Page 44 of Leave Me
Biting Riley would make him my mate, and that was for life.
My father and Gramps had been mated, and when they lost their wives, they couldn’t function. Both men had acted carelessly, causing permanent damage. The pack suffered along with their families.
My brain wouldn’t let me imagine a world where I survived and Riley didn’t. And if I died first? I couldn’t do that to Riley. At least not without a longer, sober conversation.
When my knot shrank down and I slipped from his body, I rolled to lay him on the mattress before slipping away. I needed some space to think, though I didn’t want to let him out of my sight.
“Where you goin’?” Riley mumbled.
“Bathroom,” I replied with a kiss to his temple. I could tell he didn’t like being far from me, so I left the bathroom door open to relieve myself before walking naked to the front door.
“What?” Riley squawked, trying to cover his body with the discarded sheet.
“No one’s at the door,” I chuckled. “I’m the only one who gets to see you like this.”
“Fucked out and desperate for cock?” Riley asked, sitting up to rest on his elbows as he raised an eyebrow.
“That, and also covered in my marks,” I pointed out.
Riley looked down at his body, where my fingerprints and love bites littered his skin. Somehow, despite everything we’d shared, Riley blushed at the sight.
Taking the covered plates to the little table. I could smell biscuits and gravy, plus bacon, and I didn’t care if it had gone cold. I was starving. “Come eat.”
Not bothering to put on the sweats Channing had left for us the day before, Riley sauntered over to sit across from me. He tucked one leg under his thigh and dug in, eating like he’d escaped prison.
Smiling that my…Riley was eating, I started on my own plate.
When we were finished, I took our plates to wash, wanting Riley to rest. The kitchenette only had a gas-powered stove and sink, but I was glad they’d updated the cabin to have power. Seeing my phone was dead, I plugged it in on the kitchen counter. It started up and immediately began ringing with Rel’s name on the screen.
Surprised to see multiple notifications for missed calls and texts, I didn’t answer in time. It was quiet for only a second before I saw Ricky was trying me. Leaving it plugged in, I swiped to answer and hit the speaker button.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“King! Fucking finally,” Ricky’s exasperated voice cut in, and I could feel the tension in his words. “You didn’t answer when anyone called, and wethought—”
“My phone died,” I interrupted, then waved as if he could see me. “It doesn’t matter. What’s wrong?”
Ricky’s panting breaths stilled as he responded to the command in my voice, and he answered without further stalling. “The twins from the Lakeland bear pack got onto King property. We don’t know if anyone else is with them yet.”
“What are you doing about it?” I yelled, gripping the counter.
Riley surprised me, placing a hand on my lower back. Leaning over my arm, he asked his own, more rational question. “Do we need to go somewhere else?”
“Rel is headed to the house to keep Channing and your Gramps safe. So don’t go there,” Ricky added.
Scoffing, I rolled my eyes and pulled Riley into my side. Going to the pack house would bring danger to my family. Riley was my number one priority, but I wouldn’t do anything that endangered Chan or Gramps, either.
“What are you doing?” I growled.
“Clark Finley is heading them off on the other side of the river, and I’m going to meet up with him. I was told to keep calling until you answered, but it took you forever,” Ricky said dryly. “And now that you have, I can shift.”
Running my fingers through my beard, I squeezed Riley against me as if that could keep him safe. I would stay with him, and Rel would be at the house. I didn’t like their odds.
“That’s only two wolves against two bears. Our pack numbers have never been so low.”
“Maybe if you took over the pack, that would change,” Ricky growled, and I could tell he was champing at the bit to help.
Ignoring his suggestion, which I wasn’t ready to think about, I realized Ricky was waiting for my instructions.
