Steel: Blue Collar Wolves #3 (Mating Season Collection) (6 page)

The chains were
familiar now, but the dark, haunted, angry look in Steel’s eyes was not. The wolf prowled around the bed, hands clenching and unclenching as he paced the floor, an animal caged.

She remained silent, unsure how to defend herself. In some ways, there was no defense. She was a prisoner. She tried to escape. She’d been recaptured. Simple, really.

In other ways, an ocean of words needed to be said, on how she could learn she was his true mate and make love with him and run afterwards. But she had to begin somehow. “You can’t blame me.”

“That says everything, doesn’t it?” He didn’t stop the pacing; if anything, he moved faster.

“No, it doesn’t, but it’s a start. You treat me like a prisoner,” she continued, clanging the chains around her wrist, “but get pissed when I act like one? You call me your true mate but don’t allow me my freedom? You really need to figure out what it is you want.”

He pushed his fingers through his black hair, ruffling it and making her want to run her own fingers over and smooth it.
Damn hormones.
“Most times, people let others know that they’re leaving.”

“Would that have worked? Me asking to go? Because that’s news to
me
.”

“I want…” His mouth opened and closed, and he was such a small, lost boy in that second that her heart broke for him. His voice was small when he continued. “I thought you loved me, like I love you. I thought that’s what yesterday was about. Both of us finding each other.”

And now her heart broke again, and she wished like hell that reality had indeed been that. “How the hell do I know what I am? How do I know anything I think or feel right now is real? You’re being unfair, Steel. You’re being unfair to me, not giving me space and not letting me decide. Do you want me to be your prisoner forever, and parrot to you what you want to hear?”

And before he could answer, a loud, resonating knock sounded from the front door.

‡

P
hilip Harris was
older now, gray in his thinning hair and mustache, a limping walk that spoke of bad knees and hips, but to Steel’s eyes he was still the tall, strong man who showed no fear to either his father or Iron’s when he heard his daughter Melissa’s tale about werewolves. From that moment on, the three men had been his advisors and coaches on how to be a man and the three men he respected most in this world. Even now, though he was alpha himself, when Philip Harris called Steel answered, and when Philip strode into the diner where they always met to talk, Steel rose in respect.

“Tell me what’s happening, son,” Philip began as they sat, in that kind tone no wolf could seem to match. Wolves were always aware of pack status and could never quite let down their guard with each other – not between best friends, not between fathers and sons. Philip didn’t have that problem. He was human, and had never worried about letting his kindness become equated with weakness.

They were here because of Razor, because of course Razor would go to the one man Steel would answer to. After Razor came to his door there had been a flurry of phone calls that culminated in Iron and Bella, Mel and Brick and House and Danny descending on his house, with the order for him to meet Phillip Harris at the diner while they looked after Regan. The fact this was all orchestrated and ordered by Mr. Harris himself meant there was no disobeying it.

There was a little disgruntled in his mood, but the overwhelming emotion now was relief. It felt good to have someone who might understand, who he could actually talk to without worrying about his position as alpha. “I met my true mate. She’s perfect and intelligent and gorgeous and a hunter.”

“A hunter? That makes things interesting. Do you love her?” Just like Philip, honest and straightforward. It’d been that way from day one, when his first words after entering the house were
Are you men werewolves?
Philip knew no other way to be. “Some of you boys mistake true mates for love without getting to know who the girl is or what she wants. I know Iron loves Bella, and Brick and House are head over heels over my girl and grandson, but they’ve come to it slowly. You’ve only known this girl a couple days.”

It was impossible to explain to a human what it felt like to be near your true mate. Yeah, Mr. Harris was right, not every true mate pairing worked – Iron’s parents were a perfect example. But Steel could remember a night not long after Iron’s mom died, where Iron’s dad came over to his house and his parents, drunk to the point of passing out, and telling how it’d never been right between them, not even before he forced the mating. How he was always pushing something he knew was destined to fail. How he convinced himself if he took her choice away, the bond would work out their differences.

Steel felt none of that. What he felt for Regan was perfect. The circumstances surrounding them were crap, but who she
was
 – her core, the essence of her – it was perfect to him. She was strong and stubborn and intelligent, always thinking two steps ahead. She was compassionate and caring, and the way she spoke of her sister told him how right she would be as the alpha female. She was bold and could take charge, but she was wise enough to know when holding back was the better option. And even that streak of temper she couldn’t quite suppress – he
loved
that fierceness about her.

How could he explain it to Mr. Harris though? How could he set the older man’s mind at ease? “If you ask them, they’ll tell you – it wasn’t a slow falling. That’s how it is for a wolf. There’s the attraction with your true mate, I agree that has nothing to do with love. But there’s one moment where it hits you, exactly who your mate is, the good and bad of her, and in that moment you know this is who you want forever. That’s how I feel. I know her, and she’s everything to me.” Steel’s voice was rough by the end, emotions fighting to make themselves known, make Philip Harris understand, because the only human besides Regan who it would kill him to disappoint was the man in front of him.

