“So, he’s staying with her for real, huh?” Dani didn’t want to see Bennett hurt. He meant a lot to Mercury and was warming up to Dani, moving beyond friendly to brotherly.
“It’s only ‘for her protection’.” Mercury gave the last words air quotes, amusement lighting his eyes.
“You enjoy watching his demise.” Dani did, too. Even though she and Bennett were bonding over their love and respect for her mate, Mercury, the blond could be a major dick and he needed a mate who wouldn’t take his shit.
“I do.” Mercury turned serious. “But only if it turns out completely opposite of last time.” He stopped to consider his partner’s situation. “It feels right, though. I haven’t officially met her, but he’s slowly becoming Benji again.”
“He changed that much after Abigail’s betrayal?” Dani couldn’t imagine Bennett without the debonair attire and perfectly coifed hair.
“No, before. Pretty much right after he met her. She feared who he was so much, even before she found out he was a shifter, that he cleaned himself up and acted differently so as not to scare her. Then, after the rescue when the dust settled, he changed his name and how he dressed and acted.”
“What if this Spencer betrays him, too?”
“Then we’ll take care of her like we did Abigail.”
***
She was going to kill him. The male wouldn’t leave, and Spencer was getting desperate. Not from his overtly male pheromones, constantly reminding her of the pleasure he could bring her fully clothed. Or the imaginings of the unclothed ecstasy his large, powerful body promised to deliver.
No, it was from the physical exertion she performed next to him each day for the last three days working her land. Thankfully, he wasn’t interested in her lovely cows, thinking they were dear pets she had dragged across the country with her to settle in and start her life.
But three days of toiling in the early summer sun was wearing her down. Even Bennett had noticed and asked if she was okay. She bit his head off and earned a, “Sorry I gave a shit, I mean, sugar, or whatever the hell you say instead of shit,” in return.
She needed to visit Bessie or Tulip desperately, or she would attack Bennett. He was damn near irresistible, making her fangs ache with his proximity, but the last few days of manual labor kept him from his normal grooming habits and the results were freaking devastating.
Scruff covered his face, his hair naturally rumpled from his disarming habit of shoving his hands through it, and his clothes…good gawd. Gone were the black sweats he arrived in, and there was no hint of the stylish clothing he usually donned. For planting in her small fields, he was all western shirts and worn blue jeans. The idea of cowboy boots on that male made her swell with rampant desire, it was embarrassing.
They were both swamped by the sensuality emitted by the other. Her only defense was that he assumed she couldn’t sense his. It didn’t take special senses to feel his hot gaze roam her body as she bent, working in the soil. It certainly didn’t take enhanced eyesight to spot the perma-erection he maintained.
Keeping their distance from each other only made them both cranky. Biting comments and grunts of replies were their main source of dialogue, so they were left with trying to avoid each other. Some nights he went out for a run, and she desperately hoped tonight he’d do the same so she could go give Tulip a big ol’ hug.
A furry little bundle attacked her left boot. A smile lifted her lips as the one they called Cougar, ferociously batted at her booted toe until a second striped ball of fur, Siber, jumped the first kitty.
“Good sneak attack. I didn’t even notice you stalking me.” Of course she’d been a little distracted by the sweaty male hauling fallen limbs and branches from the trees to her rented wood chipper. Homegrown mulch and compost, and free, couldn’t beat it.
The kittens trotted off, planning to stalk Cuddles, who with Bennett’s help, was quite tolerant of the new additions. Cuddles stuck to sleeping with Spencer in her room, taking up almost all of the space on her worn mattress, while the kittens tucked in around Bennett. It was cute as heck and he had glared bullets at her when she broke out in peals of laughter the first morning she found them all snuggled up together.
“I’m going to fire up the grill and make some dinner.”
Bennett nodded his acknowledgement. At this point, she could eat her steak raw, but for now it was rare to medium-rare for the both of them.
