“You don’t mind, do you, doll?” she asked as she turned away. Maple chuckled, and Bonnie gasped.
The look on his face had been priceless and totally worth it. Now, one last thing. Her leathers were still in the changing room, and she wasn’t leaving without them. Before the man could protest, she dashed to the back.
She’d only been gone a second, but by the time she returned, the man’s cheeks were flushed. He shuffled his feet, his gaze on a spot on the floor.
“And on top of that, she’s Niko’s new mate. Don’t piss her off, or else she really won’t want to stay,” Maple chastised.
The man’s gaze flicked over to her. He had noticed her return, even if Maple hadn’t.
“I didn’t know. Sorry,” he said, not looking away.
Rylee took pity on the guy and gave him a smile. “It’s all good. Let’s get out of here.”
Nine
The last thing Niko wanted to do was run his wolf in the forest less than twenty-four hours after finding his mate, but he had a job to do. One that would make her job easier—and hopefully, safer. Soon, he could go back to her. Smell her, taste her. Make love to her. His heart sped at the thought. He never expected to find his mate, much less a human one, but now that he had, he couldn’t imagine his future without her.
Glancing at the sun, he pushed himself faster. He wanted to get home before supper so he could fix her another meal. Rylee hadn’t eaten half the steak he’d prepared for her the night before, but the sounds she’d made as she’d enjoyed it had been enough to make him hard as hell and ready to pounce as soon as she’d swallowed the last bite.
Scouring the forest had taken longer than he’d expected. He and Luca knew these wooded acres like the backs of their hands, but there were so many different smells all around them that it had been difficult to decipher each one. Most had been innocent enough, but one in particular—the one they were chasing now—worried him.
Cat, his wolf growled into his mind. There was no mistaking the scent. It permeated the air and clung to the moss where the creature had lain in its shifted form. The beast had had the nerve to rub itself against the trees and rake its claws into the damned bark as though it had every fucking right. This was Wassookeag Pack territory, and it would do well to remember that.
Resisting the urge to howl, Niko widened his search. Between him and Luca, it wouldn’t take long to catch the animal’s trail. It wasn’t bad enough his mate was being chased by vampires, but now cougars were in the mix, as well. Whatever information that hard drive contained had to be damned important if everyone was after it. At least the blood suckers couldn’t easily get to her during the day. The cougars, however, had no such impediment. Part of him wanted to race home to make sure she was okay, but he had a funny feeling she wouldn’t appreciate it.
Luca’s yip a short distance away drew him from his thoughts. It said, “I’ve found what I was looking for and unless you want to get left behind, you’d better get your ass moving.”
His brother was relentless when pursuing prey. Where Niko exercised more caution to get the job done, Luca plowed straight ahead—always. He wasn’t careless, but patience wasn’t in his vocabulary, either. It was what made them an unbeatable team. They balanced each other out. Niko loped off in the direction Luca led, leaving the now empty campsite they’d come to behind.
Tawny fur, nothing but a blur, sprang from a branch high above. Niko gave a sharp bark, warning his brother, but it was too late. Luca’s yelp a second later cut through the forest. Putting on a burst of speed, Niko dug his claws into the earth. Wolves were powerful, but a single wolf against a cougar? That wasn’t a fair fight.
The coppery scent of blood blasted his nose before he reached them. Vicious growls rumbled from both beasts as fangs and claws clashed. Luca fought hard, but already, crimson coated his left flank.
When he was finally within striking distance, Niko leaped, sinking his teeth into the back of the cougar’s neck, hanging on with every bit of strength he had. It released its grip on Luca, jumping and twisting in the air, nearly dislodging Niko with that one move alone.
With a wicked roar, the cougar twisted, swiping with its paws, teeth gnashing. Fiery heat seared his left side, but Niko wouldn’t let go. Not for a couple of scratches and a bit of pain. Not when Luca’s life depended on him keeping the enemy off him.
The cougar sprang up, giving a rough shake, and Niko’s grip slipped. His body tipped to the side. He tried to right himself, but the cat was fast. It twisted its spine and opened its jaw wide, a wicked glint in its grey-green eyes, and bit down. Bone crunched, and agony bloomed from Niko’s left hind leg, stealing his breath. He tried to get away, but the creature didn’t release him. Ligaments and tendons tore. Fuck.
In a flash, Luca was in the cougar’s face, barking and snapping. Just when Niko thought he might lose his leg, the cougar released him and lunged for Luca.
Try as he might, Niko couldn’t put weight on his leg. Scrambling, he got out of the cougar’s reach. A howl, immediately followed by another, rang through the forest. Relief poured through him. He knew those wolves. He’d recognize his Alpha and former Alpha anywhere. He breathed through the agony in his leg and willed the black spots dancing in front
