Keenan Read online

  “Who is this?” There was a pause before Keenan continued. “Jonah? Is that you?”

  “I... ”

  “Jonah, if it’s you, please talk to me. Please.”

  “I... I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called.”

  “Oh god, Jonah. It’s you, it’s really you.”

  Jonah’s heart broke at the relief and the happiness he could hear in Keenan’s voice and it made him feel so much worse, because even if he was hurting Keenan, Keenan was still happy to talk to him.

  “I’m... I’m just going to hang up. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t you dare! I’ve been scared to death for you for the past two months, damn it! The least you can do is talk to me! I know something has to be wrong for you to call me like this, because you wouldn’t in normal circumstances.”

  “I had a dream. You were... in the lab.”

  “You needed to hear my voice to know I’m fine.”

  “Yes. I’m sorry I left you like that.” Now that he had heard Keenan’s voice, that he had started talking to him, it was as if Jonah couldn’t stop himself. “I didn’t want to, but I felt broken, and I knew that if I stopped to talk to you, I would be tempted to stay. I have to find them, Keenan. I have to put an end to this... thing that happened to me.”

  “I know that, you big idiot, and I can even accept that you couldn’t see me, although it hurts. I could have done with only a message, but you didn’t even give me that.” Keenan’s voice was full of sadness and regret, and it made Jonah hurt even more. He deserved it, though.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I know, I know. I’ll forgive you, give me time. That is, I’ll forgive you if you stop being an idiot.”

  That was Jonah’s chance, probably, the last chance he would have. “What do you want me to do? I can’t come back yet, I have to—”

  “I know, I don’t expect you to. I don’t even expect you to call, but I want you to write to me, even if it’s just to say goodnight. I just... I want to feel that you’re thinking about me, that you really want me as your mate, even if we have to wait.” Keenan’s voice was hesitant, as if he wasn’t sure this was what Jonah wanted.

  “I’ll do it. I want you, Keenan, I just have to do this before I can have you. You... you’re the only good thing in my life right now. I can’t lose you.”

  “I’ll wait for you, Jonah, but you have to give me something, anything, to wait for.”

  “I will.”

  * * * *

  Keenan should have been concentrating on his work, but he couldn’t. His mind was still reeling as he thought about the conversation he’d had with Jonah, and it kept replaying in a loop in his tired brain. He was analyzing every word Jonah had said again and again, trying to find hidden meanings and things Jonah hadn’t said but implied. Needless to say, he wasn’t getting any work done, and he hadn’t found anything new or any hidden meanings in what Jonah had told him.

  Keenan sighed and leaned his head down, bumping his forehead on his desk and leaving it there.

  “What are you doing?”

  “What does it looks like to you, Ollie? I’m thinking!” Keenan didn’t even look up at his best friend.

  “I can see that. The smoke coming out of your ears is a good indicator.”

  Keenan looked up and narrowed his eyes. “Ha, ha—very funny. Now, did you want something or are you just here to bug me and make my life hell?”

  “What crawled up your butt and died, Keenan? Should be something big for you to be this bitchy,” Oliver asked, then plopped down on the chair in front of Keenan’s desk, making himself comfortable.

  “Trust me, I would be way happier if something had crawled up my ass. As it is, I haven’t had sex since... ugh, since March!”

  “Wow, that’s a whole two months, Keenan! No wonder you’re in such a foul mood!”

  Keenan scowled. “Yeah, well, I don’t have a mate to fuck me every time I need it like you do. Are you going to tell me what you want, or are you here just to make sure I don’t get anything done?” Keenan knew he was whining and bitching, and that he was going to have to apologize. Maybe later.

  Oliver just looked at him as if he was reading him, as if he could see Keenan’s deepest secrets. “Did something happen?”

  Keenan sighed and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “Yeah. Jonah called me last night.” Oliver’s eyes widened, but he didn’t say anything. “I was sleeping and the phone rang. Apparently, he had a nightmare involving me and he acted on impulse. I’m sure he wouldn’t have called otherwise.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He apologized for leaving without even saying goodbye and he said he just had to.”

