Page 19 of The Alpha's Runaway Mate
I glance toward the bedroom door, that old instinct kicking in hard. The urge to protect her hums beneath my skin. “I have my mate here.”
Kolt inhales, sharp and audible. “You found her?” He sounds stunned, like he’s not sure he heard right.
“Yesterday.” The word feels too small for what it means. “Human. She was sleeping in a tent off the west trails. She’s here now. She stays here.” My voice drops lower, steady and sure. I let the Alpha roll through it like thunder. “Say it back.”
“She stays,” he answers instantly. “We’ll come to you if we have to.”
“You won’t.” My gaze drifts back to the bedroom door, that protective instinct clawing up my throat. Every part of me wants to stay right here, keep watch. “I’ll meet you at Snarl. I won’t be long.”
“You sure about leaving her?”
“No.” The word scrapes out rough. I swallow it down. “But I’m not dragging a human into the bar dead on her feet when we don’t even know what’s walking around town tonight.”
“Copy. See you in ten.”The line clicks dead, and the house feels too quiet.
I step back into the bedroom. Jessica’s shifted onto her back, hair everywhere, my shirt sliding off one shoulder. My bear does a slow roll and shows his belly, he’s useless.
I pull a notepad from the nightstand, inventory paper, emergency lists, all the boring crap that keeps this town alive and write fast.
Jessica,
Had to step out for a couple of hours. Pack business at Snarl. You’re safe here. Doors locked, windows reinforced. If you need me, call (304) 555-0146. Don’t open the door for anyone but me. If someone knocks, ignore it. If someone calls your name, ignore it. If you hear the woods, it’s the woods. TV remote’s on the nightstand. Food’s in the fridge. I’ll be back.
You’re not alone anymore.
-N
I set the note on her pillow, close enough that her hand might find it when she reaches for me, and press a quick kiss to her forehead because I’m weak. “Back soon,” I whisper.
I pull on a henley and my boots then grab my keys and then I’m out. The drive’s all muscle memory and bad mood. Gravel spits under my tires. Pines blur past. Evermore’s night face is on, neon licking old brick, the river hauling light downstream. Snarl’s lot is busier than a weeknight has any right to be. Of course it is.
Inside, the bar tilts toward me the second I walk in. Conversations stumble. Heads turn. I nod to Ezra at the taps, cut straight to the office. I’m halfway to the office when a hand slides up my arm.
“Didn’t think I’d see you tonight.”
Rhea.
She’s strong, one of our ward keepers, and beautiful in the kind of way that turns heads. Glossy black hair, sharp jaw, the kind of smile that knows its effect. Most men would be halfway gone already. I’m not most men.
She presses in closer, nails tracing the ink on my forearm like she owns it. The touch makes my stomach twist. She’s been pushing harder lately, trying to plant her flag, like claiming me might make her untouchable. It never will.
“Back off,” I growl, voice low, dangerous.
For half a second, fear flashes in her eyes. She covers it quickly with a laugh, brushing it off like she didn’t just step in front of a train. “Relax, Alpha. I’m just saying hi.”
I bare my teeth. “You don’t touch what isn’t yours.”
Her smile falters, the tension in the air snapping sharp between us. She takes a careful step back, but her chin stays high. “Careful, Nolan. People might start to think you’re spoken for.”
I lean in just enough that she feels the weight behind my words. “I am. I’ve found my mate and you’d be smart to remember that. Better yet, spread the word, everyone needs to know.”
The meaning hits her. Her pupils blow wide. She knows exactly what that means in our world. It makes her falter. For half a second, the color drains from her face before she pastes the smile back on.
“You sure about that?” she asks, trying for flippant but landing shaky. “Could’ve been a spell.”
“She’s mine,” I say simply. The words drop between us like an oath. “That’s all you need to know.”
Rhea’s mouth twists. “You’re making a mistake.”
