by Renee Rose
What am I going to do?
A strange green light flashes at me from the alleyway. A dark shape slouches in the shadows. As I watch, it straightens, growing taller and enormous, as a giant man emerges. It’s the biker guy from earlier, the one who winked at me. I recognize him even in the dark. He’s got his shades propped on his head. His eyes are dark brown but catching the light in a weird way—flashing green. He’s looking right at me.
Can you imagine Sadie showing up with a guy like that?
I clutch my cardigan closed. I have a wild, crazy idea, and before I lose my nerve, I walk over to him.
Scary biker dude is even bigger up close. He’s got dog tags on a chain around his neck. Military, like Charlie said.
I lick my lips. I can’t even believe I’m doing this. “Excuse me,” I call to him. My voice comes out squeaky. I clear my throat and try again. “Excuse me. Can you help me with something?”
He steps forward like he was just waiting for my invitation. His head cocks to the side, and his perfect lips part. “Yeah, sweetheart?” His voice is deep and soft. Normally, I hate being called sweetheart, but his eyes are on my face. His nostrils flare like he’s breathing me in, and his eyes seem to turn even more green.
His intense regard is a little unnerving.
“Um,” I squeak again. “I’ve got a problem.”
“Problem?” he echoes.
“Yeah. It’s not that big of a deal, but I was hoping you could help me.” This is crazy. This is nuts. This is the boldest thing I’ve ever done, and I’ll probably never have the nerve to do again. Maybe it's the mango margarita talking, or maybe it’s just me being brave for once.
“Sure thing, sweetheart.” Biker man agrees so quickly I lose my train of thought.
“You don’t even know what it is.” I gaze up into his brown eyes and get a little dizzy.
He shrugs. “Try me.”
“Okay. There’s this guy,” I say in rush. “He’s actually my ex, and he’s kinda bothering me. He tracked me down somehow, and he’s over there, waiting for me.” I point to the rideshare parking spot.
The biker peers around the corner. A low, rumbling sound seems to emit from his chest. The biker turns back to me, and the sound abruptly cuts off. “You want me to kill him?”
“No.” I giggle at the joke. Because it has to be a joke, even if the man sounds dead serious. “Silly.” I shake my head at him like he’s one of my kindergarten students.
A grin forms at the corners of his lips, and I feel warm all over.
“You sure, sweetheart?” Now there’s a hint of teasing in his voice.
“Yeah.” I play along. “It’s too public here. And where would we even hide the body?”
The guy scratches his chin. “We could figure something out. You could lure him somewhere. Somewhere remote. And I could make it look like a wolf finished him off.”
“Um, okay.” That is weirdly specific. I pretend to think about it. “Nah, not necessary. I just want him to back off. I was just thinking you could walk me over there and pretend to be my date. Just for a few minutes.”
“Your date,” he repeats.
Oh God. It was a stupid idea. I’m embarrassing myself horribly here.
“That’s what you want?” The man raises a dark brow.
Here it comes, my blush, rolling up from my chest. Fortunately it’s night, and the dim plaza lights should hide my bright red face. “If you don’t mind.”
“I don’t know.”
“That’s okay.” I want to turn away to escape this humiliation, but the biker ducks his head close. He smells like leather and clean male skin. My senses tingle. “Seems more efficient to make it permanent.” I can tell by his tone he’s joking.
I let out a hysterical giggle. “Could you do it my way?” I whisper back. “As a favor?”
“A favor, huh?” He tucks a bit of hair behind my ear. At his touch, my legs go wobbly, and I lean back against the building.
It occurs to me that approaching a huge and scary-looking man in a dark alleyway was probably not my brightest move. What made me think he was safer than Scott? But I can’t find it in me to be afraid. The flutters in my belly, the ratcheting of my pulse—they aren’t from fear. No, they’re from excitement.
“What’s your name?” I ask over the pitter-patter of my heartbeat.
“Deke. Yours?”
“Sadie.”
“Sadie,” he murmurs in his deep voice. He rests an arm above me. For a moment, his big body cages me against the wall.
