Page 12 of Beautiful Butterfly

Wyatt couldn’t recall the last time he’d felt this relaxed and lighthearted. It had everything to do with Alister and how they’d exhausted each other yesterday when they’d sealed their bond.

Even now, just thinking about the way Alister’s body responded to his touch, made Wyatt want to drive home and spread his mate out on the kitchen table and dine on him.

Wyatt shook his head, trying to dislodge the distracting thoughts. Sheriff Harper wasn’t going to let him take the rest of his shift off again. Since first becoming a deputy, Wyatt had never skipped out on work. Not until Alister.

When he’d driven his mate to the station to pick up his car, Paris had been there. After the fox shifter had chased Alister around and pinned him to the floor, they’d finally worked things out.

It had taken everything in Wyatt not to go apeshit at seeing Paris acting so aggressive toward Alister. The only thing that stopped him was the fact that Paris loved his best friend and would never intentionally hurt him, and honestly, the two needed to settle shit between them.

Alister had been miserable without his best friend.

“I’m heading to Paris’s apartment to pack his belongings,” Cannon said. “You want Alister to hang with us when I’m done? I’m pretty sure the two are going to want to spend time together.”

Wyatt couldn’t wait until Cannon came off his honeymoon period. It was killing him not to be with his mate. They’d just claimed each other and should be having massive amounts of sex for the next two weeks.

“Alister told me they were meeting at Sweet Spot,” Wyatt replied. “I’ll swing by there in a moment to see what he wants to do.”

“Listen.” Cannon sighed. “Shit’s been crazy since Negan’s attack. Alister seems to be doing better, but I just want to know if he really is okay.”

Wyatt knew the lion shifter had a soft spot for Alister, and he appreciated the concern, but his cheetah was snarling at the thought of his mate being around another apex shifter while they were still deepening their bond. “The only thing that made him miserable was not talking to Paris,” he admitted. “I have no problem with the two of them hanging out, but…” Wyatt looked Cannon over. “I’d prefer if Alister kept his distance from you right now.”

“Why would you have an issue with me—”

Wyatt saw the moment the lightbulb lit up over Cannon’s head.

“I fucking knew it!” Cannon chuckled as he gave Wyatt a quick man-hug, slapping him on the back. “Congratulations, bro. I’m just glad and relieved Alister has a mate who’ll look out for him.”

“Thanks, now go pack Paris’s belongings. As soon as I take care of some things here, I’ll swing by the bakery.”

“If they want to spend time together, they can hang out at Bluebird Café. I’ll keep my distance and let Ajax know to do the same.” Cannon headed for the door.

Not every apex nonhuman became hostile during their bonding period. Cannon hadn’t, but Wyatt had. There wasn’t anything he could do about it, either. For the next two weeks, his beast would have semi-control.

Wyatt forced himself to get his report from this morning written up. A neighbor dispute that had luckily been resolved without an arrest. It took him only thirty minutes to complete the report, and now he was heading out the door.

“Haven’t ever seen a smile like that on you before.” Dominic grinned as he slapped Wyatt on the shoulder. “Being mated looks good on you.”

“Feels good,” Wyatt admitted. “I always heard it changed a person, but until you experience it firsthand, you don’t really understand the impact it has on you.”

Dominic chuckled. “Haven’t ever heard you get deep, either.”

Wyatt shrugged with a smile. He’d always been a laidback kinda guy, even though a part of him lived in darkness. He finally felt much lighter, thanks to Alister. “I’m heading to the bakery. I’ll pick up something for the station.”

“Now you’re just trying to spoil us.” His boss smirked as he headed to his office.

Happiness washing through him, Wyatt exited the station. He tilted his head back and took a moment to enjoy the sun on his face before he drove to the bakery, anxious to see Alister.

God, Wyatt couldn’t believe how deep his bond with his mate had become. It filled him up and spilled over.

Cannon’s car was parked next to Paris’s, and next to his was Alister’s Mercedes. With a cocky smile, Wyatt entered the bakery.

He stopped, his heart hammering when he heard the sound of fighting. His cheetah snarling, Wyatt stormed toward the kitchen.

Cannon was brutally fighting a stranger.

The kitchen was in shambles, and the only thing on Wyatt’s mind was finding Alister. When he spotted Paris on the other side of the room, that darkness, which was ever-present on the fringes of Wyatt’s entire being, barreled to the surface.

His cheetah barely contained, Wyatt strode angrily toward Paris. He wasn’t pissed at Paris. He just wanted to know where Alister was. Wyatt rounded the chrome worktable as Paris ran to Cannon and saw his little red panda on the floor.

---