Authors: Savannah Stuart
Adam stared helplessly at Paz’s retreating figure. Anger and humiliation hummed
through him. They were mates. He knew it and no doubt, she did too. Whether she
wanted to admit it or not. He loped up the stone steps to see what she’d left behind.
When he saw the scrap of black lace material that definitely belonged to her, he grabbed
it in his mouth before running back to his beach house.
After he’d shifted and settled back into his house, he was still angry as hell. As he
went through what had just happened in his mind, nothing made sense. He’d said they
were mates and she’d run like a scared rabbit. Sure, he was feared and respected as The
Council’s enforcer, but apparently his position in the hierarchy wasn’t good enough for
her.
Maybe she’d just been interested in a fling? No. He quickly brushed that thought
away. She hadn’t admitted it, but he was fairly certain she’d been a virgin. At the most,
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she had little experience with the opposite sex. He wasn’t even sure how he knew that.
Everything had just seemed too fresh to her.
That left one thing. She just didn’t
want
him to be her mate. Whatever the reason, it
didn’t matter.
Grabbing a beer from the fridge, he frowned when he saw the time. It was after
midnight, but it wouldn’t be that late on the West Coast. He grabbed his cell and
scrolled through the list of names until he landed on the one he wanted. Jacob Freeman.
After four rings Adam was about to hang up when his old friend answered. “Adam
Tucker, holy shit. How are ya, brother?”
Despite his foul mood, he smiled. Freeman was one of the few wolves he actually
trusted. Relatively speaking, he was a newer Alpha of his own pack, but he was wise
for barely being a century old. “Can’t complain. How about yourself?”
“I’m in the fucking desert right now freezing my nuts off.”
Adam frowned. “I thought you were living in Washington.”
“I was…I am. Currently, I’m hunting someone,” he growled.
“Everything all right?” He hadn’t heard that the Freeman pack had any problems
lately.
“It will be. Shit man, this isn’t Council business if that’s what you’re worried about.
I’m trying to track down my stubborn-ass mate.”
“What?”
He sighed. “She’s…you know what, don’t worry about it. It’s under control. I know
you didn’t call me to bullshit so tell me what’s on your mind.”
At least he wasn’t the only one with mate problems. The thought was somewhat
comforting. “You still got that contact at the Florida Department of Transportation?”
“Yeah. Got one in New York and in Illinois too.”
“I need access to some traffic cameras in the greater Miami area.”
“Tell me exactly what you want and I’ll see what I can do.”
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Adam quickly ran through the dates and times of the attacks in addition to
requesting video feeds of all the surrounding areas.
“This sounds like heavy shit. You need any help?” Jacob asked when Adam was
finished.
It shouldn’t have, but the offer surprised him. “No, but thanks. I’ll call you if I need
anything else.”
After they disconnected, his mind was still racing. He wouldn’t get the information
he wanted until at least tomorrow. While he could scour the city at night randomly
looking for Morales, the chance of finding him in a place this size was minimal. Until he
knew if there was a pattern to his attacks, or could at least narrow down his hunting
ground, trying to track him would be pointless.
At the moment, that didn’t matter as much to him as talking to his mate. He
slammed his beer down on the center island and cursed under his breath. If Paz
thought she could run away from him, she was out of her damn mind. There was no
way he could rest until they’d at least talked. And if he couldn’t sleep, she didn’t get to
either.
As he started for the back door, his cell rang. When he saw the number, his heart
rate tripled. It was the number to Stephan Lazos’ house. “Yeah?”
“Uh, Adam? It’s me.” Paz cleared her throat nervously.
“What the hell were you thinking—”
“Marisol got another call from Preston. He told her that he left another present for
her but wouldn’t say where. Stephan is packing the both of them up and they’re
planning to leave soon. She wants me to go with her and I think maybe she’s right. I
know what I said before, but—”
“I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He disconnected, and without bothering to shift
into his wolf form, he simply locked up and jogged down the beach. Something
foreign—fear maybe—spiked through him. He couldn’t let Paz out of his sight.
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He didn’t scent any other wolves except those he knew as he neared the back door
to Stephan’s house, but his body was on alert and ready for battle. All the muscles in his
legs were tight in anticipation. If he had to change at a moment’s notice, he would.
As expected, the back door was locked and fortified with extra security. He rapped
on it once. A few seconds later it swung open. Paz stood before him wearing loose
jogging pants and a hoodie sweater with the Miami Dolphins logo on the front. She bit
her bottom lip and eyed him warily.
Sighing, he stepped in and shut the door behind them. For now, the mate
discussion would have to wait. “Where’s your sister?”
“Upstairs with Stephan. They’re packing.”
Without a backward glance, he strode through the Tuscan-themed kitchen and
found the stairs. As he bounded up them, he announced himself. “Stephan, Marisol, I
hope you’re both decent.”
The first door on the left was open, but by the scent he knew it was Paz’s room. He
found the second door open also. And it was occupied.
“Stephan, what’s going on?” He knocked on the open door as he stepped inside.
Stephan looked up from his suitcase. “I was going to call you once we’d packed
up.” He nodded in the direction of a closed door, probably a connecting bathroom.
“Preston called Marisol and told her he was coming for her. I have no doubt of my
abilities to protect my mate, but I don’t know what kind of firepower he has or what
he’s planning. I want her out of this house as soon as possible. She’s a sitting duck
here.”
Adam nodded. “I agree. What else did he say?”
“He told her he left her a ‘present’. After the news last night I can only imagine
what that means. Marisol did say she could hear the ocean in the background when he
called. She said she could distinctly hear water crashing against something.”
