“There’s no way he knows we’re shifters.We’ve been careful.”
“But he knows something weird is happening.”
“Yeah, with the shop owner and the fires, not with us.Don’t worry too much, Austin.Taylor and the others aren’t going to find out about us, and if they do, they’ll be fine with it.”
West wasn’t wrong, but Austin couldn’t stop thinking about it, even as they rejoined Caleb and Jonathan.The shop owner, Margaret, looked up when she heard them.She relaxed when she recognized Austin, and Austin felt like shit.He didn’t deserve her to trust him like she did.
“I was just talking to Jonathan and Caleb,” Margaret said.“They understand, and they agree.”
“I never said I disagreed with what you said,” Austin pointed out.“I just said that I’m not an investigator.I won’t be the one in charge of any of this.In fact, my job here is done.”He turned to Caleb and Jonathan.“We’re headed out.”
Jonathan instantly turned his attention to his boyfriend, which left Austin and Caleb staring at each other.Caleb shuffled his feet, then looked back at Margaret.“I’m really sorry you had to go through this.I know how scared you and the rest of the community are.I’ll do everything I can to find out what’s going on.”
Austin frowned.“Are you a detective?”
Caleb shook his head, then hesitated.He squared his shoulders as if he expected Austin to have something bad to say about the next words that left his mouth.“I’m a journalist.”
Austin almost groaned.Of course he was.“Well, no comment,” he said.
Caleb rolled his eyes.“I didn’t ask you for any comment.I know you’re just a firefighter and don’t know anything about what happened.”
“Just a firefighter?I’m wounded.”
“No, you’re not.Besides, you know what I mean.”
“I do, and I understand why you’re worried.I promise I’m taking this seriously, but there’s really nothing else I can do right now.”
Caleb stared at him for a moment.“What about later?”
“What about it?”
“There’s nothing you can do about this right now, but what about later?Would you be willing to talk to me?”
“I feel like I should say no.”
“I’m going to look into this whether you like it or not.There have been rumors about someone being unhappy with shifters in this town.Don’t you think it’s suspicious considering all the recent fires?Were they all arson?”
Austin raised his hands.“I can’t confirm or deny anything like that.Again, I’m not an investigator.”
“But you’re close to this.You have to knowsomething.”
“I really don’t.What do you mean, there are rumors?”
“Just that.They’re rumors, but considering the fires, I think it’s safe to say that there’s something true to them.”
“You can’t know that for sure.”
“And you can’t know for sure there’s nothing to it.”
They stared at each other for a moment.They were both right, and Austin wasn’t sure where that left them.He kind of wished he’d been introduced to Jonathan’s best friend differently, but it was too late for that.
“West, Austin,” Taylor called out.“We’re headed back.”
Austin didn’t want to leave Caleb alone here.He felt like the man was trouble, and he didn’t want anything to happen to him.Jonathan would be distraught if something did, and that meant that West would be, too.It had nothing to do with Caleb himself, or at least, that was what Austin told himself.
“Let’s go,” he told West after quickly hugging Jonathan.He didn’t turn back to Caleb, but he could feel the man watching him.
Yes, Caleb was going to be trouble.He wasn’t Austin’s trouble, but something told Austin that he’d be involved, anyway.He wasn’t going to have a choice if it meant keeping Jonathan safe.
