Brock's Punishment(3)

“Matthew!” Lawson yelled, and Brock’s eyebrows shot up in shock.

Matthew? What? How? What the hell did I miss?

He stepped off the last stair and stared openmouthed as a leopard jumped on one of the pool tables. His sharp claws punctured the felt as he ran along the surface before slipping on a pool ball and toppling off. He hit the ground with a loud thud and Brock cringed.

“Can you believe that Matthew is a clouded leopard shifter?” Brock looked over at Tucker. He was watching the scene unfold with his arms crossed over his chest. “Amazing, huh?”

“I missed something.” Brock shook his head.

“Matthew came over yesterday afternoon. Gideon wanted him to meet everyone and spend some time with me and Sloan, so we had a barbeque. Turns out he’s Lawson’s mate. Lawson shifted, bit Matthew, and the man turns into a leopard.”

“Unbelievable,” Brock breathed out. He was sure there was a lot more to the story, but was relieved that Tucker didn’t draw it out.

“Yeah,” Tucker agreed. “I never even scented the leopard.”

“Me either.” Brock shook his head before changing the subject. He focused on Tucker, glad that the man was back to his normal self. “I’m glad that you’re okay. I was worried about you, but I knew that you’d heal.”

“I wanted to thank you. Sloan told me that you were dealing with Paul,” Tucker said.

Brock felt a pang of guilt just thinking about the events from the night before. He wanted to tell his friend the truth, but refrained. It wouldn’t paint him in a positive light. He’d taken a life. He’d killed someone.

“You don’t have to worry about anything. Just take care of your mate,” Brock told him, before following Lawson.

He watched Lawson hold the leopard close to his chest. The look on the man’s face said it all…he was happy to have found his mate. It was the same look he’d seen on his other pack mates faces when they met the men meant for them. Pure bliss.

God, I want that.

He waited until Lawson put Matthew down before going outside. The leopard ran off to play, leaving Lawson sitting on the ground. Inhaling the fresh air, he stepped off the porch and into the grass.

“Hey,” Brock said, walking up behind Lawson. “Do you mind if I join you?”

“No, take a seat.” Lawson patted the grass next to him.

“I guess I missed quite a bit.” Brock couldn’t believe all that had happened while he slept. “I just heard that Matthew’s a clouded leopard shifter. How the hell did that happen?”

“I don’t know.” Lawson shook his head.

“I never sensed a shifter when I was around him,” Brock told him. He’d been around Matthew plenty of times. It was shocking to learn that the human wasn’t entirely human.

“None of us did. The leopard surfaced once my wolf marked him. I just hope he’ll be able to forgive me when he shifts back into his human form.” Lawson whispered the last sentence, and Brock knew how hard this had to be for his friend.

“Yeah, I heard about that. How are you holding up?”

“I never wanted a human mate. Not with all my brother went through and the heartache he endured. When Caleb ended his life to escape the pain, I realized then and there that I needed to be with a shifter. I wanted to be marked and claimed.”

“I understand.” Brock gripped his shoulder in a friendly, supportive gesture. “It makes you feel safer, like your mate won’t be able to leave you. It’s understandable after what your brother experienced. And luckily, fate was on your side. It looks like Matthew already took a bite out of your neck.” He zeroed in on the teeth marks on Lawson’s shoulder.

A high-pitched yowl made Brock freeze. It wasn’t a sound he’d heard before. He looked around, his eyes sweeping through all the greenery.

“Brock,” Lawson whispered. “Drop your hand and move behind me.”

“What the hell’s going on?” he asked.

“You’re unmated and you’re touching me. The leopard must consider it a challenge. Move back slowly and keep your eyes on him. He’s a fast little guy with razor sharp teeth,” Lawson warned.

“He’s already marked you,” Brock said, stating the obvious. The leopard shouldn’t be acting so territorial, not when the cat and wolf had claimed on another.

“Yeah, but we haven’t finished mating,” Lawson said. “Matthew, you know Brock. He’s just a friend. I’m your mate, kitty, you already marked me.”

Lawson’s words didn’t stop Matthew from growling. Matthew kept his eyes glued to Brock, following his every move. He moved back slowly, not wanting to spook the leopard. When the leopard was a couple feet away, he pounced, crashing into Lawson and knocking him off balance. Lawson fell back onto the ground and Matthew stood, perched on his chest, showing Brock who Lawson belonged to. Brock smiled and shook his head. It was cute.