Chapter 17
FREY
“Stay in the car,” I told Oliver. The chance he’d listen was barely fifty-fifty, but at least I tried.
Three men faced our sheriff, human alphas in their thirties.
They were dressed in brand-new, overpriced outdoor gear that made it abundantly clear they had never spent time in the mountains before.
Except I was pretty sure they were armed under those fancy waterproof jackets.
Behind them stood two guys with scruffy, confused faces, holding chainsaws lowered to the ground.
I vaguely recognized one of them, which meant they could have been seasonal workers at the Beauville lumber mill before they were hired to do whatever they were supposed to do here.
Chickie had his hand on his holster and his stormy gaze on the three alphas. He was a head taller than the tallest of the humans, looking scary as hell, but that would mean exactly zero in a shootout. He didn’t even glance my way before he spoke.
“Fuck off, Frey. I don’t need your help.”
“Sorry, man. Looks like you do.”
“I swear I’m going to chase your ass out of this town as soon as I’m done with these assholes. And if you ever show your face here again, I’m going to shoot your balls right off.”
One of the alphas squinted at me before looking back at Chickie.
“This is private property, sir,” he said. “Either you show us a warrant and charge us with a crime, or you leave. We’ll have to take legal action, sir.”
“I’m the mayor of Beauville,” I said loudly. “This is just a misunderstanding. I’m sure it can all be resolved without violence or lawyers.”
“I said fuck off, Frey!” Chickie growled.
One of the alphas rolled his eyes. The middle one, who seemed to be the boss, pointed at Chickie angrily. “Your sheriff has been threatening us for no reason.”
“I don’t care who you work for. You don’t have a permit to build anything on this land!” Chickie’s voice boomed, echoing through the forest.
The door to the truck banged behind me. Of course my mate didn’t listen.
For a horrifying moment, the leader reached under his jacket. But when he saw Oliver, a beautiful young omega with a curious smile on his face, he froze.
“What’s going on here?” Oliver asked, his tone and expression the definition of calm.
The men looked at each other. “We’re being threatened,” the leader said.
Oliver eyed his father. “Dad, hand off the gun. Seriously.”
Chickie’s jaw tightened, but he folded his arms across his chest.
“Gentlemen?” Oliver said expectantly, raising his eyebrows at the strangers.
Reluctantly, the alphas each took a step back, and the one in the middle lifted his palms in an appeasing gesture.
“Great. Can we talk now?”
“Um. Hi, Oliver,” one of the lumberjacks said before craning his head to look at Chickie. “Mr. Klondike, can I say something? We’re not supposed to take down any trees. Just clearing out fallen timber. I don’t think they’re gonna build here right away.”
“Do you have a building permit?” I asked the alpha in the middle. It was a useless question. I knew they couldn’t have one because the sale of the land had just been finalized.
“We’re only putting a couple of trailers on the property. We don’t need a permit for that.”
Oliver paused in front of Chickie, folding his arms across his chest, creating a mirror image of his father. Was he aware of that?
“Dad, these people aren’t doing anything illegal, and you know it. The person who bought the land is a good guy.”
Chickie pinched his lips together, shooting daggers at Oliver, but then his expression crumbled into a painful grimace. “Why, Ollie?”
“He’s my mate.” Oliver gestured to me. “Which I would have told you if you’d answered my calls.”
Chickie wavered, blinking. Then he glowered at me. “How long?” he spat.
“I’ve had a suspicion for a while but didn’t act on it. I’ve only known for sure since last Friday.”
One of the alphas cleared his throat loudly, but everyone ignored him.
My friend gave me a long, withering look, then turned back to Oliver. “Did you lie to me?”
“Can we do this somewhere private?” Oliver asked.
Chickie didn’t spare the strangers another word. He spun around and stomped toward the cruiser.
“Great. Let’s go home,” Oliver said. “Pa must be worried.”
