Arden’s Mate(15)

Remy held his hands and backed up. He could feel the waves of worry coming off her and knew he’d caused it. As they slowly moved out of the club she stroked his arm, trying to calm him with her touch.

Once they were out front she turned to him. “What the fuck happened in there?”

“They touched what’s mine. The young one is lucky I let him live, his lips touched your skin.”

“You idiot, you can’t attack people who touch me. What if they call the cops?” She sighed and shook her head. “Quick, we need to get out of here.” She grabbed his hand and dragged him toward his car.

He only cared if men touched what was his. He could deal with the police. The shifters had control, and all it would take was one phone call and he’d be out of trouble. “Yes, I can. You’re my mate. I’m not letting you go.”

She gave a frustrated screech and yanked on him harder, picking up her sped, jogging toward where he’d parked his car. He followed her and listened as she mumbled, “Fucking caveman werewolf. The dickwad is already frigging smothering me. Overreacting to such a little hug and kiss on the fucking cheek. Going to end up in fucking jail, and then I’ll have to bail his yummy, tight toned arse out.”

Arden felt a stupid grin spread over his face. She cared for him, and she liked his arse. He was overreacting, but his feral part was close to the edge and he was constantly fighting not to fall off. Since Remy had returned he’d backed away from the jagged edge, but seeing another male touch her had brought him close to the edge again, even if the hug was innocent. Taking deep breaths of her orange and passion fruit smell, he calmed his raging beast and walked close on her heels to his car.

When his car came into view he pulled his keys out of his pocket and pressed the button on the remote to unlock the doors. She got into the passenger side, and he walked around to the driver’s side and got inside, reaching for his seatbelt and clicking it in place. He put the keys in the ignition and started the car.

“Really. You have nothing to say? For fuck’s sake at least tell me you won’t do that every time someone touches me.”

Easing into traffic, he drove toward the grocery store. “Before you left I wouldn’t have done that.”

Remy flinched at his words.

“I know I’m so close to going feral.” He gripped the steering wheel tight. “On the day you were coming home I was at a meeting where they were talking about putting me down. I’m dangerous. A mated werewolf is usually possessive, as you’ve seen, but a feral mated werewolf is even more possessive and controlling to a scary point.” He pulled into the car park of the grocery store and parked the car. After what had just happened he knew he had to say what he didn’t want to. “If you tell Kane or my parents what happened today, they will give you an option.” He turned so he faced Remy. He wanted her to see his eyes that must look almost black. “To be responsible for me or terminate me. They would ask what color my eyes were and how long have I been human in your presence.”

He had spent a lot of his time—most of last night and some of today—in his wolf form. Werewolves didn’t spend much time in their wolf form unless they needed to, otherwise they were only in wolf form when they fought, or for an hour or two a day.

A tear slid down Remy’s cheek, and she brushed it away. “I did this to you. How?”

Taking the keys out of the ignition, he reached across and held her hand, needing her touch to soothe him and calm his beast. “When I mated you I gave you things. Our souls joined. It is said shifters have only half a soul, and when they find their mate she or he completes it. When I bit you, I gave you extended life, better healing, hearing, and all-around stamina. You help heal my wolf. You give me light where my world is usually dark. Imagine years of fighting and killing and finally being given a gift—someone who shines bright and helps heal you and gives you the strength to fight again with more stamina and eagerness because you want to be able to give them a safe world. That’s what you are to me. I may only be thirty but I’ve seen more death and blood than you can imagine. Before Faith came back we were losing this battle, and not just to demons, minions, and zombies, but to shifters giving up and turning feral.”

He reached up and stroked her face.

“Deep down I knew you’d come back. I had to believe. If not, I would not be here right now, my brothers would have put me down. I’ve been so close to letting the anger and pain consume me. I hurt people...people I love.” Sighing, he remembered how close he’d come to letting his wolf fully take over. He’d let his anger and hate control him, and he’d hurt friends and family. He closed his eyes and was bombarded by images of him almost hitting his little sister Ava when all she’d been trying to do was help him.