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Adam started to respond when the bathroom door swung open and Marisol walked
out carrying a small bag. She narrowed her dark gaze at him. “I don’t care what she
says, my sister is coming with us.” Her words were a growl, as if she was challenging
him to defy her.
He would show respect for his mate’s family, but Paz belonged with him. Whether
she wanted to be with him or not was another matter. “I would have agreed with you a
few hours ago, but Paz is staying with me. Under my roof and under my protection.”
He’d planned to give her some space but after this development, he didn’t give a shit if
she wanted to stay with him or not. She was
his
to protect.
“That’s crazy! She’s—”
“She’s my mate.” His quiet declaration stilled the room.
Stephan’s hand hovered over the open suitcase and Marisol’s eyes widened
in…horror. That was the only word Adam could think to describe it.
Shit, was he that bad
of a catch?
He’d never thought about it before. He’d just assumed that if he found his
mate, she’d want him as much as he wanted her. Something tightened around his chest,
but he pushed past it. Emotional bullshit could get him killed. He needed to start
thinking with his head. “That’s right. And she’s not leaving my sight.”
Marisol’s gaze strayed past him and without turning he knew Paz had stepped into
the doorway. “Is this true,
hermana
?”
He didn’t turn because he couldn’t bear to see her embarrassment.
“It’s true.” Paz’s voice was quiet, remote.
Stephan cleared his throat as he zipped up his suitcase. “Adam will have no
problem taking care of your sister, Marisol. We are leaving in five minutes so make sure
you pack everything you need.”
“But—”
“No buts. I would fight anyone to the death to protect you. Do you think it will be
any different for him? Pack. Your. Stuff.” Stephan plucked his luggage off the bed and
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skirted past his angry mate. Adam turned and watched as Stephan linked his arm
through Paz’s. He practically dragged her from the room.
Frowning, he waited a moment before trailing after them. They were at the end of
the hallway.
“If you’re truly mates, give him a chance before condemning him,” Stephan
murmured.
Adam knew he wasn’t meant to overhear, but like so many of his kind, his hearing
was exceptional.
“I want to, but what if…” Paz trailed off as she met his gaze. Just as quickly she
turned and hurried away from Stephan and into her bedroom. The door shut behind
her with a resounding thud.
What the hell was going on?
Before he could voice anything, Stephan motioned to
him. “Will you speak with me in private?”
Gritting his teeth, he nodded and followed the other wolf down the stairs.
Stephan was silent until they entered his office and shut the door behind them. He
turned to Adam immediately. “Give Paz time to adjust to the fact that you’re mates.”
“Excuse me?”
Stephan lifted a dark eyebrow in amusement. “She wasn’t very receptive to the fact
that you’re mates, was she?”
His jaw clenched, but he didn’t answer.
“I didn’t think so. I know you didn’t ask, but my mate is cut from the same cloth as
yours so I’m giving this advice for free. Paz had a rough year. A year that would have
likely broken most wolves. She’s just figuring out who she is again and then she meets
you,
the enforcer
. She has a right to be wary of you. If—when—she puts her trust in you,
don’t break that trust. If you do, I don’t care who you are, you’ll have to deal with the
entire Lazos pack.”
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He wasn’t exactly sure what Stephan was getting at, but this was the kind of
conversation friends had and he couldn’t afford that type of relationship. Adam
digested what Stephan said but veered the conversation in another direction. “Do you
know where you’re taking your mate?”
Stephan’s gaze narrowed for a fraction of a second before he nodded. “Yes. And I’m
not telling anyone where, including you. I’ve already contacted my brothers and my
Alpha so they’re aware of the situation.”
“Good. Leave both your phones.” He might have use for Marisol’s phone. If he
could bait Morales out into the open with it, he would, but he didn’t voice that.
Stephan reached into his pocket then handed both phones to Adam.
“Call as soon as you get settled in. I’m sure Paz will want updates from her sister.”
Even though he was hurt by his mate, he still wanted her happy. For the second time
that night, the knowledge scared the shit out of him.
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Paz risked a glance at Adam as they strode up to the front walk of the beach house.
He hadn’t said more than a few words to her since she’d said goodbye to her sister and
packed up what few clothes she had.
His jaw was clenched tightly as he held open the front door for her. She nearly
jumped when he secured it behind them. The lock clicking into place sounded so
ominous, but she fought off a shiver. She understood why he was angry, but it still
sucked, especially now that they were going to be stuck under the same roof.
“I’m not sure how long you’ll have to stay here so tomorrow morning we’ll go back
and grab more of your clothing,” he said as he strode toward the carpeted staircase.
Even though he was angry with her, he still carried her bag. The action wasn’t lost on
her.
“I don’t own any more clothes.” Considering she’d been in captivity for a year, did
he really expect her to have much? Her little suitcase was sad, but hell, she’d only been
free less than a week. Extensive shopping hadn’t been high on her list of things to do
and even though her sister had given her money she wanted to save it.
He paused at the foot of the stairs and turned. His eyebrows rose as he lifted her
bag. “
This
is all you have?”
She could feel her cheeks heat up, but she nodded and averted her gaze.
“Come on. I’ll show you to your room.”
She trudged up the stairs after him, feeling as if she was headed to her execution.
She needed to clear the air but was unsure what to say. He opened the second door on
the right and motioned for her to enter. She tried to ignore his scent as she passed him
but failed miserably. The spicy richness of sandalwood would forever be seared into her
brain as part of him.
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As he dropped her bag at the foot of the four-poster queen-sized bed, she grabbed
his forearm. “I’m sorry about earlier. I acted like a total freak and I don’t know what