Page 16

Crew could count on one hand the times in his life he’d felt unsafe. Among them when he’d first shifted as a teen and got separated from the herd on a midnight run, and when he’d lost his father to his cousin’s schemes and been forced out on his own. And then most recently when Zara had been hurt, and he’d seen her holding that gardening knife while she’d been incapacitated with her injury.

He kept replaying in his head how close he’d come to possibly losing her, and it just made him even more determined to keep her safe. And the herd. He didn’t want Dexter and Khyle to worry about their mates, or for any of the herd to be injured.

His hand rested on the walkie that was attached to his belt. It was past midnight and he was halfway between the farmhouse and the main barn. The front gate was closed and locked and his phone was set to alert him if any of the security cameras or motion detectors around the territory were triggered. They had a couple hundred acres, which was far too much to patrol regularly, so they’d decided to patrol the main area and buildings and let the security tools do their job.

He'd said goodnight to Zara at ten and stepped outside for his shift.

Ford had the other walkie on his nightstand so Crew could alert him if he needed a hand or saw something suspicious.

While he hoped the night went by smoothly and he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, he knew in his gut that Colton wasn’t done. After what Grey had witnessed at their makeshift camp, he knew they were going to keep coming after them. He didn’t like feeling like a sitting duck, but he wasn’t sure what to do about it.

He looked around slowly. The moonlight made everything look eerily silver and messed with his ability to see things clearly, so he left his post and walked to the fence at the road and followed along it, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

That truck hadn’t been back, thankfully. But he found the whole thing suspicious and it made him feel like they were being watched, and that put him on edge.

He checked the gate to make sure it was locked, then walked the entire front of the property, ensuring each motion detector and camera were functioning and where they should be.

After checking on the other buildings, he made his way to the farmhouse and saw movement. He tensed for a moment, but then he realized it was Zara stepping off the porch and heading his direction. She was holding something that had a soft glow to it in one hand, and as she came closer, he saw it was a tablet.

“Hi,” she whispered.

He gave her a kiss, inhaling her naturally sweet scent.

“Hi, sweetheart. What are you doing up?”

“I couldn’t sleep without you.”

“Sorry,” he said, “I wish I was in bed with you too.”

“I brought you some coffee,” she said, holding up a metal travel mug with a lid. “And the tablet.”

He looked at the tablet; it was the one they’d set up to give them another way to monitor the security system without being stuck in the den.

Looking down at her, he saw her looking up at him expectantly, the moonlight making her look like an angel wearing one of his shirts that came to the middle of her thighs.

Hells bells, she looked good enough to eat.

“Thanks for the coffee, love,” he said.

“Can you take a break if we keep our eye on the tablet?”

“Definitely,” he said, and led her to the barn where they stored the vehicles.

He set the tablet on the workbench on one side of the barn away from the equipment, and then found the switch on the wall to turn on what Tris had called “party lights,” string lights with large bulbs that were hung near the ceiling. They’d used them for a party they had inside the barn when he’d first taken over and never taken them down. Now, they offered enough light for them to see each other without lighting up the whole inside of the barn.

She hopped up onto the workbench and he sat on one of the stools. Taking a sip of the coffee, he set it on the workbench and took the tablet that she’d just picked up.

“See anything on patrol?” she asked.

“Not a thing,” he said. He put the tablet back down. “I was just trying to figure out the next step.”

“Colton’s?”

“Ours,” he said. “I don’t like just waiting for them to strike, but I don’t think going on the offense is the right thing to do either. The male is dangerous, and I don’t want anyone to get hurt.” He scrubbed his face. “I just feel…vulnerable. And like I have no idea what I’m doing.”

He told her how he worried about being able to keep her safe, especially since she was injured. Hell, he probably wouldn’t be sleeping anyway even if he was in bed because he was consumed with worry about keeping everyone safe.

She chewed on her bottom lip, which was sexy as hell. “Do you think we could go on the offensive?”

“How?”

“What about putting a hidden camera at their campsite? Or setting our own traps? Not just motion detectors and video cameras, but traps like he did.”

Crew hummed. “We could set up some traps in the territory, though I’d be worried about wildlife getting caught in them, but a couple of cameras to watch them is a good idea.” She leaned down for a kiss and he let out a low growl. “My smart sweetheart.”

She put her hands on his shoulders. “I have utter confidence in your ability to lead the herd through this. The herd has already come through a lot. Hell, all of us come from crappy situations that brought us all here together, and that means we’re stronger as one. We’ve got allies in the park shifters, but I believe we can keep our herd safe.”

