Chapter Fourteen
Trace
We stopped in at a small store that was open twenty-four hours a day and picked up some jeans and a plain T-shirt. I stuffed the club attire would need cleaning before I returned it, so I stuffed it into the bag the store gave me.
Looking over at Azlan as he paid for my things, I couldn’t believe how this day had turned out. A date. New experiences. Romance. Shifting. And now danger lurking around every corner. It was like a whole movie plot jam-packed into twenty-four hours.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, threading his fingers through mine.
“It’s a lot,” I said as we left the store and walked out, aimless. I had to keep myself out of the hands of the people who thought I was a piece of property to be claimed but, other than that, I was completely at a loss about what to do next.
What I was sure of was that I could do anything as long as this man was beside me.
Not the way I should be thinking, but that was how he made me feel. And now that we’d shifted together and my bear had found the bond he’d been searching for since I learned about mates, there was no convincing him Azlan wasn’t ours.
The alpha looked around, for what I didn’t know. We were in the town outside the resort, miles away from where I should’ve been. In my bed. Resting for the next day.
There was nowhere else I’d rather be, despite the reasons we were here.
“I have a plan.”
Run far away from me and my trouble? I steeled myself for the plan. “What is it?”
“Let’s go over to that diner and grab some pie and coffee, and we’re going to talk some more. I won’t have you living your life looking over your shoulder and running away every chance you get.”
“Okay.” What else could I say? I had villains, real life ones, chasing me. Maybe this wolf shifter alpha could be my hero.
Or help me be my own.
We went to the diner. Azlan ordered us pancakes and coffee contrary to his claims about pie and then took my hands in his on top of the table. He waited for my attention to be solely on him. While he ordered, I kept my eyes on the street, scanning for anyone out to get me.
Even though I knew the alpha would never let anything happen to me, I feared for both of us. And those men had people and weapons and… I would rather get captured than for anything to happen to Azlan.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I don’t like it. Your scent is off. We’re going to get through this. Together.”
“I don’t want you hurt in the process. You just met me. We had one date. I dragged you into my drama and my troubles.” I let out a laugh. “You’re on vacation for goddess’ sakes.”
“We had one date, omega, but I think you and I both know this is more than casual.”
Our pancakes and coffee were delivered right after he said that, and the waitress took a long time giving us butter and syrup. Finally, she left us alone again.
“My bear is in kind of love with your wolf,” I admitted and felt a rush of heat to my face.
“Kind of? I’m offended, Trace. My wolf knows that you and your bear are our fated mates.”
I choked on the bite of pancakes, accidentally garnering the attention of the handful of people in the diner. “And what about you, the man?”
“I’ve known it since I scented you. And tonight, everything about tonight, solidified it for me. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when I saw you running away from the resort. I would’ve chased you around the world, baby.”
“I…don’t know what to say.”
“Say you’re mine, omega. That’s all I need to hear. I’ll keep you safe no matter what because of who you are to me, but if you feel the same, then I have to know.”
“I do. I’m yours, alpha.”
A big smile grew on Azlan’s face. Here we were.
In the middle of nowhere. Discovering each other in the desert, late at night, under duress from some awful mafia people.
“Here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to go back to my villa at the resort.
You’re staying with me until we get all of this figured out and, tomorrow morning, we’re going to report these guys to the authorities. ”
“Why not tonight?”
“Because I don’t think they’re going to find you tonight, especially since you’ll be with me.”
“In your villa.”
He laughed. “Yes. In my villa. They have no idea you’re with me, probably. Now, eat up.”
“Ugh,” I looked at the stack of pancakes and, while they looked delicious, the night had shaken me and my appetite up. “I don’t know if I can.”
Underneath the table, Azlan ran his foot up my leg and then my thigh. “Eat up, omega. Because once we’re inside my villa, I’m making you mine. Marking you. You want that, don’t you?”
“Yes,” I answered immediately. No second guessing. Not even stopping to think about it. “Yes.”