“Get in the hallway,” Mack said. “I need you two to stay hidden from the window.”

  “But what about you?” Kyle asked as he did what Mack said. He pressed his back against the wall, Joshua still cradled in his arms. The infant was crying, and Kyle did his best to comfort the baby, but the inside of the house had quickly turned freezing, and all Joshua had on was a onesie.

  Mack snarled as he rolled to his side. “Don’t be afraid of me, okay?”

  Kyle had no idea what Mack was talking about until his mate disappeared and, in his place, stood a large wolf. Kyle sat there slack-jawed, unsure if he had fallen asleep and was dreaming all of this. But his dreams had never been this vivid, and why in the hell would he dream about Mack getting shot?

  This was very real and Kyle felt as though he’d have a heart attack at any second. He couldn’t believe someone had actually shot his mate, and his brain was still trying to process the fact that Mack had shifted into a wolf.

  His bushy fur was a tawny color, his body large, and Kyle shivered as Mack’s muzzle pulled back to show off very sharp teeth.

  The wolf pushed to his feet, snarled, and raced toward the broken window. Kyle looked around the corner, his heart in his throat, and watched as Mack leapt through the frame, and then he was gone.

  “Okay, don’t panic,” Kyle said to himself as he sucked in air through his nose and slowly let it out through his mouth. “Think about Joshua. Mack would want you to keep him safe.”

  After another deep breath, Kyle got to his feet and hurried to the nursery, setting the infant in his crib before he dug through the drawers to find warmer clothing. Once he had Joshua dressed more appropriately for the coldness, Kyle paced the room. He wanted to call the cops, but since Mack was in wolf form, he wasn’t sure if that was a wise idea.

  Kyle would probably get locked away in a loony bin if he told the sheriff that his mate, who could shift into a wolf, went after the person who’d shot him. Even in his own head that sounded insane.

  Instead, Kyle hurried toward the living room, peeked around the corner to make sure no one was in there, then raced to grab his phone from the coffee table before running back to the nursery.

  His hands shaking badly, he called Johnny. Kyle wasn’t sure who else to reach out to for help. He briefly considered calling his boss—the one who owned the diner, not his boss at the rec center—but Kyle didn’t know Cody well enough and wasn’t sure the guy would be able to help, anyway.

  “Hi, Kyle,” Johnny said when he answered. His voice sounded so light and carefree, and god, Kyle wished he felt that way right now.

  “I need help!” He told Johnny what just happened and how he and Joshua were hiding out in the nursery. As he spoke, Kyle drew close to the door and then stuck his head out to make sure he was still alone.

  “I’m getting Hawk. Stay hidden, okay? And if the bad guys come in there, you better kick them in the balls. I’m a godfather. If you want, I can come over there and whack them.”

  “No!” The last thing he needed was for Johnny to get involved. And Kyle wasn’t about to confront the bad guys, either. The person had a gun and all Kyle had in his arsenal were wipes, diapers, and an infant.

  He glanced toward the closet. Hiding in there sounded pretty good right about now. Kyle tucked the phone between his cheek and shoulder and then lifted Joshua from his crib and hurried to the closet. He settled them inside and closed the door, thankful Joshua had stopped crying. He hugged the baby to his chest and patted his back. Thank goodness Kyle had fed him when he went to check on Joshua. The last thing he needed was a hungry baby while they were in this situation.

  “Okay, I’m hidden.”

  “Hang on.” Johnny sounded out of breath, and then he shouted Hawk’s name over and over again. Moments later, Hawk was on the phone, and Kyle explained his situation again when the guy asked what was wrong. It seemed Johnny hadn’t told him anything.

  “I’m on my way,” Hawk said. “Whatever you do, don’t leave the closet.”

  “I won’t.” Kyle hated to hang up, but he wanted to remain quiet just in case whoever had shot Mack entered the house. Tears sprang to his eyes. Where was Mack, and was he okay? How much damage had that bullet caused, and would he pass out from blood loss while searching for the person who’d shot him?

  The silence seemed to stretch on forever as he waited for either Mack to return or help to arrive. Kyle’s heart slammed against his ribs when he heard floorboards creaking. He turned his body, giving the door his back, desperate to keep Joshua safe from whoever was out there.

