Chapter Twelve
THE SHINY, dancing morning sun mocked him as Lindsey paced the length of his bedroom and back. How long was the kid going to eat breakfast? Fuck, what he really wanted to know was how he was going to prepare Jazz for the fact he was a werewolf. He sat on the couch. Just breathe. Remember what it was like when you were ready to shift. You knew there was something off. Something really different going on.
He dropped his head in his hands. After he told Jazz, then what? He had to find a way to separate from Seth. Funny how life worked. All he’d ever wanted was a life partner. He had everything. People who loved him. Werewolves who loved him. A great job and a meaningful life. Now he had Jazz. He could give back some of the richness of love that had been given to him. Asking for more was selfish. Sadly, he was a selfish guy.
A light tap on the door made him leap to his feet. Showtime! He crossed and opened the door. Jazz stood there, still holding a glass of milk. The kid smiled. “I needed a map, but I found your place.”
Lindsey smiled and tried to look normal. “Come in.”
Jazz entered and stopped, looking around. “Wow. This is really pretty.”
“Thank you.”
“You like really pretty things.”
“Yes, I guess I do.”
Jazz grinned. “I think I must like them too. I—” His eyes closed, his body crumpled, and milk went flying as he fell to the floor.
“Jazz!”
Lindsey knelt beside him and cradled his head. Fortunately, he’d fallen on the soft rug. Lindsey remembered these fainting spells so well.
Jazz’s eyes opened halfway, blinked, and then flew open. “Oh no! Did I pass out again? The milk! Oh no!” He struggled to sit up.
Lindsey pulled him back down and smoothed his hair. “No harm done at all. It will come right out.”
“My foster lady says milk stains bad.”
“We have experts in this house. Don’t worry about it. Come on.” He helped Jazz up and walked him to the couch. “Lie down for a few minutes.”
The boy kicked off his sneakers and laid his long, thin body on the soft upholstery. Lindsey took the chair. “Have you thought about why you have these fainting spells?”
“The doctor says it’s blood sugar.”
“Is that what you think?”
The boy looked down at his hands, which were folded on his stomach. “Maybe.”
“Have you ever thought something a lot more mysterious could be going on?”
The big gold eyes looked up at Lindsey. “Mysterious? You mean like a bad disease?”
“Oh, I doubt that. What do you think?”
“Yeah, sometimes I feel really weird like shit—I mean, stuff is changing fast in, you know, my body. The doctor says it’s normal for a teenager.”
“And what do you think?”
“None of the guys seem to have the same shit—I mean, stuff going on. I mean, they jerk off all the time and have all those kind of thoughts, but my stuff is different.”
“Like what?”
He sat up and rested his arms on his knees. “I get this red color in front of my eyes, and then for a while I can see really good. Then it goes away. My muscles ache, and I’m skinny but I’m strong. Really strong. I can’t eat enough food. My stomach growls like it’s eating me from the inside out.” He clutched his middle. “It’s weird, man, weird.”
“I had exactly the same thing happen to me, Jazz.”
His eyes widened. “You did?”
“Yes.” Just breathe. “Did you ever think that there could be more going on in the world than people tell you is true?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, kind of.”
“Well, I’m here to tell you there is more—”
The knock on the door went through him like a rifle shot. No! Another knock. Lindsey held up a finger. “To be continued.” He crossed to the door and opened it. Seth beamed at him.
“Hi. I decided not to sleep. I wanted to see you.”
All he wanted to do was throw himself into the man’s arms. Two giant chips fell off his heart. “Hi. Jazz is here. Come on in.”
Seth didn’t seem to notice his lack of enthusiasm. “Hey, Jazz, my man. Good to see you. How do you like the new digs?”
Jazz’s smile about split his face. He really liked Seth. Clear to see. Another chip fell. “I can’t believe I’m really here.”
Seth looked at the glass still lying on the floor. “You guys playing a new game? Throw the milk?”
Jazz stared at his feet. “Nah. I passed out again. Lindsey and I were just talking about it.”
They couldn’t talk about this! Could they? Could he try to explain to both of them? No, that was crazy. Seth would never believe. The whole pack would be vulnerable.
Seth sat beside Jazz on the couch. “So what were you guys saying? Any conclusions? Is it the blood sugar?”
Jazz shook his head. “Lindsey doesn’t think so. I was telling him all my symptoms—”
Lindsey sat on the edge of the chair. “Yes, he’s like me. I grew really fast like Jazz. It affects the metabolism in strange ways.”
