Page 27 of Her Convict Wolf

I can hardly wait to get her home again. But first I’m gonna do my best to make sure she gets everything she needs from this little town.

We finish our food and stroll along Main Street.

. We parkedup at the end of Main Street, stopped at a burger bar, and now we’re strolling along the sidewalk, side-by-side, looking for a clothing store

Twin Falls is a cute little town, with a café, a couple of restaurants and grocery stores. Different from Perdue. Much more open and friendly-looking.

But as usual, all my senses are on high alert, looking for the first signs of danger. Emory is watchful, too—the poor thing has probably spent her life like that. She’s swinging her slender arms, gaze sweeping from side to side. But a little less than before, I think.

I want to keep her here forever, in this safe little world where she doesn’t have to look out for herself all the time. Where her fight-or-flight response isn’t constantly activated. Just the two of us, living here together. I’ve got enough staff now that I can manage my business remotely. No one needs to see me in person. And Emory and I can live a simple life out here.

A big guy stares at Emory as we pass. My wolf snarls. A goddamn bear shifter. Even here, shifters are everywhere. I clench my fists and my animal swells inside me, ready to come out.

“Mine,” I growl in an undertone.

“Not marked,” he grunts.

Fury boils in me. Fur pushes up beneath my skin. Fucking prick. I’ll rip him limb from limb.

“What?” Emory has gotten a couple of steps ahead of me, but she turns back. There’s such an innocent, questioning look on her face. My beast retracts. The last thing she needs right now is to see me shift and tear some chunks out of this asshole.

Instead, I grit my teeth, let him pass. Dumb bear has no idea who he’s dealing with.

Gotta mark her,my beast urges.Show the whole world she’s yours.

“Oh, nothing,” I tell her, taking in the soft, bare skin of her neck. The thought of marking her burns through me like fire, turning my cock rock-hard again. I’ll do it soon enough. Make her understand what it means to be a wolf’s mate.

“Oh, a fashion boutique!” Emory exclaims. She hurries across the street, and I go after her.

Not that I’m an expert in such things, but it looks like a cool store. Emory seems to think so too, dashing around collecting shirts and pants and shorts.

The salesclerk is charmed by her, and she pulls out one item of clothing after another, seeking Emory’s approval.

I stand in the middle of the store, arms folded, trying not to look too conspicuous. But it’s a compact place and I feel like a giant. A beast in a china shop. Not only that, but the salesclerk is staring at me in a way I’m sure she thinks is subtle.

It’s not. Her eyes are beady, and I can feel them scanning me from head to toe. I turn my back on her. Whatever she’s thinking, I’m not interested. I pretend to be absorbed in a rack of glittery purses. Most of my attention is taken up by listening to the little sounds of Emory unzipping her pants and pulling her shirt over her head.Damn.I bite back a groan of need.

“How long have you and she been… you know?” comes the clerk’s gossipy voice.

I open my mouth to tell her it’s none of her damn business. Then I think, screw it:

“Forever,” I say. Emory has been in my lifeforever.

A wave of heat goes through me as I wonder what Emory will make of that word. It seems like a long, long time before I hear the sound of the changing room curtain being dragged back. I turn around, and there she is. She’s wearing her regular clothes, and her cheeks are adorably pink.

“Anything you like?” I ask, trying to sound normal. Heck, I have no idea what normal is right now. All I can think is, this girl is mine. I’m going to live with her in this little cabin, far from the rest of the world, and she’s going to bear my mark on her neck and my young in her belly.

“Yup. There’s a couple of things.” She waves vaguely at the changing room, then swipes at her hair. She’s working hard to sound normal, too, but I can smell her agitation. She’s all stirred up. Because she likes what she heard? I can’t wait to get her home to find out.

The clerk brings everything over to the desk and Emory rustles around under her clothes, before producing a wad of fifty-dollar bills.

“No, no.” I wave it away. “Hold onto your money.”

“Maxim, I have money,” she insists.

I close my hand over hers. “Can you let me do this, and we can discuss it later?”

“O-kay.” She shoots a glance at the clerk and gives in to me.

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