Xan's Feisty Mate (19 page)

“It’s just one of the physicians on staff here,” she whispered too low for the doctor to hear.

“He’s sorta a dick, but a hot one, so we put up with him.” Cheyenne moved away from Shaw.

Shaw growled. “He looks like a dickweed to me.”

Cheyenne shrugged, walking backward toward her small BMW. “I’m not looking for a husband, so I don’t care if he’s a jackass as long as he’s hot and...” she trailed off raising her brows.

Breezy recognized the anger brewing in her older brother’s features. “Cheyenne, it was great of you to walk with me. I’ll see you in a couple days.”

“Sure thing. Maybe we can go out again. If your man there will let you. Heck, he can come along. We can do shots off of him next time.” She slid into her car, unaware of the wolf who was barely keeping hold of himself. Breezy held his arm, while Xan looked on in amusement.

They watched the little silver sports car speed down the narrow parking garage. “What the hell is wrong with you, Shaw?” Breezy stared after her friend, then looked at her brother.

Her brother cracked his neck. “I don’t know. There’s something about her.”

“Get your head on straight. If you want to pursue her then do it, but don’t get all growly on her, or you’ll screw it up. She’s human, Shaw.” Breezy walked to the bike Xan drove.

“I know she’s fucking human.”

Xan growled. “Don’t talk to my mate like that. I don’t give two fucks that she’s your sister. She’s my mate, and you will respect her. Got me?”

“It’s okay, Xan.” Breezy touched her mate’s chest.

“No, he’s right. I’m sorry, sis. Give me your keys and go ride with Xan. I’ll get your baby home safely. I’ll even keep it under a hundred.” He grinned at her, reminding her of the brother she loved.

A black Lexus drove past, its dark windows hid who drove, but Breezy knew it was the doctor in question. She shivered.

“Who’s that?” Xan asked.

She explained about the doctor and had two pissed off wolves growling, making her roll her eyes. “All right, boys, enough. Let’s roll.” In Xan’s bags she found the things she needed and had them on in minutes.

They followed behind Shaw as they exited, the red Cobra’s engine purred at the light as Xan pulled beside him. She saw the gleam in her brother’s gaze and prepared for what was to come. When the light turned green, her car shot forward, and she watched as he did indeed try to reach the hundred mile an hour mark, once they reached the highway.

“Your brother is a crazy wolf. You do realize that, don’t you?” Xan asked through the mic in their helmets.

“Parker is the sane one,” she agreed.

****

K
ellen slammed his fist into the heavy bag. The tape wrapped around them was dripping crimson, and still he pummeled away. Spinning, he kicked with all his might, sending it soaring across the room.

“What the hell did that thing ever do to you?” Laikyn O’Neil asked.

His balls tightened at the sound of her husky voice, drawing up at the mere slip of a thing. “What’s brought you here, Lake?” he asked.

The brutal punch of awareness he received any time she came within a mile of him, made him angry. He walked over to the black bag lying across the room, picking it up with ease and set it against the wall.

Her breath catching made him glance over his shoulder. “What?” he growled.

“You’re hurt.” She closed the distance between them, grabbing his hands in hers.

The difference in their sizes was startling as he looked down at her pale fingers running over his dark, callused palms. It didn’t make sense why she should care. He was a prick of the first order. Especially to her. He tried to jerk his hands away, but she held firm. In order to truly break free, he’d have to hurt her, and he refused to cause any true harm to her.

Hell, he didn’t understand the why of it, only that it was imperative to get her out of his vicinity, without any true damage to her person. Her heart didn’t count. In the end, he knew he’d destroy that if she allowed him.

She glanced up at him. “Come on, let me tend these before I leave.”

His gut clenched. She was leaving just as he wanted. Not wanted, needed. It was all the same to him. In his mind he couldn’t have her near him without having her under him, without breaking her. She deserved better, and he wasn’t better. She was all things good, while he was all things bad. If he hadn’t learned that two years ago, then she should have.

“I don’t need you, Laikyn. These will heal on their own. A shift and I’ll be as good as new.”

“What about the other.” She stared down at the visible hard-on straining against his sweats.

