As I made my way deeper into the maze of buildings and abandoned lots, I reached the back of the Iron Fang bar. The rusted door was left ajar, where the metal of the old tavern that stood once before us still hung. It cast a grotesque shadow from the streetlamp that twisted and turned with the afternoon breeze.
My large body pushed through the door, and my hulking form swung it wide until it slammed it shut behind me. I took a slow and steady pace through the halls, my claws clicking on the clean cement floor as I took my steady steps to the main area of the bar.
I heard my club’s laughter and the clinking of their glasses. Aromatic smells of meat, alcohol and cigarettes wafted toward my nose as I came closer.
When I stepped into the main dining hall, it was Grim and Hawke who first saw me. They lowered their forks, their eyes widening in surprise.
“Shit, Hammer and the guys were right,” Hawke muttered and stood from the stool.
Ah, so they still didn’t believe the mechanics. Of course they wouldn’t. I could shift back into my human form.
My low growl reverberated through the room, causing a sudden silence to descend upon everyone present. The dimly lit space was filled with tension, as the men’s hands instinctively gravitated towards their waists, gripping tightly onto their weapons. However, Grim’s fierce command to stand down cut through the air like a bolt of lightning, quelling any further aggression.
“I told you!” Hammer ran through the crowd. “He’s here. He’s found his mate. Emm! Emm is his mate!”
Grim glanced at Journey, and her features brightened.
Why does everyone have to be cryptic and shit? Damn stupid Goddess and priestesses, and their fucking agendas.
“We need to bring her here, then, to have her protected.” Surkash stood from the back. “More outsiders are infiltrating the town.” Others nodded in agreement, and the room became a chaotic symphony of noise.
I bared my sharp fangs and let out a menacing snarl that echoed through the bar. The low rumble of a growl reverberatedfrom deep within my throat, and I shook my head vigorously. With an air of darkness, Grim, my second, stood steadfastly by my side.
“We do nothing,” Grim announced. “Locke is in charge of his own mate. He’s done fine thus far. If he wants us to do something he will let us know. As for outsiders, watch them. Chase them out.”
Damn, I hope he didn’t scratch up his throat with that whole speech. I gazed up at my companion and gave him a wink. He shook his head with a grunt and pulled on his beard.
“We will make her feel welcome, just as we have,” Journey said as she walked up to me. “Tajah was not as welcoming and still has her reservations. You should know that Emm does not have good intentions—”
I snarled in annoyance and nodded my head once in confirmation.
“Of course he already knows, it’s Locke,” Hawke said, pulling out his knife. “He’s probably going to get off on it, too.” He leaned against the bar, the blade going under his nails to scrape at the dirt.
Well, he wasn’t wrong.
Chapter Nine
Locke
The next few days I continued to suffocate my mate with my presence. I was her constant companion when she was at her campsite, and as the hours turned to days, she accepted me as part of her new life.
Last night, as the sun dipped below the horizon and cast a warm, orange glow over the forest, Emm sat by the lake lost in her thoughts. I watched her from the shoreline, my keen eyes picking up on the slight furrow of her brow, and the way her fingers absently traced patterns in the dirt.
Without a sound, I padded closer to her, the soft leaves cushioning my steps. As I settled down beside her, my head towering over hers , she glanced at me, and surprise flickered in her eyes before a small smile tugged at her lips. I could sense ashift in her energy, a subtle understanding passing between us that transcended words.
She was trusting me. It was moving slow as fuck, but she was.
Emm, initially, acted annoyed that I was in her presence, and I feared the bond wasn’t as strong with her because of my animal form. However, as the days progressed, my hearing improved, and I realized her heart rate sped up in excitement when she saw me, especially in that moment by the lake.
Of course, she would be excited to see me. I was a looker, even if I was an animal.
She had not yet touched me, willingly, and I believe that was because I killed the intruder in her home, but we were making progress. When my body brushed up against her, clothing wasn’t enough. Seeing her bathe in the lake tested my resolve. I needed the heat of her skin, her ass in my hand, her breasts in my face.
I needed her so fucking bad it was painful.
My mate’s days were spent securing her camp. She pulled security surveillance cameras from her RV and hung them at points around her home. My mate even made rudimentary tripwires with bells attached to them to ease her mind.
The cameras won’t work, though. Not with the magic that Tajah and Bram had woven through the forest. Soon, the elves that live in the territory would have their vines crush and destroy the mechanics. Emm’s constant presence was the only reason the RV hadn’t been overgrown with vegetation. The cameras—well, we couldn’t have information leaking to the public about what goes on around here, could we?
