Chapter Five

Mike stepped out of the kitchen door into the bright morning sun. Becca walked out of the coverage of the trees and he smiled. He had opened his eyes that morning in hopes of continuing where they had left off the night before when they had collapsed, spent and tired. But he’d woken alone.

He’d hid his disappointment at her disappearance while he enjoyed his breakfast of fresh baked bread, eggs and ham with some of the others in the house. While eating, he’d received the news that no one had been able to find Owen. Owen hadn’t been seen since before the fire last night. The guy was looking guilty now. Everyone involved with the Pack should be around when the daughter of the Alpha’s house burned down. Especially someone involved in the case.

Mike had left a message for Brandon at the sheriff’s office back in Lawton, as well as phoning RJ, but neither of them answered. His day had not started well at all. But being able to take in the beautiful view of Becca heading toward him? Things were looking up.

She hadn’t noticed him yet, so he took the opportunity to watch her. She bounced a little as she walked, obviously happy as she made her way back to the house. She’d wrapped her hair up in a messy bun, allowing little strands to brush over her cheeks from the slight breeze. Mike wanted to muss her up even more.

He took the porch deck steps down and when she caught sight of him, her grin grew. And that went straight to his heart. Shit, he wasn’t supposed to getting so attached to her. His entire future was mixed up and unsettled. Having a little fun with her was one thing, but Mike was beginning to care about her. He wanted to that brilliant smile directed at him every morning. What was he going to do?

She met him in the middle of the yard and threw her arms around his neck. “What a great morning!”

He laughed. “Your house burned down the night before last.”

She dropped back on her heels. “Oh, yeah. Well, today started out better than yesterday so that’s something.”

He gave her a quick peck on the mouth. “Keep that thought.”

This time, she frowned and withdrew her arms. He didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but they couldn’t get lost in what was going on between them. There were some very dangerous people out there. Becca was an obvious target.

“What happened?” she asked.

“Owen’s gone,” he explained. “He’s not on Pack lands, in town, or anywhere we’ve searched.”

“Damn,” she muttered. “Okay, well, he couldn’t have gone far. We’ll find him. This territory has a lot of land associated with it. Owen wouldn’t have left the area without carrying out whatever mission he thinks he has.”

“I agree,” Mike said. “You need to be careful, though. He’s already set his sights on you once.”

“Of course. I’m not going to try to be a hero. I won’t let anyone around me get hurt because I do something dumb.”

“I left a message with a buddy of mine. He’s great at tracking. If we don’t locate him soon, I want him to come down and help.” He slung his arm around her neck and started to lead her back to the house. “Now where did you disappear to this morning? I was hoping to get in some serious cuddling time.”

Becca hip-checked him. “Yeah, I know what kind of cuddling you were thinking about. It’s later than I thought. I was coming to wake you my own special way.”

“Sorry I missed that then,” he pouted.

She stopped and turned to face him. “I should tell you that I went and talked to Kurt.”

Mike jerked back. Normally he would have had better control of himself but after their confessions the night before he hadn’t thought Becca would leave his bed to see her ex. Fuck, he was stupid. Here he was stressing about how fast they were moving and the deep feelings he had and she was with another guy.

She grabbed his arms and pushed him to the side of the house. “Really? After everything that was said last night, you’re going to doubt my intentions?”

He opened his mouth to deny her accusation, but she waved a hand. “What am I thinking? You’re a man!”

Mike nodded. He was a man, but that was not what left him speechless. Oh, no. The sight of Becca fuming before him was hot. Shit, his cock had been half hard but now hurt from pressing into the zipper of his jeans. What would she do if I haul her against the house and ravish her?

She smacked his shoulder. “I told you last night I’d never told Kurt he was right. It was time he knew. Without him taking a stand, my dreams wouldn’t have been possible, even if the cost was our relationship. He needed to hear from me that it was time he came back to the Pack to visit.”

That couldn’t have been an easy conversation to have. Damn, now he felt even more guilty for doubting her.

“As for your involvement, I don’t want to start a relationship with you with that still hanging over our heads.”

