Patience Page 6

  “And that’s what happened to you. And you were stuck… until the full moon was past?”

  Jamie beamed at him. “Exactly.” He sobered and stared at Chad for a moment. “You’re awfully calm about this.”

  Chad shrugged a shoulder. “I told you already. Well, you were a dog—sorry, wolf—at the time, but I told you I knew something was up with you. I’ve seen a lot of weird shit.”

  “Yeah, uh, about that. You were a cop?”

  Chad nodded. “Yeah. I… left… a few years ago.”

  “How old are you?”

  “Twenty-eight. You?”

  “Twenty-two.”

  “Oh good, you’re at least legal,” Chad muttered, shaking his head.

  Jamie laughed. “I don’t look that young.”

  Did he look offended? “Didn’t mean to insult,” Chad said, holding his hand up.

  “It’s okay. You didn’t, not really.” He chuckled. “So, uh… right, so I got stuck. I’d been at Hemingway’s with some of my friends after finals when I started shifting.”

  “Started? How does it work? Is it instant? It looked fast earlier.”

  Jamie laughed again. “It’s not, not usually. It is fast, but not instant most of the time.” He held up a hand, and as Chad watched, claws grew out of the ends of Jamie’s fingers. A few seconds later, light fur covered the back of his hand.

  Chad reached out but pulled his hand back.

  “Go ahead. I won’t bite.” He smirked and Chad laughed.

  “Right,” Chad agreed, running his fingers over the back of Jamie’s hand. The fur felt just like Murray’s fur. “Jamie,” he said to himself, frowning.

  “What?”

  “Sorry, I keep thinking of Murray for the dog—err, wolf.” He shook his head.

  “Oh,” Jamie said, laughing. “I actually liked the name.” He reached up, and Chad realized he was still wearing the collar.

  “Oh, uh, guess you ought to take that off, huh?” He stared for a moment, then dropped his face into his hands as it really sank in. “Jesus. What the… I can’t… how the fuck do I wrap my head around this? I mean… I saw it. I get it. I knew something more was going on with that dog—with you—but….”

  “Hey, I’d totally be right there with you if I didn’t grow up with it.”

  Chad looked up. “Grow up with it? You’re born like that?”

  Jamie nodded. “Yeah. We’re actually a separate species.”

  “Oh. Huh. I guess that makes sense. So, all that werewolf stuff? All crap?”

  Jamie smirked. “Mostly. You saw I can do a partial shift, but it’s all—except for on the full moon—it’s all controlled.”

  “Oh. What’s not crap?”

  “Well… like I said, we’re forced through the shift then. I guess you didn’t notice my eyes?”

  Chad focused on them and nearly jumped when they turned black. “I didn’t realize when you were in d—wolf form. I guess I just thought you had dark eyes like some dogs.”

  Jamie shrugged. “Doesn’t much matter. Most werewolf lore, though, is total bullshit. You saw. We’re not mindless. Silver is just pretty.”

  “Huh.” Chad looked down and realized he hadn’t had any coffee. He took a long drink.

  “Oh, by the way…. Reid was lying about the envelope he gave you.”

  Chad looked up and blinked. “He was? How do you know?”

  Jamie pointed to his nose. “He started sweating. And I heard his heartbeat speed up. All the normal lying tells.”

  “Well, that would explain why it didn’t make a lot of sense. Thanks.” Chad shook his head. “Can you smell and hear better in human form too?”

  “Yup, though not as well. We learn early how to filter it down so we don’t go nuts. So… uh… I guess this is where I tell you it was no accident I ran up to you.”

  Chad raised his eyebrows. “Oh?”

  Jamie nodded. “Yeah, uh, so, shifters generally don’t get married like humans. Our wolf side is a bit more… primal than that. We have mates.” He took a deep breath, glanced up at Chad, then took a drink before continuing. “There are two kinds of mates in our world. Chosen mates—when you meet someone you like and get together.” He swallowed. “And destined mates.”

  Chad blinked at him. “I’m yours?”

  Jamie nodded, not looking up. “Yeah. Uh… I’ve never heard of a human destined mate before. I’m sure there’ve been a few chosen, but I’ve never heard of or known them. But—”

  “How do you know I am?”