Jazz frowned. Holy God, how could he get out of this?
Seth shrugged. “I grew fast, but I didn’t pass out like that. It seems like an imbalance. Maybe with better nutrition, it’ll improve.”
“Yeah, but Lindsey was saying there’s shit—I mean, stuff going on we don’t know about.”
Crap!
Seth looked at Lindsey. “Oh, what’s that?”
Lindsey’s phone rang in his pocket. Talk about saved by the bell. “Excuse me.” He stood up as he looked at the screen. Bruce. “Hello, darling.”
“Lindsey, please help me. I need to see you. I’m in trouble. Please.”
“Dear God, of course. Can you tell me what’s happening?”
“I’ve gotten myself into a terrible situation. Please. I can’t talk on the phone. Can you come here?”
“Where’s there?” Damn, was he running away from the conversation with Jazz and Seth? Hell, yes.
Bruce rattled off an address, and Lindsey keyed it into his GPS on the phone.
“Come quickly, please.”
“Okay, I will.”
“Alone. No one else can know. It’s too sensitive.”
“Okay.” He hung up. Both Seth and Jazz stared at him. “Uh, a friend of mine is stuck and needs a ride. He’s embarrassed, so I need to go alone. Why don’t you two go out to the pool or play tennis while I do him this favor? After that, we’ll all have lunch together.” Maybe he could think of something to say by then.
Seth frowned but nodded. “Okay, I expect we can find enough amusement in this personal theme park.”
Jazz grinned. “What’s the theme?”
“Money.”
They both laughed. Lindsey ran to the closet, changed his shirt, grabbed a jacket, and went to the bedroom door. “Have fun, you two. I shouldn’t be long.”
Jazz waved. “Okay. Thanks for the talk.”
The talk that wasn’t over.
Outside the door, he stopped. Hard to catch his breath. What would he have said if Bruce hadn’t called? He shook his head. What the hell did Bruce want? What was he up to? He sounded desperate, but that was Bruce. And the man’s whole kidnap story reeked of mendacity. This could be a trap. He glanced at the door. But rather than have that conversation with Seth, he’d take a trap any day.
Might as well hurry.
In the car, he activated the GPS on his phone and followed it to a broken-down warehouse building in a bad section of Hartford. It looked oddly familiar—like the buildings the kidnappers used. He reached under the seat to a special compartment where he carried a gun. Granny could never have too many. This place was creepy, and better safe, as they said. He slipped the weapon into the waistband of his jeans, pulled the sweater over it, and got out.
A door in the side of the building creaked open, and Bruce leaned out. “Lindsey, here.” He looked around frantically and waved Lindsey in.
Hmm. He walked over to the door, glancing around as Bruce was, but stopped before he entered. “What’s this all about? What is this place?”
“Get inside, quick. Someone may see us.”
“My car is not exactly invisible, darling.”
“Oh God, right. Can you put it in back and then come in? Hurry, please.”
The guy smelled like fear. That part was genuine, whatever else he might have going on.
Lindsey trotted to the Tesla, drove it to the back of the building, and returned to the door. Bruce stood inside, looking frantic and terrified.
Lindsey leaned in and glanced around the large, low-ceilinged room. No one except Bruce. Okay, a trap he could take, as long as it wasn’t a wolf trap. He stepped into the room, which contained a few crates and boxes but was otherwise empty except for a metal staircase that led to an upper floor. It felt a little like the spider and the fly, but he wasn’t going to find out what he needed to know standing in the parking lot. Plus, he had his gun.
Bruce looked both ways and closed the door behind Lindsey. He waggled his hand. “Come with me.”
“Uh Bruce, this whole thing feels weird, and since I was kidnapped the last time I was with you, forgive me if I’m not dying to follow you anywhere.”
“Oh God, Lindsey, I’m so sorry.” He pressed his back against the wall and slid down until he was a crying heap on the floor.
“Sorry for what, Bruce?”
“I got you kidnapped.”
“You couldn’t have known that the doorman was leading us to the kidnappers. I was as much responsible as you.”
He looked up. “No, I led the kidnappers to you. I chose the tree so they could slip out of the forest and take you.”
Lindsey frowned. “They took you too.”
“No, I just pretended.”
Son of a bitch. “I see. I had suspicions but none confirmed. And are you setting me up again?” He flicked a glance at the room.
“No, honestly. I can’t sleep, I can’t eat. I’m going to die if I don’t confess.”
