When thirty minutes passed and Noah still hadn't shown up, Jed headed to Lamont's Trailer Heaven. He drove along the winding road, noticing the dilapidated state most of the homes were in. There was a section off to the right that still had decent homes, and Jed knew that was where the elderly residents lived. The place was a cesspool of drugs and drinking.

In the past five years, the place had been run down until it more closely resembled a junkyard than the luxurious neighborhood the place had once been. He spotted Noah's car and pulled in beside it. At least Noah's home wasn't in bad shape. Jed could tell the man had tried his best to make his small yard look homey.

He climbed out of his truck and gazed around. There were a couple men a few trailers down, watching him. Jed walked to Noah's door and knocked, but there was no answer. He tried the handle to see that it was unlocked. Jed called out as he entered, "Noah, it's me, Jed."

No answer.

He spotted Noah's wallet and keys on the counter and knew the man hadn't gone far. Jed headed toward the back of the trailer and the breath left his lungs in a whoosh.

Noah was tied to his bed, naked, and every square inch of exposed flesh was bloody. What in the hell had happened here? "Noah?"

The man lay stock-still and didn't respond to Jed's voice. Moving closer, Jed checked Noah's pulse. It was barely there. His hands shook badly as he grabbed his cell and called 911.

"Hang in there," Jed said after hanging up. The operator had wanted him to stay on the line, but Jed needed to untie Noah. As he undid the ropes, Noah made no movement, no sound. That worried Jed more than anything. His entire body was shaking by the time he tossed the last rope aside.

He was afraid to touch the man. There wasn't one spot on the guy's body that hadn't been affected. "Noah?" Jed brushed his knuckles over the man's bruised cheek, praying he wasn't bringing Noah any more pain. "Noah, can you hear me?"

The man's eyelids fluttered open and then Noah started to scream. He thrashed around, knocking his arm into Jed's shoulder. Jed quickly tore the rag from Noah's mouth and then the screams became louder.

"It's me-Jed." He had no choice but to grab Noah's arms. He could feel the blood and cuts under his hands as he tried to restrain the man. "If you don't calm down, you're going to hurt yourself."

Noah began to cry. It wasn't an ordinary cry, but hard, body-shaking sobs. Jed pulled Noah into his arms, rocking the man and hating himself for bringing the guy more pain. It had to hurt to be held, but Jed couldn't find it in himself to let the man go.

His bear roared at what had been done to Noah. Jed wanted to find out who was responsible for this and seek revenge. He wanted the bastard to pay. But right now Noah needed him more than Jed needed to rip someone's heart out. "I'm here for you, baby."

In that moment, Jed knew he couldn't keep his emotions from getting involved. There was no way he could stop himself from caring. Noah was nothing like the bastard who'd torn Jed's heart out. He could see that now. Although it was terrifying as hell to trust again, Jed knew he couldn't just walk away from Noah.

The sound of sirens rent the air. There was a loud banging at the door. Jed shouted for the EMTs to come in. When they entered the back room, they stopped and gaped at the state Noah was in.

Jed was reluctant to let Noah go, but he knew he had to in order for the man to be taken care of. He stepped back as one of the EMTs lifted Noah from the bed and placed him on some kind of stretcher.

"What happened here?" one of the medics asked.

"I don't know," Jed answered as he watched Noah being carried away. "He didn't show up for work this morning, so I came here. That's how I found him."

The EMT eyed the ropes.

"I took them off of him," Jed admitted.

The EMT nodded before taking off after the other two. Jed followed, climbing into his truck. His hands were shaking badly as he called Harland and told the man what he'd found.

"You've got to be shitting me," Harland said. "Who in the fuck would hurt Noah?"

That's what Jed planned on finding out. He gazed at the men who had been watching him before he pulled from the lot and followed the ambulance. Jed planned on finding out who was responsible, and then he was going to make the bastard pay for what he'd done to Noah.

Chapter Five.

Jed stayed at Noah's side, holding his hand as he prayed for the man to open his eyes. It had been two days and so far Noah hadn't regained consciousness. Harland, Clayton, and Bryson had been up to the hospital multiple times and Jed appreciated his friends' support, but nothing would soothe him right now.

He'd been an ass as far as Noah was concerned. Jed knew his fear of relationships was justified, but after seeing Noah whipped within an inch of his life, none of that really seemed to matter any longer. Even though it scared him, Jed was ready to stop running, ready to give Noah a chance.

It was just fucked up that something like this had to happen in order for him to come to that realization.

"Just open your eyes for me," Jed said while brushing his hand over Noah's. "I promise we'll work on us."

