Page 14

MACK

“ Y ou can’t keep Ella prisoner in that house,” Callan had said while biting down on his burger.

Mack didn’t agree.

He could do whatever he wanted to keep his not-yet mate safe.

I have to go. My date is waiting.

A part of him thought Ella was joking, but when he walked in the bar with Callan and Logan in tow, the man she was sitting with had turned and almost shit himself.

“Really, Ella, a human?”

“Mack,” Callan warned, nudging the alpha bond he ruled the pack with.

The human had paled, his shoulders stiffening, ready for battle.

Good one.

Like the guy had any chance against him, let alone all three of the Moretti warriors. Two of them wolves, which, not yet proven, but they suspected, gave them more strength.

“Human? What? Fuck, are you one—”

Mack locked his eyes. “Forget what I said immediately. I am a human who lifts weights.”

Logan snorted.

Ella crossed her arms, glaring at him.

“Do you guys want to join us?” her date asked, relaxing back on his stool as if everything was cool.

“I’m leaving.” Ella began to push past him.

“She’s leaving with me.” Mack grabbed her arm.

“No, I am not.” Her hands planted on her hips.

Human man got off his stool and placed a hand on her back while Logan muttered something like, I told you this wasn’t a good idea.

It’s true. He had. But Logan and Callan still followed him down to the garage and climbed in the back of his dark gray Jeep when he said he was going to get Ella.

Mack had stared at them. “Really guys?”

“Drive, Romeo.” Logan had pointed to the steering wheel. “And remember when I said I told you so?”

Dick.

But here they were.

Mack’s wolf almost shifted right inside the fucking bar as he locked on the spot where the human was touching his mate.

Kill him.

His eyes flared, and the man took a step back.

Smart.

“Is there a problem?” the man asked.

“No, Mack is lea—” Ella began.

“Buddy, I recommend you find someone else to play with.” Mack didn’t take his eyes off Ella’s golden globes. The fire in them making his body hum, his cock twitch.

His wolf paced. Before leaving Seattle, he was just a vampire. Now there was a whole other being who had a claim on her. A beast. One that would freak her the hell out if she learned existed.

Which he’d never let happen.

Aside from harming her, Mack couldn’t deal with fighting a fucking war, keeping Ella safe, having her reject his wolf, and knowing he could never have her.

Yes, it was his own fault for delaying their bonding.

Or following his father’s advice might’ve saved her life.

“Mack.” Callan laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Let’s go.” He glanced back at Ella, who was gaping at him. “Say goodbye to your date. ”

She glanced at Logan and Callan, who she hadn’t yet met, and then back at him. “This is harassment.”

Mack barked out a short laugh.

Then she surprised him again by shoving his chest. All it did was make him hard as granite and trigger the mating bond, which seemed to be growing in strength by the day now that she was in Maine.

Mack took her wrists and lifted his face to the human and compelled him. “Leave.”

The human lifted his beer off the bar and walked off without question while Ella glared at him.

If looks could kill.

“How dare you?” She tugged on his wrists and glanced at the other warriors again. “Who are these men?”

“Callan my...friend, and Logan.” He nodded over each shoulder, stopping before he called Callan his alpha.

That would’ve been hard to explain.

And weird as fuck without context.

“Hey,” they both said in rough voices.

“Hi. Little help here. Your friend has lost his mind and seems to think he can scare off my date and kidnap me.” She wriggled against his hold again, dramatically.

Kidnap?

“Okay Amber Heard, settle down. No one is kidnapping anyone.” Mack rolled his eyes and, releasing her, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, picking up his pint-sized mate with one arm and carrying her out of the bar.

He was going to have some bruises on his left side, but it was worth it.

“Help!” Ella called out over her shoulder.

“Fuck me. Should we stop him?”

“Probably, but I’m entertained enough to let him keep digging his own grave with the female. So, let’s see where this goes.” Callan replied to Logan, as they followed them out the door.

Damn comedians.

Mack plonked Ella down on the sidewalk where a light flow of people traffic passed them by.

“Ella, it’s not fucking safe. What do you think you are doing?”

Logan and Callan leaned against the building a few feet away. Ella glanced at them and back at him.

“So, you brought a gang of baddies to get me?”

Mack frowned. “No.”

Her brows lifted. “Then why are they here?”

“We’re stopping him from kidnapping you.” Logan called out un helpfully.

“Great job so far.” Ella crossed her arms. “And he has no right. I’m a free single woman.”

No.

She.

Wasn’t.

He tugged her arm and led her away despite the two males still being able to hear.

