Page 6 of Thrilled By Her Protector

“Nothing,” he murmured, turning away.

“Oh, I have to brief you on something,” she began.

“Shoot,” he said, listening as she explained about some missing Shifters.

“Are we being sent to investigate?” he asked.

“No. Mother just wants everyone aware and alert.”

“Got it.”

Zircon walked away, making her follow behind him, and she did. He bit back his grin, knowing it would rile her, but he couldn’t help but feel elated at this minor victory. He opened the car door for her, ignoring her angry huff as she got in without touching him. Almost, anyway. He put his hand on her hip, steadying her when she would have slipped off the runner.

“Gonna have to put in a step for you,” he muttered, cursing himself for not thinking about that beforehand.

Jennifer was short for a Shifter, and her body was a study in delicious curves that drove him wild with need. She turned around, eyes wide, ready to give him a piece of her mind he’d be willing to bet. But something else happened, and she trembled under his fingers.

“No need. I won’t be riding in your truck often enough to warrant such a thing.”

“We’ll see about that, baby.”

Zircon grinned, closing the door before she could come back at him with some snarky retort. The woman was a hellion. Sassy, snarky, smarter than anyone he knew, and prettier, too. His heart yearned for her, and his beast, too. The Wyvern was pissed he hadn’t claimed her during their night together, but Zircon wasn’t going to win her that way.

He wanted Jennifer to be his more than anything, but not if he had to steal her choices. He wanted her ready, willing, and wanting. He wanted her to want him. To pick him. To choose him for her own. Then and only then would he claim her.

And fuck everyone else who offered advice and told him what he was doing wrong. Hell. He knew exactly what Jennifer needed. She needed him. But until she was ready to admit that they would be stuck in this stalemate.

“Can we stop to get Daeja some fries?” Jennifer asked, and her cheeks heated prettily under his scrutiny. “She texted,” Jennifer added, lifting her phone and shrugging.

His new pink-haired sister-in-law was a sucker for French fries. She used to say it kind of funny, but it’d been weeks since she crash-landed on Earth, and she’d almost lost her accent entirely. He guessed Shifters everywhere were like that. It was on account of their supernaturally enhanced hearing they picked up on local accents so quickly.

“Yep. I guess the rest of them want some, too?”

“Um, hang on. Yeah, actually. Do you know Heavenly Burgers?”

“Of course,” he replied, altering his route.

“Great. I’ll call in an order,” she said.

Zircon waited for a chance to tell her what he wanted, but he didn’t have to. He couldn’t stop his grin now as Jennifer placed an order that could feed six Drakein females, the two males who’d stayed behind, as well as his brothers, their mates, and his dad. But what really made him grin was the fact she remembered he liked chocolate banana milkshakes with his burgers. She ordered him four and asked them to make them extra thick.

He pulled into the parking lot twenty minutes later.

“Um, I guess I’ll go wait inside,” Jennifer said, going for the handle on her door.

“Never figured you for a runner, Jenn.”

She stilled, and he knew that struck a chord. Watching her with predatory eyes, Zircon trained his face to reveal nothing when she turned back in her chair to face him.

“I am not running from you, Conny.”

“Then why are you afraid to sit in the truck with me while they make our order? You know it’s not ready yet, Jenn.”

“Fine,” she snapped, slamming the door shut.

“Fine. But you don’t have to stay here. Not if you don’t want to.”

Zircon watched her closely for any sign of anything she might be feeling. Oh, it was touch and go alright. The woman was a freaking master at hiding her emotions, a really interesting trait for a Shifter. They relied on body language to give away signs of what someone was thinking or feeling.

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