Page 7 of Chomp's Challenge

“You need to take it slow, Chomp. She’s in a delicate state right now.”

My chin drops. “Fuck. I know.”

“Let me help. She needs to trust us if she’s going to stay.”

Hope floods my body with warmth. “Will you? I don’t have the right words to help her through this.” I crack my neck, fighting the gator’s urges. “The rage is too strong.”

“Spike told Kodiak what happened, and he told me.” She sighs. “I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault.”

“No, but I think she needs a friend. Another woman.”

I nod. “Yeah.”

“We’ll help her through this, Chomp. Promise.”

I’m so fucking grateful all I can do is nod again. I suspect before it’s all said and done, Ariel’s going to need each and every one of my brothers to fully heal. While I’d prefer to do it all on my own, I realize I’m not equipped for every scenario at all, and my brothers, whose backstories I don’t know in full, might have experiences that’ll help Ariel heal in all ways; mind, body, and soul.

She’s still ours, my gator grumbles. I shake my head at how stubborn he’s being right now. I know she’s ours, for fuck’s sake! But we’re out of our league right now, and the best thing to do is reach out to my chosen family for help. He’s just gonna have to accept that fact. He chumpfs in my head like he’s trying to argue, but we both know I’m right.

Spike and Kodiak arrive an hour later after stopping at the campsite. I join them outdoors, close to the lake where my gator can watch over the property. They’re both tense, and I bristle as I sense their anger. What the fuck is wrong now? I almost ask when Spike blows smoke from his nostrils and cracks his neck.

“Too much blood at the campsite.”

Fuck. I know what he means. It’s not the men I butchered, but my mate’s blood that resulted from her injuries and the assault.

Kodiak tilts his head back and roars. The thought of any of our mates suffering in that way makes his bear want to tear through the forest to search for threats. There are only two, but that doesn’t matter. Once we bond to a woman, our animals consider all females precious, regardless of who she mates. Kodiak and Spike, along with the rest of the club, will protect Callie and Ariel with their lives. It helps to ease the bloodlust since my gator won’t relent. He still feels danger is lurking too close to Ariel.

Spike ticks his chin in the direction of the campground. “Your gator must have done a better job than you thought. We didn’t find much left.”

“The local authorities think it’s a wild animal attack. No foul play. We’re good,” Kodiak adds.

“How did you manage that?” I wonder, curious how they covered it up since I knew my gator’s prints must have been left in the mud.

“Didn’t want them to go after the gators or your scaly ass so we picked up a mountain lion and left plenty of prints.”

I snort at Spike’s word usage. “Picked up?”

“Might be more accurate to say we had a snack and his help.”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, I snort. “Uh-huh.”

“Is she okay?” Kodiak inquires, ticking his chin toward the cabin.

I’m not sure if he means Callie or Ariel. “Ariel is resting. Callie is drinking all my coffee.”

Kodiak chuckles. “My mate enjoys her caffeine.”

I know the second that Ariel wakes. There’s a slight shift in the wind, a vibration that my gator senses. She’s opened the bedroom window, and her feminine scent brushes across my nose. My reaction is instant. I’m hard that fucking fast. But I’m also concerned since I still smell blood on her and other fluids. The remnants of those males I need to cleanse from her body.

She needs a shower, and I can’t wait any longer. My gator pushes me to care for our female, and I don’t hesitate to turn toward the cabin, not bothering to tell Spike or Kodiak what I’m doing. They probably figured it out almost the second I took off. When I reach the door, I rush inside, taking the stairs two at a time.

I only pause when I reach my bedroom, hearing movement inside. It’s odd to knock, but I do, trying to show my mate I can be thoughtful and patient. “Hey, beautiful, I thought I’d check on you and see if you’d like a bubble bath.”

Yeah, part of my master plan to win her over and make her fall in love with me. Women like bubble baths, right?

The door cracks open, and I see Ariel with a smirk on her face. “You want to know if I want a bubble bath.”

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