started pacing. “It's complicated."
Shaun scoffed. “No it's not. If you're lucky enough to find your mate then you claim them. You've waited your whole life to find your mate. Why would you procrastinate on something like that?"
"How about because I only met her yesterday? I am not a slave to my wolf. And she's more than a prize I won in the genetic lottery. When I claim my mate, I want us to be more to each other than strangers giving into our baser instincts.” Jaryn thought about Nicole's experience at the hands of Broyles. His eyesight wolfed out.
Shaun stiffened in the chair. “What's wrong?"
"There is something I haven't told you yet."
"Oh fuck, don't tell me she's married. Damn, I hate it when that happens. Not that it occurs often, but it just fucks up the lives of everyone involved."
"She's not married."
"A lesbian? No, that wouldn't make sense. The fates wouldn't destine a wolf to mate with another who didn't share the same sexuality."
Jaryn raised an eyebrow and stared at Shaun. “May I remind you of Eric?"
Shaun waved his hand. “That's different. Eric had locked himself so deep in the closet even he couldn't find the key. It was clear from the day they met that Carl was Eric's mate. It was his own fault that the stubborn jackass wouldn't admit it."
Jaryn conceded the point. Eric had been more than a little shocked when he'd identified Carl as his mate. Jaryn really had never understood what had made Eric keep his sexuality so deeply buried. Then again, Eric was quite a bit older than Jaryn. The wolf had grown up in a different time—a time when living openly as a gay man could have serious repercussions.
It had taken a while but the two were now deeply in love with each other, and Jaryn smiled every time he saw them laughing and holding hands together. At pack meetings, the two could frequently be found snuggling together on one of the couches. Jaryn hoped that Eric and Carl had many happy years together before them.
"So what's the problem?” Shaun asked.
Shaun's voice brought Jaryn back the problems of the present. “She had a less than pleasant experience with another shifter where she came from. She's running from a bad situation with one wolf, and suddenly finds herself being told that she's the mate of another. It's made her somewhat resistant."
Shaun frowned. “What do you mean running?"
"When we met, I immediately scented her anxiety and came to find out...” Jaryn took a deep breath and turned to face his Beta. “For the past year and half, she's been held prisoner by a wolf in the Northwoods. I suspect he's the person we've been searching for."
"Are you shitting me?” Shaun exclaimed.
"According to Nicole, this wolf—Broyles—has been ‘recruiting’ shifters and humans alike for a long time. He runs an isolated compound, and I suspect there may be more to his little fiefdom than simply building a pack by whatever means necessary.” He thought of the scar on the back of Nicole's neck and clenched his hands.
Shaun stood so quickly that the chair screeched across the floor. “That mother fucker! We have to go to the council. We need more information. You have to make Nicole tell you everything she knows."
Jaryn held up his hand to halt his Beta's tirade. “She's already agreed to help. I'll talk with Nicole, but you have to understand that what she went though is going to be difficult for her to talk about. We can't browbeat it out of her. Not to mention the gaps in her memory—"
"Wait, what gaps? You didn't say anything about gaps."
"I was getting there. There are several voids in Nicole's memory. She said she'd be in one place of the compound then, as if time had simply stopped, she'd wake up in another. There's no way for us to get information about what happened during those times, but at least now we have somewhere to start. I want you to investigate Adam Broyles. Call our old contacts and get their support if you need access to classified databases. I want to
Shaun scoffed. “No it's not. If you're lucky enough to find your mate then you claim them. You've waited your whole life to find your mate. Why would you procrastinate on something like that?"
"How about because I only met her yesterday? I am not a slave to my wolf. And she's more than a prize I won in the genetic lottery. When I claim my mate, I want us to be more to each other than strangers giving into our baser instincts.” Jaryn thought about Nicole's experience at the hands of Broyles. His eyesight wolfed out.
Shaun stiffened in the chair. “What's wrong?"
"There is something I haven't told you yet."
"Oh fuck, don't tell me she's married. Damn, I hate it when that happens. Not that it occurs often, but it just fucks up the lives of everyone involved."
"She's not married."
"A lesbian? No, that wouldn't make sense. The fates wouldn't destine a wolf to mate with another who didn't share the same sexuality."
Jaryn raised an eyebrow and stared at Shaun. “May I remind you of Eric?"
Shaun waved his hand. “That's different. Eric had locked himself so deep in the closet even he couldn't find the key. It was clear from the day they met that Carl was Eric's mate. It was his own fault that the stubborn jackass wouldn't admit it."
Jaryn conceded the point. Eric had been more than a little shocked when he'd identified Carl as his mate. Jaryn really had never understood what had made Eric keep his sexuality so deeply buried. Then again, Eric was quite a bit older than Jaryn. The wolf had grown up in a different time—a time when living openly as a gay man could have serious repercussions.
It had taken a while but the two were now deeply in love with each other, and Jaryn smiled every time he saw them laughing and holding hands together. At pack meetings, the two could frequently be found snuggling together on one of the couches. Jaryn hoped that Eric and Carl had many happy years together before them.
"So what's the problem?” Shaun asked.
Shaun's voice brought Jaryn back the problems of the present. “She had a less than pleasant experience with another shifter where she came from. She's running from a bad situation with one wolf, and suddenly finds herself being told that she's the mate of another. It's made her somewhat resistant."
Shaun frowned. “What do you mean running?"
"When we met, I immediately scented her anxiety and came to find out...” Jaryn took a deep breath and turned to face his Beta. “For the past year and half, she's been held prisoner by a wolf in the Northwoods. I suspect he's the person we've been searching for."
"Are you shitting me?” Shaun exclaimed.
"According to Nicole, this wolf—Broyles—has been ‘recruiting’ shifters and humans alike for a long time. He runs an isolated compound, and I suspect there may be more to his little fiefdom than simply building a pack by whatever means necessary.” He thought of the scar on the back of Nicole's neck and clenched his hands.
Shaun stood so quickly that the chair screeched across the floor. “That mother fucker! We have to go to the council. We need more information. You have to make Nicole tell you everything she knows."
Jaryn held up his hand to halt his Beta's tirade. “She's already agreed to help. I'll talk with Nicole, but you have to understand that what she went though is going to be difficult for her to talk about. We can't browbeat it out of her. Not to mention the gaps in her memory—"
"Wait, what gaps? You didn't say anything about gaps."
"I was getting there. There are several voids in Nicole's memory. She said she'd be in one place of the compound then, as if time had simply stopped, she'd wake up in another. There's no way for us to get information about what happened during those times, but at least now we have somewhere to start. I want you to investigate Adam Broyles. Call our old contacts and get their support if you need access to classified databases. I want to
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