by Tl Reeve
Yeah…no.
Everyone knew Kalkin had been an asshole before Keeley.
And as much as Hayden might have complained about it, his little mate still got off on his demanding appetite. She couldn’t hide her body’s reaction to him. No matter if it’d been his mouth or his body doing the talking.
Ever.
His wicked little mate got off on it.
Nico caught up to Hayden as she stood in the aisle where bath towels were stocked. She nibbled on her lower lip as she concentrated on the vast selection of colored towels in front of them.
“I didn’t know you could be such a cocky bastard,” she hissed.
He chuckled. “You got the cocky part right, mate.”
Instead of answering, Hayden rolled her eyes at him before giving him her back. Nico hadn’t missed the twitching of her lips. Hayden was enjoying the game as much as he was. She moved down the aisle, stopping in front of a yellow so bright, they’d-need-to-wear-shades set of towels and floor mats. Hayden picked one up and unfurled it, checking the length of the towel. Nico glanced at the red set in longing. His imagination ran rampant. An image of Hayden on their bed, wrapped in the dark red towel against her pale skin and dark hair. It’d be a pretty gift to unwrap every time he caught her coming out of their master bathroom.
“What do you think?” she inquired, her bright blue eyes hopeful.
“For the guest bathroom, absolutely,” Nico said before snatching the red one off the shelf. “For our bathroom, I want this.”
“It’s too dark,” she remarked, her gaze flickering back to the yellow.
So were his desires, and they didn’t put her off. So, why should the dyed cotton cloth used to dry oneself bother her? “Little wolf.” Nico lowered his voice so only she could hear him. “My dick is hard, imagining you in the red.” A flush tinged Hayden’s cheeks and the top of her breasts. “You can have both. I just want the red for us.”
Nico loaded up the cart off to the side with several sets of the towels while Hayden placed in the yellow on top of them. “Next.” Nico wrapped his fingers around the handle of the cart and followed Hayden to the next aisle. She glanced over her shoulder at him a few times as she placed item after item in. “Don’t need a rug for the toilet, mate, just get a mat for in front of the shower and we’re good.”
“The floors are tile,” she said as if it explained everything.
“Your point?”
“It’ll get cold.”
“We live in Arizona, Hayden. It’s not as cold as Colorado. Trust me, we’ll be fine.” Nico pulled the one mat out of her hand before tossing it into the cart and gestured for her to put the others back.
She did. “How much can we get?”
“Whatever you think we need,” he replied, distracted by a set of black and steel kitchen knives at the end cap.
“They have a matching barbeque set.”
Nico snorted. “You think we’re going to be doing a lot of grilling at our house, knowing your family?”
Hayden contemplated it for a while before gesturing to them. “True. Get the knives. I like them too, and they’ll match the kitchen.”
Nico nodded, placing the box in the cart before they headed off to yet another department. His goal was to get everything they needed in one go around. Shopping for him wasn’t fun, even if he had his mate beside him, making him excited for the plans he had for them later that night.
After filling their red plastic cart and Hayden deeming they were done, they made their way to the front where the registers were located. He didn’t know if it was the fact they were finally starting their life on their own, in their own home, or the fact it’d been the full moon, but he’d been so caught up in his thoughts, he hadn’t seen anyone approach them until it was too late.
“Hayden?” a familiar, omega wolf said.
Adam.
Fuck.
The wolf who lay beneath his skin pushed forward, snarling mine in his head. Nico fought the wild beast, reminding the half-feral animal Hayden carried their mark and his seed was currently deep inside her body. The wolf, surly to begin with, sat on his hindquarters, watching the omega through his eyes, snapping every so often at the submissive wolf. Nico knew if the omega made any attempt to touch his mate, they’d have a fight on their hands.
Hayden, clueless to his internal struggle, abandoned their cart and headed to the boy she’d once sexually experimented with. He knew about it. He didn’t hold it against her. Hell, he screwed and fuck his share of women, but his Hayden...though she touched and tried things with the guy standing in front of them, she never went much past second base. Still, it didn’t mean Adam’s presence haddn’t rankle his nerves.
