Marked Northern Shifters 1

himself rigid. He didn’t want this kiss goodbye. He didn’t even want an embrace. He’d never been one for public affection and changing that now would make Liam’s departure even more significant, more dangerous.
    Maybe that was stupid thinking but as Liam stared and Alec felt his gaze bore into him, he refused to meet it. Finally, Liam let out a small breath and touched Alec’s face. Despite himself, Alec leaned into the palm and Liam smiled, as if satisfied, and said, “Okay.”
    Then he went to Ira, giving his brother a big hug and whispering reassurance while Ira hugged him back.
Liam and Trey stripped and walked out the back door. Alec couldn’t get used to his lover walking naked among these people, let alone shifting to wolf and hunting bad wolves. He scrubbed his face.
“It’s just a scouting mission.”
Alec looked down to see Ira’s solemn brown eyes regarding him with a troubled expression. Ira opened his arms, awkwardly, but with determination. If it had been Claire, she would have wanted to be picked up, but Ira was bigger and more reserved. So Alec leaned down and Ira hugged him, then pulled away.
“That was from Liam,” Ira explained. “He said you needed it.” His expression became a little sly, even smug. “I knew Liam would like you.”
Alec scratched his jaw. “You did, huh?”
Ira nodded. “Because you liked me and we’re brothers.”
Well, Alec wasn’t going to argue with that logic. Ira tugged his arm and they followed the others out of the kitchen and into the living room. Back to entertaining kids and trying to ignore the rising tension of their situation.
Seth paced a fair bit. Veronica and David decided to clean the house. Alec read to the kids until his throat was sore.
The day dragged itself out. Alec pretended to nap. They dutifully ate supper, the kids more than the adults, Alec least of all, but then he wasn’t werewolf and had less energy to burn.
Seth and Veronica put the kids to sleep while David and Alec sat in the living room ignoring each other. The only two normals, Alec thought wryly, though it didn’t particularly make him feel closer to—or farther away from—the other man. The question was obviously on everyone’s mind though no one asked it out loud: When would the scouting mission return?
The doorbell rang, jolting them out of their respective reveries. Alec and David stared at each other before David picked up his gun.
“I’m not interested in opening that door,” David observed. “Liam and Trey would be banging on the back door, not ringing the front.”
“Let me just look through the peephole.” Alec walked quietly down the hall, leaving the light off so whoever stood on the porch wouldn’t see him.
David followed and Alec heard the metal click to indicate the gun was cocked behind him, something he wasn’t entirely comfortable with. If David shot him, it would be an accident, he trusted him that much, but it wouldn’t be much comfort.
Alec bent to look through the peephole and jerked back in surprise.
“What?” demanded David, while Seth and Veronica appeared on the stairs.
To make sure, Alec looked again. Yes, it was Sharon from the library, in shirtsleeves in near zero weather, looking absolutely miserable and freezing.
“I know her,” he whispered.
She rang the doorbell again, apparently oblivious to their presence.
“She’s crying,” Alec stated tonelessly.
“How well do you know her?” demanded David.
“Some. I worked with her. She got me my job. I owed her for that.” At least until he’d lost the job with a little help from her big mouth.
At David’s nudging, Alec moved back and David took a look, then sighed. “What the fuck is she doing here? Makes me suspicious.”
Alec shrugged, but added, flatly, “We can’t just leave her out there.”
David glanced at Veronica and Seth.
“We can,” argued Veronica.
“I’ll slip out and talk to her,” Alec suggested.
“Liam would have my head,” said Seth.
“And mine,” put in David.
“No one is in charge here. This is my decision.” They were going to talk him out of it and while he wasn’t overly fond of Sharon at the moment, she obviously needed help.
“Alec, wait.” Veronica moved quickly down the stairs. “Something doesn’t seem right.”
Hand on the door’s bolt, Alec paused.
“Let me go first,” offered Seth.
“I am not a child,” snapped Alec. “And she was my co-worker. I won’t step outside, okay? We’ll just bring her in.” With that, he