This was it. Becca was strong, brave and amazing. He was in trouble.

Her eyes sparkled as she braced her feet shoulder-width apart and fisted her hands on her hips. “Well? Don’t you have anything to say?”

He licked his lips. “God, I could fall in love with you.” Well shit, that wasn’t what he’d meant to say. Mike tried to think of some way to cover his words. “I mean…that’s to say…” He stopped talking. God, he was embarrassed.

Her expression softened. “I know. Me, too. That’s why I had to talk to Kurt. I made mistakes in the past, letting what everyone else wanted become more important. You deserve better than that. If we don’t work out, it won’t be because my old boyfriend is standing over our heads.”

Mike reached for her and she let him wrap his arms around her and pull her close. She’d been honest with him, so it was time to man up. Who cared if his hands were shaking and he had to clear his throat? He wanted her, plain and simple. Now he needed to make up for his asshole behavior. “I don’t care that you went and talked to your ex. I was surprised. And maybe a little disappointed.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Disappointed?”

“Yeah,” he whispered as he ran his tongue down her neck. “I was looking forward to waking up with you in my arms. Cuddling, remember?”

She sagged in his hold and tilted her head back to give him better access. “Well…”

Turning them, Mike pressed her against the brick of the main house. He pressed close so she could feel his erection and rubbed himself over her. Her moan was long and deep. It appeared that she approved.

“Mmm.” She shuddered. “That…that would have been nice.”

“Nice?” he growled. “I think we can do better than nice.”

He lifted her with hands on her hips so she was trapped between the wall and his body. She wrapped her legs around his waist while yanking at his shirt.

“Skin,” she demanded. “I want your skin.”

Mike helped her and pulled the shirt over his head, before dropping it to the grass. He rocked forward, drawing out another low long moan from her. “Here, baby? You want me to take you here where anyone can come up on us?” He wasn’t opposed to the idea. After all, their first night in the woods had been extremely erotic. The cool night air, the chance of exposure, the smell of nature. He had a kinky side he hadn’t even known about.

But this wasn’t the same. This was her home.

“I want you,” she exclaimed. “Yes, here, now.”

No one could have said no to that. “Pull your shirt up,” he ordered.

He positioned his hands to get a better hold on her. Becca lifted the hem of her shirt and unclasped her bra.

“Give me your breasts.”

Cupping herself, she tilted forward. He licked her pert nipple before drawing the nub into his mouth. She arched, crying out.

God, he loved the sounds she made.

Nuzzling and sucking, he treated her other tit to the same treatment. Didn’t stop until she was panting, begging for his cock. He would never make her beg, though. If Becca wanted, he would provide her with enough pleasure to make her weak in the knees.

“I need you,” she declared.

He gently lowered her legs to the ground, making sure she was steady. Her shirt came off, her bra hung off one shoulder, and he was already working on her jeans. Mike shoved her pants past her knees and helped her fall forward onto the grass. She made a picture on her hands and knees. He stood above her and lowered his zipper.

“Fuck, baby, you are so hot. I’m gonna fill you. Take you so hard. You’re going to be screaming my name,” he promised.

She nodded. “Yes, please.”

He shoved his own jeans and boxers down before dropping to cover her body with his. Mike used his fingers to make sure she was ready, slipping two digits inside. She rocked back against him. Even though he would have preferred more foreplay, they were already on dangerous ground being so close to the house.

“Ready?” He removed his hand and positioned the head of his cock at her entrance.

“Give it to me.”

Mike meant to tease her. Resting the tip of his cock between her folds, he could already feel the wet heat of her pussy. Instead of him taking his time, Becca slammed herself back and took him in on one motion, her inner muscles squeezing his cock. He gripped her hip, groaning, trying to rein in his control. He loved being inside her and was already close to coming.

“Now, fuck me like you mean it,” she ordered.

Mike drew back before slamming in again. “Demanding little thing,” he huffed out, but his laugh was strained. No one else had ever challenged him this way. He rode her hard, thrusting into her.

Becca urged him on, calling out “Faster” and a string of yeses.

