by Emma Dean
Shane’s fingers slipped under the waistband of her jeans and he yanked her against him. “You saying you want to see my house and mark your territory?” he growled, bending to kiss her neck.
Bonnie ran her hands softly over the scars on his torso and nodded. “I think I do. After we see the auto shop, we should have dinner at your place. I’m still hungry after all.” She reached down to feel his cock which was hard again. “I want to know how many rounds you can go before your equipment gives out.”
He pulled back with a grin and tucked her hair away from her face. “Well then, you should be prepared to go all night. I don’t tire easily.”
The warm promise in his voice made her shudder in anticipation. “Could you put a shirt on,” she snapped, annoyed at how fucking delicious he was.
Shane chuckled and grabbed his shirt before going back to the computer he’d been working on earlier. He clicked a few keys while she studied his bare back. Bonnie closed the distance and wrapped her arms around his waist.
His skin was covered in scars and some were so massive she had no idea how he was still alive. Bonnie pressed a kiss to one of the red ones and his entire body seemed to relax at her touch. “I wish I could take away your pain,” she whispered.
There was still a lot about the last ten years he hadn’t told her and Bonnie knew it would be ugly and full of agony. But she would listen when he was ready.
“You do take away my pain,” Shane murmured, slipping on his shirt. He turned to her and cupped her cheek. His hands were so large he covered almost half of her face. “I’ve never felt as free from my compulsions and my past as I do with you around.”
“Because I’m your mate?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.
He cocked his head to the side. “Yes, since as mates we’re designed to balance each other among other things, but also because your presence is soothing to me. You’re so full of life Bonnie. It’s so refreshing.”
She blushed when he pressed a kiss to her cheek, sweet and chaste.
He moved to light the witch candle and she loved watching the graceful way he moved. “I’ve set it up so the program will alert me if there is an update,” Shane told her. “Are you ready to go to the auto shop?”
Bonnie took a moment to sniff…and was weirded out by how the room suddenly smelled like absolutely nothing – not even smoke, and then nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Chapter Twelve
Bonnie
For a place that was only a few miles from the homestead, it took a surprising amount of time for them to reach the auto shop. But Bonnie enjoyed the view and the little sunshine they had before the next storm.
She kept glancing over at Shane when she thought he wasn’t looking. By the third or fourth time there was a little smile on his face that told her he knew she kept sneaking glances. Bonnie couldn’t help it.
It finally felt like they were on the same page and that changed everything.
At first she’d been upset when she thought he only wanted a one-night stand, and then she was upset he wanted something far more permanent than she was ready for.
This whole day had gone the opposite of what she’d expected, but for some reason Bonnie was okay with that. Every fiber of her being trusted Shane to keep her safe. He knew this world far better than she did, and with his heightened senses she knew he could see and smell and hear what she couldn’t.
They still had a ways to go, but Bonnie no longer felt frightened of the mate bond, not if this is what it was like – like coming home.
Shane pulled into the parking lot of a very fancy-looking auto shop. It looked brand new. The signs were shiny, the neon sparkly, and the paint was perfect. It didn’t really fit in with the small town vibe she’d been anticipating, but this wasn’t just any auto shop.
Apparently one could get anything and everything done at the Blue Mountain Auto Body Shop. Brakes, transmissions, custom jobs, paint…you name it and they offered it.
A little old lady walked out with Jacob who held the door open for her. The woman flirted shamelessly as the dark haired wolf followed her to her vehicle with a vacuum cleaner of all things.
Shane shrugged when she gave him a questioning look. “We’ll repair pretty much anything.”
Bonnie glanced at the train tracks on one side and then the random grill that butted up against the shop. “Do you own that too?” she asked, jerking her head towards the Pack Pub and Grill. “It’s not really subtle is it?”
He chuckled as he held the door open for her and the warm air from the heater reached her. Bonnie rushed inside and relished the way the warmth soaked into her skin.
“No, it’s not subtle, but no one cares and only those who need to know about us do. We own everything on this block. The city even asked Kai to run for mayor but he refused. It’s a lot easier to have our pack seat here than in the city. Too many people.” He shuddered at the thought and Bonnie took his hand to reassure him.
She was human and she didn’t really like the city. What would it be like to have a wolf inside begging to run free?
“Hey, Shane,” Alexander said without looking up from his computer. “Glad you made it safe.”
That’s when the dark-skinned man looked up and pinned her with his gaze. Instantly Bonnie took a step closer to Shane. She hadn’t forgotten the last time she’d seen the pack that she’d yelled and threatened and assumed they were all insane.
Shane growled when Alexander stared and Bonnie cleared her throat awkwardly. “Erm, sorry…about before,” she said.
The office manager of the Blue Mountain Auto Shop looked back to his computer and shrugged. “It happens. Don’t worry, you’ll be safe here.”
Jacob came back in and slapped Shane on the back hard enough Bonnie winced. Shane snarled at him, but it sounded more playful than threatening. “Are you back for good, man? Because I’m ready to never work on another motorcycle or vacuum again.”