I’m still not scared.
Instead, I feel small and safe, hidden from the world.
Then he steps away. “Okay, Sadie. Let’s do this.”
Sadie
I sense Deke’s big hand hovering at the small of my back as I stroll across the plaza with him at my side. Deke’s twice as big as me and almost twice as tall, but when he walks he makes no sound.
“My ex’s name is Scott,” I tell him as we walk toward the drop off spot.
“Scott.” Deke’s lip curls.
“We dated for three years.” I don’t know why I’m babbling, but I can’t stop. “I don't know why I was with him so long. He was nice in the beginning, but…”
Deke’s broad chest vibrates with another rumbling sound. Automatically, I put my hand on his shoulder, and the sound cuts off. He stops in his tracks, and so do I, turning to face him.
“He didn’t hurt me,” I clarify. “We broke it off when I found out he was cheating on me. But now he wants me back.”
“And you, Sadie?” Deke studies me in a way that sends little shivers up and down my spine. “What do you want?”
My heart sighs at the question. When was the last time a man asked me what I want? “I want him to leave me alone.”
“And then what?” We’re face to face and chest to chest, close enough I can feel his heat soaking into my skin. There's an ache growing in my lower belly, a deep hunger I haven’t felt in far too long.
“I want to be happy. I want to be free.”
Deke puts his hand on my arm, and for a moment, it’s just the two of us. His fingers circle my forearm and slide down, shackling my wrist. His thumb brushes over my pulse, and I'm this close to giving up our mission and finding a dark corner to explore the promise of this stranger’s touch.
Then I hear Scott’s voice echoing across the parking lot. He’s on the phone but not bothering to keep his side of the conversation quiet. He always did that, even when we were at home, as if he wanted to make sure everyone within twenty feet knew how important his call was.
I turn, but Deke doesn’t let go. He slides his hand down further to take my hand and thread his fingers with mine. My heart hammers at the excitement of it. The audacity of holding a stranger’s hand so intimately. It feels wild and rebellious and fun. I smile up at him, and his lips kick up a bit at the corners. We walk the rest of the parking lot like that, hand in hand.
Oh God, I hope I haven’t made a mistake. I pick up my pace and trot out a little ahead as we approach my ex.
Scott sees me and pivots. “Sadie.” He touches his headset and loudly tells the caller he has to go, instead of making me wait five minutes for the call to end naturally—like he used to do when we were dating. He gives me his toothpaste commercial smile as if to say See, baby? See how important you are to me? I resist the urge to roll my eyes.
Then Scott notices Deke, and his eyes narrow. It’s so obvious what he’s thinking. Another man on my turf.
I brace myself for a pissing contest. Not exactly a proud moment for me, using another man to intimidate my ex. But then Deke squeezes my hand and steps forward to face Scott, and I realize just how small and plastic-looking Scott is. Fake tan and perfect hair. He looks like a Ken doll next to a souped up G.I. Joe.
I’m going to enjoy this.
“Scott,” I say. “I got your texts. All of them.”
“Sadie.” Scott looks down his nose at Deke. An impressive feat, considering Deke is taller
than him. “Is this a friend?”
“Nope,” Deke says. “I’m Sadie’s new man.” And he drapes his arm around my shoulders. I step close and lean against his chest. His very firm, muscular chest.
“This is Deke. We just met, and…well, we hit it off.” I smile up at Deke. Our gaze locks for an extra long second, and I forget to breath. Wow, he really is stunning.
I almost forget Scott is standing right in front of us. He clears his throat three times before I return my attention to him. Scott’s nose wrinkles like he smelled something rotten. “Sadie, this isn’t like you.”
I give him a mock innocent expression. “What isn’t?”
“I mean… you just met? You’re holding this guy’s hand?” He gives his head a shake, like he’s trying to erase the whole thing from his mind. “I was hoping we could talk. Alone.”
I stay quiet, and Deke squeezes me gently. I realize my fake biker boyfriend is waiting for my cue. He’s going to let me stand up for myself first.
“That’s not necessary. It’s over, Scott. I’ve moved on.”
