Clenching her fists to her sides, she strove for calm—and failed miserably. How could someone do this? Theft she could understand, but to destroy an innocent car so completely?
A fragment of white on her steering column caught her attention and she reached in to grab it, the block letters mocking her with their anonymity.
Back off. They don’t need you messing up their life. Consider this a warning.
Naomi’s lips peeled back from her teeth and she growled, her bitch perilously close to the surface, eager to hunt the malefactor down. She flipped the sheet over and peered for identifying marks, but in the dark, even with her enhanced eyesight, she couldn’t make out any fine details, if any, the threatening note contained. It also lacked a signature.
Coward. Why couldn’t you leave me your name so I’d know who to kill?
But she had a good idea—one certain uncle who’d gotten caught with his hand in the money jar.
A feral grin stretched across her face and her teeth sharpened into points as her wolf pushed at the surface of her psyche. Oh, you little bastard. You messed with the wrong bitch. Before, I might have given you an inch, now I’m going to make your life a living monetary hell.
First though, she’d arrange a tow for her car and request an estimate on repairs, probably an astronomical sum considering the work needed to bring her baby back to life. Of course, the screaming she’d do when she got that bill would pale in comparison to that of her family when they heard of the threat. Naomi sighed as she dialed her parent’s house for a ride.
I guess there’s no way of avoiding a little chaos and violence this time. Actually, this is one occasion where it’s completely justified.
* * *
Javier cursed as he hung up his phone. “No fucking way.”
Ethan, riding their home exercise bike, glanced over at him. “Are you swearing? Must be bad. What’s up?”
“Somebody trashed Naomi’s car at work.”
Quicker than a blink, Ethan’s bear took over and a roar echoed from his mouth as his teeth elongated, his body reshaped and fur sprouted. In seconds, a pissed Kodiak, wearing only shreds of clothing, lumbered toward the apartment door and Javier sprinted to throw himself in front of Ethan.
“Stop! You can’t go out there like that. Are you out of your fucking mind?”
A growl was the reply as Ethan butted Javier with his big shaggy head, tossing him aside. Javier landed on his hands and flipped to a standing position. “If you get shot or picked up by animal control, you won’t be able to protect her, dumbass.”
Javier’s cool logic stopped Ethan from clawing the door off. It didn’t save it, though. The inch deep gouges would probably never sand out, but at least it remained on its hinges. A heavy thump sounded as the bear sat, somehow managing to appear disgruntled. Javier let out a breath.
He couldn’t blame his friend for his reaction. Knowing that someone had destroyed something of Naomi’s, something she loved, made his jaguar yowl and his claws come out. But, he knew violence and rushing off without thinking wouldn’t solve anything. Calm and methodical stalking is always the better recourse.
“Listen. You’re obviously going to be stuck here for a little bit while your bear calms down and you regain enough energy for a shift. We both don’t need to go get her. According to her dad, she’s fine, but extremely pissed. She’s waiting for a ride in the front lobby with the building security guard.”
Ethan chuffed, sounding amused even in animal form.
Javier gave him a wry grin. “I know. She’s probably tougher than a half dozen human security guards, but at least she’s in a public place with cameras. She’s obviously pretty upset. We both heard how much she loves that car from her mom.”
Ethan shook his head and made some grumbling noises.
“If you’re saying we should just buy her a new one, then the answer is no. She wouldn’t accept it; although, we can talk to the mechanic and toss some money his way to make sure his quote isn’t too much for her. Now, as I was saying, we’re not both needed to grab her, and given your current indisposition, why don’t I go fetch her? You can meet us back at her place. Maybe get some food and something to cheer her up on the way? And bring the overnight bags.”
A nod of his shaggy head and Javier’s grin faded. “Don’t worry, Ethan. Once we’ve made arrangements for her safety, we will find out who did this. They will not get away with it.” The fangs Ethan flashed him made Javier smile back just as viciously. “And they will regret it.”