  Kyle slapped a hand over his mouth, trapping the scream behind his lips when the door handle jiggled. He scooted as far as he could toward the back of the large closet when the door swung open. If he had to, he’d fight to the death to keep Joshua from being harmed.

  Relief washed through him, making Kyle cry out as he stared at his naked mate. Mack’s skin was slightly blue as he shivered, but there was definite relief in his green eyes.

  “Did you find anyone?” Kyle’s gaze darted over Mack’s chest, but he didn’t see any wound from the bullet. He knew he hadn’t imagined Mack being shot. There was still blood on his mate’s fingers.

  He pulled Kyle from the floor, his grip ice-cold. Kyle kept a tight hold on Joshua as he wandered back into the nursery.

  “No, I lost whoever it was.” Mack turned and headed toward the door. “I’m gonna get some clothes on.”

  Kyle didn’t want to leave the nursery. “But what if the person comes back?” Kyle felt panic setting in. “Why did someone shoot at you in the first place?”

  Mack’s eyes were filled with anger when he turned to face Kyle. “I’ll explain things once I’m dressed. Hawk and Cody are checking the area.”

  What was Kyle’s boss doing here?

  Mack turned around once again and pulled Kyle into his arms. He kissed him so thoroughly that Kyle thought his lungs would explode. When Mack released him, he felt lightheaded.

  “Okay, now I’m gonna go get dressed.”

  Kyle whimpered seconds before Joshua slapped his cheek with a sloppy hand. He wasn’t sure what he should do. Were they gonna stay here? What about the broken window? So many questions circled around in Kyle’s mind that he took a seat on the rocking chair and pressed Joshua close to him.

  “I’m pretty sure your daddy will handle things.” Kyle hoped so because he didn’t have the first clue what to do. He worked part time at a diner and volunteered at a rec center. The ability to handle a shooter wasn’t in his wheelhouse. Then again, Mack was a doctor. What did he know about chasing down a bad guy?

  * * * *

  “Do you have any idea who it could have been?” Hawk had hauled a piece of plywood from the barn out back and was currently helping Mack nail it over the broken window. Mack was concerned about the shooter, but at the moment, his main priority was covering the hole so the house would warm back up.

  Cody was still outside, in his wolf form, checking out the area, but Mack had a feeling the shooter had fled. He’d tried to follow the scent, but with the strong winds, picking up any kind of scent had been impossible. He thought of Craig, his ex-brother-in-law, but would the Pierson family hire a hitman just to get their hands on Joshua? Would they sink so low as to kill Joshua’s father so they could control their grandson’s life?

  “I have my theories.” Mack wasn’t going to completely dismiss the absurdity of his suspicion. The Piersons might not have anything to do with this, but Mack couldn’t think of another suspect. Just a week ago he’d lost a car-crash victim, and the family had been devastated, but they had thanked him for all his efforts in trying to save their teenage daughter, not threatened his life for being unable to save her.

  “Care to share those theories?” Hawk hammered in the nails with ease, pounding them into the frame at a fast pace as Mack held the board in place. Already the room had started to warm, but Mack needed to clean up the glass and broken wood. He also wanted to go check on his son and mate. He hadn’t heard a peep from Kyle since Mack had left the nursery to get dressed.

  When the plywood was no longer in threat of slipping, Mack released it and went to the closet for a broom and dustpan. As he swept up the mess, he told Hawk about Belinda’s family.

  Hawk looked over his shoulder at the hallway, his brows furrowed. “You think they’d go to this extreme to get their hands on their grandson?”

  Mack shrugged. “They’ve already hired lawyers, but the judge presiding over the case denied them custody. They keep calling me, threatening to dig deep into my past to find some kind of dirt they can use against me, but I’ve been too careful. I doubt they’ll find out I’m two hundred and fifty years old or that I’m a wolf shifter.”

  “You never know with desperate people,” Hawk said. “And you said they have the finances to hire the best?”