“Sadie—” Scott steps forward, and that rumbling sound comes from Deke’s chest again. It’s a growl. A literal growl.
Scott freezes midstep.
“Take a hint, Sears,” Deke uses Scott's last name. Maybe Deke knows Scott better than I thought. “She’s over you. Listen to what Sadie’s telling you and move on.”
Scott starts to sputter, and Deke gently turns me, so our backs are to my ex. “Ready, babe?” Deke asks me.
“Yes,” I say, though I have no idea what he’s talking about. He keeps me nestled in the crook of his arm as he walks me back across the plaza towards his bike. When we reach the giant motorcycle, he releases me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see that Scott still watching us.
“Here.” Deke hands me something. A black helmet.
“What’s this for?” I ask.
“Your head.” Humor laces his tone. “You want to go for a ride? Just to rile him up?”
My eyes go wide, but I nod. Yes, yes I do.
He takes the helmet and puts it on for me, adjusting it to my head and fastening it carefully. My heart goes tha-thump as he fusses over the strap, his big fingers surprisingly nimble. He unlatches the side saddlebag and motions for me to hand him my big bag with the jackalope. When I do, he sets it in the leather case and threads the belt-like lock. Then he swings onto the bike, kicking up the stand and steadying it. “Hop on.”
Ok, this is happening. He wants me on the bike. I picked a biker for a fake boyfriend, and now I’m about to ride off with him with my ex watching.
Deke turns on the bike and revs it. The air shivers with the engine’s roar.
“Ready, babe?” he calls over the noise.
I’m not sure if he’s calling me babe in case Scott hears or if he’s just calling me babe because that’s what he calls women, but it makes me smile.
I take a deep breath and swing on behind him. He takes my hands and locks them around his front. I grab a handful of his soft t-shirt and feel a thrill at the hard muscles underneath.
I can’t believe I’m doing this.
“Okay?” Deke calls over his shoulder. His cheek is curved into a grin. He’s not wearing a helmet.
“You’re not wearing a helmet,” I say. I sound like a prissy kindergarten teacher, even to my ears.
“Babe,” he says in reply, and the bike takes off with a roar. We ride right past Scott. I can’t see his face, but I can imagine his stunned rage. It is delicious. I give a little wave in his direction and then grip Deke tighter as we fly up the main drag of town—Paseo del Pueblo Norte road—and around the curve into the open night.
I never knew riding a motorcycle was so much fun. The night air is crisp and rushes all around us. Deke’s bike is a monster of leather and chrome, purring hot under me, but Deke’s even bigger. He rides with perfect ease, his big body solid and upright, blocking most of the wind. I press against him, my cheek to his leather vest. He doesn’t go too far out of town, turning down a back road to loop back. When he leans into turns, I lean with him, and the bike twines nimbly up and down the back roads of Taos.
For a moment, I think about shouting a few questions—“Where are we going? What’s the plan?”—but the sky is so vast above us, black velvet studded with diamond stars, and the night is so big and boundless, I forgot my concerns. There’s nothing but the giant man I’m holding onto, the bike rumbling under the both of us and the endless roads. Worries about work, Scott, my friends and what the hell I am doing fall away. I leave them behind like old hubcaps and alligator strips on the side of the road.
I am happy. I am free.
Deke guides the bike over a one-lane bridge and stops. I look at the babbling river just below—a tributary of the Rio Grande. Above us, through the treetops, a million stars glitter in the dark sky. It’s dark and secluded, but I’m not afraid.
“This is nice,” I say.
“Yeah.” His voice is soft. He looms over me, large but not imposing. The night air is chilly, and I should be cold, but all I feel is the heat emanating off him. Another step, and I’d be in his arms.
I met this guy less than an hour ago, and already I’ve been on his bike. I put my arms around him and held on tight. And now I’m out here, alone, just me and a stranger who already seems like a friend.
I’m perfectly content until I realize what my friends would say.
I just got on the back of a stranger’s motorcycle and let him drive away with me. Into the dark. Without any discussion of where he was going or how I would get home.