  Oliver hesitated and Keenan could nearly hear the thoughts as they ran through his mind. He knew Oliver that well, yes, just like Oliver knew him. “You know he needs to do this, right? I mean—”

  “I know, and I told him exactly that. What I don’t understand is why he left without even leaving a note, and why he couldn’t let me know he was fine for a whole two months! What if something had happened to him?”

  Oliver blushed and looked at his hands as if they suddenly were the most interesting things in the world, and Keenan just knew his friend was hiding something. “Ollie? What are you hiding from me?”

  “Keenan, you know I love you, right? You’re my best friend, and I would never do anything to hurt you.”

  Keenan narrowed his eyes. “What. Are. You. Hiding?”

  “I’ve been talking to Jonah since he left the mansion.”

  Keenan was stunned. “You... Jonah... what? Why?” It wasn’t often that something could leave him speechless, but Oliver had managed it. Well, as close as speechless Keenan had ever been anyway.

  “I didn’t do it to hurt you, Kee. I just know what he’s been through, and I thought he needed someone to talk to. I—”

  “I get it.” Keenan smiled at the look on Oliver’s face. He clearly wasn’t convinced and waited for Keenan’s wrath to strike him. “Really. I’ve been thinking about this since this morning, well, since last night, really. Jonah told me he wanted me, but that he had to save his friends first. It’s been only two months, so I’m going to give him a little longer, but... if he just disappears again, I’ll give up on him. I understand what he’s doing and why, but I can’t wait for him for years.”

  Oliver nodded. “So, what now?”

  “I wait. There’s nothing more I can do.” Keenan smiled. “At least I know he wants me. It helps.” It didn’t help much, but it was better than thinking Jonah had run away from him because he couldn’t stand him.

  “I hope he won’t make you wait, then. I, well, I know he found one of the wolves who had been sold with him. I’m supposed to go there and help Jonah retrieve him.”

  Keenan gaped at his friend. “What? Does Sebastian know that?”

  Oliver scoffed. “He’s not my mother, you know. I can do it without him. Besides, Jonah told me he could do it on his own. He just needs me in case something happens.”

  “I don’t think so, mister. You’re going to tell Sebastian about this, and you’re going to let him go with you.” Oliver opened his mouth, but Keenan didn’t give him the time to protest. “Either you tell Sebastian, or I tell Dominic.”

  Oliver scowled at him, but he didn’t care. “What are you, the Alpha’s pet?”

  Keenan stuck his tongue out. “Being Dominic’s PA has its perks, and I’m going to enjoy them all.”

  “Fine!”

  “I just don’t want you to be hurt, okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah. Christ, now I have two mother hens to deal with!”

  “Aww, I love you too.”

  “I’m a bear shifter! I’m fierce and—”

  “And you nicknamed your bear Yogi.”

  Oliver threw his hands up. “Why is it such a problem?”

  Keenan rose from his chair and walked to his friend, bending down to hug
him. “It’s not, but it’s a very cute thing to do.” Keenan knew how much Oliver hated to be called cute, so the growl that came his way didn’t surprise him.

  “I’m not cute! I’m fierce, and, and... shouldn’t you be working or something?”

  Keenan straightened. “I should. I just haven’t been able to concentrate.” Keenan loved his job, but he hated having to deal with too-stubborn-for-their-own-good people, and that was exactly what most of the Alphas he had to work with were. He was slowly making progress, though, but it was hard and painfully slow. “The hospital is about done, and the mansion’s new wing is going to be finished in about a month or so. The enforcers should be able to move in a few weeks later, so everyone will be here by the end of August.”

  “How many are moving in?”

  “For now, only six, but the number will probably change over time.”

  They chatted for a little while longer, but Keenan really had to get some work done. He had to check if the new furniture they’d ordered would be there on time and if the enforcers where still set on living with the pride.

  Keenan was on the phone when Jamie knocked on his office’s door. He waved his brother in and finished his conversation with the furniture store before hanging up. “Hey, do you think I should tell Kameron that Jonah found one of the wolves the old Gillham pack’s Alpha sold?”

