Chapter 21

Bracing myself for her wrath, I push open my bedroom door and wait.

The last thought that enters my mind right before she launches herself at me is that her scent mingled with mine smells so right. That the smell I want in my bedroom from now until the end.

I'm mid inhale when her body collides with mine and rams me into the hardwood door at my back. With lightning speed, I wrap my arms under her legs and spin us, tumbling to the mattress with her pinned beneath me, fighting like a wildcat.

"You told him about me! You told him I'm here?!" she shouts, writhing and struggling to get out from underneath me. Trapping her hands above her head, I lower my weight onto her and use my knees to pin her thighs to the mattress.

This is the same position we were in on the dining room table, but much less fun.

"Anya told me long ago that he's been searching far and wide for you." I grunt when she gets one arm free and lands an elbow to my gut before I can capture it again. "And he was just looking for me at her place the other night. The net is already closing in."

"Exactly, Tyson. He's been looking far and wide. Not here, not right under his nose. But now he knows I'm here. I have to go; I have to get Noah!"

With regret, I burst that bubble. "Weston will be watching this place. You'd give away Noah's

location if you go to him."

Mandy stills, devastated, but she knows I'm speaking the truth. Noah is safer away from us. No longer struggling as she looks up at me, her eyes shine with betrayal. "You're supposed to be my mate. How could you put us in danger like this?"

My blackened heart cracks open at her words. Mandy thinks I've thrown them to the wolves. When she sags under my body, and two solitary tears fall from her eyes, rolling down the side of her face, it's worse than when she wanted to scratch my eyes out.

"I'm ending this once and for all. And Noah's safe. He's far away with Max, and he has the amulet to hide his scent."

Mandy chuckles. "Tyson, you gave a teenage boy a bracelet. And you didn't tell him why he might need it. The amulet's probably in the trash already."

He wouldn't, would he? I know we're hardly fast friends, but, surely, even a surly young man can recognise the value in being able to hide your scent? Distracted by the very real fear that he might have tossed it, I relax my grip on Mandy. She takes advantage, flipping us so I'm on my back on the bed. She looks good straddling my thighs instead of the other way around.

If she wasn't so pissed off, I'd like this view. I kind of do anyway.

"My son is my everything. EVERYTHING. If anyone touches even a hair on his head, I'll kill you, Tyson."

Her voice is steady. She means every word and it's so fucking hot. She's a fierce mother protecting her child. Exactly the kind of woman I'd want for my mate.

"I'd expect no less," I say simply. Instead of trying to get out from below her, I stroke my hands up her thighs, enjoying the feel of her core resting on my hips. "I promise you I have a plan to get us free of him, Mandy."

Narrowing her eyes at me, she leans closer until her hair tickles my chest and her lips brush tantalising across my neck. Sliding my eyes closed, I battle the urge to grip her hips and drag her heated pussy over my aching cock. Now is not the right time.

"There is no us, Tyson. I want to be free. I want Noah to be safe. Until then, I can't think about anything else."

It's not an outright and permanent no so I'll take it. She could have rejected me and run, so things aren't as bad as they could be.

Nodding, I let my finger brush hers, my thumbs caressing the backs of her hands, enjoying the tingles that dance across the skin where we touch. She twitches, feeling it, too, then abruptly pushes off me, her cheeks flushing a delightful pink when she sees my stiff erection tenting the front of my trousers.

"So, what is this master plan of yours?" she asks, straightening her top which has risen up and given me a glimpse of the tanned, toned stomach it hides. Self-conscious, she fixes her clothing and stands, hands on hips, waiting for me to read her in.

"Send Noah away. Tick. Put you under the protection of my trusted bodyguards. Tick. Get Lee's dad into the forest to meet me. Tick. Kill him. Soon to be a giant tick. Tell Blake Weston tried to kill him and let him deal with that mess. Almost a tick."

Mandy's mouth falls open as she stares at me in disbelief. "You've got to be fucking kidding me,

Tyson! You think it's going to be that simple?"

I grumble with displeasure as she jumps off me, pacing, hands buried in her hair as she freaks out. It's adorable that she's worried about me.

"He's going to come with men, warriors, and you'll be outnumbered. No matter what you offer him, he'll want your head for killing Lee. Just like he won't settle for anything less than mine."

Nodding, I don't disagree with her. "Indeed, but you forget: I have my own particular set of skills. I'm not concerned."

Well, I am, but not for the reasons she's suggesting. Mandy looks at me, long and hard, arms crossed defensively around her torso.

"Weston will have warned him you're a vampire, I presume. He'll know how to kill you."

Again, I don't argue because I can't. I fully expect him to have done his research.

"I hope your confidence isn't misguided, Tyson. Because if you're wrong, you'll be serving me and my son up on a platter."

With a sad shake of her head, she moves toward the door. When I get to my feet and take a step in her direction, she holds her hands up to keep me back.

"Please just leave me alone."

It's torture. I can feel her blood coursing through my veins. We're so connected, her pain is my pain, and I just want to try and make things better. But I can't until she lets me; so, for now, I have to settle for being near to her and yet so far away.