“Thanks.” He couldn’t think of anything else to say. He couldn’t bring himself to chastise a woman who reminded him of his own elderly grandmother. Moving out of his hiding place, Reno walked past her to jog down the steps and walk out of the building.
He was definitely going to have a word with…Baker. Reno shook his head in amusement. That was one hell of a way to find out his mate’s name.
Reno drew in a ragged sigh as he walked back to the firehouse. The building wasn’t far, and he hadn’t wanted Baker to hear his motorcycle. It was not his intention to scare his mate. Really, it wasn’t. But, it wasn’t like Reno could just say to hell with it and let the mating dance go, taking his mate instead in the traditional way of shifters. The mating dance was hardwired into him.
Reno walked into the side door of the firehouse, which led directly into the break room. He spotted the chief eating another of the donuts he had brought in this morning. “Where’ve you been?”
Grabbing the carafe and hoping the coffee was fresh, Reno poured a cup. He added one packet of sugar and stirred, wondering how truthful he should be. “Running errands.”
Bear gave him a look that said he knew Reno was full of shit. “I got a phone call about you.”
Reno kept his features in check as he sipped at his coffee. “About?” Why give anything away? If Bear knew he was in the middle of the dance…but Reno wasn’t even sure the man even knew about coyote mating.
Most shifters didn’t.
And that was why they thought the breed nuts. They didn’t understand nor did they take their time to find out. They turned their noses up at him and his kind, judging them without knowing the reason coyotes did what they did when it came to mating.
Bear gave an irritated grunt. “Don’t play stupid with me, Reno. You know damn well I was called about you and your mate.”
Swallowing the coffee, Reno wondered if it was the buffalo who complained. If it wasn’t, then there was only one other person who would have a beef about the way Reno was handling Baker. And as much as he wanted to protest, Reno already knew. If Maverick didn’t approve, Reno would be transferred out.
The wolf alpha had the ultimate say in this town. As much as Reno didn’t like wolf shifters, he respected Maverick. “And?”
“Will you stop with the monosyllabic replies?” Bear said as he finished off his powdery treat. He dusted his hands off and sucked down some coffee. “What’s going on with you and Baker?”
“You are not allowed to interfere in mating,” Reno reminded his chief. He kept his tone even, blasé. He didn’t want to piss the bear off considering the man was his boss, but he didn’t want him to stick his nose where it didn’t belong either. He wasn’t going to be made to feel bad about the mating dance. It was his right and Baker was his mate. “I haven’t harmed him.”
Bear looked astonished. “I never thought you would.”
“Then what’s with the questions?” Reno asked.
Shrugging, Bear leaned his large frame against the counter, his light-blue eyes assessing Reno. “Honestly?”
Reno nodded.
“Damn curious. That’s all. Maverick just called to let me know what was going on with you, to forewarn me that one of my men was going through some sort of dance and to not interfere. Never heard of such a thing.”
At least Bear was asking and not judging. But Reno wasn’t willing to divulge what was deemed very intimate among his breed. He was a little peeved Maverick had said anything, but he understood the need the alpha had of warning the chief. He was going to be in and out of the firehouse…a lot.
Reno didn’t want to lie to the man, but he didn’t want to have to explain himself either. “It is what Maverick told you it was.”
“He didn’t tell me shit other than to give you leeway. That’s all he said.”
“That’s all you need to know.” Refilling his cup, Reno left the chief in the kitchen area as he walked over to the area that had been put together for relaxing. The men called it the media area. He sat in one of the loungers and grabbed the remote. He was being ballsy with the chief and he knew it. If they had been talking about anything other than his mate and what was going on with Baker, Reno wouldn’t have dismissed the man the way he had.
He did like his job, after all.
Sitting there flipping through the channels, Reno found he couldn’t concentrate. All he kept seeing were deep, dark-blue eyes and short brown hair with just a touch of curl at the top. His fingers began to tingle as he remembered running his hands through Baker’s hair, gripping it tight, and bending the man’s head back for a kiss.
God, those lips. Had Reno seen another set of lips that had been so perfectly made for kissing? They were full, delicious, and fuck, his cock was hard again. Reno tried to push the images away and concentrate on what he was seeing on the television, but nothing caught his interest, so his mind wandered back to Baker and the small swell he had seen in the man’s biceps.
Nicely shaped. Very bitable.
“Hey,” Travis said as he dropped down next to Reno. “Hear you found your mate.”
Reno growled at Bear’s big mouth. “Does everyone know or did Bear post it up by the reception area?”
Travis grinned. “Nah, he just put a memo out.”
Reno gaped at his fellow firefighter.
“Just kidding,” Travis said, the big grin still in place. “Chief just told me I might be picking up your slack.”
Reno wanted to strangle the bear shifter, but was thankful at the same time that he wouldn’t have to explain to Travis why he was disappearing. He had to remember that he
