yourself. Keep it up and I
might give you another once you take me home.”
“My place right?” Jakob needed to be clear on that point.
For a moment, he thought she’d fight him, but
finally she nodded. “Yes, your place. It’s closer for one, and I at least have
some items there. It will work for tonight. Tomorrow we will be renegotiating.”
“Works for me.” A quick squeeze to her thigh and he
let her loose. Sitting back in his chair, he took his time drinking his beer
while he watched his woman. And yeah, she most definitely was his woman.
He’d gut any other male that thought to touch her.
Not including the old guys who were her regulars.
They all were married, happily despite the occasional bitch-fest they held when
they all congregated at the pub. No, they were more like unruly uncles, and off
the wall grandfathers than competition. Holland was comfortable around them,
and so was Jakob . While they all watched him with the
occasional evil eye, Jakob knew they’d have his back
if it was needed.
After finishing his beer, he toyed with the bottle
until the last couple regulars headed for the door. Getting to his feet, he
watched to ensure they made it safely to their respective vehicles, and then
took in the worsening storm. He could barely make out his own truck parked five
feet from the door. The town would be dead tonight, everything shut down, and
everyone hunkered inside where it was toasty warm.
Throwing the lock on the door, he went to help
Holland. While she had said it wouldn’t take long, he wanted them the fuck outta there. The storm was settling in faster than he
liked. And while that made him nervous there was something else rubbing him the
wrong way. Something his wolf was picking up. What it might be he couldn’t say,
but he trusted the beast, which meant he was going to do whatever was
necessary.
She shot him a look but didn’t argue with him for
once. Jakob took the gift for what it was, and
hustled them through her last chores before they locked up and headed for home.
Jakob took the drive back to his place slow. The streets were slick under the
new layer of fluff, dangerous for the unwary or uninitiated. And with Holland
at his side, he wasn’t about to take any risks. She was his to protect in all
ways after all. Not that he would mention that to the seriously independent
woman who got him hot and bothered.
Closer to his place, Jakob let the truck drift to a near stop, the wheels barely turning while they
creeped forward. His wolf was pacing with his back up deep inside. Something
was off and the animal side was picking up on it. Whatever it might be.
“What’s wrong?”
Turning a look her way, Jakob shook his head slowly. “I don’t know. Gut feeling,” he muttered. It was
essentially the truth but didn’t really cover everything running through him.
There was a lot that was pure instinct, things he couldn’t ever put into words.
“Is it safe to go to your place?” she asked him.
And there was the question in the moment that
required an answer. If he chose wrong he could be taking them straight into a
trap. “I don’t know.” God damn it, he hated having to say those words twice in
a row. Jakob had a feeling he might well have to spit
them out a couple more times before the night was over.
Her hand landed warm on his wrist, and squeezed.
The touch calmed the animal and Jakob had a moment’s
clarity in regards to the situation. There was someone out there waiting on
them, but the threat was minimal. His wolf was reacting because his unclaimed
mate sat at their side. Jakob knew that shifters were
not overly rational during the time they found their mate and they eventually
mated them. It was the point, besides pregnancy, when a shifter was at his most
dangerous in regards to his mate.
He might be making the wrong call, but his wolf
didn’t think so. Going with the instinct that had kept him alive, and trusting
it to protect Holland too, he put the truck back into
might give you another once you take me home.”
“My place right?” Jakob needed to be clear on that point.
For a moment, he thought she’d fight him, but
finally she nodded. “Yes, your place. It’s closer for one, and I at least have
some items there. It will work for tonight. Tomorrow we will be renegotiating.”
“Works for me.” A quick squeeze to her thigh and he
let her loose. Sitting back in his chair, he took his time drinking his beer
while he watched his woman. And yeah, she most definitely was his woman.
He’d gut any other male that thought to touch her.
Not including the old guys who were her regulars.
They all were married, happily despite the occasional bitch-fest they held when
they all congregated at the pub. No, they were more like unruly uncles, and off
the wall grandfathers than competition. Holland was comfortable around them,
and so was Jakob . While they all watched him with the
occasional evil eye, Jakob knew they’d have his back
if it was needed.
After finishing his beer, he toyed with the bottle
until the last couple regulars headed for the door. Getting to his feet, he
watched to ensure they made it safely to their respective vehicles, and then
took in the worsening storm. He could barely make out his own truck parked five
feet from the door. The town would be dead tonight, everything shut down, and
everyone hunkered inside where it was toasty warm.
Throwing the lock on the door, he went to help
Holland. While she had said it wouldn’t take long, he wanted them the fuck outta there. The storm was settling in faster than he
liked. And while that made him nervous there was something else rubbing him the
wrong way. Something his wolf was picking up. What it might be he couldn’t say,
but he trusted the beast, which meant he was going to do whatever was
necessary.
She shot him a look but didn’t argue with him for
once. Jakob took the gift for what it was, and
hustled them through her last chores before they locked up and headed for home.
Jakob took the drive back to his place slow. The streets were slick under the
new layer of fluff, dangerous for the unwary or uninitiated. And with Holland
at his side, he wasn’t about to take any risks. She was his to protect in all
ways after all. Not that he would mention that to the seriously independent
woman who got him hot and bothered.
Closer to his place, Jakob let the truck drift to a near stop, the wheels barely turning while they
creeped forward. His wolf was pacing with his back up deep inside. Something
was off and the animal side was picking up on it. Whatever it might be.
“What’s wrong?”
Turning a look her way, Jakob shook his head slowly. “I don’t know. Gut feeling,” he muttered. It was
essentially the truth but didn’t really cover everything running through him.
There was a lot that was pure instinct, things he couldn’t ever put into words.
“Is it safe to go to your place?” she asked him.
And there was the question in the moment that
required an answer. If he chose wrong he could be taking them straight into a
trap. “I don’t know.” God damn it, he hated having to say those words twice in
a row. Jakob had a feeling he might well have to spit
them out a couple more times before the night was over.
Her hand landed warm on his wrist, and squeezed.
The touch calmed the animal and Jakob had a moment’s
clarity in regards to the situation. There was someone out there waiting on
them, but the threat was minimal. His wolf was reacting because his unclaimed
mate sat at their side. Jakob knew that shifters were
not overly rational during the time they found their mate and they eventually
mated them. It was the point, besides pregnancy, when a shifter was at his most
dangerous in regards to his mate.
He might be making the wrong call, but his wolf
didn’t think so. Going with the instinct that had kept him alive, and trusting
it to protect Holland too, he put the truck back into
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