The Leopard's Witchy Mate (The Mayhem Crew, #1)

by Boon, Elle

  The night air hit her the moment she opened the door, instantly cooling her. The door slammed behind her, making her jump. She took in her surrounding, noticing the dumpster to her right was full. The line of bikes directly in front of her were nothing like the cars that filled parking lot they’d entered. “Shoot. I think I came out the wrong exit,” she muttered.

  “Are you lost, little girl?”

  She spun around, shocked at the male voice coming from behind her. “Oh Goddess. You scared the Beetlejuice outta me.” She took a careful step backward, edging closer to the bikes. Her powers would allow her to lift any one of them, placing them between her and the man who seemed to be stalking her. He moved with predator-like grace, reminding her of Zelda’s mate Mac in a way.

  “My apologies. I saw you walking out the door and worried you’d get locked outside.” He smiled.

  Noelle didn’t trust him or his smile. “Thank you for thinking of me, but I’m fine. You can go back in. I was just needing some air.” She tried to appear calm when inside she was a roiling caldron of anxiety. He was setting off her creep meter.

  “Now, a gentleman would never leave a lady all alone outside a bar, especially one with degenerates such as this one. I’ll wait with you, or better yet, if you’d like we can go somewhere else together?”

  “Ah, I’m with my sister and friends celebrating her upcoming wedding. Thanks though.” She barely kept from rolling her eyes.

  “They didn’t seem too concerned when you left. As a matter of fact, I distinctly heard a couple of them say good riddance as you walked away.” He pretended to appear sad, as if their rejection of her hurt him.

  Noelle tried not to flinch at his words. She was sure a few of the ladies were a little uncomfortable around her. Although they didn’t know the extent of her true powers, all of them knew she was a witch. Hell, in Assjacket everyone who was anyone knew Zelda and Sassy and let us not forget Baba, who was the head witch of all. However, the ladies didn’t stare at those witches with fear or disdain like they did Noelle. They didn’t blame them for the horrors they endured thanks to Remdezevier. They blamed Noelle even though it wasn’t her fault. Had she been a better captive, they wouldn’t have been taken. She’d overheard them talking once, heard those words uttered by Merry, echoed by the others.

  “Don’t fret, my pet. I’ll take you far from here and make all their hate disappear from your life,” he promised.

  Noelle gasped when she realized he’d gotten far too close. “Listen, you need to back the fuck up and leave me alone. I don’t know you. I don’t want to know you. And I sure as shit don’t have any plans to go anywhere with you,” she snarled. His pet? She’d show him just how much of a pet she was not.

  “Excuse me. Is there a problem out here?”

  Noelle’s entire body did that zip, zing, bang thing like it had when she’d spied him from across the crowded room earlier, only this time it was ten times more powerful when the owner of the bright-blue eyes spoke.

  “This doesn’t concern you, barbarian. Go on back inside and do your...thing.” The creeper waved his hand as if dismissing the other man.

  She couldn’t take her eyes off the sexy stranger as he took a menacing step closer to the other man while keeping his focus on her.

  “Too bad for you I don’t agree. Now, you got two choices. One, you turn around and hightail it back inside. Or two, you and I can have a discussion. Mind you, I don’t talk to idiots, and I think you’re the biggest idiot I’ve seen this decade.”

  Oh Goddess, his voice was so deep, so seductive she was sure he could do phone porn and make millions. Heck, she would be the first to sign up for a lifetime membership.

  Those bright-blue eyes met hers again. “You alright, Katjie?”

  “My name’s Noelle,” she said.

  He grinned. “Nice to meet you, Noelle. I’m Ridge. Katjie means kitten, and by your reaction, you’re most definitely that.”

  She nearly swooned under his charming smile and stunning appearance. The man had to be at least a foot taller than her own five feet three inches, and while she was no skinny thing, weighing in at a reasonable hundred and thirty-five, he had to have a hundred pounds on her. Then there were the twin dimples that made his too-rugged good looks become almost boyish. Yeah, he was the total package, at least from what she could see outlined in the tight T-shirt and denim jeans. Maybe he stuffed a pair of socks down there, for surely, he couldn’t be that blessed.

