13. Ivy

Chapter 13

Ivy

T hat really just happened! How I managed to get away from a deathstalker scorpion shifter is beyond me. What's worse, he appears to be my mate. If that's not bad enough, apparently my toxic nature doesn't affect him. Scratch that, it has no negative affect on him. Unless you count giving him a hard-on the size of a baseball bat as a negative.

I never wanted a mate because of my toxic nature. After all this time, I thought it wasn't in the cards for me. That if I ever found my mate, to be with him, would kill him. It seems I could be wrong.

Having no clue what to do I head for my safe haven once I park my bike in the garage. I spend the next hour petting and feeding my pets. They always soothe me and make me feel better. Sadly, today it doesn't help. Not even Kelly can get my mind off of tonight's events.

Losing Stanley was enough to piss me off. But the whole mate situation is pissing me off even more. Just the fact that I can't get his stupid rugged face out of my mind is driving me crazy. I don't want to think about him. Or his broad chest and the way he held me as he ravaged my mouth. I've never had anyone kiss me like that before. Of course, normally when I'm with a guy I'm just trying to get a quick O before I kill them. But still. It keeps replaying in my head on repeat. The way he looked at me. The way he didn't back down even when I told him it would kill him if he touched me.

Fuck. Now my panties are wet. Again.

Once all my pets are fed, I head into the house. Going straight for the kitchen, I pull out a frozen lasagna and throw it in the oven then head for my bedroom and take a long, hot shower.

As the water cascades around me, I can't help but think of the tall, muscular biker that fate deemed my mate. His eyes, his touch, they all stir something in me.

Standing under the hot spray, I find myself working my clit. I close my eyes and fantasize about him. How his touch felt, and how it would feel right now. How his rough fingers would feel working my clit instead of my own.

My orgasm slams into me faster than ever before and my knees almost buckle. I shoot a hand out to the wall before I can faceplant.

Fuuuck.

If I come that hard just thinking about my mate, imagine what it would be like if I ever gave into the bond.

Once I've come down from the high, I dry myself off and throw on my satin robe before making my way to the kitchen to retrieve my dinner from the oven. I let it cool on the island while I pour myself a glass of wine. It may take half the bottle to fill it, but it still counts as just one glass.

My mind whirls as I eat on autopilot. How did my venom not kill him? That's never happened before. Is it possible the fates made my mate immune to my venom? Could I be so lucky?

I can't help but wonder if I made a mistake running from him. Fate can be a fickle bitch, and I just went against her. I rinse my wine glass and my fork before I throw my trash away.

As I walk to my office, I vow to stop thinking about my mate and what that might mean for me and concentrate on finding Stanley. If the fates want us together, they'll make it happen. But my priority is finding the fucker that killed my parents. If I find my mate along the way I'll deal with it then.

I boot up my computer and pull up the cameras surrounding the club. I watch as the two guards who didn't join the scuffle with Mountain Man rush him to a blacked-out car. One shoves him in the back seat and slams the door before jumping in the front seat. The car backs out of the parking space before his door is even closed and they peel out of there in seconds.

Switching cameras, I follow the car out of the city, only to lose him when I run out of cameras. Damn it.

I open the program I designed to help me stalk my targets and enter Stanley's info. It may take a while, but I'll find him.

I always find my mark.

Now that I know who he is, he won't be able to escape me for long.

After countless hours at my desk, I finally decide to give it a break and get some rest. My program will continue running as I sleep. Hopefully, by the time I wake up, I'll have a location. I switch my monitor off, leaving the computer on, and push my seat back.

I trudge up the stairs and slip off my robe before climbing between my sheets. I'm fucking exhausted!