Page 25 of Midnight Mate
“We need to go,” Bayne said, voice low and urgent. “Get your tech to take care of the mastiff.”
“What? I have three more appointments—”
“Now, Clint.” Something in his tone must’ve conveyed the seriousness because Clint’s arguments died. “Back door. Quietly.”
After Clint asked Dillan to finish up with the patient, he grabbed his keys and wallet from the counter, shooting Bayne worried looks. “What’s going on?”
“There’s someone up front asking about a dog.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Clint asked.
Bayne glanced at his mate. “They described my wolf to a T.”
Understanding dawned in Clint’s brown eyes, followed quickly by the kind of fear that made Bayne’s wolf want to tear apart whoever had caused it. But his mate didn’t argue further.
Chapter Seven
Clint kept his head down, heart thundering in his throat as Bayne hustled him out the back of the clinic. Every instinct screamed that danger might be lurking around any corner, and the urge to look over his shoulder didn’t let up until he caught the first hint of light from the parking lot.
They weren’t running, exactly, but the pace was closer to a fast march than anything casual. Bayne’s hand hovered near Clint’s lower back, guiding and blocking at the same time.
Distant traffic rumbled on Main. Some bird was hollering insults from the power lines beside the parking lot, and the sun glared off his windshield like it wanted to fry his retinas.
They were two steps from the truck when a shadow peeled off from the front of the building. A guy rounded the corner like he’d been waiting to ambush them but was pretty damn casual about it.
Bayne set himself right in front of Clint, practically blocking out the sun. The move was so smooth it must’ve been muscle memory, because Bayne didn’t take his eyes off the stranger.
A sound ripped from Bayne’s throat, low and even, a warning meant to stop you dead in your tracks. He widened his stance, forcing Clint back against the side of the truck.
The stranger raised his hands, all non-threatening, which was a hell of a trick considering his size and the fact that he was blocking their only exit like some bouncer or the final boss in a video game.
Tall, built like he’d been carved out of wood and protein shakes, the guy wore jeans and a leather jacket that looked too small for his biceps.
Sun beat down, making sweat pop along the back of Clint’s neck. The truck’s metal heated up so fast he half expected a sizzle if he touched the handle. Odd how those details stuck out, even with the threat standing twenty feet away.
Not what Clint expected, honestly. There was an intensity about the way he moved, like he could stop breathing and still keep going out of sheer willpower. Maybe that was typical for shifters. Clint wasn’t exactly an expert.
The stranger’s eyes flicked to Bayne before glancing at Clint. He held up both hands, palms out, voice smooth. “I don’t want trouble.”
Bayne bared his teeth. “Then keep walking.”
If the situation hadn’t been so loaded, Clint would’ve handed out awards for sheer balls. The guy didn’t even flinch.
Instead, he said, “Name’s Vaughn.”
“Doesn’t ring a bell,” Bayne said.
“Look, I get it,” Vaughn said, hands still up, gaze fixed on Bayne. “You clearly don’t remember. But I’m not here to hurt you.”
Sure. That’s what all the best murderers say right before they start swinging.
“Could’ve fooled me.” Bayne shifted, blocking more of Clint with his body. “You keep following us, I’ll drop you in the parking lot and let the crows clean up.”
Something flickered in Vaughn’s eyes. A pinch of pain, real and raw. It vanished so fast Clint wondered if he’d imagined it. “Seventy years together and you threaten to let the crows have me. Nice.”
Bayne, undeterred, took a step forward. “You’re not my friend. You’re not my anything. Turn around and leave, or I won’t just threaten. I’m not interested in your little reunion speech, and you get any closer, your new name will be corpse.”
That did it. Got Vaughn to drop the mellow act, at least. For a heartbeat, air shimmered with some wild energy, the way it did right before a fight broke out between two angry tomcats in an alley.