“Oh, my…Adam!” Hayden skidded to a stop in front of the omega. She went to hug him and stopped as if she was unsure how to proceed.
Nico fought back the growl he felt building in his throat. “Little wolf.”
Hayden glanced at him, then took a step back. “How are you? I haven’t seen you in forever.”
The other man’s nostrils flared, his features twisted in disgust, and a look of sadness flashed through his green eyes. Nico’s wolf laughed, while he gloated. That’s right, motherfucker, you’re scentin’ me all over her. Deal with it. After pulling the cart off to the side, Nico approached them, his wolf ready to defend his mate if need be.
“Adam,” Nico said, before offering him his hand.
“Nico,” Adam replied, his voice wobbly and unsure.
The omega took Nico’s hand, while he scanned the area surrounding them. Nico fought back the urge of squeezing the other man’s hand until Adam went to his knees. Two things prevented him from doing so. Hayden and his boss. He didn’t want a pissed off mate tonight, and Kalkin would have his balls, because he was still an officer of the law.
“I didn’t know you were back,” Adam said. “Just a visit or did you finally graduate?
Nico remained quiet, allowing his mate to handle the conversation.
“We’re back for good,” Hayden replied. “You still working with your dad?”
Adam nodded. His family ran one of the two car garages in the town. Adam worked alongside his family as a mechanic. “Two years ago, I went to Community College to get a business degree to help my dad and keep everything in-house. Course it means more work, but dad is able to spend more time with mom now.”
“How is Jackie?” Hayden inquired.
Jackie was Adam’s younger sister, whom Nico liked. She had an amazing sense of humor and quick wit. “Good.” Adam smiled. “She mated last year and is due to have a pup by the end of summer. She’d love to see you.”
Nico didn’t doubt it since Jackie and Hayden had been friends in high school. “Congratulations, man. I’m sure your parents are excited.”
“Yeah, they are,” Adam answered. “They have baby shit all over the place.”
“So, tell me,” Hayden probed. “Are you seeing anyone?”
Adam nodded. “As a matter of fact, I am. Met her at school last year. We’re not mates or anything. But, I have feelings for her, and she has feelings for me.”
“That’s all that matters,” Hayden answered. “I’m glad you’re happy.”
Adam’s eyes flickered to Nico’s. “You’ll actually get to meet her, Nico. She works at the police sta—"
“Addddam,” a whinny female called behind them.
Nico glanced over his shoulder, as Brooklyn, the whiney, bitchy woman who gave him a hard time when he had gone to see Kalkin yesterday, walked up behind them. “I found them.”
Them being the largest box of sanitary napkins Nico had ever seen in his life. Nico could’ve scented the air to confirm his suspicions, but he didn’t though. The box combined with the woman’s bitchy attitude told Nico all he needed or wanted to know. Brooklyn apparently had her period.
On the full moon.
It was a laughable offense in his book. He’d bet money the omega wolf didn’t have the balls to fuck a she-wolf, let alone a human, during her pe
riod. Most wolves didn’t give a shit about bodily functions. They fucked no matter what was going on with their female’s body.
“Who the hell are you?” Brooklyn snapped her focus on Hayden.
Before Nico could reprimand the little human, Adam cleared his throat. “Ahh…this is Hayden Raferty. You work for her uncles. Specifically, Kalkin. The Alpha and Sheriff.”
Brooklyn’s eyes widened before narrowing. She sent his mate a look so filled with hate it had his scruff up. “She’s the one—”
Adam moved quickly to his girlfriend’s side, placing a hand on her upper arm. “Yes.”
“He’s mine now,” Brooklyn spat, her voice filled with venom. “Go find another wolf to play your games with.”
They were drawing attention. The people in the check-out lines stopped what they were doing, hoping to see a catfight between two girls. Nico had no doubt if it should happen, his little mate would win hands down. His gaze flickered to where Hayden stood. Her blue eyes filled with fire, and her body stiffened in anger. He hoped for everyone’s sake she was able to keep her calm.
