He'd lived in Stone Ridge for nearly four decades and people had begun to talk about how he didn't appear any older than when he'd moved there. At three hundred seventy-eight years old, he'd had to remove himself from society on several occasions, then return with a new identity.
This time, he wasn't certain he wanted to return. At his age, he knew he was set in his ways. Even the desire for an occasional fuck didn't really hit him anymore.
Shaking his alpha's hand, Michel couldn't help but remember when Declan's grandfather had run the pack. Things had been different back then, tough near the end of Alpha Ian's life. Declan had had to make a difficult decision, watch the pack be run into the ground-his fellow shifters hunted down and killed as unnatural beings-or kill his own grandfather to save the pack.
Declan had taken on his grandfather and won.
His decision to move them from Ireland to the US had been risky, but for the best, and even with the beauty of his former home, Michel couldn't imagine returning to the Emerald Isle for more than a visit.
Michel followed Shane and Declan from the room, looking forward to returning to his cabin. His wolf enjoyed hanging with pack-mates for a while, but both sides of him craved the trees and wide open spaces the national forest-where his hunting cabin backed up to-offered him.
He paused in the hallway, cocking his head. A pleasant scent tickled his senses, something mildly sweet and spicy that called to him with surprising intensity … enough so that it caused his dick to plump a bit.
Odd.
Sweeping his gaze over the men as he headed back to the front of the house, he tried to figure out the source of the scent. Except he didn't see anyone new or anything amiss. All was as it had been when he'd entered a couple hours before.
Michel dismissed the strange reaction and headed out the front door, following Declan and Shane as they said their goodbyes. He paused on the porch, the scent tickling his senses again. This time when he looked around, he noticed a black and tan duffle bag on a chair.
Stepping over to it, he picked it up and lifted it to his nose. Inhaling deeply, Michel just held in a moan. His cock thickened to half-mast. The sweet and spicy scent permeated the fabric as if the owner had clutched the duffle to his chest, and it was definitely a masculine scent.
Mate!
His wolf howled in his mind. Whoever used this bag was his mate. That realization rocked Michel to his core. He'd had regular lovers in the past, and watching them age and pass had torn him apart. With a bonded mate, he wouldn't have to fear someone's death, for when he claimed his mate, they'd be bound for the rest of their days.
Needing to know who had arrived or visited, Michel took the bag to the open doorway and held it up. "Hey, Sean," he called. "I spotted this on a chair on the porch. Someone missing a bag?"
Raul crossed to him. "That must be Jason's. I'm sure when he wakes up he'll be looking for it."
When the human reached out and took the bag, for just a second, Michel had the insane urge to snarl and clutch the duffle to his chest, and rub his scent on it. Instead, he released the handle and asked, "Jason?"
"Yeah, my nephew," Raul elaborated. "He arrived while you guys were finishing up. He had a rough trip, so he's taking a nap." Raul lifted the bag, indicating it. "I'm sure he'll be looking for this. Thanks."
Michel nodded. "Sure. Sorry to bombard ye when ye were expecting company." He really couldn't give a shite, but he needed more information about Jason.
"Oh, no worries," Raul replied. "I wasn't actually expecting him. He's having trouble with my sister, his mother, as well as his stepfather, so we'll help him however he needs."
Damn, Jason sounds like he's young … maybe even under age.
When Michel didn't think up a response fast enough, Raul turned and headed away, taking Jason's bag with him. Needing just a bit more, he commented, "His mom let him travel alone?"
Raul laughed. "Oh, even if Jason wasn't an adult, I doubt my sister would care. She's not really the maternal type."
Michel nodded, not caring about Raul's sister's lack of parenting skills, but that he'd learned the most important information about Jason. He was a legal, consenting adult. Now, he just had to figure out how to meet him and seduce him.
Turning away, his mind awhirl of possibilities, Michel climbed into his jeep. He knew he'd need to be careful, since he was technically hiding out so people would forget about him, but after so many years alone, there was no way in hell he'd pass up the opportunity Fate had just handed him.
With that thought in mind, Michel rolled his eyes at his stupidity. He climbed back out of his jeep and headed back up the walk. Knowing the door hadn't been locked after he, Declan, and Shane had left, Michel opened the door and stepped into the home's front room.
Sean poked his head around the corner and his brows shot up. "Hey, Michel. You forget something?"
Michel nodded once, the faint scent of his mate tantalizing his senses. "Aye. I'm pretty certain Raul's nephew is me mate," he stated, not seeing the need to beat around the bush with another shifter. "I have every intention in pursuing him and finding out. I figured I ought to give ye all a heads up."
"Uh, wow," Sean responded. "Congratulations."
"That remains to be seen," Michel replied. He turned back toward the door.
"Wait, don't you want to meet him?"
"More than anything," Michel admitted. "Ye think Raul is gonna be okay with that?"
Sean snorted. "I don't see why he wouldn't. He understands this shit."
"How long has he known about shifters?" Michel asked curiously.
"Don't know. You'll have to ask him that yourself." Shrugging, Sean led the way into the living room where Raul sat with Jared and Carson.
"What do you want to know?" Jared asked before taking a sip of his beer.
Sean took a seat on the love seat next to Raul, answering for him. "He was wondering how long ya'll knew about shifters," he said, taking his beer back from his mate.
"I've known for a good fourteen, going on fifteen years now," Jared admitted. "I dragged Raul down the rabbit hole a couple of years ago."
Raul frowned at the other human. "Thanks for keeping secrets for so long."
"I'm good at secrets," Jared replied, smirking.
Sean cleared his throat. "You want a beer?"
"Aye," Michel replied. "Unless ye got something stronger?"
"Are you okay?" Carson asked, frowning even as Jared rose and crossed to a bar set along the far wall.
"Aye. Guess I'm just a wee worried about meeting Jason," he admitted.
Raul's eyes narrowed. "Why? Why do you even want to meet him?"
Sean patted Raul's leg. "Easy, tiger," he teased.
Michel nodded his thanks to Jared as he took the tumbler of amber liquid. A quick sniff revealed whiskey and he took a tentative sip. The smooth liquid burned a trail down to his stomach. "Shite," he muttered, impressed. He hadn't seen the brand, but from the taste, he knew it had to be high end.
Finally, he looked toward Raul. "I think he's me mate."
"What?" Raul snarled, glaring.
Jared snorted and returned to the bar. "You could have told me Raul would need some, too," he commented, pouring another couple fingers of whiskey into a tumbler.
"Sean thought he'd take it better," Michel snapped, happy to lay the blame on someone else before he took another-this time more healthy-swallow of whiskey.
Chimes echoed through the house.
"That must be the groceries," Sean said, rising again.
"Ye have yer groceries delivered?" Michel asked.
Jared nodded. "We both do. Why the hell grocery shop if you don't have to?"
Michel understood that logic. At the moment, his grandson, Jonathan, delivered his groceries, so he didn't have to go to town. He cringed, recognizing the voice of the delivery boy-Mark, one of Jonathan's human friends. If Mark saw him, he'd be recognized for sure, and Mark's mother was a huge gossip, making his last three years of hiding a waste.