  “So do I.” Mack stopped the snarl from erupting, though his upper lip curled. Over the course of his life he’d worked and saved, having no one to spend his money on, and now he had substantial savings. He had hired a fancy lawyer, too. He would spend every dime he had in order to keep Joshua away from those bastards. Mack had thought that moving to Brac Village would help settle his life, help him get past his loss, and give Joshua a nice quaint town to lay down roots.

  Mack had been here for six months and hadn’t regretted his decision. He worked side by side with the resident doctor and had learned a lot about the different species who inhabited the town. He’d even become good friends with a lot of the timber wolves who lived at the Den, and that was how he’d gotten to know Hawk and Cody.

  He was thankful for their kindness and willingness to come out in a storm to help him.

  “It’s all boarded up.” Hawk set the hammer on the mantel just as the side door opened and Cody strode in, shaking the snow from his multi-colored hair.

  “No luck,” Cody said. “Tracks are gone, and the scent was blown away.”

  From what Mack had learned, Cody was the Den’s best tracker. If he couldn’t find anything, there wasn’t anything to find. “I appreciate you trying.”

  Mack had set a kettle on the stove for tea. He poured three cups of the steaming brew and handed Hawk and Cody theirs, wishing he could do more to show his appreciation. He just hoped Kyle didn’t come into the front room, considering Cody was butt naked.

  For wolves, nudity was no big deal, but he didn’t want Kyle ogling another man’s jewels. But he had no such luck. Kyle came into the living room, Joshua in his arms, staring between them. His gaze landed on Cody’s groin before he quickly looked away.

  Cody chuckled and moved behind the counter to hide his nudity as Kyle went to the fireplace and took a seat. “We need to warm up.”

  “Cute kid,” Hawk said. “He looks a lot like you.”

  “Thanks.” Mack smiled as he stared at Kyle and Joshua. His throat tightened as he gazed at them. Kyle looked so natural holding the infant in his arms, and Joshua was seemingly content, his head resting against Kyle’s shoulder.

  “Do you need us to stick around?” Hawk set his cup in the sink. “We could set up patrols around this area. It’s not a big deal. We keep an eye on the town anyway.”

  “Even in a storm?” Mack’s brows rose.

  “We don’t let weather stop us,” Cody said. “It doesn’t stop those who want to do others harm.”

  The guy had a point. Mack didn’t think anyone in their right frame of mind would come out into something like this. Then again, the wolves had braved the storm, and Mack was glad they were so dedicated.

  He looked toward the window and wondered if he should file a report. Having a paper trail might help him in the long run, even if he wasn’t sure who the culprit was. “I think I should call the sheriff.”

  Hawk nodded. “Sheriff Werth is a wolf. We won’t have to hide anything from him. Though I’m not sure what good he’ll do at this point. The shooter is gone.”

  True, but Mack would feel much better if the law was involved. He had a mate and son to protect, and every little bit helped.

  * * * *

  Sheriff Werth maneuvered his county Jeep up the snow-filled driveway and eased to a stop. He thought about Mrs. O’Reilly’s complaint and wondered if the man she had spotted and the one who’d taken a shot at one of the town doctors were one in the same.

  I shouldn’t have dismissed her so quickly. But to be fair, Mrs. O’Reilly had called multiple times over the years, and the complaints had never panned out. Orlando couldn’t recall how many times he’d been dispatched to her house, only to discover the burglar scratching at the back door was really her cat that had gotten out of the house or the scary noise she’d heard downstairs was really the television that she’d forgotten to turn off before she’d gone to bed.

  But she’d claimed to have seen a man with a rifle, and now Dr. Fargo had been shot. What were the odds the two incidents weren’t connected?

  He huffed out a frustrated sigh as he exited his Jeep. Within the last thirty minutes, the winds had died down and the clouds had mostly cleared out. In fact, he’d seen peeks of sun on his way to the doctor’s house, which gave him hope the storm was finally over.

  As he walked toward the door, Orlando noticed the plywood covering one of the panes of the big bay window. He grimaced, hoping he hadn’t fucked up. When he’d arrived back at the station after Mrs. O’Reilly’s call, Orlando hadn’t bothered to run the plate. He figured it was one of her neighbors that hadn’t been able to get into his driveway and parked wherever he could to escape the storm and had run to his house.

