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As Nathan headed toward the door, he mentally shook his head at himself. He still couldn’t believe he’d ended up drinking in uniform. He mentally winced at thefaux pas, but it was too late to change it.
Hopefully, the liquor on my breath isn’t too bad.
Nathan hesitated a few seconds, then knocked on the front door. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he waited... and waited. He pulled out a hand, preparing to knock again when he heard it—the unmistakable sound of feet moving along hardwood.
Taking a step away from the door, Nathan felt his heartrate kick up a notch. He heard the locks disengage and mentally winced. Whoever it was should really have checked before opening the door so late at night.
When the door swung open, Nathan tipped his head up to meet the gaze of the alpha wolf of the Stone Ridge pack. He felt another uptick of his heartbeat as well as the hairs on his neck standing on end. Nathan finally understood why staring into the man’s dark-gray eyes always felt just a little disconcerting—as if he were looking into the eyes of a predator.
And now it makes sense.
The corners of Declan’s lips quirked up. “Deputy Nathan Kaldwell, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
Nathan felt the distinct impression that Declan already knew, but he answered honestly anyway. “I apologize for calling on you so late, but I need to talk to you about the hunters.”
“The hunters?” Declan arched one black brow. The African American’s lightly Irish-accented voice took on a slightly amused hint. “What hunters are ye referring to, Deputy Nathan? These are protected lands.”
Is he really going to play dumb with me?
“Please, call me Nathan,” he countered. “And we both know what hunters I’m talking about.” When Declan just narrowed his deep gray eyes at him, he stated bluntly, “The wolf shifter Khan is my mate, and he’s running scared of hunters your people told him about. I need to fix this.”
Declan’s eyes widened at that. His nostrils flared as he took a deep breath, telling Nathan he was scenting him. After his talks with Kontra, why some people around town appeared to be smelling others made sense.
The knowledge also gave Nathan a pretty good idea of who he knew that were shifters and who might not be.
And there are a lot of them.
Taking a step backward, Declan beckoned. “Ye’d best come in, Nathan. This could take a bit.”
Nathan entered Declan’s home and took a cursory look around. The large place held a little bit of a lodge-like feel. There was plenty of open space to the right, and he could see all the way back. A huge great room with a TV hanging over the fireplace was to the right with an open-concept dining room and kitchen beyond. The wall on the left led to a hallway, and open stairs leading upward faced the back of the house.
“Who was at the door, hon?” a tenor voice asked as a petite blond man appeared from the hallway. “Oh. Hey, deputy.” The blond’s brows furrowed. “Everything okay?” Then he rolled his eyes as he shook his head. “Of course, it’s not. You’re here late at night. Should I start some coffee?”
Nathan knew the little cutie was Doctor Lark Trystan. He’d once worked at Sugar Creek Memorial but had since opened his own practice. Everyone called the man Declan’s husband, although Nathan couldn’t recall a ceremony. Considering the man’s five-foot-five stature, he also wondered if he was a wolf shifter, too, or something else.
“I don’t think so, my mate,” Declan replied, crossing to Lark. “Maybe some finger sandwiches, though.” Resting one hand on his lover’s waist, Declan threaded the fingers of his other through Lark’s blond hair. “Nathan’s here on pack business, and we’ll probably need the food to soak up the alcohol.” With a tsking noise, he looked over his shoulder at Nathan. “Especially since he’s already been in the bourbon.”
Nathan winced and moved his gaze to the wall.
“Pack business?” Lark murmured, his blue eyes widening. “I didn’t realize he...” His voice trailed off as he blinked a couple of times. “Uh, yeah. Okay.”
“We’ll be in me study, Lark,” Declan told him before pecking a kiss to his lips. “See you in a minute.”
“Come on, Nathan.” Declan beckoned with a couple of crooked fingers. “Let’s get comfortable.”
Following Declan down the hallway, Nathan joined him in the first room on the left. A large study with a good-sized seating area on one side opened before him. Declan headed to the sideboard and picked up a decanter.
“More bourbon?” Declan asked, grabbing a tumbler. “This could take a bit to explain.”
“Uh, I probably shouldn’t.” Nathan rubbed the back of his neck as he glanced at his uniform shirt. “I really shouldn’t have before, but—”
“Eh, at least ye’re not armed,” Declan said teasingly, and a fresh wave of embarrassment flooded Nathan. Pausing, Declan’s eyes widened as he stared at him. Then he barked a laugh. “Ye were before, weren’t ye?”
Nathan let out a huff before grumbling, “To be fair, Sheriff Anthony tricked me into going to Kontra’s farmhouse.” He crossed his arms over his chest as he admitted, “IthoughtI was going there in an official capacity.”
“And they ambushed ye with the news that paranormals are real, and ye’re the mate of one,” Declan hazarded astutely. When Nathan nodded, he chuckled again. Then he waved the tumbler he’d filled toward Nathan’s chest. “So, take off the uniform shirt and drape it over a chair if ye’re that self-conscious.”
Nathan only hesitated a second before quickly doing just that, leaving him in his white wife-beater. Declan was there holding out his glass, and he took it. After a grateful sip, Nathan ran his hand through his hair, wondering what else to say.
