Page 4

Chapter Three

CHOMP

I watch in horror as Ariel loses her balance on the stool, reacting faster than humanly possible as I reach her. My arms scoop under her knees and lift her, too concerned that she’s unwell to worry about touching her without permission. “Are you okay?” I ask, anxiously awaiting her answer.

“I’m so tired.”

Shit. I should have realized this would be too much for her. “You need rest.”

“But it’s not my house,” she feebly argues.

“Do you have anywhere else to go?” I wanted to ask that question hours ago.

“No,” she admits, yawning before her head rests on my shoulder.

My gator rumbles my chest with approval as I ignore Callie’s knowing smile and head up the stairs. Once I enter my room, I gently lower Ariel to the mattress and cover her with the blanket, watching as her eyes flutter. She’s exhausted. Purple shadows rest on the delicate skin beneath her eyes. I already know she’s underweight, and there are scars from old injuries that must have occurred in the last year or two. Those assholes hurt her for months, maybe years.

Fuck. My hands clench at my sides as I watch this fragile, beautiful woman, wishing I could have found her sooner. She’s suffered so much trauma. How do I help her through it all?

I close the door and head downstairs, fighting a headache. My gator is still prodding me, wanting to submerge into the lake and hunt for any other threats. He wants to guard her as she rests, and I appease him, conceding that we’ll shift soon. I’m most effective while in my gator form. No one will get close to the cabin while I’m on patrol.

Callie sips her coffee as she watches me. “Your mate is lovely.”

“She is,” I agree.

“You need to take it slow, Chomp. She’s in a delicate state right now.”

My chin drops. “Fuck. I know.”

“Let me help. She needs to trust us if she’s going to stay.”

Hope floods my body with warmth. “Will you? I don’t have the right words to help her through this.” I crack my neck, fighting the gator’s urges. “The rage is too strong.”

“Spike told Kodiak what happened, and he told me.” She sighs. “I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault.”

“No, but I think she needs a friend. Another woman.”

I nod. “Yeah.”

“We’ll help her through this, Chomp. Promise.”

I’m so fucking grateful all I can do is nod again. I suspect before it’s all said and done, Ariel’s going to need each and every one of my brothers to fully heal. While I’d prefer to do it all on my own, I realize I’m not equipped for every scenario at all, and my brothers, whose backstories I don’t know in full, might have experiences that’ll help Ariel heal in all ways; mind, body, and soul.

She’s still ours, my gator grumbles. I shake my head at how stubborn he’s being right now. I know she’s ours, for fuck’s sake! But we’re out of our league right now, and the best thing to do is reach out to my chosen family for help. He’s just gonna have to accept that fact. He chumpfs in my head like he’s trying to argue, but we both know I’m right.

Spike and Kodiak arrive an hour later after stopping at the campsite. I join them outdoors, close to the lake where my gator can watch over the property. They’re both tense, and I bristle as I sense their anger. What the fuck is wrong now? I almost ask when Spike blows smoke from his nostrils and cracks his neck.

“Too much blood at the campsite.”

Fuck. I know what he means. It’s not the men I butchered, but my mate’s blood that resulted from her injuries and the assault.

Kodiak tilts his head back and roars. The thought of any of our mates suffering in that way makes his bear want to tear through the forest to search for threats. There are only two, but that doesn’t matter. Once we bond to a woman, our animals consider all females precious, regardless of who she mates. Kodiak and Spike, along with the rest of the club, will protect Callie and Ariel with their lives. It helps to ease the bloodlust since my gator won’t relent. He still feels danger is lurking too close to Ariel.

Spike ticks his chin in the direction of the campground. “Your gator must have done a better job than you thought. We didn’t find much left.”

“The local authorities think it’s a wild animal attack. No foul play. We’re good,” Kodiak adds.

“How did you manage that?” I wonder, curious how they covered it up since I knew my gator’s prints must have been left in the mud.

“Didn’t want them to go after the gators or your scaly ass so we picked up a mountain lion and left plenty of prints.”

I snort at Spike’s word usage. “Picked up?”

“Might be more accurate to say we had a snack and his help.”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, I snort. “Uh-huh.”

“Is she okay?” Kodiak inquires, ticking his chin toward the cabin.

I’m not sure if he means Callie or Ariel. “Ariel is resting. Callie is drinking all my coffee.”

Kodiak chuckles. “My mate enjoys her caffeine.”

I know the second that Ariel wakes. There’s a slight shift in the wind, a vibration that my gator senses. She’s opened the bedroom window, and her feminine scent brushes across my nose. My reaction is instant. I’m hard that fucking fast. But I’m also concerned since I still smell blood on her and other fluids. The remnants of those males I need to cleanse from her body.

