Aaron's Awakening (2019 Reissue) Read online

  “Ah, Lyle, let’s stop fucking with him,” the fat one said. “I’m getting bored of this shit. I say we have ourselves some fun.”

  The bland man’s eyes lit up and he looked interested for the first time all night. That wasn’t good. What sort of fun did they have in mind? Cary’s heart started beating faster and, despite the cold, he felt a bead of perspiration trickle down his forehead.

  Lyle snickered behind him.

  “What did you have in mind?” he asked, circling back around to join the others.

  The fat one took a step forward and his beady eyes traveled the length of Cary’s body.

  “He must be so used to fucking them faggots, I say we teach him what real men are like.”

  Cary’s entire body went stiff.

  He swallowed hard. “What the fuck?”

  His eyes darted back and forth between the four men. “What did you say?”

  They stared at Cary silently.

  The only thing to break the silence was the sound of crickets twittering in the nearby cornfields. After a moment, the short, squat man threw his head back and let out a thunderous belly laugh and soon they all joined suit.

  All but the tall, insipid man.

  “Look at his face,” Lyle said around a guffaw. “He thought you were being serious. As if we’d really want to fuck that little homo.”

  At breakneck speed, Lyle grabbed hold of Cary’s arms and pinned them behind his back. Cary gasped and struggled to break free from the tight grip.

  “Don’t struggle,” Lyle whispered into the back of his neck. “You’ll only make this more difficult.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Aaron skidded the truck to a halt in the parking lot outside Jessie’s dance hall. Cary’s truck was near the entrance to the building surrounded by a few other vehicles.

  Aaron dashed out of the truck and ran inside.

  The bar was about half full. Loud music wafted out of a jukebox in the corner of the room but Aaron had no idea what was playing. His eyes shifted around the tables in the room, searching for his mate.

  Cary wasn’t anywhere inside.

  Aaron stepped up to the bar and got the attention of the barman. He was a wolf, more than likely the friend Kelan had mentioned—his beta.

  The wolf nodded in greeting.

  “You got any ID?”

  Aaron shook his head. “I’m not here to drink. I’m looking for my mate.”

  Shit.

  What the hell did he say that for?

  He was supposed keep his mating a secret and here he was telling the first person he crossed paths with. Oh well, he’d said it now. There was no turning back, and if this wolf was a friend of Kelan’s then surely it wouldn’t make any difference if he knew or not.

  The bartender shook his head. “Haven’t been any wolves in here tonight except…” His eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open in shock. “Wait a minute. You’re not mated to Lyle, are you?”

  Aaron shook his head. “No, Cary, he’s a panther. You called Kelan about him a while back. I’m Aaron.”

  The wolf didn’t look any less surprised by Aaron’s correction but he didn’t comment.

  “You just missed him. He left already.”

  “But his truck is still outside.”

  The wolf looked over to the corner of the room and his eyes widened in horror. “Oh, shit. This is not good.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “There were some men in here earlier, giving him shit. I used to work with one of them, a wolf—Lyle, his name is. He’s bad news. I don’t know the others he was with, they were human, but they were as thick as thieves.”

  Aaron’s stomach lurched.

  He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, fighting to keep them from shifting. His skin prickled and his hackles rose. His wolf was itching to break free and hunt down the men. He’d kill each and every one of them if they’d touched a hair on Cary’s head.

  “Hey! Calm down!” the wolf whispered. “There are humans in here.”

  Aaron opened his eyes and breathed in deeply through his mouth. “How long ago did they leave?”

  The bartender looked at his watch and shrugged. “Maybe ten minutes ago.”

  Aaron nodded then rushed out of the bar.

  Once outside, he scanned the parking lot but there was no sign of Cary.

  His hands shook.

  He balled them into fists and strode across the lot.

  Aaron used his wolf senses to try to locate Cary but there was hardly a trace of his mate’s scent in the cool, night breeze. He reached the end of the lot and stopped, trying to listen for any sound that might help him locate his mate. He was about to start moving again when he heard muffled voices coming from the cornfield to his left.

  Without pause for thought, Aaron started running in the direction of the voices. He picked up speed and sprinted across the field, barely holding on to his sanity.

  He had to find Cary.

  All he cared about was the safety of his mate.

  So help me God, if they’ve…

  Aaron couldn’t see anything over the tall sheaves but the closer he got, the louder the voices became. Then Aaron heard a sound that made his stomach lurch violently.

  Cary—his Cary—crying out in pain.

  The sound permeated Aaron’s senses and caused an answering pain in his own chest that was so sharp it stole his breath for a moment.

  His incisors elongated and his eyes shifted to their wolf form.

  He charged through the corn, his human side becoming less and less prominent. His wolf howled within—incensed.

  When he broke into a clearing, he came face to face with Cary and his tormentors.

  Aaron took in the scene, scenting the air before he charged.

  There were four men.

  Three humans and a wolf.

  The wolf held Cary’s arms behind his back. Cary’s nose was bleeding, his lip was cut and his left eye was black and half-closed. His legs were bent and he looked barely able to support his own weight. A short, fat man was stood in front of Cary, his arm raised behind him. His hand was clenched into a fist, ready to strike.

