by Emma Dean
Bonnie was at his side instantly and holding onto his hand tight enough to hurt. She didn’t ask dumb questions or protest when he pushed her behind him.
There was something out there – stalking them.
“We’re going back to the truck and I’m taking you back to the homestead.” Shane knew he sounded like a controlling asshole, but there wasn’t much he could do about that when all his concentration was on not shifting and hunting down whatever it was.
His wolf wanted to eradicate the threat. Now.
But if he gave in his mate would be alone and vulnerable. There was no fucking way he was about to let that happen, because Shane had no idea how many of them were out there.
Bonnie said nothing as he practically dragged her back down the mountain. Shane paused every so often to listen again. There was movement in the corner of his eyes every once in a while and it was riling him to the point of violence.
Whatever it was, it was smart and stayed downwind.
They hit the parking lot and Shane practically shoved Bonnie into the truck. He could feel eyes in between his shoulder blades and he snarled as he heard leaves rustle. It had to be in its animal form otherwise it wouldn’t be able to keep up without him noticing its location.
When he got in the truck Shane rumbled his displeasure, growling deep in his chest as he broke about five traffic laws getting them out of there. He almost didn’t want to go back to her condo first. They could be waiting for them there.
“Shane, tell me what the fuck is going on,” Bonnie finally snapped. “Tell me now.”
He punched the dashboard, venting his frustration in the most non-lethal way he could think of. Thanks to whoever this asshole was, his date was ruined and Bonnie might never talk to him again after all this.
“Fuck!” They were going straight to La Grande. Fuck the condo and fuck the townhouse.
Bonnie was silent as she waited for his response. Thankfully she didn’t ask where they were going.
“I got a call the other day from an unknown number,” he told her when he was finally calm enough not to yell. She didn’t even mention the dent in the dashboard. Looked like he’d have to replace it again. “After everything those fucking Alphas pulled in the last decade, well…we have enemies. This random asshole called and threatened my mate. I don’t know if he knows who exactly you are, or anything like that. I told Kai.”
Shane could smell how angry she was, but he didn’t give a shit. She was currently safe and he planned to keep it that way.
“Kai and I have been guarding you in shifts until we can figure out where the threat is coming from, but I don’t like being alone when I don’t know if it’s one person or more so I’m taking you back to the pack where we can actually protect you. Strength in numbers.”
“And why didn’t anyone tell me this?” she demanded.
“You told me you didn’t want anything to do with me!” he yelled. “Don’t make me out to be the fucking bad guy when I’ve been doing everything I can to keep you safe and still respect your boundaries. Do you know how hard it is for me to do that?”
Christ this woman wanted to test him when he was all riled.
“Okay fine, but you could have said something today.” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “Where are we going?”
“I’m taking you straight to the homestead.” Shane gripped the wheel tight enough to break it. He needed to calm down before he wrecked his truck. “With the other pack members I will be able to protect you properly. We don’t know if it’s one person or multiple. Anything you need can be purchased in La Grande. I just…I can’t let anything happen to you,” he gritted out.
The mate bond had ridden him hard since the moment he’d known for sure she was his. Not being able to be near her after she’d left had been difficult. Then this fucking phone call? No, Shane was going to make sure nothing happened to her because of him.
Her hand covered his on the steering wheel and instantly he felt calmer, more focused, and in control. Shane glanced at Bonnie and her scent wasn’t angry anymore. “I’m sorry,” he told her. “I won’t let anything hurt you.”
She pulled his hand off the steering wheel and kissed his knuckles. “I’m sorry I was angry. This must have felt impossible for you. We need to learn to communicate with each other better though. I want to be part of the decisions, not dragged along for the ride like a doll.”
Shane put his hand on her thigh and just the contact…he’d never felt more centered. “I won’t keep anything from you ever again.”
“Good, that’s all I wanted.” Bonnie smiled at him then.
He had no idea how he’d gotten so fucking lucky.
Chapter Eleven
Bonnie
When Shane pulled up to Kai’s house Bonnie felt relieved. Something about the homestead made her feel safe too. If Shane thought this was the best solution it probably was.
“We’re just going to check in and then I’ll take you into town so you can grab what you need,” Shane told her. He jumped out of the truck and jogged around to open her door for her.
It was a small gesture that Bonnie secretly loved. She thanked him and brought the donuts with her. Hopefully someone else would be finishing the rest of them and not just her and Shane.
She followed him up to the main house and tried not to sigh. Shane had called Kai immediately after explaining the situation to her. It was enough of a concern the Alpha was sending Amelia back to the homestead as well. Then Kai would be there in a few days after taking care of business.
Right after that Shane had called the rest of the pack who were all expecting them.
Bonnie liked them all, but she’d been hoping for some alone time with Shane. They’d been on the right path there for a while and the date had been effortless – the best kind. She firmly believed if a relationship was meant to be it wasn’t a constant struggle. It should be easy together.
There were other issues causing them problems, but she and Shane were going to work through them as a team. Or as much as they could. Bonnie was just a human. It made her feel a tiny bit better though that she wasn’t the only one. Amelia wasn’t actually human anymore but she was still in the same boat Bonnie was until the next full moon.
