Page 24 of Destined Prey
Rhett growled and grumbled something about Jack being off his rocker, but he stopped trying to get out the door.
Jack didn’t let go of him. “Come on. Put the rifles up.”
Rhett cut him a sideways glare. “Are there more wild animals in the house?”
“Just me.” Jack’s joke fell flat. He ignored Rhett’s groan. “Look, that coywolf wasn’t after the livestock.”
“Right,” Rhett drawled. “It was just hanging around, hoping to be adopted and domesticated.” He faced Jack fully. “Wolves, coyotes, coywolves, you know those things ain’t ever gonna be tamed. Have you forgotten everything you learned growing up out here?”
Jack rolled his eyes. “No, much as I tried, I’m still a country boy at heart.Ish.Or at the very least, the lessons we learned stuck. I’m not shooting anything, though. And right now, neither are you, because that wasn’t your average coywolf.”Oh shit. I’m gonna sound like I’ve totally lost my mind. I can’t even believe it, but am I going to tell him that shifters exist?
“Jack? What’s going on? You look like you’re about to lose it.” Rhett nudged his arm. “Come on. Let’s sit down and you can tell me what’s going…” His eyes narrowed as his gaze dipped down from Jack’s. “On.”
Jack didn’t know what that look was about. He was just relieved that Rhett wasn’t going to kill Ben.This time. But what happens the next time Ben or his…pack? Whatever they are, what happens the next time they show up out here? What if traps are put out?Jack shuddered. He didn’t think he’d be able to forgive himself if someone got caught in a trap and lost a leg—or their life.
Somehow, he was going to have to convince Rhett of the existence of something that should have been impossible.
And Rhett was still staring at him. Jack led Rhett into the office, brushing past him. The smell of gun oil lingered in the air. It made Jack queasy. He couldn’t stop picturing Ben on the wrong end of a bullet, fur matted, eyes gone flat. He pressed a hand hard to his chest until the image faded. “You have to promise to listen to me. I’m not crazy, I swear.” Even if hedidwonder about himself. But Rhett had seen him letting Ben out. That had to mean everything that had transpired between him and Ben had been real.
Rhett put the rifles up, and Jack closed the office door, not that there was anyone around to eavesdrop. If one of the ranch hands came in, however, Jack didn’t want to be overheard.
Jack ran his fingers through his hair.
Rhett hissed, and the next thing Jack knew, his brother was poking him on the neck.
“What?” Jack snapped, stepping away from Rhett. “How’d you get that hickey?” Jack slapped one hand over the spot Rhett had just poked. How had he forgotten that Ben had sucked and nibbled there? Jack ignored the budding arousal the memory brought with it, and slowly lowered his hand. “Ben. Ben did it when we were having sex a few minutes ago.”
“Ben?” Rhett repeated. “The guy from the alley? He’s here?” He snorted. “So you aren’t sick—you wanted to get laid.”
“Yes,thatBen, and he isn’t here now. I just opened the door for him.” Jack waited for that to sink in.
But Rhett only looked confused as he moved over to the chair behind the desk. “What’re you talking about?”
Jack waited until Rhett sat down. “I’m talking about Ben Akers being here, in my room, until I let him out of the back door.”
Rhett shook his head. “You didn’t feel feverish when I touched you a few minutes ago. Did you hit your head? You let a goddamnedcoywolfout the back door. Is Ben still in your room? Or did you let that predator out after him? How’d the coywolf get in here in the first place?”
The more Rhett talked, the more irritated he became, his voice growing louder while he waved his hands around as if to emphasize his words.
Jack sat in the chair in front of the desk, slumping as soon as his ass hit the seat. He rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes. “Benisthe coywolf. He’s a shifter.”
“Bullshit!”
Jack heard Rhett’s chair scraping against the floor and knew he was getting up. Jack opened his eyes and raised his head, watching Rhett shove himself up, anger pinching his features.
“I don’t know what kind of fucked-up game you’re playing, or why,” Rhett snarled, “but this shit ain’t like you, Jack, and I don’tappreciate you doing…” He gestured wildly. “Whatever the fuck this is!”
Jack winced, trying not to be offended. Rhett’s anger was easier to handle than his doubt. Anger could burn out. Doubt settled deep, like a stone in water, rippling everything around it. He shouldn’t blame Rhett for thinking every word was bullshit, yet it hurt, to be talked to like that.
“Why was there a coywolf in this house?” Rhett asked heatedly. “Explain that.”
“Because it was Ben,” Jack replied, unwilling to prevaricate. “He’s a shifter. Apparently, there’s all kinds of shifters. Think aboutthatthe next time you go deer hunting.”
Rhett shook his head. “I don’t know why you won’t tell me the truth.”
“Thatisthe truth,” Jack assured him. “Why would I have a wild animal, one capable of killing me, in the house? Why would I have calmly opened the door and let it out? Why wouldn’t I want you to kill it? Think about those questions, Rhett. There’s apparently some kind of turf war going on between wolf, coyote and coywolf shifters, and this ranch might be in the middle of it.” Jack could tell by Rhett’s glower that he wasn’t buying anything Jack said.
“How many cattle have the coywolves killed?” Jack hoped he knew the answer. The question was a gamble. If Rhett could admit uncertainty, maybe there was room for more. Maybe Jack wasn’t completely crazy for believing what he’d seen.
