To Catch A Croc (2 page)

Denton needed to figure out where the salties had their home base and what they were doing here. The water was too cold and the weather wasn’t warm enough for saltwater crocs. Hell, it wasn’t warm enough for freshwater crocs, either, but after so many years Denton was used to it.

He needed a plan and he had a feeling Isaac was just the man to help him. With his idea fixed in his mind, Denton climbed into his Jeep and headed for Isaac’s house.

It took half an hour to drive to Isaac’s house in West Seattle. Isaac had a million-dollar home by Alki Beach with sound and mountain views. Denton hadn’t gone to the beach on his one visit when Isaac had thrown a house warming party, but he’d enjoyed the salty air and sound of the gulls calling to one another. Isaac’s Mediterranean villa sort of stuck out among the other architecture but Denton found it charming. His fingers had itched to prune back Isaac’s overgrown roses but he’d resisted. He’d figured it would be poor manners to hack a man’s bush without permission.

It was late enough that Denton easily found a coveted street-side parking spot. Sighing, he slid his Jeep into a spot between a convertible and a car big enough to be an urban tank. Why anyone needed such a large vehicle on Seattle’s narrow streets, Denton didn’t know. A mom who used it to haul her kids to and from private school and soccer practice probably owned it. From the pristine paint job, Denton doubted it had ever gone off road.

His mind focused on his injuries and the salties’ invasion, Denton almost stumbled across Isaac sitting on his front steps.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t see you there,” Denton moved back down a few more steps. He clutched the railing as the world spun around him.

Isaac rose to his feet. “What’s wrong?”

Denton gasped for breath as he fought to gather enough air in his probably punctured lungs. “What makes you think something is wrong?”

Isaac wrapped an arm around Denton’s waist. “I’ve got you, babe, let’s get you inside and you can tell me who I need to kill.” The world spun as his body left the earth.

“Hey, put me down.” The world continued to spin as Isaac carried him across the front door’s threshold as if he were a new bride.

“Don’t fight me,” Isaac growled. “I need to check and see how badly you’re injured.”

For the first time since the salties’ attack, Denton felt safe. He rested his head on the puma shifter’s chest, glad he’d come here to Isaac. Although he’d only met the puma shifter a few times before, something about Isaac’s confidence appealed to Denton.

He tried to unobtrusively sniff Isaac. Taking in Isaac’s scent, further calmed down his inner crocodile. The reptile wanted to bite down on the salties and snap their thick necks. Unfortunately, Denton knew how that would end. He’d never be able to beat them in crocodile form. Fortunately, he had a couple of high-powered rifles and a sharp shooter at hand. Right now, he needed to heal and find out the location of their base.

Soft leather met Denton’s scraped hands as Isaac placed him on the world’s softest couch. “Oh, this is nice.” He rested his neck on the padded arm and the room stopped spinning for a bit.

“What did they do to your beautiful face?” Isaac crouched beside Denton, tracing his eye with the gentlest touch. “I’m definitely going to kill them.”

“Saltwater crocs,” Denton blurted out. “They found me down by the lake and told me to get out of town.”

“I wonder why they didn’t kill you,” Isaac mused.

Denton would’ve taken offense but he’d wondered the same thing. Maybe they thought he wouldn’t tell his friends and slink out of town.

“Maybe they’re afraid of Carey,” Denton whispered.

“Hmm, maybe. It’s well known he took down the wolves. They might hope to scare the rest of you off before he comes back.”

Denton knew Harris was safe at the mansion and Eaton could escape if cornered. With his history with the salties, Denton was the obvious choice to strong-arm first.

“And if you were too afraid to stay, you might be able to take everyone with you. But if they killed you, Carey would want revenge…” Isaac mused.

“They’d all die,” Denton finished.

“What they didn’t know is that I’m going to kill them anyway,” Isaac growled. The venomous tone in the puma shifter’s voice made Denton blink to see through his puffy eye.

“Why?” Denton knew Isaac was devoted to his alpha, but there was no reason for him to have that level of animosity toward the salties.

“Because they touched what belongs to me,” Isaac said in the same hard voice. “I need to take off your shirt.”

“Cut it!” Denton demanded. No way was he lifting his arms. He also didn’t have the energy to figure out what Isaac was talking about. Denton didn’t belong to anyone. Not that he’d mind if Isaac wanted to claim Denton as his, but they’d barely seen each other, much less dated. Surely it would take more than that for a claiming? The pain distracted Denton from too much introspection.