The main house was quiet and it was exactly how Bonnie remembered it.
The mudroom opened into the kitchen, and then the massive great room with a couch that could easily seat twenty people or more. The floor to ceiling windows along the entire wall let in all the natural light and gave a great view of the fields and forest. The balcony furniture was covered, but she knew there was a fire pit out there and a huge outdoor kitchen.
It reminded her a lot of her parents’ ranch. Even the color choices were similar. Lots of cream and blues and greens. It made her feel a bit homesick for the home that didn’t exist anymore.
Shane grabbed a piece of paper from the magnetic notepad on the fridge and scribbled something out. “Everyone is at the shop right now,” he told her. “We’ll be going in to see them right after I check the office. Here, I want to show you something.”
Shane held out a hand and Bonnie took it.
Now that she was back in his ‘territory’ he was a totally different person. Shane wasn’t on edge anymore and he seemed almost…happy. Like he’d won something by bringing her here. Bonnie was just glad he felt comfortable enough not to worry about whoever wanted to get back at the wolves through her.
That was insanely stressful to think about, so instead she followed Shane through the house and into the office which actually looked like a library. He didn’t stop at the desk though. He went to the back of the room and pulled out a book. When the door swung open she had to laugh.
“A secret room? Isn’t that a bit paranoid?” Bonnie eagerly peered around Shane but the room was pretty boring.
There was nothing on the white walls, but it was a big enough space to feel roomy. A desk went along the entire length of each wall with multiple computers, k
eyboards, and screens on the walls showing a wide variety of things. It looked like they had an entire security system with footage of the entire property, including the other houses.
“It is, but when Kai designed this place he wanted a room that would be nearby but hidden. We can see everything from here and anyone coming. A few witches owed Kai a favor so they integrated our system with magic. We can detect things most security systems can’t. Alexander runs all this. He’s the one who’s good with computers.” Shane pointed at one screen that showed the dark-skinned man at the mechanic shop helping a customer.
Bonnie leaned forward to get a better look, amazed by the quality of the video. They’d spent some serious money on this system.
“Just so you know we also keep quite a few guns in here,” Shane told her. “They’re locked up and definitely not legal, so just keep that to yourself.”
She watched him with wide eyes as he sat down at one of the computers and pulled up a program that looked to be running on its own. “I don’t like guns,” she told him. “I know how to use them, but they make me nervous.”
Shane scrolled through the list of results. “Good. They should make you nervous. Guns are made to kill, whether it’s a person or an animal though is up to the shooter. Any particular reason why though?”
Bonnie came up behind him and squinted, trying to see what he was reading. “One of the ranch hands got shot during a hunting trip. I switched from rifles to a bow for competitions at that point. What is this?”
Shane glanced up at her and then turned back to the program. “Alexander is trying to locate the source of the call, but it was from a burner phone and the number’s disconnected now. If we can find where they placed the call, we could go there and track them down.”
“With their scent?” she asked, impressed with all the technology. No wonder Shane wanted to be here instead of Portland.
“And magic.”
His shoulders were so broad – the grey thermal shirt stretched across them, showcasing all his muscles. The way he’d pressed her against the tree on the trail had turned her on so hard and so fast Bonnie almost took him up on his offer to take her right then and there…and she wasn’t the type to like an audience.
It left her wanting him again though. Her momentary anger had distracted her, but now…maybe she could convince him to slow down just a little. “There’s no one else here?” she asked.
Shane was so engrossed with the scrolling information he didn’t catch the suggestion in her tone. “Yeah, they’re all at the shop. Kai will drop Amelia off tomorrow and then head back to Portland for a few days.”
Bonnie placed her hands on his shoulders and started giving him a massage. Some deep, primal part of her loved that he was taking care of her, feminism be damned for the moment. He could carry her from one end of the house to the other for all she cared if it meant his hands were on her.
He moaned as she worked on a knot and then Bonnie slipped one hand inside his shirt so she could feel the hard muscles of his chest.
Shane spun the chair around and arched an eyebrow at her. “What exactly are you trying to do?”
She came closer so that she was between his legs and pulled off her coat. “I’m trying to seduce you, isn’t that obvious?” Bonnie grinned at him and placed her hands on his shoulders so she could straddle his lap. “Plan to do anything about it?”
His answering growl was exactly what she wanted. His arms went around her and his bare hands slid under her shirt and up her back. She arched at his touch and wiggled her hips a little, enjoying how hard he was already.
“You keep teasing me and I’m not going to hold back,” he grumbled against her neck.
Bonnie nibbled his ear and then kissed his jaw. “What if I don’t want you to hold back?”
Shane flicked his thumb and her bra unhooked so fast she gasped. He had her shirt and bra up and off before she could even blink. Then his mouth was on her breast, licking and sucking her hardened nipples while his other hand pinched. The contrast in sensation was so good she groaned and arched into his mouth.
Yes, this was exactly what she’d wanted from him. Bonnie ripped his shirt off and then it was his skin against hers and it felt delicious. She pressed along his chest and then kissed him, desperate to be closer, for more, for him to surround her completely.
