Chapter 8
1328 Words
Was I happy with the turn of events? Yes. Was Neil? No.
He was currently chasing my ass around the pack lands, trying to drown me for the stunt I pulled at school with Daisy. I didn’t think one little peck on the cheek would set him off, but apparently I underestimated the cousin defense squad.
Shit, that branch almost clocked me.
“Get back here, Brake! I told you to keep it simple, and you blew that in one month!”
A month? Cool, I reached a new record.
“Hey, she asked first!” I shouted over my shoulder as pine needles whipped past my face.
“I’m going to kill you! I’m going to grind you up, bring the remains to your parents, then sit down and help them eat it!”
Oh?
Ducking low, I bolted up the first tree I could grab. It was thick, bark rough under my palms, and wet from earlier rain. I climbed until I found a sturdy branch and sat down on it like I belonged there.
“If you do that, I might give you indigestion.”
“Better than listening to you fumble with my cousin,” he snarled. “Damn you, Colt.”
Backing up a step, he lifted his leg and slammed his foot hard against the trunk of the tree. Wouldn’t you know it, my luck ran out and the branch under me snapped with a loud crack.
Shit!
I landed flat on my back with a grunt, needles sticking into my shirt and damp earth soaking my jeans. I rolled over coughing, eyes squinting against a mess of sky and branches overhead.
“Ow. Oh Goddess, have mercy, cause I know he won’t.”
Neil grabbed me by the collar of my jacket with zero sympathy.
“Give me one good reason not to kill you.”
“I’m funny, we’re friends, Dreson already called dibs, and—”
My phone rang.
The buzz came from my pocket, muffled by dirt and denim. Surprising, considering the thing had hit concrete more times than I could count. I reached in, pulled out the scratched Nokia, and hit the answer button.
“Hello? Oh, hey, Daisy! Nope, I’m just carrying on with your cousin. You’re where?”
Neil spotted the look on my face and frowned. “Where is she?”
“Whoa, hold on a second, Daisy,” I said, covering the mouthpiece. “She’s at that new ice cream place in town. Some wannabes cornered her and John just walked in. He’s trying to make a move.”
John was still a sore spot for Neil, but knowing Daisy—his cousin and my Mate—was boxed in by a bunch of bullies made his jaw clench hard. His nostrils flared. He didn’t even speak. Just turned and stalked toward the trees like the ground had personally insulted him.
I had been hoping to get him to ditch that loser for a while now, but nothing I did seemed to land. Goddess help him find his Mate already.
The forest around us was thick with mist, pine branches overhead sagging from the weight of earlier rain. The air smelled damp and earthy, like fallen leaves mixed with cold bark. Birds rustled above, wings fluttering as Neil stormed past them toward the trail that led out of pack lands.
“Okay, we’re heading over now. Kaden lives closer though—I can call him and his brother if that helps. Yeah, no worries, Daisy. As long as you’re safe, I’m happy.” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
By the time I hung up, Neil was already halfway to his car, boots kicking up wet soil and gravel with every step. He moved like someone who had already decided violence was the solution. I barely got the door shut before he fired the engine and tore out of there like the pack lands owed him a debt.
As pine trees blurred past the windows, I pulled out my phone and called Dreson.
“Yo, dude, listen,” I said, keeping it short. “I know this is not the best time, but I need a fast favor. John Sinclair and some bootlicking brats are messing with Daisy. Yeah, that new ice cream spot that just opened downtown. You got it. Thanks. I owe you one.”
Gods, I loved my friends.
By the time we got to the place, Kaden had Daisy sitting in the back seat of the car Dreson got for his sixteenth birthday. The sleek blue beast looked freshly waxed and smelled like fast food, pine air freshener, and bubble gum. Thanking him, I pulled her into my arms and let her cry into my jacket.
Her body was shaking—barely—but enough that I could feel it through the fabric.
“Hey, babes, it’s okay,” I cooed softly as I led her back to Neil’s Trans Am. The air had cooled off, damp and earthy from the nearby woods, and her skin felt cold against mine. “I’m here now. Let them come at me and see who walks away with a limp or worse. Are you hurt anywhere?”
She shivered harder in my arms, and I knew without a doubt she felt the Bond between us.
“My feelings, but that’s it. Your friend Dreson and his brother are nice.”
“Yeah, the guys are pretty great,” I told her, slipping off my coat to wrap her in it. It smelled like me—sweat, pine, and whatever weird cologne my dad gave me last Christmas. “Hold on a sec, okay? You stay right here. I’ll be back.”
I walked over to the group of girls still hanging near the entrance like vultures around roadkill. My fists were already tight. The weight in my chest burned hot.
Hauling back, I let everything go. My knuckles smashed straight into John’s face with a crack that echoed off the concrete.
“If you ever come near her again, I’ll personally rearrange your face. As for the rest of you fake acting cows, I wouldn’t be caught dead with anything that looks like a sack of bones. You little skanks don’t come close to being as beautiful as my girlfriend, so get lost. I hear the corner of Main and Pleasant is wide open and waiting.”
Walking away when I really wanted to put John in a coma? That was rough. Like dragging myself uphill through fire.
Daisy was staring at me with wide eyes—part awe, part fear. Her fingers gripped the edge of Neil’s car door like she wasn’t sure if she wanted to run or hug me. “C-Colton?”
“Hey, now,” I said softly, wiping her tears away. Her cheeks were damp, her bottom lip trembling. “Just cause I laid him out doesn’t mean I’m gonna hurt you, Daisy. I was raised better than that. I would never hurt you, baby. Never. Besides, my parents and my friends would kick my ass sideways.”
Yes. She laughed.
Not just a breathy chuckle either. A full, throat-deep laugh that lit her eyes.
“How the heck is such a nice guy so violent?”
I paused. Took a beat to let the question sit. Why was I so violent again? Oh, yeah—she’s my Mate. And I’d take a bullet before I let her get cornered again.
I reached out through the mind-link we shared and linked to Neil. ‘Permission to tell her about the bond?’
‘It’s not going to be easy but go for it. Dad’s given the okay.’
Well, far be it for me to deny him.
I closed the door gently, took a breath that stretched tight across my chest, and turned to Daisy.
“Okay,” I said quietly. “Here’s the real reason…”
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