Running Wild

“You watch yourself.” The or else was implied, and with that unspecific threat, Ri decided that despite Pete’s confusing behavior, he and Seamus could not stay at the farm. Pete and his pack would be back, and he needed to get Seamus away from here. While Ri could have taken on Pete, a pack was beyond his abilities.
Once Pete stalked off, rounding the house and going to the front, Seamus sat down, and they both listened to the car start up and drive away. Ri wasn’t sure what to say but he was ravenous, so he went into the kitchen and made himself three sandwiches, got himself a long drink of water, then juice, and carried his food back out to the porch.
He didn’t know how he was going to explain to Seamus that he was a horse shifter and Pete was a wolf. He couldn’t explain. Yet how else to convince Seamus it was no longer safe at the farm? That a wolf pack might be targeting him for reasons unknown. Maybe because of Ri himself.
Seamus was standing in the backyard, staring out into the field. His shoulders were bowed, as if he was upset. Pete seemed to mean something to the man, which confused the hell out of Ri. In his experience, all werewolves were psychopaths or at best followers of psychopaths. Yet, Pete had been…annoying.
So far , Ri reminded himself. Stay alert to danger. Maybe this encounter was part of a much longer game.
Seamus turned around and walked towards Ri. His body filled out his clothes the way Ri’s body never did, and the desire that lanced through Ri alarmed him, but not as much as the desire to look after this man. He didn’t understand it. They had a fledgling relationship, if that. It was as if something in Ri had focused on Seamus because he’d inherited the farm. It wasn’t logical and yet Ri was powerless to stop it.
As Seamus walked up the steps, Ri said, “I’m sorry.”
Seamus slid him a look. “For what?”
“For what I’m going to say.”
To Ri’s surprise, Seamus smiled, and there was a dimple on his right cheek among all those freckles. “What are you going to say? I’m pretty curious, especially since you don’t talk much. I think that horse talks to me more than you do.” He gazed out as if looking for Ri in horse form.
Great, Seamus was more taken by his horse than his human. He should have returned without shifting and ridden away, just the two of them. With that thought, Ri paused and grasped hold of a possible solution to this difficult situation.
He had rescued Seamus before on horseback, and he could do it again, remove Seamus from danger, this time to his hideout where he could explain everything—and where it might be more believable.
And, most importantly, safer. Pete’s pack wouldn’t locate them there.
    “Why don’t you come in?” Seamus felt like he was luring a wild animal into his home. Ri seemed restless and tense. Suffice it to say, Ri and Pete hadn’t hit it off. In fact, the entire encounter had been weird. Pete had been…strange. Yes, his jealousy was uncomfortably familiar, making Seamus’s skin itch, reminding Seamus why he stayed away from Pete. But Pete had mentioned that god-awful night Seamus assumed he’d forgotten hearing about. He sure as hell had never referred to it since.
“I have to go.” Ri looked apologetic and Seamus sighed.
    “Of course you have to go, but where do you go?” Seamus swung his arm wide. “You head towards the fields and disappear. You’ve got me curious.”
“I’ll be back.”
“That’s not an answer,” Seamus said. As Ri stepped away, he added, “Wait.”
Ri turned, brows lifted in question.
He wanted to keep Ri here and talking, so he spoke the first thing that came to mind. “Why didn’t you like Pete?”
“He’s a predator.” A flat, swift response, if inaccurate.
“No, no, he’s not. He’s a pain in the butt sometimes, but he’s not a predator .” Seamus didn’t know if Ri meant something ominous or a more general personality trait. “Oblivious, maybe. He’s okay. It’s only that he’s an ex, and we have a history and kinda clash at times. I don’t dislike him.”
Ri was concentrating, as if Seamus was giving him very important intel. “I’ll be back.”
“God, Ri, you know, we need to talk. I’m concerned about you.” Telling Ri he was too weirdly behaved didn’t seem constructive.
“I’m fine,” Ri assured him with all sincerity.
“Good. Glad to hear it.” Seamus pulled in a breath. “You’re too unpredictable as a regular visitor. We need to set