Chapter Four
K ia clutched his chest, on the verge of tears. His cheetah was having a full-on meltdown, yowling to get back to Suero. “Stop.”
Jared shot him a look, then refocused on the road. “Huh?”
“I said, stop!”
Sucking in air did nothing to ease the pressure, the weight on his chest unbearable.
His cousin swerved onto the shoulder and threw the car into Park, eyes filled with concern. “What’s wrong?”
Kia practically launched himself out of the car, struggling for each breath. He couldn’t do this. He couldn't walk away from Suero or pretend the wolf shifter didn’t mean anything to him.
His cheetah refused to let him believe that lie any longer. From their first encounter, the attraction to Suero had been undeniable, only growing more intense with every conversation, text, and date they had.
The truth hit him like a jolt of clarity. His cheetah had chosen Suero as his mate.
Oh god! It all made sense now, why he’d been an absolute mess these past weeks, barely eating or sleeping. It also explained why he’d taken such a wild gamble to see Suero and speak with him.
He pressed a trembling hand over his mouth. What if Suero’s wolf wanted nothing to do with him? Kia would lose interest in everyone else, while Suero could move on, free to date whoever he wanted.
If Suero’s wolf rejected Kia… His dumb cat had just sealed his fate.
“Are you feeling car sick?”
Jared asked when he got out and joined him. “Can it wait? We haven’t reached our land yet. If we’re caught in wolf territory, we’re totally screwed.”
“Go.”
Kia stared longingly toward Blackthorn, fully aware he was about to run back to Suero, about to risk everything for the wolf.
But would Suero welcome him or demand he return home? The thought chilled him to the bone, yet he couldn’t force himself back into the car.
“Go?”
Jared frowned, shaking his head slowly. “What’re you talking about? The only place we’re going is home, Kia.”
Wiping a tear from his cheek, Kia turned to his cousin. “My cheetah has chosen. Suero is il mio prescelto .”
My chosen one.
For a moment, Jared just stared at him, then his eyes grew wide. “Oh crap .”
“Exactly.”
Kia crossed his arms and delivered a swift kick to the rear tire, cursing his dumb cat for making his life difficult.
A wolf as a mate. Really?
“What’re you gonna do?”
Jared asked, resting his hand on the car’s trunk. “You need to call him, tell him what just happened. Maybe he’ll know what to do.”
Jared smacked his forehead. Whap! “This is really bad. Like, seriously bad.”
“And if Suero’s wolf doesn’t want me?”
Kia’s voice quivered. “What then, Jared? Am I stuck aching for someone who—”
“You won’t know unless you talk to him,”
Jared interrupted, his eyes narrowing. “Don’t you dare get all doomsday on me. I told you it was a mistake not to call him. Don’t freeze him out again. Not this time, Kia. He deserves to know your cheetah has chosen him.”
Everything Jared said was true and made sense, but all Kia could hear was chaos in his head. His mind was spinning, making it impossible to focus.
Suddenly, Jared swiped Kia’s phone right out of his back pocket. Kia tried to snatch it back, but his cousin darted around the car, pressing buttons like a lunatic as he ran.
“Give it back!”
Kia chased him in a ridiculous loop around the car. When he tried to outsmart him by switching direction, Jared sprinted toward the field on their right.
“Jared, stop!”
he yelled, realizing they were straying too far from the car. They weren’t even on their own land. It was one thing to sneak back into Blackthorn, but they were out in the open.
Matias had let it slide once already, but Kia doubted the alpha would be so lenient again, especially now that two cheetahs were involved.
Since they were on the wolves’ land without permission, Matias had every right to kill them if he wanted to.
Even worse, he might call Xavier.
“Talk to him. Tell Suero.”
Jared glanced back at the car, as if thinking the same thing.
“I will.”
Kia grabbed his phone as Jared handed it over, realizing his cousin had already dialed Suero and put it on speaker.
“Tell me what?”
Suero’s rich, deep voice resonated through the phone. “What’s going on, Kia?”
Kia shot Jared a glare, silently mouthing, “ I’m going to kill you .”
“His cheetah chose you, Suero!”
Jared hauled ass toward the car as if the devil were hot on his heels.
Kia stood frozen, the phone feeling like a lead weight in his grip.
There was complete silence on the other end, making him wonder if Suero had hung up. Kia swallowed, throat dry as he considered smothering Jared in his sleep.
