Page 13 of Dutiful Wolf's Mail Order Mate

Even Bowen seemed to take notice, his eyes narrowing as Rafe slid into the booth next to Kai.

The diner patrons resumed their chatter, but at a subdued volume, like they were afraid to draw too much attention.

Rafe didn’t bother with greetings, his stone-cold gaze zeroing in on Bowen. “You must be the one prowling the edges of my territory.”

Bowen’s lip curled in a sneer. “You learn that yourself, or did you have to beg the real shifters for the information?”

Rafe’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t rise to the bait. “I don’t beg for anything. And I sure as hell don’t let other alphas threaten my pack on my own turf.”

Bowen propped an elbow on the back of the booth and toyed with a lock of my hair. I pressed my palms into my thighs and tried to breathe through my nose. My skin crawled. My wolf howled. I needed out. Out of the diner, out of my human form. Four legs and freedom were ten feet away, and there would be no more Bowen, no thick stench clouding the pine and leather of Rafe, no threats on my life and an easily predictable early death.

Kai caught my eyes and gave the barest of head shakes.

“Been asking around, and pay attention little Madison, so you know the measure of your intended.” Bowen’s lip curled into a sneer as he slashed his look to Rafe. “You’re no alpha. Hell, you’re barely even worthy of being a second. This soy-boy beta turned on the last alpha with his traitor ways.”

“We’d only be traitors if we lost,” Rafe said, his voice low and dangerous. “But Marcus is the one six feet deep. Should I have my pack start digging to the left or the right?”

A shiver ran down my spine at the casual threat, the hint of violence lurking beneath the surface. He didn’t know us. He didn’t owe us anything. The smart, easy thing would be washing his hands of the whole situation before Bowen steamrolled the tiny pack.

But Rafe’s quiet intensity bore right between Bowen’s eyes.

It shouldn’t have been attractive, shouldn’t have made my pulse race and my breath catch in my throat. But damn if it didn’t.

Bowen, however, seemed unimpressed. He leaned back in his seat, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. “Gonna have to do a lot of digging to make room for me and mine. Not even your friends in the next town or those bears flirting up your skirts will be able to handle that much work.”

He turned to run a finger down my face, and I froze, every muscle in my body locking up in instinctive fear. But before he could make contact, Rafe’s hand shot out, grabbing Bowen’s wrist in a bruising grip.

“I’d appreciate if you never even think of touching my mate again,” Rafe growled, his eyes flashing with barely contained rage.

Mate. The word hung in the air. A promise from one, a death sentence from the other.

Bowen just laughed, and leaned in close, his nose almost brushing against my neck as he inhaled deeply. “Doesn’t smell mated,” he murmured, his breath hot against my skin. “Smells like a conquest to be savored.”

Kai jerked forward with a snarl, ready to launch himself across the table at Bowen. But Rafe was faster, slamming him back into his seat without ever taking his eyes off the other alpha.

For a moment, something like hesitation flickered across Bowen’s face. But then that dangerous gleam was back, his eyes glinting with malice as he slowly spread his fingers in a mocking show of submission.

Rafe let him loose with a mocking nod of thanks the moment all his fingers were raised.

“I’ll be seeing you soon,” Bowen chuckled as he stood, eyeing each of us in turn. “Real soon.”

A muscle along Rafe’s jaw twitched. Silent, inhuman, not a single care who witnessed the alpha on the prowl in his domain, he pushed to his feet. Unblinking fury burned into Bowen’s back as he stalked after the other alpha, stopping in the doorway. His hands braced against the frame, knuckles white, and he craned his neck to watch Bowen saunter down the street.

Only when Bowen was out of sight did Rafe swivel his head to Kai, his expression hard. “Find Orion. Keep an eye on that one.”

Kai squared his shoulders as he glared at Rafe. “I’m not a member of your pack. You can’t just order me around like?—”

“Make yourself useful to me,” Rafe cut him off, his voice cold as ice, “or take your chances out there with him.”

Kai opened his mouth again, but I kicked him under the table this time. “Behave,” I hissed through gritted teeth.

For a moment, Kai looked like he might argue. With me or Rafe, I didn’t want to find out. I could handle his recklessness. But Rafe? Who stood between us and safety, and had no reason to put up with extra attitude from an unwanted guest?

I let go of a held breath when my brother shoved himself out of the booth. His jaw clenched tight and he threw a glare to Rafe as he passed, but he stalked through the door.

Rafe’s deep voice tied a stone around the already sinking feeling in my gut.

“We need to talk.”

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