Paranormal Heroes 1 and 2

ChapterFive

Oz

I watched the asshole walk away, my arm still tight around Laura’s waist, keeping her pressed into my chest, trying desperately to control my breathing. And it felt amazing to hold her. I had to calm down, because if I didn’t then she would see the animal shining out of my eyes. I had let that asshole see it though. I hadn’t been able to help myself. He had touched her, manhandled her with his stinking hand around her throat. And Laura had been frightened. It was the scent of her fear that had hit me as I sat finishing my coffee. The air was thick with it, and I had moved without thinking. If I had been concentrating and hadn’t been so preoccupied by the rancid smell of something else, I would have realised something was wrong sooner.

“You can let go of me now.” Laura’s voice was small and muffled due to the fact her face was still pressed against my chest. “I think you scared him off.” She was trying to make light of it, make it into a joke, but honestly it wasn’t a laughing matter. I had scared him off, but I had wanted to do so much more than that. I had wanted to rip his filthy, scrawny arms off and use them to beat him to death. Forcing myself to take a deep breath, I loosened my grip slightly but didn’t let her go completely. I couldn’t. Not yet. If I did, I wasn’t sure whether I would go after him. Having Laura close to me calmed the murderous beast within.

“Don’t think I can,” I admitted with a chuckle. She stiffened in my arms. I had said the wrong thing. Freaked her out again. “We don’t know for sure that he is gone.” I knew he had; I could smell his rancid odour dwindling. “Who was that guy, Laura?”

Two small hands pushed against my chest. “How do you know my name? I didn’t give it to you.”

I didn’t need to look down at her face to know she was straining to see mine in the darkness, her human eyes squinting as she frowned. “It’s my job to know who you are.” I shrugged my shoulders, trying to brush off her question. It would only freak her out even more if I told her the truth. That she was my mate. She was the one woman in the world that I was destined to love and protect. Humans didn’t feel the mate bond, they didn’t understand it. Hell, most of the world’s population didn’t even know shifters and other preternatural creatures existed. They lived never knowing the truth. That was the way it had always been. Unless of course the human was a destined mate. Then they were told. Some couldn’t handle the news, some could.

I was hoping Laura would be the kind that could handle the truth. But not yet. I couldn’t tell her what I actually was yet.

“You didn’t answer my question, who was that guy?”

“No one.”

She was lying to me. Even if I hadn’t been able to smell the deception rolling from her, her face would have given her away. c*****g my head to the side, I tilted her chin upwards with my fingers. “Shall we try that again, Laura? And this time I would like the truth. Who was that guy? An ex?” My fingers trembled just saying the words. But I had to admit to myself that it made sense. He had touched her like she belonged to him.

“No,” she shook her head. “No, I’ve never dated him. It’s not like that. Like I said, he’s no one important.”

“But he wants you?” This time I didn’t even try to keep the growl out of my voice. Her eyes widened, the whites of them flashing. I didn’t wait for her to answer. “He doesn’t get to have you, Laura.”

“I think that’s a decision only I get to make.” Stepping away from me, she straightened her shoulders. “But no, he won’t ever get to have me. I don’t date men like…well, like that.”

For a moment I contemplated her words. “And who do you date, Laura?” If she turned around and said she had a partner I would lose it. I wouldn’t be able to help myself.

“I don’t date anyone.”

“No one at all?” My fingers itched to draw her close again but somehow I managed to keep my hands to myself. “None of the locals take your fancy? How about someone who isn’t local?”

She laughed, throwing her head back and giggled like a schoolgirl. “I definitely don’t date army guys.”

So, she knew I was interested in her then. “No?” Reaching for her, I tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and her scent changed. It became almost sticky in the back of my throat. One small touch and she was turned on. It filled me with hope. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t wanted to date my pack previously, she was attracted to me and that was all that mattered.

“No, I’m not a fool.” Shaking herself, she swatted my hand away. “And stop touching me. You are very touchy feely.”

I grinned at her words. “Oh, I could be a lot more touchy feely if you would let me.”

Laura’s cheeks flamed in the darkness. And her blush was adorable. Against my zipper, my c**k jerked to attention.

“Not going to happen, sorry, army boy,” With a flick of her hair, Laura settled an air of disdain around her. She wore it like body armour, but the cold indifference was an act. “I have standards.”

“I hope so. Anyway,” I was dragging this on too long, making things awkward and I needed to leave. I needed to do this like a human man and not like the wolf shifter I was, “are you going to be alright locking up by yourself, or would you like me to stay and watch your back?” And the rest of your delectable body, I added silently.

“I’ll be fine, I’m always fine.”

Was it my imagination or did she suddenly sound unsure?

“I’m off on exercise tomorrow but I’ll be back the day after. So I’ll pick you up for dinner then?”

Something flickered across her face, making her skin stretch tight. “You’re going up the mountain?” Laura shook her head. “And what do you mean you’ll pick me up for dinner? I just said I don’t date army guys and…”

Pressing my finger to her lips, I silenced her. “One - I’m not just any army guy, I’m your hero. And two - I wasn’t asking, Laura.” With the greatest effort of my life, I stepped away from her and it took everything I had. My wolf wanted to be close to her, always. Especially now we had touched her. We wanted to throw her up against the dirty brick wall and feast between her legs. “The least you can do is agree to have dinner with me.”

“Do I even have a choice?”

Laughing I stepped away. “Not really. See you soon, Laura.” I gave her a cheery wave. She didn’t have a choice, not really. She was mine. She just didn’t know it yet.