Page 113 of A Broody Mate for the Human

“You were the star of the BDSM club we went to,” I point out.

He tilts his head. “I liked it there,” he muses. “Should repeat that.”

“You want us to visit that club again?” I ask.

He nods. “I liked you in your outfit. The collar.” He hums a bit as he thinks about the club we went to, his eyes longing when he mentions my collar.

This is it… exactly. He keeps being all broody and grumbly in front of others, and then when we’re alone, he brings forward either his super-Dom persona or his sexy, seductive one, or he is the shoulder to lie on.

He is just perfect.

“Let’s make sure to meet Stella,” I say. “And then we’ll see.”

It’s not only about meeting Stella and finding out about his past; it’s also that he is a rogue. I need to find a way to have him redeemed. Maybe Annie can help us? I might just be a human, but even I am aware that we got incredibly lucky until now for not having been attacked by a pack of werewolves.

“Raffy, is there still someone following us?”

He furrows his brows. “I’m not sure,” he admits. “We definitely lost them when driving through the pack grounds. Hopefully, they lost our traces. But we should probably get going.”

*RAFFY*

After Dave mentioned our pursuers, I felt a bit more anxious. He’s right, someone is following us, and I’m fully aware I need to protect us better. With Nero still dormant for most parts, I’m not doing so well with that task. We should make sure we keep moving, and hopefully they’ll lose our traces.

Dave thinks the same because we barely stop anywhere today, just briefly to allow Sugar to walk around and to buy some hamburgers for lunch.

Something in my mind keeps pulling and tugging at me, and although I’d never admit it, I’m glad Dave is driving. I don’t think I’d be able to focus today. It’s like there is constantly something knocking at my door, but I can’t open it. I can’t let them in, although I want to.

I want the knocking to stop, the pushing, the tugging.

Fuck, my head hurts.

“Raffy?” Dave asks in concern.

“It’s nothing,” I breathe out.

“It’s not nothing,” Dave halts the car abruptly and leans towards me, unbuckling the seatbelt for me. “A new memory?”

“Yes, but my head’s not letting it in,” I groan. “I don’t know why.”

“Maybe because we’re getting closer to Stella,” Dave mutters.

Goddess, he is right. Why did I not think about that? I rub over my forehead, trying to will the aching away. I close my eyes, deciding to try to open my mind, to have the memories flood in, but it’s not helping. It just hurts. It fucking hurts.

“I know we said we’d drive straight to Stella, but we need to take a break here,” Dave says, getting out of the car and walking around it to open my door too. I shakingly accept his hand, allowing him to pull me up.

“I’m too heavy,” I mutter.

“I’m not that delicate,” Dave retorts. “I can support my… you a bit. Let me just get Sugar, and then we’ll walk around for a while.”

I close my eyes while leaning against the car. I can hear Dave shuffling around, talking to his drool monster for a bit. There is the signature sound of the car doors being locked, then Dave is back at my side. He grabs my left arm and drags it around his shoulders. “Come,” he says warmly. “Let’s take a few steps.”

It seems like we stopped at the perfect spot. There is a beautiful forest around us, and barely anyone drives through here. I keep my arm around Dave, his presence calming me a bit. Were my wolf stronger, our bond would be too, and then it would be easier for us to help each other. I feel guilt nagging at me again. If I hadn’t messed up big time by being an elitist asshole, then I wouldn’t have become a rogue, and I might have met Dave under better circumstances. We could have mated and marked, and Nero would have been strong, keeping Dave safe and protected.

Another jolt of pain runs through my body, running directly to my head. “Fuck,” I curse.

“Why do I think your intrusive thoughts are making it worse?” Dave asks into the silence. “I’m not sure what you’re thinking right now, Raffy, but I can tell you’re beating yourself up over something.”

He doesn’t even need the full mate bond to know something is off.