Chapter Six
K i a didn’t really know what to expect heading into a den of wolves. Jared looked just as freaked out as they both sat in the back seat of the pickup truck, heading in the opposite direction from where they needed to go.
As they drove through Blackthorn, Kia couldn’t even bring himself to look out the window. Instead, he ran countless scenarios in his mind of how his uncle might react to his reckless actions. None of them good.
Xavier was a pretty nice guy who cared deeply for both Kia and Jared, when he wasn’t tightening the leash. But Kia had never done something—he cut off the thought, knowing he had just done something dangerous not too long ago.
Like his harebrained plan of infiltrating a hyena pack, claiming he hated his coalition and wanted nothing to do with them. Those words had left a bitter taste in his mouth, and it didn’t take long after his foolish decision to realize he’d been in way over his head.
Kia lifted his gaze as they slowed, his attention drawn to a gleaming row of motorcycles in perfect formation in front of a brick building. On the side of the structure, near the top, was a bold, black-and-white sign that read “Sin & Steel”
in elegant script.
His nerves began to fray. At least on the ride there, Miguel had played some country music at a soothing volume while he talked with Cesar in Spanish. Kia had tried to catch snippets of their conversation, but they’d spoken in such hushed and swift tones that he’d eventually given up.
They pulled into the parking lot beside the building, and even with the windows rolled up, the pulsating beat of the music inside the tavern spilled out through the open doorway.
As they circled around to the rear of the building, Jared shot him a glance, eyebrows raised slightly, silently mouthing, “We’re going to die.”
“If that’s their intention, wouldn’t they have done it back on that deserted road?”
Kia whispered back, trying to be the voice of reason.
“Think about it!”
Jared glanced toward the front seats before lowering his voice. “They whisked us away, and soon my car will be towed. The wolves have basically hit the delete button on us. Now is the perfect time to bump us off. Who else knows where we are except them? Evidence? Gone.”
Jared made a small explosion sound with his mouth, adding an exaggerated flick of his fingers.
Kia gaped at him. “I’m already on edge. Could you not make it worse?”
he hissed under his breath.
Just because Suero had claimed Kia in front of the pack members didn’t mean they would roll out the welcome mat for two cheetah shifters.
Wolves weren’t exactly known for their hospitality and afternoon tea parties.
Miguel stopped the truck and shifted it into Park before turning off the engine. Despite the bright sunlight, the rear of the building was shrouded in shadows.
Miguel and Cesar sat in silence, their conversation abruptly ending.
Jared looked over at Kia, his eyes slightly too wide. “ Told you ,”
he whispered.
In the stillness, Kia could hear his cousin’s shallow breathing as if amplified by a megaphone.
Why were they just sitting there? Even though Jared’s conspiracy theory stemmed from fear, Kia began to wonder if there might be some truth to it.
Cesar stared out the passenger window, while Miguel adjusted his position, turning his head away from them.
The tension was stifling. Kia had no intention of sitting there, waiting for a mob-style execution. He reached for the door handle but couldn’t find it. His gaze flicked to Jared, who was quietly running his hand over the driver’s side panel as if he had the same thought.
“We’re here,”
Jared said with an uneasy laugh. “You can let us out now.”
“Not yet, guepardo ,”
Cesar replied.
Kia’s limited Spanish told him that meant cheetah .
The truck’s interior grew warmer, causing beads of sweat to form on his forehead. He wiped them away with the back of his hand as the mingling scents of wolf and cat grew overpowering.
“Is there a reason we’re just sitting here?”
he asked while picturing Miguel and Cesar pulling out guns.
Don’t panic. They’re not really going to kill you. Suero wouldn’t have let you ride with them if he didn’t trust these men.
Kia kept quietly reassuring himself, but the longer they sat there, the more his anxiety grew.
A shout escaped when the side door suddenly swung open, convinced he was about to be dragged out and killed.
“Hey, it’s okay.”
Suero gently grasped Kia’s sides and helped him out of the back seat. Jared scrambled out so quickly he almost knocked Kia over.