She finished cooking dinner, adding grilled asparagus that Bennett scowled at but ate. He carried his meal out to the front porch while she ate in the kitchen, again keeping their distance from each other. The sexual tension between them could be cleaved with their steak knives. Even Cuddles felt the unease, pacing back and forth between them.
Going back out to work to take advantage of every minute of daylight, they cleared, dug, and planted. She owed Bennett, she really did. Not just for his protection, for that she was grateful as things had been heating up in Sigma’s hunt for her, but also for his manual labor. She had so much more in the ground at this point, it would increase her production considerably, and give her a heck of a start.
“Spencer, I’m heading out to run.” With daylight fading, Bennett circled around back to strip, the thought making her mouth water, and she heard him lope off into the woods.
Finally.
Chapter Seven
That woman made his blood boil. Bennett avoided all of her traps while he let his wolf run. The fresh, clean air filtered through his lungs, the running gait stretched out kinks from the day’s work.
After his unexpected release in her truck a few nights ago, he’d experienced the first sense of relaxation. Because the release was thanks to his mate, he could have enjoyed the ease of tension for days. Maybe even weeks. But not when he was stuck here in a living hell of being close to her sexual napalm.
He couldn’t take the chance. She might know about their species and mating, but he was sure it’d be a different story if he told her she was his destined mate. He refused to be with another woman if that meant he had to hide his true nature. He might be fine censoring his language around her, only because he enjoyed hearing what she used as cussing substitutes. Otherwise, he was a jackass, liked his space, preferred to be in charge, and if he were to take a mate, which wouldn’t happen, he planned to mark the ever-loving shit out of her.
He had held back with Abigail, didn’t mark her out of alarm it would be too much for her, and held his nature in check in bed. It was all sweet poetry, declarations of love, and only the missionary position. He had loved his wife, like a male should love his mate. Her gentle innocence offset his rough nature, her tall slender body would have cradled him like a glove if she had ever let herself relax and enjoy sex. He had worked tirelessly to bring her to orgasm and it almost sent her running home to confess her sins to her parents and beg to return.
So if he were to accept another mate, which wouldn’t happen, it simply wouldn’t be another human female.
Bennett’s mind wandered to the conversation he had with Mercury the previous night. Spencer wanted to free her brother, and he suspected she would plan it with or without the Guardian’s help. Commander Fitzsimmons felt the focus might be on hunting Spencer, although Sigma certainly monitored young Ronnie Newton. If the Guardians freed him and prevented him from contacting Spencer, they could keep her safe.
Mercury also updated him on what Dani gathered from the recruit’s phone. Kaitlyn was sent out to go clubbing with Jace, a task she was more than qualified for, and she spotted two more recruits hunting girls. Eliminating them would only alert Sigma. The Guardians learned more about the mystery woman now, thanks to Jace’s special power of influence. The recruits told him as much as they knew about their mission.
Unfortunately, there was still jack shit to go on. They were charged to find a woman in her twenties, who was evasive about her family and new to town. Then they needed to get a blood sample to take back to their compound for testing, hence the wicked rings used to
prick the skin. Dani also checked into missing girl cases in the area and found three women had disappeared in the last several months who could have fit the description of the one the recruits were assigned to find.
The missing women were undoubtedly dead. He could tell Spencer, use her guilt to get her to reveal what she was hiding, but he feared it would influence her to go on the run again. Then, not only Spencer, but more women, would suffer.
Bennett pulled up short when he heard Mercury’s warning in his head. Dani spotted four Agents, heading toward Spencer’s house.
Fuck! Bennett spun, his claws kicked up dirt as he dug in, racing toward the house.
Spencer! Agents!
He flew through the trees, dodging her traps, hoping his mental call worked on his human mate.
Faint sounds of struggle pricked his ears. Mercury and the commander were each taking on an Agent.
His eyes picked out the house through the trees. Every single light was on, inside and out. Smart girl. One of the remaining Agents crouched under the cover of the porch where the light didn’t reach. The other Agent was likely hunting near the back door. Bennett sensed Spencer inside, armed with her shotgun and Apollo.
