Arden’s Mate(13)

What Arden said was true. She didn’t like to feel trapped. She liked to know there was always a plan B or an exit. “I’m keeping the house. It was my grandmother’s. I said I was your mate and I’d give this a go. I meant it.” She sat up and didn’t bother covering her nudity. Arden’s gaze narrowed in on her breasts and she watched as he licked his lips. Crossing her arms over her breasts, she grinned at him. “Can we go to my house first? I really need to pick up some clothes.”

Arden nodded, but his gaze never left her chest. “Yeah, sure.”

Rolling her eyes, she got off the bed. “I’m going to shower, and then we can go.”

Arden didn’t say a word, he just nodded again, but she noticed his eyes darken and his teeth lengthen, and his body started to change.

She gasped when a beautiful, massive, jet black wolf prowled toward her. “Wow, you’re gorgeous. What a cute doggie.”

Arden snarled and pounced on her, causing her to hit the wall behind her. His wolf tongue swiped her and he nuzzled her, licking her face.

“Er, yuck. Seriously, not cool. Don’t kiss me unless you’re in human form.” She pushed him off and went to the bathroom. She knew that she better be quick or she had a feeling they would be leaving a lot later.

* * * *

They’d been to her place, packed her things, and Remy had changed her clothes. Arden had stayed in wolf form, letting her drive his car. He’d walked around her house, breathing in everything and calming his wolf.

He now sat across from her in human form at a café near where Remy used to work. Arden knew she was a bartender at the local club, or had been before she ran. “What did you do for money while you were on the run? You didn’t use your accounts.”

She shrugged. “I did waitressing and I worked as a bartender. Everywhere I worked I made sure I got paid in cash. So they weren’t always the best paying jobs, but they kept me afloat.”

He narrowed his eyes on her. He didn’t like the fact she’d had barely enough to get by. He hated that she’d put herself in danger by going off and being by herself. His wolf was itching to get out and show her who was boss.

“Actually, when we finish here do we have enough time for me to go in and see everyone at the club? I don’t think they’ll give me my job back, but it’s worth a try.”

“You don’t need a job. I have a job. You’re my responsibility. You can stay home while I work.”

Remy’s eyes flashed and she screeched, “Say what! You so didn’t just tell me I can stay at home while you work. Oh my God, this is the twenty-first century. I’m really not the type to stay at home and wait for you.”

His wolf howled at her defiance and clawed to be free. He fought to keep him caged as he growled, “You said you wouldn’t leave. You’re mine. Mine to protect and care for.”

Remy raised her hands in surrender, and his wolf calmed at her action. “Whoa, I said I wouldn’t leave. But I never said I wouldn’t work. I’m independent. I know you’re all alpha and shit, but I’m a modern woman. I can work and look after myself just fine, thank you very much.” Remy shoved some cake into her mouth and avoided his gaze.

Arden knew his eyes were darkening and were flashing his wolf.

When she swallowed her food, she sighed. “Look, let’s talk about a safer subject. I don’t think the people around us want to see your wolf.”

Gritting his teeth, he fought his wolf for control and nodded. “Okay. What is safe?”

Remy smiled, showing her perfect, white teeth. “What’s your favorite color? Mine is light purple, the color of the sky when dusk is just at the right spot with the sun.”

His favorite color usually was red, but as he looked into Remy’s sparkling blue eyes he knew he had a new favorite color. Reaching across, he stroked her cheek. “Blue. Light blue with flecks of sparkle in it.”

She blushed and looked at her food. “You can be a charmer.”

He trailed his fingers down and rubbed her arm.

She shivered and chewed on her bottom lip. “Umm, ah…next question. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? I’d live on a private tropical island that you could only get to by boat.”

“I like the sound of that. After we have defeated the demons we could do that.” He chuckled as her eyes widened.

“Holy shit, how could you do that? You’re not going to tell me your family has a private island somewhere that we could go.”

Curling his lips up, he winked at her. “Okay, I won’t.”

“Fuck me.”

Arden would happily do as she requested, but he knew she didn’t mean it that way. As she continued to swear people turned to look at her. Remy might look like a little pixie, but she swore worse than anyone he knew, and that was a big statement considering that the army men he worked with had some colorful vocabularies.