The human alphas observed the proceedings like a tennis match. Oliver nodded at them, giving them a sweet smile. “My apologies, gentlemen. It was all just a big misunderstanding. Say hi to your boss from me.”
They watched us climb into the truck and leave after Chickie’s cruiser.
“That went well,” Oliver chirped as the truck made its way down the steep gravel road.
“Really?” I wasn’t sure I agreed with that assessment.
Oliver shrugged. “As good as expected, I mean.”
“I feel responsible for what happened up there. Your dad wouldn’t have been so rash if he weren’t mad at me.”
“You are not responsible for my father’s deregulated emotions. That’s his problem. Hopefully, those guys won’t make a big deal out of it. Because it won’t be the first time Dad has faced disciplinary action.”
“But the last time, I was on his side.” Some years ago, Chickie and I chased a couple of developers out of town after they’d been sniffing around, trying to buy land. They had filed a misconduct complaint against our sheriff, and it had taken a while to get it dismissed.
“It could have been handled without harassing people in bear form,” Oliver said without any bite in his tone. “Just saying.”
“I’m surprised you remember. You were just a kid then.”
“I was sixteen. I had enough brains to understand what went down. Pa was mad at both of you.”
He turned the truck up the winding road to his parents’ cottage.
I watched his profile, the determined curve of his mouth, and wondered if Chickie and I would get to do the admittedly wild stuff we used to do together ever again.
With both Phil and Oliver breathing down our necks like an oversight committee, we might have to resort to more conventional methods of problem-solving. If Chickie ever speaks to me again.
But Oliver was right. Barging into that clearing in bear form today could have had nasty consequences.
While he turned the truck around and parked with the tail toward the closed garage, next to the cruiser, I shot a quick message to Monty telling him the conflict had been resolved and I’d explain on Monday. Then I climbed out and followed Oliver into the house.
Time to face the music.
We found them in the kitchen. Phil stood leaning against the counter, wearing a pinched expression. Chickie sat with his arms folded on the table and his shoulders bunched up.
“Do you want coffee, Frey?” Phil asked.
“Yeah, thank you so much.”
“I’ll have a cup too,” Oliver said. He moved to pull mugs out of the cabinet above the sink.
A few seconds passed with only the noises of clanking dishes and water running.
Then Chickie lifted his head, his dark-brown eyes clouded with anger. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was about to,” I began. “But you reached for the gun.”
He scoffed. “I wouldn’t have pulled a gun on you!”
I raised one eyebrow. “You just threatened to shoot my balls off.”
Phil turned on Chickie, waving a milk carton around. “Are you insane?”
“But he was… our Ollie…” Chickie spluttered, gesturing at me with both hands.
“He’s my fated mate,” Oliver cried. “I love him, and he loves me. And even if we were just fucking around…” Chickie jerked as if he’d been slapped, but Oliver didn’t let him interrupt.
“Even if we were just having sex for the fun of it, it would have been my choice and mine only. An adult, remember?” He waved at himself.
“You praised me for my independence only days ago, but suddenly, you need to protect my virtue? And why didn’t you pick up when I called you? ”
“Frey betrayed my trust,” Chickie stated.
Phil rolled his eyes. He was facing away from Chickie, but it was as if his husband felt the eye roll. “Don’t make faces, Phil. What was I supposed to think, huh?”
“You could have asked them or talked to Oliver when he tried to reach you.”
At that, my friend looked guilty. “I would have. Once I calmed down. But then Morris called about the commotion behind the church, and…”
“Why are you still angry at Teddy?” Oliver demanded.
“He should have told me he was mated to you.”
“When exactly? He didn’t know before Friday.”
“He had you under his nose for days. He must have known!”
I sighed. “Chickie, I’m sorry. I’ve been attracted to Oliver for some time, but I did my best to avoid him. When he started working for me, it… blew up.”
Oliver pulled out a chair and sat next to Chickie.
He put his thin arm around his father’s massive shoulders.
