CHAPTER 2
1897 Words
CHAPTER 2
"Law, what the hell is going on, man? I don't get it. Why are we all here?" Dustin snapped.
Sighing, Law replied, "For the hundredth time, Dustin, I have no f*****g clue."
Winter plopped down in the chair in the waiting room of the law office, grumbling, "We should be out there looking for who the f**k killed the old man, not stuck in a damn office waiting to talk to some damn stuffed shirt."
"We don't know that anything nefarious happened to the old man, Winter. However, I swear to you as soon as we are out of here, we will figure it out." Shaw replied.
Law looked towards the window. Hardy stood looking out of the window not speaking to
anyone. Emry stood close by, back against the wall, pretending to play a game on his phone.
Law knew that Hardy blamed himself for the old man's death, but only time and answers would help his longtime friend heal.
Looking around the room, Law knew he had to stay strong. He was the foreman of the Haven Ranch, and now that the old man was dead, he was the one that had to make sure things
continued to run smoothly. That is if Shaw's ass would let him.
Shaw and Law often got into power struggles on the ranch. He felt because his buffalo ass was so big, he could take on the tigon in Law.
Law wasn't saying the man was fat. The man was a buffalo shifter. A Cape Buffalo to be exact. If Law were honest, he found the man's looks drool worthy. Hell, he stood at almost seven feet and was three hundred fifty pounds of pure muscle. Law often had dreams of licking that milk chocolate skin and rubbing his hands over his hairless head as the man sucked Law down his throat.
The thing was Shaw's attitude. The man had an argument for everything. He felt that he and Law should split the foreman responsibilities, and he hated when Law gave him any orders regarding the fields. They would often get into yelling matches until the old man had to break them up.
Now with Roth gone, Law was concerned about how things would go between them.
The Haven Ranch was exactly as it sounded. It was a running, prosperous ranch known for its prime beef, fantastic horses, produce, and so many other things. It was also a location that shifters needing homes could come to and live a life free from harm. However, it did come at a price.
Anyone that came to Haven Ranch was expected to work. They were given a home, that when
the shifter was able, they could purchase and make small payments on. However, if they wanted to leave, they were required to sell it back to the ranch. They also had to perform a duty of some sort on the ranch. It could be working in the fields, with the horses, cows, or making products to sell to the locals, but they had to contribute to the ranch to stay.
"Law, when is this meeting?" Dustin asked impatiently.
Shrugging, Law replied, "We were told eight in the morning."
"Well, it's eight thirty and the pigs need to be fed, damn it. I can't just sit here doing nothing when work needs to get done." Dustin snapped.
Sighing heavily, Law leaned further back in his chair. He knew Dustin was impatient for things to get back to normal. However, what was normal for them now?
Dustin would still oversee the smaller animals like the chickens, pigs, goats, sheep, and Alpacas.
Emry would still work with the cattle, Shaw would continue working the fields growing
vegetables and products for the animals they cared for, and he would continue working on the horses, training them for work, racing, and rodeo.
Looking towards Hardy, he knew that as soon as they got home, he would take to the skies and watch over the ranch as he has always done. Winter would take to the docks to secure the marina area.
They all had jobs that needed to be done on the ranch, and they did them well. The only
difference was who would care for the people living on the farm. That was always the old man's job. He had a knack for making everyone feel important and cared for. There was not a shifter on that ranch that didn't love and respect him. Then why did Law agree with Winter when it came to the old man's death?
There had been some cattle getting off the ranch for a few months now. No one understood what was happening. Hardy had increased patrols, but no one could figure out how the hell they were getting out. Roth had come to him saying he needed his horse, Poly because he was going to check out the North pastures. Law had offered to go with the old man, but Roth had told him he wanted some time alone.
What was so unusual about that was that Roth never really did anything alone. He always had someone around and enjoyed riding his horse slow and steady talking to whoever was with him about his younger years. Roth loved talking about the past. He would say, mistakes in life were stepping stones to living. You had to make them so you could pave the way in the right direction for yourself.
Law never understood what he was talking about, but he loved the quiet times they shared.
Hearing a door open, Law turned and had to blink twice. The most handsome man he had ever seen in his life just walked through the doors. He had to be about a foot shorter than his own six four, and he had to weigh half of Law's own two eighty. The man's wavy brown hair went past his shoulders, and he seemed to be laughing at something the man with him said. He just wished he was close enough to see what color the man's eyes were and if they sparkled when he laughed like that.
"Who are they?" Winter asked.
Law stood up, "I have no idea."
