Page 4 of The Predator's Wolf Mate

I directed everybody to the bus and we all said our goodbyes. That was the hardest part. These people had been my family when I had none, my support system, and my friends. Leaving sucked. But also, the right direction for my life to be headed in, and it wasn’t like they were eons away.

We got into the bus. This was it. We were doing this. No turning back now. The drive there wasn’t bad—loud but filled with excitement and happiness. The closer we got, the better I felt about everything. It wasn’t the actual moving or probably even the responsibility that was weighing on me the most. It was leaving Aziz.

And as much as I hated it, it was for the best. He didn’t want me. Sticking around was only going to cause me more heartache. I’d had enough of that.

We arrived at the hotel, and I showed everybody their rooms. We had purchased furniture, linens, and towels for all of them and had a couple of people come early to set things up. It currently still felt almost like a hotel, but that would change soon enough.

Chef had already moved in, as had his mate, Nora. Her official title was the house planner. It wasn’t a great name, but for now it would do. She was the one who made sure there were enough linens and towels, the one who organized what bills got paid when, and figured out supply orders, etc. So “planning” wasn’t really the right word for sure. Maybe Logistical Fairy.

One by one, everyone went into their rooms and unpacked their things from the van. It already felt like home.

“Bryant, what do you think? Should we go check out your room?”

“Room, room!” he echoed.

I’d picked the smallest one for us, based on its location. It was nearest to the office and the front door so that if things were needed at odd hours, I could easily handle them. But, even with that, it was still larger than what we were used to.

I opened the door. He toddled inside, and I followed with one of our boxes of belongings. It never ceased to amaze me how many things such a tiny little shifter needed.

Box on the bed, I ducked down to be face-to-face with my little man. “What do you think, Bryant?”

He climbed onto the toddler bed King picked out special for him. It was decorated with little boats. Bryant lay down and pretended to go to sleep, barely containing his little giggles.

“I’ll take that as a sign of approval.” I opened the box, pulled out his stuffed dog, and placed it beside him. He pulled it to him and snuggled it tight. He was home.

Chapter Four

Aziz

“Why are you here?” Jack said in a tone I hadn’t heard from him before. My hyena didn’t like it one bit.

“Me?” I asked, poking a finger into my own chest.

“Yeah. You. I thought I got away from you.”

My eyes bulged as my heart slammed against my sternum. The rest of the omegas and staff cleared the room. “You thought you got away from me, Jack?”

“Yes. I finally worked up the courage to make a clean break, and now I’m aggravated. Why are you here?”

He was aggravated with me being here in the new safehouse, but I had been frustrated as fuck at the thought of him leaving.

Maybe this was a mistake.

The omega clearly didn’t want to be near me.

“I thought we were friends, Jack. I’m here to protect all of you until we get someone else or make other arrangements.”

He kicked at the cabinets, surprising me. Jack had never showed one ounce of hostility, and now, this hidden anger was directed at me. “Friends? What kind of friends are we, Aziz? Tell me. We’re the kind who never speak to each other unless it’s an ‘excuse me’ or ‘pass the gravy’? You’re always pissed off or annoyed when I’m around, and yet, I find you staring at me all the time. Anytime I pick something up, you take over. You open doors for me. And then, bam, back to the ice prince. Friends, my ass, hyena.”

I took a step back. Jack was clearly burning for me, but not the way I wanted. “I didn’t…”

“Oh, I’m not done,” Jack said. He was damned sexy all riled up. I’d never seen this fire from him. Turned me on more than I wanted to admit. “You couldn’t just let me leave and move on in peace? You’re like a damned ghost, haunting me in the day and all night. Gods, I even see you in my dreams!” He pressed his fingers to his temples. I was his headache.

Wait a damned minute. “You dream about me?” I asked.

Wrong question. He let out a loud growl of frustration but came closer. A loss and a win. It took everything in me not to grab him and kiss him until I’d quelled all his anger.

“That’s what you’re focused on? Why? Why you? Can’t anyone else be here and guard us?”

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