A Fang in the Sass: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Sassy Ever After Book 6)

by Milly Taiden

  “We’ll have none of that,” he said. Aria reached out to snatch it back, but the ass held it out of her reach like a big kid holding a toy over his head so the shorter kids couldn’t get it.

  “I need to make a call,” she argued.

  “Maybe later. We’ll be there soon.” She sighed and sat back in the seat.

  Shortly after pulling onto the highway, she noticed Wynther glance into the rearview mirror at her captor. The bastard returned a slight nod of his head. Had she not been looking for it, she would’ve missed it.

  The SUV slowed and made a turn into the warehouse facility where she had a building for storage. The same facility where she had killed Anton when she found him as part of Filip’s trafficking team. What were they doing here?

  “We’re making a little pit stop. Hope you don’t mind, Your Highness.”

  She gave him a disgusted look, but didn’t reply. Maybe her title would remind him of his place.

  They stopped out front of her warehouse. “Why are we here?” she asked.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Juan said. “Just get out.”

  That shocked her, but hey, she’d get out if that’s what the man wanted. As she stood with her back to the truck, she heard a familiar sound.

  The pfft of a tranq dart leaving the gun’s barrel.

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  Trevan dumped the last vampire onto the pile to be taken to the cremation facility. He wiped his forehead and looked around for Aria. Hopefully she and the others had some time to get things figured out. He didn’t see her so he figured they went inside the house.

  “Hey, Trev,” Roen called. “Got a message for you from your mate.” That got his attention. Roen played the video for him. Halfway through, he snatched the phone from his friend’s hands.

  “How do you stop this thing?” He punched at buttons on the screen until the video froze. He looked around. “Alain. Alain, come here now.” He saw several people move and his cohort jogged out from the group.

  “Yeah, Trev. What you got?”

  He handed Alain the phone. “Tell me who you see.”

  Alain looked at the screen and frowned. “Isn’t that our contact we met at the bar the other night?”

  He gave a nod. “That’s what I thought. He’s dressed like Marxius, which means he’s posing as her guard.” Trevan turned and pulled at his hair. “Fuck.” He took off for his truck faster than he thought possible. Nearly ripping the door off its hinges, he opened it and dug around for his phone.

  With all the calm he could muster, he dialed her number. The cell rang and rang then went to voicemail. Fuck. He tried again. Same voicemail. Motherfucker!

  Maree came up behind him. “What’s wrong, Trevan?”

  “It’s Aria. One of her guards is a contact for the ones trying to kill her. I just saw him standing with Marxius on a video message.” Roen held up his phone. He wanted to throttle his friend for not recognizing the guard, but he remembered Roen stayed in the truck while he and Alain went inside to meet with the man. “I’ve got to get to her.” He started to climb into the truck.

  “Wait,” Maree said. “Take our private plane. It’ll get you there in an hour or less.”

  He was shocked. “You have a private jet?”

  Maree laughed. “You don’t think Filip drove any distance, do you?”

  His heart leapt for joy until he remembered almost the entire clan was dead. What were the odds of the pilot being alive?

  Maree turned and called a lady over. “And we happen to have a pilot, right here.” Trevan would fall to his knees and praise whatever god gave him this favor. “Trevan, this is Renee. She’ll get you to Aria as fast as possible. She’s a great pilot.”

  “Great,” he said. “Get in and let’s go.” Along with Renee, Alain and Roen piled in, then they were off. Sooner than he could’ve hoped for, they were in the air, heading north. “How far behind are we if they left forty-five minutes ago?”

  Renee looked at her dashboard. “I’m putting it at max speed which will put us about fifteen minutes behind them. Just pray we don’t hit a bird or something.”

  “Why’s that?” he asked.

  She smiled at him. “Because at five hundred miles an hour, even a bug can shatter a windshield.”

  Five hundred miles an hour. Fuck.

  “I need to make one phone call. Is that possible?”

