Cuffed By My Mate (Twisted Oak Pack: First Responders #2)

Chapter 4

FOUR

Crew

“And now we’re at the station again,” I tell my mate as we finish the tour of the town and pull into the police station parking lot.

“I love it. All of the stores are so cute,” Vera gushes as I park, and we both climb out of the car.

I watch the way her eyes light up as she looks around, the soft flush on her cheeks from the cool morning air. I love that she’s already feeling at home here, that she’s finding pieces of this town she can love.

My bear is lounging inside of me, happy and content now that we’ve found and claimed our mate. I get it because I can’t stop smiling either. I’ve never felt so relaxed and complete before, and I love it.

“We can go shopping later if you want,” I tell her, unable to resist indulging her.

“Maybe,” she says, smiling up at me.

Her scent shifts, and I catch the unmistakable hint of arousal beneath the crisp scent of autumn air and her natural sweetness.

My bear rumbles inside of me, licking his lips as he remembers last night with our mate. Claiming and being with her was everything we fantasized about and so much more. She was passionate and so much more flexible than I imagined.

I shake my head, forcing myself to focus. Now is not the time to get distracted by memories of her soft moans and the way her nails dug into my back.

“It looks different in the daylight,” Vera comments as we head toward the front door of the station.

“Different good?” I ask, glancing at her.

“Yeah, it’s nice.”

I nod, pleased, and hold the door open for her.

“I never asked what brought you into the station last night,” I say as she steps inside.

“Oh, that… I was here to apply for a job,” she tells me, and I grin.

“Well, you’re hired then.”

She laughs, shaking her head. “Just like that?”

“Just like that.” I grin, loving the sound of her laughter.

“I’m serious. I’d love to work with my mate all day. We can carpool and everything.”

Her eyes widen slightly, and I realize she might be worried about spending too much time together.

“You don’t have to say yes just because I suggested it,” I add quickly. “I mean, I’d love it, but I also don’t want you to feel pressured?—”

“I don’t mind,” she interrupts, smiling. “I think it could be fun.”

My bear practically purrs in satisfaction at that.

The door opens behind us, and I turn to see Tucker walking in, his sheriff’s jacket unzipped, as he rubs his hands together against the cold.

“Hey, man. How’s it going?” I ask.

“Good. You must be Vera,” he says, offering a friendly smile as he steps forward.

“That’s me,” Vera says, shaking his hand.

“She’s our new station manager,” I announce, shooting Tucker a pointed look that tells him not to argue with me on this .

He just nods. “Cool. Can you get her set up then? I need to check on a fallen tree out at the north boundary.”

“Sure thing.”

Tucker nods at Vera. “Welcome to the team. You’ll like it here—it’s easy work. If you ever need anything, just ask Crew. He’s been running this place forever.”

I roll my eyes as he heads out, and then turn back to Vera. My chest warms as I watch her take in the station, eyes full of curiosity.

I get such a feeling of happiness when I look at Vera. She completes me. She makes me whole.

“This will be your desk,” I tell her, pulling out the chair for her.

She runs a hand over the surface, nodding. “It’s nice.”

“You can decorate it however you’d like. I’ll have to get you a login for the system, so I’ll do that now, and then I can walk you through taking calls and how we file things.”

“Sounds good.”

I head back to my own desk and log in, setting her up quickly. Within minutes, I’m leaning over her shoulder, showing her how everything works.

Her scent wraps around me, warm and inviting, and I have to force myself to focus on the task at hand. My bear isn’t helping. He wants me to strip her naked and lick every inch of her.

Later, I promise him, and he grumbles but calms down.

“We could take a vacation soon,” I say casually as we head out to lunch, testing the waters.

“A vacation?” she repeats, glancing at me in surprise.

“Yeah. Anywhere you want. Do you want to go back to your old pack?”

“No!”

She says it so quickly, her voice sharp, that I stop in my tracks and frown.

I study her face, noting the tension in her shoulders and the way her fingers tighten around the strap of her purse.

“No one that you miss there?” I ask carefully.

She exhales, her gaze flickering away. “No. My mom died a few years ago, and I… didn’t have anyone else. I don’t ever want to go back there.”

Noted.

My bear growls softly in my head, instantly hating wherever she came from for making her feel that way.

I nod. “We don’t have to. We can go somewhere down south? Or up north if you like the cold more than the heat.”

She forces a small smile. “North like where? Alaska?”

I grin. “Alaska or Canada, maybe. Or if you don’t want to go that far, there are a few other places. Just not Red Fog.”

The second I say the name, she stiffens.

“What?” she asks, her voice quieter now.

I sigh. “It’s a pack a little north of here. They’re… well, they’re bad news. I’d stay away from them to be safe.”

She nods but doesn’t say anything, her expression unreadable.

Way to freak her out, my bear growls.

I didn’t mean to! I’m trying to keep her safe.

I hold the door to the diner open for her, and she slips past me, her usual lightness replaced by something heavier, something I don’t like.

“It will be okay,” I murmur as I press my palm to the small of her back, guiding her toward a booth. “We don’t deal with them that often, and they’re not that big of a problem.”

She swallows hard but nods, still looking uneasy.

I hate that.

I hate seeing anything but happiness on her face.

We slide into the booth, and I hand her a menu, forcing a grin.

“Now, what looks good?” I ask, hoping to break the tension.

She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.

I keep the conversation light through lunch, making dumb jokes and steering clear of anything serious, but I can tell she’s still nervous.

We’ll just have to take care of the Red Fog pack so she doesn’t have to worry, my bear growls.

I nod.

And we need to do it fast.