  Aaron saw red.

  He lunged forward and charged into the man, knocking him forcefully to the ground.

  Complete chaos ensued.

  The wolf holding Cary tossed him to the ground like a rag doll then pounced.

  He was too slow.

  Aaron anticipated the blow and dived out of the way. He spun around in time to catch the hand of another man before it made contact with his head. He twisted the man’s arm until he cried out, then, with one solid punch, he sent him flying away.

  The wolf had turned and was about to lunge again when Aaron growled, low and deep. The sound was menacing and meant as a warning.

  The wolf took note.

  His eyes widened, taking in Aaron’s impressive height and power and he stopped moving forward. A fourth man was hovering to the side, watching the action. The tall, slim man hadn’t moved throughout the fight, but he’d watched the event with marked interest.

  Aaron glared at the man, his chest rumbling, daring him to move. The man took in Aaron’s eyes, his teeth, and claws but he didn’t as much as raise an eyebrow. He simply turned calmly and disappeared silently into the rows of corn.

  The wolf followed suit.

  When Aaron turned to check on the other two men, they too had hightailed it out of the field.

  Aaron was torn.

  He was so angry he wanted to give chase—to hunt down the men and kill them for what they had done, but his mate needed him. He ran to Cary’s side. His mate was lying on the ground, clutching his side. His face looked worse now that Aaron was nearer to him. His eye was nearly swollen shut and the cut on his lip was deep. His nose looked as if it might be broken, too.

  “Jesus Christ. What did they do to you?”

  A tear ran down Aaron’s cheek and landed on Cary’s neck.

  Cary tried to sm
ile but the cut on his lip re-opened and started bleeding again. “My hero.”

  Aaron tried to smile back at Cary but he wasn’t sure he’d managed it.

  “Try not to talk, okay?”

  Cary shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he rasped.

  “Don‘t be sorry, babe.” Aaron wiped the blood off Cary’s chin with his thumb. “This isn’t your fault.”

  “I shouldn’t have left the ranch. I shouldn’t have gone to the bar. If I’d have stayed and talked to you… I shouldn’t have broken my promise.”

  “Don’t worry about any of that now, okay? You’re safe. That’s all that matters. Although next time I get my hands on those bastards, they won’t be as lucky.”

  “I tried to fight them,” Cary’s voice broke as he spoke and Aaron had to wipe away the tears that were falling rapidly down his face. “But there were too many of them and I wasn’t strong enough.”

  “Shh babe, it’s okay. Let’s get you home.”

  Cary nodded.

  Aaron helped lift him get up off the ground. He snaked an arm around his mate’s waist to support most of his weight then led him out of the field and across the parking lot to Kelan’s truck. There was no sign of any of the men.

  But they would pay for what they had done to his mate.

  Aaron would see to it if it was the last thing he ever did.

  He opened the door to the truck and helped Cary into the seat. He strapped on his belt for him then closed the door. They hadn’t spoken to one another since they’d left the field. Aaron didn’t know what to say. He was so angry, he was afraid he might say something he’d later regret. He didn’t blame Cary for what had happened but why the hell had he come to the bar alone?

  How could he have put himself in harm’s way like that?

  Aaron jumped in the driver’s side then started the engine. He put the truck in gear and only then did he turn to properly study Cary’s face.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Like stir-fried crap.”

  Aaron smiled, but he knew the expression didn’t make it to his eyes. He felt anything but jovial.

  “Is anything broken?”

  Cary was leaning against the passenger window and still clutching his side.

  “No. My ribs are sore…hurt like hell, actually. I think one of them is cracked but no broken bones. I’ve had plenty—I know what they feel like.”

  Aaron frowned.

  He couldn’t stand the thought of his mate being in pain.

  He hated how much he’d suffered.

  “I should have got to you sooner. But I was asleep. I didn’t even realize you were gone until Kelan came to tell me you were here. I should have known.”

  Cary started to shake his head. “No. Don’t blame yourself. None of this is your fault. I shouldn’t have left in the first place. I should have talked to you.”

  “We can talk later. For now, you need to rest. Your body needs to heal. It would be best if you shifted, you’d heal more quickly. Let’s get you home first, okay?”

  “’Kay.”

  Aaron sighed. “I was scared, Cary. Afraid I wouldn’t get to you in time.”

  “But you did.”

  Aaron nodded.

  He had…but only barely.

  He tried to push that horrible thought from his mind as he maneuvered the car out of the lot. He turned left on to the dirt road that led back to the ranch.

  “Aaron?”

  Aaron took his eyes off the road and turned to look at his mate. “Yeah?”

  “Thank you.”

  The words were whispered softly but Aaron heard them as clearly as if they’d been shouted—and the sentiment behind them was equally apparent.

  “No need for thanks. You’re my mate. I’d die for you.”

  Cary closed his eyes then leaned his head back against the seat. Aaron watched the road for a few moments, and when he turned back to look at Cary, a single tear was making its way down his mate’s cheek.

  Aaron frowned.

  It was going to take time for him to prove his feelings to Cary—to prove he was someone Cary could trust. Someone he could count on. It would probably take even longer for Cary to see himself as someone worthy of being loved.

