Page 49 of The Bookseller and the Alpha
I looked around the garage, but all was quiet. I shifted from foot to foot, tugging my bag tightly against my shoulder. We’d been attacked, someone had blown up his car, I’d been chased and then rescued by a Shifter in Beast form, and the Beast didn’t want to let go of their shared body. And that was only the last half an hour of a day that had already been full of surprises. There was only so much one girl could cope with. I was done. I wanted safety, a bath, some booze and sleep.
We needed help. Luc was hurt and there was probably a dead man in the SUV. Who could I call? No point in calling thepolice. This was Shifter jurisdiction. Why hadn’t I taken Sam’s number? Wait. Akira! I had her number.
“I’m getting us some help, big guy,” I said as I fished in my bag, not taking my eyes off Luc. He might be in his Beast form, but he was still Luc.
“Caly, go ahead,” Akira answered on the first ring.
“We have a situation in the parking garage next door to my building,” I said.
“Are you hurt? Luc? Are you in immediate danger?”
“We’ll be all right.” I hope. “But there was another attempt and we need to get to the Palace.”
“Can you get to your apartment?”
That was a good question. But there was only one way this could go. “Yes,” I said firmly. There’s a mess for you to sort out in the garage. We’ll hole up in my apartment till then.”
“Yes, ma’am.” She hung up.
Then I texted Electra. “Safe. Talk later.”
I didn’t want to be here anymore. I wanted to be safe. In my apartment. With my Shifter mate. And for that, I needed Luc to sort his shit out. From what I knew, this fight for control wasn’t normal for Shifters, but then again, I hadn’t known that Shifters could mate with humans, and that was a pretty important fact that had been missing from my Shifter knowledge-base. I was so going to buy some better books for my shop once this was all over.
Would he hear me if I spoke to him? “Luc, I’m scared.” I didn’t mind admitting it. It was true. I was also getting impatient. And I was hungry. “I need you two to sort this out so we can go up to my apartment. Your team will take over down here. You can stand down.”
Chapter 54
Luc
Caly’s voice broke into our consciousness. Our girl was scared and wanted to go up to her apartment. An apartment with a king-sized bed. Beast tried to take a step forward, ready to lift Caly over his shoulder, but I planted our feet.
We aren’t going anywhere. Not until you say yes. You need me and I need you.
IT’S A DEAL.
And, just like that, it happened. The two separate halves of my soul blended together so smoothly it was like we’d never been separate. I was whole, complete, as I finally acknowledged the truth of who I was… what I was. I was Luc and I was a monster. All the better to protect my mate.
I stood straight, stretching my neck side to side to work out the kinks. I pulled the piece of metal out of my side. My body was battered, my leg a shattered mess, but the bone was already knitting and changing back would finish the healing process. As soon as we got my mate to safety.
“Time to go, mate.”
I stepped forward, scooping Caly up with ease, cradling her against my chest as I ran for the elevators. My senses were sharper than they’d ever been. I could see into the shadows atthe edges of the garage. There were no visible threats. I could hear the whine of the elevator mechanism, the hum of distant traffic and my mate’s heartbeat. It had spiked when I picked her up, but then it had settled when I pressed her against my chest.
Chapter 55
Calypso
When Luc opened his eyes, I gasped. It had happened. He had bonded with his Beast. One blue eye and one chocolate brown eye stared at me, his gaze intent, predatory.
“Time to go mate,” he said, before scooping me up as if I weighed nothing. Then again, he’dthrowna car, so perhaps to him I did weigh nothing.
He started for the elevator at a run, despite his mangled leg. “Wait.” Was he nuts? “You need to change back. People are going to notice a mostly-naked ogre in the street.”
“Doesn’t matter,” he grunted, not even slightly out of breath. I took a moment to appreciate that.
“It matters to me.” I didn’t want him to be at risk. I mashed the button for the elevator. “Do it for me, please.”
He grunted again, but after he stepped into the elevator, he lowered me to my feet, strong arms still around my body. In an instant, his body changed, shrinking until he was Luc again. The tattered remains of his shirt and jacket hung off his shoulders. His lower half was still barely covered by his ruined pants. I tried to take a step back, so I could inspect his leg, but he just scooped me back into his arms as the elevator rose, then walked out into the lobby, apparently uncaring of his nearnudity. Returning me to my feet, he stepped in front of me while he scanned the street outside. It was dinner time and the winter night was cold and dark. Our mostly residential surroundings were empty of traffic and quiet. We only had to go a few steps in the street before we would reach my apartment block.
