Page 70 of To Kill a Badger (The Honey Badgers Chronicles #6)

“L et’s take a look at these arms of yours!” Rutowski cheered after they’d all finished eating and talking. Keane was fine with that until she pulled out her tactical knife again.

“No! What’s with you broads and knives?”

Rutowski’s grin somehow got bigger. “There’s that Malone energy I’ve been looking for!”

“You are not touching her with those knives.”

“Yeah, but—”

“No.”

The Russian suddenly stood. At first, she didn’t say anything. Simply stood there, staring at each person in front of her before she announced, “I go to raid neighbor-bear’s hives.”

She shifted and trotted out the doggy door that was large enough for a Great Dane or a massive wolf. Or a large-sized honey badger.

álvarez and Yoon followed their friend out the doggy door as well and, after putting her plate in the sink, Rutowski was about to follow.

“We’re hiding here, ” Nelle pointed out, “but you guys decide it’s a good idea to go harass bears and steal their honey?”

“Well . . . we could stay here,” Rutowski said, “get high, and sing down memory lane to Kate Bush songs. She has a really high singing voice that none of us can match. So it’s really funny when we try .

. . and try . . . and try to match it.” She flashed a smile that showed practically all her teeth.

No fangs this time, but the threat was implied.

“Or we can go harass bears and steal their honey. Your choice.”

Nelle didn’t even have to tell the female to get out. She simply looked away, and Rutowski headed to the door.

And, before shifting and disappearing into the night, she said, “You two should get some sleep. We’ll be starting pretty early, and we have a lot to do.”

When she was gone, Keane searched the cabinets for a medical kit. He finally found one in the bathroom. When he returned to the kitchen, Nelle had already taken off the bandages and, already cringing, she tentatively asked, “How do my arms look?”

Keane stood behind her and used alcohol wipes to clean the remaining blood off. He took his time, not wanting to damage the area any more than it had been. When he was done, he told Nelle the harsh truth.

“They’re fine.”

Nelle looked at him over her shoulder. “What?”

Keane shrugged. “They’ve healed completely. Not even a keloid.”

“No, no, no!” She was no longer cringing, but very annoyed. “They should be a mess! Why aren’t they a mess?” She bent her right arm at the elbow and raised it so she could examine the skin that had taken the brunt of the damage.

“Is this about your sister’s wedding again?”

“That stupid dress is sleeveless. I just wanted to look hideous on her special day! But clearly I can never get a break!”

* * *

“And you laughing at me does not endear you to me right now.”

“Sorry. I can’t help it. I have never met anyone who wants to avoid a wedding as much as you do.”

“She won’t listen to me. It’s a waste of time.”

“Maybe she loves him.”

Nelle, disgusted by the suggestion, rolled her eyes. “If you’re going to say ridiculous things, we can’t talk about this anymore.”

“You know,” he said when she went to grab an apple from a bowl full of them on the counter, “I can come with you. To the wedding. If you want.”

Nelle froze, mid-bite, her fangs digging into the apple’s flesh and her eyes wide as she faced the cat.

She bit off a piece, chewed, and swallowed. “Are you joking?”

“I’m not funny.”

She shrugged at that. She actually thought he was quite funny.

“You want to come to a wedding of someone you don’t know?”

“No. I don’t. But neither do you. So if we go together .

. . maybe it will be tolerable. I also like the idea of looking down on all those rich people.

Maybe scaring some full-humans just by staring at them until they piss themselves.

” He nodded. “I can find lots of ways to entertain myself. It’s a gift. ”

“And you’ll do this . . . because?”

“If I can keep you from getting in another chick fight with your sister in front of all those people so your family doesn’t hate you, I think it will be worth it.”

“It was not a chick fight.”

“You pulled her hair.”

“To ruin it for the wedding! It was a cruel and inhuman plan!”

“It was two girls rolling around on the floor in a wedding store while a bunch of other girls tried to stop them. If that’s not a chick fight . . .”

Nelle studied the apple in her hand for a moment before asking, “Will you really come with me?”

“I won’t wear a tux.”

“That’s okay.”

“Then yeah . . . I’ll go.”

Nelle charged the cat, slamming into him and wrapping her arms around his waist.

“What’s happening?” he asked, confused.

“I’m giving you a hug to thank you.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Feel free to hug me back.”

“Do I have to?” She looked up at him, and he grinned. “Just kidding.”