“It was me who went to Teddy, Dad,” he said softly.
“I’ve always wanted him, so I chased him down.
I’m sorry you found out the way you did because I was honestly looking forward to coming here after the heat and telling you. ”
At that, Chickie froze. “Heat?”
“Yes. I went into heat on Friday. We’re having a baby.”
“A baby?” my friend breathed.
“Fated mates and first heat mean baby,” my mate said, with only a tiny hint of sarcasm in his kind tone. “You told me that’s how it goes when you explained the birds and the bees to me.”
“You’re pregnant?” Chickie’s voice rose in pitch.
“Duh.”
“I…” He looked at me, then at Oliver, and finally at his husband. He looked stunned.
“Why are you so surprised?” Oliver asked.
“You’ve always been different, and I worried that maybe…”
Oliver stroked his back soothingly. “I’m healthy, Dad. No, I haven’t ever shifted, but I am a bear shifter omega.”
“You’re pregnant,” Chickie repeated shakily.
“Yes. And in love with the best alpha you know. The man you chose as your closest friend, remember?”
Chickie took a deep breath, his shoulders lifting and sinking again. “You should have told me,” he said quietly. There was no anger in his tone anymore.
“I would never have heard the end of it. Can you imagine if I told you that I was in love with Teddy before I went to college? What would you have done, huh? Cast him out of town? Locked me up like a prince in a tower? Or would you have forced us together before we were ready?”
To that, my old friend had no reply. The gaze he gave me was almost pleading. But what was I supposed to do? Neither of us had any chance against the force that was Oliver on a mission.
“I couldn’t tell you. I had to go away and grow up.”
My omega was incredible.
“We’re in love, Dad,” Oliver whispered. “I’m happy.”
Finally, Chickie turned to Phil.
“Did you know?” he asked, sounding a little fearful. I imagined it would have been too great a betrayal for Chickie if his husband had kept such a secret from him.
Smiling widely, Phil shook his head. “I had a suspicion that Oliver had a crush on Frey growing up. He always stared at him with stars in his eyes. But they only told me about being mates this morning.”
Chickie blew out a breath. “Dammit.”
“It’s a good thing, Hawke,” Phil said softly. “Could you imagine our Ollie with anyone else?”
Another mammoth sigh. Then a headshake. He pointed a finger at me, then at Oliver.
“I’m still mad at you two for lying to me.”
“We didn’t technically lie,” Oliver said.
Chickie shot his son a glare, but Oliver looked unrepentant. He stood and stretched his arms above his head.
“Pa, do you have any stew left? I’m starving.”
“Sure. It’s even better when it gets to rest overnight. I’ll heat it up.”
“Wonderful. Let’s have lunch.”
Phil asked us to set the table outside in the backyard since the weather was sunny and their kitchen was so small.
I helped Chickie unfold the chairs and move the table under the sprawling maple tree in the middle of their lawn so we’d get some shade. He paused, leaning on one of the chairs, eyeing me. I expected him to say something, but he seemed to be waiting for me to do the same.
“I’m sorry, man,” I began. “You weren’t supposed to find out like that.”
Chickie shrugged and straightened, glancing around his garden.
“I was about to give you a speech. You know… how I’m going to keep an eye on you and make sure you treat my boy like he deserves, or else.”
I rocked on my heels. “Go for it.”
“Nah. When I think about it, I’m not worried about Ollie in this scenario.”
“Thanks. That means a lot.”
My friend chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re thanking me now.
But, dude, you’re mated to my Ollie. I have four sons, and three of them are bear alphas, but if you asked me which one of my kids is the strongest, the answer would always be Oliver.
Good luck to you, my friend, because that boy is a menace and a half. He’ll make you go prematurely gray.”
I grinned at the picture Chickie painted.
“He’s amazing,” I said. “I’m more in awe of him every day.”
Chickie slapped my shoulder. “I hate surprises. But this one turned out to be okay.”