Deke
The little human gazes up at me, biting her lip. The wind kicks up, carrying her candy scent to me. I can’t get enough of it. She is literally the cutest human I’ve ever met. Everything about her makes me want to smile. And I haven’t smiled in ages.
Now that I’m alone with Sadie, the constant noise I usually tolerate from my wolf has died down. That urge toward violence—the underlying restlessness—seems to have dropped away. It’s been replaced by the urge to mark her, but that feeling I can control.
I won’t go there with sweet Sadie Diaz. I know claiming a human is an impossibility for me.
I’m way too far gone. Too dangerous.
“Um, thanks for helping me with that,” Sadie says.
“No problem. Happy to help.” I would’ve done it anyway. I wish I could’ve done more, and if I’d met Scott alone, maybe I would have. As it turned out, I acted pretty civilized. My pack would be shocked.
“I never thought Scott would be like this.” Sadie shakes her head. I hate hearing his name on her lips, but I’m glad she’s confiding in me. I’m happy to let her talk. “What I don’t get is how he knew where I was. He’s stalking me somehow.”
Now this I can do something about. “Phone,” I order and hold out my hand, palm up. She tilts her head at me, her brow wrinkling.
“Let me see your phone,” I clarify. I’ve gotta remember to speak in full sentences. Most of the time I don’t bother. I hate people and speaking in monosyllables is a good way to communicate my contempt. It drives my pack crazy, which is a bonus.
She pulls her phone out of her jeans pocket and hands it to me.
“Password?”
“No password,” she says.
“Seriously? You need a password.” I swipe to the security set up and have her put in a password. “Nothing too easy to guess,” I lecture. “No common dates or birthdays.”
“Fine.” She pretends to complain but types something in.
“You got one?” I ask, and she nods. “Good. What is it?”
She frowns at me before she realizes I’m joking. “Like I’d tell you,” she retorts playfully.
“Good girl.” I give her a half grin then get her to unlock the phone for me. I search only a second before I spot the tracking app. I show the screen to her. “Did Scott ask you to install this app?”
Her eyes get wide. “What is that?”
“
It’s an app that broadcasts your phone’s location to anyone you invite.”
“I didn’t install that. Scott never asked me to install anything,” Sadie says.
Fucker. Maybe I will kill him. I can’t have my wolf do it now that I shared that plan with Sadie. I’ll have to think up something else.
“He probably did it without asking then. It would be easy because you didn’t have a password.” I type with my thumb as I talk, uninstalling the app. “I’m getting rid of it. When you get home, back up your data and do a hard reset. Keep the password and restart your phone every morning. The best offense is a good defense.”
I also enter my phone number. “I’m putting my number in here in case you need a rescue again. Is that okay?”
“Yes. Thank you.” Sadie accepts the phone back and squints up at me. “How do you know all this?”
“I’m in security.”
“Like cyber security?” The wind ruffles her hair, and I step closer to shield her from it.
“All types of security. But mostly government security missions.” This is the longest conversation I’ve had with a human in years. I’d never willingly offer this information up to anyone, but Sadie is different. Sadie is special. “My partners and I own Black Wolf Security.”
“Oh!” Her eyes sparkle. “Is that why you all have wolf tattoos?”
I rock back on my heels. “You noticed that?”
“My friend did. I only noticed yours.”
My dick stirs against my zipper. My wolf likes that she picked me out of the pack. “We all got them before we left the army.” I push up my sleeve and show her my biceps. “We were Special Ops.”
She traces the moon with light fingertips. Electricity shoots through me, and I lean closer to catch the vanilla scent in her hair. She’s pale skinned and luminous in the moonlight, her silky hair wafting around her face. Normally, I hate being touched, but my wolf would happily stretch out for a belly rub.
“It’s nice.” She fingers my tattoo. Is her voice deeper, husky? Is it the night air?
She pulls her hand away, and I have to swallow several times. My cock is a hard bar, pressing against the front of my jeans. “What about you?” I ask, my own voice deeper than normal to my ears. “What do you do?”
