Protecting His Fox's Sass (Sass And Growl Book 2)

by Dawn Sullivan

  Hanging his head, he apologized, “I’m sorry, sis. I know you are trying your hardest. I’m just worried.” Shoving his hands into his hair, he rasped, “Fuck that. I’m scared as hell. Jake said he thinks she’s in trouble. What if she skips town? What if she leaves and I never even get the chance to talk to her? She’s mine, Briar. From the moment I scented her, she’s all I can think about. I need to find her.”

  Knox placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing firmly. “We will find her, Nolan. I promise you.”

  Nolan looked up at his brother, his hands clenched tightly at his sides, gritting his teeth before asking, “How do you know?”

  “When I first saw Emery at the bar, when I realized who she was to me, there was no way in hell I was letting her go. And when I found out she was in trouble, there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do to keep her safe. Teine is your mate. That’s what we do for our mates.”

  “I never even got to see her face,” Nolan whispered, “but I would know her immediately if I passed her on the street.”

  “That’s how it is for shifters. Everything is by scent.”

  Scrubbing a hand over his tired eyes, Nolan sank down into the chair beside his sister. All of his brothers and sisters were there, in the kitchen, watching him have a breakdown over a woman who never even bothered to stick around and introduce herself at the club. Shaking his head, he muttered, “Maybe it’s for the best. Maybe I need to back off.”

  “No,” Miracle protested, crossing the room and slipping an arm around his shoulder. “Never give up on your mate, Nolan.”

  “She ran from me.”

  “She was obviously afraid of something,” Noah cut in, placing a cup of coffee down on the table in front of him. “Now is not the time to back away, Nolan. You need to find her, be there for her, fight for her.”

  “He’s right,” a quiet voice said from the doorway. Noah stiffened, but stayed silent as Aurora entered the room. He’d already known she was there, in the house, Nolan realized. Hell, he was probably the only one who hadn’t heard her enter or scented her presence because he was so consumed with thoughts of his own mate.

  “You’re back,” Emery squealed, running to the witch and wrapping her in a tight hug. “I’ve missed you!”

  Smiling, Aurora returned his sister-in-law’s hug, but her eyes stayed on Nolan. “Your mate needs you, Nolan.”

  “Why? What’s she running from?” he demanded.

  Ignoring Noah’s low growl, Aurora slipped into the chair across from Nolan’s, and reached out to cover his hand with hers. “I’ve only seen bits and pieces, but I know she’s in a lot of trouble. She’s very smart and a true warrior, but her past is about to catch up with her. She needs you, Nolan.” Letting her gaze slowly roam around the room, she stated, “She is going to need all of you.”

  “What about you?” Noah asked gruffly.

  “She’s the reason I’m here.”

  “Teine’s your charge,” Emery whispered. “That means she’s in big trouble.”

  “She’s not the only one,” Aurora told them. “Teine’s not alone.”

  “Who’s she protecting?”

  Aurora smiled at Briar as she pulled back and settled into her chair. “So, you caught that? Where I said she is a warrior?”

  “You mean she’s a fighter?”

  “I mean, she can use a gun, a knife, or whatever it takes, and she can use them very well. She’s badass. She’s already taken out many who have threatened the child with her, and she won’t hesitate to protect the little girl with her life.”

  His hands curling into tight fists, Nolan growled, “Who is the child to my mate?” It didn’t matter. Whoever she was, she was also now his to keep safe. He needed to get over his damn pity party, man up, and find Teine and the girl before their enemies did.

  “I’m sorry,” Aurora said quietly, slowly shaking her head. “I’m not sure who she is. My visions are reliable, but sometimes don’t give me all of the information that I seek. All I know is that the little girl is very important to Teine, and that she would die for her.” Hesitating, she whispered, “And she will, if we aren’t around to help.”

  Nolan’s eyes narrowed on the woman sitting across from him and he growled, “How can I find her, Aurora? Can you help?”

  Aurora closed her eyes, sitting in silence for a moment before she replied, “All I know is that she is close, Nolan. Very close.”

