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Mate or Meal 3

The Love He Squirreled Away

Stew or spouse? It is the dilemma werewolf Soren fights upon
taking squirrel-shifter Daniel as his mate. His duty as an Alpha

forces him to keep his mate a secret while his heart and his beast
demand to claim Daniel.

Daniel has always feared getting too close to others since a lethal

disease branded him as an outcast for his kind. He dares to make
an exception for Soren, despite Soren’s difficult situation.

Surpassing his feelings of inadequacy is a challenge, even if he
knows Soren would never betray their bond.

But just as Daniel starts to make new friends within the pack,
there are other forces at work that do not agree to the two men’s

mating. A vicious attack on Soren’s loved ones is pinned on
Daniel, and all loyalties begin to be questioned. How long will
Daniel be allowed to keep his role as Soren’s spouse?

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Paranormal, Shape-shifter
Length: 40,669 words

THE LOVE HE

SQUIRRELED AWAY

Mate or Meal 3

Scarlet Hyacinth

EROTIC ROMANCE

MANLOVE

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove

THE LOVE HE SQUIRRELED AWAY
Copyright © 2011 by Scarlet Hyacinth
E-book ISBN: 1-61926-119-7

First E-book Publication: December 2011

Cover design by Jinger Heaston
All cover art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

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All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance
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PUBLISHER
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www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

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THE LOVE HE

SQUIRRELED AWAY

Mate or Meal 3

SCARLET HYACINTH

Chapter One

Daniel watched in awe as his friend, Shiloh, played with his new

cygnet and his mate in the grass. Who’d have thought a wolf and a
swan could become mates and care for a child together? Certainly not
Daniel, but Liam, Shiloh, and Reed proved him wrong.

Even as he observed the group, Daniel still couldn’t believe

Shiloh had recovered from his coma. He’d been shot a few weeks
back by his former boyfriend, Charles, and doctors had given him
little chances of recovery. As it turned out, when Shiloh’s egg
hatched, it had boosted Shiloh’s recovery. Now, at last, after so much
pain, Shiloh could be happy with his son, Reed, and his mate, Liam.

“It’s amazing to see, isn’t it?” a voice said by Daniel’s side.
Daniel turned and offered Soren a tremulous smile. Soren was

Liam’s friend and Alpha, and had come to help them protect the egg.
But he was also a man Daniel felt very attracted to, and he didn’t
know how to deal with that. “It is, indeed,” he answered. “I am truly
enthused that Shiloh can at last rejoice with his mate and child. I
admit I did not expect a wolf to give him the happiness he deserves.”

Soren arched a brow at him, and Daniel felt his face flame. He

wondered just how much Soren had understood his reply. Daniel

The Love He Squirreled Away

tended to babble and speak very quickly, more so when nervous. Far
too often, he even insulted people. He’d have preferred it had the wolf
not grasped his every word, since he seemed to be in insert-foot-in-
mouth mode.

Soren chuckled. “Well, you’ll find wolves can surprise you.” His

words made it quite apparent that he understood Daniel but wasn’t
upset. The wolf’s expression sobered, and he pulled Daniel into the
shadow of a nearby tree. Daniel yelped in surprise at the sudden
motion. He opened his mouth to ask Soren what in the world he
thought he was doing, but when the werewolf pressed their bodies
together, he forgot what he meant to say. The man’s scent, his heat,
the barely restrained passion hidden under the surface short-circuited
Daniel’s brain, making him ache. He felt Soren’s cock throb against
his thigh, and all of a sudden, he could only think about having it in
his ass. “I really want to prove that to you,” Soren added.

The words snapped Daniel out of his lust-introduced trance. He

realized they were, for all accounts, still in public, with Shiloh’s
cygnet just a few feet away. And that wasn’t the only problem. In
fact, it was just the beginning.

“Soren, I’m not sure this is wise. I know it seems our friends can

make a relationship between predator and prey work, but that does not
offer any guarantees.”

Soren didn’t know anything about him, his past, or his family. It

occurred to Daniel that maybe he’d misinterpreted the entire thing and
made a fool out of himself again. “Of course, you and I don’t have an
actual relationship. I just mean—”

“Don’t tell me you don’t feel this, because I won’t believe you,”

Soren cut him off.

Daniel gulped, for once in his life speechless. Unfazed, Soren

continued, “I haven’t made my move because it simply wasn’t the
time. Things are still so messed up.” Soren took a deep breath, as if
having trouble speaking. “But you’re my mate, Dani. I want you to
know that and to give me a chance. Come home with me.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

Daniel’s entire body responded to the sinful note in the other

man’s words. It would be easy, so very easy to give in. But he knew
he couldn’t do it. For one, he understood Soren’s position. Getting
romantically involved with an Alpha wolf was just begging for
heartbreak. While Daniel might have his own little kinks, having his
soul shredded wasn’t one of them.

“I don’t deny that I would like to take you up on your offer,” he

said hesitantly, “but it’s not a good idea.” He swallowed around the
knot in his throat, the word “mate” sounding in his ears stronger than
ever. “I don’t think I can be what you need. I’m not even sure I am
your mate.”

The words sounded false even to his own ears, and Soren’s eyes

were like daggers that pierced his heart. “Of course you are. I knew it
from the first moment you spoke to me.”

Daniel remembered that time well. Soren had been suggesting to

Shiloh to give up the then-unhatched Reed, and Daniel had said,
“Would you do that if it were your own pup?” Even then, Daniel had
felt drawn to the other man. Ironically, as he recalled it, he
acknowledged Soren’s necessity for children, something Daniel could
never give him. It was a bad idea, and Daniel needed to back off
before it got too difficult.

“Soren, surely you realize how wrong we are for each other.

We—”

He didn’t get to finish the phrase. The wolf crushed their lips

together, and Daniel forgot all about his protests. He gasped, and the
other man took advantage of the occasion to thrust his tongue into
Daniel’s mouth.

The first taste of Soren made Daniel’s head spin and an odd

dizziness course over him. He couldn’t think. He could only feel, his
senses assaulted by Soren’s scent, by his presence and power.

He might have allowed the werewolf to fuck him right then and

there had the sound of a cleared throat not interrupted them. Soren

The Love He Squirreled Away

broke their kiss, and Daniel briefly glimpsed the sight of Liam’s
amused face before Soren shielded him from sight. “What?”

“Just thought I should remind you we are in public, with children

just a few feet away.”

It wasn’t a reproach, not really, not in the way Liam put it, but

truth be told, he had a point. To a certain extent, Daniel did feel a bit
embarrassed. He’d never been big on public displays of affection.
They made him even more nervous and spastic. Now, though, he
didn’t fear what others thought of him. He feared for Soren, for his
position, his life, and his pack.

“You have our thanks,” he said hastily as he broke away from

Soren. “I should go.”

“No, wait,” Soren said, grabbing his arm. “We still need to talk.”
Daniel bit his lip, and Liam discreetly left, returning to his mate’s

side. Once they were granted privacy, Soren whispered, “Baby, I
know what you’re thinking, and you’re right. We’ll take our time.
Just...don’t say no outright. Let me deal with things. We can make it
work, I promise.”

Daniel took a deep breath, struggling to control the emotions he

couldn’t understand. “You should not make promises you can’t keep.”

Soren pulled him close once more. “I’d never break my word,

especially not to you.”

Daniel closed his eyes and allowed the man to hold him. “All

right, Soren. We can try.” Acutely aware of all the people present in
their proximity, Daniel added, “However, we shouldn’t do it here.”

“Agreed.” Soren released him from the tight embrace. “Come. At

least let me buy you a cup of coffee.”

Daniel couldn’t refuse, even if anxiety rose inside him. They said

their good-byes to Shiloh, Liam, and Reed, and left the park. Soren
led him to a small, private coffee shop. Silence fell between them, not
entirely comfortable but not awkward either. The thoughtful mood
was broken when Soren placed their order. He turned toward Daniel
and grinned. “Let me guess. Hazelnut frappe?”

Scarlet Hyacinth

The simple words made Daniel realize how comfortable Soren

truly was with the difference between their species. He smiled back
and answered, “Close. I dislike processed nuts of any kind. A simple
frappe with cream will do fine.”

Soren found them a table, and Daniel could practically feel the

wolf’s amusement. “A squirrel who hates nuts? Wow.”

Daniel shook his head. “I just hate anything fake.”
Soren reached for his hand and squeezed it. “You won’t have to

worry about that with me. Ever.”

And somehow, Daniel believed him.

* * * *

Soren fumbled with the key of his hotel room, struggling to swipe

the card through the lock. It wasn’t easy with an armful of fidgeting
squirrel, and with his own need to touch his mate. Daniel wiggled,
rubbing against him as their mouths met in a frantic kiss.

Soren had no idea how they’d gotten from chatting over coffee to

fucking in his hotel room. True enough, he wanted Daniel more than
he’d ever desired anything in his entire life, but he hadn’t meant to
push Daniel into sex. The squirrel obviously feared Soren wasn’t
serious about their connection. In spite of it all, though, here they
were, hungry for each other, touching as much flesh as they could.

They burst into the hotel room together, and Soren pushed the

door closed. As soon as he ensured their privacy, he crushed his mate
against the first solid surface available, which turned out to be the
door itself. Daniel arched against him, not protesting in the slightest
when Soren’s hands began working at his clothes. Soren didn’t even
have the patience to disrobe his mate normally. He just tore them,
making buttons and material fly all around and never once breaking
the kiss. It was far too good, far too addicting, and Soren thought he
would die if he didn’t go on tasting his mate.

The Love He Squirreled Away

Alas, the need to breathe forcibly broke them apart. As he released

Daniel’s lips from the kiss, he allowed himself a few moments to just
look at Daniel. He’d always seen his mate as breathtaking, but now,
with his face flushed and his lips red and swollen, he seemed even
more beautiful.

Daniel offered him a small smile. “Touch me, Soren. Don’t ever

stop. Fuck me.”

His formal, superfast speech had faded into a slow, sexy rasp, and

Soren breathed through the lust that hazed his mind. “Your wish is my
command,” he answered.

Soren grabbed his mate in his arms and draped him over his

shoulders. He’d have liked their first time together to be gentler,
perhaps more elegant, not in an impersonal hotel room. He’d have
wanted to take Daniel home with him, to introduce him to the pack,
all the men and women who were essentially his extended family. But
it wasn’t possible, not if he wanted to protect Daniel’s life. For the
moment, this would have to do.

With as much care as he could muster, Soren placed Daniel on the

bed. His mate looked up at him, honey-brown eyes twinkling
mischievously. “Come on, Soren. Touch me,” he repeated.

Soren didn’t wait to be told again. He joined his mate on the

mattress, groaning when Daniel starting pulling his clothes off. His
body was filled with the urgency to couple, to claim, to fuck, and he
growled as he tore the constraining material off. His shoes flew off, as
well as the remnants of his shirts and pants. Thankfully, he’d had the
foresight to go commando—on an impulse, rather than on a certain
knowledge. Now, he could finally be skin to skin with his mate, the
mate he yearned for so much.

Daniel’s hot gaze seemed like a palpable caress on his naked

body, and Soren did some admiring of his own. As if of their own
accord, his hands reached for his mate, mapping each contour, tracing
every line of Daniel’s body. Daniel bit his oh-so-kissable lips and
released a needy sigh. He spread his legs wider in an obvious attempt

Scarlet Hyacinth

to accommodate Soren better, and Soren gladly took the invitation.
He pressed their bodies close, loving the feel of his mate against him.
Daniel’s scent surrounded him, sweet and fresh, like the aroma of
pine honey. His mate’s hard cock throbbed against Soren’s thigh, and
the evidence of Daniel’s arousal made Soren even hotter.

He reached between them and gripped Daniel’s erection. The

other man moaned when Soren’s fist engulfed his prick, and Soren
could practically smell the rise in his pleasure, in his need. His head
swam with the desire to fulfill their bond, to consummate this
yearning, and he didn’t think he could stand it much longer.

Without another word, Soren crushed his lips to Daniel’s. Just like

before, his mate surrendered to his dominance. Daniel wrapped his
arms around Soren’s neck and his legs around Soren’s waist, as if
trying to pull their bodies even closer. Their breaths mingled, their
tongues tangled, and Soren drank in the taste of Daniel’s submission.
He wanted more, so much more. He wanted to be inside his mate.

He broke the kiss, panting hard, and faced Daniel. “Last chance,

baby. If you don’t want this, tell me now, because I don’t think I’ll be
able to stop later.”

In answer, Daniel pulled him close once again and crushed their

lips together. When the need to breathe forced them apart, Daniel
gasped out, “Does that answer your question?”

Yes, it did, and Soren could no longer hold back. He fumbled at

the nightstand and retrieved the bottle of lube he kept there. His hands
trembled as he opened the tube. He stole another look at his mate, the
uncharacteristic self-doubt coursing through him almost scary. He
was an Alpha. He didn’t question himself. And yet, here he was,
hesitant to take the thing he desired most in the world.

The smile on Daniel’s face reassured him, and Soren poured

lubricant on his fingers and reached down for his mate’s genitals.
Daniel lifted his legs and exposed his hole to Soren’s greedy gaze. He
rubbed his slick fingers across the tiny pucker, almost losing it right

The Love He Squirreled Away

then and there when Daniel pushed his ass toward him in a wordless
plea.

Ever so slowly, he inserted a digit inside Daniel’s passage, almost

in awe when his mate’s body sucked the finger right in. He
experimentally thrust it in and out, testing for any discomfort, but he
could only see and feel pleasure in his mate.

“More, Soren, please,” Daniel begged. “Give me more. Fuck me.”
Soren intended to do just that but not yet. They might be in a hotel

room, but the bond between them still made this special. This was
their first time together, and Soren would draw and relish every
moment of it.

He smiled down at his mate and lowered his body over Daniel. He

began to press featherlight kisses over his mate, dragging his tongue
over each inch of creamy skin. He licked over Daniel’s collarbone,
surprised when his soon-to-be lover arched against him, gasping. It
seemed he’d found a sensitive spot.

Soren explored Daniel relentlessly, learning where his mate liked

to be touched. He lingered on the perky nipples for far longer than
Daniel seemed to expect. He’d wanted to touch them and suck them
in his mouth ever since he’d first seen Daniel naked. The little nubs
pebbled and responded to his caresses, and Soren bit down on the
naughty flesh, testing Daniel’s threshold of pleasure and pain.

Yet again, he was unprepared for Daniel’s reaction. His mate

writhed under him, thrashing like a wild thing, begging and pleading
almost incoherently. There was nothing left now from the prim and
proper façade the squirrel used. Soren realized now it was a mask,
perhaps a sort of defensive armor. Against what, Soren didn’t know,
but he vowed he would find out and he would protect Daniel from
anything that could hurt him.

For the moment, though, Soren couldn’t withstand torturing them

both any longer. Briefly abandoning his exploration of his mate’s
body, he slicked up his cock and positioned it at Daniel’s hole.
Holding Daniel’s fevered gaze, he pushed inside, at the same time

Scarlet Hyacinth

paying close attention so as not to harm his mate. Inch by excruciating
inch, he worked his prick in, until at last, he slid home.

For a few moments, Soren remained motionless, half to allow

Daniel to get used to the penetration and half for his own benefit.
Daniel was so tight, so hot inside, and Soren thought that if he moved
one inch, he would find his peak and it would all be over before it
really began. Sure, werewolves had paranormal stamina on their side,
but Soren didn’t want to disappoint his mate and come like a pup,
especially not after all the buildup. He yearned to love Daniel
thoroughly, to possess every inch of him, to brand him as his own.

It should have been difficult to keep this position with the way

Daniel squeezed his cock, but oddly, it wasn’t. Daniel’s honey-brown
eyes slid over him, and as their gazes held, Soren felt catapulted into a
different reality, one where everything was possible and only the two
of them existed.

His body moved without his mind acknowledging it. Slowly, he

pulled out of Daniel and pushed back in. The shallow motion was
nothing but a tease, but it still sent tendrils of pleasure down Soren’s
spine. His consciousness tied to Daniel’s, he began to move faster,
harder.

His mate’s cries rose in volume, sweet and high-pitched, almost

like a chirp-gasp. Soren recognized it as the sound of Daniel’s
pleasure. His wolf wanted to howl at their union, at the perfection of
their slick bodies moving together and Daniel’s acceptance of their
bond. Instead, Soren increased the pace, always aiming for Daniel’s
prostate. Daniel pushed back, fucking himself on Soren’s cock, his
need and ecstasy flowing over Soren like a tidal wave.

With the ever-increasing pleasure, it didn’t take long for Soren to

be on the edge of climax. His fangs now ached with the desire to taste
Daniel’s blood, to mark and claim his mate. But a lingering trace of
reason held Soren back. He couldn’t do it, not yet, not without
consulting with Daniel first. Instead, he pressed his lips to Daniel’s in
a final, desperate kiss. It was too little and yet too much. Soren buried

The Love He Squirreled Away

himself one last time inside Daniel and came, his entire being tense
with the power of his climax.

Heat splashed against his stomach, and the scent of his mate’s

essence filled the air, telling him that Daniel had come as well. It only
made things better, impossibly so, and Soren’s mind almost melted at
the intensity of his orgasm. Each and every second turned into a
lifetime, ages during which he saw and felt Daniel’s heart.

It went on and on, so much so that when the haze began to

diminish, he felt drained not only physically but also emotionally. By
some miracle, he managed to roll off Daniel and not squash his mate
with his bulk. He felt a pang of loss when his cock, now spent, left
Daniel’s body, but the slight apprehension melted into comfort and
affection when his mate cuddled to his chest.

A small cooing sound escaped Daniel’s lips, and Soren’s heart

squeezed with emotion. Soon, he’d claim Daniel like he deserved.
Until that day came, he would do anything to keep his mate safe and
ensure their bond.

Scarlet Hyacinth

Chapter Two

The next day

From: wolfhowlinthenight@yahoo.com
To: ihatepeanutbutter@gmail.com
Subject: needing you

Hi, baby.
I got to the pack all right. Nothing’s really changed. I wish I could

say everyone magically turned nice in my absence. If anything,
they’re more of a pain.

But I’m braving it okay. Finally got my lazy ass to pick a new

beta, well, two. I convinced Liam’s sister, Carlie, to give it a try,
along with another wolf. His name is Anson, and he’s been with the
pack for quite a while. I need someone who’s loyal to me first and
then to my father if this is going to work, and I think they might be it.

Anyway...I already miss you like crazy. I wish we could have spent

more time together. I had a dream about you last night. You were in
the bed with me, and you felt so good, baby. I can remember it now,
your hot ass around my cock, your prick in my mouth. Jesus...being
without you is torture.

I promise I’ll deal with what we discussed ASAP, and I won’t

make any decisions before I talk to you.

Needing you,
S

The Love He Squirreled Away

With a heavy heart, Soren wrapped up the e-mail for his mate. It

was hard to believe that he’d last seen Daniel one day ago. He already
missed the squirrel so much it hurt, and his wolf howled in protest at
their separation.

He couldn’t say it surprised him in any way. Since the first

moment he’d seen Daniel, he’d known the man was his mate. He’d
gone to help his good friend, Liam, and run into Daniel in the process.
The squirrel had been aiding Liam’s swan mate, Shiloh. And even if
the situation at the time had been difficult, somehow they’d managed
to bond.

But Soren learned from his brother’s experience, and that of their

friend, Liam. He couldn’t rush this. As much as he’d have liked to
claim his mate, the fact remained that Daniel was both prey and a
man. As an Alpha and the last son of the Wade family, Soren was
required to take a female mate and produce pups, something he really
didn’t feel happy about. Before he could claim Daniel, Soren needed
to put things in order.

A knock sounded at the door, and Soren groaned. He really didn’t

want to see Carlie right now. He was in a bad mood, and he’d already
snapped at his beta several times. Still, she deserved better, especially
taking into account what he demanded of her. It wasn’t easy to be a
female beta, but the fact remained that, out of everyone in the pack,
Soren trusted Carlie most. His second beta, Anson, while loyal,
tended to be flightier. Either way, Soren didn’t have the patience for
official pack business now. God, sometimes it really sucked to be
Alpha.

He logged out of his personal e-mail account, put the computer

on standby, and got up. As he opened the door, he gave Carlie the best
smile he could muster. “Hello, Carlie. What can I do for you?”

“Hello, Alpha,” she said. The formal address concerned him.

“Could I speak to you for a moment?”

“Certainly,” Soren replied. She seemed thoughtful but relieved

when he invited her inside. “Please, come in.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

Carlie entered his office and, for a few moments, they fell into

silence. “So, what is this about?” Soren asked. He didn’t think she
would complain about his moodiness. She was harder than that, and
she wouldn’t come to him to whine.

“Alpha, I’m sorry if I interrupted you, but I had an urgent matter I

needed to consult with you.”

Soren frowned. “We’re in private now, and you don’t have to call

me that. Hell, we’ve grown up together. What’s on your mind?”

“The elder contacted me a few minutes ago.” She took a deep

breath, as if bracing herself for what she was about to say. “I’m led to
believe this beta position is temporary and a mere stepping-stone for
the real goal—that of Alpha bitch.”

Soren stared. He’d never pegged Carlie as power hungry, one of

the reasons why he’d chosen her as his beta and as his friend. But he
knew better than to make rash decisions or judgments, especially if
his father was involved. “Is that so?” he asked. “The elder told you
this?”

Carlie nodded. “Is it true?”
Instead of replying, Soren decided to ask another question. “What

do you think about the idea?”

Carlie fidgeted, for the first time in Soren’s memory looking

uncomfortable. She was a strong woman and had worked with him as
an enforcer long before becoming a beta. This seemed out of
character at best. “I mean no disrespect,” she said at last, “but the
proposition took me by surprise. I care for you greatly, both as my
Alpha and as my friend, but you’re not my mate.”

Soren suppressed a sigh of relief. “Indeed.” He mused over her

words, wondering what his father had planned. “Have you found your
mate?”

Carlie shook her head. “I hoped this new openness will improve

my chances, since so far, I haven’t had any luck with other wolves.”

Her admission surprised Soren, and he found himself wanting to

share his own experience with her. He didn’t know if Daniel

The Love He Squirreled Away

mentioned their bond to anyone, but he truly needed someone on his
side.

“So you don’t want to be Alpha bitch, then?” Soren asked.
Carlie let out a little laugh, but it seemed a little forced. “I’m

happy as your beta, if my position still stands, of course.”

Soren scanned her face and saw nothing but the same honesty

he’d grown accustomed with. “Sit, Carlie,” he said at last. “We have a
serious conversation pending.”

Carlie obeyed, obviously thinking she would be sanctioned for her

refusal. Soren would have felt slighted, if he didn’t know his father’s
ability to make people feel forced into things. He considered what he
was about to do and decided to take a leap of faith. He’d chosen two
great werewolves as his betas, and he would trust them.

“Give me a minute. Anson needs to hear this as well.”
He picked up his phone and dialed Anson. His second beta

answered in mere moments. “Yes, Alpha?”

“Please come into my office, Anson. I need to have a word with

you.”

“Of course, Alpha. Be right there.”
Soren hung up the phone and gave the still-waiting Carlie a look.

“Don’t worry about it. Your beta position is safe.”

Carlie nodded and waited patiently. At last, Anson cracked the

door open and peeked inside. “Come on in, Anson,” Soren said. “And
sit down. I need you to know something.”

“Of course, Alpha. What is it?”
Soren took a deep breath and started to speak. He told them about

meeting Daniel, about his reluctance to reveal his mate’s existence,
and the increasing pressure he felt coming from his father. The
message the other wolf had sent through Carlie couldn’t be clearer.

Both betas looked shocked but not in a bad way. “Well, first of

all, let me congratulate you, Alpha.” Anson chuckled. “I really must
look into Liam’s new friends. It seems they’re quite interesting.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

A dose of bitterness remained in Anson’s voice, but Soren knew

better than to address it. Whatever personal relationship had existed
between Anson and Liam, it was over now. Liam had a family, a son,
and a mate, and Anson was too smart to hold on to something that
could not be.

“I apologize for what I said earlier,” Carlie added. “I should have

known you’d never use one of your own like that.”

Soren waved a hand into the air. “Don’t worry about it.” He could

let it slide, just this once. Carlie was, after all, his friend, and Soren
had been snappish lately.

“Back to the topic. I don’t have to say to you how important it is

for this to stay between the three of us.”

“Of course, Alpha,” Anson replied. “What are you going to do?”
“The only thing that occurs to me is an arrangement between a

female werewolf and me to carry my children. If I give him his heirs,
father will lay off.” Soren rubbed his eyes, hating that he was in this
position in the first place. “Thoughts?”

Carlie fidgeted on her chair, once more looking uncertain. “Alpha,

if I may…I could bear your children, no strings attached. The elder
has already given his accord.”

“I wouldn’t ask that of you,” Soren answered. “I didn’t tell you

this to make you feel forced into anything. I know you want a family
of your own, and if you do this, the children will go to me and
Daniel.”

Carlie nodded, and her eyes met Soren’s. “I realize that. But let’s

face it, Soren. No werewolf female will agree to bear your pups
without taking the position of Alpha bitch in the pack. Hell, I doubt
they’d even forgo custody to a squirrel.”

Anger rose inside Soren. “Carlie…”
This time, his beta didn’t let up. “I’m not saying there’s anything

wrong with your mate. Of course not. I’m not even claiming I’m the
only option. I just want to help.”

The Love He Squirreled Away

She sounded honest, and she was his friend. Truth be told, if she

hadn’t suggested it, Soren himself might have considered asking. He
sighed, admitting she had a point.

“I’ll have to discuss it with my mate. Thank you, Carlie.”
Carlie blinked, as if surprised that he’d accepted her offer. “Of

course, Alpha. You’re my friend, after all, and I hate to see you like
this.”

“One more thing, Alpha,” Anson piped up. “If you do mate

Daniel, people here won’t be very happy. Will you be bringing him
here?”

It was another problem that haunted Soren’s thoughts. Liam and

Brody had been able to build their homes away from the problems a
pack presented, but Soren didn’t have that luxury. Even if he’d have
liked to just take his mate and leave, he couldn’t abandon all the
people who relied on him. The pack would fall into chaos, and God
only knew what the subsequent fights for domination would cause.
No, that couldn’t be a solution, but the same thing applied for living
without Daniel.

