I may be feral, but even blacked out, I’d sooner tear my own throat out than hurt her. All it means is my shifter instincts are heightened and stuck in distress mode. Caring for my mate is a huge part of those instincts; more powerful than self-preservation.
Lightning. Being dragged across cement. Arctic cold.
Distraught, I mentally glitch out, rage and fear warring within me for dominance. But no matter how much I try to bring myself back from the edge, Ican’t.The darkness that infected my mind has me in a chokehold, taunting me. Reminding me that I’m never going to be enough to protect her.
I couldn’t even save myself when it came down to it. Sure, I managed to keep the magic under my protection out of their hands, but at what cost?
“Hey now, easy,” my mate soothes, her hands stroking my arms and bringing her close enough that I can breathe her in. Let it drown out the memories, if only for a little while. “You’re not there anymore, I’ve got you.”
If I thought I was feral before, it’s nothing compared to having her this close, her chest heaving and sweet scent permeating her skin like a beacon calling me. She gently maneuvers my arm to expose my wrist, lifting her own to display beside mine. “See? I’m yours, Z, but that means you’re mine too. And I’m not going to let anyone hurt you again.” She traces the mark with a featherlight touch, sending a shiver down my spine.
That’s right, she’s mine. All mine. Nobody can take her away from me.
My mouth waters more with every breath, her scent filling my lungs and consuming me, and it’s driving meinsane.
“Shit, Kiara, step back slowly. I’ll keep him busy while you slip out the door and grab a tranquilizer. We can keep him locked in here until I figure out what to do with him,” the stranger says.
His voice grates at my nerves, and I tuck my mate behind me, baring my teeth at the threat.He’s just like the others. Wants to drug me and lock me away. Does he know about her healing abilities? Want to use her, hurt her?
Need to get Kiara out of here. We’re already in danger, it doesn’t matter if he finds out what I am anymore.
Mid shift, my mate’s hands clasp my cheeks, her earnest stare locked on my face and gentle touch giving me something to focus on. “Z,no.No shifting. Stryker’s not going to hurt either of us, and nobody is going to tranq you. He’s a fr-” she pauses and swallows. “He’s my mate, too.” Swallowing again, her voice comes out stronger. “He’s on our team, Z. Just like Devlin.”
The man huffs incredulously. “I’m not sure what kind of team I signed up for, but if the others are anything like Z, I should get better health insurance. Or hazard pay.”
Kiara snorts. “Nah, Devlin’s a sweetheart. A little socially awkward, doesn’t really care what anyone thinks about him, and I’m pretty sure he's got ADHD or something similar, so is easily distracted. He's tying up some loose ends at work for the next week or so, but I'm sure you'll cross paths with him soon.”
The son of a bitch sniffing around my mate -Stryker-watches my every move, and I hold his gaze in equal challenge, bracing myself for his attack. But to my surprise, he eventually releases a heavy exhale, subtly dipping his head with reluctant acceptance. “You have to be freezing. I have a pair of gym shoes in my trunk you can wear for now.”
Confused at the tension suddenly being sucked out of the room, I warily follow my mate’s lead and take a seat on the metal table in the middle of the room, tugging her onto my lap. Severalmoments pass and he makes no move, and it makes me uneasy. Eyes narrowed in challenge, I lick a path up the column of Kiara’s throat while maintaining eye contact. If she really chose him as a fellow bondmate, I need to know what he’s capable of for her sake. Devlin can merge with the walls, and was able to go toe to toe with me. I can trust he’d be able to hold his own if she were threatened, and would be perfect to gather information or get the drop on an enemy. He’s useful. If Stryker’s not, I’ll have to adjust defensive plans accordingly.
Rather than accept, though, he just rolls his eyes and speaks to my mate, completely disregarding my challenge.
Dick.
“He hasn’t hurt you?” he demands.
Kiara huffs. “Of course not. He’s more of a clingy alley cat than anything. Don’t look at him funny or try to steal his food, you’re golden. All he wants is to be safe, fed, and left alone. With the occasional snuggle when he feels like it; we’re still working on acclimating him to being touched, so this is actually a huge breakthrough.”
Mildly insulting, but… she kind of nailed it.
While Stryker blathers on, pacing the room and gesticulating with his hands, I nuzzle the side of Kiara’s throat, letting her sweet scent curb the worst of my murderous impulses. It’s easy to tune him out when my mate is safely draped acrossmylap, her fingers carding through my hair absentmindedly like she’s done it a thousand times before. As natural as breathing to offer affection without a single expectation in return.
As they hash shit out, I make myself comfortable. Time floats by, and the longer it stretches, the more I accept that while this man’s not a threat to my mate? Heisa threat. He carries himself with the confidence of his ability to handle shit without the need to prove himself. I’ve clocked two guns; one discreetly strapped to his ankle, given away only by the sound of his pant legbrushing against it, the other obvious in the discarded shoulder holster lying on top of his jacket. The metallic scent of a well-used knife in one of his pockets, the tang of blood still present beneath the acrid cleaner used to sanitize it. Honed muscles. The way he carries himself screams military training, with enough hands-on experience not to wait for orders.
He’ll be a useful addition to her guard.
The ringing of a phone startles me, and I band my arms tighter around my mate. “You already got it set up?” she asks, surprised. “How?”
Stryker finally stops pacing, offering my girl a soft smile. “Benefit of the job. I have to ditch my phone and transfer data from the cloud regularly. It really wasn’t that hard; you have like, five contacts, and no pictures. All I had to do was switch the SIM card.”
“None of that makes sense to me,” my angel says, and honestly? Same. A purr sparks up in my chest as I nuzzle the side of her throat.
The other male narrows his eyes. “Don’t get any bright ideas of biting her.”
Biting? Why would I-Oh.Oh.
As soon as I let myself imagine it, the desire nearly knocks me on my ass. Sinking my teeth into my mate? Nobody wouldeverdoubt she was mine if she wore my bitemark on her skin. It’d be clear to anyone that thought to claim her as their own that she was already taken, under my protection. Knew she had a mate that wouldn’t hesitate to tear their throats out.