  “What should I do?”

  “Ya know, we have spent the past few hours trying to track Teine through her cell phone number. Briar can’t find her the way she normally would, but the solution seems obvious to me.”

  Nolan glanced over at his youngest brother, his brow furrowing as he asked, “What do you mean, Brayden?”

  A grin spread across the young bear’s face as he shrugged. “Why don’t you just call her?”

  Seven

  Teine woke to the sound of Athena’s giggles. Looking over, she could see the little girl’s toes peeking up as Athena grabbed hold of them and squealed. Sighing, Teine rolled to her back and stared groggily up at the paint peeling off the ceiling. Damn, she was tired.

  Glancing over at the alarm clock, Teine groaned. She’d managed three hours of sleep, if she was lucky. After getting over her crying fit last night, she must have packed and unpacked the empty bag five times. A part of her said she needed to leave. Get out of Blue Creek now, before it was too late. But the thought of dark eyes she wanted to drown in, thick hair she wanted to sink her fingers into, and a hard chest she wanted to rest against, had her staying where she was. In bed, daydreaming of him.

  “Ma ma ma ma ma!”

  Teine swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood, almost tripping over the duffle she’d left on the floor. Sighing, she kicked the once again empty bag back under the bed, and then made her way over to the little girl who was still jabbering and giggling. That was one thing she’d done right over the last few months. Athena was a very happy baby, having no idea of the suffering her family had gone through when she was brought into this world. And, if Teine had her way, her niece would never know.

  “Ma ma ma ma!”

  Teine laughed, reaching down so scoop the little girl into her arms. “Hey, sweet baby. Mama’s here.” Holding her close, she kissed her on the cheek as she whispered, “I love you, baby girl. Everything I do, I do for you.”

  After changing Athena and dressing her in a bright yellow sundress, Teine twirled around in circles with Athena in her arms until she reached her high chair. Laughing with her, Teine placed her in the chair, slid on the tray in front of her, and then went in search of breakfast.

  A gasp of surprise left her lips and Teine almost dropped the milk she’d just retrieved from the fridge when her cell phone began to ring. Instinct kicked in and she was pulling a gun from the drawer next to her before she realized what was happening. No one had her number. No one, except her new boss. Was it him? She had run out last night without a word to him. Maybe he was calling to fire her. It would serve her right.

  Pausing, grasping the gun tightly, Teine inhaled deeply, checking for unfamiliar scents. Finding none, she quickly went to each window, making sure they were secured and that no one was outside her small home that she could see. Finally, sure that they were still alone and safe, she retrieved the phone. After taking a moment to give Athena some milk, she looked at the number on the caller ID. Not recognizing it, she frowned in confusion. She had the number to the club memorized, but Jake could be using a cell phone. Teine stiffened when the phone dinged, signaling that someone had left a voice mail.

  Sitting the phone on the counter, Teine ignored it for a few minutes while she made Athena some scrambled eggs. After placing a plate with the eggs and some fruit on it in front of the child, she slowly made her way back over to where the phone sat. Pulling up the message, she clicked on it, and then froze when she heard, “Hey, Teine. This is Nolan. Nolan Channing.” Oh… my… Goddess! She instantly knew who he was, and his voice was just a
s sensual and captivating as the man himself. “I saw you at the Naked Wolfe. Well, I never actually saw you, but…”

  There was silence, and then a deep, frustrated growl left the man, and Teine almost dropped the phone as her thighs clenched together tightly and her panties dampened at the sound. “Oh,” she panted softly, wanting to crawl through the phone to get to him.

  “Dammit, I don’t know what to say,” he growled.

  You are doing just fine, she thought, closing her eyes as she imagined him standing in front of her.

  “I got your number from Jake. I… I need to see you, Teine. I want to hear your voice. Please, call me back.” After leaving his number, he paused for a moment, and then whispered, “I’m not going to give up on you, Teine. You’re mine, and I’m yours. If you give me the chance, I will prove it to you, and I will protect you from whatever, or whoever, you are running from. Just don’t run from this. From us.”

