Gregory's Rebellion (6 page)

Hayden tried to swallow down his hurt. He’d thought Gregory was different, but then he’d thought that about people in the past, hadn’t he? Most of them turned out to be exactly the same—cruel…hurtful to those that were different from themselves.

“Hey!” Gregory’s booming voice made Hayden jump. “Look at me!”

Hayden set his jaw and continued to stare out of the window.

“I said look at me, God damn it!” Gregory grabbed hold of Hayden’s face and twisted it until they were eye to eye. Hayden thought Gregory might be about to apologise for what he’d said, but what happened next was the very last thing he could have anticipated. Gregory leant forward and crushed their mouths together, forcing his tongue into Hayden’s mouth. The kiss was hard, fervent and incredibly hot. It felt almost like Gregory was claiming him. Hayden could do nothing but hold on for the ride and hope he didn’t come in his pants.

When Gregory finally ended the kiss, he groaned and pressed their foreheads together. He was breathing heavily and when he pulled back Hayden saw that his eyes and teeth had shifted to their cat form.

“You are
not
ugly. You are the most beautiful goddamn man I ever saw and I’ll tell you every damn day until you start to believe it, you got me?”

Haydon was so shocked he couldn’t speak. He nodded dumbly, trying to avert his gaze, but it was no use. Gregory still held his head in a death grip between his hands.

“Do you understand me, Hayden?” Gregory pressed.

“But my scar…” Hayden whispered.

“Is just that—a scar. It doesn’t take anything away from your looks, not for me. I don’t even see it when I look at you, and it’s not like you don’t know how to get rid of it. You only need to shift.”

Hayden closed his eyes. It was the only thing he could do to get away from the intensity in Gregory’s stare. He couldn’t hold that inquisitive gaze without blurting out his secrets and uncovering his skeletons. He wasn’t ready for that.

“I can’t,” he whispered.

“One day soon you’re going to tell me why,” Gregory said. “Now, I’m going to get us a room for the night. Stay in the car until I get back, okay?”

Hayden nodded, but he didn’t open his eyes. After a moment he heard Gregory sigh and his hands fell from Hayden’s face. The car door opened and then closed again and Hayden was at last alone. His breath left him in a rush. Could it be possible that Gregory really thought he was beautiful and didn’t notice his scar? Or had he just said that to make Hayden feel better about himself?

Gregory was the most incredible man he’d ever met. Handsome didn’t even come close to describing him. His face had a rugged quality to it. Strong nose, strong jaw and the most alluring blue eyes Hayden had ever seen. Okay, so Hayden knew Gregory played for his team now, but someone like him could have any man he wanted. Could he really find Hayden attractive? Even with his scar? Hayden didn’t dare believe.

Part of him realised the pointlessness of his thoughts, anyway. Most shifters didn’t get involved in relationships because it would only complicate their lives if they found their mate. So would there be any point in the two of them starting anything? Hayden knew it would be easy to fall for Gregory and then, when the leopard met his mate, where would that leave Hayden? It was stupid of him to want things he had no business wanting. Reckless.

Maybe it would be better if he didn’t see Gregory again after he’d been dropped off at the ranch in Texas. Better for them both. But the thought of never seeing Gregory again made his stomach ache.
Jesus
. What the hell was he getting himself into? He tried to get a handle on his anxiety while he waited for Gregory to return.

Gregory pressed his head against the cool glass of the door to the motel office and cursed under his breath. What the fuck had he just done? He couldn’t believe he’d been so impulsive. He shouldn’t have kissed Hayden, but he’d been angry when he’d heard his mate call himself ugly. His cat had been furious and had quickly risen to the surface. Gregory had wanted to show Hayden that he’d been telling the truth, that he
did
think he was beautiful, that he was genuinely the most beautiful man he had ever seen. But, whatever his reasons, that still didn’t make it right. He should have had more damn sense. If he couldn’t be more careful, he was in danger of scaring the jaguar off. If only Hayden would shift he’d understand everything… He’d
know
.

Gregory pushed open the door to the office and strode inside. The one-storey building was old and run-down, but it was the type of place that wouldn’t ask any questions. Besides, he’d stayed in worse places. The elderly man behind the desk was watching a TV set on a bracket on the wall in the corner of the room. Gregory glanced at the set briefly before turning back to the man.