Her body tightened around him as her muscles clamped down while she climaxed. Becca shuddering and whimpering only heightened his own arousal. Mike pounded in harder. Thank God she could handle his frantic pace. The buzz under his skin alerted him to his own pending orgasm. He dropped his mouth to her shoulder and bit down as his seed pumped from his cock and released inside her.

They collapsed onto the damp grass, and she started to giggle. The happy sound made a chuckle escape him. He shifted off her and lay on his back, utterly exhausted. She propped up on an elbow.

“Now that was worth waiting for,” she told him with a wink. “I think I might sneak out every morning if this is how you punish me.”

He shook his head. The damn female was going to kill him. “I’ll show you punishment,” he threatened. Instead, he clasped her hand in his. He’d get up and get them inside soon. Well, when the small tremors still coursing through his body subsided.

* * * *

By the time she and Mike had been able to sneak back into the house, shower together, and dress for the second time, Becca’s blood was humming. At least she would have the energy to deal with what was left of her cottage. Even though she had the apartment in town, she wanted her home fixed. It would mean spending some of the savings she’d put aside for her next trip, but the house was more important.

Becca strolled to the bed where Mike was glaring at his phone. Which hadn’t rung, even though he’d checked it at least five times in the last ten minutes. She could feel the aggravation coming off him.

“They’ll call,” she told him.

He nodded but was still frowning. “I don’t like being kept in the dark. We can’t depend on the investigators, obviously. We don’t know who Owen is working with. Every case could be tampered with. There are a lot of details and evidence that Owen had access to.”

“You mean you think other members of the Pack could be involved?” she asked, although she didn’t want to. Wasn’t it bad enough that it looked like even one member of the Pack was involved? To have other members involved? God, that betrayal hit deep.

“It’s possible. I’m sorry,” Mike told her, cupping her cheek and placing a kiss on her forehead. “We have to look to see who he is involved with. We have to make sure. Brandon doesn’t have jurisdiction here, but with pressure from the Alpha Council, I’m hoping he’ll know what steps to take.”

Becca pulled away and walked over to the window. She pushed the curtain back and gazed out onto her property, the territory she had grown up in. Surely the entire police force couldn’t be involved? That would be devastating. “Why? Why would they do this? My father is a good and fair Alpha.”

Mike wrapped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed tight. “I don’t know. Some people are evil.”

She sighed. Can it be that simple? evil in the world? There has to be more to it than that, doesn’t there?

“Why our Pack?” she questioned. She knew that Mike didn’t have the answers, but she needed to voice the question anyway.

“I don’t know. But we will find out,” he promised. “I believe it goes back to the humans. They might have something against the shifters helping them. Or perhaps convinced them. Either way, we’ll get the answers you need.”

She leaned back into his hold. That was all they could hope for. “Thank you. I want to talk to my dad before I call some contractors, regarding my cottage. I’m not going to leave it a pile of rubble.”

He kissed the back of her head. “Let’s go down and get to work.”

She gladly twined her fingers with his. He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. The gesture was sweet and she felt like the luckiest girl in the world. Walking out of the bedroom, she glanced behind her to the unmade bed. Being back in the main house wasn’t ideal, but they’d make do. At least no other guest room around them was being used. Becca led the way down the stairs, trying to make a mental list of what needed to be done. Her dad’s office door was open and voices came from within. She didn’t let go of his hand as they reached the threshold. Mike glanced over at her and she shrugged. It wasn’t like they had to hide their relationship.

“Dad?” She knocked on the open door and went inside. Her father stood talking with Eric and Kenny, but he smiled at her when they entered the office. She released her hold on Mike, walking straight over to her dad. He opened his arms and she hugged him tight. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she buried her face in his chest. He’d always been so supportive of her. The previous night she’d acted like a spoiled brat. Kurt wasn’t the only person she needed to apologize to. Peace settled over her as he rocked her. She was reminded how strong her father was. Tipping her head back she gazed up at him. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “No, you don’t have to apologize,” he said and glanced over at Mike. “I should have told you. I thought about it several times.” He dropped his voice. “When I saw your attraction to Mike, I knew I couldn’t. If you had known Kurt was back, would you have been able to get to know Mike?”

