Trevor Read online

  “Then we’re fine.”

  “I’m still sorry he did what he did.”

  Dominic nodded. “I understand. Where is he?”

  “In the kitchen.” Micah stepped away and Dominic let his hand fall. Micah led the way to the kitchen, not surprised to see his father at the table, a beer bottle in his hands. It wasn’t even open, but he seemed calmer. He looked up when Micah came in.

  “Dominic is here,” Micah told him.

  He was torn between the need to help his father and protect him, and the need to do the right thing. He’d have been on his father’s side for anything else, but murder... he couldn’t believe his father had killed.

  Dominic sat in front of Micah’s father, his companion by his side. Dominic linked his fingers together on top of the table and stared until Micah’s father squirmed.

  “What are you going to do with him?” Micah asked. He needed to do something to break the tension, and asking what was going to happen seemed like the most logical thing to do right now.

  Dominic looked at him. “We’ll take him away. He’ll be held for trial after we gather all the information we need.”

  “Is... are you going to kill him?”

  “No. I refuse to get down to the hunters’ level. We don’t kill, not when we can avoid it.”

  “So he’ll just be locked up? Will he be checked on by a doctor? He still has problems walking, and—”

  Micah’s father slammed his bottle on the table. Micah jumped and looked at him.

  “Will you stop talking about me like I’m not even here? You can’t make decisions for me. None of you can.” He looked at Dominic. “And you, you don’t have the right to judge me. I’m human.”

  “And you will be judged by a mix of shifters and humans.”

  “I’ll report you and your kind. I’ll tell everyone the truth.”

  “God, Dad, shut up,” Micah snapped. His father looked surprised, enough that he didn’t protest. “You should be grateful they’re not going to hurt you after what you’ve done. They could kill you, and no one but me would know. Is that what you want? You deserve to go to jail, Dad. You would agree with me if you’d killed humans, so why can’t you see it’s exactly the same?”

  “You don’t understand, Micah.”

  “I do. You. Killed. People. People who had parents, and children, people who laughed and talked, and loved. You took parents away from their children, without remorse. So what if those people could become animals? Why does something they have no power to change make them bad people? You didn’t try to kill me when I told you I was gay. I can’t change that, yet you accepted it. Why can’t you accept shifters?”

  Micah sucked in a breath and looked at his father. He startled when a hand pressed against his back, but it was only Trevor. Trevor, who looked at him with so much love in his eyes that Micah couldn’t deny he really loved him. Trevor, who hadn’t run away, dumping Micah’s ass as soon as he’d learned what Micah’s father had done. Trevor, who would become Micah’s only family as soon as Micah’s father was taken away.

  Micah allowed Trevor to pull him close. He let Trevor wrap his arms around his waist and leaned his cheek against Trevor’s heart, listening to the steady beating and trying to calm himself down.

  “What you think of shifters has no importance,” Dominic said. “What matters is that you killed people.”

  The fight seemed to leave Micah’s father. His shoulders slumped and he looked at the bottle he was still holding. “I know,” he said softly. “I just wanted to protect my son.”

  “Dad...” Micah started, but he wasn’t sure what else to say. He understood why his father had done it, but he couldn’t accept it. Erik had been a bastard, but he was the only shifter Micah had ever met who was. Micah couldn’t understand how his father had been able to go from that to thinking it was right to kill innocent people.

  “I know I was wrong. What I did wasn’t the right way to protect you. But once I contacted the hunters, I couldn’t back out, or they would have hurt you and your mother.”

  Dominic leaned forward. “They forced you to kill?”

  “Yes, in a way. I never intended to kill anyone, I swear. After Micah told me about his ex-boyfriend, I wanted to find out more about shifters. I knew Erik couldn’t be the only one, and I wanted to know if Micah was in danger, what Erik could do.”

  “How did you find the hunters?”

  Micah’s father chuckled darkly. “Internet. How else?”

