Pack Community (Were Chronicles) (2 page)

“Gray Mason, and Dorothy is correct. It smells amazing,” Gray told the other man as they shook. While his wolf might be straining to get out, Gray was professional enough to control his instincts. Being a detective in a very human world had tested him enough.

As soon as the words left his lips, he felt the change in the other man. Instead of a mood to match the cautious handshake, the man returned to his joyful self. “Well, thank you, son. Let Dorothy get you checked in so we can feed you,” he told Gray with a friendly slap on his back.

Gray turned back to the woman in time to see her send Claude a worried glance before smiling at him once more. Gray breathed in deeply, trying to place any familiar scents. The woman was surely human, although she smelt like Claude. But he just couldn’t place the other man. The scent was more fresh air and fields than the wild and woodsy scent of wolves.

He couldn’t come right out and ask without sounding rude, so he just pushed it to the back of his mind as he accepted his room key and listened to the directions to his room.

Passing through the cabin—he no longer thought of it as a hotel—he appreciated the beauty and comfort of the décor and feel. He liked the little place already.

* * * *

Dinner had been fantastic. With a full belly and after a couple of bottles of good domestic beer, Gray was starting to relax. As he stepped out onto the back porch, he glanced around, taking in the sights.

Despite the name, Coyote Bluff was a gorgeous town. He always felt better being surrounded by the woods and forests of home, but the canyons that surrounded him now had their own charm. He couldn’t wait until later when he would be able to change forms and run.

But for now, as he waited for the evening to pass, he took a seat in one of the many chairs on the porch and kicked back. The restlessness that he had felt since before he’d arrived calmed, and peace settled deep inside him until his eyes started to droop and he let himself drift.

It was the light sound of footsteps that kicked his instincts into gear and had him popping his lids back open. Just off to the side at the porch steps stood a little boy, about five or six, staring at him.

Gray dropped his feet onto the deck and nodded in the kid’s direction.

Taking that as an invitation, the little boy scrambled up the steps to hover over him. “I’m Toby, I live next door, my aunt said I could come over and get some cookies from Claude, he makes really good cookies and he always saves me some.”

The words flew so fast and with such a heavy southern accent that Gray actually had to think about what had been said. Once he put it all together, he grinned. His Alpha had a young daughter, so he’d had some dealings with small children. “I haven’t had the cookies yet but I hope you’ll save me one.”

The boy started to nod immediately. “I will. I promise.”

Before Gray could respond, the boy scrunched up his face and sniffed. He knew the child was scenting him, and, while it would have been rude from an adult, he had a feeling the young boy he had just met didn’t worry about things like that. Discreetly, he breathed in the boy’s scent also.

He was shocked to smell cat.

“You smell funny!” Toby told him, leaning closer.

Gray couldn’t hold in a laugh at the boy’s exclamation and puzzled face. Once he quieted down, he knew that, no matter what species Toby was, the kid was all right. “I don’t think I smell that bad. I took a shower earlier,” he teased.

This caused Toby to shake his head so quickly he almost fell over. “No, you don’t smell bad—just funny.”

So he hadn’t smelt another wolf before. That was interesting.

“Well, I’m a wolf so maybe that’s it,” Gray offered.

And found himself with a lap full of kid.

“You’re a wolf!” Toby squealed. “A wolf! That is so cool! I always wanted to meet a wolf. Jim says that when I’m bigger I’ll be able to meet everyone, but right now it’s not safe.”

Gray took in the boy’s pout and pleading eyes and patted his back reassuringly. “You should listen to Jim—he seems like a smart guy. And right now it may not be safe but hopefully when you are bigger it will be.”

“But you’re a good wolf, right? You won’t eat me or anything?”

Gray forced back another chuckle. “No, I promise I won’t eat you.”

The child relaxed in his lap. “That’s cool then. What’s your name? Did you tell me already? I don’t remember you telling me, but sometimes I don’t listen too well.”

“I think I might have forgotten to tell you. My name is Gray.”

“Gray?” Toby chewed on his lip. “I like that. Is it because in your other form you are grey?”

It was a good question and kind of made Gray proud of the boy, which surprised him because the child was still a complete stranger. A feline. Oh well, he could puzzle over that later. Right now he was enjoying his new friend.

“Actually, I am not grey at all as a wolf.”

“Huh?” Toby thought about that.

“Well, little man? What are you?” Gray finally asked.

“Oh!” Toby jumped down so fast he almost toppled them both. But then he balled his hands on his hips and stuck his chest out. “I’m a bobcat!”

“Really?” Gray wouldn’t have guessed that. Maybe that was why Toby’s scent was a little different from the other felines he had met. He had never met a bobcat before. Lions and one tiger, but Toby was his first bobcat, so Gray told him that.

“Really!” the kid was squealing again. “That’s so totally awesome!”

“Toby Jameson Williams!”

The boy and Gray both startled as a woman rushed up the steps.

“I am so sorry, mister. I didn’t know he was out here pestering you. He was supposed to run into the kitchen and be right back,” she hurriedly told him, pulling Toby to her side.

Gray stood and was almost knocked back by the woman’s beauty. She was probably in her early thirties, with bright green eyes and reddish blonde hair. She was quite a bit shorter than him, and with her curvy body and ample breasts he was embarrassed to find himself getting hard.

She stood in front of him in nothing fancier than old jeans and a tank top and he wanted to pounce on her. He took a step back just to be safe. It had been so long since he’d been so attracted to anyone.

“It’s fine, really. I was enjoying visiting with Toby,” he told her sincerely.

