Chapter 8
Adam
The next day, Adam caught Riko as he came into the garage. “Hey, can I talk to you for a sec?”
Riko studied him for a second, his expression giving nothing away, before saying, “Sure. Let’s go into the break room.”
Adam closed the door behind them. “I need to talk to you about Faye. The girl I met on New Year’s.”
Riko held up one hand, palm out, stopping the speech Adam had practiced all morning before he even had a chance to say anything. “I know what you’re about to say. I can smell her all over you.”
Adam didn’t try to deny it, but he could tell from Riko’s tone this wasn’t going to be an easy discussion. His jaw clenched as he lifted his chin. “I can’t give her up, so please don’t ask me to.”
“You barely know her.”
“I want the chance to get to do that.”
They stared each other down for a few seconds before Adam lowered his eyes and bowed his head in deference to his alpha.
“You know the pack laws,” Riko said. “You know how inflexible they are here, Adam. I’ve already had to shut down two attempts to banish you from the pack. And you know damn well this won’t be the last of it. What in the hell were you thinking?”
“Probably the same thing you were when you came back for Addison. A pure human, I might add.”
“I didn’t come back for her. I came back to bury my father and things just…
happened. Besides, it’s different with me and Addi.
I’ve known her for a lot of years. And we had a thing going back in the day.
” He sighed. “Look, I know I’m being a damn hypocrite right now.
But you know what happened the minute the rest of the pack caught a whiff of what was going on between us.
They were ready to take her out to protect themselves. And that was with me.”
Adam knew what he was trying to say. Riko was a dominant wolf. An alpha. And they were still willing to risk his wrath to remove the chance that Addison would tell the world about their existence.
“You’re putting that girl’s life in danger, man.” He studied Adam’s face. “And what happens if she gets pregnant?”
“That won’t happen.”
“It might.”
“It won’t.”
“Have you even asked her if she wants kids? Is she okay with never having any?”
Scrubbing his face with his palms, Adam paced away. He didn’t know. He had no fucking idea what Faye wanted or didn’t want. “I don’t know,” he finally admitted.
“How do you not know?” Riko asked him. “I hear y’all are engaged.”
Adam barked out a laugh. “Small town rumors that got out of hand to keep away an unwanted admirer. That’s all.”
Gesturing for Adam to sit down at one of the round lunch tables, Riko took the seat across from him, crossing his arms on the tabletop as he leaned forward and speared Adam with his sharp gaze.
“Look, I’m just trying to think of Faye here.
I wouldn’t want anything to happen to her.
And I can’t guarantee that with the way things are with the pack right now. ”
“You’re the alpha now,” Adam reminded him. “They’ll do what you tell them.”
Riko laughed. “And you’re a goddamn idiot if you believe that.
This pack, although it’s getting better, is still too fucking volatile for me to trust any of them.
And I’m not completely convinced a few of the rowdier ones aren’t meeting behind my back, trying to think of a way to get rid of me, without dying, that the rest of the pack will accept. ”
Adam knew exactly the wolves he was talking about. “They’ll never get enough support from the rest of the pack. And if they try, Lex and I will be there to make sure you kick their asses fair and square.”
“I appreciate that,” Riko told him.
Adam played with a saltshaker someone had left on the table. “I can’t let her go, Riko.”
“Why not?”
“Because she’s mine. I knew it the first moment I saw her.”
Their gazes clashed.
“Are you really gonna tell me I have to stay away from her?”
Riko sighed heavily. “No, man. I’m not gonna tell you that. I mean, hell. What’s the point now? The entire fucking town already thinks you two are planning the happy nuptials.”
“Thank you, Riko.”
Riko waved away his thanks. “Yeah, yeah. Just keep a close eye on her until we can make sure no one is going to come after her.” His head snapped up, and he pointed a finger at Adam.
“And even if you decide she’s not worth it, it’s still your responsibility to keep her safe.
I don’t give a shit if you’re stuck in this town the rest of her life. Understood?”
Adam tried to contain the grin that was spreading across his face, but couldn’t do it. “Understood. And thank you.”
“And I’m not helping you when the pack comes after you.”
“Yes, you will.”
Giving him a “fuck you” look, Riko told him, “You’re right. I will. But seriously, Adam. I’m not happy that you’re putting me in this position when they’re just starting to simmer down about me and Addi.”
“I know. And I’m sorry. I owe you one.”
“Hell yeah, you do. Now get your ass to work.”
The rest of the day was busy. It seemed everyone in town who owned a car got together and decided this was the day to get it repaired or tuned up for the year.
There was no way they’d get them all finished, but Adam got as much done as he could until his stomach told him it was time to call it quits and go get something to eat. Preferably between Faye’s legs.
“Steve! I’m heading out,” he called to the one other guy who’d stayed late. “You good to lock up?”
“Yeah, I got it. I’m just double checking this hose, and I’ll be right behind you.”
“See you tomorrow. Let’s go, Rocky.” Adam hung up the customer’s keys and stripped out of his coveralls, then grabbed what was left of his lunch from the break room before checking the front door was locked and leaving through the back door.