Nico remained relatively quiet during Hayden and Adam’s little chat, but now with Brooklyn throwing her shade, he’d step in. He eased forward, taking Hayden’s hand in his, making himself known. He looked the female in the eye and curled his lip. “As I’m sure you know, Hayden’s mated and will no longer being playing games with anyone but me.”
Brooklyn rolled her eyes. “So. I’m just telling her.” She pointed at Hayden, who gave a low growl of warning. “To stay her ass away from him. He’s mine.”
“We’re friends,” Hayden reminded Brooklyn.
“Pfft. More like friends with benefits from what Adam told me. I’ve never given a male friend a hand job.”
“Excuse me?” Hayden growled.
Fuck. He needed to shut this shit down.
Like, now.
How the hell did Kalkin put up with her attitude and bullshit? It made him wonder if there was an ulterior motive for having her under the Alpha’s ever watchful eye. His gaze flickered to Adam, warning the omega with just a look. Adam received the message. Loud and clear.
“We need to go,” Adam said, grasping her arm.
“Ahh, no we don’t. It’s a free country,” Brooklyn retorted, removing herself from his hold.
“Maybe you need to be reminded who you work for,” Nico said.
“The Rafertys may think they own the county. But news flash. They fucking don’t,” Brooklyn answered.
Yeah, this wasn’t going to end well. Hayden was extremely protective of her family, and he could feel her little body vibrating in anger. Nico cleared his throat. “You misunderstood me, Brooklyn. I fear this is a common occurrence for you though. I simply meant you work for the county Sheriff’s department. It wouldn’t look good for you to get arrested for disturbing the peace or fighting in public.”
Brooklyn cocked her hip, and her shit-brown gaze traveled up and down Nico’s frame. “And who is going to do that. You?”
Nico snorted. Jesus, this bitch was a piece of work. “Nah. I’d just call dispatch. Unless the schedule has changed since I’ve been gone, Jace is on patrol. You can explain to him, the Deputy Undersheriff, one of your bosses, and Hayden’s father, why you choose a public place to be a bitch.”
Brooklyn gasped, pointing to Hayden and accusing. “She started it.”
“Not really following your line of thinking. Hayden’s said all of four words since you arrived. She’s shown restraint and been calm. You’ve been anything but. I’m sure, if that’s how you want to play this out, we can request a copy of the surveillance tapes to prove your case. Of course, after that’s done, you may no longer have a job.”
Brooklyn snapped her mouth closed.
“That’s what I thought,” Nico said before his gaze swung to Adam. “You might want to work to keep your girlfriend in line.” Without saying another word, Nico reached for their cart and pushed it to an empty register, three lanes over, before he started loading the belt.
Surprisingly, Hayden followed, mumbling under her breath something about jealous bitches.
“Well,” Hayden said, twisting her hands together. “That was fun.”
Nico chuckled. “Never a dull moment.”
“I’m sorry,” Hayden whispered.
Nico stopped unloading the cart and stared at his mate. Her lips were pinched, her shoulders were stiff, and he saw the sadness in her beautiful blue eyes. “About what, little wolf?”
“You know,” she said, her bottom lip trembling.
“Honest, little wolf, I have no clue.”
“The hand jobs—”
Nico held up his hand, stopping anything she was going to say. “I’m going to stop you right there. You don’t need to apologize for Brooklyn’s actions. That’s her responsibility. I had the pleasure of meeting her yesterday. She was a bitch then. Apparently, it’s her MO.”
“But...” Hayden’s gaze dropped to her feet as she nibbled on her lower lip.
“Look at me, Hayden,” he demanded. Slowly, her gaze found his. “We’re good.”
“You sure?” she inquired.
Nico hated the doubt in her voice. He’d do just about anything to remove it from her, knowing full well it was only there because of him. “Do we lie to each other?” He placed the pile of towels on the belt.
“No,” Hayden answered.
“Then there is your answer,” he said.