  Teine listened to the call three more times before finally setting the phone back on the counter. Her mate’s name was Nolan Channing. He was a bear. A gorgeous bear, with a voice that curled her toes and made her wet. And he wanted to protect her. What the hell was she going to do?

  ***

  Teine waited until later that afternoon before she finally couldn’t stand it any longer. After putting Athena down for a nap, she grabbed her phone and listened to the voice mail again. Then again. And again. Closing her eyes, she let the sound of Nolan’s voice run over her, through her; a lone tear escaping and trailing down her cheek. If she left Blue Creek, all she would ever have of her mate was this recording. Could she really live with that? But what about Athena? Was it safe to finally put down roots? What if they found her? What if they came after the child she loved as her own? Her hand tightening on the phone, she looked over to where her niece lay sleeping. Could she protect her? The answer was… she honestly didn’t know.

  After one last look at the little girl, Teine left the shack, stepped out onto the front porch, and lowered herself down to the top step. She stared at the phone in her hands for several minutes before she finally pulled up Nolan’s number and hit send. It rang several times before his voice mail picked up. After the beep, she hesitated, and then said, “I’m sorry, Nolan. This will never work. I want it to. You don’t know how much I want it to. But my little girl is in too much danger. I wish things were different, but I have to put her first. I’m so sorry. Please, forgive me.”

  Eight

  Nolan dropped the phone on his bed so that he didn’t throw the damn thing across the room after listening to his mate’s message for what had to have been the tenth time. Her voice tugged on his heart strings — so quiet and forlorn. She didn’t want to say the words, didn’t want to reject him, but she had anyway. What he didn’t understand was why? Why wouldn’t she give him a chance? Why couldn’t she see that he could protect her and the child? He was a mother fucking bear. If anyone dared come near either of them, he would tear them apart.

  “She hasn’t called back?”

  Nolan stiffened, turning to look at his little sister, Miracle. “Yeah, she called.”

  “Oh! I didn’t hear the phone ring.”

  “That’s because my dumbass had it on silent. I forgot to turn the ringer back on after leaving the club last night and I crashed when I came up here earlier.”

  Miracle’s eyes filled with concern as she asked, “So, you didn’t actually get to talk to her?”

  “Nope, but I got to hear her voice as she left me a kiss off message.”

  “Oh, Nolan.”

  Nolan shrugged, walking over to his window to stare out, seeing nothing. “It’s not over, yet. I refuse to let it be.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Give it a couple of hours, and then call again.”

  “Or we could head back over to the Naked Wolfe,” Brayden said, coming down the hall toward them. “I just talked to Gina, and she said Teine is supposed to dance again tonight.”

  “The hell she is!” Nolan snarled, his fangs punching through his gums. “That is not happening, man!”

  Holding his hands up, Brayden backed up a couple of steps as he said, “Hey, I didn’t say it was actually going to happen, just that it is supposed to.”

  Glancing at his watch, Nolan growled, “Be ready to leave in an hour.”

  “I’m coming, too!” Miracle said in excitement.

  “No, you aren’t,” both men growled at her.

  She ignored them, turning to yell down the hall, “Briar, Emery! Get ready! We’re going to the Naked Wolfe!”

  “Fuck that!” Knox roared from the bottom of the stairs. “No way in hell are the three of you going to a strip club, Miracle!”

  Emery peeked her head out of her bedroom door and yelled, “Hell, yes we are! Teine needs us, and we are going! We are going to be there for her.” Glancing over at Nolan, she grinned, “I’m calling Aurora to let her know we will pick her up on the way. I’ll be ready in half an hour.”

  “Dammit, Emery, that is no place for my bunny.”

  Cocking her hip, Emery placed her hand on it as she glared at her mate. “Knox Channing, when I was in trouble, this entire family was there for me. Are you saying that we aren’t going to do that for Nolan’s mate?”