The nurse came in and gave Jed a warm smile as she checked Noah's vitals. No one had batted an eye when Jed stayed the night. No one questioned him. In fact, one of the night nurses had brought him a chair that folded out into a minibed. It hadn't been the most comfortable thing to sleep on, but he appreciated what everyone was doing for him and Noah.

The doctor had told Jed that there was no reason Noah should be out like this, that Noah was the one keeping himself in this comatose state. Jed had been talking to the man nonstop, trying to bargain with Noah to come back to the land of the living.

"Is there anything I can get for you?"

Jed shook his head. "I just need Noah to wake up."

She paused and smiled at him. "You must really love this fella. You've been here since he was brought in."

Jed didn't comment. He wasn't sure about love. He knew he wanted a chance with Noah, a shot at something special. Was that love? He had no idea. But the thought of losing Noah hurt like nothing Jed had ever felt before.

"Thanks for taking such good care of him."

She smiled. "I would say it's my job, but I can tell this is a special kind of guy."

Jed would fully agree. He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his hand over his jaw as he gazed out of the window. He could see the light flow of traffic on the freeway beyond the hospital grounds. As he sat there, Jed wondered if he'd gotten Noah pregnant the night they'd slept together.

It was something that was constantly on his mind. There was no way he could ask the doctors to check. For one, he couldn't tell them. The shifter doctor was the only one who could check for Jed. And two, it was too early to tell. But what if the damage Noah sustained made him lose their child?

Jed didn't want to think about that. He wasn't even sure Noah was his mate. But mate or not, Jed planned on being with this guy. If Noah wasn't his mate, then they would work that out when the time came.

Once the nurse left, Jed leaned forward and pressed his forehead on Noah's hand. "I'm not sure how I will tell you what I am," he said. "But I'm really hoping that you're my mate and that you're carrying my child." His eyes flickered to Noah's abdomen that was covered by a thin blanket. "I'm not even sure this will work between us, but I'm willing to try."

Jed's head snapped up when he felt Noah's hand twitch. The man's eyelids slowly fluttered open and then Noah stared at the ceiling. Jed stood, hovering over the human. "Noah?"

Ever so slowly, Noah turned his head and gazed up at Jed before bursting into tears. Jed slid his arms around the guy, pulling him close as he rocked him-just like he had when he had first found Noah whipped to hell. "Shhh, I got you, baby."

It was like dej vu all over again.

Noah continued to sob into Jed's chest, but soon he began to wind down. Jed continued to hold him, admitting to himself how right this felt, how much he wanted Noah in his life.

"Do you remember what happened?" Jed didn't want to ask, didn't want to bring the painful memory back, but he needed to know.

Noah pulled away, gazing around the room. He wiped at his eyes and then blinked a few times. "No."

"Then why were you crying?"

The man shook his head. "I'm not sure."

Jed wasn't sure whether Noah just didn't want to talk about it or whether he really couldn't remember. "What's the last thing you recall?"

Noah glanced up at Jed and then blushed. "Us, together in your truck."

Noah had lost a full day. There was a part of Jed that was pleased beyond reason that Noah hadn't forgotten their time together. It was the last thing he should be feeling right now after what Noah had been through.

"Why am I here?" Noah asked.

"Maybe the doctor should explain things to you." Jed didn't have the heart to tell Noah what had happened. He didn't want to be the one who shattered the man, but he was going to be the one to help Noah pick up the pieces and start over.

He still had to tell the human that he and his friends had cleaned Noah's place out and moved the guy to the ranch. Jed wasn't taking any chances. He just hoped Noah didn't flip out over Jed being so high-handed.

The bottom line was that Jed cared for Noah and he would do whatever it took to ensure the man's safety.

Noah wasn't sure what to think. He'd been at the ranch for two weeks now and he still wasn't used to being here. Jed was more accommodating than normal, but other than that, these people were virtual strangers to him.

Luckily the doctor had cleared him to go back to work. He was still trying to figure out what had happened to him. Noah had no recollection of being assaulted, but he had scars all over his body to prove the doctor had been telling the truth.

The strangest thing of all was that Noah kept getting sick in the morning. He couldn't understand why. His diet hadn't changed and he was beginning to wonder if it was stress that was making him so sick.

He was also gaining weight. Noah had been slim his entire life, no matter how much he ate. But lately, he had been putting on a few pounds here and there. His pants were becoming a bit uncomfortable. But Dresden was a fabulous cook and Noah couldn't resist good food.

"I was going to take a ride and wondered if you wanted to join me," Jed said from the doorway. "I can have another horse saddled."

