Thinking of the phone did give him an idea, though. He knew that Geir had a cell phone, nestled in his dresser drawer with his wallet and truck keys that he rarely used. Predictably, it was out of battery, but the charger was coiled beside it.
Now he just had to wait.
He perched on the bed and wondered whose numbers might be in there. Tier’s hopefully? Geir’s sister whose name he didn’t know? Certainly not Ro’s, since they’d never met before the day Declan arrived.
Surely Tier would be the right person to go to for help.
Declan’s musings were interrupted by the sound of a car coming down the drive. Declan rushed to the front door.
As if the thought had summoned them, Ro got out of the car along with another man.
Declan would have said that the new shifter was tall and muscular, but standing next to Ro, he looked downright compact. He still towered over Declan, but then, everyone did. His skin was a warm chestnut and his straight silvery-black hair was drawn back in a ponytail. He had a well-groomed beard, though his cheeks were a little scruffy, like he’d been too busy to find time to shave. He held himself with authority, and he was definitely hot.
He hoped this was Tier, for Ro’s sake. He deserved a yummy-licious strength-sharer to appreciate all of that shy and hopeful submissiveness.
As soon as they reached the porch, Declan started talking, letting all of his fears spill out. “Hey! Thank God you’re here. Are you Tier? Actually, it doesn’t matter. I can’t find Geir. Like, I think he’s just swimming in the lake, since his clothes were on the dock. And I know there aren’t pirate ships and whales in the lake, but what about motorboats? Or are there people that might be hunting him? God, that would be scary. And I didn’t even have anyone to call. Can I get your number? Just in case? Or can you help me? You can help me, right?”
The visitors looked at each other and then back at him.
“You said Geir’s missing?” the new one said. His voice was deep and had a gruff formality, but Declan noticed now that he had bags under his eyes. He looked tense and exhausted.
His worry made Declan feel worried, too. He’d already said everything, and he knew he tended to babble, so he just nodded.
“You’re Declan?” His eyes seemed to pierce through Declan, like he was solving some sort of puzzle.
“Yeah, that’s me. I’m Geir’s… I guess his boyfriend. Did Ro mention me?”
The man looked at Ro, his gaze softening for just a moment. Yeah, Declan caught that.
Then he turned back to Declan with sharp eyes. “He did. How long has he been gone?”
“I haven’t seen him since yesterday morning, before Ro got here. Maybe at ten-ish? And, um, who are you?”
“Man, I’m sorry. I’m Tier Ashwood.” He held out a hand. “I’ve got a lot on my mind today.”
Declan noticed that he didn’t mention he was a shifter and also failed to mention the little detail of being the Chief. But he was totally into Ro.
As soon as they shook hands, Tier started looking around, like a detective looking for clues. He strode right through the front door into the cottage which, yeah, seriously rude. But if it would get Geir back he didn’t mind at all.
Not to mention that if Ro liked him, he probably wasn’t this focused and distant all the time.
Declan tried to give Ro a meaningful look, but Ro was just watching Tier being all stern and commanding. Maybe that was what Ro was into.
Declan fought down a giggle. That could be hot, actually. He’d have to ask Ro for all the details later. And maybe Geir would be up for some role playing...
God, he hoped they found Geir.
Declan looked back to find Tier standing in the kitchen doorway, his eyes assessing. He needed to pull himself together. “Where did you last see him?”
Declan led them out to the rock they’d sat on yesterday, and then the dock. Even though he was worried about Geir, he noticed how the Chief’s eyes followed Ro whenever he wasn’t looking. He was totally watching his ass.
The two of them just needed a little nudge. Maybe Declan could let a few words slip sometime. Or invite them both over for dinner and then suggest it was a double date? Was that meddling too much?
They’d be perfect dads for May, too.
He was so lost in thought—and watching Tier watch Ro’s ass—that he almost forgot why they were there. When they got to the dock, though, his happy plans fled. He gathered up the clothes he’d folded, hugging them to his chest.
The two men said they were going to look around, but they weren’t that subtle about sniffing the air. Man, shifters were so cool.
Tier went left and Ro went right. Declan, of course, followed Ro. “So, that’s Tier,” he said conversationally, when he was pretty sure they were out of earshot.
“Shhhhh….” Ro looked around frantically.
They could both see Tier walking away from them along the edge of the water. “He’s sexy.”
Ro turned and glared at him, his eyes glinting in the dappled forest light.
“Oh, I don’t want him. Geir’s more than enough for me. But hopefully he’s not that cold and growly all the time.” Declan thought about it. “Unless you’re into that type of thing, I suppose. I can see the appeal. He’s very… protective, isn’t he?”
Ro didn’t say anything, but he tucked his head shyly down to his shoulder. Declan’s plans were going to have to involve subtlety. Which was not his forte.
He changed the topic instead. “Do you have, like, super senses? I mean, in your human form?”
“Um… stronger senses. I was going to shift. Turn around.”
“Can you even scent where someone is on their own property? Like, Geir walks all over this area every day.”
“I can tell how recent a scent is. Mostly I’m checking to see if anyone else has been here.”
Ah. That was a sobering thought.
Declan turned around. He scanned the edge of the lake, but he couldn’t see Tier until he saw a spotted feline emerge from the underbrush.
“Oh, cool! A leopard!” He looked again. “Or, like, a tiny leopard? Do leopards live in the Americas?”
A snorting sound came from behind him. He turned to find a large dog, no, a coyote, making a face that could only be exasperated amusement. Dammit. He’d missed Ro’s shift, too. And now Ro was laughing at him. “Not a leopard?”
The coyote shook his head. Alright, he was going to have to do some serious animal research as soon as he had internet access. Tier’s animal was some sort of cat, maybe two feet long and kind of grayish with black spots. More like an overgrown housecat, though his face was a bit wider. Declan imagined he still had sharp teeth, though.
Ro’s coyote, meanwhile, was thin and lanky, his coat more gray than brown. His head came up to Declan’s thigh. And he sure looked like a dog. Maybe a husky or something? Only the tail was really different, a bit wider and fluffier.
Ro prowled around, sniffing at things, then headed back up the path. Declan trailed behind, adding Ro’s clothes to the pile of Geir’s stuff that he was already carrying.
At the top, they made a quick circuit of the cabin and then came back to where Tier was waiting on the porch. Declan left Ro’s clothes around the corner for him, and he stepped out a minute later.