Pack Protection

by Shannon Duane

  She giggled and it sounded sweet to his ears. “I think that’s a great idea since I don’t have enough chairs to sit at the table. I guess I should have thought about this better before I invited you.”

  “We went over this, Bree, I demanded you bring me home and we kinda stole Blue. We’ll work it out.” He nudged her arm with his, “Come on, let’s eat. I’m tired and it’s been a long day for all of us.”

  He snatched the plate he’d made for himself and Blues plate. Bringing it to the couch he placed Blue’s plate on Blue’s lap without a word and proceeded to bow his head in a quick prayer. He wasn’t one that went to church regularly; he believed in God and spoke to him often, not feeling the need to be in a crowd of believers weekly. He did note that Bree sat next to him when the dip in the couch noted her presence.

  “Hey there nice guy hick, you had a big talk with me about not being judgmental, but I don’t see the steak you made for me. You obviously assumed that I didn’t eat meat since you only gave me a salad.”

  Blue’s eyes opened and Tinker watched as Blue shot her a disapproving look and motioned to the kitchen. But it was Tinker that spoke, “Well, darn, I left your steak to cook longer because I didn’t think you’d like it bloody. I must have forgotten to plate it for you. My bad, I’ll go get it.”

  “No, that’s fine, I can get it myself.”

  Placing a hand on her upper arm Tinker halted her. “Please, allow me to get it for you. I’ve cooked and plated all of the meals and I’d like to finish. I’m so sorry I forgot and made you feel bad.”

  “You didn’t-“

  Tinker interrupted, “Then let me get it. My Mama woulda been real upset if I’d have made a lady serve herself. She probably woulda boxed my ears.”

  Tinker glanced at Blue and saw his questioning look. He waited for Blue to call him on the lie, but no words passed Blue’s lips. Blue literally stared at him waiting. Well, he wasn’t going to make it easy on the wolf. Eventually he’d feel the need to talk.

  Tinker watched as Blue sniffed his food and when he was satisfied it contained nothing toxic, he ate like he was a boy starved.

  Standing at his full height and stretching, Tinker proceeded into the kitchen to cut the well done steak for his unwilling mate. After sliding the steak on her plate he smiled as she took her first bite. The smile only last for a moment as she groaned causing him some serious discomfort in his groin area.

  Still groaning and making small satisfied noises in her throat, Bree asked. “Where did you learn to cook? Your mom?”

  Feeling sick to his stomach for lying to his mate he replied, “Yep, she used to say I’d need to learn to take care of a lady someday.”

  “I’m impressed. She clearly loved you very much.”

  Grinding his teeth he attempted a smile, it was probably more of a grimace. “Oh yeah, She loved the crap outta me.”

  “That’s so cute, are you still a mama’s boy?”

  Finally he got a response from Blue, who snorted. Nothing more. In the middle of a conversation Blue snorted and then went back to eating his food. Tinker tried to control his annoyance. “You got something to say, Blue?”

  Shaking his head was the only response Blue gave. Meanwhile, Bree was getting annoyed. They all sat quietly eating. The sound of lettuce crunching was grating on Tinker’s nerves and he literally felt like he’d snap when he took his last bite and Bree spoke.

  “What’s going on, Tinker?”

  “I’m just learning about Blue. Seeing about his protective instincts and what he’s willing to keep in. No need to worry.”

  “What do you-“

  Interrupting Bree went against his nature, but it was necessary. He’d explain eventually. “It’s time for bed. We’ve all had a long day and I’m exhausted. Are you ready to turn in?”

  The bitter scent of anger filled the air before Bree stood. “I’m tired too. I’m off to bed and I’ll let you two decide on where you’ll sleep. There’s an extra blanket in the hall closet.”

  Standing to throw her plate away she quickly spun around, not making eye contact before she walked into her room, closing and locking the door. For some reason Tinker could still feel her presence, still smell her unique scent and pick up on her agitation.

  Tinker’s tension was increasing in a response to Bree’s unhappiness and Blue’s lack of response. “Alrighty, pup, Bree will get into trouble if there is any trace of fur found in this apartment. I’m going to get the blanket and shift. We can sleep as our beasts.”