“Fresh air,”
he gasped, inhaling deeply.
“What was that all about?”
Kia demanded. “Why were we sitting in a murder truck?”
Jared leaned over, hands on his knees, still catching his breath.
Kia quickly went to him and rubbed his cousin’s back. “How are we doing, hon?”
Miguel got out of the driver’s seat, worry evident in his deep brown eyes. “Are you okay?”
“What the hell was that about?”
Jared shouted, jabbing his finger toward the pickup truck. “You drive us into an alley, shut off the engine, and then keep us trapped inside!”
Miguel glanced at Kia, confusion creasing his brows. “Suero told me to keep you two in the truck until he got here.”
“You could’ve told us that!”
Jared looked on the verge of tears, his hand shaking as he ran it through his hair.
Miguel glanced at Kia again.
Kia shook his head, signaling that Jared’s panic attack wasn’t open for discussion. He gently squeezed his cousin’s upper arms. “There are no walls around you,”
he whispered. “Breathe in the fresh air that oddly smells like chicken.”
He was trying to use humor to help ground Jared. When his cousin became anxious like this, it was sometimes challenging to calm him down.
Jared’s eyes were skittish, unable to focus, his body still trembling slightly.
“Stretch out your arms. Feel the open space around you. Move your legs and notice you can extend them.”
Even Suero and Cesar watched Jared closely, concern in their eyes.
Gradually, Jared began to extend his arms and lift his legs. His breathing started to steady, and he finally met Kia’s gaze.
“You back with us?”
He rubbed Jared’s arms in gentle, slow strokes.
“Yeah.”
He pressed the heel of his hand against his forehead, eyes closed. “It just… happened.”
“You don’t have to explain,”
Kia assured him. “Just acknowledge the setback. Okay?”
Talking to his cousin always helped. He knew Jared might feel embarrassed, so he tried to reassure him that these things happened.
“What is that smell and how do I get some of it?”
Jared glanced around, pressing a hand to his stomach. “I can’t remember the last time I ate.”
Kia had felt panicked too, but Jared’s crisis helped to redirect his own fears. Now the two of them were heading toward the tavern’s back door.
“Let me get that for you.”
Suero held the door open for him, winking as Kia passed under his arm. He’d done that on purpose, creating a bridge with his body instead of stepping aside.
Kia loved it. Maybe they could finally return to the easy connection they’d once had before trust had been broken.
Xavier.
The thought of his uncle dimmed his mood, but the mouthwatering aroma of food lifted his spirits. He hadn’t finished his mac & cheese earlier and was starving again.
As they walked past doors lining the hallway, he asked, “Where do those lead?”
“Bedrooms for pack members to use,”
Suero replied, wrapping an arm around Kia’s waist and nibbling on his neck as they continued to walk. Making out on Jared’s trunk had been wild and thrilling, especially since he’d never done anything so brazen before.
He suspected more firsts were coming.
Suero kissed the side of Kia’s neck and murmured, “Let’s get you fed before you collapse.”
With a breathless sigh almost like a purr, Kia followed Suero, Jared right behind them.
As they entered the tavern, the world seemed to pause. The music played on, but conversations halted. Dozens of men turned, eyes fixed on the two cheetahs among wolves. For a terrifying moment, he imagined a record scratch in his mind.
His cat’s ears flattened as Kia held his breath.
Gradually, noise returned. Forks clinked, chatter resumed, though many eyes lingered.
“Friendly bunch,”
he muttered.
Jared glanced around briefly before raising a hand. “Chicken wings and fries, please. Extra crispy, extra ranch... and, um, a soda with crushed ice if you’ve got it.”
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
Behind the bar, Cesar gave him a deadpan stare. “Sit.”
“Yes, sir.”
Jared dropped onto a stool, drumming his fingers. “So, when can I get that food?”
“I need to talk to Matias. You good at the bar?”
Suero asked.
“Go do whatever you need to do.”
Kia settled a few seats away from his cousin, pulling out his buzzing phone.