  “Sure.”

  He was barely off the phone—he actually made several calls, all but one were to Aria’s phone—when Renee told them to buckle up for landing.

  Waiting for them on the tarmac as they promised, Tristan and Barbara Wolfe waved as the plane taxied to the terminal. After exiting the plane and heading toward the Wolfes, Trevan saw the alpha wolf was not happy. Not one bit. The older man stood with fists on his hips. Trevan started to apologize for all the hassle, but the alpha raised a hand to stop him.

  “I only have one question for you, Trevan,” the bigger male said as he looked Trevan up and down. “Why in the hell are you wearing a weird-ass diaper?” Roen and Alain, along with Barbara, busted out laughing. He felt his entire face heat.

  Tristan tossed a pair of sweatpants at him. “As you requested, something for you to wear.” The alpha laughed. “I should’ve gotten a picture of that. Who knows when I might need your services and can use it for leverage.” Tristan slapped Trevan on the back. “Good to see you again. Let’s go. Explain on the way.”

  Flying along the interstate, Trevan changed into the cotton sweatpants. Having the alpha around was really nice when it came to security and getting on the road quickly.

  “Tristan, I can’t thank you enough for helping out at such short notice and so late.”

  “That’s never a problem, Trevan. You can always call us for anything. I can never repay you enough for what you’ve done for us.”

  Trevan knew he had a trusted ally in the Wolfe pack. He would give his life to protect all the men and mates in the family. He took the next few minutes to tell the Wolfes about all that had happened since the alpha challenge.

  Close to the house on Cherry Hill, they passed a vehicle. Immediately, Trevan felt a pull on his soul. He’d never experienced that before and would ask Aria about it when they got to the house. He prayed the guard hadn’t carried out any deadly plans.

  As they pulled into the driveway, tires squealed on the concrete. The front door flew open and the woman he recognized as Penelope hurried out. Where was Aria?

  Before the SUV came to a full stop, he had the door open. “Where’s Aria?” Julian and Zane stepped through the door.

  Penelope looked confused. “She left with the chancellor from Spain.”

  Now he was confused, but didn’t have time to explain. Alain could fill them in. “Where are they headed?”

  “Back to the airport. Aren’t you Trevan Stone?” Julian asked.

  By then, Trevan was halfway around the front of the SUV. “Tristan, I need to borrow the truck.”

  He was inside and driving away when the alpha wolf said, “Okay.”

  He now understood what that pull he felt was. Aria was in the vehicle they passed. Her mate bond called to his.

  When he pulled onto the highway, two vehicles were in front of him. Both were a good distance away. He quickly caught up and passed a crimson car. He didn’t feel the pull, so he pushed on. The other vehicle had to be the one with his mate.

  He stayed at a distance and tried to figure out what to do when they got to the airport. Should he play it cool, then jump the guard? And now that he had a second to think, why were they headed back to the plane? Aria must’ve forgotten something. No, Julian said something about the council in Spain.

  The brake lights of the vehicle in front of him flashed, then it turned at a familiar place. Ah, he remembered. This was the place he was supposed to drop off two teenage girls Filip was taking. He had a bad feeling about this.

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  Standing outside the SUV parked in front of her storage warehouse
, Aria plucked the tranq dart from her arm, but poison still entered her bloodstream. She looked up to see John staring at her, another dart in his hand.

  “What the fuck?” She slammed the door and ran toward the warehouse. She tried the front door, and as she expected, it was locked.

  “Ms. Valderi, please calm down. I’d like to make this quick so I can get back. I hate this disgusting country.”

  She’d love for him to leave, too. The poison, though not as much as when Trevan shot her, had its effects. Then it dawned on her, the longer she drew this out, the more out of it she’d be. If she attacked now, she’d be stronger. With that, she stopped and dashed back around the corner of the building.