  “Well, no.”

  “Then get your ass in here and help me get ready,” she snapped, disappearing back in their bedroom.

  Sighing, Knox looked over at Nolan and shook his head. “This is your first and most important lesson, brother. Your mate is always right. Always.”

  “You got that right!” Emery yelled.

  Giggling, Miracle punched a fist into the air. “Yes! I’ve always wanted to go to strip club!”

  “It’s all females, Miracle.”

  “So? I don’t discriminate.”

  When Brayden froze and his eyes locked on her, she giggled again and turned to run to her bedroom.

  “She’s joking, right?” he asked, looking back at Nolan.

  Shaking his head, Nolan slammed his door shut on all of them and went to pick out his clothes. He was going to spend a little more time on his appearance tonight than he had last night. He had a mate to impress.

  Glancing over at the phone on his bed, he wondered briefly if he should try to call her back. Maybe warn her that the entire Channing clan was about to descend on her place of employment. Snorting, he walked over to his closet and took out a dark brown button-down shirt. No, he wasn’t going to give her the chance to run. Besides, she wouldn’t be working there much longer, anyway. That was his body to look at, and only his, even if he hadn’t seen it yet.

  Nine

  Teine didn’t hesitate this time when her song came on and Mystique was announced. Slipping out from behind the curtain, she glided onto the stage. Closing her eyes against the bright lights, she took a deep breath and began to move sensuously… she hoped… to the music. There were a couple of catcalls and whistles, but she ignored them. She would never get through this if she didn’t, and she had no choice but to finish the dance tonight. She needed the money to get the hell out of town.

  “Hey, sexy! Take it off! We want to see more!”

  Teine cringed at the crude words, losing her step slightly, before gritting her teeth and moving closer to the edge of the stage. Sliding her hands to the tie between her breasts that held the lacey white material she wore together, she swallowed hard as she slowly pulled the string, and let the material fall away, displaying the light blue bra beneath.

  “Hell, yeah!”

  Gritting her teeth, Teine tried to block out everything except the music. Her heart was pounding as she moved slowly around the stage, letting her eyes open just enough to see where she was going. Feeling a hand skim over her thigh, she almost shoved it away in anger until she realized someone was trying to slip money into the short, sheer white skirt she was wearing. Reaching down, she accepted it from him with a forced smile, and then glided to the other side of the stage where another man waited.
Just as he managed to somehow slide the money past the waistband of her skirt and into the thin strap of the thong she wore underneath, Nolan’s scent drifted over to her. A feeling of guilt filled her, shame that she was undressing in front of all of the people in the strip club while her mate watched, and she had to force herself to continue.

  Closing her eyes again, she moved around the stage, refusing to give into the urge to run behind the curtain. She’d known there was a chance that he would show up, and against her better judgment, she had decided to come to work anyway, telling herself she didn’t have a choice.

  A low growl filled the room and Teine’s nipples instantly beaded up, pushing against the thin bra she wore. She fought the urge to clench her thighs together as a bolt of pleasure shot through her, leaving her pussy wet and on fire, aching for something she knew she couldn’t have.

  Looking through the mere slits of her eyes, she immediately found her bear, his dark eyes gleaming brightly in the dimness, his hot gaze focused on her. He was sitting at a table not far from where she danced, surrounded by others, but Teine didn’t take the time to look at them. She was afraid she would fall flat on her face if she did. Her steps were now shorter and more of a shuffle as it was, not as fluid as they had been just moments before.

  Crossing the stage to the pole in the middle, moving in small, jerky movements, Teine slipped her hands into the waistband of the small skirt she wore, and slowly slid it off, kicking it to the side. The growls grew louder and could easily be heard above the music. Her entire body was shaking with both nervousness and need. Her breath was coming in short pants; small tremors rippled up her spine. She knew she had to shut him out, ignore him, or she wasn’t going to get through the last portion of the song. Or did she? Teine paused, remembering that Gina had told her to pick one person and dance for him. Could she do it? Could she dance for her mate?