Three cars rounded the corner and screeched to a halt in front of the workshop.
Kyle growled.
He could smell the stench of the Black Blade wolves.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
A dozen wolves from the Black Blade pack spilled out of the cars.
Kyle narrowed his eyes as Jasper detached himself from the group and came forward.
“What the fuck do you want?” Kyle snarled.
“You have something that belongs to the Black Blade pack,” Jasper said. “You shouldn’t keep what doesn’t belong to you.”
“Something?” Kyle sneered. “What thing are you referring to?”
“You’ve stolen our best cook from us.”
“Oh really? Now you think she’s your best cook?” Kyle snorted. “I thought the pack hated her cooking. You accused her of sabotaging your food. The members of the pack find fault with her at every turn. I thought you’d be glad to be rid of her.”
Jasper clenched his fists and turned red in the face. “Don’t be so smug. Oh, you think you’re so smart, aren’t you? You think you’re better than me?”
“I know I am better than you,” Kyle said evenly.
Jasper shook with anger. “I can destroy you, Kyle! Just like that,” he spat.
Kyle laughed. He didn’t even have to fake the laughter. It really was the funniest thing he had ever heard.
“You’re welcome to try,” Kyle said, spreading out his arms.
But Jasper made no move. Kyle had just taunted him with a challenge, but he knew that Jasper wouldn’t have the balls to fight him one on one.
Kyle quirked a brow. “Why aren’t you locked up somewhere? Didn’t you shoot two of your men with your gun?” Kyle asked. “Oh right. I forgot. The Alpha’s son can do no wrong. You can get away with murder, literally.”
Jasper shook his finger at Kyle. “Hand her over. Hollie is the property of the Black Blade pack. We have a right to...”
“She wears my mark,” Kyle said simply. “A mate’s claim supersedes all other claims.”
“Members of the Black Blade pack find their mates within the pack,” Jasper hissed. “They remain in the pack even after they are mated.”
Kyle bared his teeth in a dangerous smile. “In that case, I will be happy to join the Black Blade pack.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Jasper froze and Kyle’s smile widened slowly.
Displaying his fangs, Kyle said, “You don’t seem too thrilled at the prospect of having me as a pack mate.”
“You...you’re not a wolf.” Jasper swallowed. The color was fast draining from his face.
Kyle hiked his broad shoulders in a shrug. “There are packs and clans that are made up of different shifter species,” he said reasonably.
“We don’t want you in our pack,” Jasper snapped.
“Why not?”
Jasper’s eyes darted around.
Kyle leaned in, his fangs elongating as his eyes turned feral and deadly.
“Every member of the pack has the right to challenge the Alpha and Beta for leadership,” Kyle said. “You know that if I become a member of the Black Blade pack, the very first thing I will do is issue a death challenge to you and your Alpha.”
“How dare you!” Jasper slashed down at Kyle with his claws, but Kyle blocked him easily.
“I’ve exposed your weakness, and you’re scared,” Kyle said, glancing over Jasper’s shoulder. “You don’t want your minions to hear this. You don’t want them to know that they have this right. You’re not a very secure Beta, are you Jasper?”
Jasper’s face twisted. “Destroy everything!” he roared to his lieutenants. “Wreck the whole fucking place!”
“No you don’t!” Ian yelled.
Both Shane and Ian had just arrived and had parked their cars across the street. Once they got out of their cars, they saw Kyle facing off against twelve men. Swiftly and silently they split up so that they could attack on opposite sides.
Kyle, Shane and Ian exploded into action at the same time.
Ian had half shifted so that golden fur was covering his arms and neck. He brought down three lieutenants from the Black Blade pack in one fell swoop, and pummeled their faces in with his massive fists.
Kyle grabbed two men who were trying to destroy some of the equipment in the garage and slammed their heads together. He stomped his boot down hard on their hands, and there was the satisfying crunch of bones.
He spun round and pulled another two guys away from a customer’s car which was parked at the back of the garage and threw them against the wall.