She smiled then, relaxing just a touch, and it took his breath away. The fact that the female in front of him had the scent of a cat didn’t seem to bother his body or his wolf, who was scratching to get out and play.

“Aunt Beth! Gray is a good wolf! He promised not to eat me,” Toby told his aunt with all the innocence that could only come with one so small.

“Oh my! He didn’t!” she exclaimed, hand going to her mouth.

Gray chuckled to show her he wasn’t offended. “Yes, I did promise that and I always keep my promises, buddy.”

Toby grinned back and finally the woman laughed.

“You’ll have to excuse us. We haven’t dealt with…with your…kind much,” she stumbled to excuse.

Gray waved her off. “I understand. This is new for me, too. Toby is my first bobcat.”

“Aunt Beth is a bobcat, too!” Toby added helpfully.

Gray had figured that but was glad to have it confirmed to him. That way he could get his head around the fact that, while she might be the sweetest-looking thing, she was still a cat and therefore still suspect.

“I thought I heard voices out here,” Claude said, joining them on the porch. He carried a small plastic bag with him. “Beth called over to send Toby back, but I hadn’t seen him. I take it you both have met our new guest?”

“Yes, Claude! And he’s a wolf. But a nice wolf. He won’t eat me.”

Claude glanced over at Gray, who just nodded in agreement. Okay, it had been funny but now he was starting to worry about all the wolf talk. He hoped it wasn’t the same around town or he would never be able to get anything useful from the residents.

And he needed to find something there. They needed a lead.

Chapter Two

Beth led Toby back to their house, still thinking about the wolf shifter. It had scared her to death when she had spotted her nephew right in front of the man. Every protective instinct she had in her had wanted to jump in front of the boy until the threat was gone.

Instead, she had been stunned at how open and friendly he had been. Not to mention handsome. Even as she’d crossed the yard, desire had battled her fear.

But she couldn’t afford to think like that. While her community might be built on tolerance of human and inter-species relationships, she was still a cat and he a wolf. Sometimes it wasn’t meant to be, and, attracted or not, this was one of those times.

Well, maybe she could still think about those gorgeous eyes that had practically set her on fire. His built body and height didn’t hurt either. No one had to know, did they? If he had been a cat, or any other species, she would have thought he’d make the perfect mate.

She inwardly sighed as she followed Toby up the stairs to his room while he went on and on about the wolf next door. She would have to warn her brother that Toby was completely taken with the stranger. When Toby’s natural curious nature came out and he got this way, only time would divert his attention.

Together the two of them followed Toby’s nightly ritual of brushing teeth and getting ready for bed. Once her nephew was tucked in, she kissed his forehead. “Daddy will be home soon and in to check on you,” she told him.

“Cool! I will tell him all about my new friend!”

She smiled down at him, although she had every intention of beating him to it. That way, at least her brother would be a little more prepared than she had been.

Back downstairs, she made herself a glass of iced sweet tea and went to sit on the front porch swing. Her body was still humming happily after the encounter with the wolf shifter and although she couldn’t act on it, she thought she might as well enjoy it while she could.

Few wolves ever ventured into Coyote Bluff. Wolves tended to keep with their Packs and in their territory. The ones that had come by usually didn’t last long. They were too dominating to leave things alone around town, and while the people might be tolerant of one another, they were also protective.

Their ways worked for them. And no one was going to let a rogue wolf come in and take over. A few had tried, but they were almost always quickly run out of town.

With the exception of one wolf, none had ever stayed. Mark was a special case, though. The wolf was so tormented and afraid that he jumped at his own shadow. Even after a year of living in town, the wolf hardly ever left his house and, as far as she knew, never shifted.

She wasn’t completely sure what had happened to him and she never pressed. They had become friends, but she knew she was one of only a few. Toby himself had never met him.

The story about the feline Prince being taken had reached them when it had happened. The town wasn’t into the politics of the felines and others, but given the number of felines in town, they were asked to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. The rumour of the wolves helping search for him seemed to be true, if the reason for Gray’s visit was really with the hopes of helping.

The sheriff, Jim, had told them some of the searchers might be coming down, but Beth hadn’t really thought any other shifter species would care about the Prince.

Half of her
own
species didn’t care. Cats were solitary creatures, and while they did have a royal line that governed the big laws, most felines lived their own lives and didn’t get involved in each other’s business.

It wasn’t like that here. That was what she liked about her home. She could live close to her family and wasn’t expected to fend for herself. Very un-cat-like.

Her brother Dawson and Toby were the only close family members she had. Their parents had left them right after they had become adults. The oldest sibling—her and Dawson’s brother, Casey—had joined the military and they hadn’t seen him since. That had been twenty years ago.

The headlights from her brother’s patrol car bathed her in a spotlight as he parked. She scooted over on the swing as he stomped the dust off his boots then took a seat next to her.

“It’s a nice night. I thought the heat would never break,” he greeted.

It had been unusually hot for May. Already hitting in the hundreds and summer wasn’t even upon them yet.

She handed over her tea to share and nudged his shoulder. “Toby made a new friend.”

Relaxing back into the wood swing, Dawson chuckled. “What is it this time? A fish in the pond or maybe a rat from the barn?”

Toby was forever making friends with anything that moved. Shifter or regular animal, it didn’t matter.

“Wolf shifter,” she said quietly.

Dawson stiffened and out of the corner of her eye she could see him thinking about his words before he spoke.

“So he made it to town? Jim wasn’t sure what day, but had thought within three.”

She nodded. “Came in tonight. I didn’t know he had arrived yet and Toby wanted some of Claude’s cookies.”

“And instead found a wolf?” Dawson guessed.