  “Excuse me, did you not hear me tell you to go away?”

  Noelle’s fingers began to tingle with the need to zap the idiot that Ridge so aptly named the man into another city, or hell, if he kept weaseling his way closer to her, she’d send him to another state even.

  “What’s your name, boy?” Ridge all but growled.

  Hearing his deep voice go scary deep, Noelle took a step back, bumping into something metal. She screamed, turning to see what she’d hit. The Harley was big, obviously meant for a large man. As she turned back toward Ridge and the other man, she noticed only Ridge was still there, staring at her.

  “What happened to what’s his name?” she asked as a new fear almost overtook her. Goddess, she was stupid. She’d left the safety of the bar, along with all the people inside, for what? Fresh air and crazy men with nefarious ideas?

  Ridge held his hands up, keeping his voice low. “I won’t hurt you, Katjie. Above all others, you will be protected. As for that asshole, I had him escorted back into the bar. He’ll be given a free drink and a talking to.”

  Chapter Two

  NOELLE TRIED AND FAILED to come up with something witty to say to that. For the past several years she’d been focusing on getting her powers under control, so she didn’t kill, well, everyone she loved. There hadn’t been any dating having a guy to take care of those pesky needs.

  “What’re you thinking about right this instant, Noelle?” Ridge asked on a deep inhale.

  She wasn’t sure what to say as he seemed to be moving closer without actually moving. Dearest Virgin, he was within touching distance almost. “I should be heading back inside before my sister comes looking for me.”

  Ridge stared down at the gravel beneath their feet. Noelle thought she heard him swear, but as he brought his head back up at her, glowing eyes that couldn’t be human had her stepping away from him. “What are you?”

  “Hmm, most call me Alpha.” His blue eyes narrowed. “Stop moving away from me. I won’t hurt you but if you keep edging away, you’re going to trip over...”

  She didn’t hear what he said after that as she indeed did trip over the back of the bike she’d been admiring. In her undignified fall, she didn’t think to control her magic, her powers zinging out of her like an F-5 tornado. If they’d still been making numbers on the Fujita scale, she might’ve been given a six or seven classification all on her lonesome.

  Try as she might, she couldn’t pull her magic back quick enough and feared she’d hurt the man named Ridge. Closing her eyes, she murmured the spell that would encase the bar, and every living being within and without, in a bubble that could withstand her magic.

  Lights exploded all around her, shattering glass up and down the street echoing like an alarm. She eased herself up, taking stock of the damage. Vehicles were flipped and mangled. The rows of bikes had been spared since they were nearest her. The only lights, as she surveyed her destruction, were the moon were the neon signs from the bar.

  “Goddess, I need to be locked up.” She let out a stuttering breath, pulled on her hair with both hands, and released them just as quickly as she remembered times in captivity when she’d done the same thing. Her captor had smirked at her from outside the glass cage he’d kept her in, threatening to shave her hair off if she didn’t stop it, and he’d done it several times over the decade he’d had her.

  With time ticking by, she worked to repair the vehicles, making sure they were all back to their original shape. Next, she worked on the city streets until everything was as it sho
uld be. Finally, she released the bubble surrounding the bar and the man, taking the last of her strength with it. Before she could utter a word of explanation, she was swept up against a rock-hard chest, cradled like she was someone special. The eyes staring down at her had a mixture of anger, worry, and incredulity in them.

  “Still think I’m safe in your care?” she whispered as darkness claimed her.

  RIDGE HAD FELT POWERLESS very few times in his life. And all those times had to do with women in some form or another. The first time had been when he’d found a young girl by the name of Solei near his family home. She’d slit her wrist after her dickhead of a boyfriend had dumped her. To this day, he wished he could’ve gotten to her sooner. As it was, he took solace in the fact she hadn’t died alone out near the water. Instead he’d carried her, praying she’d make it all the way back to town, even knowing it wasn’t meant to be. The last time he’d been powerless was when his adopted sister Torrance had held him and his entire crew in a virtual bubble, unable to move while she’d protected the male who was now her mate.

