Page 35 of The Wolf's Kidnapped Mate

I discarded the empty mug into the fireplace and stomped over to the bags. I hauled them over my shoulders. I reached for Kylie who laughed and wagged her finger at me.

“I amnotyour luggage, mister.” She flipped her short hair over her shoulder which did nothing to move it out of her face. It just fell right back in place like a curtain tickled by a breeze. “I can take myself to the carafterI finish my coffee.”

“You of all people should be aware of the gravity of this mission, Kylie.”

She glared at me through her lashes, giving me a look that made me want to desperately reach for her throat, like I had last night.

Only this time, I’d apply much more pressure. “If you act against my command, I’ll put you to sleep the whole way to Buckhannon.”

Her brows parted as she frowned. Her gaze dropped.

Damn it. I hated seeing her so damn disappointed. She knew how to act on a mission. She knew I had to smuggle her to safety. “Why are you making this so difficult?”

She rubbed her arm while raising her mug to her lips. “I don’t know.”

“Well, figure it out. Fast.”

I didn’t bother giving her time to respond. I marched out the door, checked the perimeter, and then dropped the bags next to the Jeep. One thorough inspection later, I deemed the Jeep safe to use and did another perimeter check.

Kylie appeared at the door with the blankets and the rest of the coffee. “All clear?”

“Clear.”

She stepped into the grassy yard and approached the Jeep carefully. As her eyes roamed the trees, I saw for the first time in four years the trained soldier I was supposed to protect. Caution filled her gaze. Precise care echoed from each movement.

Once she felt satisfied with her own perimeter check, she dumped the furs into the back of the Jeep and nodded. “We’re Oscar Mike.”

I dashed inside and checked the area. Other than the mugs and some leftover perishables, it was void of our personal belongings. I grabbed the skunk bottle from the truck and sprayed the doorstep, shut the door, and sprayed the steps.

Kylie cringed while pinching her nose. “Oh, sothat’swhat stinks.”

“It helps.”

“You couldn’t have just used like…vinegar?”

I stared at her while setting the bottle on the floor of the Jeep. “It’s scientifically proven by shifter researchers in lab-created scenarios that—”

She rolled her eyes as she released her nose. “—that shifter noses can’t tell the difference. Yes, I read the peer-reviewed study, Fred. I got it.”

“Vinegar won’t do what we need.”

“So, we’re just going to bathe in skunk piss?”

I tilted my head as I tucked my hands into my pockets, giving her my most playful smirk. “Is that a suggestion, genius?”

She stammered over her response, getting more flustered by the second as I whipped open the driver’s side door and hopped into the Jeep. I reached over to open her side, enjoying the fact that she was actually speechless because of something I had said.

I could get used to that.

“Get in,” I snapped. I started the Jeep, the soft purr of the engine feeling so much less comforting than the rumble of that truck I had left behind. “Now, Kylie.”

She huffed with frustration while hauling herself into the Jeep. As soon as she put on her seat belt, she reached for the radio.

I pushed her hand away. “We’re trying to avoid being spotted, Kylie. Come on.”

“You mean I have to listen to you be grumpy the whole time?”

Steam gathered in the Jeep, giving the plastic covers of the windows a little condensation as I puffed up and clutched thesteering wheel. This one wasn’t even a damn manual. Since I was pressed for time, I wouldn’t complain.

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