The Agent was so intent on grabbing Spencer, he didn’t see the large, light brown wolf until it was too late. Bennett bit down hard on the Agent’s carotid until warm, sour blood pumped into his mouth. The Agent flailed as both of them tumbled on the ground. Bennett ground down his jaw, shaking his head, not letting go until the Agent’s movements ceased, even after hearing a shotgun blast from inside the house.
Rushing to help, he saw nothing but a peppered Agent stumbling out the back door. Spencer managed to wound him enough that Apollo could attack, but the Agent would probably recover quickly and the dog could get killed.
Stay back, Bennett ordered Spencer, rushing out to aid Apollo in killing the last Agent. Mercury and Commander Fitzsimmons would arrive in seconds. The Agents hadn’t been expecting a pack of Guardians when they came for Spencer and were easily taken by surprise.
Apollo was growling, latched onto the last Agent’s arm, whose unnatural enhancements allowed him to overcome the shotgun pellets and fight off the dog. A glint of silver alerted Bennett to a gun pointing toward the German shepherd.
Ripping the arm with the weapon away from Apollo, Bennett dove for the neck, latching on. The Agent grabbed for a knife sheathed on his torso, slicing Bennett’s shank, and fuck if that didn’t burn. As the Agent’s movements stilled, Bennett registered Apollo’s absence, along with the maddening woman’s.
He called out to Commander Fitzsimmons. She ran. I need to find her!
Go! We’ll collect the bodies and burn them. And Bennett, bring her in.
That was going to piss her off. She had a major secret, but not for much longer. Next time, Sigma will send more Agents and that shotgun won’t be enough.
Sniffing around, Bennett stopped short when he found a pile of clothing—a tank top, worn work jeans, and boots; exactly what Spencer had been wearing. Bennett lifted his nose, sniffing the air.
What. The. Fuck. It couldn’t be possible.
Yet…it wasn’t unheard of. Kaitlyn’s scent wasn’t as distinct as other female shifters when they first met her, in fact, it had been downright human. The tall redhead hadn’t even known she was a shifter until only a year ago. Oh, but Spencer knew what she was, and why she hid it was the million-dollar question.
Bennett raced through the trees until he spotted a sleek, fine looking brown wolf. White streaks ran through her fur, just like the highlights in her hair, resulting in an ultra-feminine appeal that sang to his wolf. He couldn’t slow to admire her canine form, he needed to catch her. She was fast, but only as fast as her companion. Her love for the dog would help Bennett catch her.
Spencer, stop!
Did she just speed up? Dammit!
Deliberately, she ran faster, jumping over her traps in hopes that Bennett would get snagged by one since he was so close behind her. Soon, they would be free of her land and he could pursue her more easily. He could’ve gotten to her already, but the injury slowed him. In fact, he shouldn’t have caught her, something was slowing her down as well, other than being unwilling to leave behind Apollo. She’d been looking pale and weak the past few days. Maybe she wasn’t feeling well?
With a final surge, he covered the distance between them and sprang onto her back. Trying to attach to the scruff of her neck as they rolled, she knew what he intended to do and transitioned back to her human form.
In a panic, he did too in order to prevent himself from sinking his teeth or claws into her fine, golden skin. He wrestled with her, she was surprisingly strong, even for a female shifter, until he had her pinned under him, wrists clamped in his hand.
Chests heaving, they both took stock of each other. Blood loss, pain, and physical exertion didn’t stop his body from reacting to the feel of her smooth, muscular body underneath him.
Spencer’s eyes widened as he grew hard against her belly. He could scoot down and still be able to keep her wrists shackled, but that would put his persistent member at ground zero, and her round globes with dusky peaked nipples too close to his mouth.
Apollo whined close to the prone couple, and Bennett sent him a warning look not to interfere. This was between him and his mate. His shifter mate.