He wanted to bite the guy’s head off. “So why did you come to me? The police take confessions.”
He shrugged. “I guess I wanted you to talk me out of it. I thought maybe you could see a way to get me out of this without going to jail.”
Lindsey walked farther into the open room, then turned toward Bruce. “Why did you do it?”
Bruce sighed audibly and banged the back of his head against the wall. “My father made a number of bad business decisions. He was facing ruin.”
“Yes, I’ve been noticing those as I’ve been trying to track the kidnappers.”
Bruce’s head snapped up. “You’ve been tracking the kidnappers?”
“Yes, a bit. Helping the police. After all, these people are my friends. So what happened? The kidnappers contacted you and said if you’d lure me, they’d pay you?”
Bruce stared at his feet sticking out from under his bent knees. “Not exactly.”
“So what, exactly?”
He shook his head.
“Bruce, you can’t confess if you won’t tell me anything.”
“M-my father.”
“You did it for him.”
“No, he did it.”
“What?”
“He did it. As in, I did it. Don’t move, Lindsey.” The voice came from behind him. Damn. The man’s cold voice slithered up Lindsey’s spine. Westerberg, senior. Shit. Had he been inside a packing crate? “Please, very carefully remove your weapon from your waistband and place it on the floor, or I’ll shoot you and perhaps my idiot son as well. I should have drowned the little homo at birth.”
Lindsey looked at Bruce, who was staring behind Lindsey like he’d seen a cobra. Yes, he felt a little snaky himself. Which was okay, as long as he didn’t feel wolfy. Stay calm. Could he outgun Westerberg? Obviously, threatening to shoot Bruce would probably elicit applause from his father. Much as he detested Bruce at the moment, getting the man shot might be overkill, literally. Slowly, he removed the gun and lowered it to the floor. Maybe he could shoot between his legs….
“Don’t even think about it.” Westerberg sounded closer and icier.
He placed the gun and stood.
“Kick it away.”
He complied.
“Turn around slowly.”
Lindsey rotated and finally saw the slick silver hair and stony face of Hanson Westerberg. He pushed down the rumble of a growl in his chest.
The man glanced at his son. “So, Bruce, you ass, you felt so badly about Lindsey having to spend a little time tied up that now you’ve managed to get him killed.”
“What?” Bruce came up onto his knees like he was praying. Yes, and it sounds like prayers are in order. “What are you talking about?”
“You fool. Don’t you see that now that he knows who’s behind this, I can’t let him live? Do you ever have two intelligent thoughts in a row?”
“You can’t kill him! You’ll have to kill me too.”
“That can be arranged.”
Bruce’s face went white. He knew his father meant it.
Lindsey felt his hackles rise. Attack. Kill. It whispered along his nervous system. Deep breath. Sadly, the situation was much as Westerberg described it. The kidnappers couldn’t continue to ply their trade if Lindsey lived.
Westerberg glanced around the room. “Vanessen, get over there.” He pointed toward the metal stairs. Lindsey moved slowly in that direction. Choices. Which gave him the best opportunity for survival—a gunshot without silver or a fall from a great height? Because clearly that must be Westerberg’s plan. Those stairs looked like a great place for an accidental fall. Lindsey’s wolf blood made him harder to kill, but neither choice was a stroll in the garden. Better to shift and eat the guy, but the moon was no longer full. Could he still muster the energy to shift? Westerberg could kill him while he tried. Plus, he didn’t want to kill Bruce, but the guy was a wimp who couldn’t be trusted, so shifting in front of him was dangerous to everyone. Well, hell.
“Climb the stairs.”
Lindsey turned and put one hand on his hip. “Why should I? You’re going to kill me anyway. Bullets are a lot harder to explain.”
Westerberg frowned. “You’re too fucking smart for your own good. Climb the stairs or I’ll kill Bruce with you and target your mother and grandparents as soon as you’re dead.”
The growl vibrated his chest. Evil. Attack.
“Get moving!” Westerberg stepped closer.
Lindsey took one step up. Red swam in front of his eyes and his heartbeat increased.
The gunshot exploded in the tin can of a room. “Oww!” Westerberg flew backward, grabbed his arm, and the gun went flying.
“Don’t take another step, Westerberg, or I’ll kill you and your son.”
Lindsey turned toward the voice. The wonderful, darling, beloved voice.