“I’ll have to,” Soren replied. “The truth is, my friends, that times

are changing, but so far, many have chosen to ignore it. Well, they
won’t be able to now. I’m relying on you two to help me keep Daniel
safe when the time comes.”

His betas nodded, and Soren couldn’t resist the urge to hug them

both. He wasn’t a man to offer gratuitous displays of affection, but
this one time, he could make an exception.

After a few moments, he thanked them both and dismissed them.

As the two werewolves left, Soren sat down at his desk and booted up
his browser again to write a follow up for his mate. There was an e-
mail waiting in his inbox in reply to his earlier one. They’d decided to
keep in contact through the Internet, since it seemed safer than phone
calls.

Hello, Soren.

Scarlet Hyacinth

I’m very pleased to hear you arrived home safely. I’ve been

thinking a lot about what you said and what we need to do to be
together. It won’t be easy, I realize that, but I believe in our ability to
do it.

I am also visiting family, and I will be discussing our relationship

with them. I do not know how they’ll react, as they’ve always been
protective of me, but I’ll keep you posted.

The tone of the e-mail changed from there, and Soren’s cock

hardened as he read on.

I miss you, too. If you dreamt about me last night, I stayed up and

touched myself, imagining it was your hand on my cock, your fingers
in my ass.

Please, hurry.
Your mate,
Dani

The ending of the e-mail made Soren feel warm inside. He hastily

composed a reply detailing Carlie’s proposal and sent it. Moments
later, his phone rang. It was, of course, Daniel.

Soren took the call, feeling a bit sad when nobody spoke at the

other side of the connection. He knew Daniel was just being careful in
spite of his impulsive call, but he still wished all these precautions
weren’t necessary. Soon, he told himself. Soon.

“Hi, baby,” he greeted his mate, at the same time telling Daniel

they were safe to talk without anyone listening in. “How are you?”

“Impatient.” Daniel let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Sorry for

breaking our agreement to not call so soon.”

“It’s fine, Dani. Listen, I know you’re probably anxious about

what I told you just now. Carlie is a good person. If there’s anyone we
can trust to help us in this, it’s her.”

“Can I ask…Did she suggest it or did you?”

The Love He Squirreled Away

For a brief instant, Soren considered lying, or at least evading the

truth. The circumstances of Carlie’s suggestion were a bit strange, and
Daniel didn’t know the female werewolf. Also, Soren knew better
than to believe things would magically solve themselves once his
pups were born. The very fact that his outlook on becoming a father
was so cold represented a problem he needed to deal with.

He hesitated too long. “She suggested it, then,” Daniel said. It

wasn’t a question, but a statement, and not a happy one.

Soren sighed. “Look, baby, I know this is hard for you. I would

have done things differently had there been another way, but I’m
afraid there isn’t.” He gulped, hating what he was about to say before
even opening his mouth to speak. “If you’ve changed your mind
about us—”

“No, Soren,” Daniel interrupted him. He sounded angry and hurt.

“How can you say that? How can you give up on me, just for making
a comment you don’t like?”

“I would never give up on you, Dani. I just want you to be

happy.”

At the other side of the connection, his mate sighed. “Well then…

Better figure out how we’re going to do this, because I’m not going
anywhere.”

And even if there were so many things standing in their way,

Soren smiled. The warmth in Daniel’s voice made it all worthwhile.

* * * *

Daniel turned another page of his book and stared at the lines of

the new paragraph without really reading them. Hell, he must have
gone a whole chapter without even knowing what the damn thing
said. He was too focused on his own problems to acknowledge
fiction, as much as he’d have enjoyed it once.

Today, he was supposed to meet the woman who’d be the mother

of his mate’s children. The three of them all agreed to do so before

Scarlet Hyacinth

they went along with the plan. While Daniel trusted his mate’s ability
to judge the intentions of the members of his pack, he still felt pleased
about being taken into account. However, that didn’t mean he wasn’t
nervous. Fuck, if he were any more anxious, he’d turn into a twitchy
mess.

They’d agreed to hold their meeting in the park for shape-shifters,

and as such, his friend, Nicolas had insisted on joining him. As a rule,
the hummingbird didn’t trust carnivores, and he hadn’t been pleased
upon being told about Daniel’s bond with Soren. Daniel appreciated
his friend’s concern, but he also knew he needed to deal with this
himself. He now regretted his stubbornness and wished he’d have
accepted Nicolas’s help.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, he didn’t have to wait for long. He

sensed his mate long before Soren even came within view.
Abandoning all pretense of reading, he scanned the park with avid
eyes. As soon as his gaze fell on Soren, his body heated with both
desire and jealousy. A woman walked by Soren’s side, occupying the
place Daniel should have. Even from the distance, Daniel could tell
she was beautiful. She did look like Liam, and her gait suggested a
hidden strength that Daniel couldn’t help but feel jealous of.

He fought his pettiness back and focused on his approaching mate.

He left his bench and headed in Soren’s direction, meeting him
halfway. Moments later, he found himself engulfed in Soren’s strong
embrace and forgot all about his misgivings. Soren’s scent engulfed
him, manly and comforting, and even-more arousing than Daniel
remembered. How could that be? Daniel had almost thought that, in
Soren’s absence, he’d exacerbated his need for the other man, but it
wasn’t so. Instead, his body filled with the desire to couple, to relive
the fantastic moments he’d experienced at Soren’s side.

“Hi, baby,” Soren whispered in his ear. “I’ve missed you so

much.”

The Love He Squirreled Away

For a few moments, they just stood there, holding each other in

the middle of the park. Daniel didn’t reply. No words came. They’d
been apart for a week, more or less, and it seemed so much longer.

They broke apart, and Daniel offered his mate a small smile.

“Hello, Soren. It is truly a pleasure to see you once more.”

Soren took a step back and gestured toward the still-waiting

woman. “This is Carlie Denning. Carlie, my mate, Daniel Gardner-
Boyd.”

“A pleasure.” Carlie extended her hand, and Daniel forced himself

to take her hand. It was warm and her handshake firm, but not
excessively so. To his surprise, Daniel found that he didn’t hate it.

“Likewise,” he murmured.
“I don’t think that’s the case.” Carlie laughed. Her expression

sobered. “Not that I don’t understand it.”

“I very much doubt you do,” Daniel couldn’t help but shoot back.

He immediately regretted it when he saw Soren’s sad expression.
“Look, I’m sorry. We appreciate this. I’m just having some trouble
with it.”

His relationship with Soren was so new, and they still had so

much to learn about each other. However, Daniel now found himself
forced to face being “the other woman,” at least in front of Soren’s
pack. Since both Soren and he were male, it was quite ironic, but true
nevertheless.

Carlie nodded and gestured them toward the bench where Daniel

had been sitting. Daniel took a deep breath and forced himself to calm
down. “Soren, give us a moment,” he said.

His mate nodded. “I’ll get us an ice cream.”
“No peanuts,” Daniel said automatically. Soren chuckled and

pecked his forehead, then ran off in the direction of the ice-cream
stand.

“So…” Daniel began awkwardly once his mate was out of

earshot.

Scarlet Hyacinth

“No peanuts?” Carlie repeated, sounding surprised. “I thought you

were a squirrel.”

“I am,” Daniel answered, making an effort to control his normal

speech pattern. “I just dislike processed nuts of any sort.”

Carlie grinned at him. “I have to say I agree with you on that,

although to be true, what I hate is all these supposed hamburgers.
Give me a good old-fashioned steak, and I’m happy. Wait…does it
make you uncomfortable if I say that?”

Daniel shook his head. “It may not be common knowledge, but

squirrels aren’t strictly herbivores. On occasion, we are known to
consume meats.”

“I see. I suppose that’s going to be useful in the future, with you

being Soren’s mate and all.”

“It is my absolute conviction that our diets are completely

inconsequential insofar as our lives together are concerned.” He saw
Carlie’s amusement and glared at her. “And yes, before you ask, I do
always talk like this.”

“I don’t mean any offense,” Carlie said. “I like you, Daniel. I

think you can make Soren happy.” She reached for him and took his
hand. “Now, if you’d allow me to be your friend, we can make sure
no one stands in the way of that happiness.”

It might have been his need to believe, or something else entirely,

but Daniel found himself nodding. “I will do my best.”

“Thank you, Daniel.” Carlie beamed, looking relieved.
On impulse, Daniel added, “Call me Dani. All my friends do.”
“Okay…Dani,” the female werewolf replied.
And just like that, a weight lifted off Daniel’s chest. He still didn’t

like what they’d be forced to do, but maybe, just maybe, he’d have
help dealing with it.

The Love He Squirreled Away

Chapter Three

Two months later

From: brodyslamb@yahoo.com
To: ihatepeanutbutter@gmail.com,
gunsaregreat@rocketmail.com
Subject: Anniversary – can you come?

Hi guys.
As you probably remember, Angel’s birthday is coming up, and as

it is, this period also marks eight months since we took him and Clark
in. Brody and I were thinking of inviting everyone here for a little get-
together, to celebrate. I’m not sure it won’t be a fiasco, to tell you the
truth, but someone has to take the first step. I want Angel and Clark to
grow up around people who love each other, and they’re too smart
not to see the tension between our families.

Brody is inviting his family, and I got my mother to come. She’s

still having trouble getting over what happened with my brother, but
she’s trying. Shiloh also invited his folks, and I know at least they’re
excited. It seems they love little Reed. So basically, the tentative guest
list so far is the wolf elder, Brody’s brother, my mom, Liam’s sister,
Shiloh’s parents, and of course, you guys.

So what do you say? Are you up for it? I’d really appreciate the

help.

Your friend,
Carson

Scarlet Hyacinth

P.S. Sorry about the phone. Seems for whatever reason, Clark got

angry with it. Still trying to replace it.

Daniel hummed thoughtfully as he reread through the e-mail from

his lamb friend. He did care about both Angel and Clark, and seeing
Shiloh would be a treat. The swan had moved into a new house on
Carson and Brody’s land. Daniel admitted he felt a little lonely these
days. He still had Nicolas, thank goodness, and he’d taken to hanging
around Skylar Pierce.

Of course, the real problem was Soren’s absence. Judging by

Carson’s e-mail, Soren would also be there, as well as Carlie. Since
their meeting, Daniel constantly e-mailed both werewolves. He’d
struck up quite a friendship with Carlie, something he hadn’t expected
at all when he’d first heard of her. She was a good person, and Daniel
felt truly pleased she was the one to carry Daniel’s children.

Of course, a degree of discomfort still existed when he thought

about it. Soren had come to visit him several times, and they’d even
gone together when the moment had come for Carlie to go through
with it. They’d decided of common accord to go with artificial
insemination. Carlie had been amazing with the whole thing. She’d
confessed to Daniel she felt honored for the trust Soren and Daniel
placed in her. But even so, the uncertainty remained. What would she
think and do once the children were born? Even if she now claimed
she’d hand them over to Soren, Daniel somehow doubted that would
happen. She would always be their mother, while Daniel wasn’t even
of their species.

Daniel rubbed his chest against the ache that appeared there. He’d

thought he’d gotten over his little problem, but apparently not. All the
excitement brought his past aches to the forefront. He didn’t dare to
share it with Soren, since the werewolf already had too much on his
plate. However, he knew better than to believe Soren wouldn’t realize
it once they were together for an extended period of time.

The Love He Squirreled Away

As a child, Daniel had developed a peculiar strain of squirrel pox.

In a strange development, he’d survived it, but most of the people of
his community still believed he latently carried the virus. Daniel had
been left with a weak heart and literally exiled away from everyone
else—except his family.

Still, the rejection had hurt, as did his parents’ and brothers’

insistence to keep him hidden from other squirrels. A part of Daniel
couldn’t help but wonder if he wasn’t making a mistake by allowing
Soren to get close. Cold panic coursed through him at the realization
that, should he indeed be carrying the virus, he could hurt his mate or
his mate’s children.

Daniel shot up, cursing himself for not thinking about this before.

All throughout his quest to help Shiloh, his heart hadn’t given him
any problems. He forced himself to breathe. It must be just the
excitement. The family doctor, Perry Jenkins, told him many times
the virus had disappeared from his bloodstream and whatever health
problems appeared would mostly stem from a psychological issue.

Still, that didn’t mean he could take any chances. He retrieved his

cell phone and dialed the doctor’s private number. The man was a
family friend, so they didn’t have to go through the regular channels
to get medical assistance.

“Hello, Daniel,” Dr. Jenkins greeted him moments later. “How are

you? Everything okay? Your parents?”

The man would have continued to ramble on—he was, after all, a

squirrel—but Daniel stopped him. “Actually, my heart has been
giving me some trouble. I’m concerned, Dr. Jenkins. Are there any
chances that the disease could return?”

For a few seconds, the other man didn’t speak. When he

answered, his tone was serious but warm. “No, Daniel, but it might be
best if we took some tests, anyway. I’m in my car now. How about I
come to your house and pick you up? I’m sure—”

“No,” Daniel interrupted the other squirrel. “I mean, thank you,

Doctor, but that won’t be necessary. If you deem it satisfactory, I

Scarlet Hyacinth

would prefer meeting you at your clinic.” His parents would see the
doctor’s car and the last thing Daniel wanted was to cause panic.

“Okay, Daniel,” Dr. Jenkins answered. “I’ll be waiting for you.”
They ended the call with an efficiency that belied their squirrel

nature. Daniel put away his phone and changed into street clothes. He
slipped out of his room, hoping against all hope that he’d manage to
escape the house without being seen. Indeed, his mother was in the
living room and intercepted him just as he was about to flee out the
front door.

“Dani, sweetheart, how nice to see you. Come, sit with your old

mother. Let’s talk like we used to. Did you want to go someplace?”

Daniel suppressed a sigh. He’d somehow managed to avoid telling

them about Soren for the past month, in spite of Soren’s visits and his
own escapades. They must have realized something was going on.

Well, there was no time like the present. He’d have to be honest

with them, whether he pursued his relationship with Soren or not, if
only because of his relapse. “Actually, Mother, I planned to go see
Dr. Jenkins.”

All the color drained out of his mother’s face. Daniel didn’t even

get the chance to say anything else. She ran toward him and forced
him to sit with her on the living room couch. In a panicky, chirpy
voice, she called out to Daniel’s fathers, brothers, and sisters.

The area flooded with people, and Daniel’s head with a headache.

In squirrel families, polyamory was quite common, and his mother’s
decision of having two husbands was quite tame in comparison to
what other squirrels had chosen. Hell, Daniel had heard of both
heterosexual and same-sex pairings of up to five people. However,
their style of living worked for them. Daniel wasn’t sure who of the
two men had genetically sired him, but it didn’t matter, since they
both showed him the same affection. Their extended family offered
him a stability most squirrels didn’t benefit from.

The Love He Squirreled Away

His dads, Benjamin and Sean, knelt next to the couch. “What’s

wrong?” Benjamin asked. “What is your mother talking about? Do
you feel sick again?”

His eldest brother, Jack, sat down near Daniel and pulled him

close. “Come on, Dani,” he said. “Tell us. Don’t make us even more
anxious.”

His youngest sister, Zoe, looked down at him earnestly. Her lower

lip trembled as she added, “Dani? Are you going to be sick again?”

Zoe was the youngest of them, and Daniel knew his disease had

affected her greatly. He lifted his hand to control the chaos around
him. He looked around at his family, tasting the bitterness of guilt in
his mouth. “I am quite certain that won’t be the case. I have been
passing through a fretful time, and I’m simply feeling the strain.” He
paused and braved the truth he’d never told them. “I found my mate a
while back. He’s a wolf.”

For a few moments, all was silent. With ten people in the room, it

seemed impossible, but that didn’t make it any less true. Then, at last,
one of his older sisters, Brooke, said, “Dani…You can’t be serious.”

Just like that, chaos exploded in the room. Brooke’s twin, Brandi,

jumped Daniel and hugged him, as if intending to keep him away
from all harms. Oscar and Oliver, the one set of male twins in their
family, joined her, and they ended up forming a pile of squirrel-ness.
Their combined bulk sent the couch collapsing back, and Daniel fell
against the hardwood floor with his siblings on top. It was shockingly
comforting and familiar, in spite of the threat of spinal injury.

He hid a grin as he extracted himself from the pile. He brushed his

clothes as he got up and arched a brow at his brothers and sister. His
mother sighed, drawing Daniel’s attention back to the matter at hand.
“Dani, sweetheart,” she said, “are you sure about this? Did he hurt
you? Is that why you need Perry?”

Daniel shook his head. “I just want a routine checkup, if you

will.” He licked his suddenly dry lips. “Soren... He’s the Alpha of his
pack, and soon he’ll be a father.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

“A father?” Jack repeated. “Does that mean he has a wife?

Wolves aren’t like us, Dani. They can’t love more than one person.”

Daniel felt irritated, as Jack’s words stirred his own

discontentment and bothered him more than he’d have liked to admit.
“It’s an arrangement,” he explained. “He needs to have pups, provide
heirs for his family. It means nothing.”

“Of course it does. Aren’t you going to help raise them?”
Daniel looked away from his mother’s knowing gaze. “I don’t

know. We’ll see what occurs after the pups are born. Now, I
apologize, but I truly must meet up with the doctor. I don’t want to be
a risk to the children in any way.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Sean said. “You’ll stay right here,

and we’ll call him to come to us. He won’t refuse, and you’re much
safer here, with your family.”

Daniel wanted to protest, but he knew he couldn’t win. His

shoulders slumped as he admitted defeat. He plopped down on an
armchair and said nothing. It was only when his mother spoke again
that he looked up. “Oh, and don’t think this conversation is over,” she
said. “We want to meet your mate.”

There were nods all around, and Daniel’s mind was invaded by

horrifying image of his large family crowding in on Soren. This time,
he couldn’t suppress a groan and buried his head in his hands. And
yet, in spite of the apprehension he felt, the pain in his chest had
disappeared. Perhaps this wasn’t so hopeless, after all.

* * * *

From: onelambwolf@yahoo.com
To: elderkevinwade@yahoo.com,
alphawolfsoren@gmail.com
Subject: Invitation

Hello.

The Love He Squirreled Away

I’m writing as per my mate’s request. We’re having a small bash

to celebrate Angel’s birthday. Coincidentally, it also marks about
eight months since we adopted him and Clark.

We’re inviting Carson’s mother, his friends, and their families.

Attached, you’ll find a tentative guest list. You’re welcome to come,
as well, if you think you can behave. I won’t have my children witness
any hostility.

My regards,
Brody

Soren couldn’t help a snicker as he read the short lines from his

brother. It wasn’t really appropriate, given the actual content of the
message, but he felt amused at Brody’s change of e-mail address. His
brother had, indeed, become a one-lamb wolf.

Sobering, he focused on what his sibling was saying. It spoke

volumes of the other wolf’s attitude that Brody had chosen to send the
message to Soren’s official e-mail address. Sighing, Soren
downloaded the document listing the guests for the gathering, and he
frowned in surprise. There were far more people than he’d have
expected.

He spotted Daniel’s name on the list, and he gaped as he realized

the next nine persons all had the same surnames—four women and
five men. His mouth went dry as he understood Daniel had told his
family about their relationship. Now, they would be coming to meet
him. Fuck.

His phone rang, and the display read his father’s name. Irritated,

Soren took the call. “Hello, Father,” he grumbled.

“Hello, Soren. I assume you received the e-mail from your

brother?”

Soren nodded, even if his father couldn’t see him. “I’d like to talk

to you about it.” He suppressed a sigh, knowing he needed to tell his
father about Daniel. The man was bound to react poorly. “Could we
have a meeting today?”

Scarlet Hyacinth

“Certainly,” the elder werewolf said. “I assume you’ve decided to

tell me why you refuse Carlie as an Alpha bitch.”

Soren was not surprised that his father had guessed the reason of

his idea, or that the other man sensed something behind his denial of
taking Carlie as his official mate. In a sense, it made things easier, as
Elder Kevin Wade didn’t deal well with shock.

They ended the call, establishing a meeting for later that day. On

impulse, Soren pressed one on his speed dial. He knew he should be
more careful, but his father would find out about Daniel anyway. He
might as well indulge himself in one phone call.

The phone rang once, twice, but Daniel didn’t pick up. That was

strange. A feeling of anxiety filled Soren. Daniel always took his
calls. What could have happened?

Cold fear coursed through him as the phone continued to ring. At

last, Daniel picked up. “Hello,” Daniel said, panting. “I apologize. I
can’t talk right now. Could I possibly call you back later?”

A male voice sounded in the background. “Dani, who’s that?”
The panic from before was replaced by pure jealousy. “Daniel,

where are you?” he asked in a growl. “Who’s there with you?”

“I can’t talk right now,” Daniel repeated stubbornly.
“Fine,” Soren shot back. “I’m coming there. If you don’t want me

to track you down to your house, meet me in the park in three hours.”

Soren ended the connection and left the room. He hastened

through the house, passing by confused pack members, and entered
the garage. It was just as he entered his car that he remembered his
meeting with his father.

Cursing, Soren used the hands-free option and dialed the elder

wolf once again. As soon as the other man picked up, Soren said,
“Father, I apologize, but something’s come up. I can’t meet you
now.”

“Excuse me? What can possibly be more important than meeting

your elder and sire?”

The Love He Squirreled Away

Soren had not intended to simply blurt out the secret he’d kept for

so long, but he found himself speaking before he could stop himself.
“My mate.”

“Your mate,” his father repeated. He didn’t sound shocked in the

least. “So what’s the big problem with this so-called mate of yours?”

Soren wouldn’t have known how to explain his jealousy without

starting a long, complicated story that might just make him look bad.
“He needs me,” he said simply.

“He. Your mate is a man.” A deep sigh. “Why am I not surprised?

I don’t suppose he’s a wolf.”

“No, he isn’t.” He paused, considering his next words. “You’re

being quite understanding with this.”

“Well, I tried forcing things once, and it didn’t work.” He paused.

“I admit I might have had a different reaction if not for Carlie, but it
seems you thought of everything.”

Soren remembered the male voice coming from Daniel’s cell

phone and wondered. “Maybe not,” he whispered, more to himself,
than to his father.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” the elder wolf asked in his ear.
“Nothing, Father. Look, I have to go. Just one more thing. My

mate will be there at the meeting with Brody and Carson.”

“I see. Well then, I’ll be sure to make time for this little reunion of

your brother’s. Good-bye, Soren.”

Before Soren could say anything else, his father hung up. Soren

would have felt relieved or pleased, but he could only think about his
mate. He didn’t believe Daniel would cheat on him, and yet, he
couldn’t help but remember all the stories about a squirrel’s
promiscuous nature. The trip to LA had never lasted so long.

* * * *

“So, then, he’s going to be all right?” Daniel’s mother asked Dr.

Jenkins.

Scarlet Hyacinth

The doctor removed his eyeglasses and started to clean them. He

was a handsome, tall man, taller than most squirrels at least, and the
gray of his hair had less to do with age than with the species of
squirrel he belonged to. As a teen, Daniel had quite a crush on him.
Now, he only felt genuine affection for the man.

Daniel suspected the only usefulness the glasses had was just

that—being cleaned. Their kind had excellent vision, and it was quite
unlikely for any member of their species to actually need seeing aid.
But like all squirrels, Jenkins was fidgety, and it translated into a
number of behavioral tics that both amused and comforted Daniel.

The man put his glasses back on and started to speak. “Like I’ve

said before, his shape-shifter nature ensures his full physical
recovery.” He paused. “However, that doesn’t mean the situation
shouldn’t be given full attention. Daniel, the symptoms you’ve been
experiencing are psychosomatic—caused by stress.”

Daniel had figured out that much. “Thank you, Doctor. I have

been under a fair amount of pressure, but I will make sure to take care
of myself more from now on.”

“I’m not sure it will be enough. Please, let me finish, Daniel.” Dr.

Jenkins frowned. “You probably don’t remember much of what
happened when you were sick, but your body does. This is why, in
moments of mental anguish, it… I suppose I could say that it believes
it’s sick.”

“Yes, Doctor, you’ve told me this before. I—”
“And yet, you don’t take it seriously,” the other man interrupted

him. “I highly recommend you staying in bed for the next couple of
days, and avoid all sources of stress. I would prefer it to be here at the
clinic.”

Daniel’s eyes widened. Jenkins might have been his once-upon-a-

time crush, but he was wrong about one thing. Daniel did understand
the seriousness of disease. He did remember his sickness, perhaps not
completely, but bits and pieces came to him all the time. And because

The Love He Squirreled Away

he recalled this, he refused to be hospitalized when he didn’t need to
be.

Besides, Soren was waiting. He’d sounded pissed off on the

phone, and Daniel really needed to talk to him. “That’s all right,
Doctor,” he said, offering the man a smile he did not feel. “I promise
such precautions are not necessary. I’ll take care of myself better from
now on. Now if you’ll excuse me, I really must go.”

His father Benjamin glowered at him. “Dani, you’re being rude.

The doctor knows what he’s talking about.” Turning toward Jenkins,
he said, “I’m sorry. He just has this idea that he’s found a mate.”

Jenkins’s brows shot up. “A mate?” he repeated.
“A wolf mate out, of all things.” His mother didn’t sound

judgmental, but she did seem upset.

“Well, I suppose that explains it.” Jenkins frowned. “Look,

Daniel, I really must recommend you go back on the capsules.”

Daniel got up and shook his head resolutely. He didn’t want the

medicine. It made his brain fuzzy and his world strange. The time
he’d spent taking those capsules had been almost the worst in his life,
second only to his sickness. He already had a treatment he was taking.
He didn’t need more pills.

“I appreciate your concern, but I’m afraid I must refuse. I’m fine

with my current prescription.” He stole a look at the clock at the wall.
“Thank you for coming, and for your advice. Good day.”

Without further ado, Daniel turned his back on his parents and

fled the house. They’d nag him later, but now, he really needed to
meet up with Soren.

Since he was unable to take the car, he chose the subway instead

and reached the park just as his three hours were up. He saw Soren
already waiting in front of the meeting spot.

On normal circumstances, Daniel would have been thrilled, but

Soren had been behaving strangely. Daniel made his way to his
mate’s side and greeted him warily. “Hi, Soren.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

The wolf didn’t even greet him back. “Who was he?” Soren

asked, his expression dark. “Who was the man?”

Daniel blinked in shock. “What man?”
“The guy I heard over the phone.” Daniel had never seen Soren

look so furious. “Jesus, you smell like him.”

Daniel gaped as he realized the reason behind Soren’s little fit.

