Claiming His Mate(6)

Max scrubbed a hand over his face. He wouldn’t hurt them, but he didn’t want to get into an argument with her. “One of your pridemates can drop your bags off at my place. I give you my word they won’t be hurt or harassed. But they have to leave our territory afterward.” He rattled off the address then let her make the decision about what she wanted to do. Either she believed him or she didn’t.

Using the phone still in her hand, she texted someone with a ridiculous speed. After a few back and forth texts, she tucked the phone into her boot again.

“I’ve never seen anyone type that fast.” Her fingers had flown across the keyboard like lightning.

She shrugged. “Your generation doesn’t seem to embrace technology like mine.” There was a bite of sarcasm in her words as she insinuated he was old, and he realized it was because he’d called her a child.

Something she definitely wasn’t. She was very grown and very sensual. He just grunted and motioned with his head that she should follow him. He’d already disabled the alarm and as soon as he and Lauren stepped outside, another of his packmates would be babysitting the house. Where they lived they’d never had a problem with crime of either the human or supernatural variety but until Grant got back, Max was keeping his alpha’s house under constant watch. He didn’t trust Lauren’s pridemates not to do something stupid.

He trusted her—though he wasn’t sure why—but he didn’t know her pride and it was his duty to keep the pack’s territory under control while Grant was on his honeymoon.

As they stepped outside, Max could see two of his packmates standing at attention in the lush front yard. The back was a smaller yard, a pool and the rest of the property stretched all the way to the beach where more of his packmates waited. He’d been relatively positive that Lauren would come back but he hadn’t been sure if there would be more of her pridemates with her or what their intention had been—though he’d guessed it would be about the jewels.

Even if he’d been glad to find her in his alpha’s office, it enraged him that her pride had sent her into enemy territory alone. All over some fucking jewels. Sure they were worth a few million, but she was worth more than that. If she were his, he’d never have let her do something so dangerous.

He couldn’t see the rest of his packmates, but he could scent a dozen of them nearby. So could Lauren. And he could smell her fear even though it was clear she was trying to mask it. On instinct, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they stepped off the porch and down the few stone steps.

She tensed but didn’t pull away—something that soothed his inner wolf immensely.

“Lauren Hayes is under my protection and staying with me,” he said, slightly raising his voice though everyone seen and unseen would be able to hear him. “Her pridemates are also under my protection. One of them will be coming by the condo later so let them leave Lauren’s belongings at the front gate with no hassle.” He didn’t go into any more detail because he didn’t have to.

As second-in-command, his pack would respect what he’d said. And they’d also spread the word, letting the entire pack know she would be in Kincaid territory with him. Which was good and bad. Shifters were the biggest gossips around. He knew he’d be fielding calls and drop-ins all day tomorrow with packmates wanting to get a look at the jaguar shifter who’d broken into Grant’s house. They’d want to know why the hell Max was protecting her and why she was under his roof.

He didn’t owe them those answers. Lauren was his and he wasn’t letting her go.





Chapter 3





Max opened the door to his condo then bolted it shut. Normally he left his door unlocked during the day, as did most of the pack, but after the last few hours of putting out bullshit fires for his packmates, he didn’t want to see anyone else.

Except Lauren.

She’d been sleeping when he’d left early this morning to deal with the accountant at the hotel the pack owned. He’d left a note and his cell number to call if she needed anything but she hadn’t.

Something he found disappointing. He’d been thinking about her all damn day, much to his annoyance. She’d been quiet when they got back to his place last night. Not rude or temperamental like he’d expected, but almost withdrawn instead. He guessed she was still trying to figure out what the hell he was up to by ‘punishing’ her with staying with him. Part of him had been tempted to wake her and take her with him today but he’d had too much to deal with and he could admit he was selfish. He wanted to get to know her when it was just the two of them and in better circumstances than him working.