Page 29 of Destined Prey
Casey smirked. “Better listen to your brother.”
Ben had no idea why Casey was goading Rhett, but he most definitely was. And Rhett was falling for it, reacting to Casey’s pokes and prods.
Casey kept staring at Rhett, even when he declared, “Now.”
Ben shifted on command. One second he was a man, then he wasn’t, though he was still cognizant of everything in the way a human would be. Sometimes he gave his beast full rein, but usually he was more human than not in any form. It was one of the abilities that kept shifters alive and hidden from human society.
Casey was right beside him, bigger, scarier, his black fur streaked with silver and brown. The shift left Ben thrumming—scents bright, sounds crisp, Jack’s heartbeat distinct even over Rhett’s noise. He planted his paws and held his ground.
Rhett was cussing steadily as he stumbled back toward the door. Casey growled and trotted over to stand against the door, blocking Rhett’s escape.
“No. This isn’t fucking possible,” Rhett mumbled, scampering away from Casey. “No fucking way.”
Jack tried to touch Rhett, but Rhett jerked away. “Rhett, I’m not going to hurt you.”
Rhett shook his head. “You brought this crazy shit into my life.”
Ben’s hackles twitched, but Jack’s look cut him off at the root. Protect, don’t provoke. He swallowed the growl.
Jack recoiled. Ben growled, but one disapproving look from Jack and he shut up.
Casey shook out his coat and yipped, which was as close to a laugh as he could clearly make in his current form.
Rhett stopped backing away and reached for Jack. “I’m sorry. That was a shitty thing for me to say. I…I just…I—”
Jack put his arms around Rhett, this time in a gentle hug. “I know. I still can’t grasp it, but it’s true. They’re real. And Ben is… Ben is my mate. I’m his mate. Something, somehow, we belong together.”
Rhett nudged Jack back a few inches. “You can’t know that. You just met him a few days ago.”
Ben shifted back into his human form.
Rhett swayed, then slapped a hand to the wall closest to him. “That’s so fucked up.”
“How?” Ben asked him. “Maybe you’re the fucked-up one.”
Casey slowly began to approach Rhett. Rhett pushed Jack behind him. “I’m not scared of you.” Casey could have bared his teeth or snarled, done something to add to his already intimidating presence. He didn’t. Instead, he kept moving at what was, for him, a snail’s pace, until he was only inches away from Rhett.
Then he moved suddenly, shoving his nose right against Rhett’s crotch.
Rhett yelped and shoved his hand between Casey’s nose and his groin. “Stop it! Bad dog! Coywolf! Whatever, you asshole, you suck!”
Casey snuffled and shifted, then he had his face right where his muzzle had been. He glanced up at Rhett. “As it happens, Idosuck.”
Rhett shoved Casey back, slapping a hand to Casey’s forehead and sending him sprawling on his ass. “Get the fuck away from me. I wouldn’t let you touch me.”
Casey looked more amused than anything else, which surprised the hell out of Ben.
“You would, and you will.” Casey stood, then walked back to his clothes. “So now you know our secret. Are you going to expose us, and see to it that we’re killed?”
“Rhett,” Jack whispered. “No.”
Rhett looked from Casey to Ben, then to Jack. “You want him? Really?”
“I think it’s more than want, Rhett,” Jack explained. “There’s this thing called mates, and…”
Ben listened while Jack explained, though Ben did get dressed. He stood by Casey as Jack and Rhett spoke in low, urgent tones. Ben heard every word. He thought most of Rhett’s problem with them was that he thought Casey was an asshole. And he hated predators, threats to his herd.
“We can protect them,” Ben pointed out when he heard Rhett reiterate that concern.