The wolf had overheard Daniel’s father and thought Sean was his
lover. The disgust on Soren’s face clearly illustrated it.

Daniel bit the inside of his cheek so hard he tasted blood. He’d

been the one to make all the compromises. He’d been the one who’d
accepted Soren’s every demand. And what did he get in return? Just
doubt and the occasional romp in a love hotel. Great, just great.

Without bothering to say another word, he turned his back on

Soren and stalked off. He didn’t know where he’d go. He couldn’t
return home since his parents would drive him out of his mind. Nico!
Nicolas always stood by his side when Daniel needed him. Alas,
Daniel hadn’t been the best of friends these days and had abandoned
Nicolas to deal with his book store on his own. How could he in good
conscience go there now? He’d built his life around his need for
Soren, and it had all been for nothing.

He was so lost in his depressing thoughts the car honks around

him were a distant symphony. He snapped out of his trance when
Soren’s strong arms pulled him close. He tried to struggle, but his
resistance melted when Soren began to speak. “Dani, stop. Stop,
okay? Jesus, are you all right?”

Daniel sensed his mate’s concern and stopped fighting. As he

looked around, he noticed startled passersby and realized he’d walked
straight into traffic without paying any heed to his own safety.

That didn’t mean he’d forgotten Soren’s behavior. He took a deep

breath and focused on calming down. Werewolves were possessive
people, right? Even if Soren had doubted him, it didn’t mean their
relationship would be doomed to fail. It was just one thing they

The Love He Squirreled Away

needed to make clear. A ridiculous misunderstanding like this
shouldn’t make him have a breakdown.

“I apologize,” he replied stiffly. “I overreacted. But if you must

know, the man you overheard was my father.” He didn’t know what
made him continue, but he added, “I was seeing my family doctor.”

“Doctor?” Soren’s voice sounded choked now. “Why? Is anything

wrong?”

Daniel broke away from his mate’s embrace. “No, not really. I

believe we should take this conversation someplace else. Perhaps
we’ll find a private spot around here.”

Soren allowed Daniel to drag him into the shape-shifter-reserved

park. There were a lot of people around, mostly parents with children,
but with some luck, Daniel managed to come across a less busy area.
They sat on a bench together, and Daniel stared into the trees,
knowing he should have told Soren this before, but that he’d lose his
nerve if he looked at him.

“When I was a child, I fell severely ill with an acute form of

shape-shifter squirrel pox. It’s very contagious, and it can’t be treated.
Against all odds, I survived. However, to this day, many still believe
I’m a latent carrier of the virus.

“The thing is… I’d almost thought I’d managed to escape that part

of my past, but these days, I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather. I
didn’t want to risk being around you, Carlie, or the pups if I was sick,
even if I don’t truly think the virus would affect werewolves. So I
settled on calling the doctor.

“Physically, Soren, I’m fine, but sometimes my body doesn’t

understand it. I’m told that back then, during the worst of it, my heart
stopped and I was actually in clinical death for a few minutes. So
according to him, there’s some sort of trauma that emerges in
moments of stress.” Daniel droned on with the facts Dr. Jenkins had
hammered into his head so many times. “It’s a psychosomatic thing,
but it doesn’t affect anyone else. At any rate, that’s what I was doing
today.” He turned toward Soren and glared. “And if you’re going to

Scarlet Hyacinth

suspect me of cheating on you, well, I could very well do the same.
After all, who says you haven’t slept with Carlie? Who says you don’t
have a lover in the pack?”

“I don’t have anyone there,” Soren replied hastily. “God, baby.

I’m so very sorry. I just… I don’t even know what to say.”

Daniel sighed. “You don’t have to say anything. Just stop judging

me after your fucked-up standards. I don’t know what you’ve heard
about squirrels or what your previous relationships were like, but I
can’t take this bullshit.”

Soren looked startled, and Daniel wasn’t surprised since he rarely,

if ever, cursed. “I never meant to judge you. I…I didn’t even think
how hard this must be for you.” Soren paused, looking conflicted and
lost. “Your affliction… Is it back because of me? Did I hurt you?”

“No,” Daniel replied. It wasn’t a lie, even if indirectly Soren had

caused his stress. “It’s my own fault. I’m dealing with this all wrong.”

“Tell me, baby,” Soren answered. “Just tell me. Problems are

always easier when you share them with someone.”

So Daniel told him. He spoke about his conflicting feelings, his

fears over not being accepted by the pups and the pack, his
inadequacies and the apprehension gripping him at the mere thought
of their two families meeting. He poured his heart out until both his
heart and his throat felt raw. But when he finally finished, he felt light
and relieved.

Soren cupped his cheek and pressed a kiss to his temple. “Thank

you for trusting me with this. I wish I could assure you it’s going to
be okay. The truth is I don’t know what my pack will do. I talked to
my father and I mentioned you. He seems receptive to the idea, and I
don’t think he’ll be a problem. I’m convinced the pups are going to
love you, though. After all, their father does.”

Daniel froze. He didn’t think that in all their time together, Soren

had ever confessed his love. “You love me?” he squeaked in an
embarrassingly high voice.

The Love He Squirreled Away

“Oh, baby… I love you more than I ever thought possible.” Soren

laughed lightly. “You know, if someone had told me how crazy and
unpredictable love is, I might have even tried to avoid it. But you,
Dani…You taught me anything is possible. We were made for each
other. I’m sure of it.”

Dani had to bite the inside of his cheek again, but this time to stop

the tears that threatened to fall. “I…I love you, too.”

It was hard to figure out when it happened. At first, it had been

chemistry, physical attraction. But seeing Soren make sacrifices in
order to ensure the safety of his pack, watching him help Shiloh and
Liam, hearing him speak of the things he liked, listening to his laugh
and simply reading the e-mails Soren sent—all of it conspired to
make Dani fall hard. As squirrels said, he was nuts about the wolf.
And if half an hour or so back, the idea of a love hotel repulsed him,
now Dani would have done anything for absolute privacy and a flat
surface. He wanted his man so much it hurt.

Soren must have guessed his thoughts or perhaps smelled his

arousal, as his eyes glazed with pure lust. He grabbed Dani’s hand
and got up. This time, it was Soren’s turn to drag Dani along, and they
headed out of the park and to Soren’s car. They climbed into the
vehicle, and Dani barely had time to buckle himself in before Soren
drove off. The wolf made an illegal U-turn, and the speed with which
he drove caused drivers to honk angrily. It was only by some sort of
miracle that no police car stopped them.

At last, Soren parked next to the first luxury hotel they could find.

Daniel undid his seat belt and readied himself to leave the car. Soren’s
hand gripped his wrist before he could do so.

“I’m sorry about this, baby,” he whispered. “You deserve better.

But I promise you, we won’t have to hide any longer. After this
meeting with Brody, I’ll take you to see the pack. We’ll be together at
last.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

Hearing his mate acknowledge his discontent should have broken

the sexual mood. It didn’t. Instead, it soothed a part of Daniel that,
even after two months, felt reluctant to trust.

“I know,” he answered with a smile. “Now come on. I want you.”
This time, Soren didn’t even try to stop him. They stumbled out of

the car together and into the hotel. Daniel didn’t know how he
managed to contain his eagerness while he waited for Soren to grab
their room key. Thankfully, the wolf didn’t take long to wrap up the
formalities. He pulled Daniel into the elevator and pressed the button
for the third floor.

There were other people inside the lift, so Daniel couldn’t jump

Soren like he wanted to. However, he did hold Soren’s hand, the mere
warmth of the wolf’s palm both anchoring him and fueling his need.
Distantly, he acknowledged some of the humans giving them ugly
looks, but he ignored them.

The elevator seemed to take forever until it reached their floor. At

last, it stopped, the doors opening with a whoosh. Daniel and Soren
immediately ran out. They found their room and, after some effort,
burst inside.

From then on, Daniel surrendered to the heat and the passion and

forgot all else. Soren’s hands traveled over his skin, getting rid of his
clothing. Daniel didn’t delay in doing the same for Soren’s own
clothes. Pants, shoes, jackets, and shirts landed on the floor, creating a
trail of garments from the doorway to their king-size bed. At last,
Soren pushed him down, and as Daniel landed on the soft mattress, he
looked up at the wolf who was his mate. In the dim light filtering
through the heavy curtains, Soren looked like an ancient god, strong,
unfathomably fearless, pure lust carved into his chiseled, aristocratic
features. His green eyes sparkled like emeralds, that needy gaze an
almost palpable caress on Daniel’s skin.

Then Soren climbed onto the bed, bringing their bodies together,

his scent engulfing Daniel’s in its unique, manly aroma. Unable to
resist, Daniel reached for his mate. Soren complied to his silent

The Love He Squirreled Away

request and crushed their lips together. The kiss Daniel had yearned
for from the very moment he’d seen Soren that day was even better
than he’d expected. Soren took and gave, his tongue thrusting inside
Daniel’s mouth, exploring, tasting, driving Daniel wild. Daniel
couldn’t help a moan as he surrendered to his mate’s onslaught. God,
when Soren kissed him, it seemed every time got better. His weight
on top of Daniel made him feel safe, protected, loved.

Much to his dismay, Soren broke away from him. His mate moved

off the bed, and before Daniel could even ask what was wrong,
disappeared into the bathroom. Fortunately, Daniel didn’t have time
to surrender to any feelings of confusion or abandonment, as his mate
reemerged, carrying the small tube of complimentary shampoo.
Anticipation coursed through Daniel as he watched his mate approach
once more.

“Baby, I need you,” Soren murmured huskily. “I need you so

bad.”

Soren jumped on the bed again and crawled over Daniel. For

once, Daniel couldn’t speak. He just nodded and allowed his mate to
maneuver him over the pillows. His body seemed to turn to putty as
Soren lifted his legs over his shoulders.

Soren opened the tube and poured the liquid on his fingers. His

slick digits explored Daniel’s nether region. Daniel whimpered as his
mate rubbed his digits across his taint, sending shocks of pleasure
over his spine. His entire body trembled with need, and his anus
clenched around empty air, aching with the need for penetration.
“Soren…”

The wolf lowered his mouth over Daniel’s hard cock, and

Daniel’s breath stuttered as wet heat engulfed his erection. The feel of
the moist cavern around him and the delicious way Soren’s tongue
trailed over his prick distracted him, so much so that he didn’t realize
his mate had continued his explorations until two fingers penetrated
his back passage. Soren crooked the wicked digits inside Daniel’s ass,
and stars burst in Daniel’s vision when his mate hit his prostate. Oh,

Scarlet Hyacinth

God… He was close, so very close. With Soren bobbing his head up
and down Daniel’s cock and thrusting his fingers inside Daniel’s hole,
he didn’t think he could take it much longer.

Daniel reached down for his mate, torn between the need to feel

his mate inside him and the immediate desire to come. Thankfully,
Soren didn’t torture him any longer. His mouth left Daniel’s prick,
and he reached for the tube once again. The remaining liquid went
over Soren’s cock, and then Soren positioned his prick at Daniel’s
hole. In one single thrust, Soren slid inside.

The sudden invasion should have hurt, and to a certain extent, it

did. The shampoo wasn’t exactly the best lubricant possible. Even so,
Daniel’s body took it as a natural reaction, opening itself to both the
pleasure and the pain. They molded together into a single sensation,
no longer separable from each other.

As Soren began to push in and out of him, Daniel closed his eyes,

allowing all his other senses to take over. He could hear his own pulse
throb in the rhythm of Soren’s heartbeat. He could taste the lingering
flavor of Soren’s kiss in his mouth. His mate’s cock stretched him so
perfectly, and both his body and his soul felt full, overwhelmed with
the onslaught of Soren’s passion. Perpetual warmth sizzled over his
skin and he didn’t think he’d ever felt so connected to anyone in his
life.

Soren’s hands clutched his hips as the werewolf increased the

pace. His cock hit Daniel’s prostate, over and over, and Daniel’s
world melted. Distantly, he heard himself muttering profanities, but
he couldn’t have controlled himself if he wanted to. All his emotions,
desires, and needs spilled over as the pleasure increased more and
more.

Daniel didn’t know why he opened his eyes. A sudden feel that he

needed to do so urged him in action, and he looked up at his mate.
Soren studied him, his green gaze gone almost black with sexual heat.
And out of the blue, Daniel knew what his mate wanted. He knew

The Love He Squirreled Away

what was left to complete the bond, and he couldn’t think of any
better idea.

On instinct, he tilted his head, offering Soren his neck. Soren’s

lips traced over his collarbone, placing featherlight kisses that almost
humbled Daniel. And then, sharp pain coursed through Daniel as
Soren bit down. His mate’s fangs pierced his skin, and for one brief
moment, Daniel didn’t know why he’d even wanted this. It hurt, and
not in a pleasant way like when Soren fucked him.

But that thought evaporated in a flash when a wave of desire

swept over him, so intense Daniel could barely hang on to his
consciousness. He felt their connection snap into place, and it brought
with it the most perfect and mind-numbing orgasm of his life. Daniel
could practically experience Soren’s pleasure, feel his own body
squeeze Soren’s prick and taste the flavor of his own blood in Soren’s
mouth. It was, for the lack of a better word, divine, and Daniel came
and came, his climax engulfing him in a wild whirlpool, with no end
in sight. Heat filled him as Soren found his peak as well, and Daniel
choked as renewed pleasure assaulted him. This time, he couldn’t
remain conscious. His mind short-circuited and he floated over the
clouds of nirvana, blown away by the sensations.

It was a familiar voice that brought him back to reality, a voice

that, strikingly, seemed to sound in his head. “Baby, are you all
right?”

“Yes,” Daniel replied tentatively, thinking it rather than saying it.

“Soren?”

He opened his eyes to see his mate smile down at him. “We’re

bonded now, baby,” the werewolf whispered. “Forever.”

Forever sounded like a good plan to Daniel. He beamed at his

mate, reveling in their newfound connection. He’d have liked to come
up with an articulate reply, but he found his eyes drifting closed.
“Love you,” he managed to say before he succumbed to exhaustion.
Through his sleep, he thought he felt the warmth of a light kiss on his

Scarlet Hyacinth

lips and heard a murmured answer. “Love you, too, Dani. Love you,
too.”

* * * *

A good distance away from the building, a man stood, waiting and

watching. He’d seen the wolf manhandle his smaller companion into
the hotel. When the couple didn’t come out, the onlooker gritted his
teeth in anger and annoyance. It didn’t take a genius to figure out
what was going on in there. He wondered if he could get away with
bursting in on them but decided against it. Now that he had the
answer to all the riddles, his man, who should have been by his side
for years now, would not delay in seeing the truth. He’d make sure of
it.

After giving one final look to the hotel, the man turned away. He

couldn’t linger here for much longer. He would be tempted to burst
inside the building and separate the two. That would simply not do. If
he wanted his plan to succeed, he needed to prove beyond any shadow
of a doubt how wrong a wolf and a squirrel were for each other.

Nodding to himself, he headed back to his car, already figuring

out the details of his idea. It wouldn’t be easy, but he’d get his man
yet.

The Love He Squirreled Away

Chapter Four

“Don’t worry so much, Soren. It will be all right.” There was a

smile in Carlie’s voice as she spoke. “Besides, Brody and his kids will
be there. I thought you wanted to see them.”

Soren snorted and kept his eyes on the road. He did want to go see

his brother, but things weren’t as easy as Carlie thought. Several
factors complicated the situation. The first was the car trailing behind
them. It held his father and elder, Kevin Wade. For the first time since
an attack of a crazed she-werewolf almost claimed Brody’s life, the
man would meet up Brody’s lamb mate, Carson. And then, there were
the kids, the two shape-shifter children Brody and Carson had adopted
and who were the main reason they were going there in the first place.

The second issue that weighed heavily on Soren’s mind was a

certain squirrel shape-shifter he could not stop thinking about. He
hadn’t been able to meet up with Daniel again since claiming him,
and he still felt anxious at the knowledge that he’d meet up with the
other man’s family.

“They’re not as bad as you think,” Daniel’s voice came through

their bond. “They just love me. Once they see you care for me as well,
they will love you, too.”

“I hope so, baby.” Soren mentally sighed. “I hope so.”
He didn’t know how he’d handle his mate’s family, and he was

even more unsure with Carlie there. Soren stole a look through the
rearview mirror at his beta. Her belly was swollen with his children.
His children. Christ, one could go crazy thinking about that.
Sometimes it didn’t feel real, especially since he hadn’t slept with her.

Scarlet Hyacinth

“We’ll be fine, Soren,” Daniel whispered in his mind. “We’ll

make it work.”

Daniel’s reassuring words might have been only that, words, but

they worked. Soren shook himself and focused on the road. They
were close to Brody’s home now, and he needed to get his act
together.

But even as he told himself this, he was still somewhat surprised

when he reached their destination. Soren had never actually been here
before, but he’d received accurate instructions from Liam, and he
didn’t have any trouble in finding the right spot. It helped that through
his bond with Daniel, he could almost absorb the knowledge the other
man had of the area. There were many other cars around, and Soren
guessed most of them belonged to Brody’s guests.

He parked at the edge of the forest, opened the driver door, and

jumped out of his seat. Hastily, he went around the vehicle, intending
to help Carlie. She gave him an ugly look as she left the car on her
own, and Soren backed off, reminded of expecting she-werewolf
hormones. “Back off. I’m pregnant, not handicapped.”

And Soren wouldn’t have worried, except Carlie was in the last

week of her pregnancy. Unlike humans, werewolves didn’t take nine
months to give birth. Instead, they were more like their animal
equivalents. The new pups entered the word about two months after
being conceived.

Still, pissing Carlie off would help no one, so Soren backed off

like his beta asked. In the meantime, his father also parked and joined
them.

“You know, I’m nervous, too,” Daniel said. “Your father must

hate me.”

“He doesn’t,” Soren assured his mate. “He’ll be too worried

about Brody and his grandchildren to be angry with anyone.”

Indeed, to anyone else, Elder Kevin Wade might have looked just

as cool and composed as ever, but Soren had long ago learned to read
his father’s moods. Now, he almost seemed anxious, insofar as the

The Love He Squirreled Away

man could even feel that emotion. It amused Soren and, to a certain
extent, calmed him. He hoped his father’s disposition would hold and
he would focus on Angel and Clark, not on Daniel.

They grabbed the presents out of the cars and began the climb

toward Brody’s house, keeping their pace slow for Carlie’s benefit.
Even from this distance, the sound of voices and laughter reached
their ears. Soren’s nostrils were invaded by Daniel’s scent, and he
struggled to suppress his body’s reaction to the smell. His mate had
gone through here. Damn it, if his father realized his arousal, he’d
never hear the end of it. Not to mention that he was going to a party
full of shape-shifters, and most, if not all, of them would be able to
sense it.

Through his bond with Daniel, he sensed the squirrel’s desire

echoing his own. Thankfully, even with the slower walk, he and his
companions reached the house quite quickly and without any
particular incident. If either his father or Carlie noticed Soren’s
physical excitement, they didn’t show it. Instead, they both seemed
very focused on their target.

In Brody’s courtyard, the party was already in full swing.

Everyone on the guest list must have come, as there were more than a
dozen people around. They all stopped what they were doing as soon
as Soren and his companions appeared.

For a few awkward moments, no one spoke. Soren desperately

scanned the courtyard for Liam, but the other wolf didn’t seem to be
around. He might have tried to say something, but his eyes fell on
Daniel and he froze, too caught up in his mate’s gaze to even move a
muscle. Daniel looked even more amazing than Soren remembered.
His auburn hair had grown a bit, but his eyes, the same eyes Soren
dreamt about every night, were the same, soulful, deep, and so
amazing it hurt.

He was snapped out of his trance when, out of the blue, a small

antelope jumped out of the bushes and landed in front of Soren’s
father. It shifted into a young boy who gave the three wolves a wide-

Scarlet Hyacinth

eyed look. “Hello,” he said. He tilted his head at the elder wolf. “Are
you my grandfather?”

Soren waited to see what his father would do. Much to his shock,

the older man knelt next to the boy and hugged him. “I am. And you
must be Angel. Happy birthday.”

Soren released a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. He

produced the presents and offered several of them to the antelope. As
Angel squealed in delight, a lion cub emerged behind him, followed
by a disheveled-looking Liam. Shiloh trailed behind, carrying a
cygnet.

“Hello, elder Wade, Soren,” Liam said. “I’m glad you made it.”

He turned to his sister and took her hands. “Carlie, you look
amazing.”

Soren noticed Carson steering a distinctly reluctant Brody toward

them and hid a smile. The lion cub shifted into a blond boy as their
two hosts reached their side. “Welcome,” Carson said beaming. “I see
you’ve already met our sons. But for the record, boys, be polite and
introduce yourselves.”

The antelope straightened his back and said, “Hello, sirs, madam.

My name is Angel Williams-Wade. Thank you for coming.”

The formal words were quite amusing, especially since Angel still

clutched his presents to his chest. The lion cub offered them a serious,
almost suspicious look and added, “My name is Clark Williams-
Wade. We really appreciate your presence.”

The effect of the greeting was broken when a loud honk sounded.

“And this is Reed.” Liam chuckled, stealing the cygnet from Shiloh’s
arms. Of course, Soren had seen Reed before, but it wasn’t the case
with Carlie and his father. “My son.”

Soren took advantage of the opportunity and introduced himself,

as well. He shook Clark’s hand and hugged Angel. “I’m your uncle
Soren,” he said, “and this is your grandfather, Kevin.”

“And I’m your aunt Carlie,” Carlie piped up. “Come here.”

The Love He Squirreled Away

The kids all crowded around Carlie, and she fussed and cooed

over them. Reed seemed to like her a lot, and even Clark warmed up
to her quickly. Finally, Carson knelt and took hold of Clark, while
Brody did the same with Angel. “Let’s go. We’ve yet to introduce
you to everyone.”

All of a sudden, Soren’s father froze, and he stared in the distance

as if he’d seen a ghost. Soren followed the man’s gaze and noticed a
pretty woman looking back at them. “Who is that?” the elder
werewolf asked.

“Oh, that’s my mother,” Carson replied. “Would you like to meet

her?”

The elder wolf nodded, looking a bit dazed. “I’d like that a lot.”
Soren blinked in surprise but went with it. He witnessed the

introductions between his dad and Carson’s mother, Annabelle.
Quickly, he realized his father looked quite smitten with the ewe. He
was a touch surprised by it, but he made the best of the situation and
went in search of his mate. Carlie came with him, and together, they
made their way to Daniel’s side.

“Hello, Soren, Carlie,” Daniel said, not making a move to touch

Soren. “I’m—”

But Soren was sick of pretending. He’d hidden his bond with

Daniel for as long as he’d been able to. He was tired of treating
Daniel like his dirty little secret. Through Carlie’s help, he’d done his
duty to the pack and his people. Now, he could take a break and enjoy
his mating, like he should have been able to from the very beginning.

Without allowing himself to hesitate, he threw his arms around

Daniel and pulled him close. Daniel’s eyes widened, but he didn’t
protest. “Soren,” he whispered through their bond, “I missed you so
much.”

Taking advantage of his mate’s acquiescence, Soren pressed his

lips to Daniel’s. “I missed you, too, baby,” he replied.

Acutely aware of the young eyes on him, he broke away from

Daniel faster than he’d have liked. It was, however, too late. The

Scarlet Hyacinth

incredibly perceptive Angel had already zeroed in on what he’d done.
He bounded toward them excitedly. “Uncle Soren, are you uncle
Dani’s mate?”

“Of course he is,” Clark answered in Soren’s stead. “Although… I

don’t get it. I thought Aunt Carlie’s pups were yours.”

Puzzlement replaced the glee on Angel’s face. Soren was stumped

as to how to explain werewolf politics to a baby antelope. Thankfully,
Daniel took initiative. He knelt next to Angel and grinned.
“Remember when I said squirrels had two daddies, as well as a
mommy?” Angel and Clark nodded. “Well, so will these pups.”

“Oh, I see.” Angel smiled. “That’s great. Can I play with them?”
Soren laughed at his nephew’s innocence. “Well, let’s wait for

them to be born first.”

Carlie’s next words shattered the peacefulness of the gathering.

“Uh…Soren? I don’t think you’re going to have to wait for much
longer.”

She was holding her belly and looking very pale. Under Soren’s

astonished eyes, she shifted into her wolf form. Chaos exploded as
everyone realized Carlie would be giving birth here of all places.

Liam grabbed his sister in his arms and carried her inside. Soren

and Daniel hastily followed, and Soren’s father came behind them.
Normally, the wolf mother gave birth in her own territory, in a den of
her choice. Carlie had prepared her den but insisted on coming to
Brody’s party anyway. Soren had not expected the pups to want to
come so soon. Damn it. He hoped nothing went wrong.

Carson herded the kids upstairs and gave Soren a concerned look

before following them. Soren only caught sight of it distantly, as he
was too focused on Carlie. They reached the living room, whereupon
Daniel proceeded to retrieve all the pillows and blankets in the area.
Brody and Shiloh brought more items from upstairs rooms and,
together, they created a comfortable bedding for Carlie. Liam gently
placed her down, looking worried and confused. Daniel knelt next to

The Love He Squirreled Away

her, caressing her fur. He was biting his lip, concern radiating off him
in waves.

Carlie nudged Liam’s leg with her muzzle, then licked Daniel’s

palm. It was her way of reassuring them. Even if this labor had come
unexpectedly, she remained a werewolf female. From the beginning
of time, werewolf bitches gave birth and raised pups, as did their
equivalents in nature. That wasn’t about to change anytime soon.

Still, a part of him felt relieved when Annabelle and Daniel’s

mother, Ruby, entered the room. “Can we help with anything?” Ruby
asked.

“We’re both mammals, and sheep are familiar with wolf

anatomy,” Annabelle said. “If she needs a woman’s presence, we’d
both be honored to help.”

Liam looked torn, but Carlie let out a little yip and gestured them

closer with her snout. It was almost miraculous to see, since, as a rule,
werewolf females didn’t allow strangers near her pups. It made Soren
realize just how lucky he’d been in choosing Carlie as his beta and the
mother of his children.

Encouraged, the two women ushered the men out. Daniel’s sisters

soon appeared, followed by Shiloh’s mother. All of them went into
the living room. While Soren didn’t know exactly what they could do
to help—werewolf bitches did most of the work on their own, after
all—he still felt relieved that Carlie wasn’t alone in there. In a way,
his pups would be born around their grandmother, since he already
considered the triplets as belonging to Daniel as well.

