Page 20 of The Reluctant Mate (Shifters of the Three Rivers #5)

Chapter twenty

Derek

I listened to Sofia’s footsteps fade down the hall, followed by the creak of the bathroom door and the rush of running water. My wolf whined softly, already missing her presence, her warmth, her scent. But I knew she needed space right now—space to process, to think, to possibly rebuild her walls brick by careful brick.

That was okay; I’d knock them down again.

Besides, I’d just found the perfect way to get her to stop arguing with me. Hearing her moan underneath me, hearing her beg me for more… if I lived to be three thousand, I would never forget it. And I fully intended to do it a million more times. When she was moaning, she wasn’t arguing.

I stood from the couch, stretching my muscles and trying to calm my own desires down. It had taken all my military training not to sink my cock inside of her. She’d been so wet, so fucking ready for me. But I’d meant it; she needed to be sure before I fucked her. Because even my training wouldn’t be enough to hold me back when I was finally, after all this time, deep inside of her.

Shaking off the feeling, I headed for the kitchen. I wanted to cook for her, wanted to show her I could make something edible. I was going to learn how to do it properly; she deserved a home-cooked meal every night, and I was going to make damn sure I could give it to her.

My hands moved automatically, gathering the ingredients we’d prepared earlier and heating the pan. Eggs I could handle. Probably. The sizzle of butter hitting hot metal filled the quiet space as I beat eggs in a bowl, trying not to think about the way Sofia had felt pressed against me, or how she had tasted, or—

My phone buzzed. The storm must have passed enough for the signal to return. I wiped my hands on a dish towel and pulled it out of my back pocket.

A message from Torres.

Fuck.

Everything in me tensed as I unlocked the phone, knowing whatever waited wouldn’t be good. I still hadn’t cracked the USB, still had no plan to turn this around.

The message loaded with a photo first—Sam walking past the Bottley, timestamp from twenty minutes ago. My brother looked distracted, completely unaware he was being watched. Being hunted.

The text followed:

We know you have it. Nice job taking the girl. But you can’t hide everyone. Bring the USB to the Bottley or your brother has an accident. Warn him, and he has an accident. Tell anyone, and he has an accident. Are you clueing in to the theme here, Shaw?

I was out of time. Something inside me snapped. The world narrowed to a pinpoint of rage and fear as my wolf surged forward, howling for blood. How were they still in Three Rivers? I’d ordered Evelyn to evacuate anyone she didn’t recognize. I felt useless, hiding out here while my twin was walking around with a target on his back.

The sound of the running water turning off in the bathroom made my chest squeeze tighter. How the hell was I supposed to protect both Sam and Sofia?

I knew Sofia. If I told Sofia about the text, she’d insist on coming with me. And then all this would be for nothing. I’d taken her to keep her safe, and instead, I’d be delivering her back to the place where she was in most danger. The thought made bile rise in my throat. No, Sofia had to stay here.

Her footsteps padded across the bedroom floor. She’d be out soon. The only option would destroy whatever progress Sofia and I had made.

Fuck.

I couldn’t lose either of them.

My gaze caught on my backpack in the corner.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

She’d hate me for it. Maybe forever this time.

The bedroom door handle turned. Time was up.

I crossed the room and dug in my pack, pulling out a piece of rope. It was cold in my hands as Sofia stepped out. My eyes traced over her—damp hair curling around her shoulders, one of my shirts falling to mid-thigh, a pair of tight blue jeans showing the curve of her calves. The sight of her, covered in my scent, hit me like a lightning bolt—she was everything I had ever wanted, ever needed. She looked soft, vulnerable, and utterly perfect. And I was about to shatter whatever trust she’d just given me.

The eggs sizzled in the pan behind me, forgotten. The domestic scene I’d tried to create—breakfast, normalcy, maybe even a bit of happiness—crumbled as Torres’s threat echoed in my head.

She frowned at me, maybe picking something up in my scent. “Derek? What’s wrong?”

I had to do this. I couldn’t back out now. It was the only option.

Fuck!

She froze when she saw my expression, her earlier softness hardening instantly into wariness.

“You’re probably going to hate me for this.”

Her eyes dropped to the rope in my hand, and I watched the exact moment understanding dawned. Her breath caught, and her eyes widened as they shot back up to meet mine.

“You wouldn’t dare!”

I took a step toward her. “I don’t have a choice.”

She took two steps back. “There is always a choice, Derek.”

She must have seen the resolve on my face because she suddenly lunged forward and tried to wrench the rope from my hands. I had to admit, it caught me by surprise, and she almost had it. Then I moved, using her momentum against her as I grabbed her wrists. She didn’t give in easily—not that I expected her to—kicking, twisting, trying to throw her weight against me.

“Don’t you fucking dare do this, Derek!” she snarled, struggling against my grip. “Let me go!”

“If you’d just listen—” I started, then cursed as she nearly slipped free. “Damn it, Sofia, stop fighting me!”

She did not stop fighting me. In fact, her struggles got even more intense. I pivoted, slipping the coil of rope around both her wrists as she thrashed against me. The rope tightened with a sharp tug, binding her hands together, and before she could react, I picked her up and carried her to the bed.

She kicked, she screamed, she howled like a fucking banshee, but I dropped her on the bed and looped the other end of the rope around the heavy iron frame in a double constrictor knot before she could yank it out of reach.

She stared in shock at the rope, then pulled hard against it, the binding digging into her skin. When it didn’t budge, her head snapped around to face me.

“Are you out of your damn mind?” She jerked against the restraint again.

I kneeled on the bed with one knee, inspecting the rope. My fingers brushed lightly over her wrist, where red marks were already blooming. She just glared at me, then yanked harder against the rope.

“Stop that. You’re going to hurt yourself.”

I went back to the lounge and grabbed a rectangular piece of black cloth from my bag pocket.

“Don’t you dare touch me,” she snapped, trying to twist her bound arms out of my reach when I got back. As gently as I could, I took her hands in mine.

“You make it a habit to tie up helpless women?”

“You’re hardly helpless, Sofia,” I replied. “I’ve seen you fight, remember? Now hold still. I’m just putting the cloth between the rope and your skin. It’ll stop the fibers from cutting into your wrists.”

“You’re fucking unbelievable, you know that? After what we just did? Are you seriously going to leave me tied to the bed?”

“I have to go out for a bit. Sam’s in trouble,” I said. “I don’t have time to explain right now. But I need to know that you are safe here and are not going to try to escape.”

She started pulling against the rope with everything she had.

I glanced at her, then looked away. There was no choice.

“I’ll be back before dawn.”

“Don’t do this, Derek,” she snarled, her voice full of anger. “Don’t you fucking dare!”

I paused halfway to the door, my back to her.

“You walk out that door, don’t bother coming back at all. I can’t fucking believe you’re leaving me again!”

My whole body went rigid. It physically hurt to do this, to leave her.

“I’d rather have you alive and hating me,” I said quietly, “than dead because I failed to protect you.”

Then I turned off the stove, threw the eggs in the garbage and walked out, listening to her sobs all the way to my car.