She peeked back at Mike, who was acting like he wasn’t paying attention to them. She knew, though, that he could still hear every word, like Eric and Kenny could. But the other men in the room were doing their best to give her and her dad privacy.

“I think I would have,” she admitted. “I really do.”

He father beamed down at her. “I’m happy, right? I don’t need to go all growly on him?”

She laughed. “Yes, you’re happy, Dad.”

He hugged her tight again. They let go of each other and her dad walked over to Mike. He held out his hand. When Mike accepted the handshake, her dad murmured, “I’m glad you came.”

“Me, too,” Mike agreed.

That taken care of, her dad turned back into the Alpha. “We have a lot to discuss.”

Everyone took a seat—her dad behind the desk, Eric and Kenny in the two chairs in front of him, and Becca and Mike side by side on the couch.

“The fire at the cottage had the same accelerant as the others in town. It’s the same people,” Eric updated them. “I asked for copies of the police files. After talking to Mike at breakfast, we’re concerned some of the evidence might be tampered with.”

Her father sighed. “We’re certain Owen is involved?”

“As much as we can be without talking to him. He’s hiding somewhere. Hopefully no one in your Pack is helping him, but we can’t be sure.”

“The cabin the humans are in is still under surveillance. Owen’s not there,” Kenny informed them.

“The humans may not be involved,” Eric noted. “Right now, all we know is they’re not fond of shifters.”

Mike shook his head. “With the timing of them showing up and what has been overheard, I can’t see them not being involved.”

Kenny nodded. “I agree with Mike.”

Her dad leaned back in his chair. “I want Owen found. Let’s keep an eye on the humans, but Owen is our priority. I don’t know if he knew whether or not Becca was home but…” He shook his head.

Becca shivered thinking of the possibility that she could have been home alone.

“I saw him at the diner last night,” Mike mentioned.

“I don’t remember seeing him,” Kenny said with a frown. “Damn, that makes me think he did believe Becca was home. And maybe you were with her.”

“Seems you may be making someone nervous,” Eric added.

“Yeah,” Mike agreed.

“Send out as many of the men as you can to look for Owen. I want him located today. I need to call the council and give them an update. Becca, we have to go through the cottage today.”

Everyone nodded.

Mike’s cell phone rang and he looked at the screen. He nodded toward her dad. “I need to take this.”

Her father waved him off. “Go ahead.”

Mike walked out of the room and Becca couldn’t help but let her gaze follow him. Once he’d walked out of the door, she looked back around and saw the three men watching her with amusement.

“Oh, shut up,” she said with a laugh that broke the tension the previous conversation had brought to the room. “I want to start rebuilding right away.”

“Are you sure?” her dad asked. “We can assign you another house.”

“No.” She shook her head. Becca had thought about it. “I’m going to use my savings. My cottage will be where it always was. It might not be the same. I’ll upgrade now that I have the choice, but it’s going back right there.”

“You don’t have to. Your mom—”

“Mom and you raised me there before you moved into the main house. I want it back.”

“Okay.” Finally, he gave in. “But I can help you pay for it.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but he held up a hand. “I insist. There’s some material I’ve been researching that is fire resistant. It wouldn’t have saved everything, but I’d like to try it out. Your new home will give me the perfect opportunity.”

Becca could argue with him for days, but he was stubborn. “Fine, but I want a hot tub.”

Her father laughed. “I think we can handle that.”

Mike answered Brandon’s call as he stepped into the hallway. “Hello.”

“Hey, man.” Brandon Stratton’s voice came through. “I got your message. I did a search through the council records on your guy. He doesn’t have a criminal background, but I expected that, since he’s a cop. But I did find something interesting.”

“What?” Mike asked, excited at the chance of having a lead.

“He was raised by a human mother. He didn’t join the Pack until he was in his mid-twenties. Five years ago, in fact.”

“Well, that’s different,” Mike observed. It was rare for a child shifter to grow up outside a Pack. He had met shifters who had gone Rogue once they were adults, but it was unusual for a child to be without Pack. They needed the security and closeness other shifters offered while going through puberty.