Daniel’s eyes were teary when his mate looked at him. The

squirrel squeezed Soren’s hand. “They’ll be fine, won’t they?”

Soren wrapped an arm around Daniel’s shoulder and pulled him

close. He noticed Daniel’s various relatives watching them but
couldn’t be bothered with it now. Instead, he focused on reassuring
his mate. “Of course, baby. Trust Carlie. She’s strong.”

Still holding Daniel, Soren prepared himself for a long wait.

Scarlet Hyacinth

* * * *

Outside the house, the man watched the guests of the Williams-

Wade couple fuss over the birth of the new pups. He smirked to
himself. They were so wrapped up in their little drama they hadn’t
even scented him approach. Well, truly he couldn’t do much else but
watch.

There were many shifters around, of several species, but he had

never been prejudiced. It was only one particular couple who bothered
him. As he took in the form of the father of the new pups and his
squirrel mate, the onlooker grimaced. He shouldn’t be waiting here
and watching from outside. He should be with his man, sharing a
joyful moment of their own. He’d always imagined that one day, it
would happen.

He didn’t know if his distraction made him utter a sound or if his

mere presence was enough to raise alarm, but at one point, he spotted
the elder werewolf coming toward the window. He cursed to himself,
realizing he’d underestimated the people here. The werewolf must
have sensed him. Well, no matter. At any rate, there were far too
many people around for him to attempt anything. He was better off
completing arrangements for his plan.

Deciding discretion was the better part of valor, the man melted

into his shifted form and disappeared into the forest, back the way
he’d come.

The Love He Squirreled Away

Chapter Five

Daniel forced himself not to fidget as he scanned the gathering of

werewolves. Today, Soren had summoned his pack to announce their
mating and introduce his pups.

In the past few weeks, Soren’s second beta, Anson, had been in

charge of the pack, with Soren traveling there from time to time. At
first, it hadn’t been deemed safe for the triplets, Jace, Derek, and
Melanie, to travel. The birth went great, but pups were always fragile
in the first days after coming to the world. So Brody extended an
invitation for them to stay with him and Carson. Daniel had thought
things would be tense, but Brody and Soren managed to settle their
differences. It had worked out for the best, since Daniel also got to
spend some time with Carson. Alas, finally, three weeks after their
birth, their little family left Brody’s home and headed toward the
pack.

Daniel now admitted he felt terrified of facing the wolves. He

hugged Jace tightly, finding comfort in the pup’s familiar warmth. His
mate had been right about one thing. The pups loved him. When they
weren’t sucking on their mother’s teat, they were hanging around
Daniel, nibbling on his hair or simply cuddling to his side. Daniel
already loved them as if they were his own flesh and blood.

He didn’t think the pack understood this, though. Several of the

people there gave him ugly looks only because he was holding
Soren’s son. Or perhaps they’d guessed the reason behind the
meeting. It couldn’t be too hard to figure out.

Daniel surreptitiously palmed the pocket of his jacket, feeling for

the comforting weight of his gun. It was an old gift from Nicolas. His

Scarlet Hyacinth

hummingbird friend didn’t trust carnivores, and he’d made it his
business to always be prepared for the worst. Personally, Daniel
disliked guns, more so since the episode with Shiloh’s injury.
However, he’d taken the thing along, both for Nicolas’s peace of
mind and, secretly, for his own.

He knew Soren was somewhat uncomfortable with having a gun

with silver bullets around, but the wolf had agreed to him having it
anyway. Soren, it seemed, didn’t want to take any chances. Daniel felt
thankful for it. Oddly, the weight of the gun comforted him now,
when facing this gathering of hostile people.

“Thank you for coming, everyone.” Soren’s voice sounded loud

and full of authority in the clearing. “I’ve asked you to be here
because I’d like you to meet the four most important people in my
life—my mate and my children.” Soren gestured Daniel forward.
Carlie stepped up with them, holding Derek and Melanie. In turn,
Soren introduced each child, then turned to Daniel. “And this is my
mate, Daniel Gardner-Boyd.”

There was a murmur of protest in the pack, and several wolves

seemed shocked but not excessively so. It confirmed Daniel’s guess
that the reason behind his presence had been grasped. Perhaps Soren
intended it to be so from the very beginning.

“Daniel will be living with me, and I expect you to treat him as is

his due.”

“But Alpha,” an older wolf said, “he’s prey. How can you ask that

of us?”

Soren bared his teeth at the man. “He’s not prey. He’s my mate.

Anyone who has a problem with that can come to me.” It was quite
clear the problem in question would be dealt with swiftly and
efficiently.

Predictably, the other wolf backed off, but another took his place,

this time female. “But what about your children?”

“What about them?” Soren replied coldly. “Are you questioning

my ability to raise my pups?”

The Love He Squirreled Away

“Err…no, but…your mate is male and well, not a wolf. The pups

are bound to have trouble accepting that. And even for your mate, it
might be hard to nurture them since they’re not his.”

The words irritated Daniel more than he’d thought possible. His

concern turned to pure anger. “I beg to differ,” he said. “These pups
are mine through Soren. It might not be a common situation for
wolves, but between Soren, Carlie and I, they’ll have the best of care.
We do appreciate the concern, but it’s not necessary.”

The reply was delivered sharply, coldly, and the werewolf bitch

seemed taken aback. She opened her mouth, but Daniel stopped her
from replying. “And of course, I’m personally grateful to all of you
for welcoming me in the pack. I believe that, for our Alpha and our
future, we can do great things together. I may not be a wolf, but times
are changing.”

“Daniel is correct,” Soren added. “In this modern world, there is

no reason why we should cling to old ways of thought. My father,
Elder Kevin Wade, has already agreed with and implemented this
policy, and we hope to take it further in the next years.”

“Further?” a younger wolf repeated. “Like how?”
He didn’t sound doubtful, but rather curious, and Daniel took

advantage of the offered occasion. “There is so much we can learn
from each other. Shape-shifters have been at war for all time, but it’s
time to let go of that. If we were to understand each other better, we’d
live much more comfortable lives. From trading to education, we can
truly grow together.” Daniel took Soren’s hand. “I realize that this
must sound like just a fancy, foolish speech to you, but perhaps today
we’ve made the first step.”

It was true. True enough, Brody and Carson had been the ones to

brave the prejudice of the shape-shifter community before them.
However, the two, as well as Liam and Shiloh, now lived away from
the rest of their species. Daniel understood them. Hell, he’d have done
the same thing if he’d been able to. But he also knew that someone
needed to take the stand, like Brody had done in his own way, and try

Scarlet Hyacinth

to get another species to accept their common grounds. That person
was going to have to be Daniel.

He didn’t know whether the wolves believed him or not, but the

pride he sensed coming from Soren made everything worthwhile.
“Baby, that was amazing,” Soren whispered in his head.

As if to confirm Soren’s words, Jace nuzzled Daniel’s neck with

his snout, nipping him playfully. The pups’ teeth were just coming
out. Soon, they’d begin to eat meat, and Daniel had taken to joking
that they were already testing their new diet on him. It might have
seemed odd that he could joke about it, but he didn’t feel concerned.
He was convinced the pups cared about him as much as he did about
them.

Carlie joined them as Melanie and Derek began to demand their

own right to play. Anson followed, and together, the four of them—
seven if one included the pups—watched the still-silent pack.

“Thank you for coming,” Soren said at last. “If you have any other

issues that come to mind, feel free to come to me or my betas.”

Soren’s words caused a few more wolves to come forward and

bring up some concerns not related to Daniel or Soren’s pups. Daniel
listened, glad for the occasion to learn how things worked in the pack.
He didn’t kid himself. This wouldn’t be easy, but neither would it be
impossible. In time, he’d find a way.

* * * *

A few weeks later

Daniel took a deep breath and sighed. The fresh air invaded his

lungs, but it did nothing to quench his melancholy. His mate had been
gone for a full day now, and time seemed to pass with excruciating
slowness. It frustrated him that he could no longer go without Soren,
but it was a clear, undeniable fact.

The Love He Squirreled Away

As a creature with the forest in his blood, Daniel loved the pack

lands. With trees that towered over him like skyscrapers and an
abundance of plants of all sorts, it reminded Daniel of different times,
when he and his family had lived in the forest. He barely remembered
it now, but some of it stuck with him despite the passage of time, like
the smell of the green grass or the fresh breeze that caressed his face
in the morning.

Sighing once again, Daniel forced himself to head back. Perhaps

he could look over some of the paperwork Soren asked him to do
earlier that week. Apparently, everyone was required to pull their own
weight in the pack, and Daniel, as the Alpha’s mate, would have to
play an essential part in the financial administration of their families.

He hadn’t wandered too far from the Alpha’s house, so in mere

minutes, he retraced his steps and reached the building that was his
destination. As soon as he entered the structure, the yipping of
puppies distracted him from his musings, and he grinned. He always
loved being around the pups, whether their father was with him or
not.

The three young wolves burst into the main hallway and headed

straight toward him in a rush of puppy madness. Instead of wagging
their tails, they were wagging their entire butts. As always, it made
Daniel laugh.

Behind them was their mother. Daniel looked toward her and

smiled. “They’re growing more and more each day.”

Carlie nodded. “That they are.” She beamed as Daniel knelt and

allowed the pups to climb over him. “But they’re also exhausting.”

Daniel gave Carlie a serious look. “You shouldn’t strain yourself

so. It’s too soon for you to take up beta duties again. For the moment,
Anson can handle it.”

Carlie released a frustrated groan. “I know. I just... I want to stay

with them, protect them, but... I want to do my job, too.” She smiled
at him again. “Thanks, by the way. If it weren’t for you, I’d be unable
to even think straight.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

Daniel caressed Derek’s fur and narrowly avoided getting his nose

bitten off by Melanie. “You know I love to spend time with them.”

In truth, he knew Carlie wasn’t actually thanking him for staying

with the pups, but for allowing her to do so. Even if the original
arrangement had been for Carlie to hand over the pups for Daniel and
Soren to raise, they’d eventually decided there was no point in
separating the triplets from their mother. Carlie didn’t have a mate
yet, so it stood to reason that she’d stick around with the kids for a
while longer. It worked out, especially since Daniel cared for her
greatly. She also wanted to do the working-mother thing, so between
the three of them, they could deal with the demanding pups with ease.

“Oh, one more thing.” Carlie looked like she’d just remembered

something. “Your doctor called. Said you had an appointment today?”

Daniel groaned. Dr. Jenkins insisted on seeing him regularly since

the fiasco before the mating. As much as Daniel tried to convince the
man it wouldn’t be necessary, he’d agreed to do it for his parents’
peace of mind. But today, he truly wasn’t in the mood to be polite and
ignore Jenkins’s jabs at his mate bond.

Regardless, he didn’t think he could get out of it. He’d been

feeling a bit out of it lately, more so than usual, and anything seemed
to set him off. He was trying to control the seizures with the provided
pills, but he didn’t have much luck. Soren had even been reluctant to
leave because of it, but Daniel had insisted.

In the end, Daniel couldn’t slip out of the medical visit. He owed

it to his mate to take care of himself better. Besides, he supposed he
should at least drop by his house and see his family. They were
unused to him living someplace else, and Daniel at least owed them to
visit once in a while.

“Thank you, Carlie. I will head out now. Hopefully, I won’t have

to linger away for too long.”

He hugged Carlie and the pups one more time, feeling the same

melancholy sweep over him. It was so very strange that in only a
couple of weeks, he’d already come to care so much about these

The Love He Squirreled Away

people, to the extent that he would prefer them over his own relatives.
Then again, they were his family now, Soren, Carlie, and the pups. Of
course, Daniel would always love his parents and siblings, but from
now on, his priority would be the people in the pack.

For whatever reason, he felt somewhat apprehensive as he said his

good-byes. He mused over this as he left the house and headed for the
garage, bypassing the guards around the Alpha compound. Carson
and Brody had gifted him with a car in celebration of his mating, a
gorgeous, sleek Lamborghini convertible. Daniel got behind the
wheel and inserted the key in the ignition. He drove off, still lost in
his thoughts, wondering about the reason of his disquiet.

As much as he’d have liked to push aside his misgivings, Daniel

found that he couldn’t do it. Cursing to himself, he decided to blow
the meeting with the doctor off. He couldn’t even focus on driving,
and the farther he got from pack lands, the more concerned he felt. It
might have been just his condition rearing its ugly head again—and
what a frustrating thing it was that he couldn’t get over a childhood
ailment—but even this knowledge didn’t help him feel better.

Soren’s voice drifted in his mind, calm and soothing. “Don’t

worry, baby,” the wolf said. “Everything’s fine. What can possibly
happen?”

Daniel didn’t know, and he couldn’t even put his finger on the

reason behind his sudden fear. Soren seemed to sense his growing
unease. “Go back,” he said. “I’m not comfortable with you driving
that car when you’re so distracted. I’m going to try to get out of the
next meetings.”

“Thank you, Soren.” Daniel breathed in a sigh of relief. “I’ll meet

you at the house, all right?”

Decision made, Daniel turned the car around and headed back.

He’d gotten a good distance away from his new home, so by the time
he reached within sight of pack lands, his anxiety had turned into full-
fledged panic.

Scarlet Hyacinth

Much to his dismay, he realized he hadn’t been mistaken in his

fear. Even from the distance, he spotted a thick column of smoke
looming over the forest. His heart began to beat even faster, and he
speedily drove in the direction of the fire.

“Baby, be careful,” Soren sent him. “I’m on my way.”
“I will,” Daniel promised. He stopped the car when he hit a

roadblock. It wasn’t actually man-made, but a large tree had fallen
onto the path, blocking it.

“Please go back, sir,” a wolf shouted at him, looking anxious. It

was Anson, and he seemed to be giving directions to others. “It’s too
dangerous here.”

“Did you notify Soren?”
Anson nodded. “Carlie said she would talk to the Alpha.”
In the distance, Daniel spotted several wolves running around,

trying to stop the fire from spreading. The heat felt smoldering even
from Daniel’s position, and he could only imagine how hot it was for
the wolves fighting the fire. He wanted to help as well, but a thought
occurred to him. “Did anyone call you?” he asked Soren through
their bond. His mate had given him the impression of not knowing
about the fire.

“No,” Soren replied. “I’m going to have words with my people.”
Daniel frowned, the feeling of anxiety intensifying even more.

“Who is guarding the house?” he asked Anson.

The wolf just gave him a blank look. “Almost everyone headed

here. We have a few people stationed at the mansion, but with the
fire…”

Daniel had heard enough. He didn’t know how, but he felt certain

Carlie and the pups were in danger. He turned the car and drove off,
heading toward the house.

The gate was open when he got there. It didn’t have to mean

anything, but it just solidified Daniel’s belief that something more
was going on. He parked the car and abandoned it in the driveway.

The Love He Squirreled Away

His heart hammering, he headed toward the main doorway where the
guards were supposed to be.

At first he didn’t spot anything particularly suspicious, other than

the conspicuous absence of the soldiers. He slipped inside, and his
eyes fell on two still forms—the bodies of the wolves manning the
entrance of the mansion.

Chaos exploded around him, as if his own realization triggered a

chain reaction. On the first floor, gun shots sounded, followed by an
angry howl. Carlie. Oh, God.

Daniel ran upstairs, his mind focused on only one thing, helping

Carlie and the pups. He stopped next to his and Soren’s bedroom and
rushed inside. As quickly as he could, he retrieved his gun from the
wardrobe and loaded it. Every second that passed seemed to last ages,
but if he wanted to have a fighting chance, he needed the weapon.

In his mind, Soren’s voice was screaming, “No, baby. Go get

help.” But Daniel instinctively knew he couldn’t do that. All the
wolves were too far, and going to get them would take too long. No,
he was on his own, at least for now. “I called Anson,” Soren said
through their bond. “Please, Dani, just don’t do anything rash.”

Daniel would have loved to obey, but there were more important

things than his own safety. Now armed, he left the bedroom and made
his way in the direction of the nursery. He was halfway there when
the door burst open and the body of a wolf came flying through the
wood. Whatever or whoever had pushed Carlie from the room seemed
quite powerful as she went straight through the banister, splintering it
into a million pieces. It must have hurt like hell, and Daniel swore he
saw several pieces of the wooden railing embed in her body. She tried
to clutch at the floor with her paws, and Daniel dropped the gun and
shot forward to help his friend. He grabbed her legs in an attempt to
offer support.

Unfortunately, in her desperate attempt to save herself, wolf-

Carlie scratched his chest, her claws embedding themselves in
Daniel’s flesh. Daniel gritted his teeth against the pain, clinging to the

Scarlet Hyacinth

bond with Soren and his mate’s voice that seemed to be chanting his
name over and over. He would not let go. He wouldn’t. In normal
circumstances, the drop from the first floor wouldn’t kill a werewolf,
but she was already very hurt. She wouldn’t survive.

Alas, his resolve proved to be in vain. Behind him, he heard

footsteps as several men exited the nursery. For a few moments, they
just stood there while Daniel struggled to pull Carlie up to safety.
Carlie met Daniel’s eyes, and in her gaze, Daniel saw the certainty of
death and a plea. He could almost hear her speak, pleading with him,
“Take care of them. Take care of my babies.”

One second later, another gunshot sounded. Daniel watched in

mute horror as a neat bullet hole appeared between Carlie’s eyes. She
went limp, her hold on him loosening. As much as he’d have wanted
to hold her up, he couldn’t. She dropped from his hold and fell onto a
table on the first level.

Daniel didn’t have to look down to know she was dead. He would

allow himself to mourn her later. Now, he needed to focus on the
pups. He wouldn’t disappoint their mother. He wouldn’t allow these
men to take the pups, too.

He turned and found himself facing a wall of solid muscle and the

barrel of a gun. He didn’t wait for the men to shoot him as well. For
whatever reason, they hesitated, and he took advantage of the
occasion to turn into his squirrel form.

Now tiny, he rushed into the nursery, wildly scanning the room

for the pups. Their whines reached his ears—they were huddled
together under the bed. Unfortunately, he’d dropped his gun trying to
save Carlie, so he’d have to find another way to at least stall until
reinforcements arrived.

He turned back into his human shape and grabbed the first object

he could use as a weapon. Nurseries weren’t exactly known for
holding such items, so he ended up with the leg of a broken chair.
Pathetic. If only he could distract the men enough to get his gun,
perhaps he could fight them off then.

The Love He Squirreled Away

The men entered the nursery once again, and Daniel did his best to

hide his fear. “Fuck off. I won’t let you hurt anyone else.”

One of the five men—there were five, Daniel now realized—

chuckled. “And what are you going to do about it?”

He had a slight accent, although Daniel couldn’t place it. Not that

it mattered. The men didn’t seem to think much of him. Daniel could
work with that.

He sensed Soren’s anxiety course through him, but he ignored it.

Without allowing caution to hold him back, he lunged forward,
swinging the leg of the chair around.

Few people knew just how fast squirrels were. It was one of their

few advantages when facing a predator. That, and the element of
surprise, made him do more damage than even he himself expected.
The man who’d laughed at him went down under the strength of the
blow. Unfortunately, he seemed to have quite a thick skull, because
Daniel’s impromptu weapon broke in his hand. The other men
crowded around him, attempting to catch him. Daniel shifted into his
squirrel form and climbed on top of one. He bit onto the man’s ear,
his teeth reaching the flesh even through the material of the hoods.
Then, as the guy screamed and reached for him, he turned back into
his legged shape. His new, heavier bulk sent them both to the floor.

Over and over, he continued the dance, changing back and forth

from one shape to the other, confusing his opponents. Thankfully, the
pups quieted down, as if knowing they needed to be as discreet as
possible.

However, one of the men remembered their presence and,

ignoring Daniel’s resistance, pushed away from the ongoing scuffle
and headed toward the bed. Still in squirrel form, Daniel jumped on
the man’s head, clawing and biting, doing everything he could think
of to stop his enemy from advancing.

This time, however, he lost the battle. The man caught him and

threw him against the wall. Daniel hit the brick hard and collapsed on
the floor in a small, furry heap. He looked up only to find the huge

Scarlet Hyacinth

form of his enemy looming over him. At this point, the guy could
squash him with no problem.

To Daniel’s surprise, one of the other men came to his rescue.

“Don’t. You know what the boss said. We can’t hurt him.”

The first man growled angrily. “I know. Back off. Let’s take care

of the mutts.”

Daniel couldn’t figure out why they wouldn’t hurt him, but he

planned to take advantage of the fact. He scurried off away from his
enemies and turned into his human form, standing in front of the bed.
“Over my dead body.”

He held his breath as the guys approached. They could have

probably removed him anyway, but the sound of approaching
footsteps froze them in their tracks. The men looked at each other,
gave Daniel one last look, and fled the room. Daniel would have
loved to chase after them, to make them pay for what they’d done, but
he was exhausted and in pain.

He fell next to the bed and, almost immediately, the pups came

out from their hiding spot and rubbed against him, whining softly.
Moments later, Anson burst inside the nursery, followed by a few
others. “What happened?” he asked. “Why is Carlie—”

Daniel hugged the pups, feeling raw and disheartened. “Five men.

They attacked the house. There was nothing I could do for her. They
wanted to hurt the pups, too.”

Anson knelt next to him. “Where did they go?”
“They ran off when they heard you come up,” Daniel replied.
Too tired for words, he lost track of what Anson was saying and

focused on his bond with Soren. “Shh, baby,” his mate soothed him.
“I’m coming. I promise you, everything will be all right.”

“Soren… She’s dead. They shot her.”
“I know, Dani.” Soren’s pain felt as acute as his own. “We’ll

avenge her.”

A small bite from one of the pups snapped Daniel out of his

trance, just in time to overhear a tiny bit of conversation. “We found

The Love He Squirreled Away

the gun they used to shoot her,” one wolf was saying. “If you can
believe it, it was abandoned just outside the room.”

“Excellent,” Anson replied. “Perhaps we can trace the culprits

from the prints left behind.”

Before he could fully process what he was about to say, Daniel

looked toward the talking wolves. “That gun is mine,” he said with a
sigh.

Both men turned toward him and gave him a dumbfounded look.

“Yours?” Anson repeated. “Daniel, do you have any idea what you’re
saying?”

Daniel blinked. Sure, he knew bringing a gun with silver bullets in

a den of werewolves wasn’t the best thing to do, but he’d made a
promise to his friend, and circumstances hadn’t been perfect. Besides,
he’d never even gotten to use the damn thing.

“Dani, don’t say anything else,” Soren ordered in his mind. “I’ll

be right there, and I’ll explain everything.”

For once, Daniel decided to allow his mate to handle this. The

wolves were giving him shocked, ugly looks, and Daniel didn’t like it
at all. He liked it even less when a werewolf female entered the room
and approached him. “Come along,” she whispered to the pups.

Daniel shot to his feet and glared at her. “Back off. The pups are

fine with me.”

“Daniel, I don’t think you’re in any condition to care for them,”

Anson said slowly.

Daniel shielded the pups with his body, preventing any of the

gathering wolves to reach them. “Of course I can. I’m their father.”

“Christ,” one of the wolf guards shouted. “This is insane. Why are

we allowing him next to the Alpha’s son and not bringing him in as
the killer he is?”

Daniel gaped at him. They couldn’t possibly believe he’d killed

Carlie. The female werewolf seemed to think the same as the guard,
though. “He even has scratch marks on his chest,” she added. “Carlie
must have tried to fight him off.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

Before Daniel could even try to defend himself, Anson’s phone

rang. The beta took the call, and Daniel heard Soren shouting angrily
at Anson. “What the fuck are you doing accusing my mate? He saved
my pups’ lives. Get your ass to do something useful, or I’ll skin you
all alive once I get there.”

It was clearly a message for everyone around, and the wolves

backed off, allowing Daniel to stay with the pups. Anson exchanged a
few more words with Soren, then ended the call. “Come on,” he said.
“Follow me.”

Daniel gave the beta a dubious look, but Soren’s voice reemerged

through their connection. “Go with him, baby. He’ll keep you safe.”

Feeling a bit reassured, Daniel took hold of Jace and Melanie,

while Anson helped him with Derek. The beta led him out of the
nursery and into a guest bedroom at the other side of the house. “Stay
here, Daniel. You and the pups will be safe. We’ll investigate the
situation.”

Daniel would have been more inclined to believe that had a med

tech not appeared and demanded to take skin and blood samples.
Daniel complied, ignoring the stares he got, as well as the guards
posted at the door.

When everyone left the room, he cuddled with the pups in the bed

and closed his eyes. He was so tired, so fucking tired. Had he thought
his presence here meant a step in the right direction? God, he couldn’t
have been more wrong. He’d been wrong, and now, Carlie was dead.
Everyone seemed to be blaming him. What was he going to do?

* * * *

Outside pack lands, five men met up with their leader.
“Well?” the boss asked, arching a brow.
“The bitch is dead, but we didn’t manage to take out the pups. The

squirrel got in the way.”

The Love He Squirreled Away

The leader gritted his teeth in annoyance. If only he hadn’t

committed to leaving that little whore alone. He was getting sick of
his family’s stupid morals. His kind were not supposed to keep
promises.

Ah, well. Next time, his rival wouldn’t get away so easily. He

wanted Soren Wade, and he would do anything to get him.

He glowered at his men, wordlessly showing his displeasure. He

considered killing one just for sport but decided against it. “All right.
Be ready for another expedition. The squirrel is next.”

His men nodded eagerly, and the leader rubbed his hands together

in glee. Oh, yes, he couldn’t wait. He’d make a stew out of the
squirrel yet.

Scarlet Hyacinth

Chapter Six

When Soren burst through the doors of his home, everyone turned

to look at him. “Anson!” he bellowed. “Come here!”

The beta appeared from the living room, carrying a clipboard and

looking very upset. “Hello, Alpha,” he said.

“Anson, what happened here? Why were those men in my house?

How did the fire even start?”

By the time he’d gotten there, the fire on pack lands had been

extinguished, with no significant damage done to the community.
Soren hadn’t gotten around to examining the area, but it seemed
pretty clear to him that the cause was arson. It must have been a
scheme to deliberately draw away the wolf guards from the mansion.
But why? Who would attack Carlie and for what reason?

His beta sighed. “The fire started in the lower section of the forest,

next to the old mill. No one saw anything or anyone suspicious, but as
you know, not very many frequent that area. Our first investigations
detected use of flammable substances. Someone set that fire.”

