Page 72 of Mating Season
“Hush,”I silenced my mate.
The gated fence slid open.
“Thank you,Mating Season.Thank you, McCaws,” Clara Klevean was screaming at the guards. “And thank the Goddess, bitches!”
“I’ll leave you to it.” Trenton tilted his ballcap in my direction before he walked away.
“Aspen! I’m free!” Clara’s high-pitched squeal almost blew my eardrums as she came flying across the parking lot with coyote-shifter-speed.
Brace yourself. Incoming.I caught Clara in my arms, barely keeping us both upright.
“And you’re rich!” Clara laughed as she cried, wiping tears and snot from her face as our hair whipped around us in the dry desert wind.
My eyes were watering and my heart was so full it was close to exploding. I gathered my hair back behind my head so I could look at her. “I’m rich and you’re free.” Goddess, that was mind blowing to say. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be used to it.
“We’re both free.” Clara linked her arm through mine, turning to face my cherry red GTO convertible with the top down. “Is this our ride?”
My baby stuck out like a sore thumb, surrounded by sleek sedans with their blacked-out windows.
“This is us.” I gave her an extra hair tie from my wrist.
Clara frowned as she looked at the other vehicles. “I thought you said this was going to be a girl’s road trip.”
“Just pretend they aren’t here like I do.” I waved my hand dismissively at the sedans sitting idle in the prison parking lot.
Clara quickly braided back her hair as she peeked into the windshields. “Which one is Ranger?”
The driver side window of the closest vehicle rolled down. Ranger sat with his tablet pressed against the steering wheel and his phone on Bluetooth as he handled pack business fromvacation.I hadn’t even bothered arguing when he insisted on escorting. His beast got a little anxious when I was away too long.
I do too.
That’s called co-dependency.
It’s called love.
We were working on our mutual red flags.
“Not too fast.” Ranger gave me a wink that made my tummy swoop in delight.
“I heard you the first time.” I blew him a kiss as I climbed behind the wheel.
Clara pulled her eyes away from my mate and drooled over my GTO instead. The red paint caught the setting desert sun, looking extra gorgeous today.
“Damn girl.” Clara slid onto the passenger seat, tossing her meager bag of belongings in the back. “So how does it feel to be living every woman’s dream?”
“Honestly? I’m still waiting to wake up, but I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts.” I shifted intodrive, checking my rearview mirror. I couldn’t wait to put Nuva Territory behind us where it belonged. And maybe play with my Alpha while I was at it. “Make sure to put your seatbelt on. I have some limits I want to test out.”
Epilogue
Ranger
“You wanted to be punished.” I tapped the riding crop against Aspen’s clit, loving her little moans. Her ankles and wrists were tied with black silk rope to the rings I’d built into the archway entering the basement loft. It was one of my favorite positions to put her, making my mate a beautiful, submissive X.
“That’s subjective.” She panted, testing her weight against the ropes while she arched her back, trying to chase the riding crop as I pulled it away. “Is it really punishment if I think it’s a reward?”
I rolled back my head to stare up at the mirrored ceiling.Alwayswith the comebacks. Always keeping me on my toes.
But I wouldn’t be an Alpha if I didn’t appreciate a good challenge.