“Is that true?”
Suero finally asked, voice laced with disbelief.
It was tempting to lie, maybe even joke that Jared had been dropped on his head as a kitten.
Instead, the truth forced its way out. “Yes.”
“Where are you?”
Suero demanded, the sound of a door slamming shut in the background.
“You don’t—”
“Where. Are. You?”
he growled, the thunderous roar of his motorcycle echoing through the phone.
Kia swallowed again, glancing at Jared, who was leaning against his car’s front passenger side. He was watching Kia but quickly averted his gaze, pretending the grass at his feet was suddenly of great interest.
“We’re on Bishop Road, about a mile from the border.”
“You’re still on wolf land?”
Suero cursed. “If any wolves come near you, tell them you’re waiting on me. Make damn sure you’re clear about that, Kia.”
“Will that actually matter to them?”
Kia glanced around, making sure he and Jared were alone.
“Yes.”
Suero sounded closer, as if he’d switched to his Bluetooth. “They won’t touch you if they know you’re waiting on me.”
That was a load off his mind. Despite the risk he’d taken earlier, dying wasn’t on his agenda today.
“We’re parked on the shoulder.”
Kia finally made it back to the car, giving his cousin the stink eye. Jared stared warily at him, his foot sliding away like he was ready to make a run for it if Kia made a sudden move.
“Stay on the line with me, gatito . I’ll be there soon.”
And if any wolf other than Suero showed up, Kia would simply hand over his phone to prove he was telling the truth. Wolves could be stubborn and mistrusting. But so could cheetahs.
Plus, Kia liked hearing Suero’s voice, even in silence. Quiet stretched between them, punctuated only by the powerful growl of Suero’s motorcycle and the rushing wind.
Jared edged closer and nudged Kia with his shoulder, giving him a pitiful look. He couldn’t stay mad at his cousin. Left up to Kia, he might not have made the call.
In truth, he wouldn’t have. He would’ve let his fears keep his secret hidden until either Suero’s wolf claimed him or the world came to a fiery end.
The distant roar of an approaching motorcycle made Kia’s heart race. Within moments, Suero thundered around the bend, like a battle-hardened warrior—muscular and fierce, commanding his metal beast with raw power.
“He looks like he could pop your head off like a champagne cork,”
Jared said from beside him. “You just had to fall for the lethal type, didn’t you?”
Kia ended the call and slipped his phone into his pocket. “Go find something to do.”
He wanted privacy with Suero. They were definitely going to need it.
“Oh sure, because deserted back roads are just bursting with activities. What do you want me to do, start a flower collection or dive headfirst into a ditch?”
Jared shot back, rolling his eyes.
“Sounds good.”
Kia’s attention was on Suero, who’d just pulled up behind them, his gaze laser-focused. He killed the engine and swung his long leg over the bike with the kind of grace that made his heart do somersaults. Holy hell.
“I’ll just wait in the car,”
Jared muttered. “Don’t forget Xavier wants you home by dinner.”
But Kia was already lost, oblivious to Jared’s parting words. His heart pounded like a rock concert, each beat reverberating in his ears. Suero stalked toward him with a possessive growl, his eyes locked on Kia like a heat-seeking missile. He wrapped and arm around Kia’s waist before lifting him off his feet.
“Mine,”
he growled softly, his lips crashing over Kia’s. The kiss sent a jolt of excitement and pleasure through Kia, leaving him breathless and craving more. Suero’s lips were both tender and demanding, as if he were claiming Kia as his own.
I wish. Just because Suero was there, saying Kia was his, it didn’t mean his wolf had chosen him. Suero could say it all he wanted, but until his animal chose Kia, it was just talk.
“When did it happen?”
Suero asked once they broke the kiss.
“It just hit me, but I think it actually happened weeks ago,”
Kia confessed, the words spilling out. He wanted to let Suero know he wouldn’t push for the same commitment since it wasn’t Suero’s call. It was up to his wolf. “I know my cat has chosen you, but—”
He didn’t get to finish. Suero kissed him again, even deeper this time, encouraging Kia to wrap his legs around the guy’s lean waist.
Suero laid him on the trunk, kissing his way across Kia’s neck.
“Could you guys not fuck on my car?”
Jared yelled from the driver’s window. “Even though it’s a piece of shit, I can still see everything in the rearview mirror. I’d rather not be traumatized for life.”