  Dominic tapped his fingertips on the table. “We can make things easier on you if you talk and tell me what you know.”

  “I just typed shifters in the research bar. It took me a while to wade through the bullshit, but I found a forum. I was contacted by a man some time later. He told me he knew about shifters, that he could tell me more. I met him, and he explained shifters were animals, and that they were dangerous. He asked to hear my story and he told me all shifters were like Erik, that he actually was one of the least dangerous ones. He made them sound like monsters, and I just fell into it.”

  “How did you go from that to killing?”

  “I started to go to meetings, where everyone talked about what shifters had done to them. Some stories were... horrible. I wanted Micah to be safe, so when the guy I’d first talked to told me there was a way, I said yes. He said we’d need to hunt shifters, and I thought they’d be in their animal forms, that we’d just hunt them and lock them away. But the man forced me to kill a woman that day, and when I tried to get out, he said he’d hurt my son and my wife.”

  “So they forced you to continue.”

  “Yes. I never killed easily, not like some of the other people did. But I believed them when they said it was the only way.”

  “What happened to your leg?”

  “A bear shifter. After that, they couldn’t ask me to help anymore. I can barely walk.”

  “They let you go without problems?”

  “Yes. They threatened they’d hurt Micah if I talked about them.” Micah’s father finally looked up. He narrowed his eyes at Dominic. “And now I’ve told you everything. You have to protect Micah. If you really are as good a man as Micah seems to think you are, you have to protect him.”

  Dominic nodded. “I will. He’s Trevor’s mate, and as such, he’s a pride member. He’s one of us.”

  Micah’s dad shook his head. “I’m not sure what to think anymore. I thought I was doing the right thing, albeit the wrong way.”

  “Will you help us?”

  “With what?”

  “I’m sure you can give us names, tell us where you met.”

  Micah’s dad looked at him, and Micah nodded. He wanted his dad to accept. He needed him to.

  “I’ll tell you everything I know.”

  Dominic got up. “Good. Doing so will help you once you’re on trial. I’m going to push to have you in the small cabin on pride territory. You’ll be locked up, but you’ll be more comfortable, and you’ll be close to your son if he decides to move in with us. I can’t do more.”

  “I know. I... thank you.”

  “I’m doing it for Micah and Trevor, not for you.”

  “I understand.”

  Someone rang the bell, and Micah looked at Dominic. His companion went to open the door, and Dominic explained, “I had Ani bring me here first because I wanted to talk to your father. Now the enforcers are here, and they’ll take him to our jail. He’ll have to stay there until we decide what to do with him, but after that, you’ll be able to visit him whenever you want.”

  “Thank you.”

  Dominic nodded. “I wish I didn’t have to do this, but I’m glad you understand, and that you won’t take it out on Trevor.”

  Micah sighed. “My father was wrong. I won’t deny it.”

  Ani came back, two men following him, and Micah watched them take his father away.

  * * * *

  Trevor kept an eye on Micah as he watched until his
father disappeared from view, but even then, he didn’t move. He didn’t know what to do. Would Micah accept it if he tried to comfort him? He seemed to understand shifters weren’t the monsters his father had described, but they were still the ones taking away the last family member he had. How would he take that?

  Dominic cleared his throat, and Micah visibly startled. “Are you going to stay here tonight?” Dominic asked.

  Micah shook his head. “I don’t know.”

  “The mansion’s doors are open for you if you want to stay there.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  Dominic nodded and held his hand out to Ani. Ani took it, and they were gone. Micah blinked at the place where they’d been standing, then he looked at Trevor. “How did they do that?”

  “Ani’s a Nix. He can shimmer around.”

  Micah chuckled. “I’m sure it’s a handy power to have.”

  “It is. It saved more than one pride member from being hurt.”

  Micah nodded and pressed his forehead against the table. Trevor sat next to him and put a hand on his back. He didn’t do anything else. He’d rather wait to see what Micah needed, and what he would accept from him.