“I’ll be right back.” Isaac stood and left the room.

Without the puma shifter to distract him, Denton closed his eyes. His chest hurt the worst of anything and without Isaac there he could feel every ache, distinctly.

“Stay still.” Isaac demanded, rushing back into the room.

Denton held off the smart-ass comment hovering on his lips, mostly because voicing it would take more effort than he was willing to expend.

Metal scissors slid against his skin, sending shivers down Denton’s spine. The domed touch pads on his crocodile skin were flattened in his human shape but he still had the enhanced sensation. Denton whimpered when his quickly drawn breath caused his ribs to hurt.

“I said stay still,” Isaac scolded.

“I can’t help it. Crocodiles have super sensitive skin,” Denton snapped.

“I’ve read that but I thought it was just your jaw and face.” Isaac’s gaze focused on him as if Denton were the most fascinating person in the world.

“No, that’s alligators. For crocs, it’s all over the body.” Lust poured off of Isaac and smacked Denton in the nose. His body hardened, increasing his rate of misery. “Stop that.”

“Stop what?” Isaac turned his attention back to cutting away Denton’s shirt but he could still smell Isaac’s desire as it saturated the air with his scent.

“Making me hard. I hurt enough.” He didn’t want Isaac to know how much he lusted after him. His crush was more than a little embarrassing.

Finally, his shirt was dropped to the floor and Isaac examined Denton’s chest. “Did they kick you anywhere lower?”

“N-No,” Denton stuttered as Isaac’s fingers brushed across his nipples.

“Good. I’ll kill them quickly instead of drawing it out, then. I hate to say it, but you should probably sleep as a human tonight and wait to change until tomorrow.”

Isaac’s compassionate expression broke him. He’d been fine through the examination, but that little bit of sympathy released the floodgates. Sobs tore out of him, compounded by the pain the motion caused.

“Honey, it’s all right. I can kill them slowly it if will make you feel better.” Isaac lifted Denton up and settled him back down with Isaac beneath him.

He curled into the larger man, unable to bear looking into his eyes.

“Shh,” Isaac rubbed the base of Denton’s back in long soothing circles. “We’ll just rest a bit, then I’ll take you to bed where you belong.”

Too tired to understand what Isaac was jabbering about, Denton pressed his nose into Isaac’s neck, absorbing the scent until it became a part of him. He never thought he’d find the smell of a cat shifter appealing, but Isaac smelled of comfort and home. Immediately, Denton’s inner crocodile calmed. Both halves of Denton knew that he was where he needed to be.

“I’ll look into the location of the salties tomorrow. Let’s get you into bed.” Isaac’s voice rumbled in his chest like a soothing balm to Denton’s ragged soul.

“I bet you say that to all the boys,” Denton teased.

“Only to the pretty ones.” Isaac kissed Denton’s forehead.

Once again Isaac’s strong arms lifted him. “I can walk, you know. Probably.”

“Uh, huh. When you’re more certain of that fact, you can climb the stairs on your own.”

Satisfied with that compromise, Denton snuggled in close. He enjoyed the floating sensation of being carried. He doubted he’d feel it again anytime soon. Tomorrow, he could return to his usual brash, snarky self. Tonight, he needed Isaac.

“I’ve gotta call home—Eaton and Harris will wonder what happened to me.”

“You can call when I get you upstairs.” Isaac said.

Denton took a deep breath. “You know this won’t work, right? I mean, you’re a puma and I’m a crocodile. We’re one animal away from a bar joke.”

Isaac tilted his head. “What would be the third animal?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Denton snapped. He could feel his eyes change.

Isaac glanced down and desire wafted off of the cat shifter like a heady perfume.

“That’s so hot,” Isaac whispered.

“You like it when my eyes change?” Denton had heard that particular effect described as creepy, eerie and downright frightening. Hot wasn’t something he usually heard.

“Oh, yeah.” Isaac said, his cheek against the top of Denton’s head like the big cat he was. His erection, wide and long, rubbed against Denton’s hip as he carried him. Denton curled his fingers against the urge to reach out and touch. He didn’t want to startle Isaac and be dropped on his ass.

Luckily, they entered the bedroom and Isaac placed him on a blissfully soft bed.

“I think this is a very bad idea,” Denton said as Isaac’s face came closer. “You are such a bad idea.”

