Page 16 of Mated
I watch Callus from the few feet left between us. But it might as well be miles. I don’t want the blood of a bunch of innocents on my hands. And with a potential man-eater roaming Silver Rock, it’s sickeningly possible that that is exactly what is fixing to happen.
Callus is too stubborn to listen. To accept my word for things and help me catch the one responsible.
But the pack might.
“Alpha Reed, I seek admittance for myself and two others to join the full moon run with the Silver Rock pack.”
His eyes bug out of his skull before he quickly wipes his expression clean. The sharp wit of his beast rests very near the surface of his gaze. He growls, low and long. But he can’t deny me.
By morning, the receptionist will be raving about Caine’s Asmodeangiftsand the fact Tan-Man was on pack land. If I don’t show up for the run, questions will be asked, shit will be stirred. All in all—chaos.
And as the alpha during an attack on a human, the more solid footing he has with the pack … the better. “Fine,” he snarls. “You have guest status at Silver Rock.”
I smile and walk to the door. “It was a pleasure doing business with you, Alpha. As always.”
That low rumbles continues until I shut the panel in his face.
I stand poised in the hall, hands in tight fists as I force back the beast inside me. It’s going to have to get used to being as far down as I can get it. This is not the pack to fight with. Not now.
Shoving a hand through my hair, I walk back to the reception area.
Caine has the receptionist pinned to the wall when I step out of the corridor. Her dark waves are a mess, and her shorts are completely gone, leaving her naked lower half tight against his body. But he is fully dressed, not a hair out of place.
He looks up, blood-red eyes rolling with hellfire as the woman climaxes against him. Her screams bring loud bangs from the back.
I swear. “Shit.”
He sets her on her feet and sucks in a big breath of air.
Something bright red rolls out from under her skin and into his mouth as I watch. Like a cloud of lust, he inhales as much as he can and trembles. “Fuck yes,” he groans.
I lunge and grab his arm as the first pounding footsteps sound down the hall. “Run now, bask later,” I say and sprint for the exit.
He laughs and barrels out on my heels. We skid in the gravel as we near the truck, and he dives inside as I go for the driver’s side door. Slamming the massive beast of metal into drive, I wrench the wheel and gun it, spraying bits of stone behind us.
I don’t slow until I hit the main road.
His dark head watches out the back window, bouncing a little in his seat. “Oh please tell me we get to go back.”
I can’t stop the chuckle that bursts free. Seems I found one guest to take on the run. And the Asmodean may serve as a needed distraction.
“Hell yeah, we’re going back,” I say. He peers at me like a kid at Christmas, and I grin. “But if you thought that was good, just wait until the fucking Full Moon.”
Chapter 8
Nisha
Pulling up outside my house, a familiar dark blond head leans back against an equally familiar truck.
Chuck watches me park, his mouth pressed into a firm line. As soon as I open the door, his voice fills the air. “You fucking requested a shift change?” he calls across the quiet street as he heads my way.
Grimacing, I walk right past him, head down as I fumble with my keys. “I gave you every opportunity, Chuck. You wouldn’t do it. And since I really can’t stand being around you right now, it was theonlything to do.”
“It was a coward’s move,” he snaps. “Now I got to explain to the guys why you’re on a different shift.”
“Tell them the truth. Tell them you were fucking around on me. They’ll understand. They know how you are.”
His hand closes over my arm, pulling me to a stop in the middle of the drought-riddled grass.