“Yeah,” Brandon agreed. “I did a search on the rest of the family. It appears that Owen’s mom and dad were never married. I can’t find much more on the dad other than a name on a birth certificate. It’s like he disappeared.”

Mike hummed. Interesting.

“The mom, however, did marry when Owen was five. Had two more children over the years,” Brandon provided. “But here is where it gets interesting.”

Mike leaned against the wall of the hallway. Becca and Kenny walked out of the office and she stopped next to him. He pulled her close to his side. “Go on.”

“Owen’s stepfather is Dan Carter,” Brandon announced.

“Carter? The preacher that’s been all over the television spouting hatred to all shifters?” How we’re all abominations, evil, and creatures that are a threat to humans?” Mike asked, shocked. Becca stiffened beside him while Kenny frowned.

“Yes, that Carter,” Brandon confirmed. “So, if Owen is involved, you can almost be guaranteed his followers are also.”

“Damn, the humans that are in the cabin,” Mike groaned. “This just got a whole lot more complicated.”

“Watch your back,” Brandon said. “He’s a dangerous man. I’m sorry I got you involved in this.”

“I’m not,” Mike replied, his hold on Becca tightening.

“Really?” Brandon sounded amused. “Anything you’d like to share?”

“No.”

“I’ll have RJ get it out of you,” Brandon teased. “He’s better at storytelling than you, anyway.”

Mike grunted in response. That was only true because his best friend was a drama king. “Speaking of RJ, I called him earlier and he still hasn’t gotten back to me.”

“I think Nikki came home late last night. You might not hear from him for a while.”

“Gotcha,” Mike laughed. “I’m going to update everyone here. Keep looking into the cops, if you can.”

“Will do,” Brandon promised.

“Thanks, man.” He placed his phone in his back pocket after disconnecting.

“Dan Carter?” Kenny questioned.

Mike ran his hands over his face and looked up. Todd had come into the hallway from the kitchen and Alpha Nelson and Eric were now standing in the office doorway.

“We’ve got a huge problem,” Mike explained what Brandon had learned.

Alpha Nelson started barking orders, placing the Pack on high alert. “I don’t want anyone left alone until we figure this out.”

Mike admired the way the man thought and dealt with issues.

“Yes, sir,” Eric ran off.

“Kenny, update Kurt and the other men. Todd and Mike, I need you both to join the search for Owen—the need to get to him quickly is now even more urgent. Becca, start informing the Pack about the alert. I’m calling the council right now,” Alpha Nelson said.

Mike kissed Becca before following Todd out to his SUV. He could tell that the younger shifter wasn’t exactly thrilled with being partnered with him for the day, but Mike didn’t care. There was no way he was going to let the crazy humans attack or hurt anyone else. He’d worked side-by-side with humans in the military for several years. He still remained friends with most of them. Even though they hadn’t been part of his unit, they had saved his ass a few times.

When the Packs had become public, several humans he’d met over the years had reached out to him in support. For the most part, the majority of humans had been excited about the news. It was a shame that one small group of humans could cause so much distrust and tension between the shifters and the rest of the people.

Todd started the truck and glanced over at him.

Mike had planned to ignore Todd, but he’d had enough. “What exactly is your problem with me?” he asked.

Todd shook his head. “No problem,” he murmured.

“Yeah, right,” Mike scoffed.

Todd glared at him. “I’ve been friends with Becca all my life,” he said.

So, the man was protective. Mike could appreciate that.

“Kenny has had to give up a lot for the Pack. He had to take his brother’s place when Kurt decided not to stay,” Todd went on.

“Okay,” Mike responded, not sure now where Todd was going.

Todd turned to him. Mike saw the strong emotions in his eyes. “I don’t to want to see my friend hurt. Becca’s been left behind before. It’s not fair to her.” Todd dropped his head back on the seat and closed his eyes. “Man, I haven’t seen her into anyone like this since…well, ever.”

The confession made Mike feel good. Made his blood pump faster and the wolf inside him stretch with contentment.

“I want to see her happy,” Todd finished.