Soren nodded, unsurprised. “Go on.”
“As for the men, they seemed to have gone in through the back of

the property. We found traces of a vehicle stationed there. We are as
of yet unsure as to how they entered the house, but they knew what
they were doing.”

“Carlie?”
“She received several gunshot wounds—silver. There were

several pieces of wood imbedded in her body, possibly from the fall.”
Anson paused. “About that, we found—”

The Love He Squirreled Away

“I know what you found,” Soren interrupted Anson and took a

deep breath. “Where’s the gun?”

“We sent it to the labs for analysis, along with fiber and blood

samples.”

Soren knew some of those blood samples had been Daniel’s. He

struggled to control his anger, his reason telling him Anson acted
according to procedure. Even so, the wolf inside wanted to shake the
man for being so foolish as to even doubt Daniel.

Realizing he was moments away from doing something he’d

regret, Soren turned his back on Anson. “I’m going upstairs to see my
mate and my pups. Liam should be here any moment now. Let me
know when he arrives.”

Anson murmured an agreement as Soren headed toward the

staircase. The scent of blood still lingered in the air, making him sick
to his stomach. The entire area smelled of death, and even if Carlie’s
body was no longer there, Soren could almost see it through the traces
it had left behind. It got worse when he reached the first story of the
house. There he could sense Daniel’s blood, too, mingling with his
pups’ abject fear and confusion.

He focused on the knowledge that Daniel and the pups were okay.

As soon as he reached the room, he noticed the guards standing at the
door. “Good job, men,” he said. “Thank you for protecting my mate.”

“Yes, Alpha,” one of them said. They looked uncomfortable, and

Soren knew their presence there wasn’t due strictly to Daniel’s
protection.

Gritting his teeth, Soren entered the room and closed the door

behind himself. He found Daniel on the bed with the pups, so
motionless he almost seemed asleep. He was naked, and Soren’s
blood boiled with fury at the realization that no one had bothered to
bring his mate any clothing.

Soren sat on the edge of the bed and pressed his hand to Daniel’s

shoulder. He knew better than to believe his mate was truly

Scarlet Hyacinth

slumbering. The pups were, indeed, sleeping soundly, much to
Soren’s relief, but not so with Daniel.

“Why would anyone do something like that?” Daniel asked in a

hollow voice. “Why would they hurt her?”

“I wish I knew, baby,” Soren answered. Carlie had meant so much

to him as well. God, he couldn’t believe she was gone. But he’d seen
the moment of her death in Daniel’s mind. The mate bond didn’t work
as a continuous stream of images or thoughts, but in moments of
intense emotions, it sometimes happened that the two mates could see
the same things. Soren almost wished it wouldn’t have been the case
this time. The memory would be forever branded in his mind, even if
it didn’t belong to him.

“I called Liam and Shiloh. They’ll be coming, too,” he told his

mate.

“God.” Daniel sobbed. He turned to face Soren, tears streaming

down his face. “They’ll hate me, too. I disappointed everyone. I
couldn’t help her.”

“Oh, Dani.” Soren hugged his mate tight. He’d have loved to say

no one blamed Daniel, but it wasn’t true. Even so, Soren would make
everyone see the truth. He would not stand for his mate to receive
such treatment.

His pups must have sensed his presence, as they awoke and

started to demand attention. Soren broke away from his mate and
hugged his children. Gratitude and love flooded him as he played with
them. He’d been so close to losing the triplets as well. If not for
Daniel, they’d surely have been killed.

“Thank you, Dani,” he said. “Thank you for saving them.”
Daniel began to cry even harder, and the pups forwent their focus

on Soren in order to comfort the other man. They climbed on top of
him, licking his face. Slowly, their calming influence did what Soren
didn’t know how to do, and Daniel’s crying subsided.

Wordlessly, Soren took his clothes off and shifted into his wolf

form. His mate did the same, and together with the pups, they cuddled

The Love He Squirreled Away

together in a big heap of fur. In spite of the tragedy, Soren felt
comforted by the way his children accepted Daniel with no hesitation.

He didn’t know how long they lay there together. At one point,

the pups fell asleep once again, twitching in their slumber as they
dreamed things undoubtedly too awful for their young minds to
process. Soren was only grateful they hadn’t seen their mother’s
gruesome ending.

After a while, Daniel fell into slumber as well, and Soren jumped

out of the bed. He’d have liked to stay with his mate, but his duties as
an Alpha called. He needed to take care of funeral formalities for
Carlie and find out who could have done this.

He shifted back into his legged form and pulled his clothes on.

After brushing a kiss to his mate’s forehead, he left the room. He
briefly stopped in front of the doorway and glared at the guards. “I
want clothes and food delivered here, and if my mate wishes to leave,
he will not be stopped. I won’t have Daniel treated like a criminal in
his own home.”

One of the men opened his mouth, obviously intending to protest,

but Soren growled at him. The wolf thought better of his original plan
and nodded. “Yes, Alpha. At once.”

Soren turned on his heel and headed downstairs. Anson

intercepted him just as he was about to go outside. “Alpha, Liam’s
here.”

Soren forced himself to remain calm. He wasn’t looking forward

to this meeting. Liam was his friend, but Carlie’s brother. Soren knew
Liam had never quite agreed with Carlie’s decision to be the mother
of Soren’s children. Perhaps the other wolf would blame Soren for her
death, or worse, blame Daniel. Soren admitted he had his own share
of guilt, but he would not allow Liam to hurt Daniel.

Liam entered the living room, and Soren met him halfway. Liam’s

dark expression didn’t look very encouraging, but Shiloh followed
behind the other wolf. Perhaps the swan could help temper Liam a bit.

Scarlet Hyacinth

Soren opened his mouth to greet his friend, but he never got the

chance. Liam directed a punch at him, growling angrily. Soren could
have probably ducked, but he stood and took it, knowing Liam needed
the violent relief. “You were supposed to protect her,” Liam shouted.
“You were supposed to care for her, and now she’s gone.”

Soren waited while his friend ranted, until he got fed up. He lifted

his hand and simply said, “Enough. I understand your pain, but this
won’t help. You’re in my house, and you will respect it.”

He hated ordering Liam around like this, especially now, but he

couldn’t allow the other wolf to undermine his authority, not with his
pack already in turmoil. Liam seemed to want to say something else,
but Shiloh placed a hand on his shoulder. Liam took a deep breath and
quieted down.

“Alpha, I’m so sorry for your loss,” Shiloh said formally.
“Thank you, Shiloh,” Soren answered. “Did Brody and Carson

come along?”

“Carson stayed behind to watch the children, but Brody should be

here any moment now,” the swan replied.

As if summoned by Shiloh’s words, Brody entered the room.

Seeing his brother here one more time gave Soren a surreal feeling.
“Hey, Soren,” he greeted. “How’s Daniel? The pups?”

Soren offered his sibling a smile he didn’t feel. “Thankfully,

they’re all right. Daniel is still shaken but recovering. Follow me. We
need to talk.”

Soren led the two wolves and the swan into his office at the

ground floor. There were still many guards around, and Soren ushered
them off with a wave of his hand. Finally, they were alone. Soren sat
on an armchair and gestured his guests to sit down as well.

As they silently obeyed, Soren began to speak. “First of all, I’m

sorry for this, Liam. If I’d known this would happen, I’d have never
left home.”

His meetings with his father had taken much longer than he’d

expected, with them needing to hammer down a new policy for their

The Love He Squirreled Away

dealings with other nations. Unfortunately, his absence had allowed
their enemies to attack. Soren didn’t know if he’d ever be able to
forgive himself for this.

Liam nodded and squeezed his mate’s hand. After a few seconds,

he said, “I know that. I know you cared for her. Do we know who
could have done it?”

Soren decided to take a plunge. “From what Daniel saw, five men

were involved. Anson discovered traces of their car behind the
mansion. But even with that, the pack is blaming Daniel.”

Liam gaped. “Daniel? But… how? Why?”
Soren found the reaction encouraging. “Daniel pulled out his gun

to fight the intruders. It was found, and it’s quite incriminating, given
that Carlie was shot. The lab is still studying the evidence. I can of
course tell you what I felt through Daniel.” He leaned against the
armchair, feeling suddenly drained. “It depends on whether or not you
choose to believe me.”

Liam said nothing, so Soren proceeded to explain everything he’d

sensed coming from his mate, Daniel’s anxiety, his trip to see his
doctor, the fire, coming back to the house and finding the strange men
there. Even if Soren hadn’t actually been there, their bond allowed
him to know everything that had happened in the house.

When he finished, Brody and Shiloh looked distinctly troubled,

and Liam even more so. “Can I ask why is it that Daniel survived
when Carlie didn’t?” Liam asked.

“Liam,” Shiloh bit out, “you can’t possibly believe Dani hurt your

sister.”

The couple shared a look, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out

they were communicating telepathically. Soren was concerned for
them. If Liam did doubt Daniel’s innocence, his relationship with his
mate would be very strained.

Thankfully, Shiloh seemed to realize how difficult the entire

situation was for Liam. He wrapped his arms around the wolf and

Scarlet Hyacinth

hugged him. Soren nodded at Brody and gestured for them to leave
the office. The two needed a moment alone.

As he closed the door to the office, Soren sighed deeply. “God,

what a disaster.”

“I hate to say it, but he has a point.” Brody gave Soren a serious

look. “How come Daniel lived to even tell the tale, let alone save the
pups?” When Soren glared at him, Brody lifted his hands. “Don’t
glower at me. I know Daniel didn’t do anything. It’s just strange.”

Soren had to admit he felt the same. As much as he admired his

mate, he realized five guys with guns could have easily taken out
Daniel, if they’d killed Carlie. And this was just one of the reasons for
the suspicions on Daniel. For an outsider, Carlie might have seemed
an obstacle in Daniel’s way. Soren knew that the two had been great
friends, but others might have thought their polite relationship to be
only a mask.

As he thought this, Daniel’s voice drifted in his mind. “Soren,

could you ask them to come see me?” He sounded tired, sad, and
ashamed. “I need a word.”

“Are you sure, baby? I don’t want you to strain yourself further.”
“I’m sure.” Bitter laughter floated over their connection. “My

tiredness doesn’t matter, Soren. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

Soren mentally sighed but didn’t question his mate. “All right,

Dani. I’ll talk to them now.” He directed his attention to Brody.
“Let’s go see my mate. I’m sure he has the answers to your
questions.”

Soren knocked at the door of the office. A few moments later, a

red-eyed Shiloh opened it and gave him a tremulous smile. “Hey.”

“Hey. Dani wants to talk to you guys, if you’re willing.”
Liam appeared from behind Shiloh and nodded. “Yes, that’s a

good idea.”

He seemed calmer now, so Soren didn’t feel as apprehensive as he

did before. He led his companions up the staircase and toward the
guest room, feeling thankful they weren’t forced to pass the nursery

The Love He Squirreled Away

on the way. Liam couldn’t have missed the place where Carlie’s body
had been, but at least they weren’t forced to go by the area where
she’d died.

They reached the room in silence. Daniel was waiting in the

doorway. At one point, he’d been provided with clothing, but he still
looked as anxious as ever. Soren couldn’t stop himself from pressing
a kiss to Daniel’s cheek. “Doing okay?”

Daniel offered him a weak smile. “Much better now.” He turned

toward the others. “Hello. It’s a great pleasure to see you all, even if
the circumstances leave a lot to be desired. Please, come in.”

Soren realized his mate was retreating behind his mask of

formality again but couldn’t do anything about it right now. He
hooked his arm together with Daniel’s and stepped inside the room.
Their friends followed, while Soren briefly left his mate’s side to
check on his pups. He was happy to see they were sleeping safely
once more.

Shiloh hugged his friend, and Daniel allowed it for a brief

moment. After that, he broke away from Shiloh and started speaking.
He told the same story Soren had experienced, but with more detail
than he’d have ever remembered. Finally, he got to the point that
bothered them all.

“The man said his boss forbade them from hurting me. I can’t

imagine why, though.” Daniel bit his lip, looking more and more
anxious. “I suppose…I suppose it must mean these intruders were
hired by someone who knows me.”

“And cares about you,” Brody added.
Daniel’s gaze shot toward Brody. His shoulders slumped as he

nodded. “And cares about me,” he repeated.

“Who else knew you were supposed to be away?” Shiloh asked

softly. “My guess is that the person in question must have timed the
attack so that you wouldn’t be around when it happened.”

That was a good point. “Well, my family, my doctor, and some of

the guards here, I guess. Carlie, Soren. It wasn’t exactly a secret.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

“It couldn’t have been a wolf,” Brody said decidedly. “Do you

think your parents told anyone?”

“I–I don’t know.” Daniel stammered. His eyes widened. “I

haven’t even called them to let them know about all this.”

Soren considered his mate’s reply. He hated what he was about to

say, but he knew he didn’t have a choice. “Well, don’t. I agree with
Brody. There’s always the possibility that a wolf might have tried to
hurt Carlie just to make it look like you did it. In that case, though,
they wouldn’t have gone against the pups. They probably wouldn’t
have directed those men to spare you, either. It has to be someone
connected to you personally. For the moment, we have to keep them
uninformed.”

The pain that coursed through Daniel crushed Soren. His mate had

a very close relationship with the rest of the Gardner-Boyd family,
and this would be very hard on him. It couldn’t be helped.

He looked toward Liam, who had been silent so far. The wolf took

a step forward toward Daniel. To Soren’s surprise, Liam hugged
Daniel tight. “Thank you for saving the pups,” he whispered in a
barely audible voice. “You know, she really cared about you.”

The pain passing through Soren’s connection with Daniel eased.

“See, baby, he doesn’t blame you,” Soren told his mate. “It’s not
your fault.”

Unfortunately, the squirrel didn’t seem to believe him. As the

adrenaline of the day began to fade, a different pain flooded their
bond, this time a physical one. Soren pushed Liam away and took
hold of Daniel. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

His mate looked pale and was having clear difficulties in

breathing. “Nothing.” He wheezed, a hand clutched to his chest. “I’ll
be fine.”

Soren remembered what his mate had confessed a while back,

after his jealousy fit. Daniel must have underestimated the seriousness
of his condition, perhaps even on purpose. Then again, after what had

The Love He Squirreled Away

happened earlier, Soren couldn’t blame the squirrel for the panic
attack.

“Stay back,” he told the others. “Give him room.”
Gently, he placed Daniel on the bed. Stirred from their slumber,

the pups woke, now seeming anxious as well. Liam removed them,
preventing their presence from agitating Daniel further. Daniel shook
his head. “Leave them here. Poor things have been through enough
today.”

Shiloh appeared with a glass of water and handed it to Soren.

With as much gentleness as he could muster, Soren offered the liquid
to his mate. Daniel made a grab for his pills, thankful the wolves had
unknowingly brought him a coat carrying a bottle of the medicine. He
popped a dose in his mouth and took the glass from Soren. As Daniel
drank and swallowed his pills, the choking pain began to diminish.

He finished the water and looked at their dumbfounded friends.

“Sorry about that. It’s just my little condition acting up.”

“Little condition?” Shiloh repeated in disbelief. “I thought your

doctor visits were just routine checks. God, Dani.”

Soren couldn’t have said it better himself. Still, his mate looked

tired, so he made no further comment. For Dani, for his pups, and for
Carlie, he vowed to get to the bottom of this and find the person guilty
of this tragedy.

Scarlet Hyacinth

Chapter Seven

Daniel fidgeted as he watched his mother serve Soren some tea.

He was sure that any moment now, the lie would explode in his face.
It simply wasn’t possible that his parents wouldn’t see through it.

Soren smiled at her as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

“Thank you, Mrs. Gardner-Boyd.”

“Please, call me Ruby.” She beamed, and for the first time, Daniel

couldn’t tell if she was honest or not. “I’m so glad you decided to
visit.”

“My apologies about the short notice,” Soren answered. “We were

just dropping by on other business and, of course, we couldn’t come
here without visiting.”

Daniel suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at the reply. The

absurdly polite conversation continued when his mother inquired,
“What about your pups? I’d love to know my grandchildren as well.”

Through his connection with Soren, Daniel sensed the tension in

the other man. However, Soren just offered Daniel’s mother a smile.
“On our next visit, perhaps. They’re vacationing with their mother on
Brody’s property.”

Daniel took his cue to contribute to the conversation. “We figured

it would be a good idea to have them spend some time with children
outside their species, get used to a mixed environment.” He forced
himself to chuckle. “With an antelope calf, a lion cub, and a cygnet
around, they’ll adapt in no time.”

“That’s a good idea.” His mother’s eyes, so much like his own,

fixed on Daniel. “How long are you staying in the city?” she asked,

The Love He Squirreled Away

changing the subject. “It would be great if your dads and your siblings
got to see you, as well.”

“To tell you the truth, Mother, we came to check in with Dr.

Jenkins. I missed my appointment the other day, and Soren insisted on
rescheduling.” It wasn’t actually a lie. Soren had indeed wanted to
visit Jenkins, for two reasons. Since Daniel’s little fit, his mate was
very concerned for him. At the same time, the pack still seemed
doubtful of him, even if results came in testifying the gun had never
been used. No one trusted him, and no one understood why Daniel
survived when Carlie did not.

His mother’s voice snapped him out of his musing. “Honey, did

you hear what I said?” She sounded worried, and Daniel berated
himself for his absent-mindedness.

“Apologies, Mother. I was thinking about certain issues of

concern. What were you saying?”

“Dani… Son, are you feeling all right?” She knelt next to him and

took his hand. “Should I call your father or your siblings? You know
they’d leave work if you needed them.”

Daniel shook his head. He knew how dedicated his family was to

the homeless shelter they owned. Daniel had been the only one unable
to work there, since his parents always feared him picking up a
microbe or overexerting himself. “I assure you I feel quite well.”

“If I may, Mrs. Gardner-Boyd,” Soren piped up, “it’s time for our

visit with the doctor. We’ll drop by again to see everyone before we
return to the pack.”

“Very well, Mr. Wade.” Daniel’s mother didn’t look too pleased,

but she must’ve realized that in the end, the doctor could care for him
better. “Please, keep me posted if you find out anything.”

Daniel got up and hugged her. “Stop being such a worrywart,” he

whispered, for once dropping the formal façade. “I’ll be fine.”

If she was surprised, she didn’t show it. Instead, she hugged him

back, seemingly relieved. “Okay, honey. But anything you need,
anything at all…”

Scarlet Hyacinth

She left the sentence trailing, and Daniel nodded. “I know.”
Daniel broke the embrace and kissed her cheek. “Now we really

must be going.” His mother led them to the exit, and just as they were
about to leave, he turned and offered her a small, fake smile. “Oh,
before I forget. Did you mention my doctor appointments to anyone?”

Her brows shot up in obvious shock. “No, honey. Of course not.

You know neither me, nor the others, would reveal something so
personal.”

Daniel knew there was a little more to it than that. He couldn’t

help but feel bitter about the fact that his family, while loving, hid him
away out of a combination of protectiveness and shame. But no
matter. He and Soren achieved what they’d come here for. “Thanks,”
he replied, shrugging. Before she could inquire as to the reason of his
question, he hastily added, “I was just curious.”

His mother seemed satisfied with that, although a touch of

surprise lingered. “All right, Dani.” She hugged him once again, and
then Daniel and Soren left the house.

As they entered the car, Soren’s mental voice drifted into Daniel’s

consciousness. “Well, what do you think?”

“I should have known better than to believe they could have

mentioned it.” It wasn’t even her actual words that had reassured him,
but her tone and the look in her eyes. No, it hadn’t been them. Daniel
just knew it.

“Then who? The doctor?”
Daniel hesitated. He still couldn’t get over his first mental image

of Dr. Jenkins, the man who’d saved his life, and his first love. He
couldn’t make himself believe the man could’ve had anything to do
with the attack on Carlie.

Soren gaped at him, and Daniel winced, realizing his mate had

caught onto the thought. “Your first love? How did I not know this?”

He stabbed the keys into the ignition, irradiating anger and

jealousy. “It wasn’t important,” Daniel murmured, focusing on

The Love He Squirreled Away

putting on his seat belt to avoid Soren’s gaze. “It was a long time
ago.”

“How is it not important?” Soren snarled. The tires of the car

squealed as they drove off. Daniel had a flashback of another fight
and a subsequent insane drive. He’d been in a somewhat-better mood
then. “He is a suspect for killing Carlie, Daniel, or have you
forgotten?”

Hearing his mate calling him by his full name hurt Daniel more

than he could have imagined. “I haven’t forgotten,” he shot back. “I
just can’t imagine why he would ever do something like that. We’re
missing something. It has to be someone else.”

“Someone who? We don’t have any other leads. Those men

disappeared as if they were never there. This is our only clue, and you
know it.”

Daniel bit his lip so hard he tasted blood. Yes, he knew it, and he

knew Carlie’s death was his fault. No matter what Soren claimed, if
one of Daniel’s friends proved to be the culprit, her blood would
always be on his hands.

“Baby, you didn’t kill her.” Soren’s voice softened as he spoke.

“You didn’t cause any of this. The only one who’s guilty in this is the
maniac who hired those men.”

Daniel nodded. “You’re right, Soren. Let us proceed to Dr.

Jenkins’s office. In the end, whether he hurt Carlie or not, he is the
only one who can provide us with further assistance.”

Soren didn’t talk again, giving the occasional grunts of

acknowledgment as Daniel directed him to the medic’s office. In the
months he’d spent at Soren’s side, Daniel had somehow managed to
keep the two men away from each other. He didn’t even know if it
had been a conscious move on his part, but he now dreaded the
moment of their meeting.

At last, they reached the clinic. In silence, they got out of the car

and headed inside. There were a few other patients waiting, all
herbivores of course, and they gave Soren startled looks. Daniel

Scarlet Hyacinth

ignored them and walked toward the registry. He smiled at the pretty
bullfinch girl who worked as Dr. Jenkins’s secretary, distantly
wondering when he’d become such an expert at false cheerfulness.
“Hi, Cherry. Could you tell the doctor I’m in?”

“Of course.” Cherry fidgeted nervously. “I’ll tell him now.”
She took off like a bullet and retreated to the doctor’s office. She

could have just buzzed him, but apparently any pretext, as poor as it
might have been, served to get away from the presence of the
carnivore. Soren scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Seriously, you’d think I came in here guns blazing…or jaws

snapping.”

Daniel might have been amused, except her attitude, along with

that of the rest of the patients, reminded him of the reason why they
were here in the first place. So many people died every day because
of the differences between nations. His two friends Carson and Shiloh
had narrowly escaped the same fate, but Carlie hadn’t been so lucky.
Was a relationship between a wolf and a squirrel impossible? Perhaps
the only way to be together would be to flee the world and hide from
it all, in a distant place where no one could reach them.

Soren’s hand gripped his and squeezed. Just like that, a measure

of relief invaded Daniel. He couldn’t despair. He couldn’t give up.
The situation might look glum now, yes, but they still had their kids,
thank goodness. The triplets were relying on him and Soren to build a
better world, one where pointless assassinations wouldn’t happen.

“That’s my sweet Dani,” Soren whispered in his mind. “It’s okay.

I promise I’ll be polite and everything.”

“Thank you, Soren.” He paused, choosing his words carefully.

“You know, I didn’t hide from you what I used to feel for Dr. Jenkins
on purpose. It was just… puppy love.”

They shared a look at Daniel’s unwilling reference of their own

little private joke. Soren had been quite amused upon finding out baby
squirrels could be called pups, just like with wolves. In the past, he’d
even used this argument to claim they’d always been meant to be

The Love He Squirreled Away

together. Somehow, the little exchange strengthened Daniel more than
he’d have thought possible.

Cherry reemerged from Dr. Jenkins’s office and gestured them

inside. As they entered the room, Soren thanked her, making the
bullfinch chirp in agitation at simply being addressed. Shaking his
head to himself, Daniel focused on his medic.

The man extended his arms for a hug. “Daniel, I’m so glad to see

you. I was quite worried when you didn’t show up for your last
appointment.”

He seemed nervous, and Daniel’s heart sank when he realized

Soren’s suspicions must have been, at least in part, correct. But no, he
wouldn’t judge until he knew all the facts. He owed Perry his life, not
to mention all the affection the man had given him throughout the
years. If the doctor was indeed involved in Carlie’s murder, Daniel
knew there must have been something very powerful pushing him
into it.

Soren’s voice drifted into his mind. “He saved your life?”
“Yes,” Daniel replied. “Back when I was a child. He practically

brought me back from death’s door.”

“All right, baby.” Soren sounded a bit pacified. “I’ll give him a

chance, for your sake.”

Satisfied, Daniel focused on his doctor. He accepted the embrace

but quickly broke away. The last thing he needed now was to provoke
Soren’s possessive nature. “I’m quite all right,” he said, distantly
acknowledging the fact that he was starting to sound like a broken
record. He’d lost count of the times he’d reassured people in the past
few days. “I guarantee you, Dr. Jenkins, there’s nothing to worry
about.”

“Still, I’d like to check you over. Just in case.”
Daniel nodded. “Of course. But first, let me introduce you my

mate, Soren Wade. Soren, this is Dr. Perry Jenkins.”

The two men shook hands, and Daniel carefully watched his

medic for any reaction. He knew Perry well and thought the man grew

Scarlet Hyacinth

even tenser the moment he touched Soren. Of course, it could be just
the presence of a predator that made Perry nervous. Perhaps Daniel
was misjudging him.

“It’s a pleasure.” The handshake broke, and Perry proceeded to

very vigorously wipe his glasses. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“So have I.” Soren’s grin was feral. “Thank you for caring for my

mate with so much dedication. I appreciate it tremendously.”

A small sigh sounded from Dr. Jenkins. “Well, someone has to do

it.”

The comment startled Daniel. The other squirrel had never once

said something like that. It felt unprofessional, almost like he was
judging Daniel’s family and loved ones, or considering him a burden.

Normally, he might have let the slipup pass, but in the

circumstances, even a small phrase like that made all the difference in
the world. “Pardon me?” he asked.

Dr. Jenkins smiled tightly. “Sorry, Daniel. I didn’t mean that the

way it came out. I just feel you don’t care for yourself enough.”

Daniel waited for his doctor to elaborate, and the other man did, in

the worst way possible. “With this new mating of yours—no offense,
Mr. Wade—and having to care for a stranger’s children…I’m so very
worried about you, Daniel. I simply don’t understand why you
accepted it at all.”