“There are a dozen women who know the score inside the club. All I gotta do is snap my finger,” he snapped his bruised fingers before continuing. “And there will be chicks lining up to ease me. Do you want to sign up for one of the positions?”

A light dimmed in her too gorgeous eyes. “I’m sure you’re right, Kellen. You have a good life, now, you hear.”

Why did that sound so final? His arm shot out to demand answers, but she jumped away from his touch. “What the hell does that mean?”

Her spine straightened. “I’m tired of coming back here and throwing myself at a dead-end. There’s nothing here for me anymore. Both my parents have moved to Florida with some of the elders from the pack.” She shrugged. “I’ve been offered full residency at one of the top hospitals in Kansas City. I’m taking it.”

Kellen watched her fight tears, but couldn’t find the words to ask her to stay. Maybe if she was hundreds of miles away, he’d get his shit straight and they’d be better. He wasn’t the wolf for her. A nice human man would be perfect for her needs.

A low vibrating growl came from deep within his chest. Laikyn ignored it and him, walking out the door without a backward glance. It was for the best. He’d only destroy what was left of her heart.

The door at the other end of the gym opened, with Wyck entering. “Yo, alpha, we got a problem.”

He tipped his head back, wanting to howl at the moon and toss his hands up in the air. “What the fuck now, Wyck?”

“You better follow me.”

Ripping the tape off his knuckles, he dropped the bloodied bandages in the trash, keeping the wince to himself. It was his job to protect the pack, no matter how much he wanted one little wolf who made him think of summer nights, and not matter how much his heart ached at the hurt he’d caused her.

They entered the set of rooms they’d put Carley in, who was related to the McCartneys. He still wasn’t sure what to do with her. The true remorse that wafted off of her always hit him like a punch. She’d been a font of information, once she’d realized her leader was a psychotic bitch who’d planned to kill her. He thanked the Phantom Team of Rowan’s, for their help in bringing the computer that was hooked up in the kitchen area of their captive. The details they were still deciphering boggled them all. With Wyck’s help, she was recovering and seemed to be opening up to the pack more and more. Kellen anticipated that once Carly was healed enough inside, and was able to shift, they’d have an excellent new pack member.

“What’s up?” He asked, looking around the room.

Carly wrung her hands. “She implanted a tracker in all of us. Like fucking pets. I...I’m soo sorry, alpha. I think I did it to Breezy, in the injection I gave her that was supposed to be a paralyzer. Here in the notes, it states that the tracking device was successfully implanted in the subject, with date and location of here. That can only mean I did it. There’s also my initials next to it as the administrator. I swear, I didn’t know. I want it out of me.” Her voice cracked.

Kellen stared as Wyck gathered the crying woman into his arms. Soothing words he’d never thought to hear from the African American most men were scared to look in the eye, amazed to hear how they flowed from him with ease. It was clear he was trying desperately to soothe her, and by the looks of things, Wyck didn’t look at her as a little sister.

“Calm down, little wolf. We’ll figure it out.” Damn, he wished he hadn’t run Laikyn off, but they didn’t need her. Now, he had to call his best friend and inform him of the little surprise hidden in his mate.

Hell, why was he the one to do all the hard work? It sucked being the alpha sometimes.

“I’m gonna reach out to Xan. Shit is gonna hit the fan, boys and girls.” Kellen reached out and ran his hand down Carly’s shoulder, glaring over her head at the possessive snarl coming out of Wyck’s throat. “
Back the fuck up, Wyck
.” Kellen ordered through their link.

“
There is something about her that brings out all my primal instincts.”
That was about as good of an apology Kellen was going to get.

“
I get it, but don’t challenge me again. I’ll fuck you up and teach you why I’m the alpha. You want to bull up, let’s do it, otherwise, chill.”

Wyck dropped his eyes. It was enough for Kellen and his wolf. He left the room, anger simmering in his blood at the thought of the conversation he was going to have with Xan. “Shit, I do not need this.”

Inside his newly reclaimed office, he went into the bathroom, and stripped. The faces of the pack he’d passed on his way were a blur. He put off calling Xan until he was cleaned up and refreshed. He was not pussing out, just giving himself a few moments before the inevitable explosion.

Unfortunately, even being clean didn’t make the job easier. He grabbed a glass and poured himself a drink, taking the entire bottle back to his desk.

