Page 38 of Tender Wild

“A cat?” Miguel asked, voice rough with sleep, eyes still closed.

Jared narrowed his eyes. “You were awake the whole time you were acting like an octopus with abandonment issues?”

Miguel’s eyes opened then, the morning sunlight striking them at just the right angle to make them sparkle like diamonds. “Not until you elbowed me.”

“My mother thinks I’ve been kidnapped, harassed by a needy cat, or spending time with a special friend.” Jared flopped back against the pillows.

“Sounds like a normal Tuesday.”

“It’s Saturday.” Jared ran a hand through his hair, grimacing at the tangles. “I’m an adult. You’d think I’d earned the right to stay out without filing a flight plan first.”

Miguel propped himself up on one elbow, his free hand tracing the bite mark on Jared’s shoulder. The touch sent electricity racing through him, momentarily distracting him from the impending family crisis.

* * * *

Diablo stood outside of Sin & Steel on the sidewalk, sipping his morning coffee. Steam rose from the cup, matching the humid air. Behind him, the tavern lay quiet.

Another fucked update night feeling his beasts’ fighting to break free.

Diablo leaned against the brick wall, coffee warming his palm through the paper cup. The liquid burned his tongue, but he welcomed the pain—anything to ground himself in the moment, to remind his body who was in charge.

It had been two months and Dr. Martinez was no closer to finding a cure. Each report contained the same clinical language masking the same conclusion: inconclusive results. More tests needed. Progress minimal.

Matias had taken the tranquilizer from the unfired gun to give to the doctor. The hope was that analyzing the chemical compound might lead to a breakthrough, some way to counteract whatever those hyenas had done to him.

Diablo wasn’t holding out hope.

Morning traffic crawled past the tavern, engines rumbling, exhaust mingling with the scent of his coffee. A delivery truck honked at a car that cut in front of it, the driver’s curse audible even from the sidewalk.

Tension coiled through his shoulders, muscles bunching beneath his jacket. Inside of him, his beasts prowled restlessly, circling each other like boxers sizing up opponents. Their presence pressed against the boundaries of his consciousness, testing for weakness, probing for a way out.

“Settle the fuck down,” Diablo muttered, voice raspy from lack of sleep. His beasts ignored him, pushing even harder against their cage.

Diablo forced himself to take measured breaths. In through his nose, out through his mouth. Focusing on the taste of coffee, the texture of brick against his back, the weight of his boots on the concrete.

When the pressure subsided slightly, he straightened, rolling his neck to release the building tension. His beasts retreated, but not far. Never far these days. They lingered at the edges of his consciousness, patient and calculating.

A vibration against his thigh pulled him from his thoughts. His phone rang in his pocket. Diablo shifted his coffee to his left hand and retrieved the device, Brett’s name illuminating the screen.

That made the side of Diablo’s mouth curl upward. He answered in Spanish. “Buenos días, cariño.”

Brett painstakingly pronounced each word as he repeated Diablo, stumbling slightly over the rolled “r”. Then he laughed, the sound bright even through the phone’s small speaker, and said it in English. “Good morning, sweetheart.”

A few pedestrians walked by. A woman eyed Diablo in interest, gaze lingering on his face, his shoulders, his hands wrapped around the coffee cup. He smiled politely but glanced away. No point encouraging what wouldn’t happen.

He was already talking to the person who captivated him.

“How’s your morning going?” Diablo asked, feeling his day starting to look up.

* * * *

“Xavier’s agreed to let you enter cheetah territory to take your mate home,” Matias said as they stood in the kitchen. “But only because Jared’s your mate. Don’t mistake it for hospitality.”

Miguel crossed his arms, leaning against the counter, his hunger reminding him of the mess he and Jared had made in there just twenty-four hours ago. “I wasn’t looking for a red carpet from the alpha.”

“Don’t trust him either. Since Suero can come and go from cheetah territory, I want you to take him with you.” Matias’s voice dropped to a deadly pitch. “First sign of trouble, you call me and get the hell out.” He pulled his phone from his pocket, checking something before sliding it away. “Don’t engage. Don’t rise to bait. Just leave.”

“Understood,” Miguel replied. Driving into cheetah territory wasn’t thrilling for him, but his mate insisted on going home.

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