“Not funny.”

“Told ya.”

* * *

He did hug her back. He really wanted to. She was soft and warm in his arms, and it just felt really nice.

The problem was that the nice thing didn’t last long. Because the longer he hugged her, the hotter his skin got. The more his muscles tightened. Then, despite his best efforts, his dick got hard. Just like that. With no warning and, as usual, paying his silent commands to “settle down” no heed!

It didn’t take her long to figure it out, either. He felt her body stiffen, and she moved back a bit, her gaze lifting to his.

She cleared her throat and pulled out of his arms. He didn’t blame her. He was pathetic.

Then, gazing up at him, she said something really stupid.

“Catch me.”

Keane was hoping he hadn’t heard her right. “What?”

“Catch me.” She took off running.

He watched her run out of the room, but refused to follow. She didn’t know what she was doing. She couldn’t know. She couldn’t possibly be that—

She ran back in, sped around the table, punching him in the chest as she passed, then went out the kitchen door again.

When she ran in a third time, he said, “Nelle, you need to stop—”

She slammed into his side with such force, his entire body jerked over several feet. He reached for her, but she ducked under his arms and ran out the door again.

He didn’t even realize he was chasing after her until they were in the large dining room, and she moved around him the way she moved around those She-bear players on other basketball teams. She was faster than he thought she would be and was really making him work for this.

At one point, he almost had her. His hand closing on her shoulder, but she spun away from him and went out of the room. The next thing Keane knew, he was chasing her up the stairs, and tackling her onto a bed.

It wasn’t until he pinned down her arms over her head and roared with his fangs out that he froze. Horrified at the loss of control.

She kissed him. With his fangs still out, Nelle Zhao kissed him. And that was the last thing he remembered consciously thinking for a good while.

* * *

Nelle was tired of waiting. She was tired of the stoic warrior that appeared anytime they spoke of being together.

She appreciated that guy but, at the moment, she didn’t need that guy.

And she knew that under all that stoicism armor was a horny cat just waiting to get let out of its cage.

Keane had probably had too many full-human girlfriends.

Girls who could never handle his true nature.

Or smaller cats that weren’t ready for him either.

But she wasn’t full-human, and she definitely wasn’t a cat. She was a honey badger. And when she saw those fangs and heard that roar . . .

She attacked him like he was a king cobra and she hadn’t eaten in months.

She got her arms loose and slammed them against his shoulders, shoving him onto his back.

Straddling him, she kissed Keane again. Pressing her mouth against his, easing her tongue against his lips.

He opened to her immediately, and their kiss turned passionate so fast, she wasn’t really aware what she was doing.

Like when she unleashed her claws and tore at his T-shirt until it was nothing but shreds.

She could have just pulled it off, but who had time for that?

She wanted to touch him now . She wanted all of him.

Nelle couldn’t deal with any more waiting!

As it was, she didn’t even want foreplay. Okay. She did. But not right now. Right now, she had to get this out of the way. Then they could do all the other stuff.

She sat up long enough to pull off her shirt, yank off her bra, and nearly rip off her jeans and panties. By the time she was done, Keane was naked, too. His cock was stupendous. And big. She loved big.

She launched herself at him, and he easily caught her, hands on her ass, as he turned around and dropped them both back on the bed.

“Now,” she growled against his chest, fingers digging into his skin.

Keane understood, his body pressing against her seconds before he impaled her with his cock. Then he froze.

“Shit.”

“What?” she asked, not meaning to sound so desperate, but come on!

“Condom.”

“Shit!”

“Hold on.” He rolled off her, and she almost told him to forget it. Then she remembered she didn’t know when or if she’d ever want kids. So they really needed condoms.

“He must have condoms here.”

“Van Holtz is old,” she reminded him. “His mate has definitely been through menopause.”

“But he has sons—”

“Middle age. Wives possibly menopausal.”

“And grandsons . . .”

He stood, lifted his nose, sniffed the air. He smirked. “Incense.”

Used by a college kid trying to hide the pot smell coming from his bedroom and who hadn’t quite learned all the things an adult wolf could smell even when one was trying to cover it up.

They both followed the scent down the hallway until they reached the last door. A locked door. Keane raised his leg and with one kick sent the door flying across the room.

He went right to the bedside table and opened the top, then bottom drawer. That’s where he found the condoms. She heard him whisper, “Thank God.”