“Don’t be rude,” Alexander snapped. “Mrs. O’Hare has no one else.”
Jacob snorted. “You know I love her, but I didn’t realize we were a geek squad now.”
Bonnie could have sworn Alexander blushed. “I’m not charging her for the laptop and it’s on my own time,” he said without looking up from the computer. “You have two more jobs today and then it’s your turn to cook at the homestead.”
She took another step closer to Shane until she was practically pressed into his side. This was what Bonnie had always imagined a real family would be like – loving, comforting, protective, and a giant pain in the ass.
Jacob groaned. “Why don’t we just go to the grill?”
“Because we have company,” Shane said, wrapping his arm around her.
Bonnie shrugged. “I have to buy some clothes anyway. We could eat at the grill and then cook tomorrow when Amelia comes back.”
Jacob gave her a soft punch on her arm. “See, she knows what I’m talking about. And no hard feelings,” he said with a wink before disappearing farther into the building.
Alexander rolled his eyes but didn’t look up from the computer screen. Bonnie wondered what his story was. He seemed so standoffish. “Whatever you guys want. Olivia!” he yelled. “The grill?”
“Sure!” she called back. “But it’s your turn to buy.”
Alexander huffed and Shane’s mouth twitched into a smile. It caught Alexander’s attention and he looked surprised to see positive emotion. “Anything you need from us, Shane? I don’t have you on the schedule until next week despite how much Jacob likes to bitch.”
Shane shook his head and pulled her along. “I might work on Harrison’s project, but that’ll be about it until we figure this shit out. You have the twins though. They’re worth four regular mechanics.”
“We don’t advertise mediocrity!” Alexander called after them.
Shane shut the door to the back office loud enough it was clear he didn’t care what Alexander had to say. “So this is where all the paperwork happens,�
�� he told her. “It’s warded and contains pretty much everything we need to run the auto shop.”
Bonnie stayed close, feeling out of place, but she was thoroughly enjoying this glimpse into Shane’s life. “It seems wonderful here,” she told him, noting the way the sleek desks were set up so four sat on one side with their own set up and then four on the other side.
They liked to be close to each other whether they noticed it or not. This whole space reminded her more of a university’s study room rather than an office with a boss and cubicles. It was roomy and warm, and there was a locker room through the back door with lockers and showers from the smell of the soap.
Bonnie looked at the mural on one wall of the forest she’d seen on Kai’s property. The rest of the walls were covered with books and records. She studied the painting and wondered who’d done it. Had they hired someone or was someone in the pack a secret artist?
Shane shuffled as he watched her lean closer so she could inspect the wolves among the trees. “It wasn’t always like this. It still feels like a dream – too good to be true. One day I’ll wake up back in that nightmare.”
She turned to study him. His blue eyes were clearer than they’d ever been before, almost glowing like they did when they turned silver. “I don’t blame you,” she said. “It took me a long time to get used to my new life. After my parents died I thought I’d wake up from this nightmare. But it slowly got better. I’m sure it goes both ways. One day you’ll feel safe and secure in your new reality.”
He crossed his arms over his chest, but he smiled at her. Bonnie wondered if that was one of his tics. “Would you like a tour? Then I’ll take you shopping.”
“Food first?” she asked.
“What would you like, babe?”
Bonnie blushed and she had no idea why. Maybe it was the way he eyed her like she was the only food he wanted. “I don’t know anything about La Grande. You decide.”
“All right, I’ll think about it while I show you around.” Shane took her arm and opened a second door she didn’t even see with the way it was tucked between two bookshelves. “This has been an empty room for a long time. We didn’t need it and Kai figured we’d expand into it one day. It has its own address but we bought and connected all the properties on the block.”
He stepped aside so she could go in and at first she was apprehensive, but there was literally nothing in there. The room was huge and nice enough. But it was just an empty space. “Why do I need to see this?” she asked.
“Kai is giving it to Amelia to use for her publishing house.”
Bonnie whipped around and narrowed her eyes. “So are you trying to entice me into staying here?”
Shane acted as though he didn’t hear her and strode into the space, opening another door to show her the cute little restroom. “It has its own bathroom and address like I said which is great for tax purposes. It can remain separate as a business from the auto shop. Amelia hasn’t touched it since she’s waiting for your response.”
Then Shane went to the window and opened the nasty blinds. It faced the train tracks which Bonnie kind of loved. It gave the space a more urban vibe instantly. “We also have plans to open an office at the homestead. Kai is trying to get a separate address for that too so we don’t have to worry about doing business there. Amelia would have her own workspace as would we.”
When he was done Bonnie had her arms crossed over her chest and was glaring at him. She’d decided to move to La Grande, but she hadn’t told Shane that yet. The balls on this one.
It wasn’t that she planned to change her mind; she just didn’t want Shane to think it was because of him. Bonnie wanted to tell him when she was good and ready. Shane had to know he couldn’t get his way all the time if he was going to be with her.
“Well, that’s certainly a nice idea,” she said. Bonnie didn’t say anything else and then smiled sweetly at Shane.