  She slammed into Juan, him not expecting her to be on the offensive. Her hand drove his chin up and back while her knee met his groin. She introduced her boot to his face, then her world wobbled, sending her to her knees.

  “You bitch,” Juan breathed, curled in a ball next to her. “I can’t wait to watch you die. Just like I watched your fucking parents die.” She gasped.

  “You? Why would you give a shit about a small clan on the other side of the ocean?” He reached out and snagged her hair and yanked. She yelled when he dragged her closer. Her head spun.

  “Because that small clan leader had a fucking philosophy others were starting to pay attention to.”

  “Not drinking from humans? The High Council…was considering making…that a rule?” Pride for her ancestors flowed through her. They were good people. She was starting to get tired. “What’s wrong with that?”

  Juan smashed his fist into her face. “Stupid bitch. Do you know what the world would be like if thousands of elders existed?”

  She tried to think of an answer, but felt too out of it to do much. “No.” Then it occurred to her. He liked being a big fish in a little pond. A boost of angry adrenalin provided strength. “You’re a fucking power greedy…son of a bitch.”

  “Call me what you may, but I haven’t spent hundreds of years culling the clans for nothing.” He pulled out a knife and leaned over her. “Having too many Julians isn’t a good thing. They start getting too many ideas that mess with status quo.”

  Aria struggled to keep the weapon from her neck, her strength waning fast. A vehicle screeched in front of the warehouse. “Aria!”

  Trevan? She didn’t care how, just that he was there.

  “Trevan,” she managed just above a whisper. He came around the corner. From behind, Wynther tackled her mate. Trevan could handle a normal vampire, but what about one trained to fight and kill? She had to fight to stay awake, to make sure her mate wasn’t hurt.

  Juan swiped at her with the knife and sliced her hand. The sting added determination to her system, but he was back to full strength. The elder straddled her body, knife in both hands, pointed at her throat. Her hands wrapped around his neck, squeezing, holding him back.

  “Just go to sleep, bitch, and you’ll feel nothing. I already have men ready to take your place and feed humans to every vampire.”

  “Go to hell, asshole.” She fought to keep her eyes open, her locked elbows saving her skin at the moment. She needed Trevan. Sounds of hand to hand fighting reached her ears, telling her that her mate lived. Her eyelids were so heavy.

  Another sting pierced her throat, shaking her out of an oncoming daze. She bucked, trying to dislodge Juan from her. His balance was set with his knees on both sides of her. Her shoulders pushed into the ground, dropping the blade through her skin. The strength in her hands squeezing him weakened.

  This was it. The pull to sleep was thick on her brain. “Trevan,” she whispered, “I will always love you. Keep our clans safe.”

  “Aria, fight for—” He grunted then more punches sounded. She wanted to fight, but she was so tired. So tired.

  Above her, Juan smiled, knowing he was going to win. Bastard. Her eyes drooped, then hot wet drops splattered her face. That would her blood. But then why where her arms still locked and holding the shithead?

  Her eyes fluttered to stare into his wide, unblinking gaze. The weight of his body slid to the side. When he moved, the light shined on a sharpened wooden stake driven through his chest, the tip stained red. The drops on her face were his blood, not hers.

  The chancellor fell to the ground to reveal Claude standing with another stake in his hands. Behind him, a crimson car was parked sideways partially on the grass, driver’s door still open. Her heart jumped at seeing her favorite cousin, but crashed knowing he would now be her killer. But why waste Juan, if that was the case? She was too tired to think that hard. Her body relaxed and eyes closed, sending her into sleep.

  TWENTY-NINE

  She breathed deeply, taking in the delicious smell of her mate. Her body was comfy and snuggled against a warm body. A moan escaped her as she rolled over and kissed her mate. She loved being in bed with him. But she didn’t remember getting into bed.

