Page 18 of Delivered to My Beasts
“You were gone for a long time and I was afraid something would happen to you. That Mateo would attack you.”
I wrapped her up tighter in my embrace while the others came out, smiling like goons. We were all happy for each other. “She’s been worried sick,” Jax said, shaking his head.
“Your lack of confidence in me is bruising my ego, female of mine.” I hadn’t meant to call her that but I never minced words. She was mine and I was hers. Saying it out loud wouldn’t change that.
“I have confidence in you,” she said, pulling back. “I really need a phone so you can call me.”
“We can get you one. Now, should I carry you inside, or you want to help me with the groceries? I got you some pastries.”
“You did?” Then she kissed me right on the lips.
“I did. I expect a better thank-you later.”
She blushed in my arms. “I can do that.”
We brought in all the groceries and other items, along with packages and the mail I’d picked up.
Only one thing left.
“I don’t want to scare you anymore, Imogen, but I have to tell you what I heard in town.”
The color drained from her face immediately. I hated to do that to her but she also needed to know. Keeping it from her and my bond brothers did nothing to help us. The threat was near and Mateo hadn’t quite given up on her.
“What is it?” She reached for Crew’s hand.
“I heard that he was in town looking for you. I also overheard some of his betas, I’m assuming, talking about you. One of them said he thought Mateo wouldn’t be a good alpha.”
“He won’t be without me,” she whispered. “He can’t be alpha unless he’s mated to me. Those were my father’s terms. And the elders. It’s how he and my father cooked up the transitionwithout a challenge. He wouldn’t mind not having to pay the money for me though.”
Jax shook his head. She hadn’t told us that detail before. “Well, that makes more sense. He wants you because of status not love or wanting to be with you. No wonder he was so callous. He was using you.”
“Do you think he’s close?” Imogen asked, trembling. Her scent soured.
“I don’t know but I really don’t think he would come up here, not with our reputation. Imogen, I was thinking, we don’t know what he looks like. Do you have any pictures on your phone?”
She nodded. “I do. But I turned it off and took out the SIM card. I thought maybe he could trace me here.”
“Can you get it? I’d like to see who I’m protecting you from, who we are protecting you from. We can see the pictures you took without putting the SIM back in.”
She rushed upstairs. As soon as she was out of sight, Crew and Jax leaned in. “We have to be diligent,” Crew said. “I put more cameras up. He would be stupid to try anything but it doesn’t sound like his elevator goes all the way up to the top floor.”
I shook my head. Thinking about something happening to our mate…no way in hell. Wasn’t going to happen. I didn’t want to think about killing anyone but no one would threaten my mate.
We only got our mate a few days ago and I’d be damned if anyone took her from us.
“If he tries, it might be the last thing he does.”
Chapter Fourteen
Imogen
Despite Duke’s experiences in town and everything he had overheard, nobody had said they knew where to find me. They said an awful lot of terrible things about me, and Mateo was looking, apparently, but as long as he didn’t have a location or names, I should be safe here.
I was so glad Duke had not stayed to confront Mateo. No matter how big and strong he was, I kept going back to the number of people the wolf would have had at his disposal. He might not be alpha yet, but that didn’t matter. The younger males in the pack would follow him anywhere. Jerks though they might be, they could be an ugly mob when aroused. I’d seen them in action once when my father wanted to get rid of a troublemaker several years back. Father’s instructions were to escort the male off the lands and tell him not to come back, but they had taken things much further than that. I knew because I’d hidden in the bushes and watched what happened.
The “troublemaker” was a man who everyone thought might be the next alpha, but probably sooner than Father was ready for. He’d headed off a possible challenge by having him removed while he was still young. But after a mob of six jumped him at the edge of the pack lands and beat him to a bloody pulp who staggered away down the road, I ran home to tell my father what happened. I expected him to call in the perpetrators and punish them for what they’d done. Maybe send someone to help the injured man. After all, he’d grown up here and was a member of the pack until just this moment.
But Father didn’t do any of those things. He sent me to my room and told me not to get in the way of important matters that I couldn’t understand.