  Of course there was no response and honestly he didn’t expect one so he walked over and got the blanket. It was a worn and tattered quilt. Unsurprised at this point, Tinker positioned the quilt flat over the carpet, stripped and shifted. Honestly, Tinker wanted to scent out his mate and sniff the hell out of her, but he refrained and simply circled the blanket a few times before plopping down to sleep.

  Chapter 6

  Unable to sleep, Bree was tossing and turning, throwing the covers off and then pulling them back on, and contemplating the odd events of the day. Her sister always said things happened for a reason and Bree thought it was a big cosmic joke, but after losing her job, finding her mate, and watching as Tinker saved and cared for Blue she was starting to believe. This mate thing was amazing. Beyond amazing, it was astounding, incredible, astonishing and surprising. Creating havoc within her, shockingly awakening her libido. She’d never had this instant attraction to a male and it was disturbing.

  For the past two hours she had been forced to restrain herself, to resist going to Tinker and wrapping herself around him, rubbing her happy bunny all over him, bathing him in her scent. There she was, once more on the verge acting like a hussy. It was bad enough she was fantasizing about him, she wouldn’t humiliate him by acting on her sensual thoughts. Especially in front of poor Blue. Lord have mercy, she hoped Blue couldn’t scent her need for Tinker. Better yet, she hoped Tinker couldn’t scent her arousal for him.

  After much thought, she finally decided that a wolf and a bunny couldn’t mate. What happened if the wolf got hungry, or got carried away with sex. Would he actually take a bite out of her? It just wasn’t natural for a predator to mate with its prey. She was pretty sure it was against the laws of nature. Plus, she couldn’t shift in front of him or his pack. She couldn’t move to the country with him and his pack, and he didn’t like the city. They had no future.

  So, why would that stop her from having a bit of fun? There were a million men in the city and some even had charm on their side, but she’d never met someone like Tinker; mostly humble, charming, a protector and extremely handsome. It looked as if he’d been in his share of trouble because his nose was, ever so slightly, crooked, he had a scar over his right eye and his pinky finger was permanently bent at an odd angle. And that was the stuff she could see. Shifters usually healed quickly, which minimized scarring. Eventually, curiosity got the better of her and she couldn’t just lay there anymore.

  She popped out of bed. Hearing her bed springs recoil, she slowed her pace hoping to be stealthy and not wake the boys. Only wearing her tank top and a pair of booty shorts wasn’t appropriate so she quickly threw on an old sweatshirt that was long enough to cover her to mid-thigh. She checked her breath quickly by breathing into her hand, all good, before slowly opening the door and peeking out. It was dark, but not too dark for her to see the outline of the two wolves on her living room floor. There was a three foot space in-between them, but they looked comfortable. From what she heard, wolves in packs typically slept close if they were shifted. Curious…

  Waiting a few minutes to make sure they weren’t going to attack her, Bree finally gathered her courage and took a few steps into the hallway. When a board creaked she froze wincing. The wolf closest to her had his eyes open while he appeared to be smiling, his head resting on his front paws.

  The wolf waited patiently as she watched him, his tongue lolled out of his mouth as he lifted his head tilting it to the side, it was Tinker. She knew it was
him by the sparkling of his wolf eyes, his relaxed posture and his ultimate self-assurance. His fur was grey, more silver than dark.

  Not seeing any aggression from Tinker she chanced a glance at the black wolf behind him and noted his back was to them. Even in sleep Blue chose to ignore them. Unable to focus on the negativity of Blue’s distance, she instead dedicated her attention on Tinker.

  Approaching slowly she noticed he stayed in the same position with his head on his paws appearing relaxed although she could feel the tension between them. Personally, she was afraid, never having approached a predator before now. Funnily enough, Tinker smelled…happy. He wasn’t going after her, trying to munch on her tender bunny flesh.

