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Beckett nodded, though he had a feeling he hadn’t seen the last of his former boyfriend. “Thanks, Dax. I appreciate it. And I wish you all the best.” He closed the door, making sure it latched securely behind him.
“Aw, come on,” Hayden said from the couch, still wearing that annoying shit-eating grin. “Give Dax another chance. He might not be a total nightmare this time.”
“Who’s Dax?” Bran asked as he looked between them.
“A former headache,” Beckett grumbled as he walked back to the kitchen.
“You might like crazy now that you’re older,” Hayden called out.
“Don’t make Bran mateless,” Beckett countered as he sat back down and looked at the plate of eggs, hashbrowns, bacon, and toast. Great. He’d lost his appetite. Beckett pushed the plate away, got up, and looked toward the back door.
“Fuck it.” He stripped right there in the kitchen, hoping Bran didn’t walk in. Like any preternatural, Hayden was possessive of his mate, and Beckett didn’t want his brother having a fit.
After stepping outside, and making sure to close the door behind him, Beckett shifted into his cheetah and took off toward the forest.
Beckett ran faster and faster, his powerful legs propelling him deeper into the forest. He let out a growl, releasing his frustration with each pounding step. Running had always been his escape, but even that wasn’t enough to shake off Dax’s visit.
He slowed down as he reached the river, dipping his head to drink from the cool water as the common reed and cattails along the bank swayed in the gentle breeze.
As he shifted back to his human form, the morning air filled his lungs, and he looked up at the clear blue sky, feeling grateful for the peace and quiet that surrounded him.
It had been over a month since his parents had died, yet Beckett was still struggling with the loss. His chest ached as he recalled the phone call Hayden had received, a call that had changed their lives forever.
The Costa Rican police had said it was a hunting accident, that they had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Beckett and his brothers knew better. When they’d gone to the sight where their mother and father had been killed, all signs pointed to poachers.
Their parents must’ve been in their cheetah forms, running through the tropical rainforest, and been shot on sight. A trophy had been taken, and just thinking about what those bastards had done to his parents made Beckett want to vomit.
He shifted back into his cheetah form, moving slower as he made his way back to the house, taking a different route this time. As he drew near a cluster of bushes, Beckett slowed, hearing what sounded like an animal in distress.
Moving closer to the sound, Beckett saw a bunny caught in a snare. It was thrashing wildly, some of its white fur stained red from where it must have been cut by the wire.
Who in the fuck had set up a snare? There had been problems with hunters lately, even though hunting wasn’t allowed in Midnight Falls. Beckett would let Sheriff Harper know about it, but first he wanted to help the bunny.
Beckett’s shifted, walked closer, then knelt in front of the frightened creature. “Calm down while I try to get you out of this.”
That only made the bunny wiggle harder.
“You’re going to hurt yourself even more if you don’t calm down.” Beckett grabbed the bunny by its scruff before lifting it up, taking the makeshift frame and crossbar sticks with it.
“I’m going to unwind the wire from around you.” Beckett had started to untangle the bunny when it suddenly smelled like crisp, clean, freshly fallen snow. The kind of smell that evoked memories of Beckett and his brothers spending winters at their grandparents’ house.
Those were some of the best memories Beckett had from his childhood. Snowball fights with his siblings. Hot apple cider. Chopping wood with his grandfather. Lying in front of the fireplace to get warm after spending hours outside.
Beckett frowned as he glanced down at the bunny, carefully removing the wire. Then he stood, keeping his grip on the scruff. “Shift.”
The bunny tried to scratch him.
“Shift or I’ll put that fucking wire back around you,” Beckett threatened. He wasn’t into hurting anyone smaller than him, but he wanted to know why a shifter was prowling around the forest behind his house.
The bunny shifted, revealing a petite man with a heart-shaped face and striking blue-gray eyes. Beckett nearly dropped the man when he saw the wide, frightened doe-eyes staring back at him, but he tightened his grip and set the guy on his feet.
“Who are you?” Beckett demanded, keeping a firm hold around the stranger’s nape to prevent him from running away. “Why are you sneaking around my property?”
The man squeaked, trying to pull away from Beckett’s grasp. “I-I’m sorry!” he stammered, his gaze darting nervously between Beckett’s face and the forest beyond. “I didn’t mean to sneak onto your property, I swear! I was just…just…” The guy bit his lip. “Well, I was following someone, if you must know.”
“Like an ex-boyfriend who isn’t interested in dating you anymore?” Beckett really needed to get Dax’s visit out of his head.
The guy laughed then sobered. “I’m not dating anyone.”