  “Do you think I should move into the mansion?” Micah asked after a few minutes of silence. He turned his face to look at Trevor but kept it pressed against the table.

  “I don’t know. It might be safer. It depends on what kind of relationship your father had with the hunters recently. Since he’s injured, I doubt they kept close tabs on him, but they’re bound to notice he’s gone, and when they do...”

  “They’ll come for me.”

  “Probably.” Fear gripped Trevor’s heart. He couldn’t lose Micah, not now, or ever. He couldn’t force him to move in with the pride either, though. If Micah didn’t want to, if he’d rather stay in his home, Trevor would spend the night outside, just in case. He wasn’t a fighter by any means, but he could use a cell phone, and a Nix could bring enforcers in seconds.

  “They’ll hurt me.”

  “After the way they treated your father, I think so, yes.”

  “So I’d be safer in the mansion.”

  “Yes, but if you don’t want to go there, we can find you another place. I’m sure you’ll want to stay in Whitedell since you already have clients here, but maybe you could move or something.”

  Micah straightened and rubbed his palms on his face. “I’m going to move.”

  Disappointment made Trevor’s stomach sink, but he nodded. “Of course. I’m sure Isaiah can find you a place to stay until you find another house, or an apartment.”

  Micah looked at Trevor. “You’re really not getting this, huh?”

  “I guess not. What...”

  “I’m going to move into the mansion, doofus. I know I’ll never be as well protected as I can be there, and Dominic said my father might be able to get locked up in the mansion’s jail rather than in another one. I want to be close to him, even after what he did.”

  “Of course you do. He’s your father.”

  “I guess I need to pack.”

  “I can help you.”

  Micah smiled. He looked tired, but not defeated. He’d taken the situation better than Trevor would have thought possible.

  “Thank you.”

  “We can pack some things for your father too. Dominic will make sure he has them.”

  “I’ll start with that, then.”

  Trevor stayed in the kitchen while Micah went to pack his father’s things. He felt out of place, but he started cleaning up. Dinner could be eaten at the mansion. They’d just have to warm it up.

  He put the dishes away where they belonged and washed the pots Micah had used. He covered the meal and put everything into a bag they could take with them when they left. By the time he was done, Micah was back, a gym bag in his hands. He put it on the table.

  “This one is Dad’s.”

  “I’ll take it to the car while you pack up your things.”

  “We can come back for what I can’t take right now, right?”

  “Yeah. We can even ask Nysys and Ani to help, maybe Finn, too. That way it’ll be faster and easier.”

  “They’d help me?”

  “Of course they would.”

  “Right. I’m family.”

  Trevor smiled. “You’ll get used to it.”

  “I hope I’ll also get used to living with so many people. Do you ever have privacy?”

  “It’s true fifty people live in the house, but we really only see each other at dinner. A lot of them are out during the day for work, and everyone has their own room. The mansion is pretty big, and after a while you’ll remember when and where you can be alone if you don’t want to be in your room. The library is always good, because it’s quiet.”

  “I’m not really a book kind of guy.”

  “No one can be perfect, I guess.”

  Micah narrowed his eyes. “Was that a joke? I thought you loved me.”

  “I do. I like books enough for both of us, don’t worry. I won’t let that keep me away from you.”

  Micah’s gaze softened. “I know.”

  Trevor felt his cheeks heat and he looked away. “I’m going to go put these things into the car. Do you need help when I’m done?”

  “I don’t know. Come up to my room anyway, okay?”

  “Of course.”

  Trevor started to walk away, but Micah leaned forward and kissed him before he could. It was short and chaste, just a press of the lips, but it left Trevor blinking and wanting more. He reached for Micah, but Micah was already gone, and Trevor listened to his footsteps fading away.

  He shook his head and grabbed the bag. It took him only a few minutes to carry everything out. Once he was done, Trevor locked his car again and slowly climbed the stairs. He knew which room was Micah’s, at least from outside, and it was the only illuminated room when he got upstairs. He peeked into the room, his heart skipping a beat when Micah’s ass greeted him.