  Jamie finally met his eyes. “A couple of things. Our mates have a particular smell that’s just… amazing to us. And there’s a… recognition.”

  Chad frowned. He wondered if that was what had pulled him toward the dog. “Do I feel it?”

  “Some, yes. Uh… I don’t know how much, though. You know when I stole that bacon?”

  Chad nodded. “Was that this… mate thing?”

  “Yes. I was… anxious. You can sense strong feeling in me and vice versa. When destined mates meet, the first part of what’s called a ‘mate bond’ is formed. It’s like a…. My friend Tanner describes it like one of those steel cables made up of a whole bunch of thin ones, right?”

  Chad nodded.

  “Well, when we meet, the first few strands tie us together. As we, uh, do other things, that bond strengthens.”

  Chad let that digest. “So, the attraction… that’s just this bond?”

  Jamie looked so hopeful, Chad’s heart just about melted. “You’re attracted to me?”

  Chad couldn’t stop the half smile. “Yeah, uh, there’s a reason I changed into jeans.”

  Jamie laughed, but then his smile faded just as fast and he swallowed.

  Relief that wasn’t Chad’s swept through him. He looked up at Jamie. “Was that… you? Us?”

  Jamie blinked at him. “What?”

  “Relief.”

  “Oh, yeah. That was me. Uh… I was scared you wouldn’t want me.”

  Fat chance. Chad couldn’t stop another once-over. “Is it because of the bond?”

  Jamie shook his head. “No. Oh no. The bond brings us together, but it doesn’t… force… attraction. You could still not like me,” he finished softly.

  Chad recognized the fear this time as not his own. “Hey, uh, if your human personality is anything like what it was as a wolf, I don’t see that happening. Do….” He paused, not sure how to phrase this. “What would happen if we didn’t get along, though?”

  Jamie appeared to consider the question for a long moment. “Usually the fates don’t put two people together who aren’t good matches.” He made a face. “That doesn’t make a lot of sense, I guess, but generally personalities mesh pretty well. But… if you couldn’t handle the wolf thing or just… didn’t want me, you can break the bond. It’s not easy, but it can be done.”

  “Break it?”

  Jamie nodded. “Yeah. If you’re… intimate with someone else, make the conscious decision to let go of our bond, then it’s broken.”

  Our bond. Despite the completely bizarre conversation, Chad had to admit he liked the sound of that. He needed more information, though. “So, uh, what happens now?”

  Jamie sighed. “I need to get my stuff. Maybe put on my own clothes. I left my car in the garage at Litchfield Towers. Shit!” He looked up, eyes wide.

  “What?”

  “I bet they’re gone. Fuck!” He sighed. “When I shifted, I put my clothes, cell, and wallet into one of the recycling bins behind The O to hide them.”

  Chad frowned. “They probably are gone, but we can go look. Then get you to your car.”

  Jamie nodded. “Thanks. So, uh, after that….” He sighed. “This is going to sound weird.”

  “Weirder than telling me my dog is really a wolf that turns into a human that’s bonded to me by the fates?”

  Jamie stared at him for a full minute before he started laughing. It took him two more minutes to calm down. “Point,” he allowed, nodding. He chuckled for
another moment before finally calming the rest of the way. “So, mates, right?”

  Chad nodded.

  “We, uh, don’t do well apart. For short periods—like for work—we can handle it. But many shifter couples even work together because they don’t like to be apart. Ready to be weirded out even more?”

  “Is that possible?”

  Jamie smirked. “I don’t know, maybe. My college major is criminal investigations.”

  Chad simply stared at him for a long moment. “Meaning… we could work together.”

  Jamie dropped his gaze to the table and shrugged a shoulder. “You don’t have to or anything, of course, but I’ve always been drawn to that stuff. Watched all the TV shows—and yeah, I know most of them are crap—but I was fascinated by it.”

  “Hey, I’m not opposed. I just…. This is a lot to absorb.” He finished his coffee and pushed the cup away. “What does all this mean for now?”

  “Well, uh… I’d like you to meet my best friend and his mate. But… the whole being apart thing, well, my best friend, Finley, tried that once with his mate. Tanner waited two years to claim Finley, and by the end of those two years, Finley was a basket case. Tanner went home to his apartment every night and Finley to his parents’ place, sometimes for more than a few days. Finley talked about how… hard it was.”

