14. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Locke

S witch, the little prick.

What the hell was he doing here?

Switch wasn't an in-the-action sort of wolf. He was a young wolf, rejected far too early by an older female who didn't want to have a young wolf as a mate. Granted, she wasn't that much older than him, but she wanted someone stronger. Switch was weaker, but he was as smart as a whip.

I took that back, now, because he was on the wrong edge of a blade. Worst part was, my mate was turning me on with how fucking sexy she looked when she threatened to cut off his balls.

I swear he was about to piss his pants.

I should not get horny about this. He's a pack member, I should intervene.

But, it is so entertaining.

She followed him down the ladder. I stepped up, my teeth bared and a low growl reverberated around him. As soon as he landed, his eyes widened in fear and his night vision goggles clattered to the ground. The musty scent of damp earth filled the space, intensifying the tension. He stumbled, his body hitting the cold, hard ground.

"Yeah, let's not piss off my friend here." My mate played with her blade. "Not to sound cliche, but I need to know who sent you before I run this over your throat."

Switch squeaked and shook his head, pulling off his ski mask. "No, please, don't do that!"

My mate lowered her knife, her eyebrow rising. "I've seen you at the bar. Squat? Swat?"

"Switch," he said plainly. "It's Switch."

"Whatever. Why the hell are you on my roof and how the hell did you find out where I am?"

Switch went to stand, brushing himself off. "Well, we all know where you have been staying. We wouldn't be a good club if we didn't know when an outsider was hanging around our town."

My mate narrowed her eyes, the muscles in her arm tightening.

"That so? So, why hasn't anyone else come to visit my humble home?"

"We were told to stay away," he grumbled, and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Except one person can't let it go, and frankly, she scares the shit out of me."

"Tajah!" my mate said, without missing a beat.

Switch's gaze didn't meet hers, and I puffed out my chest. Fuck yeah, my mate is smart.

"I know she has been out to get me from the start. Now, what does she want? What were you doing?"

Switch shuffled his feet and stared at the roof of her RV. "You've got an electronic scrambler on top of your RV. I was gonna disable it, so I could get into your computer and phone, and see what you've been doing and why you are here."

Emm snorted. "Yeah, works a little too good right now. My cameras are out, and you tripped a simple wire to let me know you were coming. You kinda suck at sneaking around, you know that?"

Switch's face turned red. "I know." He rubbed the back of his neck. "But, Tajah knew I was the only one that would do it. Everyone else is following orders to leave you alone. To give you a chance."

My mate's eyes softened before they hardened again. "If Tajah's threatening you, you should have told me. I'd talk to her." She gripped her knife. "I don't like bullies and if you feel uncomfortable in your own club, your president, who is supposed to protect you, should take care of it."

Switch's mouth opened and closed, and then he shook his head. "I'm a guy, I don't—she didn't—"

"You all helped a guy named Garret at the grocery store. He says he owes the Iron Fang his life."

"That's different. He was fifteen when he was saved. A child."

"So?" my mate snapped and stepped forward. "If the Iron Fang is all it's cracked up to be, then it should be able to take care of its own members." My mate jutted out her jaw and crossed her arms. "I'll talk to her. I won't tell her or anyone else that you said anything about her being a bully or that you were here, but I'm gonna put her in her place."

Switch shook his head. "Nah, you don't wanna do that."

"Why? Think I can't handle the witch?"

Switch gasped in surprise. "You already know she's a witch?"

I groaned and leaned my head back, cursing to myself.

"Ha, she thinks she's a witch, huh? Let's see her cast a spell on me."

Shit, shit, shit. This is not good.

"Yeah, I'll take care of her and her little guard dog that follows her around all the time."

"Cat, she's a guard cat," Switch corrected.

My mate made a face. "Okay? Now why did you need to get on my computer? What are you looking for?"

Switch gazed at me and back at my mate. He swayed back and forth, awkwardly shaking his head.

He was already in a shit pile so deep when I got my human form back, he better not lie now. I stepped forward, and he screamed.

My mate let out a laugh and petted the top of my head. "The wolf won't hurt you. At least, I don't think so. Just don't do anything threatening."

Switch kept his hands out, ready for my attack, but I stood in front of my mate trying to cover some of her cleavage. As much as I enjoyed the view, she was close to a nip slip.

"H-have you named him, yet, or do you just call him Wolf?" he asked.

Dammit. What is he doing?

My mate tilted her head. "I haven't, but I have one in mind." She crossed her arms, lifting her heavy breasts.

I'm sorry, what were they talking about?

"And…?" Switch prodded.

"Fenrir." She scratched behind my ear. "He's fierce, and monstrous in size. I think it's the perfect name."

"Oh," Switched nodded. "Hawke will be disappointed," he whispered. "Don't you want to name him Fluffy? Something nicer?"

My mate scoffed. "Why would I name him Fluffy when he has patches of hair missing? If anything, I should call him Patches."

Switch snorted and laughed, his arms going to his stomach.

I snarled at both of them, leaving them to laugh amongst themselves, and stood away from them.

Those little pricks.

Once they were done, Emm stood closer to Switch. "I don't think you have bad intentions, Switch. I know you are trying to get information for Tajah, but I can't let you in my computer. Besides, I've got a firewall you can't beat once you get past my scrambler."

Switch huffed, "Bet I can."

"Doubt it, but if you can, I'll teach you how to be more stealthy in the forest. Because you are terrible," she giggled.

Switch kicked the dirt and pouted. "I'll show you."

