Page 9

Chapter

Eight

K NOX

Two days later, I was at the grocery store when the tinkle of breaking glass put my senses on high alert. It wasn’t until the scream that I dropped my basket in the center of the aisle and bolted out of the shop.

I’d recognize that voice anywhere, even though I’d only heard it a handful of times.

Danny.

I rushed toward the bakery. It came into view just in time for me to witness a car reverse through the front window and peel away.

A breeze carried the vehicle’s scent toward me and I paused for a few seconds. It was just long enough to confirm they’d been wolf shifters, and that at least one of them had been involved in the break-in at the cabin.

Danny stumbled through the broken window and shifted, his torn clothes falling to the ground as he sprinted toward the woods. Even from a distance, the sharp tang of his terror filled my nostrils.

Lurching into motion, I ran after him. He bumped into a car, then tripped and almost knocked himself out on a lamppost. Panic was making him clumsy.

“Danny!” I yelled, uncertain how close to get. We’d been chatting by text message a couple of times a week, but we hadn’t yet spoken much in person and I didn’t want to frighten him more than he already was.

He spun toward me, stared for two long seconds, and then raced away.

“Damn.” I yanked off my jacket and shirt, shimmied my jeans and underwear down, kicked off my shoes and socks, and shifted. Leaving my clothes in a discarded pile, I took off after Danny. He might be fast, but I was willing to bet that I was faster.

I caught up to him less than a hundred yards into the woods. Circling around him, I kept a wary eye on him. Mate or not, scared shifters were dangerous. Even omegas.

He growled at me and stepped forward. I kept my posture unthreatening. He took another step forward. My blood thrummed through my veins. I could take Danny on if I needed to, but I really didn’t want to hurt him, and I had a feeling he’d regret injuring me too.

Taking a chance, I allowed a shift to ripple over me, returning me to my two-legged form.

“It’s me,” I said, holding my hands up, palms out, to show I didn’t mean any harm. “It’s just me. You’re safe. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

He cocked his head, and I took a brief moment to appreciate him. I hadn’t seen him up close as a bear before. He was gorgeous. His eyes were large and golden. His fur was a rich brown and looked soft to the touch.

“You’re beautiful,” I murmured, surprising myself. I wasn’t the kind of guy who called other men beautiful. Or at least, I hadn’t been before I met him. “Will you shift back for me, Danny? ”

I breathed slowly, calming my heart rate and doing my best to put him at ease. Quiet settled between us, and then his body began to change, shrinking and losing all the hair except for the thick thatch on the top of his head and a patch around his cock.

I looked away instantly. Now wasn’t the time to steal glances at him.

“Thank you,” I said when he stood before me, naked and trembling. He dropped into a squat and wrapped his arms around his legs, rocking back and forth. His gaze was centered somewhere in the distance, and he didn’t react at all as I came closer and knelt beside him.

“Everything will be all right.” I reached out, and when he didn’t pull away, I rested my hand on his upper back. His skin was warm, although it was rapidly cooling. I shuffled closer and encircled him with my arms, holding him close.

He remained stiff. The position was awkward, but I didn’t know what else to do. His vacant stare and distracted rocking made me think he might not be completely aware of what was going on.

“Danny?” I resisted the urge to kiss his cheek. Without consent, that wouldn’t be right. He was in a compromised state. Even holding him like this was tiptoeing close to the boundary. If it wasn’t for the cold weather, I’d probably force myself to keep more of a distance, but I couldn’t bear for him to experience more discomfort than necessary.

“Danny, you have to focus.” I tried to sound stern but honestly, I was scared, and it showed. “What happened?”

No response.

“Did someone drive through your front window?”

He continued to rock.

Damn. We wouldn’t get anywhere like this. I was going to have to move him and see if we could work out what had happened, either after he’d come around or based on what other people had seen.

I shifted position, scooped him into my arms, and straightened, cradling him against my chest. He was heavy for an omega, with lean muscles and a couple of inches more height than usual, but he was nothing my shifter strength couldn’t handle.

I held him close, both loving his closeness and disappointed that the first time I’d gotten to touch him naked was under these conditions. It felt like we’d lost something. Still, this was what he needed.

At least, I hoped it was.

I didn’t know what I’d do if he thought I’d taken advantage of the situation when he came around.

I carried him back toward town, heading for the street his family lived on rather than the bakery. Surely Zander or his deputies were already on the scene. They could speak to Danny later. They wouldn’t get anything useful out of him now, and he needed comfort, not questioning.

Ahead of me, a tall, male form appeared. I breathed in, placing the scent as Everett’s.

“What happened?” he demanded, rushing over to me.

“Someone drove through the bakery window and he panicked,” I explained. “I’m taking him home.”

“Thanks. I’ll stay with him and make sure he’s all right.”

“Can I stay too?” It grated that I had to ask. Danny was my mate. But we weren’t bonded and I had no right to sit by his side. “Please.”