Page 23 of Bonded

“Yeah yeah, just… Kat’s phone?” He looks around, checking the hallway. “Zak, can you get into this?”

“She got a pass-code on it?” Zak cocks his eyebrow.

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, well, I mean… I guess I could, technically. But I can’t do it here, not right now, I’d need my computer. But why?” he asks with a degree of cautious concern.

“Because look at this notification,” Digby whispers, afraid Kat might hear him. “It’s that shifter freak, Riley. He wants to know somethin’ about havin’ dinner. Can you check it out for me?”

“Oh, c’mon man… Digby no! No, if she finds out I’ve,you’vebeen looking at her texts. That’s trouble right there with a capital T.”

“I just wanna know what he wants. Then I can warn him off. You’ve got Quinn’s number, right?”

“Yeah, somewhere. Diggs, I’m not sure about this, I mean her phone’s private, right? You wouldn’t wan’ her lookin’ at your phone.”

“Will you do it for me or not? I mean, who are you bein’ loyal to here, Zak? Like you said, you’re my number two, right?”

“Oh, c’mon that’s not fair. Oh… right!” Zak sighs, “all right, I’ll do it, but you’ll have to find the excuse why her phone’s AWOL.”

“Yeah, fine. Now we need to get dressed and go. I’ll see you at the office.” He hands him the cell phone. “Hey Kat! Kat…” he yells. “You need to get up sailor. We’re gettin’ spun up!”

She’s at the doorway to the bedroom, wrapped in her sheet. “What really… So soon?”

“Yup, we need to get ready to go. You got your first real mission—with WOLF!” He leans in and kisses her, his hand against her breast. “This is gonna be so good.”

She smiles and then her expression changes. Looking over his shoulder, she can see Zak waving her sex-toy around. “Oh my God, seriously?! Ryan, you need to fuckin’ do something about that!”

She goes back into the bedroom and slams the door shut.

Digby growls as he stares at Zak, “What the fuck did I just tell you!”

“What?” Zak laughs, “All right… I’m gone. But I will tell you somethin’, she’s gonna be using this a helluva lot more if she ever finds out you’re lookin’ at her phone.”

“All right, get out! Go on… Out! Right now! Zak, get the fuck out.”

Digby takes a deep breath, Zak’s probably right about the phone- and the sex toy. But he has to know what that text says because right now things between them feel great and that’s exactly how he wants them to stay.

Chapter 7

Moon phase: waxing: 4 days to the full moon

One Month Later.

As Kat unpacks her kit, she looks around at the rest of the boys—Bud, QT, and Oz sat on a bench over the other side of the locker room, and feeling relaxed she takes a deep breath and smiles. They’ve just arrived back from their fourth mission this month and despite a few minor bumps, knocks, and bruises, everything feels good. She’s settling in well, her place in the team is now firmly established and even things between her and Zak partnered together have worked out great. In fact, it’s better than great they’ve gotten a great banter and close friendship going on and he’s even becoming protective of her.

Covered in filthy sand from the spin-up, she laughs loudly at the story Bud’s re-telling; he does tell a good tale. Then stripping her dirty clothes she bends over pulling her khaki combats down her legs, but as she stands up to brush the sand from her arms, there’s a sudden painful stinging sensation as something whips across the back of her thigh.

“Awww… Fuuuukk!” she cries out and looking she can see a bright red line marking her skin. “What the fuck?… Zak!” She screams, angrily staring at him.

Having just showered, he’s completely naked, and he now stands facing her wearing only a huge and stupidly smug grin. A towel hangs loosely by his side and he laughs raucously at the bright red streak he’s just inflicted on her thigh with the flick of the wet towel—he actually targeted at her ass.

“Oooh shit!… Hell, that’s gotta hurt, right?”

“Zak, you’re such an asshole, you know that.” She scowls, rubbing at the pain in her leg. Then, also seeing the funny side, she bursts out laughing. Her laughter makes Zak and the others laugh harder—but it’s more fool him because it distracts him and he doesn’t see her next move coming.

Grabbing the towel from his hand, she quickly twists it into a tight length like rope and with a loud crack, she brings the full force of the whip across Zak’s bare-naked butt. There’s a sudden and pained yelp followed by a loud cry of ‘FUCK’ and it makes the others look up from what they’re doing.

That short, sharp flick was aimed with precision and executed with enough force to cause maximum pain, and it marks a long red line across his butt cheeks. Shocked, he stands still and examines the damage. “Ow! You fuckin’ bitch! Oh my God, that hurt… Shit, look at what you did to me.” He turns, showing her the long burgundy welt that marks the firm round of his ass.

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