“Get off me Bennett,” she said between clenched teeth.
Oh, but he could smell her desire, see the pinkened cheeks, feel her quickened breaths, all for the naked male on top of her.
“Sure thing, sweetheart.”
Yanking her wrists, he pulled her up with him, and slung her over his shoulder, her fine ass right next to his face.
“Wha—Put me down! Bennett!” She struggled, beating at his back, kicking out her legs. “I can walk just fine.”
Instinct spurred him to nip her butt, earning him a shriek of disbelief and outrage, and that, along with another spike in her desire made him grin.
“Yeah, and you can run, too. But we need to talk.” Stomping through the woods, he carried his furious cargo while Apollo trailed behind.
“Where are we going?” She was compliant now, twisting only to try and look around.
“The commander said to bring you in.” Her scent was driving him crazy. His engorged shaft was making walking painful, but at least it diverted blood away from his knife wound so only one part of his body throbbed.
He was covered in blood, so maybe he’d shower before their talk. He planned to talk long and hard with this female.
“I’m not your prisoner!”
“Nope. You’re under our protection.”
“I don’t want it.” If he thought she was furious before… “I’ve done just fine without the Guardians.”
“Exactly. Why wouldn’t you want the Guardians’ help?” It was their duty to protect shifters.
She remained silent and another thought occurred to him.
“Tell me, little shifter. Do you sense I’m your mate?”
She tensed and he had his answer, his anger rose to match her fear.
“And you didn’t think you could trust me?” She’d known all this time. It was real, he had another destined mate and she wasn’t human. He could be saved.
“I trust no one but my family.”
He tromped through the trees, desire burning through him, his destination near. Her family? Other than her crazy brother in the padded room?
His cabin came into view, and he walked straight inside and kicked the door shut behind him.
Her sharp inhale indicated she knew this was his home. “That’s right, darlin’,” his drawl bled through the words, “you’re mine.”
Oh, no. No, no, no, no. This was some real bull-pucky she was in. Hanging upside down, seeing nothing but Bennett’s toned, taught butt and strong muscular legs, while smelling his blood when she’d been so close to dealing with her weakness…it was overwhelming. The Agents showed up before her task with her cows was completed, and now
she was even more deficient than before.
He slid her down his body, slowly, savoring every bare inch of her. Aw, heck, she was in trouble. Setting her on her feet facing him, she swayed slightly. Mistaking her unsteadiness for the revulsion at his bloodied state, he tipped his head down, closer to hers.
“I can shower first,” he spoke quietly, his voice dropping a few husky octaves. “But you’d have to join me.”
The blood had a sour taint to it but she didn’t care. The hard, naked male before her had saved her more than once, she was tired, had been ridden by want for this shifter for days, and now he knew part of her secret. Thankfully, not the most critical part.
Reaching up to grab his head and pull him down to her, he matched her eagerness, lifting her up to him. Their lips smashed together; her tongue seeking to taste, his to dominate.
She wrapped her legs around his waist as they were still standing in his entryway. Grabbing her butt, having smelled her need, and knowing how ready she was, he lifted her and placed her hot, wet entrance at the tip of his shaft. Where he might have hesitated, not wanting to hurt her with his large size, she tightened her legs to draw herself down along his length more quickly.
Growling rattled his chest, he acquiesced and slammed up into her. They both broke their kiss and cried out. Finally, she felt full and it felt right.
Catching deep blue eyes that burned with fiery passion, she rocked her hips while he gripped her butt, setting the pace. His eyes burned into hers as he drove them both quickly to an explosive end.
Her walls quaked around him, and she threw her head back to cry out his name when he dropped his head to where her neck met her shoulder, and his searing tongue licked her.
She feared he intended to mark her. The thought alone was almost too much. Her cry turned into a wail as the intensity of the pleasure ripped through her and he followed, pumping his release within her.
Chest heaving, still tightly wrapped around Bennett in all ways, one thought burned through her haze. How dare he!
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