A Baby Daddy for a Werewolf Silencer (7 page)

"It is not the easiest time, no," Erdi replied.
"I can't be sure, but Jessie is showing signs of pre-eclampsia, and his
pregnancy has been difficult. But I have faith the Alpha will come up with the
best solution for everyone."

His mate fell silent, and Erdi stole another glimpse at him,
only to find Jensen pale and shaking. It was at that moment that he realized he
hadn't actually mentioned the male pregnancy thing before.

The fact that he'd done so now spoke volumes as to the level
of his distraction. Jensen looked a little green, like he was going to be sick,
realization burning in his eyes.

Erdi had planned to drive straight to see Ian, but that would
take too long. He parked on the side of the road, and his choice proved to be
inspired since Jensen immediately got out and came to him, his face pale, his
fists clenched, but his eyes determined.

"Okay, what's all this about? Pregnancy? Are you kidding
me? What else haven't you told me?" He swallowed convulsively, as if he'd
realized something else. "Oh my God... Is that what happened to Parker
too? I thought he was acting strangely."

Erdi gripped his mate's chin and forced their eyes to meet.
"Calm down. I know this is weird, but yes, werewolves can impregnate human
males. Shannon is actually Gavin's birth child. Jessie is going to have twins,
and your friend is indeed pregnant too."

"How is that even possible?" Jensen breathed,
obviously trying to process the information. "They're men. They don't have
the... parts."

"I'm not sure," Erdi admitted. "It came as a
surprise to me too, but it seems to be connected to having a mate bond—which is
exactly like you guessed yesterday, very similar to what an Alpha wolf has with
his mate in the wild."

Jensen's distress was still very clear, and despite his
earlier resolve, Erdi found himself pulling his mate into his arms. Much to
Erdi's surprise, Jensen melted against his chest. He showed no sign of disgust
or apprehension, even if he must have guessed at least part of Erdi's past.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I... This is all so new to me. I
didn't mean to blow up at you yesterday."

"You don't need to apologize," Erdi replied
quietly. "You're entitled to your anger."

"You saved my life, Erdi. You're a good man, and now, you're
helping me with this. I shouldn't have acted that way."

Erdi shouldn't have taken his mate up on his kindness, but
Jensen's body was so warm against his. He fit just right in Erdi's arms. His
scent both soothed and tantalized and Erdi's instincts practically roared at
him to claim the beautiful human.

It was crazy and selfish, but Erdi still pressed his mouth to
Jensen's. He banished all thoughts from his mind, ignoring the rational side of
him that annoyingly piped up that this was a bad idea. At first, it took an act
of will to do that, but then, Jensen let out a soft gasp and parted his lips,
and all of Erdi's remaining scruples faded away.

With a growl of his own, Erdi thrust his tongue into Jensen's
mouth. He pinned his mate against the car door, greedy for more, desperate to
lose himself in Jensen's taste. To his credit, Jensen was right there with him.
Their erections nudged each other, demanding to be let out to play. Jensen
wrapped his arms around Erdi's neck and rubbed against him, his hold on Erdi so
tight it almost rivaled that of a werewolf.

Erdi would have probably taken Jensen right then and there,
on the hood of the car, had the sound of a car horn not snapped him out of his
trance. He remembered where they were and why they'd stopped, and pulled away
with a disgruntled groan. Adjusting himself in his jeans, he offered Jensen a
sheepish smile. "Later, okay?"

Jensen nodded. "Later."

It was a promise, one that made Erdi want to ravish his mate
once again. By some miracle, he managed to keep a hold on his libido and slid
back into the car. As they resumed their drive, he noted with no small measure
of relief that the tension between them was gone.

Chapter Five

As it turned out, their little road trip lasted more than
Jensen had expected and would have liked. Erdi's acquaintance lived somewhere
in the Rockies, and the distance meant that they had to drive through the
night, with only a few pit stops to eat and go to the bathroom. At times, Erdi
shot Jensen a few concerned looks, mindful of his discomfort, but Jensen just
arched a brow at his companion. "I assure you I don't need to be coddled.
It's best to reach our destination quickly. I wouldn't be able to sleep in one
of these motels anyway."

