Page 57 of Mated to the Human: Volume One

“Leander,” Merri’s voice reached him from inside the store.

Turning, he ran inside nearly colliding with his mate. He wrapped his arms around Merri, lifting him off his feet in his need to get Merri as close as possible.

“I’m okay,” Merri whispered against his shoulder, holding him just as tightly.

Leander pulled him closer, absorbing the feeling of Merri safe and warm in his arms. After another moment, he pulled back far enough to cup Merri’s face in his hands.

Merri grasped his forearms. “I’m okay. Not a scratch.”

Letting out a slow breath, Leander brought their lips together, kissing him slowly. When they broke apart, he rested his forehead against Merri’s. “Tell me what happened.”

“They tried to grab me from the crosswalk. I was on my way back from the coffee shop.”

Glancing over his shoulder, Leander met Ammon’s gaze where he was leaning against the bookstore’s front counter.

“There were three. One driving and two in the back.” Ammon stood up and walked over to them.

“Ammon stopped them. Bacchus was there, too,” Merri said, pressing himself along Leander’s front and laying his head on his chest.

Leander kept his arms wrapped tight around him as he spoke to Ammon. “Thank you.”

“It’s what I’m here for, bossman.”

Glancing down at the top of Merri’s head, Leander asked, “Have you given your statement to the police.”

“Yes. They said I was good to go, and if they need anything else, they’ll be in touch. Apparently, CCTV caught the whole thing, so I don’t think they’ll really need any more from me.”

“Good. Let’s get you upstairs. I need to call Lenette.”

8

After the near abduction, Merri wasn’t even allowed to leave the building on his own. Under other circumstances, he may have found it overbearing, but while he was still jolting awake in the middle of the night at the phantom jerk of hands trying to steal him away, he was more agreeable to the company. And it’s not like he was someone who constantly ran all over the place. The grocery store. The bank. The coffee shop. That was really it.

He was perfectly content to have Leander or Ammon with him on every little errand. Seeing a hellhound lurking around—usually Bacchus—didn’t hurt his feelings either.

“Hi, Mapes,” Merrick said, petting Maple from head to tail. “I’m sorry you can’t go with us, but I’m guessing you’ll have more fun here anyway.”

It was early evening on a Saturday, and he and Leander were getting ready to head out to the paranormal gym Cane had been training at for his first fight night there. Merrick had never been to something like that and found he was excited and nervous in equal measure. Cane and Hollis had become his friends over the last few weeks. They’d come into the bookstore the week after his almost-kidnapping to check on him. Then Cane had added all three of them to a group chat, and the rest was history.

“Ready, Merri?” Leander asked as he came out of the bedroom.

“Ready.” He turned to see what suit Leander had decided on for the evening, only to stop and stare. Leander wasn’t wearing a suit. Instead, he had on dark jeans, a soft-looking deep-blue sweater, and was slipping his arms into a black leather jacket. “Oh.”

Looking up, Leander raised his brows. “Oh?”

“Mmhmm,” he hummed, making his way over to his mate. Without stopping, he slid his arms beneath Leander’s jacket, feeling just how soft that sweater was against his fingertips as he wrapped his arms around Leander’s waist. “You look so sexy.”

Leander held him close, looking down at him with hooded eyes. “Sexier than a three-piece suit?”

“Close second,” Merrick whispered, raising up to press a soft kiss to Leander’s mouth.

Leander sucked in a breath, dipping his tongue between Merrick’s lips and sending a thrill skittering down his spine, before pulling back entirely too soon. “If we don’t leave now, we’ll be late.”

With a fake pout, Merrick kissed him one more time and stepped back. He looked over at Maple. “Be a good girl, Mapes. We’ll be back later.”

Merrick watched in amusement when Leander stepped over to Maple and offered his hand for a sniff. Maple took him up on it, and even pressed the side of her face against his fingers for half a second before hopping down from the chair she’d been lounging on and trotting off.

“I think I’m growing on her,” Leander said with a small, surprised smile on his face.

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