Chapter 7
Salem
I’ve never slept that well in my life. I usually get four hours, at the most, but next to her, I slept for a solid eight. I removed that pillow wall she made and held her all night long. It was fucking new for me, and I could get used to it.
We shifted and went for a long run around my property before heading back to her house, where she showered and got dressed for work. I don’t like letting her go. In fact, it goes against everything my gut is telling me, but I don’t want her to hate me.
Another new thing.
I don’t usually give a fuck about who likes me or not.
And now she’s wearing a light blue shirt and black pants, an apron with a cherry on top of it, baking away, trying to get me to leave.
“You can’t stand there all day, Salem.” She sighs.
“You coming back to mine tonight?” I ask her, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning back against the wall next to the counter.
“Do I have a choice?” she fires back, arching her brow and cocking her hip. Her sassy attitude makes me hard.
“No.”
She rolls her eyes, and I grin at the flour on her cheek.
The door opens, and two male shifters walk in.
“Who knew that so many men hang around in fucking bakeries?” I mutter.
“Salem,” she whisper-yells, clearing her throat as she approaches the counter. “Good morning, what can I get for you both?”
They both turn and stare at me, the one closest swallowing hard. They can feel my dominance. I know it, and they know it. I’m an alpha shifter, just like my brothers, and come from a royal line.
“Hi, Peach. Can we please have our usual?” one manages to stutter out.
“Sure thing,” Peach replies, grabbing a box and placing a variety of pastries in it. I watch the interaction very closely, trying to talk myself out of hurting the males.
“Get your eyes off her,” I growl when they both continue to stare.
They look away immediately.
“Salem!” she snaps.
“I’m sorry. He’s…” she trails off and scowls at me.
I put my hands up and back away. This is Peach’s business. If I act the way I want, she’ll never want me here. I need to be on my best behaviour.
But when she hands one of them the bag and his fingers touch hers, all bets are fucking off.
Maybe he doesn’t need his eyes or his hands? How fucking dare he touch what’s mine?
They pay her, then leave.
“Are you okay?” she asks me, and I nod stiffly. “You can’t scare off my customers, Salem. And yes, some of them are males.”
“I know,” I reply, my jaw tense and my fingers twitching. “I’ll be back later. I have a few things to take care of.”
Her shoulders relax, and she looks relieved. “Okay, I’ll be here.”
I step up to her and softly kiss her lips.
And then I go and hunt my prey.
Using my invisible magic, I walk up to the two shifters, listening in on their conversation. “I thought you were going to ask Peach out?”
The other scoffs. “In front of Salem? Do you even know who he is? He looked like he wanted to kill us.”
“No, I don’t know who he is, but he was strong. His magic felt like it was pressing down on my skull.”
“I’ll ask Peach next time, when an assassin isn’t standing there like her bodyguard.”
Gritting my teeth, I wait until they walk underneath some trees before I let myself be known.
“Oh fuck,” the male who knows who I am curses. He holds his hands up in submission. “Whatever we did, we’re sorry. We didn’t mean to offend you.”
I flash my teeth. “Peach is mine. Don’t touch her again. And if you ask her out, I’ll kill you.”
He nods vehemently. “Okay, whatever you want.”
And when they think nothing is going to happen to them, I grab their heads and smash them together. Hard. Then, I return to being invisible, hold them both by their throats, and throw them back against the tree.
They both fall to the ground, blood dripping from their noses. “Spread the word. Peach is my mate, and I’m looking for a reason to kill someone.” I stand there a little longer, wondering if I should end their pathetic lives.
Peach will be angry.
But she doesn’t have to know.
Grinning to myself, I shift into my big black wolf and attack.
* * *
“How was your day?” she asks as I step into the bakery while she’s closing up. Her smile gives me that dopamine hit that I live my life craving. The same feeling I get when I fight or kill someone. Not to mention the fact that she’s smiling that I’m here.
That has to mean something, right?
Maybe she doesn’t entirely hate my company.
“Uneventful,” I reply, leaning down to kiss her forehead. The rough pad of my thumb brushes her cheek. “Can I help you with anything? I know you wanted me out of here today, but I can be useful.”
“Yes, I didn’t want you to scare away my customers.” She smirks, resting her palms on my chest. “I actually hired someone today. She starts tomorrow, so make sure that you’re nice.”
“I’m always nice,” I lie.
She arches her brow.
“To people I like,” I amend.
So just Peach and my siblings.
“Come on, let’s go home. You must be tired,” I say, lifting her in my arms. I’d stay here all day if she wanted me to. I ended up going to the apartment and watching her from there while I worked out. I need to stay fit so she keeps looking at my body the way she did last night.
“Home,” she whispers, wrapping her arms around me. “My brother came and visited me today.”
I zip to my house and place her on the bed. Then I put her feet on my lap, remove her shoes, and massage them. My mate works too hard. If it were up to me, she’d be here, baking for me and only me. Maybe we can work up to that.
“Oh, that feels so good.” She sighs, fluffing the pillow behind her and then lying back.
“What did your brother want?” I ask her.
“Just to check in on me,” she murmurs, opening her eyes and looking at me. She hesitates, as if she wants to say something. “He knows you’re my mate.”
“And?” I press, already knowing the answer.
“He doesn’t want me to bond with you,” she admits, narrowing her eyes. “But can you blame him after what happened? I don’t know why you did that.”
“We needed information, and a seer had a vision of him. He was a dead-end, but now I think it was because of you,” I say, finally realizing that.
And I wanted to kill him, but we decided not to since he was in Laurel’s vision. And thank fuck I didn’t. Peach would have never forgiven me.
“So you put him through that for nothing?” she asks, crossing her arms.
“Peach, I do what I need to do for my family. I don’t have any limits on that. And now I’d do the same for you. I’m sorry that I hurt your brother.” I pause and then tilt my head. “No, that’s not true. I don’t give a fuck about your brother, but I’m sorry that I upset you with my actions.”
“Salem…”
“But he’s going to have to get over that. You are mine, not his. Would you ever stand in the way of his mate or his happiness?” I ask her.
She frowns, her brows furrowing. “No, of course not.”
“So why is he trying to do that for you?”
She sighs and closes her eyes again. “Okay, I get what you’re saying. But it’s not exactly normal for someone to have to worry about who their mate has tortured.”
My lip twitches. “Who wants normal, little one? You were meant for something much more than that.”
“And you’re going to give it to me?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely.”