The cashier scanned everything, and Nico paid with his credit card. It wasn’t until they were pushing their cart out the door Hayden reiterated what he had been thinking since yesterday.
“Brooklyn is a bitch. Adam could do better.”
Nico agreed.
“He’s an omega,” Nico reminded her before he began to load up their purchases.
Hayden shrugged. “Doesn’t mean he should settle for that.”
“Thankfully they’re not mates. So, there is still hope for him.” When Nico finished unloading their buggy, he slammed the hatch on the Enforcer closed. “We need to get our asses to your uncle before he starts bitching up a storm about us being late.”
“A Raferty bitching?” Hayden glanced at him over the hood of the Enforcer. He no longer saw the doubt; instead, her blue eyes sparkled with amusement. “That would never happen in a million years!”
The drive to the Sheriff’s station was quick and painless. As was getting in to see Kalkin since Nico parked in the gated portion of the parking lot. They found their Alpha in the pen, giving his nephew, Royce, a hard time about something.
Royce was not amused.
“’Bout time you two showed up,” Kalkin drawled as they approached the two men. “Was just going to contact Jace to see if he could find your sorry asses.”
“We had other shit to handle,” Nico said before following Kalkin through the maze of desks to his office.
Kalkin turned, catching Hayden in his laser gaze. “Your father was chewing my ear off this morning for a good hour about this damn mission. I swear he bitches worse than Keeley when I’ve knocked her up.”
“You’ve got something to tell us, Uncle Kal?” Hayden asked. “Last night was the first night of the full moon.”
“Imp, if I knocked her up, you’d be the first one I’d tell,” Kalkin replied before he opened the door.
“Does that mean—”
Nico stepped behind his mate, gently wrapping his hand around her full lips, and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I really have no desire to hear about your uncle fucking your aunt. Just let it go.”
“There a reason you got your hand wrapped around my niece’s mouth, boy?” Kalkin inquired as he sat in his larger, leather chair.
Hayden licked Nico’s palm like it would be a deterrent. It just made him harder.
In his boss’s office.
Nico shook his head before removing his hand.
“I was going to ask if you and Aunt Keeley were going to try for another pup. Nico covered my mouth becaus
e he doesn’t want to hear about your sex life,” Hayden said before she found her seat.
Little witch just sold him out.
Nico sat next to her. He leaned forward, grabbing her attention before whispering, “Paybacks, little wolf, paybacks.”
Kalkin huffed, resting his elbows on the desk. “Tell you what, keep your foreplay out of my office and station and I won’t give you details on my sex life. We done with the niceties now? Lest I remind you both, it’s the second night of the full moon. Don’t know about you two, but I’d rather be home.” A sardonic smile played on his lips. “Fucking my mate than working.”
Alrighty then.
Hayden giggled, and her uncle just rolled his eyes before reaching into his desk and pulling out two folders and handing them to them. “Read it. Everything I know is in there. Hayden?” Kalkin pointed to the folder in her hand. “You’ve got gala tickets, reservations for a limo, and funds to go buy an appropriate dress and girlie shit you’ll need. If you need more cash, let me know.”
“Awesome.” She grinned, flipping through the file.
Nico shook his head before flicking open the folder to read the contents within. Hayden shifted beside him, bringing her closer to him to read over his shoulder.
Chapter Four
Nervous energy skittered through Hayden’s belly. The cool water of her shower pounded on her shoulders, doing nothing to ease the tension. In a few hours she would be walking into a pit of vipers...literally and figuratively. The gala would be held inside the Wildlife Preserve near the reptile exhibit. Seemed fitting for the people they were dealing with.
On the surface, the information gathered on the couple running the foundation appeared to be completely legitimate. Once Vigilante started digging, Keeley found out all kinds of things. The director, Henry Worthington, had several federal charges brought against him over the last twenty years. None of them, thanks to his high-dollar lawyer and last name, stuck. Photograph after photograph of him standing in front of some federal building lay in the file Keeley made for them. In all of them, the smug son of a bitch smiled and waved to the camera. Hayden could see the devious sense of rightness in his eyes.
