Chapter Eleven
Edwin pulled into the Sainsbury’s car park opposite, where he could watch Farrow’s office building. Stuart’s car sailed into the bay next to him, and Edwin let out a sigh of relief that his friend had kept out of things. Edwin got out of his car and into Stuart’s, and they held hands while staring ahead.
“Was it scary?” Stuart asked.
“And then some. He…he had me by the throat at one point.”
“Bloody hell!”
“I know.” Edwin squinted, seeing movement around the white van he’d spotted earlier. “Looks like they’re getting ready to go in.”
Three police officers stood at the van’s closed rear doors, and Roberts’ car swerved onto the tarmac beside them. Roberts got out, and all of the men strode towards Farrow’s office building. Were four officers enough? Edwin had never seen Farrow lose his shit before today, but he reckoned he’d be tough to pin down and would struggle even with four coppers trying to maintain a hold on him.
What if he got away? What if he came for Edwin at a later date?
He hated the thought of that.
“Do you think Farrow’s the sort of bloke who knows people elsewhere?” Stuart asked. “Like, if we went and relocated, would he send someone for us if they found out where we were?”
“I don’t know. I think we’re better off staying put. At the pack cottages. Roberts knows everything, so he’s more likely to keep us safe. And anyone who works for Farrow is going to get a grilling, I’d be willing to bet. The police are going to know who’s a genuine, innocent employee and who isn’t. It won’t take long to put them all behind bars or to at least keep an eye on them so they don’t come for me.” He shrugged. “Maybe, with Farrow inside, there’ll be no business to run anymore. All right, there’s the real ones, the builder’s merchant and whatever, but the drugs, the money lending? The police will be watching everyone now, so can you see the drug runners wanting to take the risk of still working for Farrow even when he’s serving time?”
“I suppose. And how would Farrow run things from a cell anyway?”
“There is that, but how does any big criminal run things from inside—because they do, you know.”
“Hmm.” Stuart pointed. “Look, they’re going in.”
Edwin wanted to be a fly on the wall, to watch Farrow get arrested, just so he’d seen it with his own eyes and could rest a bit easier, but that wasn’t going to happen. He’d have to settle his mind by seeing Farrow being brought outside in police custody.
He concentrated on the doorway now that the police had entered the building. The door opened again pretty quickly, and Margaret was escorted into the car park, the officer with her guiding her to the building next door. A tense few minutes passed, to the point where Edwin wondered whether Farrow had suspected something had been going on and he’d hot-footed it out the back way. But no, out they all came, Farrow with his hands cuffed behind his back, Roberts gripping one of his biceps, an officer the other, and the third uniform following behind.
They strode to the white van, and a police car rolled up, parking on a slant. Two officers emerged then took control of Farrow, pressing him on the top of his head as they urged him into the back of their vehicle. Roberts glanced over to where Edwin and Stuart were and raised his hand in a gesture that could be taken as a wave.
Edwin waved back.
It was over. The hard part, anyway. Or maybe that wasn’t true. Maybe the hardest part was yet to come. The guilt trips and everything that went with them would be inside him for the rest of his life. He had to learn to deal with it, otherwise…
“You did the right thing, you know that, don’t you?” Stuart asked.
“I know. But it still feels wrong. Like I need to apologise to all the people my part in this affected.”
“You can’t do that. Not if the police are going to make out you had nothing to do with any of this. In court, they’re not mentioning you.”
“Which is weird, because how can they not? If they’re using the recording as evidence…”
“I think the evidence will be altered. Parts stripped out. Like when Farrow mentioned your name.”
“But can they do that? Really?” Edwin turned to look at Stuart.
“You heard what the Alpha said about what happens when a shifter is a party to crimes. Things have to be changed so they fit the new evidence that will be created. Farrow may well mention you when questioned, but you’ll have a firm alibi, you wait and see. It’ll be made to look like he’s a rambling idiot, and like Roberts told us, that Farrow’s story is a load of crap.”
“It troubles me that that kind of thing goes on.”
“It shouldn’t, not when a criminal is involved. So long as he gets put away for a long time, who cares how the authorities manage to do it?”
“Because that means the justice system isn’t honest.”
“It has to be this way. We said we wouldn’t discuss it unless we were in that field, but there are two sets of laws, and you need to remember that. Two species who deal with things differently. In order for things to work smoothly, other things need to be adjusted so that they do. Humans can’t expect to overrule our laws, ones that have been in place forever.”
