Patrick's Heart (6 page)

There was more at stake than losing a potential mate. He could lose his pack. Cassidy thought he was the only shape-shifter amongst the men, leaving him the odd man out if she refused him. He needed the pack. They were his family and he’d be lost on his own.

Morning light tried to filter down through the forest canopy, the soft glow highlighting his path through the brushwood. He’d picked up the trail a couple times, only to lose it. As he neared Gregor Mining, miles from Garret’s cabin, the scent was potent. He tested the air, standing at the edge of the mining property. The workers wouldn’t show up to work for another couple hours. Yet the inspector was present. He could smell her perfume, the sweet scent overpowering his senses. She’d expect everything to be business as usual come opening hour, and he wasn’t sure how he’d be able to function normally knowing Cassidy wanted nothing to do with him.

He enjoyed visiting her in the office more than he realized. It took losing her to understand how important she actually was to him…and his wolf. He shifted into his skin, stretching out his muscles before heading for the entrance. Why was the stranger’s scent here at the mine? If he knew Cassidy worked at Gregor, why not show up before? After slipping in undetected through the damaged front gate, he went straight for the construction trailer where they kept a bin full of spare jeans and T-shirts for just such an emergency. He tugged on a pair of worn Wranglers and a construction-orange shirt. After fitting on a pair of old boots that were sitting beside the outside steps, he began to scour the area. His sense of smell wasn’t nearly as strong in his human form, but it was still highly developed.

The trail led him straight to Garret’s personal trailer where the inspector was staying during her brief visit. Patrick didn’t like outsiders and wanted Ms. Tanner gone as soon as possible. There was only room for one woman at Gregor, the only one that knew his true identity. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing yet or not, but so far it proved to be a major headache.

He dared to knock on the door, certain someone else had to be in the trailer with Ms. Tanner.

The door eased open. The inspector was scantily clad, not yet dressed for the day. Not many people were up at such an early hour, but he couldn’t wait a minute longer. “Patrick? Awfully early to start work, isn’t it?”

“I thought someone else may be on the property. I wanted to be sure you were okay.” There were strict protocols for outsiders in a working mine, and he didn’t need her slamming them if someone slipped in undetected. Garret had told him to fix the gate, so he’d likely be to blame. He tried to peer past her, but the woman seemed insistent that he should only stare at her cleavage. He had no interest in her curves.

“Actually I did let someone on the property late last night. He said he knew a person who worked at the mine, and he had no place to stay until morning. I hope you don’t mind, but he bunked on the sofa.”

Patrick imagined she’d let anything with two legs and a dick bunk with her. The thought nauseated him. It was one thing to visit a fickle woman in the city on his own time but to have one responsible for the fate of Gregor Mining was too much.

“That could have been a dangerous move for you, Ms. Tanner. Or haven’t you heard about the disappearances in Climax?” Although Patrick and his pack knew the real reason for the disappearances, the general populace did not. The less people venturing into Climax, the better, in his opinion.

She shrugged, disinterested in his warning. “Call me Sam.” She tilted her head seductively, allowing the side of her lace nightgown to slide down one shoulder.

He had no time for games when his entire future was at stake. “Where’s he at?”

She scowled for a moment and then pushed the door fully open so he could enter. It was warm in the trailer compared to the sharp chill of the early-morning air. The scent of arousal was nearly as strong as Ms. Tanner’s irritating perfume. A brown-haired male sat on the sofa, looking up at him. He had blue eyes, but other than that he saw no resemblance to Cassidy. Patrick reminded himself they were only half siblings, and looks didn’t necessarily mean anything.

“Good morning,” said the man. “My name’s Scott.”

He tested the air, confident he’d found the man who’d visited Cassidy’s house. The one he’d tracked all the way back to the mine. His hackles went up.

“Who are you looking for here? Climax isn’t exactly on the tourist map.” He didn’t disguise the irritation in his voice. Gregor Mining wasn’t a hotel. If this guy wasn’t related to Cassidy, he had to go. Patrick was exhausted, frustrated, and heartbroken—and he needed answers.

“I was looking for my sister, Cassidy Lyons. I heard she got a job up here at one of the mines. I’ve been looking for her for weeks.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. Brother or not, knowing a male was looking for Cassidy made his possessive instincts soar. “You leave a note on her door a while back?”

The smaller man frowned, appearing perplexed. “I don’t even know where she lives.”

Great.
More questions left unanswered. And lies. Scott had to have known it was Cassidy’s house he’d recently visited. It would be too much of a coincidence for her brother to show up at her place. Why deny it?

“She was looking for you, but you just disappeared. She thought maybe the wolves got to you.”

“I gave up and returned south a couple times. But I never planned to just give up on her.” He dug in his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He flashed a picture of Cassidy in a skirt suit. “It’s the only picture of her I have. A relative gave it to me.”

Patrick snatched the wallet from his hand and took a good look at the photo. She didn’t look much younger than she was now, and Cassidy said she’d never met any of her blood relatives. Who could have given him a photo of her? His hackles continued to rise.

“What relative?”

“An–an aunt. I didn’t ask questions. I was just happy knowing I had a half sister out there somewhere.”

“And what made you look in Climax?”

“I found out where she worked in the city, but she had already quit. They told me to look at one of the mines around here—something about a rich relative dying and leaving her his estate.”

So that was his angle. He wanted Cassidy’s money…or the money he thought she had. The truth was that Cassidy’s inheritance was more a burden than a fortune. It consisted of a run-down shack and a bunch of overgrown weeds. The kid’s story wasn’t adding up, and it was seriously pissing off Patrick’s wolf, that sensed layers of deception from the stranger.

“She does work here.”

“What?” asked the inspector. “I wasn’t aware you had another woman on your staff list. Are you talking about that girl in training?”

