Page 54 of Savage

Rand scoffed. “No, way, Clint. You just moved up four notches in my book. You’re the guy who does the dirty work, so the rest of us can stay blissfully ignorant. Like Colton with the Green Berets.” He thumped his chest with his fist. “Respect.”

I bowed my head again. I didn’t give a shit about respect if Becky had none for me. “My mate’s gone.” I said it out loud to the whole group of shifters.

Yeah, I was a fucking pansy. But I’d just had my heart ripped out by the female who’d made it beat in the first place.

“This was probably a shock to her,” Colton said. “Give her some time and space. She’ll come around.”

Would she, though?

She’d been clear with me about not wanting anything messy. She’d already had enough drama for a lifetime with Todd. Now I was responsible for Todd’s death. I’d kept secrets from her about who I was and worse—what I did for a living. It was my fault she’d been in danger even though I told her she was safe with me. The complete opposite was true.

Todd had been a liar. I was a liar. Todd had been an asshole. I had a darkness in me that wasn’t going to go away. A past filled with death. She’d witnessed it firsthand. I might walk away from being an enforcer, but it was a stain that could never fade from my soul. For a shifter like Rand, he could feel proud. For a human like Becky, she was repulsed.

I wasn’t sure we’d recover from that.

I wanted to hop in my truck and go to her, but getting pushy now wasn’t going to fix things. No, I had no choice but to let her go, even though it made my wolf howl like he’d never stop. I stood, kicked the coffee table, which flipped over, landing on the hardwood. I probably broke my toe, for the pain shot all the way up past my shin.

“Easy,” Rob said, his voice low and deep. The alpha in him was trying to calm me, but it wasn’t helping.

“I’m not needed here any longer. I assume I can pass on your resignation to the council?” Davies asked, zipping his coat.

I nodded. “I’m done.”

“I’ll take care of the body.” He nodded to Rob then left. Since the front door was still hanging by a hinge, he didn’t close it behind him.

“It’s going to kill me and my wolf not to be near her, protecting. Providing,” I told the guys. Rand was my blood, but Colton and Rob were brothers just the same.

“Time and space,” Colton said again. “Human women are stubborn as fuck.”

“I’m going to find a nice, mild she-wolf and settle down without all the bullshit you all faced,” Rand declared.

“Good luck with that,” I countered. Whomever Rand’s wolf chose as a mate would take him for one hell of a run.

“I agree with Colton,” Rob said. “Boyd won’t let anything happen to her. Hell, he’s going to be stuck with two pregnant humans carrying shifter babies. I pity him.”

I could only imagine him hunting down avocados and whatever weird food Audrey craved.

“Audrey will be your biggest ally, brother,” Rand said.

Rob and Colton both nodded. “She’ll be able to explain things better than anyone else.”

Fuck. I had to rely on a human female to guide my mate in shifter ways.

It should be my job. My right. It killed me knowing I may never get that privilege. To share with her the joy of having a wolf within. Of being with a mate who would do anything for her.

I’d watch over her. I’d protect her. At least not up close. I might be relegated to protecting and providing from afar. Begging for glimpses of her, scraps of time with the pup.

Oh fuck.

How would I ever survive without her?

23

BECKY

I didn’t wantto be at Audrey’s. I didn’t know where I wanted to be. Certainly not my house where Todd had been murdered. God, he’d had his throat ripped out by that wolf I just saw bleed out in the snow. I never wanted to go to my place again.

I felt as if everyone I knew, everyone I thought I cared about, led a secret life. Todd and his underhanded plans for me. Clint, obviously. Even my best friend knew about shifters and hadn’t said anything. Hell, just the other night, we’d gabbed around Willow’s table about my relationship with Clint, andnoneof them had said a word. Not Rob when he’d let us in. Not Audrey, Marina or Willow all the time I’d stuffed my face with snacks.