Werewolf's Way [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 1] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) (17 page)

“You only ever call when you have car trouble.”

Caroline gasped. “That’s not true. Oh, you’re being unfair.”

“Uh-huh.” A brief pause came at the other side of the connection, and Caelyn though he could hear the sound of an intake of breath, as if the man, Bill, was smoking. “So what’s the problem?”

“I ran into two guys on the freeway,” Caroline answered. “Their car broke down, and they need help. Can you come?”

Bill released a curse. “Oh, you never learn. I told you to be more careful. You’re always picking up strays.”

Caelyn winced. The analogy was far too similar to what draechen called Graham. Graham shook his head and said,
“He’s just worried about Caroline, and probably right. We could be axe murderers for all he knows.”

“I know,”
Caelyn replied,
“but I can’t help it. It bothers me.”

“Let’s just wait and see what happens.”
His mate entwined their fingers together and squeezed.
“After all, we just have to get the car part and then we can leave.”

“Come on, Bill. They’re nice,” Caroline insisted. She seemed to grow genuinely upset at the comment. “And stop saying that. You know I don’t like it.”

The man groaned. “That came out wrong. Sorry. You know how much I like your cousin. Just wait there. I’ll be over in a bit.”

The call ended, and Caroline sighed deeply. “Sorry about that. He’s coming. He’s just going to be…” She waved her hand around as if trying to come up with a word. “A little snappish,” she finally finished.

“It’s all right,” Graham answered. “We’re used to it.”

Caroline’s face fell at the comment. “Because… Well, I don’t mean to pry, but is it because you’re a couple?”

Caelyn averted his gaze, for some reason embarrassed by the sympathy he saw in her gaze. “Yes,” Graham replied, kissing Caelyn’s hand. “Our families didn’t agree, so we just left and we’ve been on the road ever since.”

It was true, even if not only for the reasons Caroline likely imagined. Nevertheless, the words seemed to move the woman. “Okay, well, you won’t find any of that here,” she said as she slipped back into the driver’s seat. Inserting the key into the ignition, she asked, “You said just a little further for your car, right?”

“Yeah,” Caelyn answered, surprised at the change. “But you don’t have to trust us on our word. We could tell that your friend doesn’t.”

“It’s fine.” Caroline scoffed as she started the car. “Sometimes, you just have to have faith. Otherwise, you’ll never be happy.”

At that, Caelyn shared a smile with his mate. She had no idea how right she was. His faith and his trust in his bond with his mate had brought them here, and if Caelyn had his way, it would help them build a better future for each other.

* * * *

An hour later

“Well, boy, it does look like the filter needs changing.” Bill Liverman grunted. “Your guess was right on the money.”

Graham just grimaced at the mechanic. He resented being called “boy,” especially since he was likely much older than the human. But he had to play along, if only because he didn’t want to cause a conflict. “It’s not a hard problem to figure out. I’d have fixed it myself, but I didn’t have the part.”

“I can sell it to you, if you want,” Bill answered, “or I can fix it. Your call.”

“Just fix it, Bill,” Caroline piped up from behind Graham. “I’m taking Graham and Lincoln to the Spoon for lunch.”

Bill nodded, already starting to look for the part in his surprisingly large shop. Graham, however, wasn’t so happy about the idea. “I don’t think that’s a—”

“Just go with it, boy,” Bill said, interrupting him. “You’ll live longer and better if you understand that there’s no point in arguing with women. Even if you are gay.”

Graham spluttered as Caroline dragged him out of the shop. Caelyn was already there, engaged in conversation with a young man Graham hadn’t met before. As Graham and Caroline approached, the two turned toward them. “Oh, hey, Graham. This is Raleigh, Caroline’s cousin. He heard about us and wanted to come welcome us to town.”

The wonders of living in small towns. Graham and Caelyn had been here for perhaps an hour, but their arrival seemed to have already stirred things up. Graham supposed it might have had something to do with the fact that Caroline seemed to have taken them under her wing. He hadn’t meant to guilt her into anything when he’d randomly mentioned receiving bad treatment before. The words had just come out since the “stray” comment had made some bitterness resurface. Nevertheless, Caroline appeared to have been very affected by their suffering and determined to help them out.

