Savage (Wolf Ranch 4)

“Audrey’s bachelorette party. The storage room at Cody’s. Potent swimmers who got past a condom.” I gave him the short and sweet version. We were best friends, but we didn’t share details of our sex lives. No doubt he could scent Becky’s arousal all over me from what I did to her in the stable. That was enough.

“You knew back then she was your mate and left to track down Jarod Jameson?” His voice rumbled with quiet anger. Mates didn’t leave their females unprotected. Not for a day and especially not for months, like I had.

“If I’d known she was my mate, you think I wouldn’t have told you? I’d have ensured you watched out for her. Had pack protection.”

“How did you not know?”

“I got punched in the fucking nose by an asshole messing with Becky that night at Cody’s. I couldn’t start a bar fight, no matter how much I wanted to rip the guy’s throat out. It was the middle of Audrey’s party, and I know your rules.”

He nodded once.

“My nose was broken. I couldn’t scent her. I wanted her even when I didn’t know she was mine.”

Even Rob couldn’t say that.

He sighed. “I’m guessing you’re going to tell me you’re done, that an enforcer spot just opened up.”

“Yeah.”

He frowned. “Unfortunately, it might not be that easy.” Going around the desk, he settled into his chair, dropped his head back as if he had shit to deal with, and it was exhausting.

I waited, stifling the low growl I wanted to issue at any potential threat to my mate. Me remaining council enforcer would definitely be a threat, even if the only issue was being gone for long stretches. But that wasn’t the only problem. It was a dangerous job, while I was gone and once I got home. If the wrong shifters found out my identity, everyone I loved could be in danger.

“Word out of the Madison Range pack—”

“Is Sal Brown still causing you trouble?” I asked.

He waved his hand through the air. “Not him, but it turns out Jarod Jameson was his nephew.”

A spike of cold stabbed at the base of my head. I set my hat on the corner of his desk and ran a hand across the back of my neck, trying to rub out the feeling. “Fuck.”

“I guess the kid didn’t grow up in the same pack. Sal’s sister mated someone in the Clear Lake pack. She settled there and raised the nephew. While I guess they didn’t really keep in touch and Sal never even met Jameson, he’s got a beef with him being taken out.”

“Of course, he fucking does,” I grumbled. “That man’s nothing but a—”

Rob held up his hand. “I know what he is. Word is, his son, Donald, Jarod’s cousin, is getting up in the council members’ asses trying to sniff out the identity of the enforcer who finished Jameson.”

I dropped into a chair, sighed. “Fucking hell. Don’t they have any clue that my actions are ordered by the council? Jameson was a low-life drug addict. He tore the throats out of convenience store workers. He had to be taken out before more died and before humans caught on the murders were done by a shifter.”

“I know, but Donald still wants revenge. They’re saying the council should have let the family handle it because the kid had a drug problem. You know, that it wasn’t his fault, it was the drugs and all that bullshit.”

“Well, I agree he had a problem. They should’ve tracked him down and helped him before the council declared his life forfeit. Wasn’t my goddamn decision,” I snapped. “An eye for an eye is shifter law in a nutshell. I don’t make the rules.” When Rob didn’t reply because he fucking knew that, too, I continued. “I got a slice in my side from Jarod that’s taking it’s fucking time to heal.”

He frowned. “Silver?”

I nodded, setting my hand on my side. “It’s almost gone, but it’s been days. I’ll never take shifter healing for granted again.” It was a good thing Becky had wanted it dark the other night. She’d missed the wound, which would have been hard to explain. The next time I got her in bed, it would barely be a pink mark. Thank fuck.

“I don’t want a repeat of that shit with his cousin.”

“I think he’s not going to let this go.”

I shrugged. “Fine, Donald has something to do to keep his thumb out of his ass all winter. He’ll find nothing. The identities of enforcers are locked tight. You’re the only non-council member who knows I’m one of them.”

Rob met my gaze. His expression was normally serious, but it was doubly so now. “I sure as fuck hope so. I told the council to pay a visit to the family to try to calm things down, but they’re too high and mighty to do it. I’d do it myself, but it would show my hand. I don’t need them knowing we have an interest.”