Broken By Her Mate (Bellefleur Black Ops Wolves #3)

Chapter 1 - Tolliver

Tolliver inhaled deeply as he came awake. He expected to smell the sweet and delicate scent of lavender. His body instinctively shifted, moving to the other side of the bed toward her . However, reality came crashing down on him when his hand touched cold linen rather than a warm body.

His eyes snapped open, and he stared at the space beside him. Of course, she wasn’t there. He’d been dreaming about Laila again, but she was gone. As always, he struggled to shake the dream and the memory of how she used to snuggle against him in the mornings. The recollections were so vivid that Tolliver could practically feel her soft, warm skin sliding against his.

Sitting up, he blew out a long breath and scrubbed a hand over his face. Laila Thomas was like a ghost, haunting his dream and his very existence. But he had to get her out of his head because he was the one who let her go… for her own good. Forgetting her was easier said than done, though. No matter how hard he tried, memories of her refused to go away.

He swung his legs over the bed and buried his face in his hands. A few minutes passed with him fighting through the typical wave of regret that assaulted him daily. As he did every morning, he reminded himself why he’d walked away from his mate. It was because he wasn’t selfish. That thought made him feel somewhat better, and he sat up and inhaled deeply.

The best way to shove back the lingering memories of Laila was to get his day started. Work served as a band-aid of sorts. One that he slapped over his emotional wound so he could pretend he was okay. Then, at night, dreams of her would assault him, and he’d wake up and put the band-aid back on.

“Like clockwork,” he muttered as he got up and headed to the bathroom.

Minutes later, he made his way downstairs. The worn floorboards of his family home creaked under his weight. Tolliver had plenty of repairs to do to his childhood home, but he’d been dragging his feet. He supposed it was because the creaky floorboards and other minor flaws were reminders of how long his family had lived there. Generations of Sterlings had occupied the big house on the hill in the town of Bellefleur. The house itself was family, and he didn’t want to change a thing.

As he made his way through the living room, he heard sounds coming from the kitchen. It was his sister, Elena. He’d caught her scent before he went down the stairs. She grinned at him when he rounded the corner, and he felt a blast of affection, for which he was grateful. Lately, there were times when his world got so black and white that he needed to be reminded that he was human… Well, sort of. An animal was lurking inside him, after all.

“There he is! Good morning, Tolliver.”

Tolliver raised his eyebrows as he watched her open the cupboards. “Morning. What are you doing here so early? Don’t you have a mate and a baby to keep you busy nowadays?”

Elena’s green eyes narrowed on him. “My mate and baby are fine without me for a few hours. You, big brother, I haven’t seen in a while. Welcome home.” She rounded the island with open arms, and he gave her a bear hug.

“Thanks, but you’re acting as if I was gone for years. I was only out of town for a few weeks.”

She rolled her eyes as she went to open another cupboard. “You don’t have a sentimental bone in your body, and that’s really sad.”

Tolliver lifted an eyebrow. If only Elena knew how wrong she was. He was plenty sentimental, considering that he spent just about every night reliving moments with the woman who was supposed to stay buried in his past. Tolliver was simply good at hiding what he felt from the world. He rarely hid his feelings from Laila, though. Their connection was otherworldly. Tolliver shook his head slightly as if to push away the thoughts of her that kept popping up.

“All the cupboards are empty, Tolliver,” Elena noted. “The refrigerator is too. What have you been eating?”

Tolliver sighed. “I got back yesterday, Elena. Don’t worry. I’ll go grocery shopping when I’ve reached the verge of starvation. I promise.”

Elena shot him a withering look. “Hilarious. I’ll get a few things for you on my supermarket run.” Her lips twisted wryly. “I guess breakfast is off. There’s nothing to cook.”

“That’s fine. I couldn’t stay for breakfast, anyway.”

“ Tolliver. Can’t you take a day off? You just got home.” She waved a hand to the kitchen. “Stay here. Take a breather. Relax.”

“Day off? Relax? What language do you speak, woman?”

When she glowered at him, Tolliver sighed. “I have to go in today. We’re working on something important, and I’ve been picking up the slack for your mate.”

His sister pouted. “Fine, and Ryder and I appreciate you.”

“Uh-huh.” Tolliver had been covering for Elena’s mate, Ryder, who was also his best friend. They had a two-year-old, and Tolliver wanted Elena to have her mate’s full attention and support. He wanted his niece to have her father around as much as possible, too. Tolliver placed his hand on Elena’s shoulder. “We’ll have dinner and catch up soon, I promise.”

“Okay.” She smiled. “Go on, get out of here.”

***

Bellefleur was a small town, so it didn’t take Tolliver long to get to Mrs. Oswald’s coffee shop on Main Street. He adored the owner of the quaint cafe, Edith Oswald, who had been a major comfort and help to him and Elena when they were kids after their parents died.

It was still early, so the cafe wasn’t very busy. He was glad he made it before the morning rush. Edith was standing in front of one of the espresso machines when the bell over the door alerted her to a customer. Her eyes widened, and a megawatt smile spread across the elderly woman’s face when Tolliver stepped in.