“Shouldn’t you be at the diner at this hour?” Caroline asked her cousin teasingly.

“I took a break.” Raleigh grinned. “Mom was alarmed when she heard you’re giving rides to strange men, so she wanted to check up on you.”

Caroline shook her head, as if exasperated. “They always do that. Come on, cuz. We’re just heading to The Spoon anyway. Graham and Lincoln looked starved.”

“Please, call me Lini,” Caelyn piped up. “All my friends do.”

“Lini,” Raleigh repeated. “I like it. Okay, Lini it is.”

Graham took his mate’s hand, knowing the real reason why Caelyn had asked the humans to call him that. He had kept his first name since it wasn’t as specific and unique as Caelyn’s, but it hadn’t been safe for Caelyn to do the same. Using the nickname that Sari had given Caelyn—or, at least a form of it—would help ease the transition.

They walked from the mechanic’s shop down the main street, not even bothering to take the car. Youngsville was the epitome of a classic and traditional American small town. There were no huge sprawling malls, just a theatre, several stores, and a couple of diners, all mostly run by the same families for generations. As it turned out, their destination was one of these shops, a place eloquently called The Greasy Spoon.

“Your family owns this?” Caelyn asked as the building came into view.

Raleigh nodded. “My mom and dad have been working here forever. I help out when I can, but I don’t have as much time as I used to since I started university. Carol has a job here, too.”

“I actually had a day off today,” she said, “but it seems that no matter what happens, I always end up here.”

She didn’t seem to mind it at all. In fact, she appeared to be quite happy about it, and in a way, Graham understood her. It was like he’d once felt when living in a small pack. A closely knit community like the town of Youngsville fostered a sense of togetherness, something that could be quite rare in today’s world.

The enticing smells hit Graham from the moment they opened the door, and his stomach growled. Raleigh chuckled. “Oh, I can already tell you’re going to be very popular with Mom. She loves to feed big, hungry men.”

Graham could have sworn the words held a dose of innuendo. He arched a brow at his companion. “Sorry, but I’m taken,” he replied.

Caroline elbowed Raleigh in the stomach, and Raleigh released a small awkward laugh. “Yeah, I know. My bad. I see a hot man, and I flirt. I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable.”

So, this must be one of the reasons why Caroline was so open-minded toward gay people. She seemed to be very close to her cousin, so perhaps her protectiveness of Raleigh now extended onto Caelyn and Graham.

“It’s fine,” Caelyn said. Even if he wrapped his arm around Graham’s waist, he didn’t feel in any way threatened by Raleigh’s comment. He liked these humans, Graham realized. And maybe, just maybe, Graham liked them a little, too.

As they walked into the diner, a heavy-set man appeared from the back, followed by a portly but very lovely woman. They gave Caelyn and Graham curious looks, but before they could ask any question, Raleigh made the introductions. “Mom, Dad, this is Graham York and his boyfriend Lini Farrington,” he said. “Graham, Lini, my parents, James and Elizabeth Connors.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Caelyn said smoothly. He was a little nervous, so he’d automatically fallen onto his courtly manners. Fortunately, the humans didn’t seem to notice, or perhaps they didn’t care.

“The pleasure is all ours,” the woman, Elizabeth, said. “Go ahead and sit down at a table.”

“Just a second, Aunt Beth,” Caroline said. “I want a word with you and Uncle James.”

The two older humans looked puzzled, but nodded. “All right, but make it quick,” Elizabeth said. “I have orders to prepare.”

“It’s okay,” Caroline answered. “I can talk while you cook.”

The three of them went into the back, while Raleigh led Graham and Caelyn to a table. “So how do you like Youngsville so far?” he asked.

“It’s nice,” Graham said. “Reminds me a lot of home. Or what I used to call home.”

He didn’t know why he said that, but Raleigh seemed to understand what he meant, at least to some extent. The human nodded as they slid into a booth and made themselves comfortable. “Many people say that about Youngsville. You know, Carol is worried about you two.”