  Chad frowned as he absorbed that. “So… I take it saying, ‘Hey, I’ll call you next week for a date’ probably isn’t going to sit well with our bond?”

  Jamie swallowed, still staring at the table. “I don’t want you to think you’re being forced into anything.”

  “Hey.” Chad reached out and tilted Jamie’s chin. He couldn’t miss how good even a small touch like that felt. When Jamie was looking at him, he said, “No one forces me to do anything. And I didn’t say that’s what I was going to do. I don’t want to do that… and I don’t think that’s any fated bond speaking either.”

  Again, the hopeful look in Jamie’s—his mate’s?—eyes went straight to his heart. “You don’t?”

  Chad shook his head. “I don’t feel forced, not at all. I’m good with sticking close for now, see what happens. Get to know each other.” He smiled. He slid his hand over Jamie’s cheek, then up into the blond hair and tugged gently. It was light enough that Jamie could ignore it if he wanted, but—Chad hoped—also clear enough what he wanted.

  Jamie leaned toward him over the table. Chad hesitated ever so slightly before closing the rest of the distance. When their lips met, something went through him, and he wondered if it was that connection strengthening.

  The kiss barely qualified as such—just a brush of lips, the lightest of nibbles—but Chad had a feeling he’d never forget it for the rest of his life. There was a tug somewhere inside him, and he could have sworn he felt the connection between them more than he had before.

  They broke apart, and Chad pulled back enough to look at Jamie. His eyes were closed, cheeks a little flushed, and he was breathing heavily. “What do I smell like to you?” Chad whispered.

  Jamie opened his eyes. “Grass, leather, and fresh, clean air.”

  “Oh….” Chad smiled. “I like that.” He brushed his thumb over Jamie’s cheek. The man was downright beautiful. His mouth looked made for kissing—and other things. His blue eyes were so deep, Chad knew he could get lost in them. Soft blond hair—the same color as Murray’s fur, now that Chad thought about it. Yeah, Chad was attracted. Maybe a little more. Probably a little more. He paused at that thought and decided he needed to be perfectly honest with himself. Definitely a little more. Mate bond? Maybe, but he wasn’t sure he minded that. He’d never had much luck dating, and here was a beautiful man who seemed damned near perfect. Well, aside from turning into a wolf, which… really… wasn’t such a bad thing, in Chad’s opinion. And the man wanted him. “So… mate, huh?”

  Jamie nodded. “Mate. You’re really okay with this?”

  Chad shrugged a shoulder. “Like I said, I’m happy to see where this goes. I like what I see. I like what I’ve learned so far. How about we go get your stuff, huh?”

  “Okay.” Jamie sat up and looked down at himself. “Uh, got a shirt I could borrow?”

  WHEN THEY approached the Challenger a little while later, Jamie paused. “Charcoal gray,” he said, smirking.

  “Hmm?” Chad asked, unlocking the doors.

  “Oh, uh, wolves don’t see in color. Everything is gray. So when I saw your car yesterday, I wondered if it was really the gray I was seeing or if that was just my vision. Also… your car is awesome.”

  Chad grinned. “Glad you approve.” They slid in, buckling seat belts, and then Chad turned to Jamie. “Litchfield? That’s off…. Bouquet?”

  Jamie nodded. “Yeah. Forbes, actually, for the entrance, but can we stop to see if there’s any chance my wallet and stuff is still there?”

  “Of course.” Chad started the car and pulled onto Centre Avenue. The drive was too short for any kind of conversation, and Chad didn’t think Jamie wanted to talk anymore for the moment. That was okay with him; he was still trying to absorb everything.

  He turned on the radio to his favorite Pandora ’80s station. He grinned when Michael Jackson sang about demons closing in, followed by Vincent Price threatening darkness and blood. Jamie laughed, and Chad decided he wanted to hear that a lot.

  Chad didn’t know if it was this mate link or something else, but he found he didn’t really want to let Jamie go yet. So when they pulled up to the alley outside of The O and parked, then rummaged through the recycling bins to find Jamie’s stuff gone, Chad was absurdly glad of that.

