think the only one still available is down on the bottom floor. Toward the back. The unmated wolves didn’t want to take it in case of a couple needing it, and there weren’t many couples here to begin with.”
Rey found that odd, too, but he wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. “Great. I’ll move our stuff there tonight.”
He stood, but Kasey stopped him. “Do we need to worry about his ex-boyfriend, Rey? I know the guy is human, but it doesn’t change the fact that he can still do some damage with a weapon.”
Rey sat back down on the arm of the recliner.
Was his alpha thinking about refusing to allow Carter into the pack?
“Honestly, I don’t know. He sounds pretty determined to find him.
Nick destroyed Carter’s phone, so there’s no chance of tracing him through that.
Carter is returning to Senaka with me tomorrow.
I won’t let him return to Emerald Lake Hills. ”
“You know I would never ask you to leave your mate in danger, Rey,” Kasey said, giving him a hard look. “Ever. He’s your mate. He’s pack now, and we don’t abandon pack. But I need to know how dangerous this guy can be and protect the rest of the pack, too.”
“Of course, Alpha. I didn’t mean to question you.” Rey knew if Kasey turned Carter away because of the danger on his heels, Rey would go with him.
“Find out what you can from Nick. The man’s full name, too. I’ll run a background check back at the station. Carter most likely isn’t the first person he’s hurt.”
Rey dipped his head in a quick nod. “I’ll find out tonight.” He stood again but hesitated. “Thanks, Kasey.”
Kasey had only been alpha for a short time, but he didn’t like to stand on ceremony and asked most to call him by his name, except in front of other packs. But Rey usually stuck with his title. He was grateful Kasey would stand by Carter with the full support of the pack.
“I hope you’ll come to know, I’m a lot like my father, Rey. He may not be alpha anymore, but he raised me, taught me his ways, and I would never turn my back on a pack member when they are in need.”
Nodding, he turned from Kasey and Seth, taking the stairs down to the next level.
The lodges were three floors, but the entry was on the second level, while there was still another below it.
He opened a few of the bedroom doors down there until he found one that appeared unoccupied.
After checking the small closet and bureau drawers, he confirmed it was empty and went back to retrieve his belongings, setting the bag on the chair in the room.
Jogging up the stairs to the main lodge, he exited the cabin to find Carter, who sat at one table with two Senaka pack members Rey knew were good people: Kaia and Dakota Blackwell.
Kaia was a shifter, and Dakota was human.
She’d met him when the man had moved to Senaka with his daughter a few years prior.
Rey walked over to them but didn’t take a seat.
“I’m going to go grab your stuff from the other lodge, little wolf. I’ll be back soon.”
Kaia smiled at him. “Rey! I heard you’d found your mate. I’m so happy for you! Congratulations. He’s so sweet, too! I just want to gobble him up.”
Carter flushed while Rey’s wolf growled.
He knew Kaia didn’t want Carter, but anyone hinting at taking him away riled his wolf.
Dakota gave Rey a wary look, but Kaia just laughed.
“Relax, Rey. I’m not going to steal your precious mate.
Especially when I’ve got this big lug next to me.
” She wrapped her arms around Dakota’s bicep and leaned against his side.
“Carter’s going to look at my computer when y’all get back to Senaka.
Dang thing keeps shutting down on me after I’ve been using it for a while.
Thought I’d have to take it all the way into the city to find someone to fix it. ”
Rey dropped a kiss on the crown of Carter’s head. “I’ll be back soon.”
Carter frowned at him. “Shouldn’t I go with you?”
Rey didn’t want him to hear what he needed to ask Nick. “No, you stay here and get to know your new packmates. I won’t be more than a half hour.”
“Okay,” Carter said, giving him a confused glance.
Kaia nodded at him. “We’ll keep your mate company, Rey.”
“Thanks, Kaia,” Rey replied, and then he took off toward the other lodge. Once he reached it, he went looking for Nick and Thayne. There were a few shifters lounging on the porch of the lodge. “Do you know where Nick is?”
A dark-haired male shook his head. “Last I saw him, he was heading into the woods with his mate.”
Rey almost cursed, but the redhead female seated next to the man spoke up. “No, I think he’s inside. I’m pretty sure I saw both of them come back. They looked a little… busy,” she said, blushing.
“Thanks,” he said, opening the lodge and walking inside. His questions for Nick would have to wait until later. No way he’d interrupt two mates being intimate.
Cole Ferris stood in the kitchen area, drinking from a bottle of water. He set it on the counter and faced Rey. “Enforcer Featherstone.”
“Alpha Ferris. Would you know which bunk is Carter’s?”
“Upstairs, first door on the left, there’s a game room with several bunks in it. I think his is the one on the right side of the room, bottom bunk, if I remember right.”
“Thank you,” Rey replied, tipping his head respectfully. He started toward the stairs, but Cole stopped him.
“Is Carter doing okay after what happened last night?”
Rey pivoted partway. “He’s doing better. Still scared. But I won’t let that bastard get near him.”
Cole smiled. “I didn’t think you would. You wouldn’t be an enforcer for your pack if you weren’t good at the position.”
The alpha had that right. Rey had held his position for several years now. Most of the pack came to him when the beta wasn’t available. “Thank you.”
“I take it I’m losing another pack member then? He’ll be returning to Senaka with you?”
“Yes.”
“I’m happy for Carter.” Cole sighed. “I know he hasn’t had it easy.”
“Then why haven’t you done anything to change it?” Rey snarled.
Cole glared at him. “Changing minds is not an easy feat. Your pack is a great example of that. Thayne made a mistake, yet your pack exiled him for it. They wanted him executed instead. So don’t get high and mighty, Enforcer. You’ll find my patience only goes so far.”