Declan’s bar, carry her up to his room, and finish what they’d started earlier.
Except she didn’t want him.
Fuck!
Tad grabbed a clean rag, and walked out of the bay. He hated flaking out on work, especially when people were depending on him, but he couldn’t do any more today. Audrey was a constant distraction in his mind, and he needed time to mourn over her rejection.
Somehow, when he hadn’t been paying attention, he’d fallen hard for his mate. The funny thing was, he could have sworn she’d fallen for him, too. Not because of the night they’d met, but because of the little things they’d shared over the past two weeks, and the way she’d been so responsive toward his scars.
Based on all that, her reaction to his kiss didn’t add up.
He took a deep breath and replayed the morning in his mind.
She’d allowed him to pull her close, and followed his lead stroke for stroke. In fact, she’d encouraged him to go deeper, and didn’t pull away until he’d tried to pull her on top of him. Then he’d acted like an ass by pretending not to be fully awake.
Fucking idiot!
He’d gone to bed wanting her, ready to accept her into his heart, but he’d never voiced his feelings, so how the hell would she know he’d changed his mind? The look on her face after their kiss hadn’t been rejection, it was heartache. She’d willingly kissed him, and he’d pushed her away when she’d reminded him of her name.
Oh, hell no!
He needed to man up and be the man—and bear—she deserved.
Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream filled the air, and Audrey burst out of the tree-line behind the house. As she came barreling down the hill, a familiar something inside him shattered, and any lingering doubts or reluctance to claim his mate vanished.
The past was gone, dead and buried, and he was looking toward the future.
Their future.
He raced toward Audrey, and grabbed her biceps.
“What happened?” he barked.
“Clint! Bear!” she said, trying to catch her breath. “He’s after me.”
“Don’t be afraid, but I need you to listen to me very carefully,” Tad said. “Go into the shop and call Declan. Tell him I need Enforcers on the North Ridge, and then stay inside and wait for me. Do you understand?”
When she didn’t answer right away, he placed both hands on her cheeks and forced her to look at him.
“Audrey, sweetheart, do you understand me?”
She nodded, and he released her.
“Good, now go!”
He shifted into his bear, and raced toward the tree-line.
Tad picked up Clint’s foul scent easily, and he ran in the direction of the felon. Humans weren’t supposed to know about the existence of shifters unless they were mated to one of them, but Clint didn’t know Audrey was his mate. That meant he’d shown himself for the purpose of forcing a mating, or forcing her demise. Both were illegal and punishable by death.
Tad followed Clint’s scent to a secluded cave about a mile from the house, but when he approached the opening, the other bear attacked him from above. Luckily, Tad had been expecting the trick, and dodged the first swipe of Clint’s claws.
They wrestled on the forest floor, and Tad managed to dodge all of Clint’s swings except one. Luckily, the attack had been weak, and he’d barely broken the skin. Tad, on the other hand, struck hard and fast, seeking vengeance for his mate. By the time the Enforcers arrived, Clint had passed out from the assault.
Once his rival was in the custody of the Enforcers, he ran back home.
Back to his mate.
***
Tad shifted outside his shop, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Declan’s truck. It meant Audrey had followed his directions, and hopefully his brother had been able to keep her calm while they waited for him to return.
He glanced down at his shirt and realized it was covered in blood. It was his enemies’ blood, but he didn’t want to worry his mate, so he pulled the garment over his head and dropped it in the garbage
Except she didn’t want him.
Fuck!
Tad grabbed a clean rag, and walked out of the bay. He hated flaking out on work, especially when people were depending on him, but he couldn’t do any more today. Audrey was a constant distraction in his mind, and he needed time to mourn over her rejection.
Somehow, when he hadn’t been paying attention, he’d fallen hard for his mate. The funny thing was, he could have sworn she’d fallen for him, too. Not because of the night they’d met, but because of the little things they’d shared over the past two weeks, and the way she’d been so responsive toward his scars.
Based on all that, her reaction to his kiss didn’t add up.
He took a deep breath and replayed the morning in his mind.
She’d allowed him to pull her close, and followed his lead stroke for stroke. In fact, she’d encouraged him to go deeper, and didn’t pull away until he’d tried to pull her on top of him. Then he’d acted like an ass by pretending not to be fully awake.
Fucking idiot!
He’d gone to bed wanting her, ready to accept her into his heart, but he’d never voiced his feelings, so how the hell would she know he’d changed his mind? The look on her face after their kiss hadn’t been rejection, it was heartache. She’d willingly kissed him, and he’d pushed her away when she’d reminded him of her name.
Oh, hell no!
He needed to man up and be the man—and bear—she deserved.
Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream filled the air, and Audrey burst out of the tree-line behind the house. As she came barreling down the hill, a familiar something inside him shattered, and any lingering doubts or reluctance to claim his mate vanished.
The past was gone, dead and buried, and he was looking toward the future.
Their future.
He raced toward Audrey, and grabbed her biceps.
“What happened?” he barked.
“Clint! Bear!” she said, trying to catch her breath. “He’s after me.”
“Don’t be afraid, but I need you to listen to me very carefully,” Tad said. “Go into the shop and call Declan. Tell him I need Enforcers on the North Ridge, and then stay inside and wait for me. Do you understand?”
When she didn’t answer right away, he placed both hands on her cheeks and forced her to look at him.
“Audrey, sweetheart, do you understand me?”
She nodded, and he released her.
“Good, now go!”
He shifted into his bear, and raced toward the tree-line.
Tad picked up Clint’s foul scent easily, and he ran in the direction of the felon. Humans weren’t supposed to know about the existence of shifters unless they were mated to one of them, but Clint didn’t know Audrey was his mate. That meant he’d shown himself for the purpose of forcing a mating, or forcing her demise. Both were illegal and punishable by death.
Tad followed Clint’s scent to a secluded cave about a mile from the house, but when he approached the opening, the other bear attacked him from above. Luckily, Tad had been expecting the trick, and dodged the first swipe of Clint’s claws.
They wrestled on the forest floor, and Tad managed to dodge all of Clint’s swings except one. Luckily, the attack had been weak, and he’d barely broken the skin. Tad, on the other hand, struck hard and fast, seeking vengeance for his mate. By the time the Enforcers arrived, Clint had passed out from the assault.
Once his rival was in the custody of the Enforcers, he ran back home.
Back to his mate.
***
Tad shifted outside his shop, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Declan’s truck. It meant Audrey had followed his directions, and hopefully his brother had been able to keep her calm while they waited for him to return.
He glanced down at his shirt and realized it was covered in blood. It was his enemies’ blood, but he didn’t want to worry his mate, so he pulled the garment over his head and dropped it in the garbage
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