“Yet we can overrule human laws? Doesn’t seem right, does it?”
“No, it doesn’t, and I see what you’re getting at, but if shifter law didn’t exist, you’d be in the back of a police car like Farrow. Just be grateful things work the way they do and forget the rest. Unless you insist on making your life a misery from now on as some kind of penance. Because I can imagine you doing that. Don’t. Please don’t. Learn to forgive yourself for all this then let it go. It’s the only way you’ll find a measure of peace.”
“What you’re really saying is shut up and be grateful for the second chance.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m really saying.”
They laughed quietly. Then Edwin left Stuart’s car to climb into his own. The journey back to his cottage also felt wrong—he’d got away scot free, after all—but he’d do what Stuart had said and move on in life.
Or give it a good go, anyway.
* * * *
There weren’t usually parties at the main pack house, but a fortnight after Farrow had been taken into custody, Roberts had announced that a pack get-together was in order. A time to gather and remember that they were, indeed, a pack, and not just a bunch of people living in the same area, ones who drifted through life like some humans did, keeping to themselves and forgetting there was a whole network available to them for the taking.
On the vast back lawn, everyone seemed in good spirits. Edwin watched them all enjoying themselves, and especially Stuart, who was busy dishing out drinks here, there and everywhere from behind the makeshift bar. Fairy lights lit up the darkness, hanging from tree branches like sparkling white spider’s webs, multi-coloured ones above the bar strung between two poles. Fires blazed in cast-iron pits, lending more illumination to the proceedings, dotted about in various locations—by some tables and chairs, by the long food table, and beside a couple of fountains that were surrounded by a circle of hedges.
It all looked so pretty, so normal, that Edwin could kid himself that it was normal.
Ed Sheeran warbled from the speakers, saying something about loving someone until they were seventy, and then Edwin listened to the rest of the words. They seeped into Edwin’s mind, burying themselves there. The song was a reminder that love was what mattered, his and Stuart’s, and that of the pack. It was time to think about the simple things in life, not the complicated stuff regarding crime and all the nasty shit that went with it.
That part of his world was well and truly over.
Now, Edwin wanted to be taken into Stuart’s loving arms and kissed by the light of a thousand stars, just like Sheeran had sung. And he would, later, once the party was over. Tonight was the perfect time to mate, to bond, and cement their relationship for good. Not just by words, by them saying they were an item to the pack, but by pack law.
Still eyeing the crowd, Edwin was struck by how close everyone was, even though no one had been interacting much lately. Tonight was like the old days, when a pack party happened every month, and regular meetings meant that any troubles a member was having were sorted quickly and efficiently. Perhaps if those meetings had been going on when Edwin had been employed by Farrow, Edwin would have opened up sooner, would have confided in Stuart or Roberts, or even another pack member, given that the level of trust within the pack had been so high at one point.
It still was, he reminded himself. Everyone had just lost their way a bit, that was all.
Roberts came to stand beside Edwin, and he rested his hand on Edwin’s shoulder. “I haven’t attended to my Alpha duties like I should have. I let things here slide a bit. Helped us all to forget that we’re a unit as well as individuals. That thing with Farrow made me realise I should have been paying more attention at home and not just at work. Maybe then I’d have known something was wrong in your life.”
Edwin smiled. “So all the chats we’ve had in the past two weeks about me not berating myself… Shouldn’t you do the same? Like me, you’ve done something to remedy the situation. We’re here, now, together as a pack. The months where we didn’t join together are gone, but you saw in time that we were drifting apart, and now you’ve fixed it. I saw in time that I was drifting, and I fixed it by confessing to Stuart—you fixed it by being there and hearing what I had to say. So we’ve both done wrong, as it were, but we’ve both done right now. Forget the past. We learn from it and continue walking into the future. It’s all we can do, isn’t it?”
“Someone’s grown wise lately,” Roberts said, taking his hand from Edwin’s shoulder and shoving it in his jeans pocket.
“I’ve had to. And Stuart’s been a big help there. He’s one of the wisest people I know. He’s…”
“I know what he is. And it’s about time, too.”
Edwin looked at Roberts. “About time what?”
“That the pair of you stopped dilly-dallying about and bonded. It’s been excruciating watching you. Will they, won’t they?” Roberts chuckled. “Still, it’s obvious you’ve admitted some things to each other now, so when’s the big day?”