“Hey, man,” Mike said, “I’m not here to hurt her. Becca… Becca was unexpected. I never thought I’d see her again. Now that I have, I’m unprepared. I’ll admit that. But I can guarantee I will not hurt her on purpose.”

Todd nodded. “I guess that’s all I can ask for.”

Mike was glad Todd accepted his explanation. His relationship with Becca was moving fast, but he wasn’t sure where that would lead.

“The thing is, Kenny found out about the two of you and started looking to the future. Excited for the first time in months,” Todd stated.

Mike wasn’t sure what that meant. “I don’t understand…”

Todd sighed. “He’d kill me for telling you, but Kenny is hoping you stay around.”

Mike shrugged. He hadn’t thought about it, but if things progressed with Becca, it could be a possibility. Mike wasn’t going to return to his home Pack. That he’d already decided.

“Kenny never wanted to be head of security for the Pack. He likes his position, but he doesn’t feel that is his true place. He’s a fireman to the core. Wants to become an arson investigator.”

Mike remembered what Becca had told him and Todd’s words started to make sense. “He wants me to take over for him?” he asked with a raise of his eyebrow.

Todd bit his lip in worry. The action showed how young the man was—at least ten years his junior. This had to be hard for him. “…maybe think about it.”

Mike reached over and grasped his shoulder. “You’re a good friend and a good…boyfriend?” No one had yet spoken the words out loud to him. But he’d been in the diner the previous evening. Todd and Kenny were in love.

Todd chuckled. “Yeah,” he admitted, dropping his head. “Does that bother you?”

Mike patted his shoulder. “Nah, man. I think it’s great. As long as you’re good to each other and are committed to making things work. We should all be so lucky.”

Todd blew out a breath. “Alpha Nelson knows. So do a few others. We haven’t told the entire Pack, though. It shouldn’t be a problem.” He shrugged. “But you never know.”

He didn’t have the heart to tell him more people knew than they thought. Todd had a habit of marking Kenny with his scent. They weren’t exactly covert. Still maybe he could say something to make Todd feel better. “I understand. But I have several friends who are involved in same-sex relationships. My unit leader is even mated to another man,” he told Todd. He didn’t mention that Casey’s mate was also the feline Prince. “People are more accepting than you would think. And if they have a problem with it? Fuck them.”

Todd grinned. “Yeah.”

“Now let’s find this asshole so we can get back to Kenny and Becca,” Mike declared.

“You got it, man. I thought we would look close to the humans. If Owen is related to them, he might not be with them, but I would bet he is staying pretty close to the only support he has left.”

“I like it,” Mike approved.

Todd filled him in on several places that he wanted to check out as he drove. His plan would have them staying in town, since Kurt and his men had the outside pretty much covered.

It took twenty minutes to get to the first location.

“I would like to shift,” Mike decided. They were far enough that he shouldn’t be spotted by any humans. Kenny’s warning about how much the tourists wanted to see a shifter stuck with him.

“Good idea,” Todd agreed.

Mike opened his door and started to strip. He left his boots and socks on the floorboard and yanked off his shirt. He stood beside the SUV and shucked his jeans.

Todd stood at the back of the vehicle, keeping an eye out. Mike dropped to his knees, calling forward his wolf. His transformation gave him such a benefit compared to his human body. Even though his senses were heightened as a man, giving into the animal put him in the right frame of mind to hunt. He trotted over to Todd, nudging the man’s hand.

“Ready?” Todd asked, giving him a scratch on the top of his head.

Mike let his tongue roll out then butted his head against Todd’s side. Taking off, he challenged Todd to keep up.

Zigzagging through the dense trees, Mike concentrated on other shifter scents. A fair number of people had been through the area, but none of them recently. Mike could see why the town would use this path to take them farther into the forest.

If Owen came from the diner to here, it would have been late last night.

Too much time had passed for Mike to distinguish him from any others.

Moving still farther beneath the canopy, he kept his senses on alert. Owen could be anywhere close by. Mike didn’t feel like he was being watched but didn’t take chances. Not when Becca’s safety was in danger.