Noah was dying to get out of the house. "I don't know how to ride."

Jed smiled and Noah's heart melted. Whatever change had come over the man, Noah liked it. "It's easy. I'll teach you."

"I don't have any cowboy boots."

"Tennis shoes will do just fine," Jed said. "I'll meet you in the stable."

Noah changed out of his pajama pants and into a pair of jeans that used to be a little too big for him. He donned a T-shirt and some tennis shoes before heading downstairs. Dresden was in the kitchen, Markey at his side, begging for some juice.

Noah liked Dresden's unconventional family. The man seemed genuinely happy to be raising two boys with Harland. He never asked who the children's mother was. It wasn't any of his business and besides, did it really matter? Markey looked like he was happy and healthy and Austin was always in someone's arms.

"Going out for a ride?" Dresden asked as he balanced Austin over one shoulder.

"Any tips?" Noah asked as he reached into the fridge and pulled out a juice box for the toddler. He inserted the straw and handed it over. Markey looked pleased as punch.

"Take a blanket."

Noah paused. "For what?"

Dresden gave him a knowing look and Noah could feel himself blushing. It hadn't occurred to him that he and Jed might have sex while out riding. But it was a good idea nonetheless. "Gotcha."

That only made Noah nervous. They weren't going to be in the back of a truck and it wasn't going to be a quickie, trying to make sure they weren't caught by someone leaving the tavern.

It was just going to be the two of them under a clear blue sky. He still didn't know where he stood with Jed. The man had moved Noah in to his home and had been acting rather nicely toward him, but Jed hadn't mentioned anything about where this was going.

And Noah was too afraid to ask.

He couldn't rightly say he was traumatized by what had happened to him since Noah didn't remember. But it was a bit disconcerting to end up on a ranch with people he hardly knew. He felt disjointed.

Was he in a hurry to go back home? Nope. Noah was on a mission and that mission was to seduce Jed into a long-lasting relationship. He was making headway, but was still far from his goal.

Noah walked out to the stable to see Jed saddling a brown horse. The thing was majestic, but damn was it big. Noah was starting to wonder if riding the thing was a wise idea. "Don't you have any smaller ones?"

Jed tightened a buckle under the horse's belly and then patted it on the neck. "Lazy Sunday is as gentle as they come. You'll be in good hands."

Noah didn't see any damn hands. All he saw was him falling off the dang thing. And that was going to be one long fall. "Are you sure about this?"

Jed led the horse outside. "I wouldn't put you on her if I wasn't sure, Noah."

God, he loved when the man said his name. It was like a soft stroke over his senses. Noah stood beside the horse, wondering how he was going to get on the creature.

"Here." Jed walked over by the stable and grabbed a footstool. Noah felt ridiculous using the thing, but it helped. Jed showed him how to mount the horse and Noah felt like he was way too high off of the ground.

Jed had no problem getting onto his horse. He didn't even need the damn step stool.

Show-off.

The cowboy gave him a quick lesson on how to use the reins and then they were off. Noah didn't have to do anything. His horse followed Jed's. They rode through the back forest and a few times Noah had to duck because of low branches. His back started to hurt, along with his butt. He was ready for a break, but refused to look wimpy in front of the sexy guy.

"This looks like a good spot." Jed pulled his horse to a stop. Noah was more than thankful that they were finally resting. He started to consider walking back to the ranch after he dismounted and nearly toppled over from sore muscles.

"It takes some getting used to," Jed said as he tethered both sets of reins on a nearby tree branch. "You'll probably have to soak tonight."

And rub down with an entire bottle of liniment.

Jed pulled a blanket from his saddlebag. Noah had completely forgotten about Dresden's advice. But it seemed Jed had been thinking along the same lines.

Noah walked over to the babbling brook that was close-by. He bent-which hurt because of his ride-and tossed a few pebbles into the water. Noah had to admit, this was a beautiful, serene setting.

"Dresden made us a lunch," Jed called to him. Noah dropped the pebbles, wiped his hands on his jeans, and walked back over to where Jed had not only spread out the blanket, but the lunch as well. He took a seat as Jed served them both.

The food was great, but all Noah could think about was dessert. He sure as hell hoped there was some dessert because he wanted Jed in the worst sort of way. Although the man had been attentive since Noah had come to the ranch, they'd yet to have sex again.

"Can I ask you something?" Noah wasn't sure if he should bring the subject up.

"Sure." Jed wiped a napkin over his mouth.

"Why are you so considerate now?" Noah feared he had ruined the mood with his bluntness, but to his surprise, Jed answered him...sort of.