Not to mention that, with the sexual tension rising between
them, he doubted there would be that much sleeping involved. And Jensen was
many things, but he couldn't afford to think with his cock, not when he still
didn't know what exactly had happened in Willow Cove.

They arrived in Denver early Monday morning, and their car
was trapped in the somewhat sluggish traffic. Jensen stretched a bit to smooth
out the kinks in his neck and stole a glimpse at Erdi. He felt mildly guilty
that he'd slept through the night whereas Erdi had driven, but the other man didn't
look tired. "So do werewolves not need rest or what?"

Erdi chuckled. "Of course we do. But I'm well trained
and far more resilient than a regular werewolf. I can go for days without
sleeping if I have to."

The words "Trained for what?" were on Jensen's
lips, but for whatever reason, he didn't say them. He had a feeling the answer
was connected to Erdi's abrupt departure the night of their argument.

So instead of asking that, he inquired, "Do you think
we're jumping at shadows? I mean, the car accident could have easily been just
that, an accident."

Erdi shook his head. "I'm sorry, babe, but I saw it
pretty clearly. You were targeted. The car came straight at you, and made no
attempt to stop. The driver wanted to hurt you. When they hit me, the people inside
were pissed off, and I heard them actually comment on the fact that they'd
missed you."

Jensen couldn't suppress a shiver, and Erdi seemed to notice
the effects his words had. "It's okay," he whispered. "I won't
let anyone hurt you. I promise you that."

And Jensen believed him. He believed Erdi, even if they knew
so little about one another, even if physical chemistry—however
incredible—meant nothing in the long run and Erdi still had so many secrets.
Jensen's heart told him he could trust Erdi to keep him safe.

"I know you will," he told the other man. "I
believe in you."

Erdi made a noise—one of those 'I can't fathom what you're
thinking' sounds that Jensen had grown accustomed to despite the little time
he'd spent with Erdi. Barely audible, but there, they appeared when Jensen said
something affectionate, and that in itself was telling and it made Jensen
wonder further about Erdi's previous life.

He'd have probably said something more, but Erdi parked the
car and announced, "We're here."

They both slid out of the car and Jensen looked around for
anyone who might look like a shape-shifter. The street was crowded, and so was
the cafe in front of which they'd parked. There were a lot of hipsters, young
men and women, businessmen working on laptops or reading on tablets—but no one
Jensen could pinpoint as a paranormal creature.

Erdi took his hand and guided him inside the cafe.
"Remember, a bit eccentric," he murmured under his breath.
"Don't worry about him. He means well."

Jensen would have been worried about that, but they were
suddenly pounced by a young, purple-haired man. "Erdi... You're
here."

The man rubbed his cheek over Erdi's chest. Some of the other
patrons stared, while Jensen had the strongest urge to shove the young man off
Erdi. Remembering Erdi's words, he kept his calm. That turned out to be the
right thing to do, because Erdi managed to extract himself from his attacker's
embrace. "Jensen, this is Ian St. Claire. Ian, this is Jensen Moore."

"It's a pleasure," Ian replied, his piercing eyes
fixing on Jensen. "I've heard so much about you. I see Erdi wasn't
exaggerating."

That was about the only warning Jensen got before Ian grabbed
his wrist and dragged him along. "Come on. I have a table here."

Despite his slender, almost fragile build, he was obviously
very strong, because he had no trouble forcing Jensen to follow. Jensen went
along with it, largely because he heard Erdi growl slightly under his breath,
and he could tell the man didn't appreciate Ian manhandling Jensen. The last
thing he wanted was to make a scene.

Mercifully, Ian must have realized there were lines he
shouldn't cross because when they reached the table, he released Jensen. He
plopped down on his seat and took his cup—something that looked an awful lot
like cream was inside—gesturing for Jensen and Erdi to join him as he sipped
daintily.

