A Mate's Bite(40)

“Hey, gorgeous.” His voice sounded damn sexy. She tried not to picture him naked. Wasn’t working very well. “Where are you?”

“Jordan hates me and is torturing me.”

“It’s called exercise not torture,” Jordan yelled from further ahead.

Laughter boomed from his end of the line. “How about I come save you, and we can do some other kind of exercise?”

That sounded a hell of a lot better than walking. Well, anything with Nate naked sounded perfect. “I’m sold. We’re at the nature trail closing in on the parking lot.”

“I’ll be there in a bit. I’ve got something in mind I know will make your legs shake.”

Oh hell. “Hurry up already. You big tease!”

He laughed again. “See you in a few.”

She glanced up to catch Jordan shaking her head at her with a smile. “You are so easy.”

“Hey, don’t judge. I didn’t when I heard about you rushing to your car in torn up clothes the night of the scenting ceremony.

Jordan’s eyes went wide. “Who told you?”

She giggled. “Men like to talk too.”

She gasped. “Aric! I’m going to kick his ass when he comes home.”

Karla couldn’t stop the laughter at the indignant expression on Jordan’s face. “You will not. You’ll be just as easy as I’m being now.”

She flung her ponytail over her shoulder. “Yeah. Who am I kidding? I probably will. Sounds like things are doing better with you and Nate.”

“He’s been very attentive lately. I guess I’ve been overreacting with keeping him at a distance.” She turned to Jordan. “I just don’t want to live the same things my mom did.”

“Chica, in case you haven’t noticed, you’re nothing like your mother. Not only have you not chased Nate at all, but he’s been stuck to your side trying to prove to you he’s committed to you and your babies.”

True. Nate had been there when she woke up every morning. He’d been there when she went to bed at night. Holding her. Comforting her. Filling the emptiness she’d felt her entire life with warmth. She’d been fighting her feelings for him. Almost unwilling to face the fact of how much she cared for him. If she did, she’d have to admit she didn’t want him to go anywhere. That she would chase after him and ignore all the things she’d said she wouldn’t do for him.

For most of her life, she’d held a large wall around her heart. But Nathan Wolfe had managed to slip through the cracks and his smiles, sexy talk, and hot looks turned her insides to mush. And emotions she hadn’t expected flourished. Frickin’ hell! She loved him. And it scared the shit out of her.

It wasn’t his actions she was concerned with if she was honest with herself. It was her dependence on him to grow to the point she’d do anything to be with him. The anything she kept thinking of was the obsessive things that could turn her into her mother.

They’d gone up a hill and were now on their way down. The sun started to fall over the horizon, and a light breeze swirled her hair over her shoulders.

“Isn’t it pretty?” Jordan sighed.

“Yeah.” She had to admit it was. The colors of the falling sun over the trees were beautiful. Oranges and gold twirled over the horizon in a dance of beauty and grace. It showed off that Mother Nature truly was an artist. Her mind wrapped around the beauty of the scenery and was caught off guard when Jordan tensed beside her, a low growling filling the air.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, watching Jordan glance around the trail. The car was but a few hundred yards away from them. There was no need to worry.

“Someone’s here.” Jordan said quietly. “They’re not shifters, so it shouldn’t be bad, but I don’t want you getting hurt.”

They ran for the car when someone grabbed Jordan from the driver side. Karla stopped dead in her tracks, watching the large tattooed man try to haul her petite friend off her feet.

“This is the one.” Said the baldheaded guy who had Jordan in his grasp.

“What about that one?” Said a voice from the front of the car.

A shorter man with long dark hair and large holes in his ears stared at her with a vicious grin.

“I don’t know. We’re supposed to grab this one.” The guy struggled to keep Jordan in his grip. His bald head, covered in multiple tattoos and piercings shimmered with perspiration. Her friend’s eyes turned, a bright ring of gold surrounding the usual warm chocolate brown.

“Need help?” Short guy laughed, showing off crooked yellow teeth. His stringy black hair hung past his shoulders in an oily mess. Multiple scars covered his chin and lip. His dusty old clothing had probably seen better days some years back. It was the clear vicious light in their eyes that said they were some low-down thugs. “She looks like a handful.”