“Worried?” Caelyn repeated.

“Yup,” Raleigh replied. “I’m just telling you this because I can tell you’re confused, and it might just get stranger. See, I’m not Beth and James’s son. Everyone around here knows it since I came here only a couple of years before. But because of it, because of me, they’re particularly sensitive about young men and women who experience problems due to their sexual orientation.”

It seemed strange that Raleigh would share something so personal with them, but soon, the reason came to be revealed. Beth emerged from the kitchen, looking a little misty-eyed. “Oh, you poor boys. Carol told me what happened to you. Don’t you worry about a thing.”

Since Graham was closest to her, he suddenly found himself engulfed in a warm, cinnamon-scented embrace. Since werewolves were very tactile people, Graham ended up hugging her back. Apparently, his gesture made him seem starved for affection as Beth sniffed, sounding very close to tears. “You wait right here. I’ll get you something to eat, and then we can talk more.”

“A piece of pie would be enough, thank you, and then we really should be on our way,” Graham replied. He didn’t want to abuse their generosity or hospitality.

“Nonsense. You look like a man who likes a good steak. And your boyfriend…oh, he’s so thin. He definitely needs some meat on his bones.”

Graham opened his mouth, overwhelmed and tempted to refuse, but Beth didn’t give him the chance. She was a whirlwind of activity, bringing them several dishes and somehow managing to do so without neglecting the other customers in the diner. At one point, Raleigh left to help her, having obviously expected this reaction.

In the end, Graham more than enjoyed his lunch. Beth’s guess had been on the money. One of the advantages of being a werewolf was that he could eat stuff that could make humans sick if they indulged too much. In fact, his metabolism demanded a lot of protein, so this place was like heaven for him. Meanwhile, Caelyn seemed to be discovering a new appreciation for the rich and savory dishes. It seemed sprite cuisine was very different, but Caelyn was enjoying Beth’s cooking a great deal, regardless.

At the end of the meal, the members of the Connors family gathered around Caelyn and Graham’s booth. “I know we might have scared you there a little, son,” James said, “but your story touched us.”

“Ummm… Raleigh explained a little,” Caelyn replied. “But truly, you shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble.”

“It’s no trouble,” Caroline replied, squeezing Caelyn’s hand and beaming widely at him.

“And we’ve been thinking,” Beth said. “We don’t mean to presume, but we know a small place in town that just freed up and is waiting for a tenant. James and I are getting too old to handle this place, even with Carol and Raleigh’s help, so one of you could work here.”

Graham gaped at them, unable to believe his ears. He really didn’t know what to say. “We don’t want to push you,” Raleigh offered. “How about you just stay the night for now and give it some thought?”

“I suppose it can’t hurt,” Graham answered. They’d been on the road for a while, and they were both tired and in dire need of some rest. In fact, Graham was looking forward to getting his mate alone, preferably in a room with a bed, and not necessarily for sleeping purposes.

“Thank you so much, for everything,” Caelyn added, now getting up and sliding out of the booth. His thoughts were a whirlwind of questions, desires, and dilemmas.

“Make sure you come by tomorrow,” Beth told them, “even if you decide to go.”

Graham nodded and retrieved his wallet. “Of course. Now, how much do we owe you?”

The family tried to protest, so Graham ended up forcing them to accept a fifty he stuck down Beth’s apron. He and Caelyn made their escape before the woman could try to return it.

“What do you think?”
he asked Caelyn through their bond as they walked toward the mechanic’s shop.

“They mean well,”
Caelyn replied.
“And I admit I like it here. But is it safe?”

“As long as we’re careful, it should be. Let’s give it some more thought. We have time to decide.”

But as someone he didn’t know waved at him on the street, Graham had the sudden feeling the decision had already been made. They might not be able to settle down here for life, as they were still on the run from the draechen. Still, this small town was certainly perfect as a spot to lie low. Besides, Caelyn deserved better than to continuously be dragged from town to town.