Page 57 of The Fated Mate Bandit

That gives him pause. Before he can stop me again, I scramble out of bed and yank on some shorts and a T-shirt. “Stay here.”

As I rush through my house, I realize Daryll will be able to smell Lucas on me. He’s a gray wolf shifter and Lucas is his mate. He’ll probably know we had sex before I even open the door.

Fucking hell. This is crazy. Why didn’t I just call the cops?

“Lucas! I know you’re in there!”

Daryll’s voice is loud and booming. I think of Lucas, who hates loud noise, and anger rises within me. Who does this guy think he is? He hit his pregnant mate, and now he’s threatening him in the middle of the night.

I flip the deadbolt and open the door.

The man on my porch is a lot bigger than I remember Daryll being. His shoulders have filled out, and the mullet Link was so fond of has been shaved down to a buzz cut. He has at least a few days’ worth of scruff on his face and dark circles under his eyes. Worst of all, he reeks of cheap beer and cigarettes.

Lucas is so sensitive to smell, I can’t imagine him wanting to get anywhere near this guy.

I wait for Daryll to sniff out the situation between me and Lucas. Maybe smoking has dampened his sense of smell, because he stares at me expectantly for a full beat before his eyes narrow.

“You wanna tell me why you smell like my omega?” he snarls.

“Nope. Lucas left you. It’s none of your business.”

“Like hell it isn’t. We’re fated mates.” Daryll tries to shoulder his way through my front door, but I stand my ground.

“Get off my property, or I’ll call the cops,” I say.

“Oh, is that how it is? Go ahead. When they get here, I’ll tell them you’re a coon shifter and you’ve got my omega in your bed. Who do you think they’ll help then?”

That stops me cold. I’m far away from the relative safety of the trailer park where raccoon shifters band together when one of us is treated unfairly by the cops. So far, I haven’t had to worry about that because of my silver hair. I look like a polar bear or arctic fox shifter.

“What do you want?” I ask.

Daryll’s lips spread into a nasty smile. “There you go. Now we’re talkin’. All you gotta do is go get Lucas, and I’ll be out of your hair.”

“No,” I say.

“Then maybeIshould call the cops. Tell them you abducted my omega. Put him under your spell. Bet your neighbors would love to hear that. Do they know there’s a coon shifter living next door?”

I’ve always known there would come a day when my neighbors would find out what I am. I decided long ago that I didn’t care. They can think whatever they want. I’m not ashamed of being a raccoon shifter.

But I am afraid the cops will take Lucas away.

“I haven’t put my paws on him,” I say.

Daryll laughs. “Of course you haven’t. I’m not worried about that.” He leans in closer, until I can smell his rancid breath. “Even a coon shifter wouldn’t want him now.”

Anger courses through me. I remind myself that punching Daryll won’t make him go away. It will probably just make him more violent.

“If nobody would want him, then why are you here?” I ask.

Daryll rolls his eyes. “Because rent’s due next week. And like I said, he’s my fated mate. I can’t fuck anybody else, and I’m horny.”

What a charmer. I can’t believe Fate thought Lucas deserved to be with this guy.

“If you let me put my paws on him, you’d be able to fuck whoever you want,” I say.

“If I let you? Are you fucking kidding me right now? If you want to put your paws on Lucas, be my guest. Free me from my misery.”

I can’t believe this. Daryll would give up his fated mate this easily? Like he was worth nothing?

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