  They did go inside, and to Jamie’s obvious relief, his wallet was there. They’d taken his cash, phone, and keys, and his clothes had apparently been collected with the recycling earlier that day. But whoever had gone through his stuff dropped his wallet outside the door, so at least he had his driver’s license and bank cards.

  It was wrong of Chad to be glad the rest was gone—he knew that—but it gave Chad an excuse to keep Jamie with him. He wasn’t quite ready to ask if it was more of the bond thing or not, so he kept the feelings to himself for the time being.

  Chad took Jamie’s hand as they left the restaurant, grinning at the look of surprise and pleasure on Jamie’s face. “Let’s go make sure your car is still there. You should notify security too, so they leave it alone.”

  “Good point,” Jamie said, frowning. “Gods, what a mess. Sometimes sprouting fur is a real pain in the ass.”

  Chad laughed as he unlocked his car. “Well, you look cute in fur, for what it’s worth. Also, you’re still wearing the collar.”

  Jamie’s hand flew up to his neck. “Oops. No wonder the girl behind the counter at The O looked at me funny.”

  “Well, probably because you actually had a tag hanging from it.”

  “Oh yeah. Well, for the record, I like the one you picked out.”

  “I thought I was going a little crazy with you at the pet store,” Chad said a moment later, as they turned into the parking garage.

  “I owe you a lot, by the way, for saving me from animal control.”

  “Hey, you know, considering I saved my mate from being neutered, I think it’s a win for me too.” He’d used the title deliberately, hoping to ease the tension in Jamie’s voice.

  “Oh, well, I’m really glad you did too.”

  Chad glanced over to see Jamie absolutely grinning, and he mentally patted himself on the back for saying the right thing.

  He could understand Jamie’s reticence. Chad would certainly expect a stranger to freak out over everything. But since he’d already acknowledged something wasn’t right with Murray over the weekend, and after some of the things he had seen over the years, it wasn’t that much of a stretch for him to accept.

  Never mind that he’d just seen it.

  He followed the directions Jamie gave until they pulled up next to a little Honda hybrid. “Nice.”

  Jamie gave an embarrassed smile. “It’s a college
-student car.” He shrugged a shoulder.

  “Hey, I had a beat-up 1990 Volkswagen Diesel Jetta in college. That thing made so much noise, they could hear me coming from a thousand miles away, I swear.” Chad grinned when Jamie laughed. “I’m lucky now. I make good money doing what I do.”

  Chad thought about just how much he’d been putting away over the last few years. He’d managed to get a reputation, thanks to Panther and a few other choice people, earning him more than a few very lucrative jobs. He’d put his everything into those jobs, making sure he deserved the reputation Panther had helped get him started with. He lived more or less simply, and if things really worked out with Jamie, he would be very glad to have put that away.

  “Let me just make sure my stuff is still in it,” Jamie said, pulling Chad out of his thoughts. Jamie checked the doors and hatch, then got back in the car. “Looks like everything is still there. There’s a security booth by the exit. I’ll see if anyone’s there.”

  Chad circled back around to the front of the garage, and once more Jamie got out, this time to talk to security.

  A moment later, he walked over to the driver’s side, and Chad rolled his window down. “Uh, were you serious about sticking close?”

  Chad considered Jamie’s bitten lip, evidence of his nervousness, wanting to reach out and soothe it. Instead, he nodded. “Yes, I am.”

  “Could I give him your cell number since I don’t have one anymore?”

  “Oh, yeah, of course. Here.” He pulled his phone out, found the screen that displayed his own number, and handed it to Jamie. Chad really liked seeing the smile on Jamie’s face as he took the phone.

  Jamie went back to the security guy, read off the number, and said something else before coming back to the car. He handed Chad’s phone over as he buckled in. “I have a few days before it’s an issue. By then I should be able to get my spare key from Fin.”

  “So… there next?”

  “You don’t mind?”

  Chad smiled and shook his head. “No. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m not averse to seeing you in next to nothing.” He let his eyes trail over Jamie’s clothed form, grinning at Jamie’s blush. “But I’m sure you’d be more comfortable—as a human, anyway—if you’re in clothes. Your own clothes.”