“That’s what I have you for.” He grabbed a strand of my hair, lifting it to his nose and inhaling.
I laughed, and we went out to his truck together.
We wentto the store first, forgetting we’d have groceries in the car afterward that we had to take home pretty quickly.
So, our stop at the dance studio needed to be fast.
“Leslie should already be inside,” I said. “It’ll only take a minute.”
She was always on time, and I was a few minutes late for the short meeting we had planned last-minute. I wasn’t even sure what she wanted to talk to me about. She probably wanted to know whether or not I was still planning to sign the studio over to her or something.
“I don’t see her vehicle.” Bo looked around the empty parking lot.
“She lives a block away and walks here. I’ll be fine.” I kissed Bo lightly. “Give me five minutes, and I’ll be back.”
“Alright.” He didn’t look happy about it, but when he rolled down the window and sniffed the air, he didn’t find any reason to stop me from going in alone. The studio itself had a distinctive scent that would hide most others, but I didn’t bother telling him his attempt to keep me safe was pointless.
“Yell if you need anything. I’ll leave the window down,” he added.
I gave him a mock salute.
“Smartass,” he called after me.
“I don’t need a reminder that you love this thing,” I called back, pointing to my butt as I kept moving.
“I love more than your ass,” he yelled.
“You already said that!”
“I’ll keep saying it!”
I waved him off playfully as I stepped up to the front door. It was already unlocked, so Leslie was already there.
I took a few steps in, flipping on the lights she missed.
By the time I noticed the slight hint of a scent that didn’t belong there, a large hand was over my mouth.
A pair of claws brushed my throat.
Fuck.
“Hello, Fiancée,” the alpha sneered into my ear.
My eyes darted around the room, searching for Leslie.
She wasn’t there.
Of course she wasn’t there.
She was mated to one of the kitsunes in the skulk. She lived in the neighborhood. It would’ve been so easy for him to get her phone.
I should’ve expected that.
I should’ve put it together.
I should’ve left Cub Lake completely.
Now, I just needed to figure out a way to get out of this situation alive.