Erdi and Jensen took the other chairs, and Erdi didn't delay
to ask his question. "Can you help us in the matter we discussed?"

"Of course," Ian replied, licking his lips of the
creamy drink. "The house is ready, and I notified my father that a
werewolf would be temporarily be staying on our grounds." He grimaced
lightly, the first sign of him being less than joyful. "I had to tell him
about the vet episode. He wasn't happy, but he is thankful, so he agreed to
help."

"Thank you," Jensen replied, more out of the need
to fill the silence than anything else. "We really appreciate it."

"No need to thank me. Erdi is my friend. Now... Let me
just finish this, and we can go. Unless... Do you want something for the road?
Have you had breakfast?"

"No, but we'd prefer to not have it here," Erdi
answered, his voice calm, but somehow managing to convey his urgency.

Ian got the message. He quickly finished his drink and left a
few bills on the table. In minutes, they were out of the cafe and getting in
their respective cars. Ian gestured for them to follow him, and Erdi did so
without too much trouble.

"Why do we need him to go with us?" Jensen inquired
as they drove.

"Prides of feline shifters and werewolf packs don't
really get along. It's not that we're enemies, per se, but we're very
territorial, and a werewolf has no place on pride land. I helped Ian a while
back, and I'm not exactly a regular werewolf, so that gives me some leeway.
Even so, pride members are still liable to be wary unless Ian is with us."

At that, Jensen could no longer contain his curiosity.
"Are you ever going to tell me what's different about you—in comparison to
others of your kind, that is?"

Erdi went rigid. His fingers clenched around the wheel,
squeezing the leather so hard Jensen was surprised he didn't tear into the damn
thing. He half-expected the man to ignore the question, but he didn't. "I
suppose I should tell you already. You guessed it right the first time around. As
a rule, werewolves organize into packs—like the Simmons pack Dean used to lead,
or even Saul's smaller one. But people like me, we don't have packs. We don't
have families. We just have guilds. We're silencers, assassins meant to quiet
the secret, to keep anyone from finding out about the shifter world."

Jensen's mouth went dry and his hands started to sweat. He
couldn't say he was awfully surprised given the way he'd met Erdi, but it was
still different to hear it from Erdi's mouth. He wanted to ask why Erdi had
been at the bed and breakfast that day, but his companion anticipated the
question. "Werewolves have a sort of ruling body, which is called the
Gathering of Alphas. When I came to the Amaretto that day, I had a mission. I
was supposed to kill the people who attacked you—along with Finn and
Parker."

"Wait, what?" Jensen gaped. "Kill them? You
can't be serious."

"Oh, I'm very serious." Erdi smiled bitterly.
"The Simmons family had too many human mates, and it was frowned upon.
Human mates are allowed to know the truth, but their friends or relatives
aren't, which is why the number of people accumulating between Gavin, Jessie,
Parker—and of course, William—was considered too high. I was tasked with fixing
that mistake, as well as handling the enemy pack that targeted Finn to begin
with."

"But you didn't kill them," Jensen said in a daze.
"You saved them. Why?"

"Because of you," came the reply. "I'm not a
good man, Jensen, and I probably never will be, but seeing you... It made me
want to do better, to
be
better. It made me unable to ignore what I knew
in my heart was wrong."

Erdi had been sketchy on the details of what exactly it meant
to have a mate, but still, Jensen could put two and two together. He doubted
Erdi would have changed his ways for just anyone, and neither would he have
dropped everything for a random human. "I'm your mate, aren't I?"

Erdi didn't answer, but the silence was reply enough. Jensen
swallowed around the knot in his throat and leaned against the window, tears
burning at the corner of his eyes. What did that mean?

Was the mate thing just a physical pull that didn't involve
the heart? Did Erdi care about Jensen at all, or had his shifter nature simply
forced him to protect Jensen? And why in the world was he thinking about that,
when the man had just confessed to being a killer?

