Not that Derek had any idea of what it was like to be a werewolf, but it was the most interesting thing in the world, watching them debate over the differences between werewolves and wild American
wolves.
The questions at first ranged from being serious and philosophical to silly and joking. Tristan even went so far as to ask if a wolf transforming into a human would be a wereman.
Derek chatted with them some more, getting the lay of the land, as well as some of the rules the pack followed in order to survive. Everyone was responsible for a couple of things. Some did the laundry and cooked, though everyone was responsible for their own cleaning, while others went out and hunted for meat or took odd jobs in town to bring in money.
Derek had seen them before, usually alphas loading up their trucks with the furniture of people who were moving into a different house
or apartment.
He knew that Mrs. Kettle, the crazy cat lady he’d purchased the pawn shop from, had her groceries delivered to her by one of the wolves from this pack. Another female werewolf did her gardening while she drank iced tea in the shade.
Derek wondered if anyone in the town knew just how close they were to dealing with the supernatural.
“What’re your plans?” Corey asked.
Derek blinked. He hadn’t meant to space out like he had. “Me? I guess when my name clears I’ll see what I can salvage of the shop. Maybe the insurance money will be enough for me to start it up again if there’s nothing left over. Why are you shaking your head at me?”
Corey stopped, his body going tight, as though he hadn’t realized he’d been shaking his head to begin with.
More of that awkward looking amongst each other thing happened between Tristan and Adam before they both got up.
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“Hey! Where are you both going?” Corey demanded.
Adam downed the last of his beer and put the empty bottle on the picnic table where they’d been sitting. “You’re the boss’s mate and an omega. As far as stuff like this is concerned, you’re in charge.”
“Stuff like what?” Corey asked.
“Gentle letdowns,” Tristan said.
Derek didn’t like that one bit.
Both men said their good-byes to him and shook his hand, and Derek was left alone with the man who was apparently going to try and gently let him down about something.
“Okay, what are they talking about?” he asked.
Corey’s jaw clenched up. “Maybe this is the kind of thing you should be speaking with James about. He’ll know the rules better than I will.”
Likely because James was the one to make the rules. “Please just tell me what the rules might be then,” Derek said through clenched teeth. He’d never fought so hard for patience before in all his life.
The rest of the pack wandering around must have seen the other two weres leave the table, or at the very least they sensed the tension coming from the space, because everyone was suddenly keeping a distance.
Corey ran his hands through his hair, shifting his body so that he was facing Derek straight on from across the wooden table. “Okay, this is what I know, and you’ll still want to double-check with James and Mason because this might not even be permanent.”
“Might” didn’t take away from the fact that Corey had also said permanent. “Just tell me.”
He especially wanted to know what the hell Mason had to do with this.
Corey drummed his fingers onto the table. “You know that the police are looking for you, right?”
Derek nodded, keeping his eyes firmly locked onto the guilty ones that Corey was sporting. “Yes, because they want to question me
64 Marcy Jacks
about insurance fraud.”
“Right, well, considering that there are a couple of hunters out to get you, too, we can’t let you get picked up.”
Derek had already figured that part out, but what he thought was going to happen clearly didn’t mesh with what the werewolves were expecting to happen.
“I figured you were all keeping me safe from the hunters. Is this because you’re all worried that if I’m brought in the hunters will try and get me out of the station or something?”
“It’s not like it’s unknown for a hunter to be a police officer. Believe me, I was shocked when I heard about that, too. It’s not
common because they prefer to go their own route instead of chasing human bad guys, but we are in a pretty secluded area. Small town, woodland for miles in all directions, it wouldn’t be too far out there to
assume that someone with a badge who comes looking might be a hunter, too. Even if they’re not, they’re going to ask you questions we can’t let you answer.”
“Like what?” Derek snapped, suddenly liking Corey a whole lot less. He didn’t particularly enjoy being told what he could and could not do.
“It’s just complicated,” Corey said, glancing around.
Suddenly Derek noticed that there were a couple of people attempting to inconspicuously look over at them, some inching closer as they did their chores or watched the pups.
They were either spying because gossip was as much of a temptation with werewolves as it was with any other species, or they
were concerned about the well-being of their leader’s partner.
Derek made an effort to keep his anger down a low simmer.
“There’s nothing complicated about this. I have a life I built for myself. Eventually I want to go and pick it back up again.”
“We’re not kidnapping you,” Corey said.
Derek pressed his lips together. No, technically they hadn’t done that. Not in the legal sense, he was sure, even if he didn’t know squat
Mason Returns to His Mate 65
about the law. They were keeping him here for his protection, there were people out there who did want to see Derek dead for what he’d done at the pawn shop, and Derek was more than happy to avoid those people for a while.
Still, Corey was basically telling him that this problem would never be solved,