  But Aaron had time. Lots of it. He’d make sure he told Cary every day how special he was until his beautiful mate truly believed it.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Cary undid his seatbelt when Aaron pulled the truck to a halt outside the ranch.

  A sharp pain tore through his chest when he moved. He definitely had a cracked rib, possibly two. At least his lip wasn’t on fire anymore. The cut on it had already started to heal. His ribs would take longer, and so would his swollen eye.

  He could hardly open it.

  Lights shone out of the downstairs window in the ranch house. Cary suspected that Kelan was still up and waiting for him and Aaron to get home.

  Aaron ran around the front of the truck to help him get down from the bench seat. His face was filled with concern as he slid an arm around Cary’s waist and handled him with the same delicacy one would handle a fragile china doll.

  Cary felt bad for worrying him.

  Why did he have to be so impulsive?

  If he had only stayed home and talked to his mate none of this would have happened. But he’d been afraid to talk to Aaron—afraid that the answers he’d get wouldn’t be what he wanted to hear. The more time they spent together, the more Cary could see what a good person Aaron was. There was a part of him that didn’t believe he deserved someone like Aaron—that he wasn’t good enough for him.

  As they crossed the yard to the bunkhouse, the door to the ranch house opened and Kelan appeared in its jambs.

  He strode over to greet them.

  “What the hell happened to your face?”

  “Would you believe I walked into a door?”

  Cary tried to make light of what had happened to him but when he saw the look of horror on Aaron’s face, he wished he could take it back.

  “This is no joking matter, Cary,” Aaron fumed. “You were very nearly killed.”

  Kelan’s eyes darkened and a burst of power radiated from the alpha wolf. It crashed into Cary like a tsunami.

  “What do you mean? I think you need to tell me what the hell happened tonight.”

  “A group of men attacked him in a field near the bar.”

  Cary saw the shiver that passed over Aaron’s body, and his voice broke when he spoke as though reliving what had happened to Cary was too painful for him. “You’d better call the council, Kelan. They’ll need to hear about this.”

  “What?” Cary squeaked. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You can’t call the council. If they come here, they’ll find out we’re mated.”

  Aaron sighed. “We don’t have any choice. Those men are dangerous. We can’t just let this go. You do realize they could have been the same men that killed those shifters near here and over in Louisiana, don’t you?”

  Cary hung his head. “Actually, I think they were the same men.”

  Aaron looked at Kelan.

  Neither man spoke but Kelan nodded his head then ran back into the house.

  Cary suspected he’d gone to make the call.

  “What makes you think they were the same men?”

  “I don’t know. It’s just a feeling I got. One of them scared me more than the others and he didn’t even lay a finger on me. But there was something in his eyes.

  “And when they kicked me one time, my eyes shifted. I couldn’t control it. But none of them acknowledged it. I think they already knew. I think the wolf told them.

  “And the tall one…”

  “I know the one you mean. He was just standing around when I showed up. My eyes and teeth had shifted and when he saw them he wasn’t afraid. If anything, he looked…excited.”

  “The bartender knew the wolf. He said his name was Lyle.”

  “Don’t worry, the council will catch them.”

 
“What do you think they’ll do when they find out about us?”

  Aaron slid his arms over Cary’s shoulders and stroked the back of his head. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Cary’s cheek.

  “I don’t know. But try not to worry about that right now. Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it together, okay?”

  Cary nodded. “Yeah, I can live with that.”

  A few moments later Kelan came back out of the house. “Gregory and his partner, Ashton, are on their way here.”

  Aaron groaned and straightened his back.

  “Perfect,” he whispered.

  Cary frowned. “Just what have you got against Gregory?”

  Aaron shrugged. “He’s an arrogant ass, that’s what. Besides, he was looking at you funny. I didn’t like it.”

  Cary couldn’t fail to notice the laugh that Kelan tried to hide around a cough. “You’re jealous? Of Gregory? Is that what this is about?”

  “What? No…I just don’t trust him is all.”

  Even in the near darkness, Cary could see the color that had risen in Aaron’s cheeks.

  If Cary’s face hadn’t been hurting so much he would have rolled his eyes. He did manage a small smile as he slipped his hand into Aaron’s.

  “You know you have nothing to worry about, right?”

  Aaron shrugged and averted his gaze.

  Cary had always hated Gill’s jealousy but with Aaron, he found it practically endearing. Maybe because Aaron displayed none of Gill’s suspicion and distrust.

  And he didn’t have Gill’s temper, either.

  Aaron was powerful, yes, and he’d been scary to watch in the field while he’d fought, but somehow Cary knew deep down that Aaron would never hurt him—he felt it in his bones.

  “Why don’t you take Cary inside to get cleaned up?” Kelan suggested.

  Aaron nodded. “Okay. Are you ready?”

  Cary nodded and let Aaron help him towards the bunkhouse.

  “Oh, Kelan?” Aaron called over his shoulder. “Does Dad know about what happened tonight?”

  Kelan shook his head. “No. Jake and I were the only ones up when Pete called. Do you want me to wake him?”