  Jamie’s eyes widened. “What?”

  “Never mind.”

  “So you heard from Jonah, huh?”

  “I did.”

  Jamie arched a brow. “Are you going to tell me what happened, or do I have to torture it out of you? Because I can hide all your candy if it comes to that.”

  “You wouldn’t!” It was a well-known fact that Keenan had a bit of an addiction to a certain brand of cinnamon candy. He could eat a whole pack of them and still want more, and he got very, very angry when someone stole them from him.

  “I would, so spill the beans.”

  Keenan quickly told his brother everything he had told Oliver, and what Oliver was planning to do. He wasn’t telling Dominic, so he wasn’t a traitor, right?

  “I wouldn’t tell Kameron. If Jonah doesn’t want to, I guess he has a good motive.”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t know if Jonah’s motives are always that good, but okay.”

  Jamie narrowed his eyes, but he let the comment pass. “Anyway, what do you want to do for your birthday?”

  Keenan beamed. His birthday was in a week, and he couldn’t wait to celebrate. “I don’t know. I do know I want a cake, though.”

  Jamie chuckled. “You’ll have a cake, don’t worry. I was thinking we could have a small party here at the house on Saturday, and maybe go dancing on Friday night.”

  “We can ask Jayden and the twins if they want to come, and Oliver!”

  Jamie smiled indulgently. “We can do whatever you want, Keenan.”

  At least Keenan’s day was getting better and better.

  * * * *

  Jonah was waiting for Oliver and Sebastian to arrive, and they were late. He could have gone to get Elliott on his own, but he had promised Oliver he would wait for them. He clearly shouldn’t have.

  He checked his gun, making sure everything was perfect, just in case he had to use it. The guy who held Elliott had to know about shifters, but Jonah would prefer staying in his human form, since he wasn’t sure about the guards.

  He didn’t want to hurt anyone, although he might make an exception for the bastard who had bought Elliott from the company. Jonah had a pretty good idea why the man had bought his friend. Since Elliott had been with him for at least a few months, Jonah knew the buyer had most likely already raped the small wolf. Rage boiled inside him when he thought about it, and he had to push it back. He had to stay calm if he wanted everything to go the right way.

  The knock on the door was a relief. Jonah opened it, giving a small smile at Oliver. “You’re late.”

  “Yeah, well, someone made me tell Sebastian about this, so I had to convince him not to tell Dominic.”

  The lion shifter growled at his mate, but Jonah had better things to do than playing peacemaker. “Are you two ready? I want to get Elliott out of there.” He wasn’t so sure that asking Oliver to help him was a good idea anymore, but he did feel better at the thought that he would have some kind of back-up. Besides, he knew Sebastian had some kind of military training, and it could come in handy. Jonah just hoped he would help him rather than play babysitter to his mate.

  They climbed in the car, Sebastian sitting in the passenger seat. “Care to explain?”

  “When I left the mansion, I started looking for the labs. I went to talk to one of my old friends. He’s the Alpha of a nest of mice, and they hear a lot of stuff they shouldn’t hear. That’s how I have the location of two of the labs not too far from here. Billy also told me that they had heard something about a human buying a young shifter, so I asked him to check. His Beta managed to get in the house easily, and he came back with a message from Elliott.”

  Jonah was stunned when he felt a hand squeezing his shoulder. He quickly turned and smiled at Oliver before turning back to face the road.

  “Are you going to take Elliott to Whitedell, or to Gillham?”

  Jonah hesitated. “I want to take him home, but... ”

  “You’re not sure you can trust Kameron?” Damn, Oliver was smart.

  “Yeah.”

  “You know Kameron, though. Right?”

  Jonah nodded.

  “Why don’t you go there and see with your own eyes that things are going so much better since he’s the Alpha? I know you talked with Derick, but maybe seeing it yourself will help you realize Kameron is really a good Alpha.”