“Then close your eyes,”
Suero called out before his lips were back on Kia’s throat.
“Our first time is not going to happen on my cousin’s car.”
Though Kia was struggling to remember why that was a bad idea. Suero’s lips, the solid feel of his body, and his earthy scent were overwhelming his senses.
If they started shedding clothes, Kia might not have enough willpower to care. He couldn’t believe how desperately he wanted Suero.
And judging by the hardness pressing against his upper leg, Suero was just as needy. While Kia had already climaxed earlier in the man’s kitchen, Suero hadn’t. He seemed ready to flip Kia to his stomach and take him right there on the back road, regardless of who was watching.
“You’re coming home with me,”
he murmured against Kia’s neck. “I need to feel you wrapped around my cock, pretty kitty.”
He lightly bit Kia’s earlobe, drawing a gasp and moan. “I need to be inside you, carino . Aunque mi lobo no te haya elegido, yo sí lo he hecho y nunca te dejaré ir. ”
Even though my wolf didn't choose you, I did, and I’m never letting you go.
Kia shook his head, unable to understand what Suero was saying, but finding the accent irresistibly sexy. “Whatever you said, I’m down for it.”
He chuckled softly in Kia’s ear. “And what if I said I want you to clean my whole house, lindo gatito ?”
Normally Kia hated when someone called him a kitten. It made him feel less manly. But when Suero called him pretty kitty, he felt like purring. “As long as we’re both naked, I’ll clean whatever you want,”
he teased.
“He’s lying. My cousin is lazy,”
Jared called out.
“Stop eavesdropping!”
Kia shouted, though Jared would’ve heard him even if he had whispered.
“You’re sprawled across my trunk, and I’m stuck in here with nothing to do,”
Jared complained. “By the way, thirty minutes until nuclear detonation.”
Xavier! “You have to let me up.”
Kia pushed against Suero’s… Sweet mercy. His chest felt rock solid. Kia squeezed the guy’s pecs, purring at how firm they were.
“What’s detonating?”
Suero leaned back slightly, but not enough to release Kia. He looked as if he was struggling to control himself. Kia knew how he felt and wanted Suero pinning him again.
“My uncle.”
He wriggled, but couldn’t escape from under Suero’s massive body. All he managed to do was rub against the guy, which made Suero smirk.
“Let me up.”
He shoved at him, resisting the urge to squeeze those hard pecs again. “If I’m not back by dinner, my uncle will be the nuclear bomb that detonates.”
And Kia definitely needed a shower to get Suero’s wolf scent off his skin. Xavier would smell it as soon as Kia walked through the door. He’d have to shower at Jared’s and borrow some of his cousin’s clothes before going home.
Suero tilted his head, studying him. “He can’t object if he knows I’m your elegido .”
“My what?”
Kia slid off the trunk, checking to make sure his phone was still in his pocket.
“Chosen one,”
Suero explained.
“You don’t know Xavier,”
Jared remarked, loud enough for them to hear.
“You’re not helping,”
Kia snapped at his cousin.
“How can your uncle object?”
Suero asked. “Your cheetah has chosen. No one can stand in the way.”
“It would be a stronger case if your wolf chose me too,”
Kia replied, unintentionally letting his bitterness show. Confronting the reality of the situation made him acknowledge the truth.
It was one-sided.
“You know I have no control over that.”
Suero ran his hand through his hair, his jaw tense. “If it were up to me, I would choose you, kitten.”
Kia was taken aback. They were strongly attracted to each other, but he’d assumed his feelings were deeper than Suero’s. “You would?”
He held Kia’s chin, offering a soft smile. “From the moment I laid eyes on you, something clicked inside me. Absolutely, I would choose you. But wolves are stubborn and selective. Until my beast realizes what an amazing, beautiful man you are, I can’t bind you to me.”
Kia tried to keep it together, but it was hard. He’d never truly be Suero’s unless the man claimed him. “You mean if your wolf realizes it.”
Kia pulled away. He understood Suero was stuck between what he wanted and what he couldn’t control, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. “We both know there’s no guarantee that’ll ever happen.”
Kia was just trying to protect himself, but it was rough. He wasn’t pushing Suero away out of anger. He was trying to outrun the disappointment.
As he tried to walk away, Suero caught his hand. The touch was painful because he knew he had to leave, but all he wanted was to be in Suero’s arms.