“Ella. Jesus. At any goddamn time a guy like that could discover you’re a vampire. You saw his reaction before I wiped his memory. Do not go out at night by yourself.” He hissed. “I’m just trying to protect you.”

Partly true.

He’d paced the fucking castle knowing she was on a date and had almost gone insane.

“I’m not powerless.” Ella glanced away.

He took the opportunity to dip his gaze and take in the black skinny jeans and silk top she wore. It dipped between her breasts and didn’t take much calculation to realize she was not wearing a bra.

Fuck me.

When she caught him, she tugged the oversized fuchsia blazer around her and pushed her lips out defiantly. So fucking sexy. Her brunette locks were blown out and flowed over her shoulders. Her lids smokey, lashes long, and lips thick with gloss.

Mack would’ve driven faster if he’d known she was dressed to kill tonight.

Kill as in fuck.

If that wasn’t clear.

What the hell was she thinking after he’d kissed her like she was the only woman on the planet last night.?

Sure, he’d had to stop it progressing to anything more, but it was damn obvious she’d taken no time at all to bounce back and look for someone else to...scratch her fucking itch.

Not happening.

He’d made a concerted effort for years to intervene with her and other males, and he wasn’t stopping now. As successful as some of his sabotages had been, Mack was well aware Ella had lost her virginity.

He’d not slept that night.

Or the night after.

His father reminded him it was for the best when he found him at the shooting range three nights later obliterating the target. The thing was in shreds, hanging off the pole.

Had he been wrong?

His mother had asked him time and time again why he wasn’t bonding with Ella.

“You don’t know that she’s my mate.”

“Only you know that, darling, but it’s obvious to everyone around you. Tell me that I’m wrong.” His mom had said on his twenty-first birthday.

“I don’t know,” Mack had muttered.

“Okay. Just don’t hurt her.”

“I would never hurt Ella.” He’d snapped and when his mom had smiled knowingly, Mack had rolled his eyes.

Her trap hadn’t worked. He knew Ella was his, but he wasn’t telling any meddling females. His mom would be planning a mating ceremony and buying flowers before he could tell Ella himself.

“Stop forcing him.” His father had growled at his mom when he overheard a few years later.

Michael, his younger brother, once asked him about it. Many of the males in the neighborhood fancied her, so it wasn’t a surprise.

“If you aren’t going to make your move, bro, other vamps will.”

“Others, like you?”

Michael had lifted his shoulder.

“She’s off limits.” Mack had growled.

“That’s her choice if you don’t bond.”

“No. It’s not. Are we clear?”

Michael’s nod of agreement had been small, but Mack knew he wouldn’t do anything without Mack’s permission. Ella was his.

Everyone knew it...except her.

“He could overpower you, Ella. He was not a small human.” Mack shook his head.

“Why did you bring me out here?” She dropped her hands on her hips. “Why don’t you tell me, Mack Mazzini? Because I’m confused. You demand I fly over here and then kiss me—”

“A mistake,” he interrupted.

“Christ. This guy,” Logan said in the distance.

“Can you...can you please keep your thoughts to yourself?” Mack barked.

Speaking of mistakes, he should have kicked them out of the Jeep the moment they climbed in. Neither of them had been of any help and seemed to be enjoying this little problem of his.

He remembered when Callan was bonding with Virginia.

The guy had lost his mind. As had many of the vampire warriors, including Logan, just recently.

Mack liked to think he was responsible for stopping the vampire from killing Brooklyn, who had outed their race to humanity.

Their chat at the bar before he found her may have helped.

It wasn’t just her life he’d been concerned about; it was also Logan’s. Once bonded, both lives were joined on a level humans would never understand. You couldn’t survive without your mate if they left or died.

Insanity took hold and it could be fast or slow.

Most took their own lives.

“No, let them have a say. How about we ask them what they think?” Ella whipped around.

“Nope.” Both straightened and shook their heads.

Mack gave her a knowing look. As if they were going to side with her. Did she know nothing about males?

“Let’s get a drink.” Callan thumbed over his shoulder. “Check that our buddy isn’t having memories of meeting three big, bad vampires.”

“Are we calling you bad?” Logan asked, slapping Callan on the shoulder. “You were an accountant like five minutes ago.”

Mack nearly laughed.

“Just because you’re an official Moretti warrior...oh wait, I keep forgetting you’re just an assassin.”

The door shut behind them, and Ella turned back, her mouth gaping. “Logan’s an assassin? ”

Yes.

So were many of the other warriors she’d met last night. Callan was also a wolf and the alpha of the pack, but there was a lot she didn’t need to know.