Captured by the wolf mate

CHAPTER 2

Werewolves started hoarding deodorant and soap and toilet paper and stuff while waiting to meet their mate. They called it nesting.

That was… kind of cute, I guessed.

And weird.

Whatever.

Moving on.

They also saved money.

I was interested in that The paper said Axel’s money was in the freezer, under a bag of frozen vegetables, so I rushed over. When I found the envelope, my heart soared.

I opened the flap and stared down into it.

Tears stung my eyes.

There was a lot of cash.

Enough that I could buy real food.

And electricity—f**k, it would be incredible to wash my clothes again. And microwave things. And have light.

“You’re officially the best mate ever,” I told the wolf, hugging the money to my chest.

Maybe if I was a better woman, I’d just put it back in the fridge and walk away, but screw up being a better woman.

I needed to f*****g eat.

And maybe now I’d be able to.

I folded the envelope under my armpit and started looking for the keys. After I established them in one of the kitchen drawers, I traversed the room and fast glided out into the garage.

The car I’d been looking for was a massive truck—not what I had expected—but beggars couldn’t be choosers. I let Axel in and then climbed up to the driver’s seat.

“Ready to meet my sick roommate and discover the horrors of Mist Valley?” I asked Axel, feigning cheerfulness.

He gave me a wolf frown.

“No? Well, that makes two of us.”

I didn’t have another option though, so I opened the garage and pulled out of the driveway.

Just as I was about to leave, a truck pulled up outside Axel’s place. A blonde woman in a t-shirt that said “Salty Heifer” and a pair of leggings stepped out, her hair falling to her waist in waves.

She had a gnarly bite scar stretched over her throat, and I wondered if that was because of her mate. “Are you Morgan?” she called out.

“Yup,” I called back, but didn’t get out of my truck. “Tell me you’re not Axel’s lover. I don’t want to get in a mate fight.”

She snorted. “Werewolves don’t take lovers until they meet their mates. Guess things are different for demons?”

“You have no idea,” I admitted, as she sashayed up to my window.

“Well, I’m Charly. Nico asked me to bring you something to wear so Axel doesn’t murder anyone.” She lifted a grocery bag of clothes.

“I’m headed back home. Mist Valley isn’t too far, and I really can’t afford to miss work.”

Charly grimaced. “I get that. Shoot me a text if you come back or need anything.”

I made a face. “Phones don’t work in Mist Valley.”

Her eyebrows shot upward. “How do you survive?”

“With a lot of effort.” I flashed her a grin. “I have to go, but it was nice to meet you.”

“You too.” She stepped back. “Just ask any of the guys where to find my place if you’re back in town and need anything. My mate, Ryder, is an honorary Feral Pack member, and we take care of our people.”

Did they take care of their people?

That thought made me feel… warm.

And confused.

Demons most definitely did not take care of their people.

“Thanks,” I said.

Though I wanted to stay and ask her what she meant, and how much werewolves took care of each other, I didn’t have time.

So, I pulled my truck—okay, Axel’s truck—away from the house and headed down the highway that I knew would take me to Mist Valley.

When I pulled up to the city’s gates, the dragon-shifter and Wolf guards were already glaring at me.

Sweet smiles would get me nowhere with them, so I didn’t bother.

Holding out my arm, I showed them the demon tattoo that had been done in magical ink shortly after my birth. They scanned it, and I waited.

“How did you get out?” one of them asked me, a suspicious look on his face as he peered into my truck. “And what the hell is that?”

“A werewolf. My mate flames kicked into gear and took me to him.”

Axel growled at the men. Honestly, I didn’t know why he was growling. Probably because they were looking at him like he was a rabid dog.

The Wolf looked sick as he processed my words. “You’re mated to a werewolf?”

“Yup.” I scratched the wolf’s head, for good measure. “Poor guy’s trapped in his wolf form for the first part of the process. Romantic, right?”

The dragon shifter grimaced. “We’ll have to report this.”

“I figured. Can I go now? Don’t want to be late for work.”

They stepped back and waved me through, though they were already talking in low voices about something.

Probably something related to my wolfy mate.

So I ignored them and drove through the gates.

It took a while to weave through the city, but I finally parked Axel’s truck in the reserved parking lot I’d never had a use for. Everywhere I needed to go, I had to walk to.

There was a grocery store down the road, so it wasn’t a huge deal, but it was kind of nice to park in my spot for once. Iris did have a car that I could use when I needed to, but gas was too expensive to make it worth the drive.

“Don’t bark at anyone. I live above a bar, so it’s going to start getting loud as they turn on the music and whatnot,” I warned Axel. “I’ve only got twenty minutes to chow something and then get to work, so you need to keep things cool.”

The wolf gave me a solemn nod, and I bit back a snort. He was kind of lovely.

I rubbed his head, and he rubbed his side up against my thigh.

I skimmed on the lights and went into the kitchen. We had a small folding table with two mismatching chairs—one was a cheap plastic yard chair with a thick c***k going up the normal, and the other a fuzzy green velvet article that had peaked at least a decade earlier.