Page 23 of Chasing Secrets
“Thank you,” he said around the hard, burning lump in his throat. “For not pushing. For not... demanding anything.”
Chase studied him. “You’ve had enough people trying to control you, I think.”
The observation was so accurate it made Jalen’s breath catch. How had Chase seen that? Was it that obvious, or was there something about being mates that gave Chase insight into him?
Before Jalen could panic, the back door opened and Preston poked his head out.
“Hey, there you are,” Preston said, his eyes moving between them. “Zeppelin just called. They found Vaughn.”
Chase straightened immediately, his posture alert. “Is he okay?”
“Banged up pretty bad, but alive,” Preston reported. “They’re bringing him back now.”
“Who’s Vaughn?” Jalen asked, feeling once again like he was several steps behind in a conversation everyone else understood.
“Pack member,” Chase explained. “He went missing this morning. We thought demons might be involved.”
“Demons,” Jalen repeated flatly. “Right. Of course. Why not add demons to the mix? Vampires, wolf shifters, demons... what’s next, the Easter Bunny?”
Preston smirked. “The Easter Bunny is definitely not real. But leprechauns? Total money-grubbers.”
Jalen stared at him, trying to determine if he was joking. Preston’s expression was perfectly serious, but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes that made Jalen suspect he was being messed with.
“He’s kidding,” Chase assured him, though there was amusement in his voice. “Leprechauns aren’t real.”
“Thank god for small mercies,” Jalen muttered.
Preston grinned. “I’ll let you guys get back to your... thing. Just thought you’d want to know about Vaughn.”
Guess our ice cream trip is cancelled. Not that Jalen was in the mood for any. Any why get to know Preston if he didn’t plan on sticking around? Better to reject the friendship than risk Preston deciding Jalen wasn’t worth the effort later.
As Preston disappeared back inside, Jalen glanced at Chase. “So demons are real too? You weren’t just saying that to freak me out?”
“They’re real,” Chase confirmed. “We actually talked about them in the kitchen earlier, though clearly you don’t remember.”
“We did?” Jalen frowned. He’d been so high elephants could’ve stomped through and he wouldn’t have remembered. The only thing he was sure of were those bussin S’mores he’d made. Jalen recalled looking for chocolate, but when he couldn’t find any, he’d grabbed peanut butter instead.
Chase rested his hand lightly on Jalen’s shoulder, warm and welcoming despite his conflicted feelings. The touch also made parts of Jalen’s body twitch with a need he ignored.
“It’s a lot to take in, I know. But you’re handling it better than most.”
“Am I?” Jalen laughed, the sound a little too high-pitched. “Because I feel like I’m barely keeping it together.”
“You’re still standing. Still asking questions. Still making jokes about the Easter Bunny.” Chase’s thumb brushed lightly against Jalen’s collarbone, sending an unexpected shiver through his body. “That’s more than most humans manage when their worldview gets obliterated overnight.”
The praise, simple as it was… Fuck. I’m not going to cry! When was the last time someone had acknowledged his strength rather than his weaknesses?
“We should go inside,” Chase said, dropping his hand. “I want to hear what happened with Vaughn.”
Nodding, Jalen followed him back into the house. “If you don’t mind, I’d like a little more rest,” he said, already edging toward the stairs. “I’m still tired.”
“I’ll come check on you later,” Chase replied.
Jalen barely heard him, already bounding up the steps, desperate to fill the hollowness carving him apart.
Chapter Seven
Chase stared after his mate, wondering if the soft approach had been the right call. He’d debated for hours how to deal with the situation concerning those pills. But right now, everything in him screamed to follow his mate, to find out if he was really lying down or simply lying.