Shane had shifted fully into a black bear, and was tearing into the wolves with his fangs and claws.
Some of the lieutenants had shifted into wolf form for the fight. In animal form they were faster and stronger, and their senses and instincts were much sharper.
Kyle didn’t shift but he let his bear rise to the surface. With a roar, he lunged at the wolves who had overturned a worktable and used his claws to sever the ligaments and tendon in their hind legs.
He slashed down brutally, and whirled round to search for Jasper.
But Jasper was already running towards his car. He let out a howl and his lieutenants swiftly retreated. Shifting back to human form, they dragged their wounded comrades to the cars and piled in quickly.
Horns blared as the cars swerved and zigzagged down the street.
Ian growled and wanted to go after them but Kyle stopped him.
“Let them go,” Kyle said. “For now.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Shane shifted back to human form and squinted after the receding cars. “Do you think they’ll be back?”
“I don’t know,” Kyle said. “I think Jasper only wanted to intimidate me. He came when I was alone. He thought I would agree to his demand and just hand Hollie over. The guy just can’t control his emotions and his temper. He lost it when I said I would join the Black Blade pack and challenge him and his Alpha.”
Ian snorted a humorless laugh. “Insecure little shit.”
“Yeah. That’s when he screamed at his lieutenants to attack and destroy the place.”
“But we kicked their furry asses and now they’ve run off to lick their wounds,” Shane said.
“Now that they know we’re not easy targets, they might just back off,” Kyle said. “They’ve never valued Hollie anyway. Why would they fight so hard for a half-breed they despise? Spilling more blood isn’t worth it.”
Kyle went to his car and said over his shoulder, “I’m going to Joe’s Diner to check on Hollie. I won’t spook her but I just want to make sure she’s okay.”
Ian nodded. “Go. Shane and I will clear up the mess.”
Kyle sped to Joe’s Diner and hurried into the diner. He asked to speak to Hollie urgently.
Hollie rushed out of the kitchen, flustered and alarmed. “Kyle,” she said, coming up to him and searching his face anxiously. “What is it?”
Before he could say a word, Hollie caught sight of the bruises on his knuckles and the claw marks down his arms.
“Jasper,” she hissed angrily. “Jasper did this, didn’t he?” She grabbed his hands. “What did he do? Did he destroy your garage? What did he damage? Did he hurt Shane and Ian? Are you injured...”
“I’m fine. So are Shane and Ian. Everything’s fine,” Kyle assured her.
“No!” Hollie said. “Everything is not fine! Jasper...”
“Jasper and his minions didn’t damage anything. They ran off with their tails between their legs when Shane and Ian arrived,” Kyle said as he forced a smile. “I think I should stay here at the diner and...”
“And do what?” Hollie’s voice rose in agitation.
“I just...”
“You want to stay here for hours just to keep watch over me?”
Kyle wisely stayed silent.
“I am a free woman,” Hollie said, balling her fists. “I don’t want to be watched like a criminal! I don’t need a bodyguard. And you don’t h
ave to put your life on hold and let the wolves ruin your business.”
“I need you to be safe, Hollie...”
“I know, I know.” She pinched her nose. “I know you mean well, Kyle. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you. But...”
She looked up at him, her eyes shining with a fierce light.
“We’re not the ones who did anything wrong. We should not let them derail our lives. For the first time in my life, I have a job that I love, I’m earning a fair wage, and I have friends. I am happy, truly happy. I will live my life. Freely, openly, happily. And so will you. They are not taking another minute of my life from me!”
Kyle stared at her. So did Maria and Lucy who were at the counter.
“You are right,” Kyle said, breaking into a proud smile. “You are absolutely right, Hollie.”
“Yeah, you go girl,” Maria said, nodding.
Hollie took a deep, shuddering breath. She reached out and took Kyle’s hand.
“Listen, I know you’re worried,” she said softly. “But I don’t want to go back to being scared and silent. I...I’m really mad at what they did to you. They tried to destroy your business and my life.”
