Page 17 of Wolf's Wild Woman

“Still sleeping. We were up pretty late last night.”

He chuckled but didn’t make any bawdy comments. Yet another reason we were friends.

“I’m still coming up with nothing on Makers,” Simon told me. “Accounts haven’t been touched. Neither have his credit cards.”

“Keep watching,” I ordered. “Is Bee around?”

“She’s at the house,” Simon answered, and there was wistfulness in his voice. I wasn’t sure why he harbored a crush on her. He held onto it like a lifeline, despite the fact Bee had told him from the get-go they weren’t meant for each other. “She hasn’t said anything about Rebel or you, though.”

Leave it to him to know what I was thinking.

“I’m at the drive. Meet me at the house.”

I disconnected and took off at a fast lope. The quicker we went over things, the quicker I could get back to Rebel. My chest ached being away from her. Simon met me at the door, and we headed inside, going straight for Bas’ office. Most of those coming were already there, and Bas followed closely behind us.

“Good job rounding up the riff-raff, Taylor,” he called as he entered, and I grunted in response. “I hear you took one of the Rigtons as your mate. Raina speaks highly of her. She also said your mate’s been through a lot and not to hurt her. Raina might have threatened to rip you apart if needed.” Bas’ grin shared exactly how much pride he found in his mate’s bloodthirstiness. Simon had said Raina was perfect for our alpha, and it certainly seemed so.

“My mate’s former pack is now part of ours, and as such, it’s ours to protect. I won’t say I understand what happened when Rowan Byrd died, but I know he should have had someone willing to step up and seize the reins. Instead, those most capable left and won’t be welcomed back. Simon has a list of places where we need to make our presence known. Taylor has taken care of educating the troublemakers who were clinging to the faltering pack. Now, it’s time for a show of strength. We’re putting down roots. No more moving around. We’re here to stay.”

We went over a few more things, but I felt antsy. Bas caught me checking the time more than once and grinned. As a newly mated man himself, I’m sure he understood my need to get back to Rebel.

“See everyone here, tonight at eight,” Simon called out as Bas headed toward me.

“No word from this Makers guy, yet?”

“Nothing,” I answered and had to admit it rubbed me the wrong way. I didn’t believe he was gone. I couldn’t explain it, but that was the crux of why I didn’t want to leave Rebel alone for long.

“Raina says he’s a real prick. Him and the ilk he runs with. Said she doubted he’d take off if Rebel hurt him. He’s the type of guy who’d want payback.” Bas spit the words out with disgust. “I’ve got a couple of guys watching your back. I don’t like the silence from this guy. Gives me the creeps.”

Birds of a fucking feather. This similar response was one of the reasons I felt so at home in the James Pack. We didn’t second guess our instincts. We honed them, refined them to a fucking point, and followed them like a beacon.

“Same,” I conceded.

“If anything happens, you get a call out immediately. We take care of each other. None of us stands alone. You want to take on this guy head-to-head, then you make sure your brothers are there to keep it fair,” Bas ordered.

“Understood.”

He gave me a hard glare as if making sure I really did understand how serious he was. Then he slapped me on the back and headed out the door. No guesses needed to know where he was headed. Back to his mate. Same as I wanted to get back to mine. I was already planning how to convince her to come stay with Bee tonight while I was out.

Bee caught me outside the front door.

“Tell her I asked about her and can’t wait to meet her. Play up the no friends angle,” Bee encouraged, and it didn’t surprise me that she’d known what I planned.

“You have friends,” I countered.

She smiled. “Not of the female persuasion. Tell her. She’s already curious about me.” She paused suddenly then gripped my forearm tight. “Go now. Cut through the back. Don’t use the road. Hurry.” Her pupils were blown, the black overtaking her irises completely. “Hurry!” she ordered again, and I took off at a dead run.

I heard Simon shout something behind me, but the warning in Bee’s voice had me ignoring anything except the urge to get back to Rebel. I had to get to my mate. Fast.

* * * *

~Rebel~

I woke up alone and found Taylor’s note ordering me not to leave the house without him. I had to laugh. The man took overprotective to a new level. I debated a quick jump into the shower then opted to throw on clothes and head downstairs to search out breakfast instead. I liked the smell of him on my skin. It was comforting, as if he were right beside me. I was humming under my breath as I took the stairs with a hop in my step and almost lost my balance when I saw Benji Makers leaning against the wall.

“Miss me, sweetheart?” he leered, letting his gaze rake over me.

“How did you get in here?” I demanded, gaze bouncing around the room. I didn’t see anyone with him, but that didn’t mean they weren’t lurking around the corner, waiting to pop out when I wasn’t looking.

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