The Wolf's Mate Book 7: Lindy & The Wulfen (18 page)

Chapter 21

The following afternoon, Lindy lounged on the bed while Crimson packed.  They’d been up the entire night, making love again and again, until the sun chased the night from the sky and they’d both passed out.  He was everything she’d ever wanted and a bunch of things she hadn’t realized were missing from her life.

Two large leather duffels sat open on the bed as he moved from the closet to the bed and back again.  He seemed lost in thought, and she let him have the quiet.  Besides, he was sexy as hell, and she didn’t mind the view.

Earlier that day he’d contacted Commander Fenick and resigned from his position.  Giwyn, the evil fairy bitch, was still MIA.  But even if she’d been behind bars and awaiting trial, Crimson said he would have wanted to leave the realm anyway.  He seemed excited by the prospect of being part of the pack, and she could understand that.  There were wolves who chose to leave their packs — they were called rogues — but she couldn’t imagine doing that and being without the support of people like her.  Even when she had alienated herself from all but the full moon hunts and her best friends, she still wanted to be part of the pack.

He zipped both duffels and said, “I’m ready.”

“Then let’s go home.”

Crimson led her through the house and out into the garden where the fairy ring was waiting.  He put the bags down next to several other bags containing more of his belongings and pulled his shirt off, handing it to her.  She watched as his wings appeared, pushing through his back and stretching high and wide.  He went to his knees and opened the portal then he stood and lifted his bags.  As she peered through the portal, she saw the back of her house and smiled.  “Your powers are pretty damn cool.”

He grinned.  “I’m glad you like what I can do.”

He refused to let her carry anything, even her own bags, so she stepped through the portal into her backyard and watched as he made several trips between the realms, moving their bags from one side of the portal to the other.  He closed the portal and stood looking at it for a long moment.  She joined him, sliding her arms around his waist.  “I’m happy that you’re here with me, Crimson.”

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

* * * * *

After they unpacked and made love in the bedroom, she called her friends to say she was home and agreed to meet up with them at Jake’s later that evening.  She expected at least the higher-ranked males to be at the bar, and it would be a place for Crimson to meet members of the pack in a casual setting.

Lounging on the bed in only a pair of leather pants, Crimson watched her while she got dressed.

“You seem nervous,” he said.

“I haven’t been to Jake’s since I got drunk and pissed off my friends.”

“They’ve forgiven you; you should forgive yourself.”

Easier said than done.

“I know.  You’re just coming face to face with my past at the bar, and it’s a little, I don’t know, embarrassing?”

In a heartbeat he was at her side and folding her into his arms.  “We can stay home.  We haven’t christened every room in the house yet.”

She laughed.  “No, I want you to get to know my friends.  This is my baggage to deal with, so I will.  I don’t want to feel like I can’t go there whenever we want just because it’s been the source of some shameful moments in my past.”

She wanted to continue to have new experiences and share them with Crimson.  Yes, she’d been to Jake’s a thousand times, but she’d never been with a man she loved.  She looked up at him and saw the love he had for her, his acceptance of every facet of her life, and it warmed her through and through.

After a thorough kiss, she finished getting ready, and he put one of his tunics on.  As they walked out to her car and he opened the driver’s door for her, he said, “We should probably go shopping so I can find suitable clothes for your realm.”

“We can do that tomorrow.  I don’t have to go back to work until Monday.  But you look amazing.”  She sat down behind the wheel, and he leaned down and kissed her.

“Do I?”

“You look like a knight with your leather pants and tunic.  Very sexy.”

He grinned, and it made her stomach flip.

“My lady.”  He bowed at the waist and her pulse sped up.  He gave her a cocky grin and shut the door, striding around the front of her car and climbing into the passenger side.  “What is this vehicle called?”

“It’s a Ford Mustang.  I always wanted one.  Have you ever driven a vehicle before?”

As she headed toward Jake’s, he told her that his uncle had shown him how to drive, but that he knew he wasn’t allowed to legally without a license and some real training.

“When you do get your license, we can share the car.  You can drive me to work and then come pick me up.”

He took her hand and twined their fingers, resting their joined hands on his thigh.  “We’ll get all the details figured out later.  Tonight, let’s just relax and get to know your friends.”

She parked in the lot behind Jake’s where pack members parked so they could use the back entrance and avoid the line at the front door.  He held open the back door for her, and they held hands as they walked down the long hallway leading into the bar.  Her heart began to pound as he opened the door that separated the hall and the main bar.  She shook off her nerves.  She’d made a lot of positive strides over the last few weeks in her personal life.  Those who mattered to her — her best friends and Crimson — accepted her for who she was.  Although she wanted to be accepted by the pack completely, she was no longer the girl who begged for attention any way she could get it.

Straightening her shoulders, she looked around the bar and found Faith, McKenna, and Drake sitting in one of the circular booths along the wall.  Faith waved, and Lindy waved back, leading Crimson through the tables and throng of people.

Faith stood and hugged Lindy.  “Welcome home.”

“It’s good to be home,” she said.

Mac wiggled away from Drake to join them, and the three hugged, and then Mac slid back into the booth, and Drake tugged her close.  He was frowning.  Lindy looked at Mac in question as she slid into the booth and Crimson sat next to her.  He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side.

“There are a lot of unmated males here.  Drake doesn’t like that,” Mac said.

Lindy looked at Crimson who was scanning the bar with intent.  Faith snickered.  “I don’t think Crimson likes it either.”

He said, “A good mate watches out for his female at all times.”

Lindy smiled broadly.  “He’s definitely a good mate.”

Tina appeared to take their drink order, and Lindy introduced her to Crimson.  “Thank you for saving her life.”

“It was my honor and duty,” Crimson said sincerely.

