“I have a reason to be,” he grunted.
I tried to focus on his words, but with his fingers and cock working their magic, I couldn’t do anything but come. I collapsed on top of him, then jerked as he lifted and flipped me onto my back. His movements became frenzied as his come shot out. I felt his canines bite into the mating mark, igniting another climax, then he licked the spot.
“Mine,” I growled and bit him.
“Yours. My Brielyn Breezy Mattice, soon to be Carmichael.” He brushed the hair back from my face.
“Is that your subtle way of asking me to marry you?” I licked my lips, staring up at my mate’s dark eyes.
“You need roses and chocolate?”
I loved him. “I just need you.”
“You’ve got me. I’ll always be here. Protecting you and our cubs will be my main priority.”
My head turned toward the window. “I saw the guards in the woods. I don’t know how comfortable I am with them being so close. I’m glad your windows are tinted.”
He growled. “When did you see them?”
“When I first woke. I looked out and noticed movements along the tree line. I assumed you knew.”
Easing out of me, Xan sat up. I assumed he was contacting Kellen. “There are no guards this close to my home. Are you sure it wasn’t an animal?”
“I know the difference between man and animal, Xan.” I pulled the sheet over my naked breasts, feeling suddenly exposed.
Xan let out a deep breath. “I’m sorry. Shit. I need to go check the perimeter.”
I gave him a sharp look. “I don’t think you should go alone.”
“You’ll be safe inside the house. Lock the doors, set the alarm, and if you feel threatened, you shift. You call for help, and you stay safe. Feel me?”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “All right. I could go with you, though.”
He kissed me hard and fast. “I’d be worried about you.” Meaning he wouldn’t be able to focus on the task at hand. “I’ll whip up some crepes. I’m sure you have the things I need for them.”
He stood and walked to the door while I pulled his shirt over my head. “Walk me to the back door and then do as I said. Kellen is on his way from his side. If there was someone here that shouldn’t have been, we would know. If they are still here,” he trailed off.
On the other side of the door, I knew there could be trouble. Humans weren’t known for being straight-up fighters. While Xan and Kellen would attack their enemies head-on, the men who had chased me would use anything at their disposal. “I know what’s going on in your mind. You’re what’s important, so stay safe inside these walls.”
“Fine, but if you get hurt, I will be so mad.” I struggled for breath through my fears.
Xan’s voice was gentle as he kissed me one last time. “I’ll be back before you can burn the pancakes.”
“Crepes.” I corrected him.
“Real men eat pancakes.” He opened the door to the back and slid out noiselessly. His nudity was a non-issue as he shifted into the large wolf. He turned, clearly waiting to see if I followed his orders and locked the door.
I waited for Breezy to lock up the house, and then I went hunting. When I’d listened to her talk of someone being near the tree line, I’d known instantly something was wrong, and I was glad I’d paid extra for the double-pane windows with the tint. I looked forward to killing the fucks who dared to enter my land. My muscles bunched in the body of my wolf, stopping next to the trees that bordered the land with the best view of my bedroom. I swiveled my head in the direction of the log home, filtering sun glinting off the windows. The smell of vegetation and animals was overlaid with a faint trace of another. I realized we weren’t dealing with an average human. Not a shifter, but someone skilled at hunting and hiding.
I turned to see the big black wolf stalking toward me. “Smell that?” I asked Kellen through our connection.
Kellen’s head nodded. “I tracked several other unfamiliar scents along the border separating our properties. Faint but there. You thinking what I am?”
The suppressed growl broke free. “They were here waiting, watching. The question is who they want and why. There’s no way they knew Breezy was with me. Unless we were followed.”
I thought back to the ride back the night before. I’d been focused on Breezy, but I was sure that if there had been a vehicle behind us, Kellen would’ve noticed. “There was nobody trailing us.” Kellen’s eyes dared me to question his words.
I nodded. That was the good thing about the alpha. If he said he knew something, it wasn’t him being boastful. It was factual. “Have you talked to the guards that were stationed out here last night and this morning?”