Seth. Oh God, Seth. The red receded from Lindsey’s vision, and his respiration slowed a little. He could just run across the room and climb Seth like a tree, but what good would that do? This was it. The kidnappings would now be over and he’d never have to see Seth again. Never have to risk—risk.
“Are you okay, Lindsey?”
“Yes. Thank you. How on earth did you find me?”
Seth grinned. Love those dimples. “Good thing I never trusted this asshole. We took off after you the second you left.” He waggled the gun at Bruce. “Why don’t you go over and stand next to your old man.”
Lindsey’s heart beat harder. “We? Did you say we?”
This voice had a nasty Southern drawl. “Ah’d suggest you drop that gun, cop, unless you want to see this kid dead.”
Oh no, God. A big man with a beard and mean, small eyes held Jazz around the throat and cocked a large semiautomatic at his head.
Seth froze. He glanced around. He had to be looking for some kind of plan. But that gun was too close to Jazz’s head.
Lindsey glanced back at the boy, whose eyes were huge, but his jaw was set. It would be just like Jazz to try something heroic. “Don’t move, Jazz. Do whatever the man says, okay?”
A muscle in Jazz’s jaw jumped and his eyes narrowed. His wolf could rise too! No. Too shocking to even consider, and it wasn’t full moon.
Crap. Lindsey’s heart hammered against his ribs; his breath came hot and fast. His skin heated. Bad, very bad.
Westerberg laughed. Still holding his bleeding arm, he walked over toward the gun he’d dropped earlier. “Bruce, get the cop’s gun.”
Bruce shook his head slowly like some dumb cow. Cow! Eat. Attack. Evil. Kill.
“I said get the fucking gun, you loser fag!” He leaned down to pick up his gun. Three bad guys with guns was three too many! Evil. Kill. Kill!
Red closed over Lindsey’s vision. Pain like acid shot through every cell.
From a long way off, he heard a scream. “What the hell?”
“Oh my God!”
Clothing flew through his line of sight as he leaped through the air, snarling, landed on the gray-haired human, and ripped the side of his throat. Blood. Good.
Beautiful human Seth, hit man with gun. Gun explode. Bad man fall. Boy good. Boy pack. Humans staring. Staring. Screaming. The wolf stalked toward the still-living humans, growling and snarling.
Cow Man screamed, “Shit! Shit! This is motherfuckin’ crazy.”
Beautiful human. Love. Boy pack. Love. Scared. Sad.
Protect pack. Run. Run. Run. “Ahhhhooooooooo.”
The golden wolf leaped across the room and ran out the door.
SETH SAT on the metal stair and gazed at the floor. The floor in a world that made no sense. Jazz snuggled close beside him, closing ranks. Partridge stood in front of them looking damned official in his Feeb suit.
“Tell me again where this so-called wolf came from?”
Seth pointed behind him. “From upstairs.”
Partridge stared up. “We’ve looked all over up there. No sign of a wolf den. Hell, why would a wolf be this far into the city?”
Seth shook his head. “No idea, but I’m glad he was. He scared the shit out of the guy holding Jazz, so I got his gun.”
Partridge frowned. “You saw this wolf too, Jasper?”
“Yes, sir. Exactly like Seth said. Seth had caught the kidnappers until this dude caught me. When that wolf showed up, the dude got real scared, and Seth fought him for his gun, but it went off.”
“And the wolf attacked Hanson Westerberg.”
Seth sighed. “Yes, he leaped at him and bit his neck. Before you ask, I have no idea why.”
“We found some drops of blood in a trail near the door.”
Jazz nodded. “That’s where the wolf ran out.”
“The son said some pretty crazy shit when we came in.”
Okay, Zakowsky, make it good. Fall apart later. “Bruce is crazy and has been going crazier by the day, is my guess. His father forced him into the kidnappings. The guy desperately wanted his father’s approval, so he went along and got in too deep. When he had to participate in the kidnapping of his friend, he fell apart.”
“Yes, where is Vanessen?”
“At home, I assume. I picked up Jazz to go get some food when I overheard a call between Lindsey and Bruce. Westerberg said something about this location, and I got suspicious and decided to check it out. I never dreamed I was dragging Jazz into this kind of trouble.”
Partridge raised an eyebrow. “I assume you agree with every word, Jazz.”
“Yes, sir.”
Seth breathed deeply. If he just didn’t think for the next fifty years, maybe he could get on with his life. “Are we done? The kid’s tired. I want to take him home.”
“Yeah, for now.”