He didn’t like the condescending way she referred to Cassidy. “That’s her.” He returned his attention to the male. “If you’re really her brother, I’d be happy to introduce the two of you. Just know I’m very protective of her so I hope your intentions are honorable.”
For your sake.

“Interesting,” said Ms. Tanner. “It sounds like you know this girl personally, Patrick.”

Garret wanted them to keep any personal relationship with Cassidy under the carpet until the inspector left. His alpha didn’t want any reason to get a failing grade, and he wasn’t sure if mixing business and pleasure would get a negative review from the inspector. Patrick couldn’t give a shit.

“Yeah, she’s my girlfriend.” The word sounded so shallow, a human title that held little significance in his world. He was already beginning to consider Cassidy his mate, which carried the weight of the world in meaning. Girlfriend, fiancée, wife—they meant nothing in comparison.

“What?” The man stood up, a look of shock souring his features. “You and her?”

At least Patrick had only implicated himself. He was good at that lately. “That’s right. You may just be looking at your future brother-in-law.”
One
of them.

The man practically growled before storming out of the trailer.

“Scott, wait!” called Ms. Tanner, rushing to the doorway.

He smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. “So, you have a little something burning for Scotty? You moonlight with many random strangers?”

She finally dropped her act, her beauty fading by the second. She grabbed a pack of cigarettes from the tabletop and lit up, taking a deep drag. “You think this job is easy? Go here, go there. I can’t settle in one place because I’m always traveling. Relationships? Forget it. So sue me if I like to have a little fun once in a while.”

“You know this report is bogus. Just give Garret the all clear and be done with it. And I’ll be sure to keep your nighttime exploits between you and me.”

“A bribe?”

“A peace offering.”

“Just when I was getting comfortable with Scott, you want me to pack up my bags? I’ll give you a clean report, but I’m not ready to go just yet.”

He was about to tell her to take Scott with her, but Patrick needed him.

“Let me talk with Scott and see what’s happening. Wait here. I’ll be back.”

Patrick constantly had Cassidy on his mind, so it was hard to focus on anything else. All he wanted to do was return to her, beg her to accept him. His wolf whimpered within him, wounded by her rejection. But he wouldn’t grovel at her feet and force her to love him. He was used to blocking off emotion, but the years he kept closed off were catching up to him.

“Hey! Wait up!” Scott was walking in the direction of the open pit, a place off-limits even for the crew without proper safety gear.

He kept walking.

Patrick jogged to catch up and then tugged one of the man’s shoulders back to stop him. “Didn’t you hear me? You can’t be here.”

“You fuck her?” he asked, his voice carrying a bitter edge. Patrick could feel the hatred roll off the other man in waves.

Patrick was at a loss. “Is that something you really need to know? You’re her brother, so that’s none of your business.” His suspicions grew. He narrowed his eyes, taking in the male from head to toe.

“Brothers are supposed to care about who their sisters date.”

“But you haven’t even met her yet.” Patrick was beginning to wonder if he wanted Cassidy to meet this asshole at all. She had put Scott up on a pedestal, and he could relate to her desperate need to connect with a relative. But Patrick learned long ago to only rely on himself and not to put faith in humans. This guy was strung tight, his patience balancing on a thin rope.

He took an exaggerated breath. “Where is she? I’ve waited long enough to find her.”

“She’s safe at the owner’s house.”

“I thought she was
your
girlfriend.”

“Look, do you want to meet her or not?” Patrick was losing patience by the second. He wished he knew what the right decision was. If he introduced Cassidy to this guy and only brought her disappointment, her dreams would be crushed. But he didn’t want to be known as the one to keep her from her dream either. What he needed was his alpha. Garret would know what to do, but he was back at the cabin with Cassidy and the rest of the pack.

* * * *

Cassidy awoke to the symphony of small birds chattering in the trees. She rolled to her side, realizing she was cradled within walls of solid muscle. She didn’t even remember falling asleep. As soon as her faculties returned, she sat up in a rush and looked around the cabin floor where the men were sleeping. She was looking for one thing—Patrick’s striking red hair.

“What’s wrong, Cassie?” asked Garret.

“Didn’t you go to get Patrick?” There were four bodies in the cabin. Had Patrick refused to return, not willing to forgive her careless comments? Her heart rate increased as panic set in. She just wanted everything to go back to the way it used to be, even if Patrick was part wolf.

“He returned to his wolf form. I’m sure he’s just letting off steam. He’ll be back.”

She shook her head. It wasn’t good enough. “What if he doesn’t? Where did he sleep?”

Cassidy envisioned him cold and alone, forced to sleep in a cave or out in the bitter elements.

“He could have gone home or even to the mine. He’s a big boy. I’m sure it’ll be sorted out today.” Garret eased her down into the crook of his strong arm. He began to play with her hair, running his fingers along her hairline. She started to relax, lulled by Garret’s air of authority and confidence. If he said everything would be okay, she had to believe it.

Evan sat up, raking his hands through his blond hair. The sight of him reminded her of his promises. He said Garret would give her answers and she desperately needed them.

“Tell me about Patrick, about Climax, about everything you’re hiding from me.” She didn’t speak in a demanding way, more pleading. If she didn’t get concrete answers soon, she’d lose her ever-loving mind.

Garret held her head to his chest but didn’t speak.

“What are you waiting for? She’s already seen Patrick, boss. She survived,” said Evan. She loved that he dared to question Garret now, continually moving forward from his quiet acceptance. All her men had shown such growth since she’d moved to Climax. Now she desperately needed to bond with her Viking…or her wolf.

“Let’s wait until Patrick’s back. We’ll do this right once we’re all home tonight,” said Garret. “A few more hours of waiting won’t kill us. It’s time to go to work, and we can’t be lackadaisical with an inspector at the mine.”