Riley's Downfall [Brac Pack 29] by Lynn Hagen Page B

talked to him. And then he felt even worse when he realized that the only reason Riley talked to him was because he pushed himself off on the guy. Riley had tried in a million different ways to avoid him. Sterling just hadn’t taken the hint.
He got it now.
Boy, had he gotten it.
It wasn’t something Sterling ever thought he would forget, not again. Riley didn’t want him even though he knew that they were mates. No wonder Riley was always trying to push him off onto someone else. The man could barely stand in the same room with him.
Sterling wiped his sleeve over his wet eyes and then leaned back to grab the bag he had packed when he had idyllic notions of running off into the sunset with Riley. He looped the bag strap over his shoulder and scooted to the edge of the truck bed, hopping down.
There had to be a way out of this godforsaken place. Sterling started to walk toward a dirt road and then stopped when a dark truck turned into the village and headed his way. He wasn’t sure who it was, so he spun around on his heel and headed toward Riley. As much as he didn’t want to rely on the bear for help, he wasn’t stupid enough to be near strangers in this unfamiliar place.
Riley’s head snapped toward Sterling, and then he looked past him at the truck approaching. For a moment a dark cloud had entered the bear’s eyes, but then the clouds cleared and a confused look replaced the expression.
“What are they doing here?” Riley asked as he walked past Sterling.
“You know who it is?” Sterling asked as he glanced over his shoulder at the truck that was drawing closer.
“Yeah. I know Eagle and Chey from the time they came over to help Tater with a small problem. But I don’t know the black-haired man sitting on the end. Go over by Warrior, Sterling.” Riley pointed toward his horse that was tethered to a tree about twenty feet away.
“But—”
Riley clenched his jaw, and then ran his hand over his head, sighing. “Please.”
Sterling didn’t like being relegated over to where the horse was, but he could see the worry in Riley’s grey eyes. If he hadn’t just found out that Riley was his mate and had withheld that information, Sterling would actually think the man cared.
Sterling rolled his eyes. “Fine.”
“Thank you.”
“Whatever,” he grumbled as he tucked Bacon under his arm and headed over toward the horse. But once Riley turned his back, Sterling walked back over by the newcomers. He was pretty sure that Riley could take care of anyone trying to harm Sterling. The man was a bear after all.
What could beat a bear?
He walked to the other side of Riley’s truck and ducked down, watching.
“Chey, Eagle,” Riley said as the men climbed from the truck. “What brings you this way?”
The guy Riley called Eagle and the unknown black-haired man stepped close to the short one Riley had called Chey, as if protecting him. Sterling rolled his eyes. As if anyone can beat my bear.
Sterling bit his bottom lip as he remembered that Riley wasn’t his bear. He man had made it quite clear that he wasn’t Sterling’s anything.
“Maverick called Zeus and asked for healers,” Eagle said. “He told us that the healer of the elves was missing.”
“Elven,” Iam heatedly corrected the man.“Why can’t you shifters get it right?”
Sterling walked over to Riley’s truck and sat on the ground, placing Bacon in his lap as he stroked the pig’s head and listened.
“Where do we unload?” Eagle asked.
Sterling got back up and peeked at Riley.
“Iam?” Riley turned to the look at the elven man.
“We only have two dwellings available. You men will have to work out the living arrangements,” Iam answered and then pointed over at two huts behind Riley’s truck. “I’m going to go find Ahm and see why the shadow elven would invite shifters into our village.”
Iam walked away in a huff, his lips so thin that the edges had turned white. His hands were fisted, and his arms swung heavily back and forth as the