She needs a shower, and I can’t wait any longer. My gator pushes me to care for our female, and I don’t hesitate to turn toward the cabin, not bothering to tell Spike or Kodiak what I’m doing. They probably figured it out almost the second I took off. When I reach the door, I rush inside, taking the stairs two at a time.

I only pause when I reach my bedroom, hearing movement inside. It’s odd to knock, but I do, trying to show my mate I can be thoughtful and patient. “Hey, beautiful, I thought I’d check on you and see if you’d like a bubble bath.”

Yeah, part of my master plan to win her over and make her fall in love with me. Women like bubble baths, right?

The door cracks open, and I see Ariel with a smirk on her face. “You want to know if I want a bubble bath.”

“Yep.”

She nibbles on her bottom lip. “I think I want a shower first, then the bubble bath.”

I don’t ask why when it’s obvious she doesn’t want to sit in the filth that clings to her, despite how much I tried to clean her skin off when I brought her here. “Tell you what, I’ve got plenty of towels and products you can use already stocked inside. There’s a big fluffy robe hanging behind the door, too. You take that shower and I’ll find the supplies for the best bubble bath you've ever had.”

I can’t tell what she’s thinking, but there’s a little sparkle in her eye I haven’t seen before now. My gator loves it, and I grin. I'm hoping this means I’ve made my new mate happy.

I leave Ariel alone to tend to her needs and gather up supplies: candles, a lighter, liquid bubble bath I bought by accident once when I thought it was body wash, extra towels, a wine glass, and sparkling water flavored with strawberry and kiwi. I need to find out what Ariel prefers to drink, but I noticed she only wanted water to drink when we ate earlier. Something seemed off about it, and I intend to find out the details once she feels ready to talk more about her past.

Out in the hall, I pace while Ariel showers. Below me, gathered in my kitchen, I hear Kodiak, Spike, and Callie talking. They aren't discussing me or my mate, which I appreciate.

Once the water turns off and I hear Ariel exit the bathroom, I knock on the door again. “Bubble bath service,” I joke. “Can I come in?”

“Sure,” Ariel answers before she opened the door.

Fuck. Me. I didn’t expect to find her in my robe, covered in fluffy gray, and so goddamn attractive. My scent tangled with hers does wicked things to my brain. My cock hardens and I am glad I thought to wear loose jeans instead of sweats. That wouldn’t have gone over well. Lust spikes in my brain and then fizzles out. Sex is probably the last thing on her mind as a result of her attack, and it isn’t on my radar either. Someday, when we both are ready, we can take our relationship to the next level.

Now? I just want her to feel cherished, cared for, and safe. The rest will come later.

“Gonna set this up for you. Go ahead and relax. I’ll let you know when it’s ready.”

She nods, dropping onto a nearby chair. I see her eyes flutter and worry she’s too tired for a soak in the tub. Ultimately, though, it’s her call to make, so if she gets in the bath, I’ll stay outside her door and remain vigilant in case she gets too sleepy.

It takes less than ten minutes to run the bath, fill it with suds, and surround the rim with candlelight. I pour the sparkling water into her wine glass and set it within reach. I even turn on the space heater and leave it on the low setting. She’ll be warm and comfortable and can relax as long as she wishes.

I leave the bathroom with a smile on my lips, excited to show Ariel what I’ve done.

She stands as I exit the bathroom, and my gaze slides over her, taking her in from head to toe. There isn't much skin showing, but that doesn’t matter to me. I still think she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. And those secret, rare smiles I’ve seen twice? Heartstoppers. They sure stole mine.

Was the thought cheesy? Yep. Did I care? Hell no. This was my mate. I’d take things slow and enjoy every moment.

Ariel gasps as she enters the bathroom. Her wide eyes meet mine as she turns around, appearing shocked by my effort. “You lit candles.”

“Yep. Thought you might like to relax with candlelight. I heard it’s good for the soul.”

She blinks and sadness overtakes her features for a few seconds before it disappears, replaced by a soft smile that is my favorite yet. “You did good, Chomp.”

“There’s sparkling flavored water too.”

“What kind?”

“Strawberry kiwi.” I wait to see if she hates it or not.

“Well, that’s a stroke of luck. It’s one of my favorites.”

Yes! “And the others?”

“You can never go wrong with orange or citrus.”

“Good to know.” I wink and back away, heading toward the bedroom door. “You need anything, just holler. I’ll hear you.”

“Thanks.”

“My pleasure,” I state and mean it.

Maybe our meeting was unconventional, and the foundation we’d built had to start from scratch, but that was okay. I’d layer every brick and build it so strong, nothing could tear it down. Not the past, or those who had harmed Ariel, or the rules of society.

She was mine, and I’d do everything to ensure she stayed by my side. If that meant convincing her every minute of the day until she decided to stay, I’d do it.