Tina nodded and took their drink orders.  Crimson didn’t know what to order since his only experience with mortal beverages had been in Las Vegas where he’d done tequila shots.  Drake recommended beer, and Crimson took his advice.  When Tina left, there was a brief moment where no one said anything, and then just as quickly as the silence settled it lifted as Mac and Faith demanded to know about her time in the Fae Realm while Drake and Crimson settled into a discussion about the differences between the Fae and Mortal Realms.  Lindy loved sitting in the shelter of Crimson’s arms and talking to her friends.  It was the best of both worlds.

Jason and Michael stopped by the booth to say hello, and Crimson said that he was interested in taking her hunting the following night.

“Why don’t you two come to our house?  We’ll have dinner and go for a run afterward,” Jason offered.

Crimson cocked his head.  “You eat before you hunt?”

Michael chuckled.  “It helps keep us from destroying the small animal population.  We all still hunt on the full moon, but with our bellies full, we’re not as aggressive.”

Jason elbowed him.  “You can’t say words like belly and aggressive in the same sentence, you sound like a pussy.”

Michael rolled his eyes.  “You just did.”

“Would it be all right if Faith, McKenna, and Drake came as well?”  Lindy asked.

“Sure.  We’ll get some others, too.  It’s been ages since we’ve gone out to hunt any other time besides the full moon.  It’ll be fun.  Come over about seven for dinner.”

Jason and Michael said goodbye, and as they wandered off to their own booth, the conversations bloomed back to life.  Lindy continued with the part of the story where she fell into the brownies’ home, and Faith said, “Are you freaking kidding me?  That’s so cool!”

Lindy snorted.  “I could have been sold as a sex slave, dink.  Cool isn’t the word I’d use for it.”

Faith narrowed her eyes.  “Come on, admit it.  Scary as hell but kinda cool, too.”

Laughing loudly, Lindy shook her head.  “You’re a nut.  They’re really sweet, though.  Maybe you can come to the realm with us sometime and meet them.”

“I’d love that.”

Eventually Lindy needed to use the restroom, and Faith and Mac accompanied her.  They wove through the bar, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Crimson was watching her closely.  She swore she could see his eyes flashing to red even from across the bar.

“He’s dreamy,” Faith said as they walked into the restroom.  “You’re lucky to have found your truemate.”

“You’ll find yours when the time is right,” Lindy promised.

“Well, he’d better show up soon,” Faith grumbled.  “My two besties are mated and you’ll be popping out babies before long, and I’ll be all by my lonesome.”

“Whoa, I’m not ready for babies yet,” Mac said, straightening her skirt and washing her hands.

“I am,” Lindy said.  “I can’t wait to have Crimson’s kids.”

“Will they be wolf or fae?”  Mac asked as they waited for Faith to finish.

“I don’t know.  We haven’t talked about it.  He’s both wolf and fae, and I’m all wolf so I have no idea how that will play out genetically.  Even if they couldn’t shift, it wouldn’t matter to me in the least.”

“I’ll be the best godmother to all your babies and spoil them rotten,” Faith promised.

“What’s your mom think of things?”  Mac asked.

Lindy had called her mom before they came out to the bar and shared the news of her mating and that they were going to be living in Allen permanently.  She wasn’t really surprised to learn that her mom was packing and getting ready to move away, following a male she believed was her mate.

“She’s happy for me, but she’s really busy with her own life and said she’ll try to visit after she gets settled.  I kind of feel like I’m not going to see her for a long time.”

“Are you sad?”  Faith asked.

“Kind of, but I’m more disappointed that I expected more from her.  Her behavior just reminds me of where I was headed myself if I hadn’t gotten a wake-up call.”

“Crimson would have found you regardless of where you were in your life, though,” Mac said.  “He did the truemate spell.”

“True, but even though I almost died before we met, I’m glad he showed up when he did.  I was in a good place, emotionally and mentally.”

Mac opened the bathroom door.  “Sounds like your wolf in shining armor has good timing.”

They walked down the hallway and through the door into the bar, and Lindy’s breath gushed from her lungs as she felt herself shoved bodily back through the door and against the wall.  For a heartbeat, she couldn’t form any words as Bruce pressed her hard against the wood paneling.

“Missed you, bitch,” he sneered at her, kicking her legs apart with an aggravated growl.

A claw-tipped hand grabbed Bruce’s throat and squeezed tightly as Crimson loomed next to them, his eyes glowing bright red and his fangs elongating in his mouth.  With a howl of anger, Crimson tossed Bruce down the hallway, where he landed hard and rolled into the wall.

Crimson swung his gaze to her for only a moment, stroked her cheek gently, and then raced down the hallway with a battle cry that shook the light fixtures.  In a blur, Crimson’s clothes shredded as he shifted into his wolf form, leaping onto Bruce with a growl.  His shifted form was the size of a small horse, and his fur was snow white.  He tossed Bruce down the hallway, the male crying out in alarm as he slammed into the wall and fell into a heap on the floor.

“What the hell?”  Jason and Michael surrounded Lindy, Jason’s mouth agape as he witnessed Crimson pick Bruce up again and throw him against the door leading to the parking lot.

“Bruce attacked me, and Crimson attacked him,” Lindy said.

“That’s your mate?”  Michael asked as Jason slipped in front of Lindy and began to walk down the hallway.

Crimson hit the door with his massive shoulder to open it, and he snapped his jaws around one of Bruce’s legs, pulling the shrieking male out into the parking lot.

“Oh shit,” Michael hissed.

Lindy was both terrified and elated.  Crimson had saved her from whatever Bruce had been planning, but she was worried how far he would take things.  Faith and McKenna came through the broken door, their expressions anxious.