Chasing Seth (5 page)

Seth refused to answer him. Instead, he just closed his eyes and ignored the other male. Even the wolves in this territory were bigots. Were they born hating others? Why would they hate wolves who had been bitten and changed?

A strong hand gripped his muzzle, forcing his eyes to open wide in surprise. Dark eyes glittered fiercely, but pain shimmered in their depths.

“Please… tell me.”

Huffing indignantly, Seth glowered at him but shook his head. The stiffness in Kasey’s body seemed to desert the older man all at once, bringing him to his knees beside the bed. “Thank God,” he breathed.

Seth wrenched his muzzle from the man’s grip and bared his teeth in warning. Kasey’s hand lay on the bed near his muzzle, but he didn’t move it. “You won’t bite me,” he said confidently.

Arrogant bastard, wasn’t he? Seth shoved at Kasey’s hand with his paw, attempting to push him away, but that warm, tanned hand wrapped around his paw gently, holding it. Seth tensed as pure emotion slammed into him, twisting his gut tightly. Heat, lust, and affection all slammed into him at once. His head whirled with the strength of it all. He felt as though he knew this man, like he recognized him in some primeval way. No… no, this couldn’t be happening. He gave a pained whine at the depth of the feelings swirling through him, his mind and his heart. Angry, he clamped his jaws down on the hand holding him but didn’t bite, just held it there, growling a warning.

Kasey didn’t struggle to pull away but merely waited for the wolf to release him.

Seth wanted to bite down, wanted to injure this man trying to claim him as his mate. He didn’t want this. The sheriff lifted his free hand, and Seth’s ears dropped down flat to his head as he flinched. But instead of a cruel fist crashing into the side of his face, the hand came to rest gently on the top of his head. Those long, lean fingers softly traced through the fur on the top of his head, scratching easily.

“I won’t hurt you,” Kasey murmured, “even if you hurt me. I will never touch you in anger, pup.”

Seth whined again in confusion. He’d just threatened to hurt a stronger wolf. Why was there no punishment? His jaws loosened, and he pulled his mouth away from Kasey’s hand. What was this man doing to him? He started to struggle to stand, wanting away from him, away from these things he had never wanted to feel for another wolf.

Kasey sighed but moved away. “I am sorry, pup. Forgive me for being overeager. It isn’t my intention to make you uncomfortable. For now, I will leave things alone. But once you return to your human form, we will talk.”

That’s what you think
, Seth thought with finality. He would never let Kasey know the truth. He might have pretty words to say now, but if Kasey knew that Seth was the white veterinarian that he despised, he would surely take those words back.
More like choke on them
, Seth thought bitterly. There was no doubt in his mind that Kasey Whitedove would be horrified if he saw Seth standing there when he shifted.

Kasey stood and moved toward the bedroom door. “I’m going to go get you something to eat. You’ll need to keep up your strength until you heal.”

Seth watched him leave. If he thought he’d make it, he’d stand up and leave, but it would only damage the bone further, so he chose to stay for the time being. His eyes closed as he tried to think of how to get away from the other man. He’d come to Senaka in the hopes of getting away from other wolves. When he’d visited the town prior to moving there, he’d sensed no others in the area. But hearing Kasey talk about his pack had left him shocked so many lived there. Thankfully he’d learned a long time ago how to mask the scent he gave off when in human form. It prevented others from finding him easily. His parents had taught him how to gather his power around him and shield the aura he gave off.  When he shifted, the guise dropped, allowing others to identify his true being. Another reason he’d chosen to move to such a secluded town. The woods gave him the chance to run wild and free as a wolf. Or so he’d thought.

It left him feeling cornered and afraid, knowing so many werewolves resided in the area. It also made him sad, because he would need to start making preparations to leave. He liked the small town. It was peaceful, and despite the reception from the sheriff, he felt the people there were good people. And having the forest so conveniently close to his house gave him such a sense of home. For the first time in two years, he’d been able to run free as a wolf without fear of humans or other wolves. But if this was the territory of Kasey’s pack, they would not welcome him on their land. If he’d been in his human form, he’d have cried in despair and frustration. He hadn’t had a true home since his parents had died.