“Tolliver!” She abandoned her task and scurried around the counter toward him.

Tolliver opened his arms to welcome her embrace. He wasn’t one for the mushy stuff, but for Edith, he had a million hugs to give. After all, the sweet old witch had once been his and Elena’s savior. She’d ensure the two young Sterlings were fed and clothed until Tolliver was old enough to take charge.

“Hi, Edith.” He gripped her shoulders and gave her an affectionate once-over. “You look lovely, as always.”

She batted his arm and then smoothed a hand over her gray hair. “Oh, stop. You flatter an old woman.”

Tolliver chuckled. “You really do look great.”

She beamed. “So do you. Welcome home, sweetheart.”

Tolliver was always amused when she referred to him, a twenty-eight-year-old, hardened wolf shifter, as a sweetheart . “Thanks.”

He glanced around, his gaze stopped, and he zeroed in on the table at the far-right corner at the back of the cafe. It used to be his and Laila’s favorite table because she loved the view through the window while they had their coffee. His heart fluttered as he saw an image of her sitting at the table, laughing uproariously at something he said because only she found his lame jokes funny.

“Tolliver? Did you hear me?”

He blinked as Edith’s voice interrupted his trip down memory lane. The image of Laila disappeared. “Uh… I’m sorry, no.”

“I asked if I should get you your usual. Black, one sugar?” Edith’s gaze moved over his face. “Are you all right, dear?”

Tolliver glanced at the table where the ghost of Laila lingered. “I’m fine. Yes, I’ll take my usual. Thanks.”

***

Tolliver stepped into the Black Ops building, wearing his typical scowl. His mood had plummeted gradually because today, everything he saw, smelled, and touched reminded him of her , the mate he’d rejected years ago. His co-workers took one look at him and gave him a wide berth.

Benny and Francisco, two junior black ops members, were the only ones with the guts to say something to him.

“Morning, boss,” Franscico said brightly.

“Welcome back. How’s it going?” Benny asked.

“Mm-hmm,” was Tolliver’s only response.

The two exchanged amused glances because they were accustomed to the head of the IT department’s grunted responses. He seemed in a sour mood because he didn’t bother reminding them that Alpha Zach was the boss, as usual.

Tolliver made his way to his office. As he gulped his now lukewarm coffee, he stepped inside and almost collided with his best friend turned brother-in-law, Ryder. “Ryder, what the hell are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at home with your kid. That’s why I’m here early to pick up your slack.”

Ryder shoved his fingers through his shaggy blonde hair. “Yeah. The plan was to come in a little later today, but…”

“But?” Tolliver asked.

“We have a problem,” Ryder announced.

Tolliver’s gaze narrowed on him. The man was typically laid-back, and it concerned Tolliver that he looked so on edge.

Tolliver shrugged. “When don’t we have a problem?” The Black Ops, a team of specially trained shifters operating out of Bellefleur, constantly identified new threats to the supernatural and human population. When it wasn’t rogue shifters, it was witches and warlocks gone mad or murderous fairies.

Ryder studied Tolliver carefully, his eyes clouded with worry. “This problem might be personal for you.”

Snorting derisively, Tolliver rested his coffee on his desk. “I never take things personally, Ryder. You’ve known me since we were kids. You should know better.” He did his job with the cool indifference it required. Always.

Toliver sat and booted up his laptop. When Ryder didn’t laugh and agree, he glanced at him. “All right, what’s going on? You’re usually joking around about something by now. Are you and Elena alright? Is it my niece?”

Ryder cleared his throat. “We’re all fine, man. There’s something you need to see.”

“Okay…”

Tolliver watched with a frown as Ryder commanded his laptop and logged into the company’s system. “I was at home when one of your trainees called me because he couldn’t get in touch with you,” Ryder explained.

Tolliver dug into his pocket for his cell. It was on silent because he forgot to switch modes when he got home. It was safer to keep it in silent mode when he was trailing suspicious shifters. “Sorry about that,” he grumbled as he glanced at the many missed call notifications.

“This is really important, so he called me,” Ryder said absently as his fingers moved over the keyboard.

To Tolliver’s shock, an image of Laila appeared on the screen. He inhaled sharply. For years, he’d closed himself off because emotions were a luxury he couldn’t afford. His life was a series of calculated decisions that kept him detached, focused, and alive.

The moment he saw her—not as a ghost haunting his dreams, but her actual image on a screen—emotions he’d buried surfaced. She was the one calculated decision he regretted. As he stared at her grainy image, the emotions that assaulted him nearly knocked him off his chair. Regret, hurt, love, lust .

He glanced at Ryder warily. His friend nodded, silently telling him to watch the footage. For once, Tolliver was afraid. First, he zoomed in on her. Laila Thomas had always been the most beautiful creature in his eyes. Her wealth of dark, almost black, hair cascaded around her shoulders in loose curls. Without thinking, he lifted a hand to graze a finger over the screen as if he could actually touch her.

To this day, her gray eyes and heart-shaped face gave her a look of sweet innocence that called to him. His gaze moved over her petite, curvy figure as he recalled how many times he’d had her in the most erotic ways.