Emm ruffled his hair. "Anyway, no, you can't know what is on my computer."

"So, you do have something to hide?" he challenged.

My mate frowned. "Are you going to give me every secret of the Iron Fang?"

Switch shook his head.

"Then, you don't need to know mine. Now, what do you need to tell Tajah to keep her off my back for twelve hours, before I have a talk with her?"

"Don't worry about that," Switch said. "She's out of town. I don't know when she will be back."

My mate nodded. "Fine, gives me time to prepare for my little meeting, then." She grinned. "Now, go on home, and I'll take care of everything else. Don't worry about a thing."

Switch's body relaxed. "Thanks, I—owe you."

Emm waved her hand. "Don't worry about it."

Switch turned to leave and the knife she'd been holding all along went flying. The hair on my back stood straight up and my claws dug into the dirt, ready to protect my idiot member, but it sailed past his head and into the tree next to him. He jumped with a squeal and stared at the knife just inches from his head.

"Hey, Switch. Don't come back here unannounced, okay?" My mate smirked at Switch and he nodded his head shakily.

"Y-yes, Lu—I mean Emm."

Shit, I think I'm in love.

Emm waited until she no longer heard his footsteps. It didn't take Switch long to leave the woods and step on the road. I could hear him start up his bike and rev it several times before speeding off.

I must have been in too deep of a sleep to even hear his bike. Emm wouldn't have been able to hear it with her human ears, but since I've become stronger, I should have noticed.

My mate woke me. She was the one that brought the intruder to my attention. It was the first time I slept where I did not have nightmares of my past, my wolf running aimlessly through the forest thirsting for hunger.

It was because of her, she was helping my body rest but I could not rest like that again. Not when she had—for the second time— an intruder in our territory. She needed to be protected, even though she was quite strong for a human.

There were other things lurking. Magic, shifters, hunters, hell, even myself.

Emm let out a long sigh and walked up to the tree, pulling the blade from the splintered wood. She flicked it back and forth, running her thumb across it.

"What happened to my protector, huh? Are you getting lazy now because I'm giving you free steaks?"

I said nothing, my ears drooping with guilt. She was right. I had been careless, but when you sleep beside, well, on top of a beautiful woman's breasts, why would you want to wake?

She let out a happy huff and rubbed her hand across my maw. She took her thumb and went over one of my scars several times. "You've been through the wringer, haven't you, Fenrir? Just like me?" She said the last part so quietly, I don't even think it was meant for me to hear, but of course I did.

My mate walked past me, took slow steps up the RV and opened the door. I stayed sitting, ready to take my punishment. I was supposed to protect her—warn her, and I didn't. I deserved to stay out in the darkness and let it swallow me alive.

Yet, she stayed at the door, rapping her fingers against the metal of her home. "Come on, you can make it up to me by keeping me warm. I have to admit I was sleeping pretty hard, too."

My ears perked up and again she tapped the side of the RV.

I'm a selfish bastard and would not say no. I bolted inside before she could change her mind, and her laughter filled the inside. My nails clicked on the hard surface of the floor and I jumped on her bed, rounding the soft blankets several times and waited until she arrived in the bedroom. She leaned on the door frame and shook her head.

"For a wild animal, you know how to make yourself comfortable." I huffed out a breath and pawed the covers for her to come over. She smiled, put her knife on the bedside table and curled up under the covers. I took the chance to curl around her and she didn't push me away, she didn't show she was afraid and didn't tell me to get down.

"Strange towns, bikers, big wolves and witches, what else am I going to find?" She yawned and closed her eyes.

As she drifted off to sleep, my mate let out a contented sigh, her hand finding its way to my fur as she buried her face against me. I could feel her heartbeat steady and her breathing slowing into the rhythm of dreams.

I gazed over her body and memorized as much as I could; her shape, her smell, the shade of her hair. I took in long deep breaths, making sure I kept her scent to memory; if for some reason I ever lost tabs on her, I would always find her. Even if we had not bonded, I knew I would.

I watched her hand pause as her sleep grew deeper. The tops of her hands, her arms and even parts of her shoulders held scars from the Goddess knows what. I don't know what fights she's had before she met me. No longer will she fight alone. She has me now, and I will be by her side during it all.

The first fight she would deal with would be Tajah. I understood Tajah was looking out for the pack as a whoIe. She wanted to know why my mate ultimately came here, but obviously, I already knew. I'm a step ahead, like always.

Just follow my fucking orders.

It was hot as hell that my mate wanted to put the witch in her place. If she knew she really was a witch, would she even dare? But, her sense for danger, the unknown, is strong. She knows something is off about the town and club. I hope that will make it easier for her to know what we all are.

I smirked to myself and gazed down at my mate, knowing that our body chemistry would spark to life during this one night alone, as her face was buried deep within my fur. Her body would crave me, and it would be one hell of a confusion for her.

I would never fuck her in this form. I prefer to use hands to sink into her tender flesh, watch my nails, my claws, sink into her soft skin. Besides, humans find it too taboo, but hell, I was a human under this fur. I could still have those feelings.

My wolf purred, his tail swishing back and forth on the bed.

But, in our lycan form— mmm, that will be fun.

My wolf growled approvingly and my excitement grew. He could hear me!

We were so close, so damn close, to being human.

I took one long lick of her bare shoulder, up to her neck. She let out a needy moan, her back arching and her ass pushing into my side.

My wolf groaned when we smelled her arousal seeping from her body.

It looks like we needed to practice our shift for the big night. There was going to be one hell of a reckoning when I was through with her.