Javier thanked his lucky stars he’d left Ethan at home when he reached Naomi’s work because she’d not only left the main lobby, she’d gone back down to the parking lot and her car. Javier located her crouched with her face almost pressed to the ground, inhaling.
“What the hell are you doing?” he spat, his words tight and controlled as he tried to keep his cat caged, an almost impossible feat when he saw the damage done to her car. What if she’d come upon them while they wreaked havoc? This type of destruction went beyond vandalism and reeked of intentional threat.
She ignored him—no surprise—and continued to sniff the pavement.
“Naomi,” he growled through gritted teeth, his formidable patience wearing thin.
Sighing, she stopped her sleuthing and straightened. Turning, she placed her hands on her hips, her expression ripe with annoyance. “What are you doing here? I called my dad to come get me, not you.”
“Who then called me, like you should have!” Javier met her, glare for glare.
Her lips pursed. “One, you don’t own me, so why the hell would I call you? And two, while you were busy sticking your tongue down my throat, groping my tits and sticking your hands up my skirt, neither of you ever bothered to give me your number. Which, I might add, is not a request for them, and brings me back to my first point of you don’t own me. Now go away while I deal with this. I’ll just grab a cab after I see my car to the garage.”
“You are out of your fucking mind if you think I’m leaving, sweetheart. I’ll stay with you until we get your car settled. But make no mistake, I will be taking you home.”
Narrowed eyes and tight lips warned him that Naomi was about to explode. “I am not a little human weakling in need of protection. I can handle myself.”
“I never said you couldn’t. However, I, on the other hand, am just a Neanderthal male with a weak heart who needs to assure myself of your safety so I can sleep better tonight.”
Her full lips quirked in amusement before she caught herself. “You are so pigheaded. Don’t you get it yet that I’m not interested? Does the word no mean nothing to you? Do us both a favor and leave.”
Javier crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against a concrete pillar. A ghost of a smile hovered on his lips. “Make me.”
Annoyance glinted in her gaze—and if he wasn’t mistaken, smoldering interest and her jaw tightened. “Don’t tempt me.”
Javier goaded her, needing distraction from the mess behind her, from the obvious violence directed at his mate. “Oh, I forgot. You’re Miss Peace and Serenity. A little girl who can’t hold her own against a real male, which is why you play with puny humans.” Javier held himself ready for the fireworks.
A husky chuckle burst from her instead of rage. Smiling at him, a sensual curve bowing her lips, Naomi sashayed toward him, the sway of her hips hypnotic. A part of him warned to stay on guard, to not trust her seemingly benign appearance as she approached.
“Are you trying to make me angry? Because it’s working,” she said softly, stepping right up to him, so close he could feel the heat from her body.
Then he felt cold, hard concrete as she swept his feet out from under him, sending him down in a single, fluid movement. Before he could recover, or yell his shock, she straddled him. Her skirt rode up around her waist while her bare thighs gripped his head. Provocative as the pose proved, the true distraction resided further south where a cruel grasp squeezed his balls most painfully.
Flashin
g eyes, belonging to one triumphant and glorious woman, met his. “I really hate the fact that you all drive me to cave into my baser side. I abhor violence. How many times do I have to say it? I am a delicate. Freakn’. Flower!” She punctuated her claim with a twist of his nuts that made his breath whoosh out.
“I get it. I won’t piss you off again,” Javier gasped, partially in pain, partially in titillation because this close to her cleft, he could smell her. And, oh, did he want a taste. On second thought, why not?
He flicked his tongue out—the long, raspy tongue of a feline—and swiped it across her inner thigh.
“Oh.” Her soft exclamation of surprise also came with her thighs tightening reflexively. Oh, to feel that squeeze around my waist as I plow her. Javier licked again and the grip on his sac eased, but she didn’t remove her hand. It rested on his groin which expanded, straining at the confines of his pants.