Twenty minutes later, Kasey returned carrying a tray laden with food. “Thought I’d join you in eating,” he said in explanation as he set the tray down on the small nightstand. The smell of food wafted to Seth’s nostrils, and his mouth watered. Kasey took one of the plates from the tray and set it on the bed next to Seth. Seth struggled to sit up, almost jumping out of his fur when hands slipped beneath his front legs and assisted him. When he was propped in a way he could eat, he leaned down and grabbed a piece of the lightly browned steak on the plate, chewing enthusiastically.

A husky laugh rumbled in Kasey’s throat, but he didn’t speak, instead concentrating on his own food.

Seth lapped at the plate when he had finished, licking up the rest of the juices from the steak. A small choked sound came from Kasey’s direction, and he looked up, tilting his head at the red flush highlighting the Cheyenne’s high cheekbones.

Sighing in satisfaction, Seth relaxed back onto the pillows behind him with a large yawn. His eyes were half slits by the time Kasey finished eating and took the plate from the bed. Exhaustion set in, and his head lolled closer and closer to the mattress. “Good night, pup,” Kasey said softly as he exited the room.

Chapter Three

Shadows
darkened the room when Seth woke, and he had no idea how long he’d been sleeping. From what little he could see from where he lay, the sky appeared a slightly darker blue. His eyes widened in shock. He’d slept for at least fourteen hours, maybe even longer. He grimaced as he felt his bladder protesting. Gingerly, he tested his leg and found it was almost completely healed. A few more hours, maybe twelve, and he’d be as good as new. He carefully stood on the bed and had moved to the edge with the intent to jump off when he stopped abruptly. Kasey lay facedown on a sleeping bag on the floor beside the bed. Seth sank back onto his haunches and studied the larger male.

The Cheyenne’s dark hair had come loose from the twine. It splayed out across the pillow like a black wave. His cheekbones were high and well defined, with a strong chin that sported a small cleft that had Seth wondering how it would taste. Scowling, Seth peered closer and noticed a small, light-brown mole right beneath Kasey’s left eye. Sometime after Seth fell asleep, Kasey had taken off his shirt, baring his chest. What a chest, though! Seth’s eyes ravished the toned muscles and dark-brown nipples, and he could see the tribal tattoos clearly. Several ran along Kasey’s upper arms, while one started on his shoulder and curved around to his back. Seth studied it and realized it was an image of a wolf made from thick and wispy black lines. Seth wondered if there were any meanings behind the markings.

His bladder sent a sharp pain through his belly, reminding him of his urgent need, and he whined as he realized he wouldn’t be able to jump over the muscular Native American beside his bed. Kasey must have been a light sleeper, because his eyes fluttered open before Seth’s whine had finished. A frown graced his firm mouth, and he sat up quickly. “What’s wrong?” Kasey demanded.

Seth saw his chance and hopped off the bed, wincing as his leg gave a twinge of pain. Instantly, Kasey appeared at his side, moving faster than Seth expected. “You can’t leave.” His voice held a small edge.

Seth glared at the sheriff but kept moving toward the door. Only he wouldn’t be able to open it. He looked back at Kasey and woofed at him expectantly. The man moved slowly, hesitantly, to his side. “What is it?”

Seth woofed again, this time more insistently, and looked up at the door handle. Kasey opened the door, and Seth huffed in relief, still limping along until he got to the front door, where he glanced back at the man following him expectantly. Kasey shook his head. “You can’t leave,” he repeated. “You aren’t completely healed yet, and we need to talk first.”

Growling, he looked up at the door again. If the man didn’t let him out, he’d go right there in the living room. Either way, he had to go to the bathroom. He barked this time and scratched at the door. He felt slightly humiliated that he had to act like a dog to get the sheriff to understand him. Finally, it seemed to dawn on the man what he wanted. “Aw, hell. I didn’t even think of that. Sorry, pup,” Kasey muttered as he opened the door.