The man chuckled then turned to face Gregory, his smile wide. “Garfield,” he drawled, shaking his head. “What a riot!”

Gregory’s mouth twitched. “Hilarious. You got a room?”

The man pursed his lips and opened a register on the desk. He took his time looking through the pages to see what he had available, but Gregory had no idea why he’d bothered. He could see the room keys hanging on pegs on the wall. Every peg held a key, bar one.

“Yep, looks like I can sort you out. Hundred bucks,” the man said, licking his lips.

A hundred bucks for this dump? Gregory shook his head, but reached for his wallet and handed over the money.

“We don’t do breakfast,” the man said, “but, if you want coffee, there’s a machine just there.” He nodded to the wall near the door. “Office is open all night. Name’s Larry, by the way.”

“Thanks, Larry. Is there a payphone around here?”

“Sure is, it’s ‘round near the pool, opposite the furthest unit.”

Gregory nodded and took the key, which had a small block of wood hanging from it with the room number painted in thick red numerals.

“Thanks,” Gregory nodded. “Have a good night.”

Larry grunted a reply and before Gregory left the office the man had turned up the volume on his movie and was laughing along with it again.

After collecting Hayden from the car, Gregory led the way to their room, which was located at the end of a long row of identical units. Gregory unlocked the door, pushed it open and switched on the light. The decor was just as he’d expected…old. The furniture was tatty and in certain places the wallpaper was peeling away from the wall.

“One bed?” Hayden asked looking from it to Gregory, eyebrows raised.

Gregory groaned inwardly. It hadn’t even occurred to him to ask for two beds, he’d just taken what Larry had given him. How the hell was he going to sleep next to Hayden all night and keep his hands to himself? His dick had been hard non-stop since he’d met Hayden and now he had to lie next to him in bed?
Christ
. This was going to be a true test of his willpower.

“I don’t mind,” Hayden said quietly, and as Gregory watched, his face coloured to a deep shade of pink. He could smell the arousal seeping out of Hayden’s pores and it made his already hard cock ache with need.
Oh, God
. Gregory was done for.

He went to check out the bathroom to pull himself together. He was a grown man, but his body was reacting as though he were a damn horny teenager. It was embarrassing.

“How is it?” Hayden asked.

“It’s basic, but at least it’s clean. You can use it first. I need to find the payphone to make a call.”

Hayden moved quickly to his side. “Are you going to call Kelan?”

Gregory had to hold his breath and shove his hands in his pocket as he slid past Hayden to stop himself from reaching out, grabbing the jaguar and sealing their lips together. That damn kiss in the car was to blame, he was sure of it. He couldn’t get it out of his head. That kiss had made his already anxious cat whine in frustration and claw at him from the inside, begging him to take what was theirs.

“Uh, yeah. I need to ask if it’s okay for you to stay there and I don’t want to do it on my cell. I don’t think the council are monitoring my calls, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

“Okay,” Hayden replied quietly. “Guess I’ll see you in a while.”

Gregory thought he heard a trace of jealousy in Hayden’s voice but he didn’t comment on it. He nodded. “Keep the door locked.”

He went out into the motel forecourt and circled around to the back of the units until he found the small pool area. The phone was just where Larry had said it would be, opposite the last unit. He dug in his pocket for some quarters, fed them into the phone and dialled Kelan’s cell.

“‘Lo.”

“Kelan, it’s Gregory.”

“Hey, what’s up? How’s the drive?”

“Good… Listen, I can’t talk for long, I’m on a payphone, I didn’t want to risk using my cell. It’s about that favour.”

“I’m listening,” Kelan said.

Gregory pulled in a lungful of air before he spoke. “Kelan, I found my mate.”

“Well, hell, congratulations. I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks, but, uh… It’s not quite as simple as that. He doesn’t know.”

“Huh?”

“He doesn’t know he’s my mate.” Gregory could practically hear the cogs turning in Kelan’s mind.

“Is he human?” he asked at last.

“No, he’s a cat.”

“Then how can’t he tell?”

Gregory sighed. “It’s a long story. The problem is he’s the cat the council had me go to Vegas to collect. But there’s no goddamn way I’m handing Hayden over to them, so I told them he got away from me, that I couldn’t find him.”

