Page 40 of Protected By Her Mate

“Wow,” Charlie says, biting into a piece of the spanakopita. “That whole scenario is kind of fucked up.”

“We’ve managed to maintain an amicable working relationship with each other since.” I pause, thinking about her behaviour earlier today. “She’s never been anything less than professional.”

Charlie shakes her head. “I don’t think you’re right about her being amicable toward you. Since I first met her, I sensed a simmering rage beneath the cool exterior she presents. I don’t think she’s forgiven you for killing her mate.” Charlie’s gaze meets mine. “I know I wouldn’t.”

“You wouldn’t forgive me?” I try to read her thoughts, but they’re murky.

Part of her is obsessing over me and Edie having sex. She takes a hasty gulp of her ouzo to erase the image from her head. The other part sympathizes with both of us. She thinks, given our history, that I’m an idiot for touching Edie, and I can’t disagree.

“Wolf shifters mate for life, right?” At my nod, she continues, “Why would she forgive you? She’s immortal. She’s facing the rest of her life alone, without another chance at love. It must drive her insane.”

I’d never thought of it that way before. Never thought of things from Edie’s perspective. “Do you think she’s sabotaging our investigation because she hates me?”

“I don’t know.” Charlie wipes her mouth and drops her napkin on the table. “What I do know is I’m ready to stop talking about Edie.”

We’re invited into the kitchen to pay tribute to our chef and his assistants, which we do profusely.

“You will come back sooner next time, both you and your lovely companion,” Sophia demands, ushering us to the door after I pay, leaving a hefty tip for the service. “Not so long between visits, Prince, or we will believe you have forgotten us entirely.”

“Rest assured, I shall never forget you.” I kiss Sophia’s cheek and usher Charlie outside into the cooling New York evening, the sun having dropped below the buildings around us.

We didn’t resolve Edie’s part in whatever happened to Catherine Grant, but it’s time to let it go. Edie has no place in my feelings for Charlie.

Turning to her, I say, “You were a firebug. You like taking risks, yeah?”

She frowns. “Well yeah, sometimes, but I have a kid to think about now.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to his mother.”

She cocks her head, looking at me suspiciously. “What are you thinking?”

I take her hand, forcing her to keep up with me. “C’mon. I know a place.”

We walk a few blocks, then I urge Charlie into an alley. When I spot a dumpster, I pull her toward it.

“What are we doing?” she asks skeptically. When I turn to her, my hands going to my shirt, she backs away, saying, “We’re not fucking in a dirty alley, Lennox. Blood poisoning is not the kind of risk-taking I’m into.”

“We’re not going to fuck,” I tell her, undoing the row of buttons on my shirt. I almost laugh when a streak of disappointment races through her brain. Reaching for my belt, I say, “I’m taking you for a run.”

“Naked?” Her brows lower in confusion.

“Shifted.”

Her eyes light up with pleasure. “Really?” She looks over her shoulder at the people passing on the street nearby. “Won’t they see?”

I remove the rest of my clothes and Charlie averts her eyes, though not before taking a quick peek. “People see what they want to see, especially the ones living in this city. They have their own lives and are often too preoccupied to see a wolf shifter leaping from building to building. Even if they do see us, there are no laws against shifters running free in the city. Most shifters don’t because they prefer to blend in.”

“Not you, though.”

I take a step back, giving myself more room to shift. I’m a big human and an even bigger wolf. Wouldn’t want to knock her over. “When I’m in my wolf form, you climb on my back and hold on as tight as you can. Don’t let go unless I tell you to.”

She nods, her excited gaze glued to me as I transform.

Besides Luke and her nieces and nephews, I’ve never shifted for a human before, and with them, I bowed to the pressure of their childish glee. Now, I’m shifting for my mate, showing off what I’m capable of. Pride fills me as magic courses through my veins, taking hold of me.

My wolf howls his excitement as the cells within me change, bone and sinew snapping and twisting, a momentary flash of pain, and I’m standing on four paws in front of her. My head is the same height as hers, so I lower myself to the pavement to appear less intimidating.

Charlie kneels in front of me, lifting my head with her hands and kissing my nose. “You’re magnificent.”

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