Taking a deep breath, he played the footage. Laila walked down the sidewalk, her hips swaying and her hair bouncing. A man came into view a distance behind her. The man was watching her, and she had no idea. Annoyance rose to join Tolliver’s panic. How could she not detect the threat of the other shifter? Tolliver was sure it was a shifter. It was in the way the man moved with agility and stealth that would allow him to sneak up on a human with average senses. Why didn’t Laila sense his presence or smell him when she was a wolf shifter?

Laila crossed the street and headed into a building. Her stalker didn’t follow her inside. Instead, the man stood and watched the entrance for a moment before pulling something out of his pocket. Tolliver zoomed in some more. It was a cell phone. The man had a quick conversation, shoved the device back into his pocket, and walked away.

Tolliver let out a breath that sounded suspiciously shaky. How could Laila be in danger? He had let her go to protect her. She was supposed to be happy and safe. Panic then clawed its way up his chest—something he hadn’t felt in… ever .

“Uh… Tolliver? Are you all right?”

Ryder’s voice seeped into Tolliver’s mind and pulled him from his panicked haze. He blinked, cleared his throat, and threw up his stony mask. “I’m fine.”

Ryder watched him with pure skepticism. He suspected his friend knew he wasn’t fine because he knew about Tolliver and Laila’s history. However, he didn’t comment.

“This is good work,” Tolliver said. “It’s the first solid lead we’ve gotten in weeks.

“If our intel is correct, Laila doesn’t have much time before—”

“I know,” Tolliver bit out. “That shifter is waiting for the right moment to grab her.”

“What are we going to do?”

“We need more tangible evidence to take to the higher-ups than just our theory and two cases of missing female shifters.”

Ryder nodded in agreement.

“In the meantime, I’m going to Cedar Ridge,” Tolliver announced.

Ryder’s jaw slackened. Nowadays, Tolliver rarely went into the field. He recruited and trained the men and women of their special unit. “ You are? Why not send one of the other…?” His mouth snapped shut when Tolliver wheeled his chair around to pin him with his glacial stare. Ryder sighed. “Okay… It’s Laila. I get it. Go on. I’ll take care of things here.”

“Thanks.” Tolliver got up and grabbed his keys. Before leaving his office, he glanced at the screen where he’d seen his mate. Every instinct screamed at him to move fast and get to her to make sure she was safe.

***

Tolliver strolled down the sidewalk with his hands in his pockets. He tried to look as inconspicuous as possible. However, he doubted a six-foot-four stranger would go unnoticed for long. Luckily, it was dark. He surveyed his surroundings as he walked through the small town of Cedar Ridge bordering Bellefleur.

As he turned into the alley between Laila’s bakery and a bookstore, he thought of how proud he was of Laila. The bakery she had dreamed of owning was now hers. As if thinking about her conjured her, she appeared through the bakery’s back door carrying a trash bag.

Tolliver hid behind a huge dumpster. His breath caught in his throat when she stepped into the dim light of the alley. That happened every time he saw her up close. He’d been in Cedar Ridge for two days now, watching her from the shadows like some kind of creep. He’d spent the entire day lingering around the bakery and listening to the goings-on inside. This morning, he’d had to listen to a rather annoying conversation between Laila and one of her employees. It was about some professor who Laila’s employee wanted to set her up with. The thought of her dating made him see red. But he had left her. She was free to date as she pleased.

He stayed out of sight, not wanting to alarm her until he was absolutely certain she was really being hunted by a sick, twisted organization looking to capture female shifters. So far, he hadn’t seen anyone else following her. Maybe what he saw on that security footage wasn’t what he thought it was…

Laila got closer, and he held his breath, hoping she didn’t sense him. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from her and her delicious curves. They were lethal enough to bring a man to his knees. Her full breasts strained against her white blouse, and the dramatic flair of her hips made his mouth water.

He had to force himself to stay focused on scanning the surrounding area. So far, she’d been oblivious to his presence, as if her shifter senses weren’t working. To his surprise, she froze after she tossed the bag into the dumpster and turned in his direction. Her eyebrows furrowed as she peered into the darkness, and her cute, little nose twitched.

She then backed toward the door, her gaze still scanning the alley. She walked right into a stack of crates and sent them clattering to the ground. Her arms flailed as she stumbled over one.

Tolliver was on alert, ready to use his preternatural speed to catch her before she landed on her ass. However, she caught her balance.

“Oh, fudge ,” she huffed. “Why am I such a klutz?”

His lips twitched and lifted with amusement. Laila hadn’t changed much. She was the clumsiest shifter he’d ever met and still so damn adorable. She was sexy and clumsy all rolled into one, and he had no idea how she pulled off the combination so well. Just as she marched back inside, he caught a whiff of another shifter nearby. It was a wolf. There was a chance it was the guy his team had been looking for.

Tolliver’s lips twisted into a snarl at the thought that there really was a threat to his woman. Well, after he rejected her, she wasn’t his per se, but he’d still tear apart anyone who even thought of harming her. Still, he couldn’t do that out in the open with human witnesses. He had to act fast and get Laila out of danger without violence.