“Jonathan’s in the kitchen,” West said.
“You know why I’m here?”
“Austin’s an idiot.”
“I’m not going to argue that.”
“Butyouare, too.”West closed the door and crossed his arms over his chest as he turned to face Caleb.“Do you know how dangerous what you’ve been doing is?”
That gave Caleb pause.“He told you about that?”
“Do you know what it would do to Jonathan if he was to lose you?”
Caleb glanced in the direction of the kitchen, but he couldn’t see Jonathan from here.“That’s a low blow,” he told West.
“Maybe, but it’s true.You’re his best friend.”
“I’m doing a good thing.”
“I never said you weren’t.I’m just worried, and rightfully so considering that you and Austin have been playing detective.”
“We haven’t been playing anything.We’ve been looking for the arsonist, and Austin thinks he’s found them.Did he tell you that?”
“He did.He also told me why he refused to give you the guy’s name.”
“Yeah, because he’s a firefighter.Do you think Austin’s protecting him?”Caleb had been thinking during the drive over.It didn’t feel like something Austin would do, but what did he know?Caleb had also thought that Austin wouldn’t leave him behind, yet he was.
West shook his head.“Are you kidding me?Of course not.He’d never do something like that.If this firefighter is responsible for the fires, he should pay.”
“Then why wouldn’t Austin tell me the guy’s name?”Hell, Caleb wasn’t even sure it was a guy.He’d assumed, but he could be wrong.He didn’t think he was, though.West knew more than he did, and he was talking as if the person was a man.
“You know why, Caleb.”
Caleb sucked in a breath.He did know why.That didn’t mean he was any less angry, even though he did understand where Austin was coming from.
“I’m a shifter,” he snapped.“I can defend myself.”
“You don’t actually think that Austin believes that you can’t.”
“I’m just saying that he doesn’t need to protect me.I can do it myself.”
“He knows.That’s not going to stop him, though.You have to realize that you being a wolf shifter doesn’t mean this arsonist can’t hurt you.Would you let Austin deal with this on his own?”
“I’m not going to have a choice, am I?Heisdealing with it on his own.He refuses to let me help.”
“He doesn’t.He doesn’t even want to take care of this himself.He’s looking for someone who can.”
“Maybe I could’ve helped him find someone if he’d talked to me.”
“He has now, hasn’t he?What are you going to do?”
Caleb wanted to scream.Why was West making him feel he was the bad guy here?“I’ll help him.I might be angry with him, but that doesn’t mean I won’t do everything in my power to stop the arsonist.You might think I don’t know Austin, but it’s clearyoudon’t knowme.”
West grimaced.“Maybe I don’t, not really.I know you’re Jonathan’s best friend, though, and that he doesn’t want anything to happen to you.I know that what you and Austin are doing is dangerous because there’s a chance that the arsonist will find out you’re investigating him and react.I don’t care if he’s human.He’s still dangerous.He burned down several buildings, and it’s obvious he didn’t care about any lives that might be lost in the process.You know what happened at the community center.”
Caleb nodded curtly.He did know.It was a miracle that no one had gotten hurt in that fire.There had been children inside, vulnerable people who hadn’t been able to get out.What would’ve happened if the firefighters hadn’t gotten to them in time?
“So you know that the arsonist won’t care about who you are and that he won’t hesitate to hurt you.Do you understand why Austin is hesitant?Why he’d rather talk to someone who knows what they’re doing instead of doing it on his own?”