Seth moved as quickly as he could to the trees. He wasn’t stupid and knew he wouldn’t make it far with his leg still hurting. The sheriff didn’t give him enough credit to be smart enough to know that much. When he was finished relieving himself, Seth returned to the house and walked past Kasey straight to the bedroom he’d been in. He noticed it wasn’t a house but more of a one-bedroom log cabin, which explained why Kasey had slept on the hard floor instead of in a bed. Guilt speared him. He’d slept comfortably in a bed while Kasey had spent the night on a sleeping bag.

Stopping beside the bed, he eyed the height, wondering if he could get back into it. His leg wouldn’t support the weight yet, so he chose to curl up on the sleeping bag. The instant his body hit the sheet, he groaned. The other shifter’s scent surrounded him: a deep, woodsy aroma that spoke of spending long days in the sun surrounded by the trees.

Kasey came into the room a second later and spotted him on the floor. He strode forward, and before Seth could guess his intentions, the man picked him up and settled him into the bed. A warning issued from Seth’s throat. Kasey stepped back, giving him an impatient look. “I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable.”

Without giving himself time to think about his actions, Seth moved closer to the wall and eyed the tall Cheyenne. His paw slipped out and touched the bed beside him. Kasey’s eyes widened in surprise as Seth drew the paw back, but no words were spoken as Kasey carefully slipped into the bed beside him. If he’d been human, Seth would have groaned at how stupid he’d just been. The scent came back full-force, and he could feel the heat radiating off the sheriff’s body now. The combination caused lust to spiral through his body. He turned his head away from the stubborn man and buried his nose under the pillow. “Thanks, pup,” he heard Kasey murmur beside him.

Seth knew he had to figure a way out of there without revealing his human side, but he would worry about it after his leg healed. He let himself drift back to sleep.

This time his sleep wasn’t as deep or restful. Being exposed to an entire territory of wolves stirred up some of the muck of his past, bringing forth one of the many nightmares he endured night after night. He whimpered as he saw the blood, and his body twitched in remembrance of the pain. Teeth sank into his shoulder, causing him to scream in pain. Hands gripped at him, and he began to struggle.

“Pup! Pup, wake up!” a frantic voice sounded close to his ear.

Teeth sank deep into one of the hands, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from the owner of the voice.
Not again
, his mind screamed,
not again
. Tears spilled out from behind closed eyelids, soaking into the fur lining his face. The voice deepened, becoming husky with pain. “It’s all right, pup. No one is going to hurt you. Never again. Wake up. Come back to me.”

Seth’s mind cleared of the terror-filled fog that had clouded it from the moment the dream began. The tangy taste of blood coated his mouth, and he realized his teeth were clamped down on someone’s hand. Kasey! Oh shit. He immediately jolted wide awake, releasing Kasey and flying to the end of the bed as quickly as his leg would allow. He stared at the man in horror. Kasey cradled his hand against his chest, where blood started to soak into his shirt. No!

Seth let forth a howl so forlorn it sent shivers down the Cheyenne’s spine. “It’s all right,” Kasey soothed, trying to move closer to where Seth crouched.

He shook his head at Kasey. No, it wasn’t all right. He’d hurt someone, even if Kasey was another werewolf. Anger began to simmer in the dark eyes before him. Seth didn’t blame Kasey. If their situations were reversed, he would be furious with him too.

Kasey was angry, but not at his mate. Fury at the person who’d hurt his pup stabbed through his veins. His hand throbbed, but the teeth marks had already begun to close over. The beaten, defeated air around the black wolf made his heart ache for his mate. He knew without a doubt someone had abused him. He swore viciously and then berated himself when he saw the other wolf flinch. He immediately regained control of himself. “I’m not mad at you, pup. I’m angry at whoever has treated you so badly. You wouldn’t have hurt me if you hadn’t been having a nightmare.” He kept his voice sure and sincere.