made shadows across his piece-of-shit carpet. Funny, he never cared about how his place looked. Now, he thought about that beautiful rug at Lindsey’s. So comfortable. So like the man. No, not man, the—shit, he could not say it. He dumped his keys on the table beside the door, walked into the kitchenette, and pulled a beer from the fridge.
“Can I have one of those?”
The soft voice could have been a shot from a cannon. Seth grabbed for his gun and had it in hand before he fully focused on the huge man with the silvery hair staring at him from beside the door. The closed door.
Seth held the gun but didn’t point it. “How did you get in here?”
“Doesn’t matter. Can I h-have a beer while we talk?”
What the fuck! He holstered his gun, fished another bottle out of the refrigerator, and handed it to the guy. “You’re Cole, right?”
“Yes.” The man flipped the cap from the bottle with his thumb like it was made of paper. He turned and walked into Seth’s small living room and sat in one of the two chairs. They had once been midcentury modern. Now they were just midcentury crap.
Seth took a swig and sat on the couch. “So you’re a werewolf too, right?”
The weird eyes flashed up. “Ah, all in one statement you’ve answered so many of my questions. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
“So you actually witnessed Lindsey in shift?”
“Yeah. Did he tell you?”
“No. I suspect he’s still in shock over the whole event. I heard he was protecting you and the boy.”
“You mean the boy werewolf?”
His eyes widened. “How do you know that?”
“Jazz figured it out. He told me.”
Cole sipped his beer. “So what do you plan to do?”
“Do?”
“With your knowledge?”
Seth stared at Cole. Wow. He hadn’t really thought of it like that. “I imagine there are people who would pay a lot to know about you guys, right? Governments and scientists and shit?”
“Yes. Of course.”
His eyes met Cole’s. “Does anyone think you’re human?”
Cole gave a half smile. “People see what they expect regardless of evidence to the contrary.”
“I don’t plan to tell anyone what I know. I care about Jazz a lot, and I’d never want to see him hurt. Your secret is safe with me.”
“Only Jazz?”
“You mean Lindsey?”
“Yes.”
“No, I care about him too. Hell, he saved my life. I owe him.”
“I believe he cares for you.”
“Yeah, well—”
“Too different, right? Humans and werewolves can mate, but we seldom form lasting partner relationships with humans. It doesn’t work well. For one thing, we’re too aggressive. It’s not well received.”
Seth’s breath slid out. Well received. Oh, Lindsey’s aggression had been very well received. “He’ll marry a werewolf, I guess. Right?”
“Possibly.”
Seth frowned. “What the fuck kind of dumbass werewolf wouldn’t want Lindsey?”
Cole smiled. “Lindsey is only half werewolf. Plus, he’s gay. Few werewolves accept homosexuality. Too macho.”
“But you’re gay!”
“I’m the exception, and I was lucky to find my mate. Lindsey’s never believed he’d be so lucky.”
“Well, shit.”
Cole set the bottle on the coffee table. “To business. I’m not the alpha of my pack. I can’t speak for my pack. You’re the first human who’s been aware of our existence.”
“What about Westerberg?”
“Fortunately, he’s considered crazy, so people aren’t taking him seriously. You’re another matter. You’re a cop. It’s your good word that people are trusting. We appreciate the, shall we say, convincing creativity of your story.” He sat back. “I can’t tell you what my pack will decide to do. I can tell you that there’s little point in running. We’re exceptionally good trackers. Meanwhile, know that we have informants everywhere. If you decide to share the truth you’ve discovered, the results will be unf-fortunate.”
Seth frowned. “You’re threatening me?”
Cole smiled. His canine teeth dropped a little longer than Seth had ever noticed on a human. “Oh yes.”
Seth frowned. “Okay, I can understand that. I’d do the same thing in your shoes. But I’m not going to tell anyone. Hell, they’d think I’m nuts anyway.”
“Good.” Cole stood. Not many people towered over Seth, but this guy did. “We’ll let you know what the pack decides.”
“What about Jazz?”
“What about him?”
“Can I see him? Hell, he’s my friend.”
“The pack will take good care of him. He was lost to us, and now we have a lot of time to make up for. I’m sure you’ll be able to see him occasionally.” He walked the few steps to the door. “I’ll let myself out.” He opened the door and left.
Seth stared at the spot where Cole had sat. A movie.