Page 12

Chapter Eleven

CHOMP

T he house is empty when we arrive at Ariel’s new place. It’s still bright out considering the time of year, so no worries about anyone hiding in the shadows to spook her. I still notice her gaze dart around the property before she pushes the key in the lock and opens the door.

I shuffle in behind her, balancing the pizza boxes. I’ve also got a bag of drinks slung over one of my wrists. There’s not a free hand to shut the door so I use my boot, careful not to scuff the wood.

Ariel laughs as she sees my nonexistent struggle. “Why don’t I help you out with those drinks?”

“Just tell me where you want the pizzas and then I’ll take care of the rest.”

And her, my gator adds. We need to feed her often, he says. Mate is too thin. I shake my head at his antics, but he’s right, which is why I’m constantly offering her food. I know if she’s full, she’ll stop eating.

Ariel beams a smile and leads the way into the kitchen, slapping her palm on the counter. “Right here. We can fix our plates and then head into my room to watch a movie or something if you feel up to it. I know you’ve had a long day.”

I’m a bit shocked. I didn’t think she’d want me here for that long. After all, she left my house as soon as she could. But I know the reasons and accept them. “Sounds good to me,” I respond, probably a little too enthusiastic. Normally, I consider myself the type of guy not to get hung up on a woman or tongue-tied, but this is my mate . She’s got me all twisted in the best of ways and I don’t even care.

Ariel pulls plates from a cupboard and hands one over. “I’m starving. It must be the fresh air and work giving me an appetite.”

“Probably,” I agree, but know it’s the freedom and feeling she’s safe that’s added to it.

Trying not to hover and watch how much she puts on her plate, I stack slices on mine, add cheesy garlic bread, and a couple of cookies too. I’m a big guy and I can eat which I know she’s figured out, so why bother hiding it?

Ariel gestures to the 2-Liters I picked up. I brought three because I wasn’t sure if she wanted water or something else with her pizza. “Which one do you want?”

“Root beer. It’s one of my favorites.”

She pops a few cubes of ice in a big glass and sets it aside, then twists the cap on the 2-Liter. Neither of us expect it to hiss and then pop, spraying sugary soda on her, the counter, and the floor. Shit!

I drop my food on the counter and rush toward her, snatching the bottle before it can do more damage. “Well, fuck. You okay?”

She’s not looking at me and I think she’s upset until Ariel’s shoulders start shaking and finally a loud laugh bubbles up her throat and out of her mouth. It’s not just a little chuckle. No, she’s nearly hysterical, chortling to the point that tears are leaking from her eyes.

It’s too adorable.

I can’t hold back my humor either, shaking my head as I pour my drink, twist on the cap, and set it aside. Then I reach for a few paper towels and wet them, handing them over with a smirk. I’ve got more in my hand in case she needs help. It appears she does. “You’re sticky, baby.”

The endearment slipped out faster than I can think about it, but Ariel just smiles. Her lips twitch like she’s holding back more laughter as I dab at her arms and mop up some of the root beer. Her shirt is soaked and clinging to her chest and stomach. It’s fucking amazing that I don’t stare for long at the cleavage I can see underneath. Is she wearing a pushup bra?

Fuck.

“Chomp.”

“Yeah?”

“I can handle the rest on my own.”

I nod, realizing that I’m brushing her cheek with a wet paper towel and it’s leaving residue on her skin. Oops. “Right.” I drop my hand and toss the soaked paper in the trash. “Why don’t you clean up and I’ll bring the food into your room?”

“Good idea. Thanks.”

“Sure. What do you want to drink?”

“I like Sprite. I’ll have that.”

Noted. My gator is mentally adding all her preferences and assuring we won’t ever forget.

When she walks away, I don’t watch. Okay, not for long. I definitely don’t think about those wide, childbearing hips and her sexy walk. Or that luscious ass. Or . . .okay, I watched until she left my sight. I blame my gator. He’s a fucking pain in the ass.

As soon as I’m alone, I clean up the mess and pour her drink before bringing it all into her room. I note the plants from her old place, the new bed and all the things she’s arranged to make it her own. It’s warm and inviting and I feel peaceful as I enter her space. This is where my mate will heal, and I’ll support her during every step of the process until she’s ready and we can continue our story.

But we stay close, my gator insists like I don’t know how obsessive he’s become with her.

When Ariel walks out of the connected bathroom, I feel my jaw drop. She’s wearing a thin white shirt and pajama shorts. The first thing I notice is that she’s cold. Her nipples are poking through the material, and I force my gaze away, sliding lower until I stiffen. It’s not the arousing tease of her breasts this time, but rather the scars I can see on her legs. Long marks that look like someone cut her and they didn’t heal right. Right now, I’m wishing I didn’t kill that fucker so quickly because he deserved to be treated the way that he treated her.

Fuck. I’m going to lose it.

We can’t do that to our mate, my gator hisses. She survived what was meant to end her, Chomp!

