Bookstore princess

Chapter 17

James

It turns out my mate is an excellent cook. She made us pork chops with potatoes, vegetables, and a bit of gravy. She had made four pork chops, and I happily ate three of them and all of the left overs. It was even seasoned perfectly to my taste. No salt and pepper needed, or any sauce for the meat. It makes me love her even more. My mate is perfect in every way possible. She looks exhausted, but she keeps smiling at me every time she sees me looking at her. I liked the idea of a shared bed, but I know both Fang and I won't be able to hold back making a move on her regardless. Werewolves normally consummate on the first day of finding out they are mates. This has been nothing short of torture. I've promised myself I would wait until she is ready. But the waiting part is the hardest of all.
I do know she feels the bond. Every time I look at her, I notice it doesn't take her long to notice. Or if I'm close by she always looks at me expectantly. She leans in more than necessary when I go to hold her, making sure her curves are completely against my entire body before I even have the opportunity to pull her in. She might not understand the bond, but she's affected by it. Of that I'm certain.
Once we are done eating, I lead her back downstairs and she starts showing me how to do inventory, and I realize how big of an undertaking this is. I'm glad I insisted on helping. She would barely get any sleep. She starts on the first page, while I take the last page and we start walking through and counting each book individually. Afterwards we have to go count the ones in the boxes and add to the total. I'm glad that the pages are separated by sections, so we have our own spot to stay and count quickly. By the time I'm finished with my first page, she's already on page three. I come to her and hold her from behind and she snuggles up to me, putting her papers down momentarily.
"Mine" I say before I can stop myself, and I kiss her hair.
"Yours," she says in a soft whisper, and I quickly turn her around to kiss her properly on the lips. I intended to make a soft kiss, but I couldn't help but move in as much as I could to feel her. I nip on her bottom lip and she opens her lips ever so slightly to provide me entry and I'm like an addict and I sweep my tongue in to massage against her own. I can't help myself. I love the taste of her. I have half a mind to pull her into the back and make her mine officially on top of the new boxes that just came in. Fang agrees with it, but my human side knows she's probably not ready for that. I feel like she's a desert oasis, and I've been starved my entire life of water and suddenly it's there for the taking. I keep getting sips of water, but not enough to satiate my thirst. She gives a soft moan and brings her hands up to toy in my hair. I'm desperate for more contact and run my hands over her generous hips and pull her in. She gives a soft moan, and I don't trust myself anymore. I pull back regretfully from the kiss and she's got her eyes closed and she's smiling. From the side of my eyes, I see someone outside wearing a hoodie and watching us with interest. They notice me watching and they go to leave a box on the bookstep and I can't let this go anymore. I pull away from my beautiful mate and growl deep in my throat as I launch myself at the front door.
"James?" Nadia says in confusion, and I launch the door open before taking off after the man that was watching us. He drops a can of spray paint as soon as I jump out of the doorway, and the box. He runs down the middle of the street, and I have no problem with giving chase. He's one of the rogues, I can smell it in his trail. He's also fast, but I'm faster. I notice two of my pack members also giving chase behind us, and I'm grateful I won't be doing this alone. He takes off into an alleyway, and we veer for the alleyway as well, where he changes into his wolf. His clothes ripping and leaving more evidence of what he planned to do tonight on the ground. We have him backed into a corner and I grin, letting my eyes flash red with Fang dying to come forward.
"Rogue" I bite out. "You've been threatening my mate" I growl menacingly. He growls and lunges for me, but I reach out and catch him by the wind pipe and hold him up in the air as he whines and tries to get out of my hold. He changes back to his human form unintentionally and I set him down on his feet, but still hold him by the neck. I let up a little bit of tension from my hand and he gasps for air.
"She's on our territory" he finally says, hate burning in his eyes.
"It's my territory now. You have two options. Join the pack, and find a way to get used to it. Or leave. If you don't leave, I'll either kill you and the rest of the rogues that you work with, or turn you into the Sheriff. What do you choose?" I ask him in my alpha voice.
"I choose death over joining you" he hisses at me.
"Get your clothes on" I threw him up against the fencing that had blocked him in. He looks confused but puts on his shredded clothes. As soon as he's done, he goes to climb the fence, but I grab him again, and start marching him back to my Mate as a prize. I'm not shocked when we come around the corner to see the Sheriff's truck parked out front and my little Nadia looking worried just outside with her arms crossed.
"James!" she yells as soon as she sees me, and the man I'm holding with his arm strongly in an awkward position behind his back. I march him forward to Morgan who's putting another small box into the trunk. Morgan also already has the spray paint can already in an evidence bag in the back as well.
"I caught him for you. He tried to get away" I announced with pride.
"Are you the one that's been giving me trouble, son?" Morgan asked, seeming surprised. "You live right across the street," he says with a troubled sigh.
"They don't belong here!" The rogue spats towards Nadia and she jumps back while I pull his arm up more, close to snapping the bone.
"I'll take him" Morgan comes over and takes over. He snaps on the cuffs not too carefully and puts him in the back seat of the extended cab giving him his Myranda rights.
"There are more of us!" the rogue yells out at Morgan slams the door in his face.
"Don't cancel the extra camera's, just in case he's telling the truth" Morgan says softly, and looks at me appraisingly as I walk to Nadia and encircle her in my arms. "You did pretty good," he grins.
"What was in the box?" I ask, holding Nadia close to me and she nuzzles in. I feel her sag against me in relief, and I just hold her a little harder.
"A silver bullet and another dead rat" Morgan shakes his head. "I don't get it," he adds with a huff. But I do. It's another warning for me. I should have ripped him apart. Steve can't get back here fast enough, I'm ready to wage war on these rogues. "I'll come back in the morning to check on the store. I need to book him" Morgan advises.
"Thank you" Nadia looks up at him and gives him a faint nod while her arms hold me a bit tighter.

