Page 26 of It's Kind of a Bunny Story
Fletcher gently rocked her, trying to comfort her. “Besides, their offer was empty because I didn’t just want your body. The only one who could give me what I wanted was you because I wanted your heart… but only if you gave it to me freely.”
The fury I’d felt toward Fletcher vanished. He’d been young and still had done everything he could to protect her. And then, instead of taking the prize they’d offered, he’d risked everything to give her a chance at a life outside the burrow. A chance at freedom.
“I respect you for going against everything you were raised to believe in. That isn’t easy.” I paused to clear my throat. “And I will forever be thankful that you did. You brought my mate to our doorstep. You’re not so bad, Rabbit.”
“Same to you, Wolf.” Fletcher gave me a nod. “You need to let the alpha know the council has hired coyotes as enforcers to collect debts. Our burrow has made a fortune offering high-interest loans to people down on their luck.”
“That is predatory, which is weird, coming from a shifter species that’s supposed to be prey,” Copeland pointed out.
“So the burrow may have hired the coyotes to what? Find you two? Kidnap Charlee?” I asked.
“Most likely, they have orders to bring Charlee back. The council knows if they get to her, I’d return to the burrow as well.” Fletcher paused, then added, “It’s also possible they have anorder to kill us before we have a chance to tell our story and stir up trouble for them.”
They wanted to drag my mate back to the burrow to be used by other men? And if that failed, they were going to kill her?
I’d die before I let them so much as breathe in her direction. My wolf was rabid with the need to seek vengeance, but I needed a plan before I released him.
Hunt them down.
Kill them.
Find a sorcerer.
Bring them back from the grave.
Kill them again.
Rinse and repeat.
Yeah. That would work for me.
With a plan in place, I stood from the fireplace hearth and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” Copeland asked.
“To commit mass murder.” Realizing my mate might think I was upset with her, I softened my tone and added, “I’ll bring muffins when I come back.”
Rustling came from behind me, but I would not be stopped. Not by anything.
“You can’t go fight an entire burrow on your own! After our mate’s heat is over, we’ll go together.” Copeland said, appearing at my side. “Besides, you’d be a total dick if you hogged all the bloodshed for yourself.”
Copeland’s words reminded me of why he was my best friend. He knew my plan was risky, but he also recognized that he couldn’t talk me out of something once I’d made up my mind. And he was willing to charge into danger by my side.
“Fine. I won’t visit the burrow until her heat is over. But my wolf needs to run.” Not waiting for a response, I took off toward the thick tree-line.
I didn’t even slow as the magic of the shift rippled over my skin and my paws thundered over the forest floor. Hopefully, the run would burn off some of the violent energy that threatened to consume me.
Two hours later, I pushed open the door and padded into the house. Not wanting to wake anyone if they were sleeping, I kept my steps soft, my paws not making a sound against the hardwood. Tilting back my head, I sniffed, letting the array of scents paint a picture of what had happened since I’d left.
Salty tears and sweat. The aroma of the soup and breadsticks Copeland had prepared for dinner hours before. The dessert-like scent of her heat, the earthy scent of sex.
It was that last fragrance that caused my wolf’s most primal instincts to flare. He was less than pleased at the idea of another male touching our mate. I sympathized, but sharing was something I could live with as long as I got to call Charlee mine.
Besides, she’d let me mark her in the cave, and now she bore the imprint of my bite. I’d been hyped up on the fight andadrenaline from my injuries when I padded into the cave and found her drenched in the scent of her heat. Even though her inner rabbit must have been telling her to run from the fray and from my bloody wolf form, she’d trusted me to bite her and not lose control. My mate was tough.
Heading down the hall, I pushed open my bedroom door to find the furniture had been shoved against the wall. It looked like they’d gathered every mattress in the house and put them on the floor to create one giant bed. I made a mental note to start working on a custom bedframe once she was safely through her heat.
The mattresses were piled high with a dozen pillows, and I could see at least four blankets. Moving closer, I found Charlee curled up on her side between the two men. I’d marked the right side of her neck, and now I could see the imprint of Copeland’s mate mark on the left side; he’d claimed her as well.