Xavier. Crap.
He stared at the screen before flipping it over like the phone had personally insulted him.
No chance in hell he was answering it. Not while he was surrounded by wolves and deciding between a drink or an emotional support kitten.
Twenty minutes later, Suero slid onto the stool beside him, their shoulders brushing.
Kia liked the warmth of Suero’s large frame and how good the man smelled—a hint of smoke with a sharp outdoorsy fragrance. He wanted to roll naked in that scent.
“You okay?”
Suero asked softly, tapping the back of Kia’s hand with a finger. The simple gesture sent flutters through his stomach.
“Define okay.”
Kia playfully gripped the man’s finger to stay connected. “I’m in a bar full of wolves, my uncle’s about to unleash fury, and my cousin’s ordering food like he’s on vacation.”
“Pretty sure he is.”
Suero smirked.
Brows furrowed, Kia said, “You always this calm during public execution vibes?”
“Nah.”
Each syllable slid across the space between them, sinking in like a whispered secret. “Only when I’m sitting next to the guy I want to be my mate.”
Kia’s heart fluttered. “You really know how to make a guy feel special.”
Suero’s gaze made him feel truly seen. “I’m not going back with Jared tonight,”
he whispered.
Why return to a house where he’d just end up sitting alone in his room? Even though Suero’s wolf hadn’t chosen him, he wanted to explore their connection.
Suero raised an eyebrow. “You sure?”
“No,”
he admitted. “But I’d like to spend more time with you, if that’s okay.”
The phone buzzed loudly on the bar, cutting off Suero’s response. Kia picked it up and glanced at the screen. Xavier was calling him. He tried to silence it but accidentally answered the call instead.
Shit! Noise from the bar flooded the call—laughter, blaring music, pool balls clacking—blowing any lie he might’ve have come up with for his absence.
“Kia?”
Suero’s voice was soft and close. Why did you have to say my name?
With a trembling hand, Kia pressed the phone to his ear. A single breath from the other end confirmed his uncle was listening.
Panicking, he quickly ended the call, dropping the phone like it had burned him. It bounced on the bar, fading to black. Kia leaned forward, elbows on the counter, hands pressed to his face. His heart pounded, throat constricted. “He’s going to kill me.”
“He’ll want answers. Not the same thing.”
“It is when you’re all he has left.”
Kia’s voice cracked, truth landing like a gut punch. “I just… I needed to breathe, but I’ve made everything worse.”
“You needed more than air, carino ,”
Suero said gently. “You needed to be seen. You still do.”
Kia leaned into Suero, hands still covering his face. “I’m not used to this. To being wanted and worried about.”
“Get used to it.”
Suero said, hand steady on Kia’s back, grounding him.
“I’ll have to face him,”
he mumbled into his hands.
“Yeah,”
Suero replied quietly. “But not tonight.”
The simplicity helped. No promises. No sugarcoating. Just the reminder that Kia could breathe for now, even if tomorrow had claws.
He finally lifted his head, dragging his fingers through his hair. “I shouldn’t be here.”
Though his heart disagreed.
Sitting up, Kia raked a hand through his hair. “I shouldn’t be here,”
he murmured, though the ache in his chest with contradiction.
“You’re exactly where you need to be,”
Suero replied.
Turning slowly, Kia glanced up at him. Suero’s gaze made it hard to breathe.
“You’re not going to disappear again, are you?” he asked.
Kia shook his head. “Not unless you push me away.”
“I won’t,”
Suero promised. “Even if my wolf takes his sweet time, I’m still here. Choosing you.”
“That’s going to make it harder to leave.”
“Then don’t.”
They locked eyes as Cesar slid a drink across the bar with a clink . Jared’s wings and fries landed next, the aroma nearly overwhelming Kia with emotion and hunger at the same time.
His cousin mumbled a quick thanks, already digging in, but Kia didn’t move. Didn’t reach for the glass. Didn’t look away.
For the first time in weeks, he didn’t feel like running.