The strength it took for him to stand without breaking their kiss turned her on in so many ways.
He held her so gently, as if she were precious to him. It was such a contrast to his rough attitude and it made her completely melt inside.
Shane set her on the desk and then yanked off her boots. Bonnie watched him, and he held her gaze without blinking. It set her skin on fire. She planted her hands on the desk and pushed up so he could pull off her pants. Part of her worried someone might come home early, but she was so desperate for him she didn’t even care.
Then Shane dropped to his knees and she gasped as he spread her thighs apart. Bonnie grabbed his hair when that wicked tongue licked from bottom to top and then swirled around her clit. She couldn’t help but arch into his mouth, begging for more. When he slid a finger inside her she nearly lost it then and there.
Bonnie groaned and threw her head back. It felt fucking amazing but she was desperate for him to fill her. She ached so badly it nearly hurt. “Shane,” she moaned as his warm tongue did things she didn’t even know were possible. “Please, I want you inside me.”
He didn’t respond, just sucked on her clit and she nearly fell off the edge as the pleasure spiked hard enough she was right there.
If he wasn’t going to listen, she’d make him. Bonnie pulled on his hair and he growled when he looked up at her, neck arched to ease the sting. The glitter of silver in his eyes only turned her on more. “I want you in me. Now,” she gritted out.
Bonnie needed him so fucking bad after the back and forth. This she understood, this she could do with abandon. She was so attracted to him with his bad boy attitude but good boy actions, the rippling muscles…
Shane stood without a word and she released him. Bonnie leaned back and watched him unbuckle his pants. The way he fucking sprang from them made her mouth water. She reached out for him and with her other hand grabbed the condom from her purse.
He chuckled as she tore the wrapper with her teeth. Bonnie was always prepared. She slipped the rubber onto his massive cock and then pressed the head to her entrance. Shane grabbed her thigh and yanked her forward. She gasped as he slid right in, stretching her so quickly it almost hurt, but in the best way.
It felt incredible to finally have him inside her. It reminded Bonnie of the first time they’d slept together and the way he’d slammed her against the wall. She grabbed his shoulders and pulled herself up and off the desk, wrapping her legs around his waist.
“Sit on the desk,” she told him, holding her own weight off him so she could roll her hips in just the right way to make his fingers dig into her ass.
Shane did as she asked without a word and her knees rested against the desk. Bonnie pressed her forehead to his and kept eye contact as she rode him slow, taking him deep inside her. Their breathing was quick and shallow as she slowly picked up her pace.
The silver had completely eradicated any sign of the blue in his eyes. Bonnie’s breath caught as he guided her, hips thrusting up and into her. The pleasure hadn’t yet tipped over the edge, but she could feel it build one drop at a time.
Her skin was feverish and she could feel herself start to pulse around him.
Staring into the silver of his eyes like that was so incredibly intimate. Neither of them looked away from each other. They barely even blinked. Bonnie felt the bond between them strengthen until she was so aware of him it was like his own pleasure was suddenly added to hers and she lost control.
She screamed his name as she came and Shane growled his pleasure as he watched her fall. He didn’t let her stop; when she lost the rhythm as the sensation rippled over her he kept her going, lifting her up and
down until she nearly came again.
He was in no rush. Shane just watched her ride out the orgasm.
Bonnie didn’t know what to think, but she wanted him to finish off with a bang. She slid down and off him to plant her hands on the desk, ass in the air. “Like this?” she asked, wiggling her hips.
The silver in his eyes glowed brighter and he turned and grabbed her. Shane slid in slowly at first and then he gripped her hips hard. He pounded into her, driving himself as deep as he could get and she lost her mind.
Bonnie pressed back into him, meeting him thrust for thrust until he roared and pressed into her hard one last time. She shuddered as she felt him pulse inside her. It was so good her knees went weak and she would have fallen if it wasn’t for his grip on her hips.
When they both could catch their breath, he slid out and pressed a kiss to her spine. Bonnie sighed happily and turned around to watch him. It didn’t matter she was naked; she had never really been modest to begin with.
Shane held her gaze as he pulled the condom off and tied it. “Better get dressed,” he told her. “I’ll need to light that cleansing candle over there. Otherwise everyone’s gonna know what we were up to.” He pressed a vicious kiss to her lips and then pulled back. “Unless you want them to know.”
“Maybe I do,” she said, arching her brow.
He tossed her clothes to her and grinned. “Fine by me.”
Bonnie blushed as she pulled on her panties and bra. Shane was baiting her again, trying to get her to cave like he knew she wanted to. She stepped into her pants and pulled them up, hopping a little to get them over her ass. Her tits practically slapped her in the face as she did so and Shane growled again.
“Everything you do is to tease me,” he muttered. Stepping forward, still shirtless, to lean down and kiss the top of one. His touch was always so much gentler than she anticipated.
It made her wet and needy all over again.
Clearing her throat she yanked her sweater on. “Maybe you should light that cleansing candle,” she murmured. “But in your house? I want everyone to know I was there.”