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Chapter 8
Miguel
Niko’s demeanor plummeted as we stepped outside the clinic. Gone was the caring and gentle side, and in its place was the familiar Dominant I had come to crave, that my panther had already claimed as his. My mate, though, hadn’t acknowledged the connection yet... It wasn’t an instant pull like the fairytales stated. With Niko, it had been a slow burn as our friendship slowly developed into something deeper. Having been raised that you had one destined mate and that mate should be from the opposite sex, that first pull to taste him, to mark him shook me to my soul, but as we developed, and our relationship developed, I realized that what we had was unique and something to be cherished. If only I could convince Niko of that.
I always felt that as a strong shifter, my need for submission meant something was wrong with me. I didn’t want to be all badass dominant when it came to pleasure. I needed, no, I craved someone to take that choice from me, take the responsibility, to want and need to care for me as much as I needed to be taken care of. Niko’s dominance fit my submissiveness perfectly.
It was an awkward conversation at first, but with Leo’s guidance on how to openly communicate, our first scene was the pivotal turning point in our relationship. Learning the rules of the club and the lifestyle helped both of us to grow and develop as we learned. Niko had a strong desire to inflict pain, to take you to your breaking point, and then gently bring you back down, or if needed, to push you past it so you could fly.
The face he was giving me now expressed so much. He was wound tightly and desperately needed a release. With Amelia injured, though, I wasn’t sure I could be the submissive he needed right now. He also worked with a couple of the other free subs in the club, and normally, it didn’t bother me. Today, the thought of him touching another sent spikes of jealousy raging through my blood.
“Calm yourself, boy.” That one endearment centered me. “You and I both know that our inner animals will not allow us to leave Amelia’s side for too long.”
“Agreed.” I widened my stance, placing my palms behind my back, one atop the other.
“I didn’t bring you out here to begin a scene.” Niko rolled his shoulders and relaxed his stance, his face gentling a bit. “Relax, Miguel. I apologize for my attitude. Amelia…that girl, has my moods and my tiger bouncing all over the place.” He ran both of his hands over his face and through his hair. The breeze picked up around us, bringing the distinct scent of his arousal to wrap around me.
“You feel it, too.” It was a statement and not a question.
Niko leaned his head back, gazing up into the clear blue sky, breathing the fresh air around us deeply. He was stalling, but I took advantage and appreciated the view before me. A half-naked Niko was a work of art. His tattoos flowed across his skin as his muscles moved. He was strong and thick. The definition of his pecs and the shadow of his abs made my mouth water. He wasn’t cut, not in a bodybuilder way, but he exuded strength and authority.
“Wipe your chin, boy, before I decide to take this behind closed doors.” My eyes shot up only to find his half-hooded gaze. “I came out here to hopefully hash out a plan or schedule to take care of Amelia, but if you don’t stop staring at me like I’m a popsicle on a hot day, we won’t get anything done but the reddening of your ass.”
My dick twitched at the image his words created in my mind. I didn’t deny that I craved that punishment and more, which was why the next words fell from my mouth before my brain kicked it, “I’ll lick you up one side, and down the other. You won’t be able to stand, let alone light my ass up.”
Jax’s appearance at the door stopped any response, but Niko’s eyes promised retribution for my bratty comment.
“Amelia wanted a shower. Nancy is helping her, but she needs fresh clothes. She asked if Miguel would get them.”
“Of course, I’ll run over now.” I paused a moment. “That is if we are done for now, sir.” The honorific slipped off my tongue naturally. Jax didn’t react. None of the members would outside of the club. The Night Shift club was like Vegas—what happens at the club stayed at the club.
“Yes, for now.” Niko waved me off.
“She said the key is taped to the bottom of the baby rose bush pot.” Jax raised his voice as I jogged away. “She also said to keep it until she’s better so she can hide it in a different spot.”
I laughed before teasing Niko across the bond. “Looks like your little pet doesn’t want you to know how to get into her house.”
“I won’t need a key to get into her house. She’ll gladly invite me in before this is all over.”
I didn’t respond, knowing every word he spoke was the truth. He would make sure of it one way or another. I simply smiled as I jogged up to the planter and grabbed the key. He might not realize it, but I believed we’d met our match in Amelia. I made quick work of grabbing a small variety of clothes I thought our girl would be comfortable in. I also stopped by my house to grab one of my T-shirts and then by Niko’s office to grab a sweatshirt and security uniform out of his closet.
I opened the exterior clinic door to a high-pitched screech. Recognizing Amelia’s voice, I zipped through the waiting room and stopped short of the open doorway.
“I can dry myself, damnit.”
“Quit screeching and just let someone help you,” Niko’s growl accentuated his words. I held back a laugh as I peeked around the door jamb.
“Oh, thank god, Miguel. Will you tell this Neanderthal that I am fully capable of drying myself off?” She teetered on her feet before catching herself on the rail of the bed.
“I’m not so sure you are.” I handed Niko the pile of clothing I had picked up as he finished patting her dry, making sure to avoid her injured leg. I climbed up on the bed behind Amelia taking the towel that Niko had discarded on the bed. She held tight to the one wrapped around her upper body, so I began to squeeze the water from her hair, patting the droplets that fell on her shoulders. “Let us take care of you,” I whispered to her. “For once, admit that you can’t do it all and that it’s okay to ask for help.”
Niko began pulling the yoga pants on, taking care to make sure they didn’t touch her incision. When they got past her knees, she inhaled sharply, and Niko’s eyes shot to hers.
“It’s okay. Just get them on.” She breathed the words through gritted teeth.
Niko shook his head. “Nope, not going to happen.” He removed them as gently and quickly as he could. Tossing them aside, he picked up the boy shorts from the pile I brought back. Once past her injury, he pulled them up to her thighs and stopped. “Come on, pet, hips up.”
“I’m not your fucking pet,” she spat as she did as asked. Even without acknowledging it, she was submitting to him. “I can do the rest.” She held out her hand and waited until Niko handed the shirt and sweatshirt I had brought to her. “Now, both of you can leave so I can finish getting dressed.”