Denton’s attraction to Isaac overwhelmed him and made him pliant to Isaac’s advances. He couldn’t say no even if he wanted to—his crocodile had chosen Isaac as theirs and Denton’s human half wasn’t strong enough to deny them something they both wanted.

“Probably.” Isaac wrapped a hand around the back of Denton’s neck and crawled onto the bed beside him. “But you are too gorgeous to resist.”

Unbidden, Denton began rubbing the bridge of his nose across Isaac’s jaw. A low rumble rolled up his chest, a mating noise he’d never before emitted, as his animal half tried to coax his mate into becoming his.

A blush rose on Denton’s cheeks.

“Sorry,” he mumbled against Isaac’s throat.

“Don’t be. I like that both halves of you are attracted to me. Scoot up.”

With Isaac’s assistance, Denton curled up on the bed alongside Isaac’s larger frame.

Isaac’s laid-back attitude appealed to Denton, who always had a fine layer of stress running through his body. Denton sighed and let Isaac take his weight against him. Anyone with that much heat should be used to bask on.

A low rumble went through Isaac’s body, making Denton lift his chin up to check out Isaac’s expression. Isaac’s eye sparkled with amusement. “Comfortable?”

“You’re warm,” Denton said, as if that explained everything.

It must have, because Isaac pulled him closer. “Those salties really scared you.”

Denton nodded. Even more frightening was his new determination to kill every one of them before they could hurt anyone else. Better to let Isaac think he needed protection than to admit he just wanted them found so he could hunt them down. Yep, he’d go for the poor little croc routine. He snuggled in closer. A shiver went through him, but it wasn’t fear.

“Call your friends, little croc, and then we can get some sleep.”

He knew he should be annoyed with the little croc comment but it would completely ruin the
poor little me
routine he had going on if he said anything. “Okay,” He gave Isaac a shaky smile. The Oscars should be calling to give him an award for his acting prowess.

Reaching into his pocket, he dialed Eaton.

“Hey, Denton, where are you?”

“I’m at Isaac’s place. I’m gonna spend the night.”

A loud hooting sound came from the other side. “Gonna get some kitty tail? What is it with everyone going for cats lately? I prefer my men fine and feathered.”

Denton smiled. “How was your last blind date?”

The pain rushing through his body made Denton not really care about his friend’s latest dating adventure, but if he didn’t ask, Eaton would know something was wrong.

“Let’s just say he wasn’t fine or feathery enough.”

Barely holding back laughter, Denton made reassuring noises. “I’m sure you’ll find someone.”

“Hmm, maybe. I heard the hawks were coming back into town.” The eagerness in Eaton’s voice made Denton’s chest ache. He’d hoped Eaton’s crush on the gang leader would fade with time, but in this case it appeared absence did make the heart grow fonder. Denton would have to take care of that little problem once he could breathe easier again.

“Stay away from Marty. He’s no good,” Denton snapped, even as he knew the words were futile.

Eaton sighed. “But he looks so good in black leather.”

“You don’t want to be another feather on his belt,” Denton warned. While some men collected phone numbers, rumor had it that Marty kept a feather from the shifted form of each bird shifter he’d had sex with. Denton had heard the man was looking for a complete set and didn’t have a golden eagle one yet.

Fucker.

“I’ll do my best, but I’m not making any promises. Now go enjoy your pussy. I’ll see you later.” Eaton hung up before Denton could say anything more.

“Damn bird always has to have the last word,” Denton muttered.

“Problems at home?” Isaac asked, frowning at Denton’s tone.

“No. Eaton’s going to get his fool heart broke, that’s all,” Denton growled. He didn’t like the biker gang leader or the rough crowd he traveled with. After he finished healing, the first thing he was going to do tomorrow was have a little word with the hawk shifter.

“I’m sure he’s old enough to look out for himself,” Isaac said. His tone indicated he actually thought Denton would stay out of Eaton’s business.

Denton made a scoffing sound in the back of his throat. “Eaton’s the type to give his heart to whoever asks for it.”

Eaton might be an amazing sharp shooter and have a brilliant mind, but emotionally he didn’t have a lot of experience with men. If a man sweet-talked the beautiful eagle shifter, he’d probably believe his lies. Denton would definitely talk to Marty tomorrow. There couldn’t be any mistake. Eaton wasn’t going to be anyone’s feathery trophy. With Carey out of town, it was up to Denton to watch out for their friend.