  Micah was on his knees, trying to get something out from under the bed, and his ass moved from side to side as he moved. He grunted and straightened up, and Trevor looked away. He knew Micah had seen him staring at his ass, though, and he blushed. “Do you still need help?” he asked, hoping to distract Micah.

  From the sly smile on Micah’s face, he wasn’t distracted at all. “Depends. What were you hoping to help me with?”

  “Packing.”

  “Of course. Packing.”

  “It’s not my fault you were in that position when I came in!” Trevor protested. “Anyone would have stared.” He snapped his mouth shut and wondered if he could make a run for it. He wasn’t sure Micah would forgive him for it, but it didn’t sound like a bad idea anyway.

  Micah put whatever he’d taken from under the bed into the luggage on his bed. “Anyone?”

  “You know I find you attractive.” And could he sound any more stiff and cool?

  “So what’s your answer?”

  Trevor frowned. “To what?”

  “To what I asked you earlier, before Dominic and Ani got here.”

  There was no way Trevor could have forgotten those words, but he’d thought Micah had been talking like that out of stress. “You wanted to date.”

  “We can still do that.”

  “But what’s the point if we’re mated?”

  Micah turned and arched a brow. “So you mean that once we’re mated, you won’t need to romance me anymore?”

  “That’s not what I said.”

  “It was implied.”

  Trevor tilted his head backward and sighed before facing Micah again. “Of course I’ll still romance you.”

  Micah grinned. “Good. I want chocolate and flowers.”

  “I... all right. Chocolate and flowers.”

  “I also want you to bite me.”

  “You know, it’s pretty damn hard to keep up with you.”

  “Sorry.” Mica
h was still smiling.

  “You’re not sorry at all,” Trevor accused.

  “Maybe not, but it doesn’t mean I’m not serious about this. I want to mate with you.”

  “Is it because you’re scared?”

  Micah’s expression became serious. “No.”

  “Why, then? You’ve been adamant you wanted to date, that you needed time, and now you want to mate right now?”

  “You could have reacted badly. You could have hurt my father, or left without waiting for his explanations.”

  “What does that have to do with us mating?”

  “My father did terrible things, and not many people would stick around for me.”

  “So you want me to bite you because you’re afraid I’ll leave you?”

  Micah threw his hands up in the hair. “No! You’re so fucking stubborn.”

  Trevor crossed his arms on his chest. “I’m not stubborn. I’m just trying to understand. I need more than what you told me.”

  * * * *

  Micah was fucking it up, and he didn’t know how to make it better. “Just... forget it, okay? It was stupid.”

  Trevor shook his head. “No. I want to know what you meant.”

  Micah sighed and sat on the bed. “I’m alone now. My dad is the only person I have, and he’s gone.”

  “Are you afraid I’ll leave too?”

  “Yeah. I know you said you wouldn’t, and that you’ve been after me for years, but it would be just my luck to finally get you, then to lose you.”

  Trevor knelt in front of Micah. “I’m not going to leave.”

  “Not even if I try to make you?”

  “Depends. I’d like to think I’ll understand if you’re just trying to push me away or if you really want me to leave, but I can’t be sure.”

  “I don’t think I’ll ever want you to really leave. I might need some space sometimes, though.”

  “And I’ll give it to you.” Trevor paused. “So you don’t really want us to mate right now?”

  “I don’t know. Everything is so fucking confusing, and I don’t know what I want. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to make you hope or anything. It just feels right, but I understand why you have doubts.”

  Trevor pressed his hands against Micah’s knees. “I don’t have doubts. I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I’d mate with you right now if you were sure of it. I know you’re not, though. Something bad happened today, and you’re shocked. You need time to get used to the idea of what your father did, to him being in jail, to you moving in with a bunch of people you don’t know, who are shifters to boot. I don’t want you to rush into things only to regret them later.”