“Doesn’t it matter that I want you?”
Suero asked. “That has to count for something.”
Suero wasn’t arguing. Kia saw that in his beautiful eyes. He was pleading.
Gently pulling his hand free, Kia gazed up at him. “And if one day your wolf chooses, and it’s not me?”
He was trying to rip the Band-Aid off before fate did it for him, but his emotions were getting the better of him. “What then, Suero?”
His voice shook. “ You might want me, but if your wolf chooses differently…”
“That’s why you need to be with me,”
Suero argued. “How can you be my elegido if you’re not around, letting my wolf get to know you better?”
Suero was trying so hard to make logic out of instinct, and it was tragically endearing. He was doing what wolves do—fight for what they wanted, even when the rules were out of their hands. He was hopeful with teeth. But he couldn’t give Suero what he was asking for.
Kia shook his head in disbelief. “So, you want me to abandon my life and leave my coalition on the chance your wolf might choose me?”
“It doesn’t have to be that dramatic.”
He did not just say that. “Dramatic? Tell me, Suero. Would you uproot your life, leave your pack behind, if the tables were turned?”
Kia asked.
He was not going to be someone’s maybe . He needed real proof of commitment, which Suero couldn’t offer.
“Twenty-five minutes,”
Jared announced.
“If you were my elegido , absolutely,”
Suero growled. “I’d go with you anywhere, and no fucking uncle would stop me.”
It was loyalty wrapped in longing, but wasn’t enough to make Suero’s wolf choose him.
“I’m so sorry for following my alpha’s orders,”
Kia snapped back. “Unlike you, I live with mine, and—”
He stepped back, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly to calm down. “I don’t want to argue with you, Suero. But I need you to see how complicated this is.”
Kia was exhausted but still reaching. He wasn’t being dramatic. He was fighting to be understood without blowing things up. And he could see Suero was struggling too .
He pulled Kia into his arms, nearly making him cry. “I do understand, carino . But that doesn’t make it any easier. I don’t want you to leave.”
Kia didn’t want to leave either. While he loved and respected Xavier, he resented the tight hold his uncle had on him, but also knew it was because Xavier cared. Kia’s mother had been Xavier’s sister, and her loss had devastated him. Clinging to Kia was his uncle’s way of ensuring he didn’t lose his nephew too—the last connection to his cherished little sister.
Kia was loved and protected. But it cost him his freedom, and now, possibly his chance at love. That hold was making his life miserable.
Suero sniffed the air while scanning their surroundings, causing Kia to do the same.
The foul stench of hyena wafted in their direction. Kia wasn’t sure how many there were, but the smell was overpowering.
“Go,”
Suero softly urged. “Get out of here.”
“What about you?”
Kia looked around but couldn’t see anyone. The breeze blew toward them from the field, confirming hyenas were lurking just past the tree line.
Suero was already pulling out his phone and dialing. “I’ll be fine. You and Jared need to get back on cheetah land. I’ll call you later.”
Kia hesitated for a heartbeat before moving quickly toward the passenger door. Jared must have caught the scent through the open window because his wide eyes were locked onto the trees.
“We never should’ve stopped,”
he said, turning the key. “I did not sign up for a horror flick, Kia.”
The car refused to start.
It was the worst possible moment for his crappy car to act up. Jared kept trying, but the engine only sputtered and groaned in protest.
“Pop the hood,”
Suero said, suddenly appearing at the driver’s door.
Jared reached beneath the dashboard and tugged on the pliers that were clamped to the hood release cord. He yanked until Kia heard a popping sound.
Suero swung the hood up as Kia scanned the field, his heart racing. The hyenas weren’t just a wolf problem. They’d trespassed onto cheetah territory as well. From the conversations he’d overheard at home, the hyenas had also encroached on bear land too.
Shifters did not like to share territory with other species, except for humans. There was a large human population in Riverside where the cheetahs resided, unaware that shifters lived among them.
Nobody knew where this pack of hyenas had come from or why they were being a menace to everyone. It was as if they were intent on seizing control.
Luckily, their numbers weren’t enough for a full-scale takeover. What puzzled Kia was the logic behind their actions. If they wanted land, why provoke all three species instead of targeting just one? It was reckless, maybe even suicidal.
And now, stranded on a desolate country road with a broken-down car, they were sitting ducks.