Page 36 of Shattered

Mackenzie rubbed his chin. “Never. Why?”

Aurora smiled. “If you ever had, you’d know it’s next to impossible to go home and go to sleep. I need to unwind before I even contemplate going to bed for a couple hours. I normally run a couple errands or go food shopping after I drop Abby off at school. If I’m lucky, I’m heading to bed by ten or an eleven.”

“What time are you getting up at?” he asked, worried she wasn’t getting enough rest. He knew from his own experience, taking care of young children was exhausting. Aurora was by herself, he at least had, had Holly, when she chose to be involved in the kid’s life.

Aurora frowned. “A little before three, so I can get Abby from the bus stop.”

“That’s not enough sleep for you,” he grumbled, not happy she wasn’t taking care of herself.

“It’s only three days a week, Mac,” she said defensively. “I get plenty of sleep the days I’m not working.”

Mackenzie harrumphed.

“No worries, dad, I even try to take a nap when I’m home and Abby is at school,” she teased.

Mackenzie wasn’t amused, and he frowned at Aurora, who took a tired step back from him. He might be grumpy, and old, but whatever he felt for the woman who stood in front of him, it sure as fuck wasn’t anything remotely fatherly.

“I’m s-s-sorry, Mac. I was teasing,” she said, fiddling with the keys in her hand.

Fuck. Now he’d scared her.

He rushed to reassure her. “I know, Aurora. It’s okay. When you saiddad, it made me think of something Riley had asked me about this morning.”

Aurora’s whole demure changed. Her shoulders relaxed, and the pinched look on her face was replaced with a warm smile. “Anything I can help with?”

“Nah, it’s just an issue at school we have to deal with.” He lied again, and he had to stop talking. More details meant he’d run the risk of her asking Riley questions, and then he’d be fucked. Aurora yawned, and he cocked a brow at the little human. “Time for someone to go home and go to bed.”

Aurora laughed. “You may be right.”

“You okay to drive home? I can take you.” Even though he knew being confined in the cab of his truck with the scent of her would drive him crazy, he’d do it, just to make sure she got home safe and sound.

“Nah. I’m good. Besides I need my car to bring Abby here and get to work.” Aurora jingled her keys. “I’ll be fine, it’s under a ten-minute drive to my apartment.”

Mackenzie nodded. “See ya tonight.”

“Yup.” Aurora gave a little wave before making her way out the back door to her car.

Mackenzie watched her slide behind the wheel and start the car. Moments later, she backed out of his driveway and headed for the apartments where she lived. Once she was gone, he locked the door before making his way back upstairs, while ignoring his raging hard-on. He knew jerking it would only make it worse, and he worried the only relief he’d find was sinking his dick into Aurora. The problem was, she was mated, and he despised the fucker who allowed Aurora to flounder by herself.

Aurora drove away from Mackenzie’s house, her gaze locked on the rearview mirror until she hit the road. She thought she saw Mackenzie’s shadow in the window, but why would he bother?

Hell, on most days, Aurora wasn’t even sure the older man liked her. She suspected he merely tolerated her. The other half of the time, she hadn’t been sure how to take him. Sometimes, he smiled at her, most times he frowned, though. Every once in a while, he’d tease her, but those were rare and far between. A great majority of the time he was grumpy as hell.

Keeley chalked it up to the fact that Mackenzie hadn’t gotten laid–Keeley’s words, not hers–in over a decade. The other woman had gone out of her way to tell Aurora the Raferty men tended to get extremely cantankerous when sex wasn’t available daily. According to Keeley, Mackenzie hadn’t had an intimate relationship in all the years he was supposedly mated to Holly. Even though Keeley had rushed to tell Aurora that it had become known—after Holly’s arrest—Mackenzie and Holly weren’t even mates and were just pretending.

To say Aurora was confused as hell, was an understatement. Especially since she knew Mackenzie continued to show up at her apartment the nights she didn’t work, in wolf form, no less to watch over her and Abby.

And he’d never mentioned it.

Of course, neither had she.

Aurora shook her head and focused on the short ten-minute drive home. She yawned, determined to put the handsome man out of her mind. She hadn’t been lying when she said it wouldn’t take long to get home. In fact from her living room window, she could see Mackenzie’s sub-division. She pulled into the lot and found her spot occupied by her asshole neighbor. The prick had a bad habit of bringing home bimbos and fucking as loud as he could. If she wasn’t afraid he was some kind of shifter, she’d have given him a piece of her mind. No one should have to hear moaning and groaning coming from someone else’s apartment. After she found a closer spot, she parked then got out and made her way up the stairs before struggling with her keys to open the door. She dropped her keys and bag on the counter as she stumbled through the door. Working extra hours had been a bad idea. As she took another step, she paused. Something wasn’t right. Aurora glanced down and let out a startled cry. Water covered the entire kitchen area and part of the ratty eat-in area where she and Abby ate and did homework together on her days off.

“Shit, shit, shit,shit!” she hissed.

Aurora prayed that the water hadn’t leaked or done damage to the apartment below. It was occupied by a sweet elderly man. If there was damage, it’d be another expense she couldn’t afford. She hurried through the water, being mindful of watching her step, so she could find where the leak was coming from. There were only two logical places to check. The disgusting ice line to the fridge or the sink. She pulled open the cabinet doors first since it was easiest, and a rush of water covered her boots.

Not caring about her uniform or the good inch or two of water covering the floor, she dropped to her knees. She reached under the piping and grabbed the valve. She gave it a turn and it didn’t budge.Oh no.She struggled with the cut off values, but they wouldn’t shut off. She needed help.

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