Page 2 of Colton’s Mate

Jason ran his finger around the bottom of his beer. “Does that include me?”

He had been a Talon, back when the old leader, Kirk, and her brother Tex ran the crew. Before Caleb had them killed. Jason had stuck around to try to protect her. Now he had no crew, like her.

She said, “Well, you drove in and I didn’t shoot you. You should take that as a good sign. I didn’t even detonate the land mines in the driveway.”

Jason almost sprayed his mouthful of beer. “You have land mines in the driveway?”

Callie took another drink of margarita. “Nope. But damn, wouldn’t that be fun? I’m gonna get me some. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that before. Then if crows who aren’t you come driving in to mess with me…” She made an explosion noise and mimed it with her free hand. “Crow fricassee.”

Jason shook his head. “Girl, you’re crazy.”

“I know.” She grinned at him. “I spent only four days living with the Wild Blood Crew and, kapow! I’m as crazy as they are.”

“Nobody’s as crazy as they are.”

Callie tilted her head in acknowledgement. Brandon Fierro, his mate Kitty Jameson, and their friends Colt and Remy McCall had grown up in the legendary Bad Blood Crew. Who everyone in the shifter world knew were as crazy as they came.

The Wild Bloods hadn’t done anything to convince her otherwise. But she liked them. She liked them a lot—even though one of the twins, snow leopard shifter Colt McCall, also probably wanted to be more than friends. Or more likely, friends with benefits. Lots and lots of naked benefits.

That was something Bad Girl Callie might consider. Colt was a player, so he wouldn’t be looking for more than a good time. Which—since he was also hot as fuck—she might take him up on.

Maybe.

Jason said quietly, “Tex would want me to look after you.”

Tex. Her brother. Stepbrother, really, but he’d always treated her like a real sister. Taken care of her. She missed Tex, like a fire in her middle. But she’d never realized how having people take care of her all her life made her weak. She needed to learn to take care of herself, so she wouldn’t end up with another dick like Caleb using and abusing her.

“I know he would,” she said to Jason. “That’s the point, isn’t it? People with vaginas need to be looked after. They can’t take care of themselves.”

Jason winced a little when she said ‘vagina.’ “You’ve been hanging out with Kitty Jameson again, haven’t you.”

“Yep.” Callie admired Kitty. She was a wolf shifter, and the most badass woman Callie had ever met. She took shit from no one. And she always talked about her vagina when the guys in the crew started being sexist. It never failed to freak them out, which was funny as hell.

“She’s teaching me hand-to-hand combat. And bargain fashion tips. And also knife fighting.”

Jason knew that really. He’d been staying over at the Wild Bloods’ territory ever since the battle. He just didn’t approve. Luckily for her, she didn’t have to care about Jason’s disapproval. It felt awesome.

He asked now, “And is Colt McCall teaching you fighting too?”

There was a little edge to his voice. Jason knew Colt probably wanted to get into Callie’s pants, and he didn’t approve of that either. But again, not caring.

“And also,” Jason went on, not waiting for her to answer, “you kind of did need to be protected. I saved your damn life when the crows and panthers came after you.”

He had. She’d been passing out from Caleb beating her so bad, and he’d fought off crows and panthers when they tried to finish her off.

“I know.” She met his eyes. “I appreciate it. More than I can ever tell you.” But that didn’t mean she had to belong to him, or Colt McCall, or anybody. “But that’s exactly why I’m learning to take care of my own damn self.”

“What if you can’t?”

“Then that’s on me.”

Jason just shook his head. Callie knew this was hard for him. Female crows were rare, and crows looked down on non-flight shifters, so it was hard for crow men to find mates.

It was probably why they were so ornery.

“Look,” she said softly. “I’m sorry I don’t feel about you the way you want me to feel. And I’m sorry that just having someone to take care of me and protect me isn’t enough. I know that’s the crow way.”

Crow women were supposed to be submissive, and the men were trained to be controlling and overprotective. Even Tex, much as she loved him, had been like that. Which was probably why most of the crow women had gone somewhere else, come to think of it. They were probably living it up on a tropical island doing whatever the hell they felt like, for a change.