Damn, this fucking situation was making him sick. Breezy, Lyric and Taya had been through too much. The women of their pack were supposed to be protected. What kind of leader was he that he couldn’t keep his pack safe? He swallowed the amber liquid, the fiery burn felt good going down his throat.

He picked up the phone and punched in Xan’s cell. The wait for his second to answer had him figuring the other man was otherwise engaged. A notion his neglected cock wasn’t happy with.

“Hey, Kell, what’s up?” Xan’s voice sounded strained.

“You with Breezy?” Kellen asked instead of answering.

Xan grunted. “Of course I am.”

“Hiya, Kellen.” Breezy giggled loud enough he could hear her.

“Put the phone on speaker, since I know you both will want to hear this.” Kellen filled his glass with more Maker’s Mark. The rate he was going, he should buy stock in the company.

“Okay, it’s on. You’re making me nervous,” Xan announced, the shuffling of fabric loud through the phone.

“Hush, let the man speak, Xan.”

Yeah, having a mate could be good, or a pain in the fucking ass. In Xan’s case he got lucky, pure and simple. “Carly has discovered records that indicate a tracking device, much like what vets use in pets, may have been implanted in you, Breezy, when she shot you with that drug.”

“Are you fucking kidding me,” Xan roared.

Breezy tried to calm her mate, but her words were overridden by Xan’s more expletive ones.

“You done yet?” Kellen waited. When his second lost his shit, Kellen tended to become the calm one and vice versa. That was why they made a perfect team.

“I want it out of her, now.”

“Obviously.” Kellen drew the word out, waiting to see if Xan blew up some more. “Wyck and Carly said the device is just below the skin where the injection site would be. It should be just a matter of feeling and a small little slice and removal. Do you have anyone you trust who can do it?”

“Laikyn,” Breezy said.

Kellen let his head rest on the back of his large leather chair. He had a feeling she was going to say that. “Give her a call. Maybe you can catch her before she leaves for Kansas City.”

“What did you do now, Kellen?” Breezy asked.

“I’m not discussing my shit with you, Breezy. Don’t waste time fucking with my life, when you should be saying, thanks alpha, I’ll call Laikyn now alpha, or something like that.” He grunted.

“I will make that call, but you better get your head outta your ass before it’s too late,” Breezy advised him.

“Can’t you control your mate, Xan?” Kellen glared at the phone.

Xan’s deep chuckle boomed through the phone. “Yeah, I don’t think so. There are a few places I do, but in this instance, she’s right. Love you, brother.”

Kellen flipped the phone the bird, and then stabbed the end forcefully. Laikyn needed to get her fine, rounded ass on a plane, or he’d have it tied to his bed, spanked and fucked. A state his cock was only too eager to fulfill.

Chapter Fourteen

––––––––

X
an watched Laikyn pull the little device out of Breezy’s arm. He wanted to smash it to bits, but they’d agreed to hand it over to Rowan and his team for research. Carly’s little tracker had been taken out over an hour ago, and was already undergoing tests as well.

He shook his head as he thought about Kayan and the other members of the team that had helped destroy the rogue pack. They’d taken over the compound, and were helping to
fix
the humans and wolves who were brainwashed. Luckily, they’d been trained to do such a thing.

“Thank you for coming out to do this, Lake,” Breezy murmured.

Laikyn smiled, green eyes looking sad. “Hey, anything for my girl.” She applied a glue like substance to the small incision she’d had to make. “Once you shift, I think this will heal completely.

“What’re your plans now?” Xan looked at the little rental sitting outside his home. The red-haired doctor shrugged. I decided to drive up to KC instead of flying. Cancelling flights and all, it seemed smarter to rent a car and do a little sightseeing on the way up. I still have a little leave.”

Xan didn’t think Kellen would approve, opened his mouth to say just that, but his mate squeezed his hand. “You’ll call me as soon as you get to where you’re staying tonight and each night, yes?” Breezy said it as a question, but steel laced the words.

He could see the idea of walking away from their pack was tearing Laikyn apart, and wanted to beat some sense into Kellen. However, until the alpha figured out for himself what and who was the best thing for him, he’d be suffering. Xan just hoped the rest of the pack didn’t have to incur his wrath.