6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Locke

A s our mate drove off in her truck, my wolf was consumed by sheer panic. He snarled fiercely, his claws digging into the earth with a desperate force. I tightly restrained him, feeling his wild energy pulsating against my grasp. The scent of fear hung heavy in the air, mixing with the lingering exhaust fumes. In that moment, I held on, my determination to stay awake overpowering any fatigue. I felt a surge of life coursing through me, a newfound zeal for existence like never before.

She was here, in the flesh.

I suppose Journey was right. It only took how many of my club members to receive their mates before I got my own? Hell, I fucking prayed to Her as soon as it was confirmed by Grim, but now that she was here– it felt good.

I didn't deserve this female. I knew I didn't. I was one of the worst of all the rogues here in this club. If roles were reversed and another alpha was interviewing me to join, I'm not sure if I would be accepted.

Then again, I'm the one with the money and strength. They'd needed me.

My wolf continued to thrash against my mind. He was confused and shit, so was I. She came to us like a bat out of hell, and she had a fire in her I knew would burn me alive. She was no timid thing, that was for sure. This female would stab me in an instant, but damn, those eyes. I'd let those brown eyes do anything she wanted to me.

I'm a sucker for pain, and I bet she'd like a good hand necklace from time to time.

My wolf, becoming more anxious by the minute, needed to be calmed. I forced him to move his head to the RV and saw that she didn't lock the door. A misstep on her part, most likely because of our presence, but fortunate for us.

I planted the idea in his head that her scent was covered in the RV, and our heart leaped as he raced toward the door, with our nose and claws tugging at the handle. It opened with ease and as we entered, we saw a neat living area. She lived here permanently, it appeared. The area was well-worn, filled with her scent that lingered and faded into the walls. Groceries sat on the counter of a small kitchen, which also had a humming refrigerator and a small dining table.

My wolf meticulously sniffed the air, his nose twitching as he absorbed the alluring aroma of tropical paradise. With each step, the room became a symphony of growls and excitement. Together, we leaped onto her bed, feeling the softness of the covers against our bodies as we playfully rolled around.

It was like drowning in her scent, drowning in her essence. My wolf nuzzled deeper into the blankets, trying to merge his being with hers, trying to claim her in every way possible. I could feel his desperation, his yearning to make her his. Yet, I knew I couldn't let him take over completely.

He was still an animal; he couldn't rut a human.

We sat up on the bed, feeling the softness of her sheets beneath our paws. Her presence filled the room, along with her warmth. It was a stark contrast to the cold emptiness that had consumed me for so long. She had brought life back into my damned soul.

She was utterly mine, and she didn't even know it.

When I gazed throughout the room, however, I noticed it lacked the touches of a female. Females liked to make their home theirs through decorations, pictures and small tokens, but this whole RV lacked it all. It only held necessities; blankets, clothing, food, and—ammo?

The corner table, with its worn wooden surface, was adorned with a haphazard stack of magazines, their glossy covers reflecting the dim light of the room. As our wolf approached, his sensitive nose twitched, catching a whiff of the lingering scent of gunpowder. With a sudden sneeze, he continued his investigation, his paws gently padding across the floor. Bending down, he discovered an assortment of knives; their glinting blades catching the faint glow from the nearby lamp and coils of rope, their coarse texture grazing against his fur as he brushed past.

Well, lookie here, we have a little hellcat.

My mate had some sort of agenda, or she was a freak in the bed. I wouldn't mind; either way I think she would put up a fight. One I could perfectly put up with.

I smirked to myself, and my wolf jumped back onto the bed. He rubbed his neck into the blankets, rolling his entire body so our scent would rub off on her.

If she was staying in town, and she better fucking be, then everyone at the Iron Fang would notice my smell on her. They'd know she was mine, and they'd know I'd be coming back, soon. At least, I hoped so.

For all the fuck I knew, I may be stuck like this and never be able to shift back, but one thing was for certain. No male would ever touch her again.

She'd have to masturbate the rest of her life, while I sat there and watched from the floor. I wonder if she'd be kinky enough to let her new pet wolf watch, maybe get closer. Maybe a tiny lick?

I groaned, as I could feel my wolf's dick becoming hard at the thought.

Humans wouldn't care for that; she would think I was an animal. Not a shifter. She'd find it repulsive.

I couldn't wait until I got her to trust me enough in my animal form. I wonder if she'd let me inside her home, to see her naked again? Curl up next to her?

As I settled into my seat, the soft cushion enveloping me, a sudden and distinct snap of a twig shattered the stillness outside. It wasn't the familiar sound of a deer, or any other creature. Not even the delicate footfalls of the light-footed fae that now inhabit the distant reaches of our land.

We lay still in the bed, our heart racing as my wolf's ears perked up at the sound. There was a human lurking outside the RV.

" Easy," I whispered to my wolf, trying to think this through. He slowly stepped off the bed with the soft steps of his paws. Pissing in the corner to claim her bedroom would have to wait until later.

With our ears tuned in, we pinpointed the intruder's location amidst the silence of the forest. Their stealthy footsteps echoed faintly by the crackling of pine needles and twigs beneath their feet. The scent of fresh pine, mingled with the earthy aroma of decaying foliage, filled our snout.

This wasn't an ambush. They obviously could see her vehicle missing. They knew she wasn't here. They were scouting the area, looking for ins and outs. It was the only logical reason they were here. Or maybe searching for something else?

