Figure of Speech

“Damn.” Chloe shivered. “This sounds like a conspiracy theorist’s wet dream.”

Max stood. “Adrian, Gabe, until further notice, treat all correspondence from the Senate as suspect.” He turned toward Barney. “I want you here. You, Gabe and Ryan are the only Hunters I trust right now.”

Barney nodded reluctantly. “I understand.”

Jim wrapped his arm around Chloe. “The guards you guys assigned us weren’t enough to stop Derrick and Casey Lee from getting into my home.” Casey Lee had led them to where Derrick had knocked out the two men who were supposed to be watching Jim’s place. The guards were pissed but all right. “What’s to stop another group from attacking us?”

Max sighed. “Adrian?”

The Pride’s Marshall stared at his Alpha, his expression grim. “I’m going to assign round-the-clock, in-house protection for Chloe and Jim. I’m going to do the same for Julian, just in case.”

“I’ll have some of my Puma deputies do daily drive-bys of their houses.” Gabe grimaced. “Unfortunately, these two—” he hitched a thumb toward Derrick and Casey Lee, “—didn’t ding my Hunter radar at all.”

“Meaning the Senate could send more mercs and we won’t know until we’re attacked?” Jim growled and tightened his hold on Chloe. “You stay with me twenty-four/seven.”

“Even when I pee?”

“Yup.”

“That could get old fast.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Nothing you do could get old.”

She burped.

“Maybe some stuff you do.”

The grim tension was broken as his mate giggled.

“We need to talk about Spencer as well.” Max crossed his arms over his chest. “If he had a mate, I would stay back and allow nature to take its course. But since he hasn’t found one and he knows about us, he needs to become one of us. If they attack him I’d feel better knowing he’d be able to defend himself long enough for one of us to get to him. He can’t walk or run, but he can still bite and scratch.” Max turned his attention to Jim. “Do you know which way your brother is leaning?”

Jim shrugged. “I’m not sure, but I think he’s leaning in the kitty direction.”

“Puma? Or there’s a Lion living with the local Wolf pack as well. We can offer that option.” Emma tilted her head. “Or we could just ask him.”

“Yeah, you could just ask him.” Spencer wheeled into the room from Max’s kitchen. In his lap was a sandwich. “And I like the idea of being a Puma, if you’ll have me.”

“Done.” Max grinned. “Welcome to the Pride.”

“Who gets the honor of biting him?” Emma looked around the room, her glance landing briefly on the baby monitor. Felix was sleeping upstairs, undisturbed by the ruckus in his parents’ house.

“I’ll do it.” Max gestured for Spencer to follow him. “It’s a pleasure to welcome Jim’s brother to the Pride.”

Spencer grinned and blushed. “Thanks, man.”

“And if you do find a mate, she’ll be welcome as well.”

The two disappeared into Max’s office, and a few seconds later Jim could hear his brother cry out in pain.

He remembered that pain, but he hoped that Spencer’s change was less traumatic than his own. Spencer knew what he was getting into and what to expect. Even better, he’d have the whole Pride behind him, helping him.

Jim still wasn’t a member of a Pack. He hadn’t had the chance to meet with the Wolf Alpha in the Poconos, had never felt that bond other Pack and Pride members seemed to crave. And for some reason, he was perfectly fine with that.

“You’re a lone Wolf.”

He turned to find Derrick staring at him. “What?”

“You’re lone, like me. Strong enough that you don’t need the Pack behind you, binding you to them. Not a lot of us out there.” He grinned, and Jim saw something in the other man that seemed right somehow. “Either that, or we just haven’t found the right Pack.”

There was something about the way Derrick looked at him, the need he saw in the other man, that spoke to Jim. “Do you think…?”

Derrick shrugged. “If it’s meant to be, it will happen. If not, we’ll probably see what we need in the Poconos Alpha.”

“Huh.” He blinked, thinking things through. “Would it be odd to have Pack and Pride living in one town?”

“Any odder than Bears, Foxes and whatnot?” Emma laughed. “I’m pretty sure your Pack and Rick’s would be far enough away from each other that there wouldn’t be any issues.”

“And if there are, we’ll deal with them when it happens.” Max and Spencer rejoined them, Spencer rubbing his shoulder and wincing. “But if a Pack develops here, then it’s between me and the Pack Alpha, not Rick.” Some of Max’s power seeped into the room, causing the Pumas to wince. “I’m Alpha in Halle.”

“Could you deal with a co-Alpha?” Jim was curious. Max said he was all right with a Pack in his territory, but when his authority was challenged by the possibility of Rick objecting he’d immediately let loose.

Max’s power display disappeared. “I think so.”

“Sure, Lion-O. If you say so.” Emma patted her mate’s arm. “We still need to figure out what’s going on with the Senate.”

“You think they’ll send someone else after Chloe?”

Adrian stood straighter. “If they do, we’ll deal with it. You’re not alone in this.”

“We’ve got your back, Jimbo.” Emma smiled at Chloe. “And yours too.”

“So does the family.” Ryan, yawning, headed for the front door. “And on that note, I say we adjourn until we have more info.”

“Agreed.” Barney glanced around absently. “Guess I should start apartment hunting, damn it.”

“Us too.” Derrick crossed his arms over his chest. “Casey Lee and I are sticking around. I want to know what the fuck the Senate has gotten us in the middle of.” His scowl was fierce. “I don’t like being played.”

“Yeah.” Casey Lee ran his fingers through his hair. “I signed up to help uphold shifter law, not break it.”