  Aria pushed back and looked around. She was in her bed in her house with the northern clan. She looked at Trevan. “What—I—Claude—big stake—”

  Her mate kissed her, probably to calm her temporary craziness. Which worked. She slumped against him, her breasts against his hard chest. And that wasn’t the only hard body part right now. But she had too many dire questions, like what the fuck happened?

  “Relax, love. Everything is fine. Everyone is safe.”

  He seemed so happy and normal. “What happened after I passed out? I didn’t think I’d be alive.”

  “You can thank your cousin Claude for that. He explained that Anton and Chantal were pressuring him to join in working with Filip or be killed. He couldn’t put you in more danger, so he escaped to Spain to go to the council. While there, he discovered that Juan guy and his plot to finally get rid of you using Filip’s killing as the ticket to your death.”

  Aria sat up, keeping the sheet pulled up. “You mean that Juan ass caused all this mess with the High Council?”

  “Yes, he told the council one thing and Penelope the other. He tricked the council into believing you purposely murdered Filip out of jealously.”

  She snorted. “Obviously Juan wasn’t doing that good of a job if he felt he had to kill me instead of letting the council decide.”

  “That’s what Claude thought, too. He flew back and arrived the same time you did after leaving the southern clan. He followed you to the warehouse. Fortunately, I didn’t run him over on my way to get you.

  “We have some house cleaning, darling. Wynther was my contact when we setup to kidnap you. Apparently, he was in cahoots with Chancellor Juan. He’s locked up, and has agreed to testify against Juan for a lower sentence.”

  “So, where is everybody?”

  “They are downstairs. Penelope is working with Roen and Emma to gather all the evidence to present to the council to go with Wynther’s testimony. Just so there’s never any questions about anything in the future.

  “And I told them to stay downstairs. I have to heal my mate from her injuries and we’d see them later. And to not knock on the bedroom door unless the place was on fire.”

  With a smile, she slid back under the covers. “I like that idea, very much.” She brushed a hand over his wide, hard shoulders. “So how about you show me what your new and improved body can do?”

  Trevan chuckled. “I like that idea very much.”

  EPILOGUE

  Aria knocked on the door of the first wolf she’d ever considered a friend and waited anxiously. She bit her lip. Would Emma be happy? Angry?

  The door jerked opened and on the other side was Emma and the other Wolfe ladies in their bi-monthly man-bashing session. Though it had now turned to baby talk sessions with food and iced tea instead of wine. They couldn’t have the sessions as often with Nicole in Las Vegas, but bi-monthly worked for everyone.

  “Aria!” Emma threw her very pregnant self on her, knowing she’d catch her.

  It no longer felt awkward for Aria to have a woman hugging her. All the Wolfe women gave so mu
ch love.

  “Let her in, Emma,” Barbara Wolfe shouted. “We all want to see her.”

  Emma dragged her inside. Suddenly, the room grew silent and all eyes went from staring at Aria’s face, down to her belly.

  “No way!” Emma gasped.

  “Oh my god,” Jordan whispered.

  “You’re pregnant,” Barbara grinned. “This is going to be so interesting.”

  Then the squealing began full force. All the women surrounded her in hugs and congratulatory kisses, and the only one not pregnant being Karla, she shushed everyone.

  “All right, you all. Clearly Barbara and I have to give a baby class since so many of you are expecting. We wouldn’t want the same thing to happen to your men that mine went through when I was pregnant.”

  Aria blinked in confusion. “What happened?”

  Jordan giggled. “Have a seat. I’ll get the snacks.” She waved Aria quiet when she opened her mouth to speak. “We have your bloody punch ready for you. Don’t worry. Now relax because your life will never be the same. Ever.”

  Aria laughed. She already knew that. The moment she laid eyes on Trevan, she knew he’d change her world forever.

  THE END

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  AUTHOR: Milly Taiden

  TITLES: (listed in series order)

  Dirty Scent of a Mate | A Mate’s Bite | Unexpectedly Mated | The Mate Challenge | Fighting For Her Mate | A Fang in the Sass