He gazed into her eyes and saw the determination in them.

Cupping her face, he said, “You’re a great alpha female, Zara.”

“Not officially,” she said. They’d postponed their ceremony because of everything that had happened.

“No, you are,” he said. “Because we’re soulmates and that makes you the alpha female, period. And I think I’m a damn lucky male to have such a beautiful, fierce, and smart female at my side.”

“You forgot sexy ,” she whispered.

He caught the hint of arousal and let his fingertips drift down her neck and over her shoulders.

“You’re the sexiest female I’ve ever known,” he said. “And I’m crazy about you.”

“I’m crazy about you too.”

He let his fingers roam down her sides, the soft, worn fabric of his old shirt hiding the curves he adored. When she parted her legs slightly as she reclined back on her elbows, he gave her knees a gentle push apart.

This time he really did growl at the sight before him.

His beautiful mate, wearing nothing but his shirt.

Nothing.

Her pink softness beckoned him, and for the moment, he put aside all the worry about Colton and his herd and keeping everyone safe, and focused on his mate.

He tucked his foot around the leg of the stool and pulled it forward so he could scooch between her thighs, and then he hooked her knees over his shoulders.

Pushing the shirt up over her hips to bare her entirely to his hungry gaze, he said with a rough voice, “Look at you, sexy sweetheart, all wet for your mate. Were you thinking sexy things all alone in bed and getting all worked up?”

Her bottom shifted on the workbench, and she smiled at him, looking like a vixen. “Maybe,” she whispered.

He slowly pushed two fingers inside her, finding her as hot and wet as he’d imagined she would be. She groaned softly and bit her lip.

Leaning forward, he used his free hand to gently expose her clit as he worked his fingers slowly in and out of her. She tugged the shirt up to expose her breasts and cupped one, pinching her nipple gently, her pussy squeezing his fingers.

He kissed her clit and then worked it with his tongue while he fingered her. She lifted her hips as he found just the right spot on her clit, wiggling his tongue over the spot as he pumped his fingers into her until she fell apart on a keening cry.

His hands were shaking as he stood, kicking the stool away and undoing his jeans. The moment he freed his cock, he pressed the thick length to her pussy and rested his hand over hers on her breast, kneading the soft peak and rubbing her nipple as he thrust into her in one hard press.

Her head kicked back and she laid back fully, her knees around his waist and her ankles hooked at his lower back. He slammed his hips against her, the workbench creaking with each thrust. She tilted her hips, lifting off the bench and giving him better access to her, his cock bottoming out in her and her pussy gripping him like a fist.

He grabbed the edge of the bench with his hand and slammed into her, driving a hard and fast pace so he could get her off a second time and come with her. It was his favorite thing in the whole world besides waking her up with his tongue and fingers.

She reached for her clit, and he growled in approval.

“Yeah, baby, touch yourself, make yourself come.”

Her ankles pressed against his back as she rubbed her clit. She was a feast for all of his senses and he’d never get tired of how beautiful she looked when she was in the throes of pleasure.

Her pussy gripped him tighter as she headed close to the edge of climax, her eyes squeezed tightly shut and her teeth digging into her lip.

“Come for me, Zara.” He growled the words more than spoke them as his orgasm tingled at the base of his spine.

She moaned his name, her fingers flying over her clit, and then she froze just a heartbeat before her pussy gripped him even tighter and she exploded with a cry of pleasure.

He followed her, pumping hard into her a few times before he collapsed over her, his head on her stomach and his heart pounding in his ears.

She rubbed his shoulders, massaging them gently as they both soared down from the heavens.

“I think my bones melted,” she said with a hoarse voice.

He chuckled and kissed her belly. “Me too.”

He placed his hands on either side of her and pushed up, smiling at her. “I’m so glad you came out here for a break.”

She chuckled. “Me too.”

After catching their breaths, they watched the footage on the tablet to make sure nothing had happened while they’d been sexing each other up, and then he walked her back to the farmhouse. Giving her the tablet, he said, “Sleep well, sweetheart.”

“Be safe.”

“Always.”

When she was in the house, he turned and looked over the property once more. He felt renewed resolve, his mate’s presence strengthening his determination to keep everyone safe. It felt good to have her by his side, and he really liked her idea for hidden cameras at the other herd’s campsite.

He was even more focused now as he resumed his patrol, glancing at his watch to see he had a few more hours before he’d be relieved. Then he could make plans to enact another layer of security: keeping tabs on the other herd.

Sweet dreams, Zara, I’ll keep you safe.