A low growl came from Soren, and Daniel couldn’t believe his

doctor was saying these things with his mate there. “Dr. Jenkins, I
assure you, I’m very happy by Soren’s side.”

“Allow me to be skeptical. Mr. Wade, you of all people must

realize how atypical your bond is? Is Daniel truly happy? Has your
pack accepted him?”

The way the doctor asked the latter question, as if he knew

something he really shouldn’t know about, made alarm bells ring in
Daniel’s head. He forced himself to breathe evenly and clung to his
bond with Soren to still the racing of his heart. He sensed Soren’s

The Love He Squirreled Away

sudden fear spike and sent a wave of calm. This was nothing, just him
being stupid and unable to accept the obvious.

“They had some trouble in the beginning,” he answered, “but

now, we’re doing fine. I’ve received a lot of help from Soren’s betas
and his family, and I love the pups as if they were my own.”

If the doctor found the entire conversation strange, he didn’t show

it. He seemed completely engrossed in his argument and his vain hope
of changing Daniel’s mind with regard to his mate. “I think you
would be better off with us, with your family. The wolves can’t
understand you or trust you like we do. I’m sure the first thing that
goes wrong will be blamed on you.”

“That’s it.” Soren shot forward and grabbed the doctor, lifting him

high up in the air. “I’m sick of your innuendos. Tell me what you
know, or else.”

The medic’s eyes shot to Daniel. “Daniel, help me. See, this is

exactly what I’m talking about. He’s a loose cannon. You’re much
better off with me.”

Daniel’s insides froze. “What? What are you saying?”
“You know I’m right,” Jenkins answered. “I saw you with them. I

saw how he pushes you around and forces you to care for pups that
are not yours. You deserve better.”

“You stalked me?” Daniel cried.
“I was merely watching out for you,” Jenkins protested. “Daniel,

you shouldn’t have to be forced to share a wolf’s bed or to visit his
family. It’s not right.”

Soren growled lowly. “You were at the party, spying, weren’t

you? My father told me he sensed someone that day.”

The doctor didn’t deny it, and Daniel grew even more shocked.

“But…why?”

“He wants you for himself,” Soren replied in the medic’s stead.

Soren squeezed Dr. Jenkins’s windpipe so hard the man began to turn
purple. “And now tell me, what was your plan? To have us blame
Dani for what happened and push him away? Was that it?”

Scarlet Hyacinth

The expression on the medic’s face told Daniel everything he

needed to know. Shocked and disgusted, he backed away from the
man and sat on the couch. He suddenly had trouble breathing. He’d
trusted Perry Jenkins. He thought the other squirrel was his friend. All
his life, he’d considered Jenkins a man of great worth.

A few moments later, Soren was by his side, hugging him. The

incipient fit passed as quickly as it appeared. “He almost died,
Jenkins.” Daniel heard Soren growl. “How’s that for taking care of
him?”

Daniel looked at his doctor—former doctor, since there was no

way he’d trust Jenkins with his health now. He half expected the other
squirrel to take off running, but Perry didn’t. Instead, the man made
his way to the couch on shaky legs. “Dani… It’s not what you think. I
never wanted her to die. I never wanted anyone to die. I just hoped to
get you out of there. That environment is toxic for you.”

Daniel didn’t know how he found his words. The guilt smothered

him, and he pushed it back to stare at Jenkins. “How could you not
expect that? Those men came there to kill. I know it. I fought them to
save the pups. Do you have any idea what it felt like, to see my friend
die and be helpless to save her? To have her kids, my kids, threatened
to be killed as well?”

Jenkins looked away. “It was supposed to be just a scare,

something to put the wolves off and make you come back to us,” he
said softly. “But I couldn’t very well do it myself and…I got involved
with the wrong people.”

All of a sudden, Daniel remembered those black-clad men. They

hadn’t been squirrels, no. He guessed Jenkins must have hired them.
But even if they were just muscle, they needed to pay for what they’d
done. Not only that, but Daniel had a feeling their loyalty did not lay
with Perry Jenkins.

“Who are they, Perry?” he asked softly. “What did you do?”
“I went to this club.” Jenkins swallowed and took off his glasses

to wipe them again. When he put them back, he began to speak in a

The Love He Squirreled Away

rush. “Asking around, I found out who would be interested in giving a
pack of werewolves a little scare. This guy agreed to meet me. He’s a
sea creature of sorts, but I’m not sure what exactly. Anyway, he’d
have gone through with the plan, but then…” He paused and turned to
look at Soren. “But then he saw you.”

Soren looked distinctly taken aback. “Me? What do I have to do

with this?”

“Everything,” Jenkins spat. “For whatever reason, the guy became

infatuated with you. He wanted everyone close to you out of the
way.” His eyes met Daniel’s once again. “The only promise I
managed to extract was to keep you out of it, to leave you unharmed.
By that point, we’d already agreed to do business, so he went along
with it. It seems his family has a thing with keeping promises.”
Jennings sighed. “I swear, Dani, if I’d known what would happen, I’d
have never acted like that.”

Daniel ignored the latter comment. Perry’s entire plan had so

many flaws Daniel didn’t even bother to point them out. After all, if
not for his mating link with Soren, the wolves might have truly
followed through with the idea that Daniel endangered the pups and
hurt Carlie. Daniel would most likely have been injured as well. “So
because of you, there’s some crazy assassin obsessed with Soren out
there intent on getting rid of everyone close to him.” Anger coursed
through him as he spoke. “And when exactly did you intend to tell us
this? It’s obvious that since Soren and I are still together, he’ll try
again. Perhaps he’ll even succeed. Have you thought about that? Do
you even care?”

“All you have to do is leave the wolf, and you’ll be fine,” Jenkins

said hastily.

Daniel could no longer bring himself to reply. “What’s this man’s

name?” he asked.

“I’m not sure.” Daniel could have kicked Jenkins when he heard

the answer. “He called himself Cunning.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

“Cunning,” Soren repeated. “Great, that’s really helpful,” he said

sarcastically. “And the club? Where did you go to meet this guy?”

“A place named The Grinder.”
“I know it.” Soren grimaced in obvious distaste. “It’s a hangout

for the most ruthless of carnivores. I’m surprised you even came out
of there alive.”

“Perhaps it would have been better if I hadn’t,” Jenkins muttered

mournfully.

Soren grabbed the man and shook him. “Stop feeling sorry for

yourself. You don’t deserve it. Now, listen up. You won’t mention
this conversation to anyone. If this Cunning person contacts you, just
say that we came to visit, but we didn’t mention anything other than
Dani’s state of health. Got that?”

Jenkins nodded, eyes wide. Undeterred, Soren continued, “Don’t

even think you’re getting away with this. You are going to be
punished for Carlie’s death. Don’t make your situation worse by
trying to escape.”

The doctor looked away from them. “I won’t. You have my

word.”

Daniel found in dismay that, despite the entire situation, he

believed the other squirrel. It was time to leave because otherwise
he’d break down completely.

He got up, fully intending to leave now that they had their answer.

He changed his mind at the last minute. “I’ll be finding a new doctor
immediately,” he told Jenkins. “If you could please hand over my
files, I’d be much obliged.”

Impossibly, the doctor paled even further. “I…uh…I don’t exactly

have them here.”

Daniel scowled, smelling the lie. How could his files not be in the

clinic? Soren must have realized it as well, as he forced Jenkins to sit
down and started typing on Jenkins’ computer. “What’s the
password?” he asked.

The Love He Squirreled Away

Jenkins stubbornly remained quiet, and Daniel gave him a stern

look. “Please, Perry. Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”

The other squirrel shook his head, but Soren didn’t seem too put

out by the fact. He continued to type away. “How hard can it be to
guess it?” he told Daniel through their bond.

Moments later, he snorted and directed an ugly look at Jenkins.

“Seriously? DanielPerry? That’s your password?”

The man’s face flushed, but he didn’t speak a word. Shaking his

head, Daniel joined his mate next to the desk. Soren was logging into
the database with patient files and easily found Daniel’s. Daniel gaped
at the data that showed on the screen.

“You drugged me?” he shouted at Perry. “That’s why I kept

feeling worse?”

“I was trying to do the best thing for you,” Jenkins shouted back.
The man clearly had issues, so Daniel didn’t bother with him

anymore. Soren, however, wasn’t so easily pacified. He stalked to the
doctor’s side and head-butted him hard. Daniel didn’t feel
comfortable with that and was thankful when Soren didn’t hurt
Jenkins further. He focused on the file and read through his medical
history.

It seemed that, like Jenkins had told him, there was nothing wrong

with him physically. However, what Daniel hadn’t known was that
the pills supposedly meant to control his psychosomatic disorder were
actually the ones causing it. It was right there, written in black and
white. The medication had been modified without Daniel’s
knowledge, which was the reason of the worsening of his condition.

“Why, Perry? Why?”
The other squirrel didn’t reply. Daniel couldn’t stand a single

second more. He fled the room, shaken, feeling lost and betrayed.
Moments later, Soren followed. They both remained silent as they left
the clinic, too apprehensive to speak out loud. However, in Daniel’s
mind, Soren’s voice emerged, gentle and soothing. “It’s going to be
all right, Dani. At least we know what happened now.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

Daniel supposed that was true, although his former-doctor’s story

concerned him greatly. “Do you know anything else about that club?”
he asked as they reached the car. He wanted to focus on anything that
wasn’t his medical file.

Soren opened the car and got in. Daniel followed his example, and

Soren drove off. “I haven’t been there,” Soren said when they were a
good distance away from the clinic. “Like I said, it’s got a bad rep,
and wolves generally avoid it. I don’t have much contact with that
layer of the paranormal world. Living away from the city has
advantages and disadvantages.”

Before Daniel could answer, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

Daniel retrieved it, half suspecting it might be a member of his
family. The name on the display said Skylar Pierce.

Daniel sighed. He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised the man had

found out about his problems. Skylar kept in close contact to both
Shiloh and Carson, and Carson couldn’t lie to save his life.

“Take the call,” Soren urged him. “He’s trustworthy, right?”
Daniel agreed with his mate. Truth be told, they didn’t know

much about Skylar beyond his work for the adoption agency, not even
the type of shifter he was. However, that hadn’t stopped them from
becoming friends.

He pressed accept on his phone and greeted Skylar with more

cheerfulness than he felt. “Hello, Skylar. How have you been?”

“You tell me,” came the reply. “How come Carson’s babysitting

for you and Soren?”

Daniel considered claiming a romantic getaway, but if Skylar had

called, the man must know something he wasn’t saying. Skylar
always had a knack for guessing things he shouldn’t have been aware
of. “There’s been some trouble in the pack. Soren and I are
investigating the issue and trying to come up with a solution.”

“Anything I can help with?” Skylar asked.

The Love He Squirreled Away

Daniel hesitated then went along with his first instinct.

“Actually…Do you know anything about a place called The
Grinder?”

There was a pause at the other end of the connection. “I’ve heard

of it. It’s bad news, though, so I try to ignore it. Why?”

“We’ve traced our problem to that place. Do you by any chance

know how to get inside?”

This time, Skylar didn’t hesitate. “I don’t. Garth might be more

familiar with it, though. Want me to ask him?”

Daniel remembered Garth was a friend and coworker of Skylar’s.

He’d never actually met the guy. Nicolas remained quite jumpy
around carnivores, and Skylar respected that desire. Empathizing with
his friend, they’d decided to momentarily stay away from Skylar’s
feline friend. Given their reluctance to meet up with Garth before,
Daniel doubted the man would jump to assist them. “Would he be
willing to help?”

“Well, I won’t know until I ask.” Skylar’s voice lowered. “Look,

I’m not sure what you’re hiding, but trust me, Dani. I can help.”

Daniel bit his lip, not feeling very open right then and there. Hell,

he’d just been betrayed by a man he’d considered a close friend for
years. “All right,” he finally said. “Perhaps we could meet up at
Nico’s?”

“I’ll make arrangements with him and call you back,” Skylar said.

“Take care of yourself, okay, Dani?”

“Thank you, Skylar. You, too.”
With that, Daniel ended the call and turned to his mate. “Perhaps

they can help us,” he said.

“I certainly hope so, baby,” his mate replied. “I certainly hope so.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

Chapter Eight

Soren watched his mate and Nicolas and suppressed a smile. It

was nice to see Daniel relax a bit after all the stress he’d been
through. Spending time with Daniel’s family hadn’t helped—Soren
and Daniel were still keeping Carlie’s death a secret—so for a little
while, they’d turned this visit into something more than information
collecting.

Nicolas offered him a small smile as he carried a plate of snacks

to the table. Soren could tell the hummingbird still felt a bit doubtful
of him, but for Daniel’s sake, he was trying. Those meaty appetizers
were clear evidence of the fact.

“You shouldn’t have done this,” Soren said. “We do appreciate

your hospitality a lot.”

“It’s the least I could do,” Nicolas said. The hummingbird had

been quite dismayed upon finding out the gun gifted by him caused
such trouble in the pack. “And besides, it’s high time I got used to
carnivores. All my friends seem to be getting mated to them.”

“Are you sure you don’t need any assistance?” Daniel asked,

fidgeting nervously. His friend shook his head and headed back into
the kitchen.

“That’s fine,” Nicolas answered. “I can handle it.”
All of a sudden, Soren felt the slightly unsettling sensation of

another predator approaching. His mate and Nicolas must have sensed
it as well. Nicolas emerged from the kitchen and placed another plate
of snacks on the table. He was moving so fast it made Soren’s head
spin, but he supposed that speed was to be expected from a
hummingbird.

The Love He Squirreled Away

The door bell rang, and in a blur, Nicolas went to let his guests in.

Soren got up and, together with his mate, went to join the
hummingbird. They reached the foyer just as Nicolas was opening the
door.

“Hi, Nico, Dani,” Skylar Pierce said.
The three greeted each other, and Soren suppressed his own

possessiveness when Skylar touched Daniel. At this point, he had a lot
of practice in this frustrating endeavor. These were Daniel’s friends,
so he needed to keep himself in check.

As Skylar hugged Nicolas, though, Soren actually thought he

heard a growl. He directed his attention toward the second man who
entered the hummingbird’s home.

Garth Mckenna was a big, blond man, although his size didn’t

quite reach Soren’s. Soren discounted lions and other bigger cat-
shifters as Garth’s species. That didn’t make the situation any less
interesting. Garth gave Nicolas a look Soren was quite familiar with.
He’d seen it in Brody and in Liam, too. If Nicolas wasn’t Garth’s
mate, Soren would eat his own shoe.

Skylar seemed startled by the sound. “Where are my manners?

Garth, I’d like to introduce you to Nicolas Shields, Daniel Gardner-
Boyd, and his mate, Soren Wade. Everyone, this is my friend, Garth
Mckenna.”

“A pleasure to meet you.” Nicolas smiled and turned into the

perfect host. “Please come in.”

“Thank you,” Garth replied. “I’m glad to meet you, too.”
The answer sounded perfectly polite, but Soren could tell how

tense the man was. He couldn’t blame Garth. Nicolas might be
making an effort to open up to his friends’ mates, but from that to
actually mating a carnivore was a long way. However, for Soren, this
could be a good thing. Garth was more likely to remain loyal to them
with Nicolas around.

“Did Skylar mention our problem?” Daniel asked as they went to

the living room.

Scarlet Hyacinth

Garth blinked at Daniel, and Soren hid a smile when he realized

the feline had completely forgotten about the reason of this visit. “He
said a few things, but not specifically. Why would you want to go to
The Grinder?”

At the question, Soren went all business. They sat down on

couches and armchairs, and he began to explain the situation. At first,
he tested the grounds a bit, just to make sure he could trust Garth. He
couldn’t delay for too long, though, so in the end, he told the group all
about Carlie’s death, the attack on pack lands, and Perry Jenkins’s
involvement. “We don’t really know if he even told us the truth,”
Daniel added, “but I’m inclined to believe that he did. He’s a squirrel,
after all. We’re not killers. Even if he could have planned an
assassination, he wouldn’t have the ability to actually do it himself.
And those men I saw were no squirrels.”

Garth seemed thoughtful. “Well, I can assure you he was, indeed,

involved with someone nasty. That “Cunning” person reminds me of
someone I know. The Cunningham family is actually quite famous in
the paranormal underground. If you want an equivalent, think mafia.”

Daniel paled, and Soren reached for his mate’s hand. “Mafia?” he

asked. “What exactly are these people?”

“The heads of the family are sharks,” Garth answered. “They have

many employed in their service. Most of them are aquatic creatures,
squids, eels, even some crocodiles.”

“You seem to know a lot about this,” Nicolas commented.
Garth suddenly looked more nervous than Soren would have ever

expected he could get. “I–I might have worked for them once upon a
time.”

Silence. Everybody stared at Garth is shock. “You worked for the

mafia?” Skylar finally asked.

“It was a long time ago, before I even came into contact with the

agency. I’m free of it now.”

“How is that even possible?” Soren scowled. “I thought you didn’t

get out of those things so easily.”

The Love He Squirreled Away

“I suppose you could say I had friends in high places. I did some

favors for the right people, and in exchange, the persons—or rather,
the person—in question got me out.”

Skylar still seemed shocked, while Nicolas’s willingness to

compromise had melted into renewed apprehension. For whatever
reason, though, it was the hummingbird who spoke first. “Okay. So
can you help Dani figure out who hurt his friend?”

“I can try.” Garth hesitated. “Mind you, I haven’t talked to this

guy in years, so he might tell me to go fuck myself.”

“Call him,” Soren urged. “If you can at least find out exactly who

killed my beta, that’s going to be something.”

Garth nodded and got up. For a few moments, he seemed to

hesitate. Soren gathered he’d have preferred to be in private for the
call.

The feline stole a look at Nicolas and seemed to make a decision.

He retrieved his cell phone and dialed an unseen phone number. After
a few moments, the person on the other side answered. Courtesy of
his werewolf senses, Soren heard both sides of the conversation.

“Well, well. If it isn’t Garth McKenna, as I live and breathe.”

Garth’s supposed friend chuckled. “This is a surprise.”

“Hello, Byron. How have you been?”
The man—Byron—made of sound of discontent. “Same old, same

old. So, are you going to tell me why you called? And who else is
there with you? I can hear them breathing.”

Soren gaped. What kind of senses did the famous Byron have that

he could distinguish the breathing of people from the normal static
across a phone line?

“Actually, Byron, I need a favor, for a friend of Skylar Pierce.”
Byron chuckled. “Ah, yes…The Pierce family. They’re always so

troublesome. What’s this about?”

“Do you have any idea if your brother is involved in any job right

now?” Garth asked.

100

Scarlet Hyacinth

“I’m not his keeper.” Byron sounded irritated now. “You know

that as well as I do.”

“Yes, well, from what I’m told, he might have attacked a pack of

werewolves, killed the beta, burned their forest down, and attempted
to assassinate the Alpha’s pups.”

“That sounds like something he would do.” Byron sighed.

“Jesus… Heathcliff is going to be the death of me. Is the Alpha of the
pack there?”

Garth wordlessly handed the cell phone to Soren. “Soren Wade

here.”

“Mr. Wade, this is Byron Cunningham. I understand you might

have a problem with my brother.”

“We aren’t absolutely certain, but it seems so, yes.”
Byron hummed thoughtfully. “Well, if you’re not certain, why

should I help you? Your dead bodies aren’t any of my business.”

Anger assaulted Soren. “Perhaps you’ll make it your business

when I bring up the issue with the werewolf elder and all the packs of
the country will be out to get you.”

It wasn’t entirely a bluff. This man’s brother had attacked the

heirs of the entire werewolf nation. Soren’s people took that kind of
thing very seriously.

“You’ve got guts, Mr. Wade, I’ll give you that.” Byron chuckled

darkly. “Fine. I’ll deal with this. Meet me tomorrow at The Grinder.
You’ll have what you’re looking for.”

Soren opened his mouth to offer a reply, perhaps a word of

thanks, but he didn’t get the chance. Byron ended the call without
another word of good-bye, leaving Soren frustrated and confused.

“I suppose we’ll find out what he meant by that tomorrow,”

Daniel said.

Soren arched a brow at his mate. “We? No, baby. You’re only

coming to The Grinder over my dead body.”

Daniel looked like he wanted to protest, but Nicolas stopped him.

“Dani, I hate to say it, but he’s right. It’s too dangerous.”

The Love He Squirreled Away

101

“If it makes you feel better, I’ll go with him,” Garth offered.
“You have my thanks, Garth.” Daniel smiled, although his unease

invaded his bond with Soren. “I’m relying on you.”

Soren pulled his mate close, hating the way Daniel rubbed his

chest. He would solve this issue and then take care of his mate like he
deserved. It was high time they started their lives together with no
involvement from any outsiders. Just Soren, Daniel, and their kids.
That was his dream, and he’d do anything to make it happen.

They lingered for a while longer with Daniel’s friend, then the

small gathering scattered. They all said their good-byes and agreed to
meet up at Nicolas’s home the next morning. Soren felt a bit amused
when he realized Garth stayed behind, supposedly to “talk” to
Nicolas.

At last, Soren, Daniel, and Skylar headed out. After they exited

the building, they went their separate ways, and Soren and Daniel
were left alone once again.

Soren didn’t ask any questions or make any comments. He

wordlessly gestured his mate into the car and got in as well. Once
they were both safely buckled in, Soren started the far-too-long trip to
the hotel.

As he drove, his mind went back to Garth’s story and Perry

Jenkins’s explanation. Soren had never once heard of a Heathcliff
Cunningham. The thought that this man, a man he did not know, was
killing people because of an obsession with Soren hurt him to the
core.

It was quite late by the time they reached their destination.

Different worries shrouded both their minds, polluting their
connection. As soon as they entered their room, Daniel picked up the
phone and dialed Carson.

Soren couldn’t help but smile as he watched his mate talk to

Carson about their kids. It did wonders for his mood to see Daniel so
invested in their care, so loving with them. He knew that even if the

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kids had lost the affection of a mother, they would never lack a warm
embrace or a kind word.

Soren’s well-developed hearing allowed him to hear what Carson

was saying as well. “The kids are fine,” Carson assured them. “You
know Angel and Clark love them to bits. You don’t have to worry
about a thing.”

“I can’t thank you enough, Carson,” Daniel answered. He paused

and sighed. Soren immediately went to him and wrapped his arms
around his mate’s waist, kissing his nape.

“Come on, baby,” he whispered through their bond. “Say good-

bye.”

“I have to go,” Daniel obediently told Carson. “I’ll talk to you

tomorrow, all right?”

“Sure, Dani. Take care, okay? And keep us posted.”
Daniel ended the call and threw his phone down on the couch. He

turned in Soren’s embrace and buried his face in Soren’s chest. “Is it
horrible that I want you so much right now?”

“It’s not horrible, Dani.” Soren hugged his mate tighter. “I want

you, too.”

Soren broke the embrace and took Daniel in his arms. He walked

them to the bed and placed his mate down on the four-poster. He was
momentarily left dumbstruck when Daniel looked up at him, his
honey-brown eyes conveying so much trust and love it almost made
Soren keel over. He forced himself to get over his awe and joined his
mate on the mattress.

Ever so slowly, Soren began to disrobe Daniel. The first items of

clothing that disappeared were the shoes and the socks. Soren
massaged his mate’s feet, grinning smugly when his mate released a
satisfied chirp. With every moment that passed, Daniel seemed to
melt into the mattress, relaxing under Soren’s ministrations.

Encouraged, Soren allowed his hands to cover Daniel’s body. He

undid the buttons of the other man’s pants, keeping his touch light so

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103

as not to startle the skittish squirrel. Daniel surprised him when he
shimmied out of the slacks, helping Soren to reveal his nakedness.

But even with Daniel’s obvious willingness, Soren was still

reluctant to hasten things. When he got rid of Daniel’s pants, he
directed his attention to the shirt. At an excruciatingly slow pace, he
undid every button of the garment. He pressed gentle kisses over each
inch of creamy skin he revealed, being more thorough than he’d ever
had the patience to be. In the past, their passion turned their couplings
far too rushed, and even if they did choose to take it slow from time to
time, it was never quite like this.

Finally, he had his mate nearly naked under him. The only thing

Daniel wore now were his white, simple briefs. A spot of wetness was
already forming on them where Daniel’s pre-cum moistened the
material. On impulse, Soren licked down Daniel’s chest until he
reached his mate’s still-clothed cock. He mouthed his mate’s prick
through the cloth, taking in the taste so distinctly Daniel.

The beast inside him was fully awake now, but it didn’t make any

demands. Even if Soren desperately wanted to be inside Daniel, to
feel that sweet, tight ass squeeze him, he could wait. Hell, Soren
hadn’t even taken his clothes off. He wanted to make this last, to
create a world just for them where all else ceased to matter.

Daniel moaned as Soren worked his briefs off. The squirrel’s

naked prick nearly hit Soren in the face when he released it from its
confines. Chuckling to himself, Soren gripped his mate’s hot cock in
his fist and pumped it slowly.

“Soren,” Daniel whispered, “please.”
Through their bond, Soren felt Daniel’s need echoing his own. He

knew how much his mate needed to be taken, marked, and claimed.
His control was slipping, and he allowed himself to take what he’d
wanted for the entire day.

He lowered his body over Daniel’s and crushed their mouths

together. Daniel’s lips immediately parted, and Soren took advantage
of the provided occasion to thrust his tongue inside. The need melted

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into lazy desire, and Soren explored Daniel’s slick cavern,
reacquainting himself with his mate’s taste.

The kiss seemed to go on and on, but Soren didn’t forget for a

single second his grip on Daniel’s cock. He continued his slow
massage of his mate’s dick, at the same time caressing Daniel’s
tongue with his own.

When they broke apart to breathe, Daniel’s eyes had gone almost

black with passion. “Fuck me, Soren. I need you.”

Soren shook his head. “I won’t fuck you. I’ll make love to you.”
Tears gathered at the corner of Daniel’s eyes. Daniel tried to look

away, and Soren could feel the slight shame at being caught crying.
For whatever reason, his mate always feared being a burden, and the
problem with Dr. Jenkins had only brought those feelings to the
forefront of his mind. To a certain extent, Soren was glad Jenkins had
only been half responsible for Carlie’s death, and the man who
ordered her assassination had a sick crush on him, not Daniel.

Soren pushed those thoughts aside and reached for his mate’s

cheeks to brush the tears away. “No more crying, not tonight. Tonight
is for us, all right, baby?”

Daniel nodded. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them

again, moments later, renewed resolve shone inside them. “For us,”
he repeated.