  “What the fuck am I gonna do with you?” he asked the female in his arms. When he’d thought about his future mate, he’d been so sure she’d be a feline of some sort. A leopard, or some kind of cat shifter. Fuck, he would’ve even been open to another shifter species, but a witch wasn’t in his plans. Sure, he’d fucked his fair share of humans, but he’d known none were his mates. Never in all his thirty-five years had he ever given his seed to a female, making sure to use a condom each and every time he had sex. He didn’t want to risk a pregnancy with anyone but his mate. Ridge was very strict in his sexual needs, and he made sure his crew followed his example. They didn’t need to have some humans running around with little halflings who didn’t know how to handle their offspring. Nope, no need to bring that kind of shitshow to their doorsteps.

  “Ridge, you need some help out here, brother?” Glock asked, his large frame taking up the doorway.

  The automatic denial was forced back. “Did you take care of the little fuck who was stalking her?”

  Glock nodded. “Yeah, he’s a weasel who thought she was easy pickings. I made him aware of just how wrong he was in his way of thinking. Pretty sure he pissed himself before I watched him hightail it out of here.

  Ridge couldn’t help but smile at the imagery. “Is the bachelorette party still going strong?”

  Glock’s gaze swept to the female in Ridge’s arms but didn’t linger too long. “Yeah, they’re on the dance floor with Miko and a few other guys. She alright?”

  Ridge shook his head. “She overextended her powers. I don’t know how long she’ll be out. Can you handle the ladies inside while I take her to my place?”

  Not that he was giving Glock or any of the others a chance to do anything else as he turned toward the back of the lot and his pickup truck.

  “You want me to have one of the Crew bring your bike back to your place after closing?” Glock had already turned around, the door to the club open.

  Ridge snarled then quieted as his woman mumbled. “No. Lock it up in the garage here. Please.” He tacked the last word on belatedly.

  “Damn, I bet that hurt. You got it. We’ll cover for you both. Don’t worry about these ladies and their questions. I have a feeling they’re not too worried about their lost friend.” His tone suggested he didn’t care for them and their actions much.

  Ridge flipped Glock off before heading toward his truck. Sliding into his Ford with Noelle in his arms, he worked to ease her onto the bench seat, placing her head on his thigh. The truck rumbled to life as soon as he turned the key over. He drove them back to his place, the truck riding over the bumps with ease. He kept one hand on her, trying to control her from jostling too much as he drove home. The fact she continued to sleep, or be unconscious was a little alarming.

  “Fuck, if I gotta call Zelda, I’ll not be a happy cat.” He looked back down at his little mate. It didn’t matter that she was a powerful witch, or that they’d just met, or that she might not have the first clue about mates. Hell, she could probably fry him with a click of her fingers. All that meant shit when it came to fate. They were probably laughing their fatey asses off.

  The short drive out to his home seemed to take forever, when in reality it was less than ten minutes. He drove into the garage, the empty spots where his sister’s truck and bike used to sit making him wish she was there to help him with his little witch. He thought for sure she’d wake up once the silence closed around them inside, but she didn’t even stir as he slid out from under the wheel. Reaching back inside carefully, he gathered her small form against his chest, carrying her into his home.

  Once he entered, lights came on automatically. He considered taking her up to his bedroom then thought better of it. Torrance’s old room was on the main level and had been empty since she’d left. His adopted sister was a neat freak, which he supposed was a trait they shared. Without thinking too hard, he veered down the hallway leading to the suite that was now empty. Once the earthy scent of Jasmine used to permeate the air, reminding him of Torrance. Her scent was all but gone.

  Inside the room, he placed Noelle in the center of the bed, glancing down at the heels he’d admired earlier. “Shit,” he cursed.