My head snaps up and we lock eyes. I’m breathing fast, awaiting her reaction because she’s staring at me, assessing what I’ll say and do. I can’t fuck this up. The rage simmering in my body is almost impossible to master, but I do it for her. She’s testing me. It’s not for malicious reasons. I think it’s because she wants to know that she can share anything with me, and I won’t react like a fucking madman. Or a monster.

I blow out a breath and hold her gaze, then nod. “Got you all set up. What movie genre do you want to watch? Anything specific in mind?”

She smiles. It’s sad around the edges because of what she endured, but it’s also hopeful. That little bit of light in her eyes brightens. It’s not intense. It doesn’t have to be for me to know that I gave her something she needed. Acceptance.

“Action and adventure. Something fun and not too serious.”

I got you, baby. I want to tell her that aloud, but I think she gets it.

We pick a film and then settle on her bed. We’re both leaning against the headboard, munching on our food. She’s so close I can feel the heat of her skin ghosting my arm every time she takes a bite or drink from her Sprite. It’s a torture I never experienced before now. Denial can be a powerful aphrodisiac.

We finish our food and I take the plates to the kitchen, placing them in the sink before I return. Somewhere around an hour in, her eyelids begin to droop. She’s slowly growing sleepy. I don’t say anything and instead, watch over her, content to ensure she’s getting the rest she needs.

It’s when her body connects with mine that I say fuck it and slip my arm around her, holding her close against me because I don’t know when I’ll get another chance. I didn’t think I was the affectionate type. Before Ariel, I didn’t linger with a woman in my bed. There was only one purpose. Afterward, we parted ways.

But with my mate? I find that every little touch, every exhale of her sweet breath, and each whisper of her skin that connects with mine is intoxicating and I want more.

She sighs in her sleep and her palm slides across my stomach. Her cheek rests close to my heart. If there was ever a moment I wanted to remember forever, this is it.

Wow. I’ve fallen hard for Ariel. Within days of meeting, I’m all fucking in.

Even if we never sleep together and she tells me she only wants to be friends, I’ll be content. She’s my heartbeat, my mate, and holy shit, I’m getting sappy as fuck right now. My gator chumpfs. He thinks it’s hilarious but he’s just as smitten. We can’t get enough of our Ariel.

We make her want us, Chomp, my gator insists. More than friends, even! He’s a pushy fucker, that’s for sure. She’s comfortable with us, he brags.

I don’t know how long she rests on me. Hours. I don’t check my phone even when I hear it vibrate. It’s probably Spike or Kodiak. My pres will wait because he knows I’m with Ariel. Kodiak can fuck off. I’ll get back to him later.

The caller is persistent. I finally decide it must be important because whoever it is isn’t giving up. I’m aggravated as I slip from the bed and lower my mate gently onto the mattress, ensuring her head is comfortably resting on a pillow. I cover her with a blanket and hate to leave her side. When I glance at my screen, I mumble a curse.

Fucking Kodiak. I don’t remember being such a cockblocker toward him when it came to him being with his mate. Not that Ariel and I are anywhere near that kind of a relationship whatsoever.

Yet, my gator whispers as I glance around her room once again. I don’t want to leave her but he’s my VP, so I need to see what’s going on. Leaning down, I ghost a kiss across her forehead, grinning when I hear her mumble something as she snuggles closer into the bed. I don’t know if she sleeps with the television on or not, so I set the timer for several hours just in case she wakes up, then I check the windows in her room to make sure they’re locked. Finding a piece of paper, I write her a quick note, place it where she’ll find it, then leave her room.

My phone vibrates again but Kodiak needs to fucking wait. I have to check the rest of the house before I leave her alone. Once I’m positive all the windows and doors are secure, I step outside then head into the woods which will allow me to watch over her until morning. Before I shift, of course, I decide to see what the nosey fucker wants.

Me: You rang?

Kodiak: Did you read any of my texts?

Me: No, I was making sure Ariel was safe and secure. Hold on.

He’s been blowing me up, but now that I’m reading them, I see why. At Ariel’s old place, there were a few scents we noticed. Not neighbors but people who frequently came into that house. They were males. I remember every one of them. Kodiak picked up one of the odors in town.

Me: How fresh?

Kodiak: No more than a day old if that.

Fuck. Me. My mate is still in danger, then.

Me: Which scent?

There was one that smelled a lot like Perry, but not exactly, then the other asshole I ripped to pieces, plus two more, but those last two scents were a lot fainter than the other three. Since two of the three are now fish food, I can only presume that it’s someone related to Perry.

Kodiak: Smelled like the fucker you demolished.

My gator immediately pushes to the surface. He wants to hunt this threat down and eliminate it as quickly as possible. There can’t be any chance that Perry’s relation will show up and try to harm or threaten my mate.

Let’s go! Now! He bellows in my head.

I send one more text and then I’m running into the woods, already letting my gator have his way.

Me: Hunting season is open.