Jensen closed his eyes and remembered Erdi as he'd been that
day, hands and body stained with blood. He hadn't been scarred then, Jensen
realized. How had Erdi gotten the scar on his cheek since then? What had happened
after Erdi had left? And if the mate bond was as important as it seemed, why
had he abandoned Jensen to begin with?

He couldn't ask again, not after the way the previous
conversation had gone. So instead, he just remembered and mused over what he
knew already. What in the world was he going to do now?

He must have dozed off at one point, because the next thing
he knew, Erdi was gently shaking him awake. "Hey. I know you're tired, but
we're almost there."

Jensen rubbed his eyes, ignoring the yearning that stirred
inside him just as the touch of Erdi's fingers. He looked around and saw that,
indeed, they'd hit a mountainous area. Forests stretched out in the distance.
Ian had stopped his car in front of them, and was talking to someone else, a
muscular blond that kept shooting ugly looks toward Erdi and Jensen. Whatever
Ian said didn't seem to satisfy him, because he stalked their way, his demeanor
full of menace and suppressed anger.

Erdi opened the door to the car and got out. It would have
probably been a better idea for Jensen to stay put, but he didn't want to shy
away from a conversation that could very well dictate what would happen in his
life from now on.

"I'm told that you need haven for you and your mate,
silencer," the man said without bothering to greet them. "Alpha St.
Claire has made it clear that you should be welcomed here, but know that if you
do anything to cross us, we will remove you."

"Of course," Erdi replied. "We have no
intention of causing any trouble or getting in your way. We will be very
discreet."

The blond man stared at Erdi's face, or more accurately, at
his scar, and then nodded jerkily. "Go on ahead," he said, his voice
a little less hostile. "And you have our thanks for keeping Ian safe. Not
many werewolves would've done what you did."

Without waiting for a reply, the man turned on his heel and
disappeared into the greenery.
 
A few
seconds later, Jensen couldn't see his silhouette at all, and he wondered if
the blond had shifted into his animal form. And how was it that, two days after
having been told about werewolves, he still hadn't seen a shift? Erdi might be
angry with him, but he had to ask anyway.

He decided to wait for a bit, preferably until they had
privacy. Ian waved at them and gave them a thumbs-up, at which Erdi snorted and
rolled his eyes. He was smiling, though, and jealousy, unpleasant and
unexpected, wormed its way through Jensen.

He was relieved when they all got back into their cars, but
he silently fumed over his confused feelings. Really, he was so good at
computers. How could he not figure out his own heart?

In the end, he didn't manage to find anything to say, but the
silence didn't have to stretch out for much longer. Soon, they had to stop
again, although this time, because the road was no longer suitable for the car.

They all got out and Erdi went to retrieve their luggage from
the trunk while Ian padded to their side. "It's not very far from
here," he said with enthusiasm. "I think you'll be pretty
comfortable."

"Where exactly are we going to stay?"

"Well, my father is one of the dominant males in our
pride, and because of my more... special nature, he's always wanted to take
extra care of me. So he had this place built for me when I was younger."

Jensen blinked in surprise. "Wait... We can't possibly
take your home."

Ian chuckled lightly and shook his head. "I don't live
here anymore. I haven't in quite a while. The house's been empty for over a
decade, and really, it's a pity. I'm glad someone else will have the chance to
use it."

As they spoke, Erdi appeared, carrying the luggage. Jensen
reached for his own, but before he could take it, Ian interceded and grabbed it
in his stead. "Save your strength. It's quite the climb."

The words didn't particularly scare Jensen, but perhaps they
should have.
 
"Quite the climb"
translated into a hike that had Jensen panting and heaving by the time they
reached their destination. He wasn't exactly unfit, but he was a city boy, not
made for heavy climbing.

It was all worth it, though, because the house was, plainly put,
beautiful. Bigger than Jensen had expected, it was built into the rocky terrain
in a way that made it quite striking to behold. To the side, Jensen spotted a
water tower, and there were cables around too, which made Jensen guess the
house had electricity and plumbing despite its remote location.