Satisfied with his mate’s agreement, Soren pressed a light kiss to

his mate’s lips. This time, though, he didn’t linger. Instead, he slipped
from Daniel’s sweet mouth over his neck, sucking on the delicate
skin, tracing the collarbone with his tongue. Daniel arched against
him, demanding more, and as always, Soren couldn’t deny him.
Lower he went, until he reached Daniel’s pert nipples. He suckled on
the tight nubs like a pup would to his mother’s teat, alternating from
the right to the left, giving each his full attention. He couldn’t resist
on offering a hint of fang, but Daniel didn’t seem to mind. Soren
wasn’t surprised. He knew his squirrel liked a little pain with his
pleasure.

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105

From there, it came as a natural progression to advance toward

Daniel’s genitals. As he returned to Daniel’s cock, his mate spread his
legs wide, offering himself to Soren like a pagan sacrifice. Soren
couldn’t resist. He took Daniel’s cock in his mouth, swallowing the
hard prick down in one single motion. Daniel was a perfect fit for
him, and in the past months, Soren had learned everything his mate
enjoyed. He began to bob his head up and down the shaft, allowing
his greed to morph into smooth, slow sucks. Over and over, he licked
and tortured his mate until he had Daniel writhing in the bed under
him.

“God, Soren… Please. I can’t… Oh, God.”
Soren reached between Daniel’s legs and rubbed at his mate’s

clenching hole with a dry finger. He couldn’t help a groan as Daniel’s
body seemed to try to drag him in. His cock throbbed with need, and
he didn’t think he could drag this on for much longer. He actually
risked coming without even getting inside Daniel.

Daniel let out a choked chirp, Soren’s groan adding to the

sensation he experienced. It was the strangest thing, and Soren always
felt amazed at the extent of their connection. Even now, Soren sensed
the pleasure coursing through Daniel, the pleasure he himself caused.
He knew that once he brought their bodies together, it would only
grow more intense.

With that thought in mind, he released Daniel’s prick with a wet

pop. He reached for the nightstand, where, in a bout of optimism, he’d
earlier stashed a tube of lubricant. With trembling hands, he retrieved
the lube and uncapped it.

Daniel held his legs high, opening himself up for Soren’s touch.

Soren nearly swallowed his tongue at the sight of his mate’s quivering
hole. He cursed as he dropped the open tube on the bed. His fumbling
motions drew a breathless laughter from his mate. “I think I’m both
flattered and disgruntled,” the squirrel said. “Hurry along now.”

Daniel’s lighthearted comment made Soren grin fondly. “Brat.”

He snatched the lube again and poured a generous amount on his

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fingers. He must be doing something wrong if his mate was still
coherent. No matter. He had a quick fix for that.

Holding Daniel’s gaze, Soren inserted a finger inside Daniel’s

anus. Just like before, Daniel’s body greedily took him in. Daniel
threw his head back, exposing the pale column of his neck, all
cheekiness forgotten. “More, Soren.”

Soren obediently added another finger. Daniel’s passage stretched

to accommodate the two invading digits, and without being asked to,
Soren added the third one, scissoring them gently to prepare his mate.
Of course, he had another purpose whenever he touched his mate like
this. He grinned when his mate chirp-screamed in pleasure and
massaged Daniel’s special spot, reveling in the sweet sounds his mate
was making.

But each and every one of those addicting noises went straight to

Soren’s cock. His clothing choked him, and he was sure that, by now,
he had permanent zipper prints on his prick. He needed to be inside
his mate so much it hurt, and he wouldn’t be able to stand any more
delays.

Soren thrust his fingers a few more times in and out of Daniel’s

anus, then retracted them. With slippery hands, he tore at his clothing,
uncaring of the state of his garments. They’d probably be ruined, but
whatever. He couldn’t care less.

At last, he got naked and skin to skin with his sweet mate.

Without waiting one single second, he positioned his prick at Daniel’s
opening and pushed. A different time, he might have simply thrust in,
the passion too much for him to hold back. Now, however, a sense of
rightness helped him go slow, and he slid home inch by tortuous inch,
never once breaking eye contact with Daniel.

His mate wrapped his legs around Soren in an iron-like vise. The

need to impale himself on Soren’s prick went deep within the squirrel,
so deep Soren could feel it as if it were his own. And yet Daniel
remained still, allowing Soren to set the rhythm. He bit his lip, a
gesture both familiar and endearing, and Soren surrendered to the

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107

need to nibble on that abused flesh. He pressed his lips to Daniel’s
once more while working his cock inside Daniel’s anus.

Their tongues tangled, at first as lazily as before. When, at last,

Soren fully became embedded inside Daniel’s sweet ass, he stilled, in
awe with how united he felt with his mate. From then on, it all
became a blur. The kiss grew more and more passionate as Soren
pulled out of his mate and pushed back in, always aiming for his
mate’s prostate. Daniel’s fingernails buried in his flesh, and the ache
aroused the beast inside Soren to an almost unbearable extent.

It wasn’t even about the sex, but more about the comfort, the need

to feel each other after an excruciating couple of days. They hadn’t
made love since before Carlie’s death. With the doubts still looming
over Daniel’s head, Carlie’s funeral, their concern over who ordered
the attack and, overall, the general chaos of the situation, they simply
hadn’t found the time. But now more than ever, Soren needed it. He
needed to reassert his claim over Daniel, to make sure his mate was
truly there by his side.

On and on it went, combined chirps and growls rising around

them in a symphony of pleasure. At one point, their kiss broke, and
Soren hastened the pace of his motions. They knew each other so
well, and effortlessly fell into a rhythm, the rhythm of their heartbeats
beating in unison.

All too soon, Soren felt his orgasm sizzling at the bottom of his

spine. His balls ached with the need to come, and the beast within
howled, demanding that he take what was his. His fangs dropped, and
he gave Daniel a look, silently asking for permission. He always did,
even if the inevitable answer was the same. Indeed, Daniel tilted his
head, offering himself submissively, and Soren couldn’t resist. He
buried his fangs in his mate’s delicious flesh, groaning when the lush,
rich blood invaded his mind.

For a brief moment, a thousand sensations mixed within Soren.

Ecstasy soared through him at his mate’s flavor hit his taste buds, and
with one last thrust, he emptied his seed inside Daniel’s hole. Daniel’s

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ass squeezed him, draining him of every drop of cum, and heat
splashed against Soren’s belly as Daniel climaxed, too. At the same
time, though, shapeless emotions rose in Soren’s heart, need, hope,
love, desire, and yes, fear. Soren couldn’t even tell which ones were
his and which Daniel’s. He didn’t know where he ended and his mate
began. They were one.

They floated on the haze of the mind-numbing orgasm for the

longest time. When he came to his senses, Soren found that he’d
collapsed on the bed next to Daniel, with his mate spooned by his
side. He couldn’t be sure how they’d managed it, but Soren’s cock
still hadn’t left Daniel’s body.

Soren smiled and kissed his love’s shoulder. There were no words

in moments such as these, no words to express how he felt. The only
thing he knew was that he’d do anything to protect these feelings and
the man who’d taught them to him.

* * * *

In a coffee shop outside the Venere hotel, Heathcliff Cunningham

sipped a cup of black java without really tasting it. His mind was
focused on the establishment across the street where Soren, his Soren,
was staying with the whore of a squirrel.

It seemed that Soren had not believed his slut capable of

assassinating that bitch Carlie. Heathcliff surmised it was only a
matter of time until the real identity of the killer was discovered, if
they didn’t already know. Heathcliff had not expected Daniel to be an
acquaintance of Garth Mckenna.

Shrugging, Heathcliff finished his coffee and placed a bill on the

table. Perhaps it was better this way. Garth no longer had Byron’s
protection, and Heathcliff was no longer bound by any promise. Not
that it mattered. The damn lynx had been a thorn in his side for too
long. Heathcliff snickered as he imagined taking out two birds with
one stone. He couldn’t wait.

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Perhaps after hooking up with Soren, he could take out Byron as

well. Then he’d be able to lead the family the way he wanted to. No
more making nice with idiots and keeping promises that weren’t
meant to be kept. Sharks were supposed to take what they wanted.
Who cared about the rest?

He could still remember the first time he’d seen Soren Wade. His

men had brought him a photograph of the werewolf, taken for their
current job. Immediately, Heathcliff had known he wanted the wolf
for himself, and that feeling only grew when he’d seen Soren with his
own eyes.

So many weeks, he’d watched Soren lavish his attention on that

undeserving, pathetic squirrel. Even Carlie Denning had received
Soren’s affection. But Heathcliff had gotten rid of her, and he’d do
the same with Daniel.

He left the coffee shop in an excellent mood. Stealing a look at the

hotel, he smirked. Enjoy your night, little squirrel. It’s the last one
you’re going to get.

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Chapter Nine

Daniel bit on his fingernails and stared at the clock on the wall.

His vision was momentarily blurred when Nicolas passed by in a
flurry of activity. The hummingbird seemed as nervous as Daniel felt,
and for a good reason. Soren and Garth had left to meet up with the
mysterious Byron Cunningham. Daniel didn’t know why, but ever
since his mate had gone, he’d been getting more and more anxious. It
was like that awful day when he’d watched Carlie die, only worse.
Daniel knew if something happened to his mate, he would never
survive it.

“They’ll be fine,” Skylar said soothingly as he poured Daniel

some tea. “They can take care of themselves. Do you need anything
else?”

Daniel shook his head. Skylar had been extremely generous in

allowing Daniel and Nicolas to stay in his house until the whole thing
blew over. Since Soren needed to go meet with Byron, and Garth
joined him, the two carnivores felt they needed someone to babysit
them. Skylar was, apparently, filthy rich and had a great number of
guards watching over him. The natural solution had been to come to
the Pierce mansion.

The huge house rivaled the Alpha compound on Soren’s pack

lands, and it felt very strange and unfamiliar to Daniel. Still, there
were a lot of photos and personal items around, and it made the
humongous building look more like a home than just a mansion.

“Hey,” Skylar added, “you have to trust Soren. He knows what

he’s doing.”

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Daniel knew his friend was right. More than Skylar’s words, it

was Daniel’s bond with Soren that kept him from losing it and
running to find his mate. He could feel the wolf in his head and knew
that for the moment, things were going well.

“Are they there yet?” Nicolas asked.
Daniel conveyed the question to Soren. His wolf sent a wave of

calm through their connection and answered, “Yes, we’re here in the
club. The bouncers just ushered us in. We’ve had no problems so
far.”

“Anyone giving you suspicious looks?”
“Not more than expected, I guess. Don’t worry, Dani. At this

hour, it’s almost empty, and no one is going to risk pissing that Byron
person off.”

Daniel agreed but didn’t know if Byron could be trusted in the

first place. With a sigh, he told Nicolas what his friend wanted to
know. Nicolas became a bit more pacified and plopped down on the
couch next to Daniel. He retrieved a small dagger and started playing
with it. “How long is this going to take, do you think?”

“Ideally, Garth’s acquaintance will deliver that Heathcliff person

on a silver platter. If that happens, they shouldn’t take too long.” He
didn’t mention things rarely worked out in an ideal way and instead
amused himself with wondering who in the hell had come up with the
names for the fierce mafia sharks.

Judging by the looks his two friends gave him, they were both

aware of the slim likelihood of a smooth resolution as well. Skylar
rubbed his eyes and sighed. “Give me a moment. I need to make a
phone call.”

Skylar retrieved his cell phone and dialed a number. “Hi, Gina.

How are things there?”

Because of his sharp hearing, Daniel had no trouble hearing the

reply.“Fine, Mr. Pierce. The children are a bit anxious but otherwise
all right,” the woman on the other said of the connection answered.
“Will you be coming in to see them?”

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“Maybe later,” Skylar replied. “Thank you for helping out.”
“It’s not a problem, sir,” she said. “I’m at your disposal.”
Skylar grimaced and, with a brief good-bye, ended the call. “Who

was that?” Daniel inquired, unable to help his curiosity.

“Someone from the agency. She babysits for Garth when I can’t.”

Skylar grumbled under his breath. “Not my first choice, really, but
Garth’s kids aren’t easy to deal with.”

“Garth has kids?” Nicolas asked, sounding surprised.
Skylar nodded. “Didn’t he mention it to you yesterday?”
Nicolas shook his head. “He didn’t stay long after you guys left.

He apologized and said he needed to get home but didn’t give me an
actual explanation.” Nicolas looked angry. “I guess I got my answer. I
can’t believe he’s married.”

“Oh, he’s not married,” Skylar piped up. “He’s a single dad. It’s a

very long story and not mine to tell, but seriously, Nico… If you like
him, go for it. He’s a good man.”

Daniel arched a brow. “Even if he used to be in the mafia?”
Skylar let out a laugh. “I’m still getting used to the thought, but

yes, even with that. He’s the same guy I knew. Besides, he didn’t
have to tell us about his past.”

“I suppose.” Nicolas still seemed doubtful. “I’ll give it some

thought.”

Their conversation was interrupted when a sense of impending

doom invaded Daniel. At first, he thought something had happened to
Soren, but then the sound of shouts and gunshots reached his ears.
Skylar went white and stole a peek out the window. “Fucking hell,
Dani. I can’t believe they dared to come here.”

Daniel experienced a feeling of complete déjà vu. He remembered

all too well how he’d been forced to face the people who’d killed
Carlie. His knees went weak as the sight of her dead eyes flashed
through his mind’s eye.

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113

His fear might have choked him or incapacitated him altogether

had Soren’s voice not cast away the fog of terror from his brain.
“Baby, what’s going on there?”

Daniel focused on breathing and looked out the window as well.

Black-clad men were appearing out of nowhere, fighting with the
Pierces’ guards. “We’re under attack. The same men that killed
Carlie, only more.”

Nicolas’s hand landed on his shoulder. “Come on, Dani. We have

to get out of here.”

Daniel turned toward his friends, their presence making him feel

better in the desperate situation. “Is there a back door to this place?”

Skylar nodded. “Let’s go. Hurry.”
He led them out of the receiving room they’d been waiting in,

through a long hallway that seemed to take thousands of twists and
turns. They stopped in front of an innocuous looking alcove. Skylar
pressed an unseen button, and a mechanism activated with an audible
click, revealing a hidden escape. “This house is very old,” he
explained. “It has dozens of passageways like this one. Follow behind
me and don’t make a sound.”

They rushed through the dark, damp halls, the sounds of the

battle outside still reaching their ears. The race seemed to take
forever, but at last, Skylar stopped in front of yet another
inconspicuous wall. To Daniel, it looked like all the others, but when
Skylar activated the mechanism hidden within it, it parted and
allowed the three men out.

It didn’t take long for Daniel to figure out where Skylar had taken

them. Tens of cars filled the area, from older models of famous
brands to newer sports cars build for speed. Skylar chose one of the
latter vehicles and gestured them inside. “Come on. Once they don’t
find us in the house, the garage is the first place they’ll look.”

As if Skylar’s words had drawn their enemies to them, two men

appeared in front of them, blocking their path. They weren’t wearing
masks this time, but even with that small difference, Daniel quickly

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recognized they belonged to the group who’d participated in the
attack on pack lands.

The bigger one grinned at Daniel. “This time you’re not getting

away, squirrel.”

It was the same man who’d set his sights on Daniel during their

fight. Daniel opened his mouth to answer, but he didn’t get the
chance. Two shots rang out, and neat bullet holes appeared in each of
the men’s foreheads. The black-clad attackers were dead before they
even hit the ground.

Daniel froze, but Nicolas’s voice snapped him out of his trance.

“Move, Dani. We don’t have time.”

In shock, Daniel turned toward his hummingbird friend. Nicolas

was holding a wicked-looking gun, one of the latest models the other
man had purchased. While Daniel’s gun had been sleeker and
slimmer, a weapon somewhat easier to deal with, Nicolas’s seemed
made for a professional killing.

“Jesus, Nico,” Daniel couldn’t help but gasp.
Skylar looked just as surprised, but the urgency of the situation

stopped them from addressing the issue. They all climbed into the
vehicle, and Skylar got behind the wheel.

“Ready?” he asked as he produced the keys and inserted them in

the ignition.

Both Nicolas and Daniel nodded. Skylar used the remote-control

system to open the garage doors, and they drove off just as a couple
more men entered the garage.

The sports car squealed through the driveway and past black-clad

men that tried to get in their way. Bullets wheezed past, narrowly
missing the car. Skylar drove so fast that in instants, they were out of
the Pierce estate and heading away from the mansion. But Daniel
knew better than to believe they were out of the woods.

Indeed, just as they were merging into traffic, several cars

appeared behind them. Daniel yelped when a bullet shattered the back
windshield of the expensive sports car.

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115

On the back seat, Nicolas turned and made short work of the

remnants of the window. With a precision that made Daniel wonder
as to how often the hummingbird got into shootouts, Nicolas emptied
the barrel of his gun, directing his attack at the tires of the pursuing
cars. He managed to dissuade two of the vehicles, but more and more
appeared out of nowhere.

Nicolas cursed as he replaced his empty clip. “At this rate, I’ll be

out of bullets in no time.”

“We need a plan,” Skylar said, guiding the car effortlessly, even at

the mind-numbing speed. He didn’t even blink when he engaged in an
illegal maneuver, bypassing three of the cars in front of them. Daniel
felt a bit dizzy. When had he fallen into a spy movie?

Thankfully, as always, Soren was there to comfort him. “Baby,

tell Skylar to head toward our hotel. We’ll be there as soon as we
can.”

“But won’t they be expecting that move?”
“They might,” Soren answered. “I’m hoping we’ll reach you

before them.”

Daniel didn’t have much choice. He told Skylar of Soren’s

message, and his friend expertly directed the car toward the hotel. As
they changed lanes, though, a bullet whizzed past Nicolas and hit
Skylar.

Skylar let out a scream that sounded like a cross between a shout

and a pop. It was the first time Daniel had heard his friend utter
anything remotely animalistic. In a brief flash, Daniel identified it.
Seahorse. His friend was a seahorse.

His mind focused on that knowledge and on not panicking. He

took hold of the wheel to prevent them from swerving away from the
road and flipping. There was so much blood, Christ, so much blood,
but Daniel knew he needed to be strong.

“Nico, help me. We need to stem the blood flow.”
With great effort, Daniel managed to change places with Skylar.

The seats of the sports car were mobile, and Daniel lowered it as far

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as it could go, giving Nicolas access to Skylar’s wound. After that, he
focused on the road, now more than ever thankful for Carson’s gift to
him.

“Hang on,” he told his friends as he buckled his seat belt. “It’s

going to be a rough ride.”

* * * *

Soren sped through the streets, terror coursing through his system.

For the second time in the past week, he was in danger of losing
Daniel. What kind of mate allowed his lover to be hurt like that? God,
he’d failed Daniel so abysmally.

Through their connection, he absorbed Daniel’s knowledge of

their predicament. “Jesus, they just shot Skylar,” he said.

By his side, Garth cursed. “I can’t believe this. I was sure Skylar’s

family home would be safe. What about Nicolas?”

“He’s not injured. So far, Skylar is the only one who got shot,”

Soren answered. “Still, it’s only a matter of time until they’re caught.
We need help, Garth.”

If he’d known this would happen, he’d have tried to bring his pack

members with him. He hadn’t actually believed they’d come into
contact with Carlie’s killers one day after the beginning of their
investigation in LA. He couldn’t even figure out how their
whereabouts had been discovered. There was only one idea that came
to him. Byron Cunningham must have betrayed them.

“We never should have asked you to call that man. He set those

men on Dani, Nico, and Skylar.”

Garth shook his head. “Byron wouldn’t do that. He promised to

help us. He wouldn’t break his word.”

Soren would have gotten angry at the comment, except the sound

of Garth’s ringtone interrupted their conversation. Garth took the call,
and Byron Cunnigham’s strong voice filled the car. “What’s going on,

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Garth? The guys at the club told me you took off like a hellhound was
on your heels.”

“Your brother attacked our mates. Skylar Pierce is injured,” Garth

replied. “Anything you’d like to share with the group?”

“If you’re insinuating I told Heathcliff something…”
“I’m not insinuating anything,” Garth snapped back. “Look,

Byron, we don’t have time.”

“We’re heading to Hotel Venere,” Soren said, knowing the shark

would hear him. He added the address, then said, “Help us if you can,
but know that if anything happens to Dani, I’m coming after you and
your family.”

Byron didn’t sound intimidated by the threat. “I’m coming your

way. Just stall them, all right?”

The shark hung up, and Soren was left wondering if Byron would

keep his word. It didn’t matter, though. Soren would die for Daniel, if
need be.

He hung onto the connection with Daniel, the sight of the road

blurring in front of his eyes. He was so focused on his mate’s mind
that from time to time, he thought he could see the path Daniel took
instead of his own.

Time seemed to take on a whole new meaning. Seconds turned

into hours and minutes into ages. Soren almost couldn’t believe it
when the hotel was in sight. He drove past it, following the instinct
that led him to his mate. He knew Daniel had been forced to make a
lot of twists and turns in an attempt to lose his pursuers but hadn’t
managed to shake them.

Soren knew the exact moment when a bullet tore apart a wheel

from Daniel’s car. He felt his mate’s panic spike, heard Daniel’s
mental scream. “Soren!”

After that, the images became a jumble until they stopped

altogether. “Dani!” Soren tried to reach out to his mate. “Dani, baby,
answer me.”

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No reply came. Soren didn’t know how he managed to keep his

composure. It must have been just the fact that he could still sense
Daniel, even if the man wasn’t answering to the mental call. Soren
surmised Daniel must have been knocked unconscious.

He didn’t have much time though. Even if the squirrel wasn’t

dead now, their enemies would fix that soon enough. Thankfully, in
their crazy flight, they’d cut the distance between them, so it didn’t
take Soren much longer to reach his destination.

His heart nearly stopped at the sight that greeted his eyes. Daniel’s

car lay tires-up, leaking fuel, a virtual time bomb. Any moment now,
it would blow up. Nicolas had managed to crawl out somehow and
was struggling to rescue Skylar. Soren couldn’t see Daniel, but he
knew his mate had to be stuck in the upper part of the car.

Soren stopped his own vehicle and, together with Garth, ran

toward Daniel and his friends. He wasn’t surprised when moments
later their attackers made their appearance. He ignored them and tried
to open the driver’s side door. The twisted metal refused to cooperate,
so Soren tore the thing out of its hinges.

He snatched his mate from inside and caught sight of Garth

helping Nicolas and Skylar. They rushed away and took cover just in
time. The sports car blew up, the scorching heat a dire reminder of
how close Soren had come to losing his mate.

From what Soren could tell, his mate’s injuries weren’t life-

threatening. Daniel’s propensity to always buckle his seat belt had
saved his life. For whatever reason, that part of the car had suffered
most from the accident, but his heartbeat was steady, and the
abrasions and scratches on his face were already healing.

Daniel cracked his eyes open, and their connection was flooded

with feeling once again. A quick assessment told Soren Daniel might
have broken ribs. He needed to get a doctor to see his mate. Daniel’s
previous condition could make this accident lethal.

“I’m okay,” Daniel whispered, having obviously caught on to the

thought. “You saved me.”

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119

Soren would have very much liked that to be the case. However,

he felt acutely aware of all the unfriendly eyes on them.

The sound of clapping hands drew his attention, and Soren looked

up to see a tall, dark-haired man approach. “How exciting. The knight
in shining armor comes to the rescue of his”—he paused and gave
Daniel a disdainful look—“maiden,” he finished. “I’m all aquiver.”

Soren glowered at the man guilty of Carlie’s death. “Back off if

you don’t want to die,” he said in a growl.

His opponent chuckled. “Please. Just look around yourself. You’re

completely surrounded and at my mercy.” He licked his lips. “I have
to say the situation has potential.”

Soren admitted the man had a point. “Who are you?” he asked. He

remembered Byron’s advice to stall. That was their only hope now, a
distant promise of a shark-shifter he didn’t trust. “What do you
want?”

“Oh, how rude of me. I haven’t introduced myself. Heathcliff

Cunningham, at your disposal.” His gaze went to Soren’s right, where
Garth was standing. “But of course, you already suspected that. Isn’t
that right, Garth?”

“You’ve gone too far, Heathcliff,” Garth shot back. “You

shouldn’t have messed with the werewolves. It will all blow up in
your face.”

Heathcliff just laughed. “And who is going to tell them? All I

have to do is blame it on that idiot squirrel.” His eyes shone with
amused madness. “Don’t worry, though. You won’t live to see it. My
brother is no longer here to save you.”

“You’re an idiot if you think he won’t find out.” Garth looked

around at the rest of the black-clad men. “Heathcliff is endangering
the family with this whim of his. The werewolves aren’t people who
should be crossed, and your boss will be furious.”

“Enough.” Heathcliff retrieved a gun and pointed it at Garth.

“You’ve spoken more than was your due. Now you die.”

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The situation was coming apart before Soren’s eyes. Even if his

main loyalty lay with Daniel, Soren didn’t want Garth to die. The man
had put his life on the line for them.

He could tell Nicolas wanted to do something to save his mate.

The hummingbird was kneeling at Garth’s feet, keeping pressure on
Skylar’s wound. His gun peeked out of the back of his jeans. They
were so close their limbs touched, and upon close inspection, Soren
realized Garth was trying to keep Nicolas from reaching for the
weapon.

Unfortunately, as much as he’d have liked to save Garth, Soren

admitted that an attack from Nicolas would only make things worse.
Stall, stall. How to stall?

“You still haven’t said what you want from us,” he heard himself

say.

By some miracle, Heathcliff allowed himself to be distracted. He

grinned at Soren. “Why, I want you, of course.”

Soren sheltered Daniel with his body as the shark approached

them. Heathcliff invaded Soren’s personal space and inhaled. “I
watched you,” the man whispered in his ear. “You’re a real man, a
predator, too good for this weak squirrel. You need someone stronger
to stand by your side. Think about it, Soren. You and me. We could
unite my family with the werewolf nation. We’d be unstoppable.”

The guy was nuttier than the peanut butter Daniel hated so much.

“I’m not sure that would work,” Soren said. “How would your family
take mating a man?”

The shark shrugged. “They won’t care. Besides, if anyone causes

me problems, I’ll just kill them. Like that little squirrel there.” He
released another laugh. “You know, it’s quite amusing. That idiot
Jenkins wanted to protect him so much, and now, I’m going to eat
him up. I hear squirrels make good stews.”

