The Bounty Hunter's Mate

The Bodyguard

LUKE POV

The door to my office banged open, the heavy door hitting the opposite wall. Lexi stormed in, carrying her bag, eyes fiery.

“You can either tell your staff to allow me to stay in the room next to Hagrid or Hagrid will join me in the Luna suite. Or we can just get a room at the hotel I saw next to the front gate. Your choice, Alpha.”

I put my pen down and looked at her quizzically. “Why do you have a bodyguard?” I was genuinely curious and, after meeting the guy, pretty sure they weren’t sleeping together so that wasn’t the reason.

“That’s none of your business.” She was riled up and I wanted to laugh at her but I didn’t. Her hair had come undone from the ponytail she tried to capture it in and she had tendrils sticking up everywhere making a halo effect around her head. I would guess she hated her hair. I loved it. It was wild, just like her.

I leaned back in my chair, choosing my words. “Well, I think it is. First, whether you like it or not, I’m your mate. Anything that affects your safety is my business. Second, you’re on my Packlands. As Alpha, have the right to know if you’re bringing in a threat to my people or my land. And third, you’re a guest in my house. If I need to get extra security I need to know what I’m up against.”

I could see her weighing my words. The whole part about her being my mate pissed her off but the rest of it made sense, especially to someone with the militant background she had. She dropped her overnight bag and pointed to the chair opposite me. “Can I sit?”

I nodded. She got closer and her scent came with her, vanilla and patchouli with a hint of jasmine. It was sexy and fit her perfectly. I tried not to drool when she sat and crossed her perfect legs, leaning back in the chair. I gave her a minute. I could tell she was trying to decide how much to tell me.

“Don’t know my mom. She took off when I was a baby. Honestly don’t know if she’s dead or alive. I always thought she was dead but now I’m not so sure.” She paused. “Long story short, someone out there wants to talk to her and they thought that I would be good motivation to get her to come out of whatever hole she’s crawled in to. I was ambushed on a job. I was out there alone and the next thing I knew I was outnumbered and outgunned.” She looked off into space, remembering. “I got lucky. Hagrid was passing through town looking for somewhere to sleep off a hangover when he happened to come into the warehouse I was in. He scared everyone off. Realized I was in bad shape and brought me to the hospital and contacted my dad. Dad offered him a job on the spot and he became my bodyguard.”

She smiled a little lopsided smile at me. “I genuinely don’t think I’m in any imminent danger, nor do I think I’m a danger to anyone. It’s been a year since anyone has tried anything. Initially, there was chatter and we realized I had a bounty on my head. They wanted me alive and that, among the other things we heard, is how we figured out it has something to do with my mom. After the first attack there were a few other half-assed attempts by amateurs, but word got around. Hagrid was especially brutal with the last guy, and no one has tried anything since.”

I was impressed and a little grossed out. I’ve seen giants and I’ve seen their brutal. It usually ended up with limbs being ripped off from someone while they were still alive.

“Thank you for telling me.” I smiled at her and she smiled back. I think we had a moment.

“So I can stay in the room next to Hagrid?” She stood up. I stood up also.

“No. You can stay in the Luna room. Hagrid will be fine and comfortable where he’s at.”

She looked murderous. “Not going to happen. We’ll stay at the hotel by your front gate.” She hefted her bag and prepared to leave. I sighed.

“They won’t give you a room. I will call them and tell them not to. If you don’t want to accept my hospitality on my terms, then go back to the city. That’s six hours in a car, round trip. It’s your time you are wasting, not mine.” I held out my hand. “Speaking of time, do you want to give me your list of people you’d like to interview? I can have them all gather here and you can use my office or one of the other empty rooms I have to conduct your interviews.”

She ignored my hand and continued out the door. “I prefer to visit them on my own, not have them gathered together for me. Thank you anyway.”

I could tell she was still mad at me by the rigidness of her back while she walked. It caused her hips to sway and I had to look away and get my wolf under control. Hagrid met her at the front door and raised his eyebrow at her, taking her overnight bag from her hands. She went through the front door and he looked back at me, shrugging his shoulders and giving me a wink. Well, at least I had his support. I watched them walk down the stairs and get into the car, amused at the giant man trying to fold his body up enough to fit into the front seat of her Toyota. She glanced up and saw me standing at the front door, watching, and I could tell that she was angry again. This girl was going to take some taming, but not too much. I liked them wild.