Javier tilted his head as best he could towards her sex, her musk surrounding him and driving him wild. He longed to taste her. To plunge his tongue into her sex and stroke her with it until she came screaming his name. He could smell how she wanted it too. Even better, he could also see it in the way her eyes—heavy lidded and smoky—gazed down at him with her lips parted on a soft sigh.
The damned tow truck driver, though, had a lousy sense of timing. At the first rumble of the diesel engine, she bounced up and smoothed down her skirt, hiding the evidence of her arousal, but unable to do anything about her flushed cheeks and bright eyes, a good look for his feisty she-wolf.
Javier stood up more slowly, his aching nuts alternating with his throbbing, hard cock. Hot damn, she’s like a volcano ready to explode. He couldn’t wait to feel the burn.
Mental note to self: Next time make sure we’re both naked before I piss her off. It didn’t take a genius to realize, despite her claims she desired a chaos and violence free life, her hot temper and even more boiling blood would always ensure fabulous fireworks. I guess Ethan and I will find out if makeup sex is all it’s cracked-up to be. It almost made him want to pull the wolf’s tail right that instant to find out.
Chapter Ten
While she would never admit out loud, Naomi actually found herself glad of Javier’s support. The process of getting her broken car on the flatbed tow truck proved hard to watch as bits and pieces fell off, clanging to the floor, or in the case of the broken glass, in a tinkling shower. Naomi alternated between rage and melancholy, her emotions in such a fluctuating state, she didn’t object when he draped an arm around her shoulders and kept her hugged tight to his body.
Even more surprising was Javier’s calmness. If her dad or brothers had shown up and seen the mess the thug made of her car, a copious amount of yelling and punching of things would have occurred. With Javier, while she could see ire in the flashing of his dark eyes and the rigidity of his jaw, those were the only outward signs. She appreciated it, but a teensy tiny part of her kind of wanted him to rant and rave, to show vocally and physically how much he cared.
I’m such an indecisive ninny.
It took a while before they were able to leave the garage. The mechanic’s shaking head as he surveyed the damage not exactly an encouraging sign.
“I don’t know, Naomi,” said the grizzled wolf—her dad’s brother and favored uncle—who worked as head mechanic. “It might be better to simply buy a new car and write this one off.”
Tears flooded her eyes and she wandered away from Javier and her uncle Ken, the only male she trusted with her baby. She ignored their murmurs as she stroked the crumpled hood. Not fair. I worked my ass off to get her. Somehow, it seemed wrong to just toss her car out because someone had a grudge against her. But, how will I ever manage to pay to for the repairs?
Shoulders slumped, she didn’t protest when Javier’s hand landed on the middle of her back, guiding her away from the wreck. She let him seat her in his car for the ride home, too depressed to protest.
The first few minutes of the drive, she stayed silent, peering out the window at the whizzing streetlights. Cocooned in the cabin of his car, his scent surrounded her, reminding her she wasn’t alone. A male had finally come to her aid and proven beneficial. What a novelty not having to babysit, apologize for or rein in someone who under the guise of help, just made things worse, say, like her brothers. It deserved an acknowledgement.
“Thanks for coming to get me,” she muttered.
“Anytime, sweetheart. I want you to know, you will always be able to count on Ethan and I. No matter what.”
Her lips twisted into a wry grin. “You just don’t give up, do you?”
Turning his head sideways, Javier winked before he flashed her a hundred watt grin. “You aren’t the only stubborn one around here. You’ll soon see we’re not like other shifters. For one, we’re much better looking.”
A snort escaped her. “And conceited, too.”
“I prefer to use the term honest.”
“So you say. I guess only time will tell.” She fell silent again, and in the quiet, to her embarrassment, her stomach rumbled.
Javier chuckled. “I think someone’s hungry. Good thing Ethan’s waiting for us at your house. I called ahead and made sure he ordered in some food.”
His words snapped her discomfiture. “You did what? Wait a second, how the hell did he get in?” She slapped her forehead. “Wait, let me guess. My mother gave you her spare key?” Meddlesome parent. Naomi really needed to have another talk with her mother about letting her make her own choices. Not that she expected her to listen. I’m sure if mom owned a shotgun she would have used it by now to force a wedding.