Mr. Harris took a sip of the coffee in front of him, the look of a man gathering his thoughts. “I asked Bill once, if he loved Iron’s mother. And he looked at me, clear-eyed, and said he didn’t. He said he regretted so many things, but his biggest regret was that he started their cycle without even being able to honestly say it began because of love.”

“I didn’t know you knew about that.” It wasn’t something talked about much, especially outside pack, and Iron’s mother died before Mr. Harris really came into their lives.

“I needed to know the world my girl was getting into was like. Even back then, something told me she was going to be mated to one of you boys.” Mr. Harris chuckled then, his brows going up. “Of course, I didn’t know she’d be getting involved with two of you, but that’s not something any father could plan for, I think.”

“Mel always did do things her own way.”

“That she does. And I have no complaints, those boys love her and Danny. I might even get some more grandkids out of this. I know Mrs. Harris is happy with that thought.” Philip Harris lost the smile, the lines now pulling down his face, making the normally pleasant looking man seem grave. “The point I was going for is I know you, Steel. You’re a good man and a good alpha, and I know this situation isn’t the same. If you say you love her, then I believe you love her, because you always were a man who knew his own mind. But you started this off wrong, son. That girl is confused and scared, and you’ve only muddied the waters. You need to back off and let her know her own mind.”

“She’s a hunter.”

“And she’s your true mate,” Mr. Harris answered, with the same amount of alarm as if they were talking about the weather. “I get it’s a risk, but put it this way. Letting her go is the only possible way of making things right. If you keep her, she might succumb to the attraction she feels for you, but she’ll never be able to say if she loves you or not like you love her. And I guarantee if she knows about your pack, other hunters either already do or soon will. Secrets don’t stay secrets for long. Keeping her doesn’t protect you in that area.”

He didn’t want to. How pathetic was that? Growing up knowing about Iron’s story, smugly assuring himself he’d never be like that, and now, when faced with similar type circumstances, he didn’t want to let his mate go.

Steel stood, tossing money on the table. “Thank you.”

Mr. Harris clapped him on the forearm. “It’ll be okay. It might not go how you want, but I promise you it will be okay.”

*

Regan listened to
Bella and Mel tease each other as they heated the food while the three males were play wrestling and running around with Danny. They kept watch on her, but it was done with a light touch. Enough that she knew not to run, but not enough that the boy caught on what was going on.

“Alright guys, food time,” came the call, and Brick grabbed Danny and headed for the table, House right behind them. Iron waited for her to seat herself before he sat next to Bella.

The meal was steaks and potatoes with a nice salad, and it smelled delicious. As they dug in, Danny asked, “Are you going to be mated to Steel? My mom just mated Brick and House. That makes them my dads.” He smiled then, pure joy in the gesture before he took another bite of his food. He was a wonderful mix of precocious and innocent, and his intelligence radiated from him. He reminded her of how Bethie was when she was little.

“I’m a friend.” It was the best she could come up with, how to explain to a child who had only knew of wolves as friends and fathers. What would have happened to her life if she and Bethie had grown up this way?

“Steel’s the best. We play chess together. It’s hard, but he says he likes teaching me because no one else wants to play him.”

The thought of her wolf with no one else to play him jolted her, had her aching at yet another reminder of how alone he seemed sometimes.

“Danny, mouth shut when eating please.” Mel wiped off her son’s face before going back to her own plate. Mel was not quite as open as Danny, but her smile to Regan was genuine. “Do you have any siblings?”

“One younger sister.” It seemed an easy enough question to answer, and beyond that, she
wanted
to share. She wanted to be part of the love and camaraderie which was so obvious that these people shared. It was clear they adored each other and that Steel was part of that grouping, that there was a place for her here if she wanted there to be. Maybe Bethie as well. “She’s in college. Wants to be a teacher, which is a good choice for her. She’s great with kids.”

Bella spoke up. “This would be a great area for her then. We’ve had a ton of kids born the last couple years. They’re going to need good teachers who can love them and keep them in line. The ones around here tend to be handfuls.” She winked at Regan then, nestling into Iron a bit while she ate.

The three wolves were a bit wearier around her, not that she blamed them. They let the women and Danny do most of the talking. But with the familial atmosphere strong and their desire to shield Danny stronger, they weren’t able to keep stone faces around her, and it was apparent how much the males loved the women at their sides, and if she hadn’t known better, she would have sworn Brick and House were related to Danny by blood by how deep their connection to him was.

The meal was easy and delicious, and as they finished the front door opened, with Steel appearing in the doorway a moment later. The wolves rose to their feet, but Steel shook his head and looked to her. He was drained, dark circles under his eyes and his mouth in a thin line, those golden eyes lackluster.

Steel returned his focus to the wolves, and some unspoken agreement must have happened, because the wolves began hustling everyone out. Danny, Mel, and Bella hugged her goodbye, the contact free from any undertones, while the wolves nodded at her and their alpha.

After everyone was gone, Steel took her hand and placed a piece of paper into it. On it was a number and an address. “What’s this?”

He took a deep breath, and then let the bomb drop. “Your mother’s alive.”

‡