Page 16 of The Suspicious Mate

"What's wrong, baby?" Noa shifted his weight to Kallan’s side and gathered him into his arms. “Bad dream?”

"I don't know . . . I thought I saw something, but it was there, and then it was gone." He tried to explain himself but was failing as he struggled for the right words.

“What did you see?” Noa asked and moved to balance himself on one elbow to look down at Kallan and to see him clearly. He continued to hold him rubbing his palm up and down Kallan’s arm in a relaxing motion.

"I was awake; I wasn't sleeping." He clarified, and Noa nodded. "You were covered in hair, your neck and shoulders and down your arms. It was wild, animalistic." Kallan paused for a moment, searching Noa's eyes for understanding, and what he saw looked like dread, and he didn't understand it.

He touched Noa's hand and ran his fingers across his nails. "Your hands were larger, and your nails were almost like claws." He noticed Noa take a deep breath and release it slowly as he settled back down beside him. He then sat up and headed for the bathroom without comment.

Noa returned with a warm, wet washcloth and tenderly cleaned him up. The act was so unexpected and so sweet. Kallan had never experienced such care before. "Thank you." He said, and Noa looked at him with a charming smile before turning and tossing the washcloth in the general direction of the bathroom.

Noa then slid back into bed beside Kallan and stretched out on his back. Kallan could sense that something was on his mind, but he never would have guessed what it was. The next few minutes were mind-blowing and thoroughly devastating. In the end, Kallan didn't know what to believe.

“You’re telling me that you’re a shifter, a person who can turn into an animal at will.” Kallan tried to clarify. Noa nodded and looked unsure and a little sad. Kallan hated seeing him looking sad and wished he could get the smiling Noa back again, but some things needed to be cleared up first.

"I'm a bear shifter, a grizzly from Colorado. I'm not alone. There are other shifters in Cincinnati, quite a few, actually." Noa spoke haltingly and kept coughing. This was obviously hard on him. "I know it sounds crazy, but just try and open your mind to the possibility of there being more in this world than simply humans."

“What did I see?” Kallan again pressed for clarity.

"My bear pushing forward, wanting to be noticed," Noa stated and then added. "I bonded with you when I bit your shoulder. It's how paranormals seal the bond between mates. I should have waited and explained all of this first, but in the throes of our lovemaking, the need to mark and mate with you was too overwhelming."

Kallan sat and listened to how mates were specific for paranormal beings and how they were discovered, and the perks that came with mating. It was inconceivable and bordered on ludicrous, but he sat and listened to every word.

“I’m your mate predestined by fate, written in the stars, meant to be together for all time?” Kallan struggled not to sound sarcastic, but it was hard. Noa must have sensed his mood because he only nodded and did not add further comment.

"That sounds wonderful." He stated honestly. "A true lifetime bond filled with honor, faithfulness, and love is a dream come true for anyone."

"You don't believe me," Noa uttered, somewhat dejected. “I should have handled this better. Cross had the same situation with Autry. He didn't believe either at first; it took all of us shifting to make it real for him." That information had Kallan sitting up and staring down at Noa, who was still stretched out beside him.

“You’re saying Cross Mercer is a shifter?”

"He's a wolf shifter, and so is Parc. Cross is my Alpha. He leads the pack, and Parc is the Beta and second in command." The more he explained, the more unsure and confused Kallan became. His gut was telling him to believe Noa, but his rational mind was telling him to back away.

“This is a fantastical community you’re describing.” Kallan slid a few inches away from Noa but remained seated on the bed. “No one knows about the existence of these shifters?”

"It's a carefully guarded secret. Only those humans with a special connection to a shifter are ever brought into the secret. We've been around since the beginning, and everyone has a vested interest in keeping that fact a secret. It's not just shifters, although I believe shifters make up the majority of the paranormal. There are also vampires, mages, a variety of magics, Fae, and others." Noa spoke as if what he was saying was no big deal and just information Kallan should have.

Kallan was beginning to feel as if he were losing Noa. He wasn't making any sense, and Kallan didn't know what to say or do. The thought that the man he'd come to trust and depend upon was actually crazy was a hard fact to accept, but here it was right in his face.

Noa turned and looked at him with those compelling deep brown eyes, and Kallan wanted to hold him and try to forget the madness that he had just shared. It was breaking Kallan's heart.

"I know this is a lot to take in, and I should have presented it in a better way. It's hard to believe, but I can prove it. I will shift for you but remember, I would never hurt you, no matter what my form. I know who you are and would never harm you." Noa was about to say more when his cell phone rang. He picked it off the bedside table and, after looking at the screen, said he had to take it. "It's Cross; maybe he has information on the grays or the break-in." He said this and moved toward the door as he answered the call.

Kallan was relieved to have some space for a few moments. He could hear Noa talking in the outer hallway, and it sounded like he was walking to the living room. Kallan was suddenly struck by the desire to get out of there. He needed to leave and to figure this out somewhere away from Noa. It was killing him to think that this beautiful, amazing man was not balanced and had delusional thoughts and beliefs.

He grabbed his clothing and ran for the bathroom. He locked the door and quickly dressed, but before squeezing out the bathroom window, he turned on the shower to make it look like he was in there. He hoped it would buy him enough time to get away and call a cab. Kallan planned to go to Mac's.

Noa saw the disbelief written all over Kallan's face. He was doing this so poorly, and the more he told him, the more the doubt and misgivings grew. Kallan was obviously trying to understand, but what Noa had to say was just too far outside normal acceptance. He should have waited for a better time. He would shift and show Kallan his bear, which would end any further doubt or disbelief. His only hope was that Kallan could handle it.

“Zeke did a background on the grays and found that the pseudo leader, a jackal that goes by the name Axel, has put out a call to disrupt human and paranormal associations. He instructed his men to engage in physical assault, harassment, and, as Parc had mentioned, also murder." That had Noa tensing as fear for his mate enveloped him.

"Axel discovered the relationship between Kallan and you, and that's probably why Kallan's apartment was targeted." Cross was getting angry, and the prior plan of not taking out the gang completely was probably now off the table. Cross would never risk the well-being of his human mate or the other humans who have joined the pack.

“What’s the plan?” Noa knew there was a plan.

"Zeke has identified a vacant building near the rail yard that used to be a brewery about fifty years ago. It's run down but functional, and they've been operating out of there. They also have a place by the riverfront, an old disused motel where they sometimes hang out, but according to Zeke, the gang and specifically Axel frequents the old brewery location." Noa was visualizing the areas and the best approach to both locations.

“They run by night and sleep during the day, so we hit them in the morning. Meet here at eight tomorrow.” Cross was not playing games.

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