“Say no more,” Kelan said. “He’s welcome here.”

Gregory finally let out the breath he’d been holding. “You sure?”

“Of course. I don’t blame you for not wanting to tell the council about him. He can stay here for as long as he likes. I’m sure I can find work to keep him occupied. But we’ll have to be careful. Dean has been here and he’s been asking about you.”

“Shit, what did he want to know?”

“If I’d heard from you. I didn’t tell him you’d been in touch, but I’m not sure he believed me.”

“Is that what you wanted to tell me earlier?”

Kelan hesitated before he spoke. “There’s something else, but I’d rather tell you face to face.”

“Sounds ominous.”

“It’s not good news, Gregory. Look, don’t worry, just get yourself here and we’ll figure out the rest.”

“Thanks, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.”

“No need, ‘sides, I know how you feel. I’d do anything to protect my mate.”

Gregory looked across at the row of rooms to where his mate was showering somewhere inside. “Yeah, I think I’m finally beginning to understand that concept.”

By the time Gregory got back to the room, Hayden had already taken his shower and climbed into bed. He had the sheets pulled up to his chest, his bare arms folded on top.
Christ, is he naked under there
? Gregory muffled a moan and crossed the room to the bathroom, trying to ignore his throbbing dick.

“What did Kelan say?” Hayden asked, stopping him in his tracks.

“He said you can stay on the ranch, but Dean has been sniffing around, asking questions, so we need be careful when we get you there. We can’t risk him seeing you.”

“Who’s Dean?”

“He works for the supernatural council, and he’s very influential.” He sighed. “Let me grab a shower and I’ll tell you the whole story, okay?”

While Gregory stood in the tub, letting the hot water ease his tired muscles, he debated how much he should tell Hayden about the trouble in the council and the things he suspected of Dean. In the end, he decided to be honest with his mate… Well, as honest as he could be without telling Hayden about their bond.

He dried off quickly and pulled on his briefs, padding into the bedroom barefoot. Hayden was laying on his side, propping up his head on one hand. Gregory sat on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath.

“You sure you want to hear this? Some parts of it are…disturbing.” Something flashed in Hayden’s eyes then, but Gregory couldn’t be certain what it had been. Hayden nodded and sat up in bed, the sheets bunching around his waist.

“Please.”

Gregory tried to keep his eyes off his mate’s temptingly smooth chest when he spoke. “About six months ago my partner Ashton and I were sent on an assignment in Missouri. We had to bring in a wolf that had killed someone in his pack, gone crazy. The job wasn’t any more complicated than dozens we’d been on before, but Ashton was uptight the whole time.”

“Ashton was your partner at the council?”

“Yeah, we’d worked together going on ten years, had each other’s back. I thought Ashton was so edgy because his mate Tania was eight months pregnant with their first child and he was worried something would go wrong, or that she’d go into labour early and he’d miss it.”

“That wasn’t the reason?”

Gregory scrubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t think so. Ashton called Tania right before we picked up the wolf. He was upset after that phone call—seemed…distracted, I guess. I think maybe they’d had an argument. I know that Tania hated what Ashton did for a living. She worried he’d get hurt and had been constantly nagging him to quit. It had been causing a lot of tension between them. Anyway, we picked up the wolf and drove him back to council headquarters. When we got there, our superior Riley called Ashton into the office.

“I could tell it was bad news from the look on Riley’s face. They’d only been inside a minute when I heard Ashton shouting… Well, screaming would be a better word to describe it, so I went in. Ashton was tearing the place apart, upending tables, throwing things—he was crazed. In the end Riley had to sedate him.”

“Had something happened to his mate?”

Gregory nodded. “She’d been killed. Riley said it looked as though some burglars broke in, tried to rob the place and Tania got in the way. A neighbour heard her screaming and called the sheriff. By the time they got there it was too late. She was dead, the baby too, and there was no sign of the shifters that did it, no clues. A wolf in the sheriff’s department called the council and they brought her body back to headquarters. The story sounded plausible until I got a look at her body. It was a mess. They tore her apart, Hayden. I’ve seen a lot of dead bodies during my time on the council, but hers was one of the worst. Her wounds weren’t consistent with someone killed in a rush. Whoever did it took their time…got real pleasure out of it.