“Shit, man, you caught your damned kidnappers. Be happy.” He stood up and pulled Jazz to his feet. The boy stumbled and looked woozy for a second, and Seth pulled him in close. “You okay?”
“Yeah.”
Partridge touched Jazz’s arm. “Are you all right?”
“Sure. I just have blood sugar problems.”
“Okay, get him home. And congratulations on catching these assholes, Zakowsky. I just wish we had a cleaner story than a mystery wolf.”
“Yeah, well, sometimes life is fucking mysterious.”
He wrapped an arm around Jazz’s shoulders, and together they walked out into the afternoon sunshine. Jesus, it felt like it should be two days later.
Jazz opened his mouth, and Seth put a finger to his lips. “Later.” The boy slipped on his helmet and climbed onto the motorcycle behind him. Seth nodded, Jazz wrapped his arms around his waist, and they took off. Where to go? No place they could be overheard, that was for fucking sure.
He drove for a few minutes, then pulled off at a small path that led down by the river. When the water was in sight, he stopped and turned off the bike. Jazz climbed off and seemed to catch Seth’s mood, because he didn’t just start blabbing. He took off his helmet and walked down until he sat on a log a few feet back from the rush of the river.
Seth sat beside him. A couple of pretty pebbles caught his eye, and he picked them up and then skimmed one across the water.
Jazz joined the idle discovery of stones. He sifted through the sandy soil. “So, Seth, you don’t actually believe any of that crap you told the FBI guy, right? We both know what we saw.”
“What did we see?”
“We saw Lindsey, uh, turn into a wolf. Right? I mean, one minute he was all slick, blond, movie-star Lindsey, and the next he’s this big yellow wolf ripping that asshole’s throat out. True?”
Seth sighed. “I was definitely hoping you were going to say you saw something different, because seeing that is fucking nuts.”
“Yeah, but that’s what you saw, right?”
“Yeah.”
Jazz slid his foot over the dirt, turned sideways on the log, and got serious. “The thing is, just before you walked into Lindsey’s this morning, he was telling me something about how life isn’t everything we think. How there’s other stuff going on. But he stopped when you came in.”
Seth looked up into the kid’s wide eyes. “You think he was going to tell you he’s a wolf?”
“A werewolf, yeah.”
Seth ran a hand through his hair. His head was going to explode! “Shit, Jazz, there’s no such thing as werewolves.”
“What’d you see?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re a reasonable guy.”
“It’s not reasonable to believe in werewolves.”
“After what we saw, it’s not reasonable not to.”
Seth threw up his hands. “Maybe my story really is true. Maybe a wolf did come down from the second floor.”
“And what happened to Lindsey?”
“He ate him.” He started to laugh so hard he felt like throwing up.
Jazz put a hand on his shoulder. “Come on, man, be serious.”
“I don’t know how to be.” He stared at the ground. “Do you think he was going to tell me? I mean, he might have been telling you. Maybe he would have told me.”
“I don’t know, but I think I know why he was telling me.”
“Why?”
“You know all the weird stuff with the food and my fainting and shit?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, Lindsey said it was just like him when he was a kid.” Jazz ran a hand along his own cheek. “Seth, I think he was going to tell me that I’m a werewolf too.”
“Holy fucking shit.”
SETH PULLED the Kawasaki up to the front of the Vanessen estate. Jazz jumped off the back and walked around to Seth. “You not coming in?”
He shook his head.
Jazz looked up at the house. “You think all the Vanessens know about Lindsey?”
“I’ve thought about it a little. I don’t think so.”
“Me neither, so I better keep my mouth shut.”
Seth nodded.
The kid looked down at his sneakers. “Hey, Seth, are you still going to like me if I’m, you know, different?”
“Of course, I’ll always like you.” Was that true? The question was, would Jazz still like him? “But you’ll have new friends and a lot of exciting shit happening, I imagine. You won’t need me.”
Jazz stared at those sneakers like they were the secret to eternity. Suddenly he threw his arms around Seth’s neck and hugged him. “I’ll always need you.” Then he turned and ran to the front door, used his key, and was gone.
Damn. Seth blinked hard. How he wished that was true.
A half hour later, he pulled in to his parking space at his apartment. Every pebble on the ground looked different. His head hurt and his body ached. How did he live in this new world where the kid he really cared about and the man he—really cared about were something he knew couldn’t exist?