  He gave three raps on the door and waited. The wind might’ve died down, but it was still asshole-cold outside. Shifters’ blood might run hotter than humans, but in these temperatures, even Orlando shivered.

  The door swung open, and he recognized Hawk Magnar. He was the commander in charge of the timber wolves who resided at the Den. To the right of him stood a very naked Cody, whose lower half was hidden behind the counter.

  Hawk stepped aside and allowed Orlando to enter. He removed his hat and nodded at a young man sitting by the fire, holding an infant in his arms.

  “Thanks for coming,” Dr. Fargo said as he crossed the room and extended his hand.

  Orlando shook it, feeling uneasy around Hawk. The man exuded power and strength, and Orlando prayed he never got on that wolf’s bad side.

  “You said someone shot through the window and injured you?” he asked the doctor. Orlando didn’t bother to look for any injuries. No doubt the guy had shifted and healed himself.

  He stood there and listened to Dr. Fargo explain what had happened and his suspicions about who had come after him. Orlando was a bit surprised the kid’s grandparents would go this far, but he wasn’t shocked. In his line of work, he’d seen some messed-up shit.

  “Do you want to fill out a formal complaint?” he asked.

  Dr. Fargo looked uncertain. “What if it wasn’t Craig? I’m already going through enough with his family. I don’t want to make matters worse if he isn’t the one responsible.”

  “We’re gonna keep an eye on the place,” Cody said.

  “Then why was I called out here?” Since this was a preternatural matter, Orlando had no qualms keeping the call off the books. He just wanted to make sure Dr. Fargo and his son were protected, and he wanted to go back to Mrs. O’Reilly’s to see if he could get a better description from her.

  “I just wanted you to be aware of what was going on,” Dr. Fargo said. “It never hurts to have the law aware of a shooter in the area.”

  Orlando gave a quick nod. “I’ll make sure the deputies on duty keep their eyes open. But be aware, the roads are pretty bad. It took me a while to navigate my way here. Until the roads are clear, help might not be able to respond so quickly.”

  “That’s why we’re here,” Hawk said.

  Orlando eyed Hawk before he turned toward the door. He knew the Brac pack policed the town, and Orlando’s duties were pretty much relegated to helping the human residents with human problems, but he wasn’t a slouch. He’d taken an oath, and capturing the shooter was part of his damn job.

  He gave the doctor a nod before heading out into the cold, scanning the area to see if anyone was watching the house. Orlando wasn’t going back to the station to sip on coffee. He was gonna help keep an eye on the doctor’s home—after he spoke with Mrs. O’Reilly—and hopefully catch a would-be killer.

  Chapter Five

  Joshua was starting to get fussy after everyone left, and Kyle knew it was because the infant felt the tension. Despite being terrified, Kyle decided to lighten the mood. “So where’s your Christmas tree?”

  It was only nine days away, and there wasn’t a decoration in sight. Maybe Mack didn’t believe in celebrating the holiday, and Kyle wasn’t sure if he’d overstepped his boundaries. They’d mated last night, and he still wasn’t comfortable trying to insert himself into this family’s life.

  Mack blinked at him, as if Kyle had spoken another language. He saw the wheels turning in Mack’s head, and then Mack smiled and waved at the closet. “I’ve been so busy I haven’t had a chance to put it up.”

  He looked as if he needed a distraction, and Kyle wanted to get his mate out of his headspace, so he nodded as he set Joshua in his playpen and pushed the sleeves back on his shirt. “Let’s tackle this project.”

  Mack’s green eyes grew soft as he crossed the room and pulled Kyle into his arms. He loved being in Mack’s arms. They were so strong and made him feel safe. “I think that’s a great idea.”

  Kyle inhaled deeply right before Mack kissed him. It wasn’t a sensual kiss that got his body all hot and bothered. It was more of a sweet one that conveyed his appreciation for the distraction. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I promise to keep you and Joshua safe.”

  “I believe you.” Kyle patted his chest and then pulled from his arms. “What would go great with our project is some hot chocolate or apple cider.”