“She’s just got your best interests at heart,” Javier said softly.
“She’s encouraging me to sleep with two guys because our beasts, or fate, or whatever power directs us, says we should.”
“Would it be so bad?”
“You and Ethan don’t stand to lose anything. Me, I lose my freedom and quiet existence.” And she’d gain incredible pleasure. However, there was more to life than lust. While she knew they’d be able to provide for her, and they weren’t as dumb as she’d initially thought, she still didn’t know much about their character. How they were with kids. How they dealt with adversity. If they planned on making love to her together or one at a time.
Her eyes widened at the last thought. Exactly how would a dual mating work? Did they plan on swapping her back and forth, maybe designating days to have sex with her? Or would they pleasure her together—twice the cock, tongue and fingers.
Somehow she got the impression they did everything as a pair. Oh my.
“Mating is not a prison. Think of it as expanding your horizons.” He stopped speaking and sniffed the air. She could almost see his body tense up as he growled low, “What’s got you blushing and smelling delicious?”
The burn in Naomi’s cheeks got hotter as he perceptively caught the external evidence of her inner thoughts. “N-nothing,” she stuttered. No way would she tell him. Besides, she wasn’t supposed to be interested. Liar, her subconscious chided.
“Better tuck your naughty thoughts aside for later. It looks like we’ve got company.”
Naomi peered ahead through the windshield and groaned as she saw the cars parked outside her place. My family to the rescue—more like destructive warpath. She cringed, wondering at the damage probably already awaiting her inside.
As if reading her mind, Javier said, “Don’t worry. Ethan will have made them behave.”
“That’s usually what starts it, though,” she grumbled. Her mother would tell her brothers to stop. Then, one would point to another and say he was to blame. And thus chaos would erupt and a trip to the local furniture store would ensure in the aftermath.
Javier’s fingers laced through hers as they headed up the walkway to her home. She didn’t pull away, glad of his comfort. She would probably need it when she saw the interior of her home, and god help her family if they’d broken her butterflies!
They walked in t
o a scene of eerie silence, and to her relief, not a sign of destruction anywhere. Her brothers and father sat on the pair of couches, their bodies stiff. They turned their heads almost as one to glare at her, but they didn’t say a word.
“Gee, make me feel welcome in my home,” she snapped.
“They’re just worried about you, sweetheart,” Javier cajoled, his arm squeezing her.
Ethan came out of the kitchen, barefoot and wearing low-slung jeans and a t-shirt that delineated his upper body. He smiled at her and Naomi couldn’t help the fluttery happy feeling at seeing him again. His brown eyes softened as if he knew. “Just in time. The Chinese food just arrived.”
“Don’t you think we have more pressing things to do than eat?” Stu muttered, his brows drawn so close together they almost formed a seamless line.
“Yeah, like hunting down some asshole and kicking his ass,” Kendrick added along with the smacking sound of his fist hitting his palm.
The bodies of her brothers began bristling on the couch and Naomi prepared to dive in front of the glass case of her figurines. However, before she could move, Ethan planted himself in front of the curio cabinet and scowled at her family.
Arms crossed, he growled. “What did I say about behaving while in Naomi’s house? Do we need to go somewhere to discuss this?”
Heads dropped, and the tension level in the room receded. Naomi gaped in astonishment at Ethan who nodded at her. “Come and eat, baby. We can’t solve anything on an empty stomach and you’ve had a harsh day.”
“But we’ve already eaten,” Mitchell replied in a sulky tone.
Ethan’s head swiveled and he fixed her brother with a dark glower. “I wasn’t talking to you.”
Laughter erupted and Naomi looked over to see her father bent over with mirth, slapping his leg. “Oh,” he gasped. “Your mother was right. You don’t need us here. Come on boys, let’s go home.”
Fated Mates: The Alpha Shifter Boxed Set (12 Book Bundle) (Insatiable Reads) Page 67