  Jonah would probably do just that. Elliott would need to go home to heal, to his family. But Jonah would bring him back to the pack only if he was sure it was safe. He could probably have Elliott stay in his motel room for a while.

  Jonah parked the car a few streets away from the house Elliott was being held in, then led the way through the night. The moon was thin and didn’t cast much light, but it didn’t really matter. The three of them were shifters after all, and they could see better than the human guards they had to neutralize.

  The house he stopped behind was big. It was isolated from the other houses on the street by a brick wall they would have to climb to get in, but again, they were shifters. Jonah had taken the time to monitor the guards’ patrols, and he checked his watch, smiling when he saw they were just on time. He’d had to drive a bit faster than allowed, but they had done it. The guard who patrolled the garden on the back of the house was about to pass on the other side of the wall. Once he was gone, they would have enough time to get over the wall and into the house.

  Jonah knew where Elliott was being held, thanks to his mouse shifter friend. He had to get on the second floor of the too-big house. Fortunately, the human who had bought Elliott hadn’t thought shifters might want to get in his house, and had just taken care that Elliott couldn’t get out easily. The back wall of the house was covered in trellis and climbing plants that Jonah would use, but he knew Elliott was chained to a wall in his room.

  Jonah listened carefully, nodding to his friends once the guard had walked away. Oliver and Sebastian would stay there—ready to help him if he needed it. He hoped he wouldn’t.

  Jonah climbed the wall and let himself fall on the other side. He quickly crossed the expanse of grass until he reached the house and used the trellis to get to a second floor balcony, thanking god that the wooden trellis had been sturdy enough to hold his weight. He wasn’t a light man, but the things had been screwed tight to the bricks.

  Jonah was happy to find that the door to the balcony was open. The weather had been nice and the human was taking advantage of it.

  So was Jonah.

  He slid inside, carefully listening to the house noises. There were no guards inside, but Jonah wasn’t so sure about the human. He hadn’t be
en able to find out if he was going to be out, but it didn’t really matter. The man was only a human. Jonah didn’t usually use his superior strength against people, but he wouldn’t have any problems doing it now.

  He exited the room he’d entered and walked down the hallway until he reached the door behind where Elliott was hidden. His heart slipped a beat when he heard a snarl coming from inside. It wasn’t a wolf’s snarl, but it was made by a shifter.

  Jonah slammed the door open, growling at the scene in front of him. Elliott was crouched in a corner, trying to keep a fiftyish, nearly bald human guy away from him. He was snarling and showing off his teeth, but they were human ones, and the human didn’t look impressed as he reached out. He did look impressed at the sight of Jonah, though, and Jonah had to repress a chuckle.

  “What... who are you? How did you get in?”

  “You would think that knowing about shifters, you would take care of having the house secured against them. It was so easy to pass your guards.”

  Jonah saw the moment Elliott recognized him. His green eyes widened and his mouth fell open in an O. Jonah smiled at him, then walked toward him and held his hand out. It seemed the human had taken Elliott chains off, and Jonah didn’t want to think about the reason he had done it. He just wanted to take Elliott and get out of there.

  The human didn’t move until Elliott smiled back and grabbed Jonah’s hand. “What are you doing? You can’t take him! He’s mine!”

  Jonah turned around and snarled. “He’s nobody’s. You’re lucky I don’t tear your throat out right now for buying Elliott and using him.” Jonah kept his voice low and menacing, and he could see the human was taking him very seriously. “You’re the worst type of man. You bought a kid who’s so young he could be your son to humiliate and use him, and you have no remorse. I should rid the world of you, but I won’t. You’d better be careful, though, because if you ever do anything like this again, I’ll find you, and I won’t be so merciful a second time.”

  Jonah didn’t explain that the mice shifter had already given him all the proof he had needed to send a file to the cops. It was a file that gave them enough on the man’s illegal affairs without revealing anything about shifters. They would probably arrest the human in the next few hours, and Jonah hoped the man would spend the rest of his life in jail. He wouldn’t pay for what he had done to Elliott, but he would pay for the rest.