She paused and said in a stronger voice, “But if we don’t live our lives, they win. We should live our lives and be successful and happy. Don’t let them win.”
“I won’t,” Kyle promised.
He pulled Hollie to him and grinned. “In fact, I think we’ve already won! You are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. I love you, Hollie.”
The diner burst into loud cheers and applause when Kyle dipped Hollie and kissed her.
“I love you too, Kyle,” she whispered, blushing deeply. “Now, let me get back to work.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Hollie glanced over at Joe. “What are you making, Joe?” she asked, peering curiously over his shoulder.
“Just some extra food,” he mumbled.
Hollie raised her brows. “Why? Nobody ordered any spring rolls or crab cakes.” She checked the orders and frowned. “Are we catering for a party?”
“Mmmm,” was the indistinct reply.
Hollie narrowed her eyes at her boss. “I’m getting suspicious,” she said. “What are you not telling me?”
“What?” Joe’s head jerked up and he gave her a wide-eyed innocent look. “What are you talking about?” He waved at the stove. “An order just came in for fish and chips. Go cook.” He made a shooing motion and turned back to work on the spring rolls.
Hollie huffed and went to batter the fish. She turned to Joe and said, “I noticed you marinated a whole tray of chicken wings too.”
“Mmm-mmm.”
Hollie saw that Joe wasn’t going to elaborate any further. The man was determined to keep all the information to himself.
As Hollie turned back to the stove, she let out a small sigh. She was used to being kept out of the loop in the Black Blade pack. As a half-breed, she was looked down upon and she was always the last to know about anything. Nobody wanted to talk to her and share any information with her.
She’d thought that outside the pack, things would be different.
For a while at least, things looked a whole lot different.
She had been working at Joe’s Diner for three weeks now, and everyone at the diner had been so friendly and helpful. She didn’t understand why Joe was so secretive now.
Why wouldn’t he let her help in preparing the party food? He was obviously catering for a party of some sort. He seemed to be determined to keep her out of the preparations. Was he worried that she would mess things up? She was a fast learner and she took instructions well. She thought that Joe and Maria trusted her.
Hollie exhaled a long, slow breath.
She shouldn’t get ahead of herself. She shouldn’t ask so many questions or assume that people liked her as much as she liked them. Maybe Joe saw her only as an employee, an assistant cook and nothing more.
Not everyone was as eager as she was to make new friends.
Hollie shook her head hard. Her insecurity was creeping up on her and planting all sorts of doubts and unpleasant thoughts in her head. She should just snap out of it and concentrate on her work.
Joe was her boss. And he was a good boss. He could do whatever he wished. And if he didn’t want to tell her anything, that was fine too.
Hollie put the plate on the counter and rang the bell. Lucy came in and grabbed the plate. She grinned at Hollie and flashed Joe the thumbs-up. “All set,” she chirped.
All set for what? Hollie wanted to ask.
But she bit her lip and stayed silent.
Everyone was acting rather strange today.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Hollie checked and saw that there were no new orders coming in. Joe was rushing around the kitchen, checking on the chicken wings in the oven and frying the spring rolls in large batches.
Joe kept declining her offers to help and finally Hollie stopped asking. She couldn’t help feeling a little hurt but she told herself to get over it. She shouldn’t read too much into the situation. Joe had his own reasons and she should just respect his wishes.
Maria marched into the kitchen and beamed at Hollie. “Come on out, Hollie,” she said, linking her arm through Hollie’s. “Joe, is everything ready?”
“In a minute,” he said breathlessly.
Maria and Joe smiled at Hollie, and their smiles were so warm and affectionate that she felt ashamed for thinking that they weren’t her friends.
“Are you ready?” Maria giggled as she led Hollie out of the kitchen.
“Ready for what?” Hollie sputtered in bewilderment.
“For your party!”
As soon as Hollie stepped into the diner, confetti rained down on her. The entire diner was filled with people, and they yelled in unison, “Happy birthday, Hollie!”