  She never could figure out why bunnies were on the menu, they were mostly comprised of fur. You would think that it would upset digestion, but…nooooo. Billions of bunnies were slaughtered for the enjoyment and sustenance of wolves.

  She took a deep breath, calming her nerves, continuing forward, aching to touch Tinker’s fur and see if it was soft or coarse. When she got about a foot away she stood in front of him with her arms at her sides showing him she wasn’t a threat. Her palms were damp with sweat, fear and anticipation a potent combination on her nerves.

  Tinker remained relaxed as his head lifted. He opened his mouth and…smiled? At least she thought it was a smile. His tongue was hanging out of his mouth and the corner of his mouth appeared to be lifted. She attempted to ignore the sharp white teeth that put her bunny on edge.

  Standing in the open with him as he watched her intently was…equal parts disturbing and arousing. She hated being so conflicted. Her body was telling her to pull him into her room and do naughty things to him while her mind wondered how long it would take for someone to find her mutilated corpse if he let his beast loose.

  Motivated by sheer determination she moved a step forward and froze immediately when he closed his mouth and licked his muzzle. “Down boy, I’m not a midnight snack. I just couldn’t sleep.”

  Backing away he tilted his head to the side and released a whine of protest. Clearly he wasn’t going to eat her otherwise he would have already lunged. “You’re not so bad.”

  He whined again and placed his head back on his paws. It almost looked like he was trying to show her how controlled he was.

  Regardless of how he acted she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep if she went back to her room. Needing to do this she straightened her back and walked slowly to his side. When her bare feet were inches from him she knelt down so slowly that her thighs began to burn with strain and her lower back was screaming its discomfort. She touched her knees to the floor next to him and she simply sat there for a while catching her breath and drying her sweaty palms on her sweatshirt.

  Becoming engrossed in Tinker’s slow steady breaths, watching his sides rise and fall comforted her. Motivating herself to be strong and confident she reached out her hand and placed it in front of his nose, not touching, but allowing him to scent her while showing her intent to touch him.

  On his next inhale his eyes popped open giving her a view of those yellow golden orbs she’d become so fond of. Being this close she could actually see a bit of green in his eyes. He shifted his head and his warm wet nose bumped her hand and she felt his breath on her. Instead of the fear she’d anticipated a wave of heat exploded in her core and she pressed her thighs together. His breathing increased and he released a quiet whimper.

  Pulling her hand away from his muzzle she held her palm up in front of him momentarily before bringing it down on his head in-between his ears. His fur was soft as she rubbed him with small soft strokes. He nuzzled into her hand asking for more and she didn’t disappoint. She scooted closer so her leg was brushing up against his body while her hand trailed along his flank where his fur became longer and denser.

  She kept a steady pace caressing him. So engrossed in the feel of him she was surprised when he released a small growl. Stilling, she eyed him as he watched Blue who had turned toward them and was huffing her way, obviously not happy his sleep had been interrupted. She stilled her hand as she spoke, “I’m really sorry, Blue, but I haven’t had a dog,” Tinker was the one huffing now, “Well…it’s not like I would ever get to pet a wolf. I’ll go and let you guys get some rest.”

  Blue turned his back to them once more as Tinker bumped her hand with his head and began licking her hand. It felt so weird, hot, warm and rough. She couldn’t contain the giggle that released. Rising she said, “I better go, but thanks for letting me appease my curiosity, you’re really soft and warm. Not scary in the least.”

  As she stood Tinker did as well. She’d known his wolf was big, but when he stood his head was at the height of her breasts. Dang, he was big. She began walking to her room knowing he was following. Feeling his warm breath on the back of her legs she turned to watch as his tongue ran up the back of her leg all the way to the crease between the back of her thigh and her butt. She wanted to turn and chastise him, but she was too caught up in the lust that slammed into her.