Anger and fear coursed through Soren. He could not argue with an

obvious psychopath, but he would not allow the shark to touch
Daniel.

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121

Before Heathcliff could add anything else, a sense of

overwhelming power flowed over Soren. He didn’t even know how
he felt it, with all the shape shifters in the area, but he did.
Heathcliff’s eyes widened, and every muscle in his body tensed. The
other men, his lackeys, began to show clear signs of fear. Garth just
looked relieved.

For a few moments, nobody moved. Soren remained motionless,

careful not to break the trance the group fell in. It occurred to him that
Heathcliff could have easily ordered their deaths by now, but
everyone seemed too engulfed in the approaching presence to even
consider it. They seemed to have forgotten about Soren and his
friends altogether.

At last, a huge, black car parked next to Soren’s. Its sheer size

made Soren arch a brow. “Do you think he’s compensating for
something?” Daniel’s small voice appeared in his mind.

The relief Soren felt upon hearing the cheeky comment almost

made him lose it right then and there. He could tell his mate struggled
to remain in his legged form, so as to prevent becoming more
vulnerable, and it made his heart squeeze in his chest. With his
attention focused on Daniel, he nearly missed the moment Byron
Cunningham left his car. Or rather, perhaps he would have missed it,
if not for the incredible power the man exuded.

Soren couldn’t help but gape as he stared at the man. “No, baby,”

he sent to Daniel in reply to the earlier comment. “I don’t think so.”

Byron was, for lack of a better word, humongous. He towered

over all the men in the area, even Soren, who was quite tall in his own
right. The material of his elegant suit strained against his bulging
muscles. Soren half expected the ground to shake as the man moved.

In an odd development, no such thing happened. There was barely

a shift in the air as Byron approached, as if the man somehow
managed to avoid the law of physics. In spite of his huge bulk, he
walked with grace and fluidity, the gait of a true predator.

“What’s going on here?” he asked in a low voice.

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To Soren’s surprise, Heathcliff found his voice. “Stay out of this,

brother. It’s none of your business.”

“I disagree,” Byron replied coldly. “In case you didn’t get the

memo, I lead the family. You have no right to order my men around.”

His gaze fell on Nicolas and Skylar. He walked to their side and

asked, “How is he?”

“How do you think?” Nicolas snapped back irritably. “He’s

bleeding heavily. He needs a doctor.”

Skylar chose that particular moment to open his eyes. Soren didn’t

know how much the other man remained aware of, but for a few
moments, Skylar stared straight at the imposing Byron. “Help us,” he
croaked out. After that, he simply went limp, and concern for Daniel’s
friend skyrocketed inside Soren.

The moment Byron looked away from Skylar, Soren could swear

the temperature dropped a few degrees. “Who did this?” he asked, his
voice almost a whisper.

No one answered. Heathcliff’s daring seemed to have disappeared

altogether. “Who did this?” Byron repeated, this time bellowing. The
stench of urine filled Soren’s nostrils as several of the men present
pissed themselves.

Their weakness drew Byron’s attention to them. “Was it you?”
The men in question began to shake their heads, but even Soren

could see through their denial. He also realized what Byron intended,
and he could only be thankful the man was on their side.

Soren pulled his mate to his chest and shielded his eyes. He didn’t

want Daniel to see what would follow. Daniel came to him and buried
his face in Soren’s shirt. Just in time, too, because moments later,
Byron attacked. Blood splattered all over the place as the huge man
practically ripped his underlings apart.

Nobody moved a muscle to aid the unfortunate men, not that

Soren could blame them. The rest of the group must be afraid of
sharing their companions’ fate. Soren couldn’t say he was fully
pleased. He’d have liked to know if those were the men who’d killed

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123

Carlie. From his connection with Daniel, he’d found out Nicolas had
killed two of them. He wondered if his mate could help him with that.

Having obviously heard the thought, Daniel whispered in Soren’s

mind, “Two of those guys who died were there at Carlie’s. One’s not
here.”

“Don’t strain yourself, Dani. We’ll find all of them. They’ll be

punished.”

Most importantly, they needed to deal with their chief, or rather,

the man who’d orchestrated this entire thing. With everyone
distracted by Byron’s display of power, Heathcliff could be easily
taken down.

Daniel slipped out of his arms and sat down, releasing Soren for

the purpose of what he was about to do. Without delaying one single
second, Soren shifted into his wolf form and lunged at Heathcliff. Still
focused on his brother, the shark went down under Soren’s onslaught.

The surprise didn’t last, and Heathcliff did his best to fight Soren.

But the shark couldn’t shift while on land, and he didn’t have the
advantage of Byron’s bulk. Soren managed to sink his fangs into
Heathcliff’s throat and was about to tear out the man’s jugular when a
strong arm landed on him.

“Stop,” Byron said simply. “He’d get away too easily if you kill

him, and I have a pending issue with him as well.”

It was the one argument that could have convinced Soren to back

down. He released Heathcliff from his hold and backed away. His
wolf wanted to tear Heathcliff to pieces but at the same time yearned
to be by Daniel’s side, to soothe his hurts. His concern went first and
foremost to his mate.

“Thank you, Byron,” Heathcliff panted out as he tried to get up.

“The wolf would have killed me.”

Byron scowled fiercely. A large foot landed on Heathcliff’s back,

pushing him down once again. “Brother, don’t make me eat you. I
swear to God, if you’re going to cause me any more problems, you
won’t live until tomorrow.”

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Heathcliff’s eyes widened, and he remained very still. Soren

wondered what that threat meant but couldn’t bring himself to ask. “I
want my revenge,” he told Byron. “He killed Carlie and hurt my
mate.”

“And you will have it.” Byron kicked his brother in the back of

the skull, effectively knocking the man out. He gestured for a few of
Heathcliff’s former lackeys to approach. “Take him,” he ordered.
“We have many important issues to discuss.”

Soren didn’t like seeing the opportunity of vengeance slip through

his fingers, but at this point, he couldn’t do anything about it. He was
growing more and more concerned about Daniel. Even if his bond
with the squirrel remained steady and Daniel hadn’t slipped into
unconsciousness again, Soren still feared for his mate’s life. And then
there was Skylar, whose injuries could very well be life-threatening.

“We need a doctor,” he said.
“We can go to the adoption-agency clinic,” Garth offered. He

helped Nicolas to his feet and picked Skylar up, while Soren lifted
Daniel in his arms.

“Keep me posted, Garth,” Byron said simply.
A brief look Byron’s way made Soren note the weird expression

on the big man’s face. Byron was staring at Skylar, and the strain
Soren could read in the shark leader’s stance revealed to him the
reason of Byron’s anger. He didn’t know how sharks mated, or if they
mated at all, but Skylar had made an impression on Byron, in a very
deep, personal way.

Nevertheless, the man let them go without further ado. Soren and

his companions made their way to their car. Soren got behind the
wheel while Garth took shotgun. Nicolas stayed in the backseat,
caring for his injured friends. Just as Soren started the car, Daniel at
last lost control of his human form and turned into a small, red
squirrel.

The trip seemed to last forever and was an exercise in torture for

the entire group. Every pothole jostled the wounded men, and pain

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coursed through Soren in echo of Daniel’s. Garth called ahead and let
the agency know they were coming. By the time they reached their
destination, the entire clinic staff had been mobilized, ready and
waiting to deal with their boss’s injury. As Skylar’s friend, Daniel
was looked over with similar professionalism. Nicolas’s injuries
weren’t as serious, but no one was willing to take any chances. In
spite of the hummingbird’s protests, he also received the same
treatment. It was a good thing, because Soren felt like he would go
insane with worry.

Soren and Garth could do nothing but wait while the doctors did

their job. Thankfully, Soren had his connection with his mate to keep
him posted. “It hurts,” Daniel said at one point, “but it seems I’ll be
fine.”

“Can I come see you, baby?” Soren asked.
“I think one of the doctors will come get you. To tell you the truth,

I feel a bit woozy right now.”

Indeed, a medic appeared and explained the details of all the

injuries. Daniel wasn’t in any danger. His ribs were indeed broken,
but they hadn’t pierced his lungs, which was the real risk in such
circumstances. He had a mild concussion, but returning to his squirrel
form helped him deal with both issues. In a few hours, he would be
released from the hospital. Similarly, Nicolas could go home right
away, since the few scratches he’d attained during the accident had
already healed.

Skylar, however, was a whole different issue. “Mr. Pierce was

shot with a special bullet, and it caused a lot of damage to his
system,” the doctor said.

“Silver?” Soren asked. He was surprised. He hadn’t thought any

other species held the same vulnerabilities to silver as werewolves
did.

The medic nodded. “The bullet was indeed made out of silver, but

the precious metal didn’t actually hurt Mr. Piece. The projectile seems
to have been embedded with a substance extracted from sea

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anemones. Smaller species of shifters, and especially sea animals like
Mr. Pierce, are very vulnerable to such venoms.”

Garth cursed. “How typical of Heathcliff. Will Skylar be all

right?”

“We’ve managed to eliminate the substance from his system. Sea

horses are actually quite sturdy in case of blunt trauma, but
penetrative injuries allow bacteria in the system, something they are
sensitive to. They heal slower than other shape-shifters from such
wounds. Still, Mr. Pierce’s condition has improved considerably since
he was brought in. The following hours will be critical, but our
prognosis is optimistic.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Soren said. “Can I see my mate?”
“Of course. Step this way.”
The doctor led Soren to a private room. Garth stayed behind,

obviously intending to find Nicolas. Once Soren’s eyes fell on Daniel,
however, he forgot all about anyone else. His mate had turned into his
human form once again. He looked pale and exhausted and was the
most beautiful thing Soren had seen in his life.

From the hospital bed, Daniel smiled sleepily at him. “I’m told I’ll

make a complete recovery, but I can’t go to sleep yet.”

Soren made his way to his mate’s side and brushed a light kiss

over Daniel’s lips. He sat on a chair next to the bed and took the
squirrel’s hand. “Just hang in there. You’ll be all better in no time.”

Daniel’s expression sobered. “But Skylar won’t, will he?”
Soren squeezed his mate’s palm. “Trust your friend, baby. He’ll

pull through. He has too much to live for.”

At the back of his mind, Soren had an unsettling sensation of

being watched. There was truly nothing that could help him identify
the presence, but he did anyway. He hid a smile as he realized Byron
had followed them there. Yes, indeed, Skylar had a lot to live for. If
fate was in any way fair, it would repay Byron for the help he’d given
Soren and his friends.

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127

Epilogue

“In the end, Skylar got out of the hospital all right. It seems he

was stronger than anyone thought.” Daniel smiled sadly. “Soren met
up with Byron, and I hear Heathcliff got his just desserts. He won’t be
bothering anyone, ever.” He caressed the gravestone. “I still wish you
were here, Carlie. I know it doesn’t make things better, but I miss
you.”

Tears threatened as Daniel stared at the silent tomb. Indeed, Soren

and Byron had decided of common accord to put to death all those
involved in Carlie’s assassination. Both Heathcliff and his remaining
accomplice had been put to death. Still, that didn’t bring her back.
Now that the immediate problem had been solved, Daniel could allow
himself to mourn.

A steady hand landed on his shoulder. “We all miss her, baby,”

Soren whispered in his ear. “We always will.”

Daniel nodded silently. He placed the bouquet of flowers on the

tomb and just stood there, watching. He remembered Carlie’s
laughter, the way she and Daniel used to play with the pups, her
generosity, trust, and caring. She would never see her children grow
or find the mate she’d wanted so much. It hurt Daniel deep inside to
know that he was indirectly responsible for it.

His medic had also been taken into custody, this time by the

squirrel elder. Soren had been consulted in his punishment. The
decided penalty ended up to be incarceration for an indefinite amount
of time, until the elder decided Perry had served his sentence. It was
sad since, in a way, Daniel still considered Perry a good man. He’d
heard that the other squirrel’s services as a doctor had been enlisted

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by the prisons. Perhaps that would help him atone for what he’d done
to Daniel.

Daniel didn’t know how long he and Soren remained at Carlie’s

grave. They came here from time to time, to talk to her and to
remember. Something inside Daniel told him that Carlie was still
watching over them, wherever she might be.

At last, Daniel tore himself from his friend’s tomb. “Let’s go,”

Soren said. “The kids are waiting.”

They headed back to the main house, steadily walking hand in

hand. Carlie had been buried quite close to the building, so it didn’t
take them long. As they approached, they ran into several guards.
Soren had improved the security on pack lands, not wanting to risk
another death.

Daniel was pleased to note that the wolves no longer seemed tense

upon seeing him. It had taken a great deal of effort, but they’d finally
come to accept that Carlie’s death hadn’t been Daniel’s fault. Liam’s
support helped a lot, as did the pups’ affection and Anson’s devotion.
Even if some of the older members still remained skeptical about
Daniel and Soren’s mating, most of the others were slowly warming
up to him.

They took their time and stopped to say hello to each wolf guard,

thanking them for their work to help safeguard the pack. Finally, after
a little while, they reached the mansion. To his surprise, Daniel
spotted two cars in the driveway, one familiar, one not.

“It would seem we have visitors,” he told his mate.
Soren nodded, looking amused. As they entered the house, they

ran into the most unlikely sight imaginable. Elder Kevin Wade,
Annabelle Williams, Nicolas, and Garth were watching as Garth’s
two boys, Preston and Corbin, played with the pups. Anson was there,
of course, ever watchful of the three young wolves. Daniel wasn’t
worried, though. It was not the first time Garth brought his children
here. They’d become good friends since the events in LA, especially
since Nicolas and Garth had grown closer. Daniel couldn’t be sure if

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129

the two had mated, but they were definitely a couple and sorting
things out. Daniel had even found out Garth was a lynx. It amused
him that Nicolas, who’d been so against consorting with carnivores,
ended up in a relationship with one.

Just when he thought nothing could surprise him, he found

himself facing things like this. Apparently, the elder wolf had
somehow become smitten with Carson’s mother. Just seeing them
together made Daniel’s teeth ache.

Everyone turned toward him and Soren when they came inside the

living room. The pups bounded toward them, yipping happily. Both
Soren and Daniel knelt to greet their kids, then turned their attention
toward the adults. “Hello, Father, Ms. Williams,” Soren addressed the
couple. “Garth, Nico, how are you?”

Kevin Wade embraced his son, and to Daniel’s surprise, he also

received a warm hug. Soren kissed Annabelle’s hand, and she smiled
at them both. “It’s so nice to see you again.”

“We’ve been so busy lately that we haven’t gotten to talk much,”

the elder said. “Annabelle and I decided to drop by for a quick visit.
We ran into your friends here.”

“Oh, before I forget,” the ewe said, “we brought a little

something.” She retrieved a package and opened it. The scent of
peanut butter immediately assaulted Daniel’s nostrils. The cookies
looked amazing, but Daniel really disliked processed nuts, not
because of the nuts themselves, but due to all the additives in the final
product.

“Come on, try one.”
He was trying to figure out a way to say no, when she added,

“Everything’s homemade.”

Homemade? Daniel eyed Annabelle, wondering how much she

knew of his distaste for processed nuts. His mother’s attempts at
making homemade peanut butter had failed abysmally. Most of his
family members, Daniel included, were terrible cooks, and his

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siblings preferred to purchase peanut butter or other such products, so
Daniel had never insisted. This time, however, he decided to try.

He took one of the cookies and bit into them. The richness of the

flavor assaulted his taste buds, pure and unmarred, completely
perfect. It was nothing like the poor imitation of peanut butter humans
commercialized. Daniel could identify every distinctive texture and
ingredient, and it almost made him have a gourmet orgasm.

“This is really good,” he said as he snatched another cookie.

“Thank you.”

Annabelle laughed. “My pleasure. Anything for a friend of

Carson’s. Now, who else wants cookies?”

Daniel smiled as the kids gathered around Annabelle to snatch

some of the treats. Garth’s boys shared their prey with the pups, who
seemed to like the sweet peanut butter a lot. They all sat on couches,
talking and laughing, making small talk. With each moment that
passed, Daniel felt more and more amazed of how things could
change.

Their visitors left after dinner, just as evening started to fall.

Daniel and Soren put the kids to bed, then retreated to their own
room. As the door closed behind Soren, Daniel plopped down on the
soft mattress of their four-poster. “Would you have ever thought we’d
one day spend a day like this?”

A lynx, a ewe, a hummingbird, two wolves, and a squirrel, plus

their kids, all of them friendly to each other. It was awe-inspiring. If
one year back, someone had told Daniel this was possible, he’d have
laughed.

Soren joined him on the bed and took his hand. “Anything’s

possible, Dani, if there’s enough love.” He laughed lightly. “God, that
sounds corny.”

“It’s not corny if it’s true,” Daniel replied, smiling.
His mate met his eyes, and all laughter ceased. The mixed

emotions of the day, the turmoil he always experienced when they

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131

visited Carlie’s grave, and the continuous need for Soren combined
into one single feeling.

He almost sobbed in relief when Soren crushed their lips together,

so hard Daniel actually tasted blood. His mate pushed him down on
the bed, Soren’s body coming to cover Daniel with its larger bulk.
Daniel was in heaven. He surrendered to the incredible sensation of
being marked by his mate, kept safe and possessed so completely. No
matter how many times Soren took him, it always seemed to get
better. Sometimes gentle, sometimes rough, Soren unerringly took
Daniel’s breath away just by existing.

Soren’s tongue thrust in Daniel’s mouth, exploring and claiming,

taking no prisoners. Daniel absently noted this would be one of those
particularly passionate unions. Of course, he wouldn’t complain. He
loved it when Soren lost control and unleashed his beast on Daniel.

“Oh, baby.” Soren growled in Daniel’s mind. “You drive me

wild.”

The wolf tore their lips apart and pressed fevered kisses over

Daniel’s face and neck. Dazed, Daniel could do very little except lay
there and take what Soren offered. His lover tore their clothes off with
a frustrated, animalistic snarl. Scraps of material and buttons flew all
over the place as their shirts were abandoned on the floor. For their
shoes and pants, it took some maneuvering, but Soren seemed very
intent on having Daniel naked. Not one inch of the garments remained
on Daniel’s skin.

However, Daniel recovered a bit of his composure and did his best

to help his mate out. He liked having Soren touch him, but he wanted
to touch Soren in turn. Following a sudden impulse, he pushed his
mate off him.

Soren gave him a confused look but relaxed on the bed when he

saw what Daniel intended through their bond. Daniel finished
releasing Soren from his clothes. When at last he had Soren naked, he
took a few moments to simply look at his mate. All rippling muscle
and strength incarnate, Soren looked more like a god than a shape-

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shifter. Daniel’s mouth watered at the sight. He needed to taste, and
he needed it badly.

Daniel lowered his lips over Soren’s body, zeroing in on the

coppery nubs of Soren’s nipples. He created a tight O around the bits
of flesh, suctioning lightly and grinning when the action drew a
strangled growl from Soren. While he tortured Soren’s left teat with
his mouth, he tweaked the other with his hand, making sure to draw
out the sensation.

He could feel the heat of his mate’s erection against his thigh.

Soren tried to hump him, groaning in dismayed lust. “God, Dani,
don’t tease.”

Daniel snickered but obeyed. He abandoned Soren’s nipples and

traced the lines of Soren’s six-pack with his tongue. Down the
treasure trail he went, until he reached the area Soren wanted him
most. Soren’s thick prick stood up proudly, pearlescent liquid already
pooling at the tip. It was practically pleading for Daniel’s attention,
but with a smirk, he decided it could wait a little longer.

Daniel buried his face in Soren’s bush, loving the strong scent of

sweat, wolf, and man, strongest here. He took Soren’s ball sac in his
mouth, tonguing at the testes, tracing the ridges of the wrinkled skin
with his tongue. Soren spread his legs wider, allowing Daniel to do
whatever he wanted. Daniel took advantage of Soren’s willingness to
comply and swept his tongue over his mate’s taint. Soren howled in
pleasure. “Dani!”

His mate was a few steps away from coming. Daniel could feel it

in the flame burning through his own body. He abandoned Soren’s
perineum and took the wolf’s prick in his mouth in one fell swoop. As
a rule, squirrels didn’t have much of a gag reflex, and he didn’t have a
problem in deep-throating Soren, in spite of his mate’s more-than-
generous size.

He also knew Soren had amazing recovery time, so he went for

the gold. He sucked at Soren’s cock as if his life depended on it. With
the passion steaming between them, it didn’t take long for him to

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133

achieve his goal. With a roar, Soren buried his cock in Daniel’s throat,
sending hot jets of cream in his mouth. Daniel gleefully took it all and
continued to suck at the twitching prick, reveling in his mate’s flavor.
Distantly, it occurred to Daniel that Soren tasted better than anything
else, even Annabelle’s peanut butter.

Soren released a breathless laugh. “Come here, you.”
Daniel obeyed, and Soren took his mouth once again. They shared

a kiss that tasted like the wolf’s essence and their shared passion. In
moments, Soren’s cock hardened once again. This time, though,
Soren was done playing by Daniel’s rules. He pushed Daniel down
and flipped him on all fours. Daniel wiggled his ass, his anus
clenching with the need to be filled.

Soren reached for the nightstand and retrieved the half-empty tube

of lubricant. The familiar snap and a click warned him as to Soren’s
intentions, not that it wasn’t obvious. Still, Daniel couldn’t contain a
gasp when the cool liquid trickled down the crack of his ass. Soren
spread the lube over his hole, warming it with his hot hands. Two
slick fingers invaded his opening, stretching him, massaging his
inside walls. When Soren crooked the wicked digits and brushed
Daniel’s prostate, Daniel chirped-screamed. “Oh, God…Soren.
More.”

Much to his dismay, the fingers ceased their relentless touch and

left his body. “I can’t, baby,” Soren said in a husky tone. “I need to
have you now.”

Daniel simply nodded. It always amazed him how Soren could

reduce him to speechlessness when in every other occasion, Daniel
could be so articulate and formal. But Soren was his mate, and the
only one who’d managed to strip him of all his masks and armors.
Daniel trusted the wolf with his heart, body, and future.

The head of Soren’s cock nudged at Daniel’s hole. In one single

thrust, Soren slid in. It burned, of course it did, but Daniel’s body
accommodated Soren, regardless. There was no greater pleasure than

134

Scarlet Hyacinth

to come together with his mate like this, in the most intimate way two
men could be united.

“Oh, Dani...” Soren groaned. “You feel so good, so tight.”
Soren pulled out of him and pushed back in. The motion made

Soren’s cock hit Daniel’s special spot, and Daniel’s consciousness
melted at the pure pleasure coursing through him. The world started
growing white around the edges as his mate fucked him. In, out, in
out, over and over, slick skin sliding against slick skin, two bodies
moving together in perfect harmony. The bed creaked with the
strength behind the thrusts, hitting the wall with loud cracks. The
sound mixed in with Daniel’s cries and Soren’s growls, and Daniel
buried his face in the pillow, hoping to stem at least a part of the
sound. After all, it wouldn’t do for the whole house to hear them.

That thought didn’t last long. As their minds mixed together and

their bodies moved as one, Daniel’s every sense focused on Soren.
Lost in the ecstasy, he was taken completely by surprise when his
mate flipped him on his back.

“I want to see your eyes while I fuck you,” Soren whispered in his

head as he lifted Daniel’s legs over his shoulders.

If Daniel wanted to be honest, he also preferred this position.

Sometimes Soren could get deeper with Daniel on all fours, but there
was nothing like seeing his mate’s face and expression as they made
love.

Soren never once left his body. He continued pistoning in and out

of Daniel’s abused channel, his cock always hitting Daniel’s prostate.
Daniel’s hard cock was now rubbing against Soren’s belly, and with
all the combined sensations, he knew he could not last. He needed one
more thing, just one last thing that would make it all perfect.

As always, Soren guessed his desire even as Daniel wished it. In a

flash, the wolf buried his fangs in Daniel’s throat. With his mate
inside his body, mind, and soul, Daniel could no longer resist. Red hot
ecstasy filled him, and he found his peak, filling the space between
him and Soren with his cream. Through his connection with Soren, he

The Love He Squirreled Away

135

sensed the wolf’s pleasure soar as well. Moments later, his mate
bathed his channel in hot cum, and Soren’s orgasm sent renewed
waves of nirvana through Daniel.

It seemed to go on forever, and yet, far too little. By some miracle,

Daniel didn’t black out, although he came close. Instead, he enjoyed
every second of their combined climaxes, letting it flow over him,
embracing the whirlpool of sensations.

At last, the haze began to diminish, and they both collapsed on the

bed, exhausted. For a few instants, neither of them spoke. “You know,
I don’t hate peanut butter anymore,” Daniel finally said. It might have
seemed like a small thing, but to him it meant a lot. It meant change, a
change Daniel had never expected and just one of the many Soren had
brought in his life.

Soren wiped him down with the edge of the sheet, chuckling. “I

know, Dani. I know,” he said out loud. Through their bond, he added,
“Change can be good for you. I know you are the best thing in my
life.”

“I fully return the sentiment,” Daniel replied.
Soren slipped next to him once again, and Daniel cuddled by his

mate’s side. Held safely in Soren’s arms, Daniel closed his eyes and
surrendered to slumber. Perhaps life wasn’t perfect, but as long as he
had Soren by his side, he could deal with that. After all, he was nuts
about the wolf.

THE END

WWW.SCARLETHYACINTH.WEBS.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A native Romanian, Scarlet was born in 1986 and grew up an avid

fan of Karl May and Jules Verne, reading fantasy stories and
adventure. Later, when she was out of fantasy stories to read, she
delved into her mother’s collection of books and, of course, stumbled
onto romance.

As a writer though, Scarlet Hyacinth was born one sunny summer

day, when a dear friend of hers—the same friend who introduced her
to GLBT fiction—proposed they start writing a story of their own. As
it turns out, the two friends never did finish that particular story, but
Scarlet discovered she had a knack for writing and ended up starting
to write individually. And so, between working on her dissertation,
studying for exams, and reading yaoi manga, she started writing the
Kaldor Saga. Along the way, Scarlet met a lot of wonderful people
who supported her, and in the end, she found her story a home and, in
the process, fulfilled a beautiful dream.

Also by Scarlet Hyacinth

Siren Classic ManLove: Mate or Meal 1: The Lamb Who Cried Wolf

Siren Classic ManLove: Mate or Meal 2:

The Wolf Who Hatched an Egg

For all other titles, please visit