Page 7 of Lost Mate

No one said a word, although Joe seemed to be staring at the ceiling. It was clear he was trying not to laugh at his dad.

Joe Senior sighed. “Thank you for babysitting…guarding us.”

Eli snorted. “You’re welcome. If the hunters come through the door, you can eat them.”

“Deal,” Joe Senior said, a little too enthusiastically.

Peter sighed, then gave a rueful smile as his mate nuzzled against him.

Are the hunters bad guys? Dylan asked through their link.

God, how did he explain the hunters, without giving too much away?

Worse than that. They’re evil. You’ve gotta be careful, Dylan. Stay with me at all times.

I will.

With that tired agreement from his mate, Ross breathed easier. He stood and scooped up Dylan, picking him up without asking. “I’ll be on duty in the morning,” he said to Eli.

Owen suddenly burst out, “I’ll stay with you.”

Zeke coughed and they all turned to look at him. “We were just discussing arrangements. Ross, take my keys and go back to our house. The spare room is made up. Owen and I’ll take your room tonight. I’ll cover for him, boss.” He threw his keys and Ross caught them one handed.

It was as easy as that.

Ross didn’t argue and Dylan seemed to be half-asleep already, his face buried in the crook of Ross’s neck. Ross laid him on the backseat of his pick-up. Dylan sighed and grumbled a little, but he didn’t wake up.

Ross tangled his fingers in Dylan’s soft hair. “Sweet dreams,” he murmured.

Before he could drive away, Owen darted out of the house. Ross didn’t know Owen that well. He’d been recovering from a car accident when Owen appeared on the scene. But he was pack and that was all Ross cared about.

“Ross, wait up.”

He leaned against the pick-up, waiting for Owen to reach him.

Owen looked worried. “Listen, Dylan’s been missing for weeks, maybe longer. He wasn’t with the Streersons when Jake kidnapped me. I don’t know where he was, but he wasn’t one of the shifters who tortured me.”

“You know that for sure?”

“I do, and I told Eli too.”

“Good to know,” Ross said. He tapped his head. “I can’t sense it up here yet. I can hear him now but not beyond that.”

“It takes time and you’re human. Your senses are dulled.”

Ross tried hard not to be offended, knowing that Owen was right. He was still only a human. He shouldn’t even know that shifters existed. Now he was part of a wolf/human pack and for the first time, had another being in his head.

“You’ll learn,” Owen said with a smirk. “Zeke is amazing.”

Ross smiled at him. Zeke was freaking scary, but around Owen he was a different man. “Why did you come out to tell me about Dylan?”

“Because he needs to know someone is on his side.”

“And you want him to know you are?”

Owen gave him an ‘are you stupid’ look that should have reduced him to ashes. “That’s you, you idiot.”

Ross flushed. “Sorry.”

---