Page 55 of Broken By Her Mate
“I’m Cora,” she beamed. “Your friendly neighborhood, witch. I’m Laila’s bestie, and I help this gang occasionally.” She hiked a thumb over her shoulder at Tolliver, Benny, and Francisco.
Zach arched an eyebrow and glanced at Tolliver, who replied, “I’ll explain later.”
Zach nodded and then went back to the topic of Laila’s predicament. “Another failed kidnapping attempt…” he mused. He got up and started to pace, a habit whenever he was trying to figure something out.
Tolliver threw back the rest of his coffee and winced. He was still sore after the incident. Although his major wounds had healed fast, he’d feel the fight's effects for a few days.
Zach peered at Laila with sharp, assessing eyes. “Laila, this doesn’t make sense. Mercer seems to have a specific target on you.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, her voice quivering.
“One of our guys thwarted another attempted kidnapping a couple of days ago.”
She sucked in a breath. “Gods. Another one?”
Tolliver hung his head at that. He knew about it but hadn’t mentioned it to Laila. He didn’t want to frighten her more than she already was.
“Yes.” Zach frowned. “The thing is, he hasn’t gone after the woman again. Yet, he seems hellbent on getting you, no matter how many times he’s failed. I’m… We’re all starting to get really concerned. Of course, we now know his motive for the kidnappings, but his attack on you seems personal at this point. Are you sure you’ve never met him?”
She shook her head. “Never. I swear.”
“Come on, Laila. Maybe you met once, and you don’t remember.”
“My brain is functioning perfectly, Zach. I would have remembered meeting a psychopath. As I told Tolliver, I’ve never met Mercer.”
Zach sighed heavily, his frustration becoming clearer. He ran a hand through his hair and kneeled in front of Laila. He kept his tone soft as he said, “Laila, we’re not doubting you. But we’re missing something here. It’s costing us time and putting you and other female shifters in danger.”
Laila’s body stiffened, and her fingers clenched around her mug. Tolliver could hear her heartbeat picking up speed. “I’ve told you everything I know. I don’t have any secret connection with Mercer. I don’t know why he’s after me.” Her voice cracked slightly, betraying the strain she was under.
Tolliver could feel the mounting storm of emotions through their bond, which was strengthening with each day that they were in proximity to each other. Frustration, fear, and simmering anger were right beneath the surface. Her emotions clawed at him, making his wolf restless. He wanted to reach out to her, to ease her tension, but he held back, thinking that she wouldn’t welcome his comfort in front of others. She was still skeptical about rekindling their romance. He hadn’t been deterred by her mild rejection during their date, but he was willing to give her the space she needed.
Zach placed a hand lightly on Laila’s arm. “I know you’re scared, but we need to figure this out before—”
A deep, guttural growl rumbled from Tolliver’s chest. The sound sliced through the room as a warning. His wolf surged forward, possessive and protective. Tolliver was sure Zach’s touch was innocent and meant to comfort Laila, but his animal wasn’t as logical as his human side. He was ready to attack his alpha for merely being that close to his woman.
Zach froze, his eyes snapping at Tolliver. For a moment, the room went completely still. Cora, Francisco, and Benny didn’t even breathe. Laila looked between Zach and Tolliver. Her wide eyes then flickered to Tolliver as if to silently ask what the hell he was doing.
Zach, ever the composed alpha, understood that Tolliver was likely more animal at that moment and that any action might be perceived as a threat to his mate. So, he slowly raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “All right, Tolliver,” he said evenly, his voice calm but carrying an edge of caution. “Message received.” He rose to his feet and backed away, giving Laila space.
When Tolliver gained control of his wolf, he sent Zach an apologetic look. Zach only shrugged, his eyes flickering with understanding. “Laila, you must be exhausted,” he said. “Tolliver, why don’t you two go home and get some rest?”
That was the best idea Tolliver had heard all evening. “Sure, we’ll do that.
“Francisco and Benny, would you be willing to come with me to clean up the mess near the safe house?” Zach asked.
“Of course, boss,” Benny said, jumping to his feet. “We’re still rearing to go after all that adrenaline from earlier.”
Francisco stood up and shook his head in agreement. “Yeah, we’ll rest later.”
“Cora?” Zach raised his eyebrows in her direction. “Where are you staying for the night?”
“With me,” Laila quickly answered.
As everyone shuffled out of the living room, Tolliver stopped to have a chat with Zach. “Hey, man, I’m sorry about earlier.”
Zach chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. I realize my mistake. If you had touched my woman, I’d probably get the urge to bite your head off, too.”
For the first time in hours, Tolliver smiled. “Look, it isn’t fair for you to go out and clean up my mess.” There were still two bodies in the woods to be taken care of before a human happened upon them. Plus, an injured wolf was on the run, and they should catch him before he returned to Mercer. Tolliver had some questions for the surviving attacker.