  Halting all movement in the hall, a few feet from her door, she leaned against the wall and took a few deep breaths. Tinker was behind her panting. A few seconds later he nudged her forward and guided her toward her bed. He shoved his head against her back causing her to fall onto her mattress laughing. When she flipped over he licked up her face, nuzzled her hair and brushed his nose against her neck. Before long he was making all sorts of growling noises as he continued to nuzzle and lick her neck. Utterly absorbed she didn’t become afraid, in fact she was thoroughly enjoying the treatment until she felt his teeth at the juncture of her shoulder and neck. He didn’t bite but he applied enough pressure to let her know that he was ready to claim her as his, when she was ready. Abruptly he pulled back and trotted out of her room leaving her horny and wanting.

  Following a sleepless night filled with erotic images of her and Tinker in various different sexual positions and stages of nudity, Bree finally got out of bed before first light thinking to go get breakfast. Before she hopped in the shower she had to check on her wolves. Unsure when she began to think of them as hers, she smiled as she saw Tinker sleeping in the middle of her rug with Blue snuggling right up next to him. A pack.

  Longing hit her hard and fast. She’d always felt like she was a fish out of water, or more appropriate a Bunny out of the woods-alone. As her eyes began to mist she sniffled, catching the attention of Tinker. His furry head came up and their eyes met, tenderness and longing was in his expression.

  Smiling she backed up into her bathroom, starting the shower and her day.

  Tossing her pajamas in the laundry bin she hopped under the warm spray and sighed. The water rolled off her sensitive skin causing goose bumps to develop all over her body while her nipples tightened to sensitive buds. How was it possible that she’d survived her entire adult life without feeling this level of desire?

  With every swipe of the rag along her skin sending a pleasant sensation she longed to spend a little extra time pleasing her body and making herself feel good. The only reason she denied herself was because she didn’t want Tinker, or worse Blue, to be able to scent her.

  She quickly rushed through her shower, having to sprint across the hall in a towel back to her room to dry and put on a pair of boot cut jeans paired with a chunky sweater: so different from her more formal working attire. Not sure what her plan for the day was she hoped she could sort out finding a temporary home for Blue and getting Tinker off to his meeting without additional problems.

  Tinker knew Bree had gotten into the shower and he was pleased to see she didn’t have clothes to change into so she’d have to run back to her room wearing only a towel. She probably did it every single day not even thinking twice about having guests. She would be wet, clean and just thinking of it got him aroused. Waiting patiently he heard the water shut off and her annoyed grunt when she realized her situation. The bathroom door opened and he watched her head peek out. Their eyes met and her cheeks flushed.
She was probably waiting for him to be a gentleman and avert his eyes but there was no way he was going to miss this. Her tongue came out to wet her lips as she built up enough courage to run. He thought she’d chicken out but a second later she stuck her tongue out at him and flung the door open. He only saw her for seconds as she ran the length of the hallway, but her toned legs and dripping hair would be seared into his memory. He wanted so badly to chase her but he’d never start something he couldn’t finish. If Blue wasn’t here though, she’d be mate claimed in a heartbeat.

  There wasn’t much for them to do today other than attend his meeting. Tinker needed to call Jake to see if Blue would be welcome in their pack. He seemed like a good kid, but Jake had the final say. He also had to clean up the fur on the carpet before Bree came out and had a heart attack.

  Just finishing up the omelets he’d made for breakfast, Tinker placed them on the table and called Blue over. “Come on and get your breakfast before it gets cold.”

  Not expecting a response he wasn’t surprised when Blue came over, Tinker was surprised that Blue hadn’t shifted back to his human form yet. Tinker watched as Blue sniffed the food and obviously finding it satisfactory he took a step back as a bright light covered his body indicating his change. He clothed himself quickly hiding numerous scars that should have healed better because of his shifter genes.

  Tinker took a seat next to Blue and they waited patiently for Bree to come out. It didn’t take long for the door to her room to open and when she walked out Tinker held his breath. Lordy, she is beautiful.

  The mating heat was getting stronger and he feared they would be caught in a pickle when he needed to go back home and she refused to leave. He’d never force her to leave but he wouldn’t be able to stay here. The one night in her apartment was hell. He could hear everything: the neighbors fighting, the makeup sex, the water in the sink dripping, the horns honking at all hours of night, the corner store down the street had a bell over the door that alerted when there was a customer.