Page 20 of Wild Reckoning

A smile tugged at Stewart’s lips as a warmth spread through him. Maybe, just maybe, letting Killian in wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all.

Chapter Five

Killian was watching Stewart and Ethan from the couch, feeling a sense of contentment he hadn’t experienced in a long time. Ethan was sitting on the rug, surrounded by the toys Kalen had brought over, his giggles filling the living room as he played. Stewart was nearby, sipping his coffee, his eyes occasionally darting over to Killian, a small smile playing on his lips.

Everything felt... right. Until the front door suddenly opened, letting in a gust of chilly air.

Killian’s gaze snapped toward the door, and then he exploded off the couch, placing himself between the stranger and his family. A man stood there, half in and half out, his eyes widening when he saw them.

“Uh, sorry.” The stranger’s voice was deep and gruff, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender as Stewart got up to stand in front of Ethan. “Didn’t realize anyone was here. I’m Alonso. I was just, uh, coming by to do some work for my uncle. Didn’t know he’d rented the place out.”

Killian narrowed his eyes, every protective instinct he had flaring up. He stood tall, his eyes locked on Alonso, his bear snarling.

“Your uncle?” Killian was about to go dark and put the human down if Alonso made one wrong move. He spotted the tensing of the man’s leg muscles in the worn jeans. The stranger was ready to run if he had to.

“Yeah, Frank. He owns the place,” Alonso said, his gaze flicking around the room, barely meeting Killian’s. “I’m really sorry about this. I’ll just... I’ll just go.”

Killian didn’t relax, not even when Alonso quickly stepped back outside, pulling the door closed behind him. He stayed where he was, listening intently until he heard the sound of a car engine starting and fading away down the driveway. Something was off about that guy, and Killian didn’t like it. He was going to change the locks.

“That was unsettling.” Stewart’s brows furrowed.

Killian turned to him and forced a reassuring smile. “I need Frank’s number so I can let him know about his nephew dropping by unannounced.” He glanced at Ethan, who was still happily playing on the rug, oblivious to the tension that had filled the room moments before.

“Okay.” Stewart glanced at him. There was a fragile trust in his mate’s eyes that made Killian determined not to let Stewart or the cub down.

After locking the door, he went to the kitchen and called his brother. “I need a locksmith.”

“Then why are you calling me?” Ryker snorted a laugh. “Do I look like I carry around lock-picking tools?”

Killian told him what just happened.

“It could’ve been an honest mistake,” Ryker replied, humor gone. “But since you’re calling me, your gut is telling you otherwise.”

“Honest mistakes don’t carry the scent of deception. Smelled it all over him.” Killian checked the back door just to make sure.

“Send me some pics of the locks you want replaced, and I’ll go grab ’em.”

Killian glanced down when Ethan walked into the room, carrying the bear Kalen had given him. The toddler looked up at him with those green expressive eyes, like the world was still a huge wonder to him. “I wanna snack and, an I’mma dirsty.”

“I’m trying really hard to imagine you corrupting, I mean, raising a kid,” Ryker said, a smile clear in his voice.

Killian growled.

Ethan growled.

“Loving this.” Ryker laughed. “Send me those pics.” He hung up.

Pocketing his phone, Killian grabbed the grapes from the fridge, smashing them to smithereens, then filled a sippy cup with sugar-free juice. Stewart had picked that out, not him.

He snapped some pics of the back door locks then walked as slow as a snail behind Ethan as they made their way to the living room, where he snapped some pics of the front door lock.

That was when he noticed Stewart wasn’t in the room.

“Poddy.” Ethan had his bowl hugged to his small chest, his cup tucked under his arm. “I godda poddy.”

“Stewart!” Killian glanced around, wondering where his mate could’ve gone.

“I’ll be down in a sec,” Stewart hollered from upstairs.

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