“In my experience, most people who learn about the paranormal react in two ways. They either find it exciting and embrace it or they pretend that they never heard a word about it.”
“And you thought I was the second?” Carter was a little offended.
“No,” Aaron said. “Because you love your brother. You’d want to know as much as you could in order to protect him.”
“Then why didn’t you knock?” Carter asked again. “If you were so certain that I would want to know more.”
“I was giving you time to decide for yourself.” Aaron finally looked at him. Here was a sadness in his eyes that made Carter’s heart ache for him.
“I appreciate that,” Carter replied. He still wanted to demand Aaron tell him what was wrong. Swear to help him. Protect him. He swallowed all that back with a swig of beer. Maybe he should have been a little creeped out to find a stranger sitting on his porch without him knowing about it, but there was something endearing about Aaron.
“Bas said you have questions,” Aaron reminded him when the silence stretched out.
Questions. So many fucking questions. “Yes.”
Aaron slouched in his chair as he rested the bottle against his stomach.
Aaron had a cute little pouch of a stomach that looked perfectly squeezable. Carter did prefer his men to have something to hold on to. Something to grab. Not that he should be thinking about that when there were much more important thoughts filling his head.
“Go ahead. I’ll answer everything that you ask.” Aaron hummed. “As long as I know the answer.”
“How many paranormals are here?” Carter asked. “That live in the area.” While Bastian and Aaron had spoken openly earlier about themselves, they’d spoken in general terms about the rest of the men. Carter had his suspicions, but nothing had been confirmed. Yet.
Aaron nodded. “Just know that I have permission to tell you. The family met earlier and discussed it.”
“That’s taking quite the chance,” Carter pointed out even though he was grateful.
“It is. We already love Hudson,” Aaron replied. “That makes you family too.”
Carter wasn’t ready to get into his brother’s involvement quite yet. “So…”
“Quite a few paranormals live here. The family, as they call it, was started by Axel. Slowly other men, paranormals, came andstayed. Over the last several decades, the family grew. Axel is known as the Alpha, even though they aren’t a typical pack. Men who left their family or packs for numerous reasons but mostly due to their sexual orientation. Even paranormal parents can be assholes when they find out their children aren’t straight.”
Carter snorted. Luckily, he and Hudson hadn’t needed to worry about that. By the time their parents died, Hudson was just figuring out that he was gay. Carter had come out to his parents in high school as he dated both men and women on the regular.
“Yeah.” Aaron rubbed the back of his neck. “You’d think people who had extended life spans would be smarter and less judgmental. News flash. They’re not.”
Had Aaron dealt with that? Carter’s heart ached for the pain he heard in Aaron’s voice. “You said family, not pack.”
“That’s what they call themselves. Not just shifters here. Vampire, gargoyle, mage. And having more than one species is unique. It shouldn’t work and yet it does. I get to see every day how much it does work,” Aaron explained.
That was right. Aaron saidthema lot. Spoke of the family as an extension instead of being a part of them. “You are new to town, right? Been here, what, a month?”
“A little over a month now,” Aaron replied. “Leo, Bas, and I grew up and worked together.”
“As PIs?” Carter questioned, revealing that he looked Aaron up. Secrets be damned. Carter was more interested in the answers.
Aaron smirked briefly, although he didn’t call Carter out on his knowledge. “No, I’m the only one with a PI license. We worked for the council. The paranormal council. Bas and I retired, but Leo was still working with them when he came here. He just sent in his resignation.”
Carter opened his mouth as questions filled him. Aaron held up a hand.
“The paranormal council is supposed to protect our world. They govern our kind.”
“Makes sense,” Carter told him. “Supposed to?”
Amusement flashed in Aaron’s eyes. “They’re a bunch of assholes who care more about keeping secrets than really helping others. That’s what we plan to do here. Really help others. There are so many holes between what paranormals need and what they get.”
“That’s admirable,” Carter said carefully. It sounded good. Maybe a little too good.
