Chapter 13

Ranto

Small rocks and sticks stabbed at my bare feet as I stumbled over to the unconscious female on the ground, cursing my vulnerable human form. A warm breeze brushed against my naked skin, and I resisted the urge to shift and regain my protective layer of fur. I'd spent too long in my wolf form this time around, and it would take me a while to adjust to the discomfort of my human form, but I couldn't find it in me to regret it. Not when the single most important being in the world was finally close enough to touch.

I'd accepted the job to investigate the Grim Hearts MC on a whim. As a PI, most of my work consisted of proving cases of embezzlement and infidelity. But when your best friend from the police academy calls you up with a chance to help bring down one of the most notorious crime organizations in the state? Sign me the hell up. The fact that it would mean going an indeterminate amount of time without having to take candid shots of old, rich, white guys' naked asses as they pounded their social-climbing secretaries into the desk was just an added bonus.

I never dreamed I'd finally come face to face with my mate.

Her dark hair fell across surprisingly delicate features, relaxed in a way that would have been endearing if she weren't unconscious. As the wind changed direction, it brought with it a scent I was becoming very familiar with, even if it had been faint due to the distance I had imposed upon myself up to this point. She smelled like night-blooming flowers and the secrets of the moon. A combination that dulled my senses to the point of insanity while simultaneously drawing me in to meet my doom.

My primary objective had been deserted after her confrontation with the president of the MC. No longer interested in their destruction, my only goal had become the protection of my mate and her pack. A chosen family that had continued to grow while I watched from afar. Following Harlow had been an action I could justify as a way to isolate the club's enforcer and extract information, but staying in the shadows, playing guardian angel, had been harder to reason my way out of. I just wanted to be close to her. This level of interference had never been in the plan.

Her eyelids fluttered, the movement pulling me out of my reverie as I drew close enough to touch her for the first time.

"I've got you. You're safe," I murmured, sliding my arms beneath her shoulders and knees, and hoisting her against my body.

Part of me hoped she would remain unconscious a little longer so I could avoid the awkward conversation about my nakedness, while the other half was desperate to hear her speak directly to me. To hold her attention for just a moment.

This deep in the woods, it was a risk to carry her all the way back to the road alone and in my human form. There were many things that stalked beneath the tree canopy that would happily make a meal out of the both of us, and I couldn't trust my luck to hold that whatever attacked next would be easy enough to fight off and protect her at the same time. I'd been lucky with the wolf. I might not be able to manage it again, and losing her wasn't an option. Instead, I turned my head toward the campsite I'd slept at the previous night, with a very surly gryphon for company.

The scent of wood fire reached me long before we arrived at the clearing where Hendrix sat on a camp chair, auburn curls obscuring his face as he stared at the ground between his knees. I made no effort to hide our approach, but he didn't bother to lift his head until we were almost toe to toe.

"You should be careful. There are wolves out here, you know," he murmured, eyeing my mate's lax form.

A growl rolled over my tongue before I could swallow it, causing his gaze to flick to mine. "I know."

A moment passed, each of us eyeing the other as I waited to see his reaction to my current situation. Wolves in general got a bad rap, and I couldn't even blame people for it, considering one was responsible for what happened to my mate. Granted, there was a big difference between other wolves and raiju, but most people weren't educated in the different species. I wanted Hendrix to like me. The funny thing was, he seemed to be more cautious of my human form than he was of my canine.

"What you got there?" he asked eventually, flicking his gaze back to my mate.

"She hit her head and lost consciousness. Do you have a first aid kit?"

He reached into the backpack and began unloading things. "Lay her down. I'll take a look at what we're dealing with here."

Another growl snuck out, and heat rose in my cheeks at the possessiveness in the sound. It was definitely something I'd have to work on. Witches were renowned for having multiple mates, and as much as the idea of sharing made me want to tear shit up, the man in me recognized the benefits of having multiple men to keep her safe and happy.

"Easy there, Fido. I'm dealing with your literal swinging dick here. Don't make me put up with the metaphorical one, too."

I snorted. "I'm comfortable with my sexuality, and how the hell are you so prudish when you're a shifter?"

"I can keep my clothing on with my shift, thank you very much. I'm civilized like that."

Whatever.

Magic was freaking weird, and the idea of clothing disappearing and reappearing as a person shifted creeped me out. Seriously, where did it go? Would Hendrix cough up lint balls from his clothing being absorbed into his skin with a shift? Or did it hang above his form and somehow not get ripped to shreds like mine did if I wore it through the shift? My head hurt thinking about it.

"Please don't burst a blood vessel thinking too hard. Make yourself useful and prop her up so I can see her head."

Between us, we got her into position and confirmed that while a large, purpling lump was forming on the base of her skull, there was no wound to tend. It was as we were laying her out flat that her breathing hitched, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Her brow furrowed. "Naked man?"

Oh shit. I cupped a hand over my cock and backed up a step to give her room, concerned for the first time that I should have at least tried to find some clothing. Unfortunately, my carry bag was somewhere back in the woods, abandoned the second I saw her in danger.

"Sorry."

"It's okay. Just a surprise to wake up to a strange penis in my face."

The penis in question kicked in response to her attention, and I subtly tried to press it into submission. There would be plenty of time for them to be acquainted in the future, preferably when she hadn't just regained consciousness.

Hendrix's deep chuckle stole her attention, and I tried to hide the way my lip wanted to curl in warning. Hendrix was a friend. Kind of. He'd helped me. More importantly, he'd helped her.

"It's you."

Okay, there was no part of me that liked the breathless awe that those two words held. Hendrix shifted back on his heels, flicking a quick look at me before grunting and pushing to stand.

"He was worried about you. I'll give you both some space."

