Page 22 of Nanny's Mate

“Agreed.”

In the back alley, the traitor and her accomplice shifted into their wolf forms with the speed of a lightning bolt. Beatriz did the same after quickly stripping, wanting to have clothing to return to once the fight was over.

If she came out unscathed, that was.

Her smooth coat shimmered in the dark as the unfair battle began. Wallis, her fur a pale beige, lunged at her, missing dramatically, and smashed into the wall.

Beatriz was amused, backing in the direction that she arrived. That was when Franky went for her, nipping at her ankles and catching her calf with a firm, steady bite.

Beatriz howled into the air as Wallis took the upper hand. She slashed at her, connecting with jagged claws just below her neckline. Thankfully, Beatriz was able to return the favor with a harsh smack of her own, sending Wallis flying to the ground with a damp thud.

But Franky wasn’t going down. She tried to charge him, but he dodged her effectively, toying with her by clamping down on her tail. That made Beatriz furious, so she spun around and head-butted the caramel-colored beast.

It sent her spinning for a moment. Her thoughts warped as a white-hot pain dissipated. The damage was minimal for Franky, which was troublesome, even in her dire state.

The two wolves went for her, one with a swift kick to the jaw, the other with a punch to the gut. Beatriz fell to the ground hard, out of breath, her throat stinging as she clamored for breath.

Darkness overtook her vision.

THIRTEEN

MIKE

Mike received the text from Beatriz while sitting on his front porch. He had been considering going over to her cabin again. Her reaction to his sudden appearance could only be described as enthralling, but he thought it was sweet that she was offering to help out Ellie. Ellie was like a little sister to him. He wanted the best for her, as he did the entire Wolfe family.

He sat in the chilling air for about ten minutes after sending her a salacious reply. He liked to imagine her blushing, maybe quivering a little bit with anticipation.

The enforcer then decided to make his way over to the tapas and wine bar, too. The investigation had ground to a halt, with shifters suddenly closing themselves off from sharing any more information with him. Danny and Doris were helpful, but he needed more. Like the actual names of the dealers, for one.

Mike considered they weren’t being completely genuine with him. They had participated in illicit activity, after all, and could be protecting the dealer's name to keep their own names out of any charges. Or to dodge any responsibility.

He combed through the notes he’d made during their interview, as well as the brief interactions he had with store runners in the community. The sun was going down, and the sight of it, plus his empty arms, only made him feel more painfully lonely.

Mike longed for Beatriz’s touch, his soft mouth pressed up against hers. It was distracting, to say the very least, but he really didn’t mind letting himself wander there.

In Vegas, he had taken a woman or two to bed, but it was mainly for practical reasons. Sex let off steam and forced him to relax. Helping to build up a pack wasn’t easy work, and everyone needed some downtime. He appreciated the company of the women, but once their purposes were served, he lost interest.

He wasn’t callous or unkind about it. They just didn’t stick to his ribs the way Beatriz did. He wanted to know what she was doing at every waking moment … if she was bathing, watching TV, taking care of the triplets, drinking tea in bed, reading, fantasizing about him …

He wanted to know all of it, every single detail. It bordered on obsessive, but he knew that shifters weren't aware of any other way. He drank in the romance of longing, his thoughts drifting away from the drug investigation like a paper bag in the wind.

The waiting was torturous, he soon understood. Mike realized that he would be counting the hours until he got a chance to see his mate, so why not help out at the bar at the same time? He really didn’t need much of an excuse to be around her. Ellie might actually need his help, what with the soft opening and everything. He didn’t think it would be that busy just yet, but really, there was no real reason not to.

Beatriz's perfumed essence made his spirit brim with excitement. It was like being thirsty but never being able to quench it.

Mike headed out, lively with suspense. When he got to Indulge, the air was heavy with mist, and darkness had blanketed the majority of the parking lot. He parked in the front area the way he usually did, but before walking through the front door, he felt a tingle brush up against the back of his neck.

And it wasn’t the fun, arousing kind of tingle. It was a hollow sensation inside him. A warning that only the most talented of shifters could interpret.

Mike skulked around the back of the building, where he spotted what looked like a delivery van. It took him a fraction of a second to realize there was a scuffle going on between three wolves, one of which was his beloved mate.

Mike shifted at the speed of light, exploding out of his clothing, and sprinted toward the melee. It appeared to be a two-on-one affair where the strange wolves were going for Beatriz in an unfair battle. When he arrived, the two bastards had their jaws open, ready to feast.

He had no doubt in his mind that Beatriz was a force to be reckoned with. He knew that the moment he saw her magnificence beneath the spill of the silver moon. But it was incomparable to not only an enforcer but a mate willing to do whatever it took to protect what was his.

Shifters were powerful in their own right, but a shifter who had found their mate was defined by their rabidness. All logic dissipated, replaced by a compounded, supernatural fury.

That was what rocketed forward at the strangers who were about to mangle his darling.

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