Page 13 of The Suspicious Mate

He had a lot to think about. Having only moved to the city two days ago, he was probably considering leaving. That thought brought a tightness in Noa's stomach and a slight panic to his mind. He would have to convince Kallan that the incident was not indicative of the entire town and population. They pulled into the back parking lot, and Noa rounded the truck to assist him, but Kallan was already out and shutting the door. Noa reached out his hand to him, and Kallan took it.

Their relationship was improving, and he was leaning on Noa, but he still had a lot of work to do. “Parc is the dark-haired bartender. You might remember him from when you and Mac were here."

"I remember him," Kallan responded.

"Well, his mate, or rather boyfriend, Danny Atwater, is a police officer here in Cincinnati. Parc said he would talk to Danny when he got off shift tonight and would let us know if there is any further information regarding your break-in. He will also be able to keep us up to date on what the police are doing.” Noa finished and opened the back door for Kallan and then followed him in.

Cross and Parc were in the main room, seated at the bar, when Noa arrived. He made introductions and explained what had taken place at the apartment, not going into specifics but making sure Cross and Parc understood that there were paranormal influences. Autry arrived at that moment and asked Kallan if he would like to take a tour of the club and get a drink to help calm his nerves. Kallan was on board which was a relief.

"You go ahead, sweetheart, and I'll wait for you here. Have Autry show you some of the vintage leather goods in the BDSM room." He teased and got a lovely chuckle for his efforts. Kallan was coming back to himself again. Once he was off with Autry in another room, they got down to the real purpose of the meeting.

"I smelled jackal all through the place," Noa stated.

"The grays," Parc said with a shake of his head. "But why that part of town and why Kallan specifically?" Noa was wondering the same thing.

"He followed him the night he and Mac were here," Noa told them. "Kallan thought he saw him outside later that evening. That's why he was so scared. I checked the area, and it was reeking of Jackal. A derelict wolf shifter I found in the bushes identified the Jackal as a gray."

"It's time to put the squeeze on that gang before they decide to branch out onto the strip and other parts of town," Cross stated.

"Are you planning on taking them out?" Parc asked, eager to be rid of the rogues. "Their violence is growing, and it has been rumored that they are branching out into murder."

“We’re just going to knock them back for now and let them know the limits. I know you’d like to eliminate the threat, but I don't want us to become the caretakers of Cincinnati. I want a quiet life here with my mate and my pack." Cross clarified, and Parc agreed.

"I'll have Zeke do a background on them and get a feel for their routine. From there, we'll decide the best place and time to hit them." Cross explained further. "In the meantime, stay close to your mate." Noa had no problem with that directive.

"He'll be staying with me until we get this worked out," Noa informed.

"You've accepted the fact that he is your Fated mate?" Cross questioned, eyeing him speculatively.

“Yes, no doubt in my mind.” Noa felt a bit stupid for having questioned the reality of Fated Bonds now that he was face to face with his own. The connection continued to grow stronger and deeper with each passing minute. It started out subtly but was now a raging need filling his heart and soul. No relationship ever felt like this, especially after only a handful of hours spent together.

"Were you in his apartment prior to the break-in?" Cross suddenly asked.

“Yes, when I picked him up this morning, he invited me in. I was only there a few minutes.”

"They went ahead with the destruction even with the scent of a powerful shifter in the space?" Parc commented. "They're bold and dangerous," Parc repeated his previous concerns.

“They’re fools.” Cross countered.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Kallan walked and listened as Autry showed him around the back rooms. It was interesting, and he would have enjoyed it more if he didn't have such heavy thoughts. It was hard to put aside the man from last night and the destruction of today and not draw a connection.

"I know you've had a hell of a day, and I'm sorry that your first days in the city have been scared by such violence." Autry clearly read his mood and said all the right things. He was a sweet young man.

"Most of the day was great." Kallan tried to smile. "Noa took me antiquing, and I had a wonderful time. It was when he dropped me home that the floor slid out from under me.”

“Noa is a great guy, and he will help you any way that he can, so let him. It's not wrong to need a little support at a time like this." Autry was singing the man's praises, but it was not necessary since Kallan's opinion of the man had already begun to change.

“He’s letting me stay with him.” Kallan offered.

"He has a lovely place. It's a ranch style with a combination of stone and wood siding. He takes good care of it, and the yard is sprawling and landscaped. Plenty of plants and trees." Autry was still vigorously selling every aspect of the man, and it made Kallan smile. Noa had good friends, and it took a good man to have good friends.

Autry poured him a brandy from the bar in one of the private rooms. The room was lush and had plenty of flat surfaces, so Kallan just let his imagination run wild as to what the patrons did in that room. He took the brandy and drank it down in one go and set the glass back on the bar. "Thanks, that really hit the spot."

Autry chuckled and poured him another, but this one, he drank slower. They spent a few minutes talking about mundane things, weather, shopping, and restaurants, and it felt good to talk about such things and pretend the world was normal once again. When they returned to the main room, Kallan had the distinct impression that important things had been discussed in his absence. It wasn't anything specific, but all three men looked solemn and intense.

As soon as Noa turned to him, his expression turned to a warm smile, and Kallan ate it up. He kept walking right into Noa's outstretched arms and wrapped his arms around Noa's waist. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world and yet was something he ordinarily would never do.

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