His eyes flashed when she didn’t rise to the bait. “It certainly is. Now let me show you where most of the work happens.” Shane brushed by her, smelling of pine trees and lemon of all things.
She grinned and followed him back into the main office and through the door where she’d heard Olivia. When she stepped into the garage Bonnie had to take a moment. The space was so much bigger than she’d thought it would be. It ran the whole length of the block.
“Olivia here is our transmission specialist. She can work on any car or truck including diesel. She’s currently working on a truck for Mr. Wong who owns the Chinese fusion place across the street. Super nice, normal human.”
Olivia waved and Bonnie smiled at the gorgeous woman who could easily be a model even in her coveralls. “Love the red,” she told her. Olivia grinned and went back to work.
As they walked around to another building Shane explained to her how they took care of almost all of La Grande. There had been a few other places, but now there was only the place across town. Kai didn’t bother to challenge them since they couldn’t always keep up with the simple things like oil changes, alignments, smog checks, etc.
Bonnie took it all in, everything from the cold winter that didn’t seem to touch the garage to the strange feeling of belonging. It felt like she’d come home and she wondered if it was because it reminded her so much of the ranch in Idaho. But part of her felt like it might be the people and the way they let her little outburst go.
The next building was where the twins Noah and Liam were currently working. If Bonnie had to be honest with herself she couldn’t tell the two apart. One was a tiny bit taller, but she couldn’t remember which one.
One of them was busy doing a custom paint job by hand. It looked like the owner of the car was a huge Star Wars fan. She would bet all the money in her purse this twin was the one who had painted the wall.
The other was doing a body repair on a car that looked like it had been in an accident. They both looked up when Bonnie and Shane came in. This garage wasn’t as big, but it was still massive, probably about half the block.
“No offense, but how do you guys have enough business to keep this place running?” Bonnie asked. “It’s a little town.”
“Technically thirteen thousand two hundred and twenty-nine people in 2016,” one of the twins told her.
“Nobody cares Liam,” the other called out as he concentrated on the shading.
“Bonnie cares, right Bonnie?”
She grinned, feeling more of that warmth wrap around her, more of that sense of belonging. “Yeah, I care. But that still doesn’t really answer my question.”
Shane shrugged. “We take care of the whole town and branched out into big rigs and farm equipment. Then we have certain specialties that when word spread had people come out from all the surrounding counties for the custom work. We have an online presence, do a YouTube channel. Alexander handles most of that stuff.”
She nodded, still feeling a bit overwhelmed. Bonnie never would have thought such a place would do well in a tiny town.
“Doesn’t hurt most shifters in Oregon come here to work with us,” Noah said. “We make sure that’s known too. It’s on our social media if you know what to look for.”
Bonnie grinned. It was all so cloak and dagger. She kind of loved it. “What is it they look for?”
“If you’re a member of the paranormal community you display the Council’s logo on your site, or wherever. People see it and know,” Liam told her.
“Oh.” She was hoping it would be like a glowy symbol or something that would only show up if the right word was spoken, but that was the wishful thinking of thirteen-year-old Bonnie.
So much of the paranormal was just a mirror of the real world. They had rules and red tape. It was kind of bizarre.
“Boring, I know,” Shane said with a chuckle. “Pack Bar and Grill for dinner,” he called out as he led Bonnie out of the garage.
Instantly the twins started bickering about who was paying and if the new waitresses would be there.
She couldn’t help her smi
le. Bonnie had always wanted brothers. “Did you figure out what we’ll eat?”
Shane took her back to his truck and nodded. “I’ll take you to one of my favorite, locally owned places. Then we’ll go to J.C. Penny’s for some clothes.”
Everything he’d shown her had been exactly what Bonnie had been looking for since her parents died. No wonder Amelia wasn’t mad about moving. She’d gained a whole family when she’d been mated to Kai, and it all seemed so seamless. It had been what, a few weeks they’d known each other?
And he’d made space for her in his life. The pack accepted her. Amelia was the fucking Alpha female on top of that. If she was feeling what Bonnie felt when she was with Shane…then yeah, she understood perfectly.
Bonnie climbed into the cab and glanced at Shane. Her rational mind still didn’t like the speed with which everything moved, but her heart was telling her this was home – this was where she needed to be.
Chapter Thirteen
Shane
Bonnie had been pretty quiet since he’d shown her the garage. But she’d laughed and talked with everyone at the grill while Jacob and the twins flirted with the waitresses. As Second he probably should have told them off, but he had a hard time squashing harmless fun.
The humans of La Grande were under their protection whether they knew it or not and Shane knew the pack would never do anything to hurt one of them. End up mixed up in some petty drama with a human female? Sure, but he trusted them.
They’d played darts and then gone back to the homestead after a few hours. Everyone had welcomed Bonnie with open arms and he was grateful. Shane had always felt a bit apart from the rest of the pack, but that gap had been closing in the last year.
Now that it was finally safe to get close to them.
Before, the Alphas would use his friends as leverage to keep him in line. Now Kai would die for each of them. Shane didn’t have to worry about that anymore and it was still…strange.