  He wasn’t willing to take the too-tight dress off no matter how much he thought she’d rest better. The shoes, those he could take off, even though he’d definitely had some fantasies about them wrapping around his waist. His hands went to work, undoing the tiny clasps at the back of her ankle. How women could get the damn things fastened so easily, he didn’t have a goddamn clue. It took him several tries to get the first one undone without saying fuck it and ripping it in half. The second one came undone a lot easier, once he realized there was a hook and eye thingy.

  Since he knew she was breathing, and her heart was beating properly, Ridge prepared to sit in the chair next to the bed until she woke up. If she didn’t wake up by the time the sun came over the horizon, he’d be calling his local witches, or Torrance.

  With nothing left to do after he covered her with a light throw, he went into the adjoining ensuite. The last thing he wanted his future mate to see and smell was him smelling like a bar rat. After a quick shower, he wrapped one of the towels around his hips while he used another to dry his hair. He’d made sure after Tor had left to stock the bathroom with the basic necessities in his favorites. Of course, his own bathroom was only a floor up, but for whatever reason, his leopard wasn’t willing to be that far from Noelle.

  “It’s ’cause you’re whipped already,” he mumbled as he stared at himself in the mirror. The man staring back at him would probably scare the fuck out of the tiny little thing in the other room. He stood at just over six feet three and weighed over two hundred and sixty pounds, of solid muscle. However, that wasn’t what he thought was the kicker for the sexy little female. No, she was more like sugar and spice and everything nice, and probably drove a nice little sedate sedan or some shit. While he had tattoos and a bad attitude, drove a Harley and a jacked-up truck. Plus, he was ready to take a bite out of most people, human or other on the best of days. She appeared as if she could melt butter with her words. He could flay skin with his.

  His ears picked up the change in her breathing pattern. His little fated mate was awake and not wanting to alert anyone to the fact. Goddess love her, she probably thought she’d been kidnapped or something. Shit, he hoped like hell she wasn’t planning on using her magic on him. He may not have been able to leave her protective bubble, but he’d seen the way she’d literally laid waste to damn near every car in a city mile. If she took a hankering to do the same to him, he’d be fucked.

  “Noelle, I’m coming back in there, so please don’t zap my ass.” Ridge kept his tone level and friendly, stepping through the doorway slowly, hands raised.

  Noelle lay in the middle of the bed with her eyes closed, her chest rising and falling too fast for someone who was sleeping.

  “I know you’re awak
e, Katjie. Do you know how I know that?” he asked, coming to a stop next to the bed.

  A moment passed, and she still didn’t acknowledge the fact she was no longer sleeping. He placed his hand on her chest, right above her heart. “You see here, your heart rate is faster than a sleeping person, and your breathing is erratic. If you were sleeping, it would be slow and even. Come on, open your eyes. If I were going to hurt you, I’d have secured your wrists and ankles to something, instead of leaving you free in the middle of the bed.”

  Her eyes fluttered open, the bright purple startling in the darkness. “How could you hear my breathing? What are you?”

  Ridge let out a breath, settling down on the side of the bed. Her eyes jerked to his lap, then his face.

  “Why are you naked?” She squirmed to a sitting position, fear permeating the air.

  “I smelled like beer and bar. I didn’t think it was a good way to introduce myself to you properly. My name is Ridge Jackson. This is my home. This room used to be my sister Torrance’s until she met her mate and moved to Texas with him.” He lifted a hand to his chest as he thought of Torrance.

  “You miss her?” Noelle licked her full lips, drawing his gaze to them.

  He’d thought she had lip-gloss or something on when he’d first spied her across the bar, but now, hours later, her luscious lips were still berry red and bee stung.

  Silence hung in the air, and it took him a moment to remember she’d asked him a question. “Yeah, but I’m happy for her and Thadd. That’s her mates name. He’s a...good man.” Shit, he wasn’t sure how to go forward with explaining to her about mates. His mind froze when he thought back to their conversation and his casual mention of mate’s and her acceptance of the word.