Hollie gasped as she looked around. The diner was decked out with balloons and streamers, and all their regular customers were in attendance. She saw the Ballsy Hookers, Kyle, Shane and Ian grinning at her from the crowd.
The crowd parted and Hollie saw a gigantic birthday cake with glowing candles on a table.
“Happy birthday, Hollie,” Maria said, giving her a hug. “Welcome to your birthday party!”
Hollie wiped tears from her eyes. “You...oh, no one has ever done anything like this for me before,” she whispered. Kyle came up to her and gave her a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
“Your presents are on the other table,” Ian called out.
Hollie looked up and saw a table overflowing with presents at the other end of the diner. She burst into fresh tears.
Kyle kissed her softly and let her dry her tears on his shirt. “Are you okay?” he whispered.
“Yes,” she said, smiling. “I’m okay. I’m just so touched. Thank you so much,” she said. “Thank you. This is the best surprise ever.”
“Kyle planned this,” one of the Ballsy Hookers told her. “He got everyone involved, and we were so excited to be part of this surprise party. Each of us contributed a small dish, since it’s a potluck party.”
“But Joe is preparing most of the party food,” Maria said. “Here comes the food!”
Joe and Lucy came marching proudly out of the kitchen bearing huge trays of chicken wings, spring rolls and crab cakes.
“Oh Joe,” Hollie cried. “You should have let me help. You did everything yourself...”
Joe grinned at her. “It’s a pleasure, my dear. I don’t want you to cook for your own party.”
Hollie went to Joe and gave him a big hug. “Thank you,” she said.
“Let’s get the party started, shall we?” Joe said, beaming.
Hollie had to blink back tears again when they sang the birthday song for her. No one had ever celebrated her birthday for her in the Black Blade pack. Years just rolled by, and her birthday was just another day of backbreaking work.
She looked up at Kyle who was standing beside her. He had asked for her date of bir
th during a casual conversation and she had thought nothing of it. She never expected him to go to the trouble of planning a surprise party for her and getting the whole diner involved. She had made so many friends at the diner, and having the party here at the diner made it so much more meaningful and memorable.
Kyle was the one who ordered the beautiful birthday cake. It was specially designed with her name on it. Hollie stared at the cake for a long while before cutting it.
After handing everyone a slice, she dug into her cake and closed her eyes. She tasted Kyle’s love in every mouthful. She finally knew the taste of true happiness and bliss.
This was certainly a birthday to remember. She would cherish this memory for the rest of her life.
CHAPTER THIRTY
After the party, Joe and Maria told Hollie that they were giving her the afternoon off. “It’s your birthday,” they said. “Go out and enjoy your day.”
“But...”
“We’re planning to close the diner early today anyway,” Maria said. “Joe’s taking me out on a date,” she added with a wink.
Hollie spent the day with Kyle, Shane and Ian. They decided to catch a scary movie, but Shane and Ian laughed throughout the movie. Those guys saw the funny side of everything. Hollie ended up laughing with them.
Shane and Ian had plans for the evening, so they left soon after the movie.
Kyle took Hollie out for dinner at a cozy restaurant, and they spent the evening just relaxing and talking. By the time they got home, Hollie felt a little tipsy. She wasn’t sure if it was the wine or if she was just drunk on happiness.
This was seriously the best day of her life.
Hollie touched the mark on her neck. There was just one more thing she wanted.
The mate mark throbbed beneath her fingers. She wanted to make this permanent. She wanted to wear Kyle’s mark forever.
“Kyle,” she whispered. They were both standing in front of his bedroom door. She had been living with him, but she had her own room. Kyle showed his affection openly, but he respected her privacy and boundaries and was infinitely patient and gentle with her. She saw the hunger in his eyes, but he wanted her to come to him when she was ready.
Bear's Curvy Mate: BBW Shape Shifter Paranormal Romance (Nightbrook Book 2) Page 7