The sun was far behind the trees, casting dark shadows over the campsite. I could see the silhouette of a figure approaching the RV, and hear their footsteps crunching on the loose twigs. The instinct to pounce rose inside me, but I fought to keep my control.

As the figure came closer to the side of the RV with no door. I saw it was a man, dressed in dark clothes and carrying a weapon. He walked with stealth, eyeing his surroundings with precision.

I padded across the RV and pushed the door ajar. I let my tail take the brunt of the door so it didn't slam and rushed around to the back. I watched with dark eyes, as the intruder came around with their gun raised, as their other hand reached for the handle.

They tugged, expecting it to be locked, but their head rose in surprise seeing it open.

That isn't the only surprise you're going to be getting.

Our snout went into the air, getting a better idea of what we were dealing with. Male, dirty, had his natural scent overpowering days-old human deodorant. Fuck, it was potent.

We crept up closer and could hear him taking steps through the RV. "I'm in, she isn't here." His voice was quiet as he spoke on the phone. "There's a wet towel and fresh tire tracks. I'm guessing she went to town. I'll check for a burner."

He still had the phone up to his ear, though I couldn't make out what the other person was saying, if anything at all. He walked to the back, away from the kitchen and into the bedroom. This turned on my wolf's primal instincts. The logical thing to do was to keep this clean. Let him come and get what he's looking for and then pounce on him once he leaves. But my wolf was blinded by rage; furious that this male was in our female's bed—nest.

"She may have taken it with— what the hell!?" The intruder's eyes widened in surprise, then a mixture of fear and anger. The metallic clatter of the phone hitting the floor echoed in the room. With trembling hands, he reached for his assault rifle, but his sweaty palms caused it to slip from his grasp, crashing against the cold, hard ground.

My wolf snarled. He was overcome with pure rage and the need to protect our mate's territory.

With a mighty leap, we soared through the room, our claws digging into the intruder's chest with a resounding thud. The impact sent him hurtling towards the wall, his body colliding with a bone-rattling crash. Gasping for air, he crumpled to the unforgiving floor, while the metallic clang of his weapon echoed in the RV. The acrid scent of fear permeated the room, mingling with the stale stench of the intruder's sweat.

Our eyes glinted with a murderous gleam, reflecting the sunset as we loomed over the defeated man. The metallic scent of blood fills the room, mingling with the tang of fear. Our fangs, sharp and menacing, glistened with anticipation, while our teeth dripped with frothy saliva. We emitted a low, guttural snarl, our body quivering with an untamed, primal determination.

This was our mate's—our territory.

The intruder tried to scramble away, but we were too quick for a pathetic human like him. With a single leap, we pounced; our claws raking down the man's back, leaving deep, bloody gashes in his flesh. The man let out a gut-wrenching scream, and his voice echoed through the small space.

In that moment, the scent of blood filled my nostrils, and the adrenaline coursed through our veins. The smell of his fear and pain intoxicated us, pushing us further into a primal state.

We vigorously shook our head from side to side, causing crimson droplets of blood to splatter across the floor in a macabre dance. A wicked grin stretched across our maw, revealing our dark delight. The sensation of the intruder's life force seeping into the fur brought a warm and chilling satisfaction.

Our wolf's instincts took over, and we tore into the man with relentless force. We were driven by an animalistic need to dominate and claim our territory and prove our power and dominance.

He invaded our mate's space. He came into our territory. He was asking for this—this was a death wish, being in my forest.

The once-defiant man now lay still on the floor, lifeless eyes staring into the abyss. A pool of blood formed around him, marking the spot where we staked our claim and showed our true nature.

As the last breath left his lungs, our wolf howled in triumph, echoing through the RV and out the door.

I have always been fond of the old ways. It was one thing I missed about my old home. The simpler way things were. I have destroyed an enemy that has come into my future mate's home, killed him and proven my place as a suitable mate and protector to her nest. However, she is human and will not perceive this in the way of my ancestors. She will be terrified, or will she just be annoyed?

There was a reason why she was paired with me. Surely she will see some happiness in my protective nature?

Blood continued to pour out of the body, where my teeth had ripped out part of his throat. My lip curled in disgust and I reached down to pulled off the hood of the intruder. It was an unknown faceless male—human as I thought so before, but you could never be too sure with all the mixing of genetics and that bastard dark fae still prancing around.

More questions floated around my mind. Was my mate a runaway of some kind? Was she being hunted? I licked my maw and the coppery taste of his blood. We both had much to learn about each other, but even if she was the prey or the villain, one thing was for certain: she was mine.

I was going to keep her.

She would not run.

With no opposable thumbs to help with cleanup, I pushed my way through the door and pulled the body by the ankle out of her, our, home. The body landed with a thump outside and I winced at the mess of blood inside.

She wouldn't be happy about the mess.

I left the body where it lay, happy that the blood wasn't ruining her floor and headed over to the wheels of the RV. I encouraged my wolf to elongate his tough claws and penetrate the tire. It made a long hissing noise and we watched the tire go flat.

We repeated this with each tire, then went to the spare that hung on the back and pierced that one for good measure.

Once my mate returns and night has fallen, we will go to the Iron Fang and make sure all the tires for an RV, at the mechanic shop, are pierced, too.

I couldn't have my mate getting scared and running off now, could I?