If he didn’t punish his mate, he’d be chased down by men he considered friends. He’d be marked a rogue by the same people he’d protected on numerous jobs. His world had always been black and white, right and wrong. Now, he felt as though he was in a state of limbo and it made him uncomfortable. There was now a bright flash of color in his world and the man was his mate.
Damn it. Why did this happen to me?
Shaw was in a very bad situation. There was no way he’d ever be able to hurt his mate, which meant he would have to abandon his job at the FPA. It was a job he’d dedicated his life to, and a career he loved.
“Where are we going?” Brock finally broke the silence, pulling him from his chaotic thoughts.
“I’m taking you somewhere safe. I have a house and property in Wyoming. We can hide out there until I have a better plan.”
“If your plan is to keep me safe, why didn’t you tell Ranger or my Alpha?” Brock asked. “They could’ve helped us.”
“I don’t trust anyone to know our location. Once the agency realizes that I’m not coming back, they’ll send someone to find me. Your friends could be found guilty of helping a fugitive. Then what? They’d be punished. It’s best that nobody knows.”
“So what…we’re just going to disappear? Live off the grid?” Brock asked skeptically.
“I don’t know, Brock.” Shaw sighed. “I didn’t exactly plan this out. I came to New Orleans to investigate a human kill. I definitely didn’t think I’d find my mate and I had no idea the same man would be a killer. I’m doing the best I can under the circumstances.”
Brock let out a snort. “Do you think this is what I wanted? I was protecting my friends. I didn’t want to kill anyone. I only did what I thought was best. Poor you…you’re stuck with a killer.”
“Great.” Shaw shook his head.
He was disappointed.
It was hard to digest what his mate had just said. He’d always been a rule follower. His job consisted of tracking down rogues and handing out punishment. Now, he was going to be protecting one of the bad guys. The only justification, Brock was his mate.
“I could have stayed at the club, but I didn’t. I went to The Castle to face my punishment, so do whatever the hell you want. I wouldn’t want you to lose your precious job because of me.”
“You think I should punish my mate?”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying.” Brock shook his head. “I think you need to figure out what you want to do and deal. I won’t spend the rest of my life with a man that resents the fact that I’m alive.”
“Resent you? Where the hell did that come from? I’m trying to protect you.” Shaw was having a hard time understanding Brock’s attitude.
“Have you forgotten that I’m a shifter? I can scent your emotions. It seems that ironclad control is slipping away, Agent Iza.” Brock’s tone was mocking and Shaw masked his scent, careful not to reveal how hurt he was by Brock’s words.
As a member of the FPA, he had the ability and power to shield his scent. It helped the team do their jobs better. Nobody outside the agency knew about the little trick and it took years to learn and perfect. Other paranormals had tried and failed, most resorting to drugs. There was a case about a streak of tiger shifters using the drug to commit crimes against other shifters.
“Interesting,” Brock murmured. He turned his body toward Shaw, staring intently. “How did you do that? Your scent…it changed and dimmed instantly.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Just make yourself comfortable. I’m not stopping until we need fuel.”
“Whatever.” Brock turned toward the door, giving Shaw his back. “I’ve seen that little trick before with some tiger shifters.”
He put the pillow against the passenger side door before laying his head down. In the silence of the cab, Shaw remained calm. It was a hard task, considering that he wanted to pull the truck over and yell out his frustration. This wasn’t how he’d planned on meeting his mate.
Fuck!
He didn’t know how to handle the situation or what to say. Lifting one hand off the steering wheel, he rubbed the ache inside his chest—being at odds with his mate felt wrong. Opening his mouth to apologize, Shaw looked over at Brock and shook his head. He exhaled quietly and focused back on the road, pulling Brock’s truck onto the I-10W.
Leaning back, Shaw adjusted his position to make himself more comfortable.
They were heading toward a small town in Wyoming near Jackson. His home was technically in the city of Jackson, but on the outskirts of town, near the Bridger-Teton National Forest. It was a beautiful place, an escape. Whenever he had downtime, Shaw disappeared into the mountains. He loved being surrounded by nature, it helped to calm both the man and beast.