Much to my relief, he crawled into his tent and zipped the opening closed, at least giving us the illusion of privacy.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, unable to resist edging closer to her again.

"I'm fine. I mean, I've got a killer headache and could use some water, but I'm alive and breathing. So, yeah…"

I nodded, eyeing the bag Hendrix had left beside his abandoned chair. Hell, maybe he had something I could cover up with to make my mate feel a bit more comfortable.

Turned out, the best I could find was a towel to wrap around my hips. The water flask I found a moment later made me feel like crowing, and I presented it to her as though it were a precious jewel.

She accepted it with a thanks and tipped her head back, throat working as she swallowed again and again. Damn, that was hot. As she finally dropped her arm, I made myself busy packing the bag back up and returning it to its original spot.

"Was it you?"

I paused, wondering what she was referring to.

"The wolf. Dog. Whatever. Are you the one who has been following us?"

Nothing in her tone told me what she wanted the answer to be, so I went with the truth.

"I didn't mean to scare you. A raiju's mate means everything to them. You were an…unexpected discovery during a job, and I found it impossible to stay away."

Those dark brows furrowed. Maybe I should have been more subtle or given her some kind of platitude until she was fully healed, but now that I'd decided to try for the mate bond, I found myself impatient to get closer.

"Wait. So when you say… Wait. You said mate? Ugh. My head hurts." Confusion shone in her as she held a hand to her forehead, and despite the voice in my head screaming to give her space, my mouth ignored the good advice.

"Orgasms are good for headaches." Way to not make things weird.

"Not always true." Hendrix's unwelcome input came from inside his tent.

"Shut it, gryphon."

"Bite me, wolf."

"Raiju." I sniffed. He knew the difference, the asshole.

The insult was forgotten as I turned back to see a blinding smile stretch over my mate's face. Even better, as she shifted her legs, I caught the unmistakable scent of arousal. Yes! A deep breath to calm myself did nothing but encourage my growing erection as more of her delicious scent filled my lungs.

"So… I'm your mate," she said, rolling onto her knees and closing the distance between us.

I nodded, worried any movement would scare her off.

"And you want to make me feel better."

I bobbed my head faster. Hell yes, I'd do anything for her.

"Well, in the absence of Tylenol, it seems like the best option."

I dragged her to me, inhaling her last word as my mouth crashed against hers. Lightning cracked over my skin, making me shiver as I absorbed the charge. My cock ached for her, and I mentally reminded it that this time was for her. And only for her. With careful hands, I laid her back on the ground and made quick work of her pants and underwear, pointedly ignoring the frustrated groan from inside the tent.

"Do you have to do that right here?"

"Put your headphones on. We're about to get loud."

My mate snorted at the cheeky grin I sent her, but the sound transformed into a long groan as I dipped my head and licked a long line up her pussy. Her taste exploded on my tongue, and I had to take a moment to reach down and squeeze the hell out of my cock to keep from coming on the spot. Fuck, she was spectacular. Her fingers threaded through my long white hair, and I grinned in delight as she tightened her grip to the point of pain and pulled my mouth back where she needed it.

Alternating between hard flicks over her nub and long, indulgent strokes, I worked her until she was squirming beneath me before spearing my tongue into her heat over and over. Her scent surrounded me, pulling me deeper and deeper under her spell as the world around faded to black. My cock wept into the dirt beneath us as my body warmed to the lightning she sent through my veins.

Just when the sensations felt too overwhelming, she threw her head back, screaming through an earth-shattering orgasm as our mate link clicked into place. I groaned, unable to stop lapping at her as my cock kicked hard, my release painting the earth in sticky white stripes.

"That was…" she breathed, cutting off as another tremor shook her sensitive body.

I hummed, nuzzling her core and taking another lick, smiling against her flesh as she shuddered again.

"Stop."

"But I want another one." I was whining, but there was no part of me that wanted to let up.

"Play your cards right, and I'll let you do it again soon. Maybe when we don't have an audience." She cut her eyes toward the tent.

"Don't mind me. You certainly didn't care a few minutes ago." Hendrix's voice was slightly strangled, and a small sniff gave me all the information I needed.

"Don't think I can't smell what you just did, gryphon."

A muffled curse was his only response.

"What…?"

"Let's just say mine isn't the only cum scent in my nose right now."

My mate's face darkened to a pretty pink shade. Speaking of…

"I'm Ranto, by the way. We haven't really had the opportunity to introduce ourselves."

"Harlow. Though I'd say we're nailing the getting-to-know-you thing."

I couldn't help but agree. I knew how she tasted, the way her face twisted when she came, the needy little sounds she made… I cleared my throat, adjusting the towel that did little to hide my rallying cock. He was a trooper. Especially with our new mate bond in place.

We exchanged dopey grins until her attention caught on the now-dark sky.

"Shit."

I suppressed a whimper as she jumped to her feet and pulled her underwear and pants back up her legs.

"Everyone will be stressing out. I have to get back."

"I'm going with you."

She paused, an assessing look crossing her face for a moment before she finished zipping her pants.

"Deal. Besides, you need some clothes if you're staying in your human form, and my bestie happens to have brought enough to stock a Macy's."

I swept a hand out graciously, relieved that I didn't have to keep following her in the shadows. I would have, if she said no, but this way I could stay close enough to look after her properly.

"Lead the way."

With a deep breath, she slapped the top of the tent and strode toward the trees. "See you, dude. Thanks for the hospitality."

A grunt came from inside, and I grinned at his stubbornness.

"Thanks, Hendrix. See you around." Without waiting for a response, I trotted after Harlow with a new bounce in my step. I was naked, trekking through the woods in a towel, but I was with my mate, and soon I'd meet her whole pack.

Life was good.