Chapter 5
Five
Knox
T he taste of her skin on my tongue is liquid fire. I want to have more of her.
I need to have more of her.
And thanks to the fucking Witch of Bonds and her crazy tarot deck, I can’t even let my mate see the real me. The me she’s supposed to be falling in love with. The me that should be sheltering her from the world in strong, human arms.
The me that should be making love to her in the moonlight.
A flicker of sadness courses through me at the thought, but it’s quickly replaced by one of rage. Was this the only way to find my way to her? Black magic sorcery and an imprisonment that will last god knows how long?
I watch my raven-haired goddess throw her keys into the ignition and take off down the gravel pathway leading to the highway. I can’t even ask her her name in this state, nor tell her mine. And while she may not see me as a viable mate right now, that doesn’t mean I can’t keep close to her and ensure she stays safe.
I leap off the deck and take off running, wearing the trees alongside the highway as a disguise. I follow her car, running beside her for her forty-minute commute to the central city. I crouch here and duck there to keep her from seeing me and keep as hidden as possible from other humans. I watch her get ready in her car, throwing mascara on in the rearview and putting a little red vest over her top. When she steps inside, it dawns on me.
Ah, so this is where she works.
She’s honestly the only ray of sunshine in the godforsaken place. Zombies stand at all the other registers, humans with dark bags and hollow cheeks and no life zest left in them. But she stands at one of the registers wearing a smile that radiates warmth throughout the space, and more customers come to her than anyone else.
I stay there for her whole shift, watching her. She’s got this buzz to her, this energetic bounce in her step that’s electrifying. I long to hold her, to know what her soft curves would feel like, wrapped tightly in my arms as she’s pressed against me.
Even in my wolf state, being near her awakens my body in ways I’ve never experienced.
The sky turns hues of orange and crimson by the time she’s off work. Her legs must scream after working a double, but nothing on her face gives it away if that’s true. She’s still smiling, waving goodbye to coworkers as they head out. After a bit, she’s the only one left, finishing her cash out and gathering her purse before she comes out and locks up the store.
The sun bids farewell, dipping below the horizon and blanketing the city in darkness. The street lamps cast bits of light down over the sidewalk as she walks, her swaying hips causing me to salivate. She’s halfway to her car when I hear thudding footsteps against concrete. It’s too far for her to notice, though she stops and glances around anxiously before walking.
She senses something is wrong.
I watch as a burly man steps out from a distant alleyway. His eyes are locked on her, watching her every move. He licks his lips and picks up his pace toward her. I make my way around the far edge of the parking lot. I position myself behind my mate in some bushes outlining the parking lot, ready to intervene if necessary. No way this creep is getting anywhere near my woman .
She turns and sees the man, the light of the lamps highlighting her widening eyes. She looks scared but keeps walking confidently toward her car. She’s nearly there when the man starts closing in, his dirty work boots dragging along as he takes staggering steps. The smell of alcohol pierces the air as he speaks, his swaying stature giving way to his intoxication.
“Look at you,” he hisses. “Aren’t you a pretty thing?”
“I … I’m going to call the cops!” she says, but she isn’t holding her phone. She reaches into her bag, but the man takes a step closer.
“Leave it, bitch.”
She freezes, hand hovering above her purse. Her chest is rising and falling with panicked breaths, a sight that lights my every nerve ending on fire.
The man takes another step, damn near close enough to grab her, and it’s one too many. I jump out from the bushes and rush over, the man stumbling backward and landing hard on the concrete as I growl menacingly.
He tries to stand up but falls again, using his arms to scoot himself away as fast as possible. My fangs are bared as I step in front of my mate. I can hear her trembling behind me, but she’s safe now.
Whether she knows it or not, she’s always safe with me.
The man climbs to his feet and takes off, tripping a couple more times and barely catching himself. He looks back and heads back into the alley from which he appeared. I watch until I’m sure he’s truly gone, then turn around and face my poor, terrified mate.
Her brows raise when she looks at me, her delicate features awash with relief.
“You!” she cries, stepping closer to me. “You’re the … the wolf from my place! How … Did you follow me here?”
I walk over to her, and she crouches down and rubs between my ears. I lick her face, the taste of her sweet to my senses. She giggles as she stares at me. “You crazy thing! I can’t believe you followed me here. Thank god, though. You scared that creep away. Thank you.” I nuzzle my face into her chest.
I wish I could tell her how she never has to worry anymore, how she’ll always be safe now that she’s my mate.
How I love her.
“I’m going to call you … Wolfgang, okay? Actually, Wolfie. You can get in the back seat of my car, and I’ll take you back to the woods. It isn’t safe for you in the city.”
I whine my agreement, and she smiles. She unlocks her car and opens the back door, stepping aside so I can hop in. I lay down on the seat, barely enough room to be comfortable. It likely would have been faster to head back on foot, but I won’t turn down any moment I can spend with her.
We hit the road, and she puts on some quiet music, something mellow and instrumental. Not really what I would have pegged her for, but maybe it’s what she likes to decompress at day’s end. I lay my head on my paws and close my eyes, enjoying how her scent fills the small space.
“Seriously, Wolfie, I was really lucky back there,” she says. “Lucky you followed me. Still not sure why you did that, but … thank you. You can’t keep following me to work, though. If someone sees you, it could mean big trouble.”
I sense her eyes on me as she glances over her shoulder and then back at the road. “I’m Bailey, by the way. I wonder how long you’ve lived in those woods outside my house. How long have you—Jesus Christ, I think I’m losing my mind. Talking to a damn wolf like it’s going to answer me. Yeesh. I need to get to bed.”
I open my eyes and look at her in the rearview mirror. She’s so beautiful. Perfect, really.
“Anyway, I’m thankful for you, is what I’m trying to say. Crazy Wolfie.”
She doesn’t say anything else the rest of the drive and doesn’t need to.
All that matters is that she’s safe.