The doorbell rang and I threw my backpack over my shoulder. I frowned as I rushed down the stairs and peeked through the sheer curtains. I wasn’t expecting anyone unless it was Tracey. But the massive figure on the other side of the door wasn’t Tracey. I swung the door open, grabbed the man’s hand, and yanked him into the house.
I didn’t know who he was but I knew he was one of Rafe’s Guardians. I let out a deep breath before I lit into him. “What are you doing here?”
His deep olive complexion stained pink for a moment before he shrugged his shoulders. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you, too. My name is Mav.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Hi, Mav, what are you doing here?”
Thankfully my parents had said service was spotty in Morocco and talking to them would be brief. I doubted they would be able to check the cameras if they could hardly get a call through.
He mocked my pose and crossed his arms over his chest. He was a big dude with tree trunk sized arms, thick neck, and a strong jaw. He didn’t look like any wolves I was used to. He looked like he belonged on a beach doing the Haka somewhere tropical. His eyes were a pastel yellow as he looked me over. His hair was curly and bleached at the ends. He smiled and it was enough to easesomeof the tension pumping through me.
“Tracey informed me that you would be going into the city today, I am here to escort you.” I blinked slowly. That hussy ratted me out.
“This is some kind of joke, right?” I readjusted the purse on my shoulder. The last thing I needed was a babysitter, especially one that would be seeing where I was applying to work.
All he did was grin. “I can assure you that this isn’t a joke.”
“What if I say no?” I pinched my lips together as I tried to think of a clever way to get out of this.
Mav leaned back against the wall and crossed one ankle over the other. “I would suggest that you don’t do that unless you want the rest of the Guardians tailing you today.”
I considered my options. “Fine, but you don’t make any comments about where we go.”
He winked. “Lingerie?”
I let out an exasperated breath. “Job applications.”
Mav cocked his head. “You can’t do that in town?”
I rolled my eyes as I motioned for him to leave my house while I locked up. “The last thing I want is to have a job working for your Alpha.”
“You know he isn’t thebossof everything, right?”
“He sure thinks he is,” I chuckled. I unlocked my little beater of a car and Mav slid into the passenger seat easily, even though he looked like he was being squeezed into a clown car. I looked at his truck parked on the side of the road and shrugged. He could have offered his ride, but a little torture wouldn’t be so bad. It would keep the other Guardians from me… hopefully.
“So why are you here, exactly?” I asked as we were cruising down the interstate. I hadn’t turned on the music and had waited for him to speak but he remained silent. Eventually it wore me down.
Mav raised his thick brows and leaned against the passenger door. “There have been… recent developments with the rogue wolves.”
I tapped my thumbs on the steering wheel. “Recent developments that you want to share?”
He gave me a toothy grin. “Classified.”
I pouted. “I don’t even know you.”
“Exactly why I won’t be telling you classified information.”
“I mean, I don’t know you well enough for you to beprotectingme. How do I know you won’t try to hurt me?”
Before I knew it he was pulling his shirt from his body, I was trying to not swerve into oncoming traffic and all the while he was looking awfully smug. “What the hell are you doing?”
He jabbed a meaty finger at his chest. “This will prove to you that I am who I say I am. I took an oath to my Alpha and I will take one to you too.”
I held my hand up and ignored the crest stamped into his chest. The one like Knox’s. “Don’t you dare do anything like that.”
A rumbling laugh filled the car. “You don’t want me to make an oath to you?”
“That’s the last thing I want from you, any of you. All I wanted was a normal life. I want a normal life now. That is why I am applying at all of these places.”