“Tonight, hopefully, once Stuart’s finished serving behind the bar. He put his name down to serve for most of the night so everyone else could enjoy themselves.”
“Ah, his sense of duty and kindness is strong. He’ll not want to shirk any responsibilities. Unless I tell him he can go,” Roberts said. “Is he aware that tonight’s the night?”
“No. I made plans and I’ve yet to tell him. To put it to him.”
“I see. Then you should go now. No point in holding off any longer. And it gives us an excuse for another party next weekend. To celebrate your bonding.” Roberts raised his free hand. “Kurtis?” he called to a nearby shifter. “Can you take over Stuart at the bar now, please. He’s been there far too long and he deserves some downtime, too, like the rest of us.”
“No problem, sir,” Kurtis said.
“Thank you,” Edwin said to Roberts. “And not just for that. For everything.”
“It’s what I do, as Alpha. I take care of my pack. Go on. Off you go.” Roberts patted Edwin on the back then walked away, laughing at the antics of some cubs that were rolling around on the grass having a play fight.
The sight of them took Edwin back to the past. He remembered messing around like that with Stuart, and it didn’t seem so long ago, either. Time had flown. And there they’d been, dilly-dallying, as Roberts had put it, and all the while the months and years had floated by, uncaring as to whether Edwin and Stuart were going to get their arses into gear and admit their feelings for each other. Their silly dance could have gone on for God knew how long if that shit with Farrow hadn’t happened, forcing them to open their mouths and let their hidden truths come tumbling out.
Stuart walked towards him now, a glass of cola in hand, the light breeze ruffling his hair. Edwin’s body tensed as he held his breath and stared at him, this man of his—this wonderful, caring man who had loved him forever and still wanted to despite who Edwin had been and what Edwin had done.
‘So we’re best friends, right?’ Edwin pressed.
‘Yeah. Forever.’ Stuart stared at him, his face solemn. ‘Doesn’t matter what.’
‘I hope so.’ Edwin smiled. ‘I promise not to do anything that makes you not want to be my friend.’
‘I promise, too.’
‘You swear?’ Edwin said.
‘I swear.’
Fuck, Stuart had stayed true to his word, and God, Edwin loved him.
Stuart reached him and, instead of waiting until they were in private to ask for permission to mate and bond, Edwin decided that fuck it, he wanted the whole pack to witness it. So he went down on one knee, watching Stuart’s face the whole time for signs that Edwin really shouldn’t be doing this. There were none, just a dreamy expression that showed Edwin how much he was loved, how much Stuart had maybe wanted this moment, had wished for it, dreamt of it.
Why didn’t I say something much sooner? Why did I not trust myself to ask him a couple of years ago?
Because neither of us were ready.
Stuart came to a stop in front of him then went down on his knee, too. “Damn, you beat me to it.”
“I did?” Edwin let out a laugh, one he honestly didn’t think he’d set free ever again. But already things were looking up—they were brighter, and the weight on his shoulders was getting lighter each and every day. “And there was me thinking I’d planned something original.”
“You planned something?” Stuart asked.
The pack were cheering, but their voices sounded muted, as though Edwin’s ears were only interested in what Stuart had to say.
“I did. In the woods,” Edwin admitted. “That’s where I was earlier. You know, when I said I wanted to go for a run alone.”
“And what did you do there?” Stuart cocked his head.
“You’ll just have to wait and see.”
They rose, and after waving and smiling at the pack, Edwin led Stuart to the edge of the field, where he began to strip. They had a way to run to get to where he’d put the tent, with an air bed inside, blankets on top, and a ring box on top of that. A net bag of marbles, too. Breakfast was inside a cool box, a small stove to cook it on beside the tent. It was something they’d loved to do as cubs, camping out, and it seemed fitting to sleep the night away beneath canvas tonight.
Edwin shifted, slinking into his wolf body and feeling his beast crawl into position, his animal howling for him to get a move on and run, make it to the tent so it could mate and bond with its forever lover. Edwin understood his wolf’s urgency—he wanted the same damn thing—and as he watched Stuart shift into his beautiful grey-white wolf, he knew he’d never tire of seeing the transformation. Knew he’d never tire of being with him, loving him, sharing his whole life with him.
They brushed noses, then they were off. Running.
Running towards their future. Safe. Happy. And free.