He dragged his body up to his second floor, one-bedroom apartment. He pushed open the door. The sun was fading, and it made shadows across his piece-of-shit carpet. Funny, he never cared about how his place looked. Now, he thought about that beautiful rug at Lindsey’s. So comfortable. So like the man. No, not man, the—shit, he could not say it. He dumped his keys on the table beside the door, walked into the kitchenette, and pulled a beer from the fridge.
“Can I have one of those?”
The soft voice could have been a shot from a cannon. Seth grabbed for his gun and had it in hand before he fully focused on the huge man with the silvery hair staring at him from beside the door. The closed door.
Seth held the gun but didn’t point it. “How did you get in here?”
“Doesn’t matter. Can I h-have a beer while we talk?”
What the fuck! He holstered his gun, fished another bottle out of the refrigerator, and handed it to the guy. “You’re Cole, right?”
“Yes.” The man flipped the cap from the bottle with his thumb like it was made of paper. He turned and walked into Seth’s small living room and sat in one of the two chairs. They had once been midcentury modern. Now they were just midcentury crap.
Seth took a swig and sat on the couch. “So you’re a werewolf too, right?”
The weird eyes flashed up. “Ah, all in one statement you’ve answered so many of my questions. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
“So you actually witnessed Lindsey in shift?”
“Yeah. Did he tell you?”
“No. I suspect he’s still in shock over the whole event. I heard he was protecting you and the boy.”
“You mean the boy werewolf?”
His eyes widened. “How do you know that?”
“Jazz figured it out. He told me.”
Cole sipped his beer. “So what do you plan to do?”
“Do?”
“With your knowledge?”
Seth stared at Cole. Wow. He hadn’t really thought of it like that. “I imagine there are people who would pay a lot to know about you guys, right? Governments and scientists and shit?”
“Yes. Of course.”
His eyes met Cole’s. “Does anyone think you’re human?”
Cole gave a half smile. “People see what they expect regardless of evidence to the contrary.”
“I don’t plan to tell anyone what I know. I care about Jazz a lot, and I’d never want to see him hurt. Your secret is safe with me.”
“Only Jazz?”
“You mean Lindsey?”
“Yes.”
“No, I care about him too. Hell, he saved my life. I owe him.”
“I believe he cares for you.”
“Yeah, well—”
“Too different, right? Humans and werewolves can mate, but we seldom form lasting partner relationships with humans. It doesn’t work well. For one thing, we’re too aggressive. It’s not well received.”
Seth’s breath slid out. Well received. Oh, Lindsey’s aggression had been very well received. “He’ll marry a werewolf, I guess. Right?”
“Possibly.”
Seth frowned. “What the fuck kind of dumbass werewolf wouldn’t want Lindsey?”
Cole smiled. “Lindsey is only half werewolf. Plus, he’s gay. Few werewolves accept homosexuality. Too macho.”
“But you’re gay!”
“I’m the exception, and I was lucky to find my mate. Lindsey’s never believed he’d be so lucky.”
“Well, shit.”
Cole set the bottle on the coffee table. “To business. I’m not the alpha of my pack. I can’t speak for my pack. You’re the first human who’s been aware of our existence.”
“What about Westerberg?”
“Fortunately, he’s considered crazy, so people aren’t taking him seriously. You’re another matter. You’re a cop. It’s your good word that people are trusting. We appreciate the, shall we say, convincing creativity of your story.” He sat back. “I can’t tell you what my pack will decide to do. I can tell you that there’s little point in running. We’re exceptionally good trackers. Meanwhile, know that we have informants everywhere. If you decide to share the truth you’ve discovered, the results will be unf-fortunate.”
Seth frowned. “You’re threatening me?”
Cole smiled. His canine teeth dropped a little longer than Seth had ever noticed on a human. “Oh yes.”
Seth frowned. “Okay, I can understand that. I’d do the same thing in your shoes. But I’m not going to tell anyone. Hell, they’d think I’m nuts anyway.”
“Good.” Cole stood. Not many people towered over Seth, but this guy did. “We’ll let you know what the pack decides.”
“What about Jazz?”
“What about him?”
“Can I see him? Hell, he’s my friend.”
“The pack will take good care of him. He was lost to us, and now we have a lot of time to make up for. I’m sure you’ll be able to see him occasionally.” He walked the few steps to the door. “I’ll let myself out.” He opened the door and left.
Seth stared at the spot where Cole had sat. A movie. He was in a fucking movie. But if that was true, why did his heart hurt so badly?