He just wanted to run by his place and get a quick shower and some food for Rocky. Pulling out his phone, he texted Faye.
Up for some company?
Her response was nearly immediate.
Only if you’re bringing pizza. :)
Adam grinned.
That I can do. What kind do you like?
He got her order and started the truck.
Thirty minutes later, he was smelling a lot better and loading Rocky back into the truck with his dinner dish and dog food.
He’d already called in the pizza order to Millonzi’s and just had to swing by and pick it up on his way to Faye’s.
He’d also brought an overnight bag. It might be presumptuous of him, but Adam didn’t plan on leaving her alone much until he was sure the pack wasn’t going to come after her.
So she was just going to have to get used to his company.
And he was bringing Rocky to soften the blow.
By the time he got to Faye’s RV, it had been a good hour since he’d texted her. Pulling up alongside her car, he noticed another truck parked up along the back end.
His hackles rose on the back of his neck when Rocky growled from the bed of the truck. Something was wrong.
Leaving the pizza in the truck, Adam ordered Rocky to stay where he was and jogged up to Faye’s door. He could hear noises coming from inside, and his heart rose into his throat. “Faye!”
The door was locked when he tried it, but the sound of something smashing to the floor spurred him into action.
With a low growl, he yanked the door open, breaking the lock in the process. He was expecting to find one or more of the pack in there and he was terrified that they’d hurt her, that he’d gotten there too late, so he was already beginning to shift when he stormed inside.
What he hadn’t expected to find was Jeff’s large body on top of Faye’s.
He had her pinned to the couch, one hand over her mouth and the other tearing open her red flannel shirt, exposing her bare breasts as she pummeled him with her fists and tried to buck him off, her screams muffled by his large hand.
Her blue eyes were huge and terrified as they found his.
With a roar of rage, Adam shifted, the change coming on so hard and fast, he barely felt the pain.
He crossed the small space with one push of his powerful back legs, jaws snapping as he threw himself into Jeff, knocking him off of Faye and into the table behind him, which broke and crumbled to the floor with their combined weight.
Jeff bared his teeth, his dark eyes flashing yellow. Adam narrowed his eyes. There was no fucking way he just saw what he thought he just saw. And yet, he didn’t seem all that surprised to have a giant wolf on top of him.
But that was impossible. Adam could scent another shifter half a mile away. And this guy smelled human. Like an angry human, but human, nonetheless.
“You can’t keep me away from her,” he spit in Adam’s face. “Faye was mine long before you ever came along. And she’ll be mine again as soon as I take you out of the equation.”
Adam snarled. The fuck he would. A human was no match for a shifter.
Shock shot through him as the bones in Jeff’s face shifted beneath his skin, and at first, Adam thought it was just a trick of the light.
But no, it wasn’t. Jeff bared his teeth, the supernatural light behind his eyes sputtering to life again, stronger this time.
His hands, pressed against Adam’s chest in an attempt to keep his jaws away from his throat, elongated.
Just then, another section of the table gave way, sending them both tumbling to the floor.
Adam slammed into the cabinets and quickly scrambled to his feet, ready to launch himself at this asshole again.
But he stopped and watched as something he’d never seen happen before took place right before his eyes.
Falling to his hands and knees, Jeff’s back con-caved and then arched, his shifting bones and muscles stretching his skin to the point that it should have torn open and healed again in a new form. Except it didn’t. It stopped there.
Half changed, Jeff rose to his full height. He appeared to have grown an inch or two, and he was bigger, bulkier, the bones in his cheeks and jaw more prominent. He bared his teeth, and Adam saw they’d grown too.
Son of a bitch.
He glanced over at Faye. She’d pulled herself into a ball on the corner of the couch and now sat watching them, the scent of her fear sour and tears flowing down her cheeks. He needed to move this fight somewhere else, where she wouldn’t get hurt.
Turning, Adam ran back outside through the broken door, heading east to the open land near Faye’s RV park.
Jeff—half shifted—followed right on his heels.
Fire burned across Adam’s back, Jeff’s claws ripping right through his clothes to the skin beneath.
Adam cursed, and decided they’d gone far enough.
He skidded to a halt, turning to face the threat behind him.
Jeff hit him with the force of a freight train, his jaws open and going for his throat. But Adam knocked him away and followed him to the ground.
Snarls and snapping teeth ripped through the night air as they fought.
And this wasn’t just a fight for dominance.
Adam was fighting for his life. The winner would get the girl.
He had no time to wonder why he hadn’t known what Jeff was.
Or how he could only shift halfway. He was too busy trying to stay out of reach of Jeff’s longer arm span.
In this form, the guy was freaky strong.
Stronger than Adam even. He couldn’t let him get his arms around him, because he was pretty sure the guy would be able to crush his internal organs with one good squeeze.
And if that happened, no one would be around to protect Faye. He would do what he had to do to protect her and everyone else in this town. And worry about the consequences later.
And then, out of the corner of his eye, Adam saw a flash of steel in the moonlight.
Son of a bitch.