The old man's lawyer was close to the hottie and his friend. When he saw Law and the others waiting, Mr. Buckley quickly said, "Law, I'm so glad everyone made it. If you could all come with me, please. We have one more guest waiting. He's already in the board room."
Everyone got up and followed Buckley further into his office.
"Margret, has Mr. Jericho arrived yet?" Buckley asked the pretty young lady behind a desk.
Smiling Margret replied, "Yes, Mr. Buckley. I placed him in the board room as you requested."
Nodding his approval, Buckley replied, "Thank you, Margret. Please hold all my calls and cancel any meetings I have for this afternoon. Also, if we run past eleven, order from Verteli's as we discussed yesterday."
"Yes, Mr. Buckley," Margret replied, picking up the phone to do as instructed.
They continued further back into the office, and Buckley opened the door indicating everyone to enter.
"Please have a seat, gentlemen. I will be back in short order." Buckley stated.
It didn't escape Law's notice that two large men remained outside the room as two entered the room before Buckley stepped out.
Another young man was sitting in a chair giving short nervous glances towards Law.
"Is there something I can help you with?" Law asked the man.
Shaking his head, the young man replied timidly, "No, sir. I've just never been in a room with a Tigon shifter before."
"A what?" The hottie asked, looking in Law's direction.
"My father was a tiger and my mother a lion. Usually, shifters take on the father's DNA for shifting. However, my parents were both incredibly strong. Therefore I inherited both tiger and lion when I shift." Law explained.
Giving the cutie a bright smile, Law stated, "My name is Law. These men here are my bond brothers, Shaw, Hardy, Dustin, Emry, and Winter. Might I ask your name?"
The young man blushed at Law's low seductive tone, saying, "I'm Midnight and this is my brother Sky."
"That is a very sexy name for a very sexy man," Law said with a raspy growl.
Law pulled back, not understanding what the hell was going on. He never in his life had flirted or felt like he did in Midnight's presence. s**t, Law couldn't believe how hard his c**k got just by hearing the man's sultry voice. If Law thought he could get away with it, he would take Midnight right here in the middle of the large table and be damned the spectators.
"I'm Rey if anyone cares." The young man said with a wave, jarring Law out of his lust filled thoughts.
Dustin sat forward, smiling wide, "Oh, I care, greatly."
Rey sat as far back in his chair as he could, giving a nervous laugh.
"So what are you guys doing here?" Shaw asked as he leaned closer to Midnight.
"What are you doing here?" Sky asked sarcastically.
"Sky, knock it off." Midnight whispered.
Rolling his eyes, Sky tossed a hand in the air, "Go ahead, flirt away with the enemy."
Midnight's giggle had Law and Shaw both letting out puffs of air and looking at each other in shock.
"Sky, they are not our enemy. We don't even know them." Midnight said softly.
"Nigh, I may not know what they all shift into, but I can say for a fact, they are predators.
Therefore, we are prey and need to stay away. Ha! I rhymed. See it worked for Cochran for OJ, in that movie, so it can work for me." Sky said, crossing his arms and giving a sharp nod.
Emry sat forward with a low growl of arousal, "I can honestly say I'd like to eat you, little one."
"Dude we're the same height, so if I'm little, so are you. And you might want to get a glass of water for that throat issue." Sky remarked.
Law looked at Emry closely and noticed that he and Hardy were looking at Sky like a morsel they wanted to eat up as were Winter and Dustin when it came to Rey and he and Shaw did as well with Midnight.
Law stood up, saying, "Something here isn't right."
"I agree. It's as if we walked into a room and matches were made." Shaw replied.
"What are you talking about?" Midnight asked nervously.
"What matches? What the hell is he talking about, Nigh?" Sky asked in fear.
Rey stood up. He looked scared and ready to run, "I don't know what's going on here, but I don't want any trouble."
The scent of fear from the three men brought out Law and the other’s protective instincts, and they all began to either snort, growl, or even squawk.
"Nigh! What the f**k is going on here?" Sky asked as he slowly slid out of his chair and stood behind it.
Shaw, Hardy, Emry, Winter, and Dustin stood. They were all making warning sounds to the danger that was scaring the men in front of them.
"I have no idea, Sky." Midnight replied and then looked to the guys at the door, "Aren't you guys going to do anything?"
Law turned angrily to the two men in the room and let out a warning roar.
The three men in front of them huddled together shaking.
Sky stood behind Midnight, snapping, "I told you we shouldn’t have come here! You never go to the second location, Nigh!"
- Writer
