Chapter 35 #2
I thumbed behind me at the house. “I need a permanent bodyguard for Emery, both immediately and after the pup is born. He likes you, and I trust you.” Bayer’s eyes lit up, and for the first time since we’d gotten him out of Micah’s clutches, I saw pride and pleasure light his face.
He reached out, and we clasped each other’s forearm.
“It would be my honor.”
It was perfect, and I saw my dad nod in approval, even though he was standing a distance away.
It was perfect. For both of them. I knew Bayer wasn’t fazed with Emery being my mate, like some of the wolves, and I had a sneaky suspicion that once Emery found out, he would start inviting Danny around more often.
“Then let’s go see who this guy is, and then I’m moving you in.
” I held up a hand, expecting the protest. “I need you close, Bayer. The gammas’ quarters are too far away if I get called away in an emergency.
” Which wasn’t strictly true, but I hadn’t been happy with Bayer stuck out there.
“We have a guest room on the same side as the kitchen area, and it even has its own entrance.” My grandfather had built it for just this sort of reason.
It would be private enough for all of us.
Bayer nodded as I expected him to, and we went to the guard house.
It was rarely used as there weren’t many places you could secure a shifter, but it would do while I decided what to do with him.
Simeon greeted us at the door and let us in.
The young man wasn’t chained, and I refused to use a cage like Micah, but he couldn’t get past Simeon or his guards, so I wasn’t concerned.
He was awake when we entered the room and sat on the floor, holding his head. There was nothing else in there that could be used as a weapon, and Simeon said he hadn’t requested to take a piss, so I didn’t ask either. I wanted him uncomfortable.
“Who are you?” I didn’t mince words, and I assumed he knew who I was.
He swallowed nervously. “Ben Collingwood.”
I simply waited for more, which he nodded at in understanding, then winced. He clearly couldn’t shift to heal the lump above his eye, and I was willing to bet his head hurt.
“My father is Jem Collingwood. He…” Then he sagged after a brief hesitation, clearly knowing trying to bluster was pointless. “He’s into all sorts of illegal shit. He’s one of the guys who supplies the guns.” He leaned back against the wall. “I didn’t want to be there, but I had no choice.”
“Why don’t you have a choice?”
His eyes slid shut. “Callie,” he mumbled, then his head sagged to one side. I stepped forward to make sure he wasn’t faking, but he was out cold.
“Get Esther.” I didn’t like the look of him.
And humans could be tricky with head injuries.
Making a quick decision, I bent and picked him up off the floor and took him outside.
It would be quicker if I took him to Esther.
Securing him tight against my front, I ran to her cottage.
Simeon got there moments before me as I was trying not to jostle him, and Esther had already drawn the sheets of her bed down.
“Put him there.” She inhaled. “Who is he?”
“He was with the gunmen in the woods.” I frowned as I inhaled again.
He had a strange scent I couldn’t identify, and for some reason, it reminded me of Esther’s cabin, although I couldn’t say why.
And it wasn’t just because we were in here.
I was old enough, especially with my alpha abilities, to distinguish scents.
“Well, assuming you can’t take him to a clinic, let’s hope he has enough shifter in him to stop this from being a serious problem.
” She opened the box on her dresser and took out a small light, peeling back both eyelids gently.
“His pupils are reacting. Let’s get him cleaned up and roll him onto his side. ”
I frowned. “Why?”
“His side, you mean? Because head injuries in humans can cause nausea.”
“Ah,” I said, understanding, but it was a fact that we knew little about medicine because we relied too much on being able to shift.
With Emery here, maybe it was another thing I needed to address, and probably quickly.
He was due to give birth soon, and we hadn’t decided what we were going to do yet.
He hadn’t even had a scan, although that was arranged for later in the week.
I suppose I hoped the doctor would have some solution.
She quickly bathed his hands and face and made him as comfortable as possible. Suddenly remembering I’d asked Bayer here to see if he recognized him, I turned. Bayer was standing by the door and met my eyes, shaking his head. “Can you go back to Emery then, please?”
He nodded, and I sent the others away to double-check the area to make sure the bears had all slunk home before perching on Esther’s bed.
She was mixing some herbs with some paste, and I turned my attention to the boy.
He didn’t look very old, definitely younger than Emery, and to be honest, not that much older than Rhys.
I gasped in a breath as understanding hit me for the second time that day.
His scent. The adult silver-skins had barely any scent at all, which was why they were so hard to find.
But he reminded me of Rhys, and that was why his scent also smelled familiar in Esther’s cabin, because Rhys had been in here.
“What is it?” Esther asked, frowning.
“What does his scent remind you of?”
She stilled for a moment. “I can’t really detect one,” she said, and frowned. “But that makes no sense. Humans are usually obvious.”
I pressed. “Are you sure? Forget the human side of him and tell me who he reminds you of.” She gazed down at the young man for a moment, and I could see her trying to sort scents out in her head. Then her eyes widened, and I knew she got it.
“Rhys. How can he remind me of Rhys?”
“I don’t know. He’s not a silver-skin because he couldn’t run fast enough, and he’s not faking that injury. But he doesn’t remind me of their compound, so I don’t think he’s been there.”
“But he reminds you of Rhys.”
“Yes.” I rubbed my head. Why was that?
“You think he’s been with them?” Esther asked.
“Not exactly, but I don’t know why.” How could a human be around silver-skins and still live?
“If he’d been captured to feed from, he wouldn’t be free.”
I agreed. None of it made sense. But I didn’t suppose we would find out until he woke.
I walked to the door and motioned for Simeon to come in.
“I’m going to see our other guest,” I said grimly.
“Don’t let him out of your sight, and especially don’t leave him alone with Esther.
” Then, I headed back to the guard house and decided to have a chat with Micah.
I was glad Bayer wasn’t here to witness it because Micah was going to talk whether he liked it or not.