“So, you and Rys have buried ten years’ worth of animosity overnight. Is that what you’re telling me?” Max’s expression said he knew I was leaving something out.
I shrugged. “Basically, yes. When I explained I hadn’t killed that guy from his mum’s pack, it cleared the air.”
“Mase,” he began, and I braced myself because I got the feeling that somehow heknew.“I love Rys like a brother, but he can be a stubborn arsehole. Especially when people hurt him. From the moment he knew you were here, he’s been on edge whenever I mention you.” He rubbed his jaw, as though choosing his words carefully. “The tension is so thick between the two of you that as a shifter, it’s stifling sometimes. I should’ve realised why.”
“Max, I—”
His smile was warm as he reached over to grip my shoulder. “I know it’s none of my business. This is between the two of you, and I won’t ask you to confirm what I think is going on here. But as your friend—” He gave my shoulder a squeeze. “—you can talk to me if you want. These things are hard enough to wrap your head around when you’ve been brought up with it like me and Rys. For anyone else, it can be a lot to take in.”
He wasn’t wrong.
And I wanted to talk to him, had so many questions that I wanted to ask, but this thing with Rys was so new, so fragile. I wanted to talk to him first before I went discussing our business with his cousin. Total honesty was the only way forward for us now.
“Thank you.” I put my hand over Max’s, so very grateful that fate had given me him as a partner. “I want to talk to Rys first, but I think I’d like to take you up on your offer after that?”
His smile widened. “It’s an open-ended offer.”
I grinned back, and once I’d thrown my rubbish in the bin, we set off to talk to Blake Tehlin. I felt a lot more settled knowing that Max kind of knew and was there if I needed to talk to someone. Which I knew I would.
My good feeling lasted all the way to Blake’s cottage on the outskirts of the woods.
The door had been forced open.
Max cursed softly as he pulled onto the drive and turned the engine off.
“That doesn’t look good,” I muttered, unclipping my seat belt and opening the car door.
“Nope.” Max waited for me to get out before cautiously approaching the door. He was more than capable of defending himself, and thank fuck, because in all the excitement this morning I’d forgotten to bring my knives.
Not that I wasn’t a skilled fighter, Tombs had taught me well, but fists alone weren’t necessarily enough for a shifter or whatever might be lurking inside that house.
“Stay behind me,” Max ordered, his voice way more commanding than his usual easy-going timbre.
I hurried to do as he said. He was the paranormal police officer, after all. I was only a consultant.
He pushed the door open with the tip of a claw I hadn’t even noticed before. When I chanced a glance at his face, I almost stumbled at the sight of the slightly lengthened jaw line and the massive fucking fangs he now sported.
Thank the Goddess he was on my side.
The house was ominously quiet as we stepped inside. The kitchen and lounge were neat and tidy, as though nothing untoward had happened.
Max led the way into the back of the cottage and to what had to be the main bedroom.
Lying flat out on the bed was a very pale and lifeless Blake Tehlin. If he wasn’t already dead, then he wasn’t far off.
“Fucking hell,” Max hissed, rushing over to him.
I wholeheartedly agreed.
RYS
“So,”Talis said as I walked into the main house. “Where’d you get to last night?” He sat on the kitchen worktop while Sasha finished off two mugs of tea.
Sasha glanced at me, eyebrows rising as she clearly smelt Gabriel all over me but didn’t comment. She then looked at Talis, then back at me, and raised her hands. “Okay, so I’m going to take my tea upstairs. If this is something I need to know about, you can fill me in later.”
And then she was gone, pulling the kitchen door shut behind her.
Leaving me and Talis alone.