Nadia

I don't understand why these boxes keep coming with dead animals and the additional things. I mean, according to my werewolf romances, these are things to kill a werewolf. But they don't exist. It's fiction, at least as far as I know. The growl that James gave earlier certainly sounded like a wolf, but I think that's my imagination getting away with me. James spent the better part of forty five minutes chasing down this man that has been vandalizing my home and place of work, and this magnificent man brought him back. His clothes looked worse than when he ran away, but I assume he really tried to get away.
Morgan was here so quickly when I called his personal cell phone in a panic when I opened the box. I know I shouldn't have opened the box, I know that. I used my shirt so I wouldn't get my fingerprints on it, but I had to know. It felt like one hell of a warning. I was scared out of my mind until Morgan showed up. I'm completely relieved when James came back. I couldn't help but hold him closer when he wrapped his arms around me. He seems unbothered, and still as amazing as the last moment I had seen him. He smells so good, and like my safe place in this crazy world. We watched Morgan leave, and I can't even imagine sleeping tonight. I'm worried since he said there were more. I don't want to deal with more, considering I thought we were just dealing with one.
"Don't worry baby doll. I'm going to protect you," James kisses me on top of my head and I nuzzle in.
"Who were the other two men that followed you?" I ask him, looking up at him with tears dangerously close to my waterline.
"Some of my family. I asked if they wouldn't mind keeping an eye on the place while you were sleeping. I guess they were a bit late getting here though" he frowned.
"What if he wasn't lying, and there's more people trying to bring down the bookstore?" I ask him worriedly, wondering why his family didn't come back with him. "Where is your family now?" I continue to pummel him with questions.
"They are watching from a distance, but your store should be safe for the night" he assures me. "If there's anyone else I'll protect you from them too" he promises.
"Don't make promises you can keep" I sigh.
"I told you earlier, you are mine. I don't say that lightly. I will go to the ends of the earth to see you smile and to keep you safe," he says brushing his palm against my cheek. "Like in your werewolf books, you're my mate" he adds and I look up into his steel blue eyes and only see determination and love there. I bite my bottom lip before going on my tiptoes to give him a soft peck on the lips which he immediately reciprocates.
"If only those books were real" I sigh.
"You never know," he says softly, and he's watching me. Like he's testing to see if I'll have any reaction to the idea of it. "Come on baby doll, let's go back inside where it's nice and safe and warm" he rubs his nose against my own for a moment.
"Where there's still lots of work to be done" I sigh and turn to go back inside. "It doesn't feel safe here anymore" I whisper, but somehow he hears it.
"I'll stay with you until you feel safe again" he says and I look at him.
"James, you have your own businesses to run. I'm more of a hindrance at the moment" I say, feeling exasperated.
"Never call yourself that again. I'm here because I choose to be, and I won't leave your side simply because I can't stand the thought of being away from you," he looks almost angry at the word "hindrance". He moves in more and puts his finger and thumb under my chin so I'll look up at him. "I'm staying because it's you" he whispers softly.
"Isn't it too early to be saying stuff like that?" I challenge him.
"I can't help how I feel, and I know you value honesty. My feelings are real, aren't yours?" he starts out strong, but then his eyes are showing a raw vulnerability.
"So strong it's crazy" I whisper.
"That's all I need to know" he leans down and kisses me on the lips in a seal of a promise.