Protecting His Fox's Sass (Sass And Growl Book 2) Read online

  Dance for just one person. She could do that. Thanking the kind woman, Teine made her way to the stage, standing off to the side behind a curtain as she waited for the beautiful woman in front of her finish. Peeking around the red velvet material, she slowly scanned the crowd, looking for anyone or anything out of place. No matter what job she had at the time, she was first and foremost an enforcer.

  True to what Jake told her when she applied, there were only a few people watching Lette as she finished her dance. The club was almost empty, which really helped calm Teine’s nerves. There were two men off to one side, a man and a woman huddled together in the far back corner, and three more men sitting right in the middle of the room, their eyes glued to Lette as they drank their beer and cheered her on.

  Pick one to dance for, Gina said. That was going to be hard. None of the men in the audience did anything for her. Not a damn thing. Of course, to be fair, it had been a long time since she’d even looked at a man, let alone thought about one in any sexual light.

  Just as Lette’s song finished, three men walked in, heading directly for the bar. They were all tall, with wide chests and shoulders, long, thick legs, and muscles that went on forever. Though the lighting was dim, Teine could see them clearly, thanks to her shifter genes. Speaking of jeans, the way the denim hugged the ass of the man leaning over the bar to talk to one of the waitresses behind it made her lady parts sing. Her mouth watered at the thought of running a hand down his muscular back and over his tight ass.

  The sound of her chosen music filling the air pulled her from her sensual haze, and Teine shook her head to clear it. She was vaguely aware of somebody announcing the arrival of Mystique, the stage name she had chosen. She tried to move out onto the stage, she really did, but then the most tantalizing scent drifted over to her and she stood frozen. What in the ever loving hell? No fucking way was this happening.

  “Teine, you need to get out there.”

  Gina’s hushed whisper reached her, but still, Teine couldn’t move. How could fate be so cruel? Here she was, about to strip in front of several people, including… her mate.

  “Teine, what’s wrong?” Gina’s voice was filled with concern as the woman stepped close.

  Wrong? Besides the fact that she was about to remove every article of clothing except for a dark red thong and some pasties that barely covered her nipples? In front of her mate?

  The man in question suddenly turned around, his eyes narrowing as his gaze slowly swept over the people in the room. Dark eyes, in a deeply tanned face with a strong jaw covered in scruff and lips she wanted to trace with her tongue. He had dark brown hair that she wanted to run her fingers through, and a black tee-shirt clung to every muscle on his chest and abs. Her eyes dropped lower, widening slightly at the thick bulge encased in light-colored denim. She forgot to breathe for a moment as naughty thoughts began to run through her mind.

  “Teine, do you need me to go on for you?”

  Teine shook her head slowly, her eyes never leaving the man as his gaze filled with confusion and he stepped closer to the stage. Inhaling deeply, she bit her lip as his dark, spicy scent enveloped her, sinking deep into her pores. Holy shit! He was a bear! Her mate was a motherfucking bear shifter! The irony of it all. A bear shifter, just like her sweet little niece.

  At the thought of Athena, reality sank in. Dragging her gaze from the bear, Teine took a deep breath. Fate only gave them one mate, but her timing was way off this time. The only bear she had time for in her life right now was the little cub sleeping soundly at home in bed right at that moment. Little Athena.

  “Teine…”

  Teine took one last look at the man standing only a few yards from her, hands placed lightly on his hips, his gaze resting steadily on the curtain she hid behind, before taking a step back. And then another. “Gina, I can’t do this. Not tonight.” Not any night, but she didn’t say that out loud.

  “It’s okay,” Gina promised, squeezing her arm gently. “It’s always hard at first. Go. I will cover for you.”

  Her eyes filling with tears at the woman’s kindness, Teine did something she never did. Reaching out, she hugged Gina to her tightly, whispering, “Thank you so much. I owe you.” And she did. But since chances were high she would never see the other woman again, it was a debt that would unfortunately go unfulfilled.

  A wide smile crossed Gina’s face, lighting up her emerald eyes as she whispered goodbye.

  Teine watched as the other woman removed a light robe she was wearing, and then motioned to someone to change the music before crossing the stage to the pole in the middle. Wishing things could be different, she wiped at the tears now streaming down her cheeks and quickly ran to the changing room to get her bag. No matter what she wished for, it didn’t change the facts. And the fact was, until Athena was safe, there would be no room in Teine’s life for anyone except that little girl. Deciding not to take the time to change, Teine grabbed her small backpack off the floor and did what she did best lately. She ran.

  Five

  “Nolan, what’s your problem, man?”

  Ignoring his brother, Nolan sucked in a deep breath, swearing softly when his cock hardened painfully. Reaching down to rearrange himself, Nolan took a step toward the stage, a deep, rumbling growl leaving his throat when Noah grabbed hold of his shirt to stop him.

  “Knock your shit off, Nolan,” Noah snarled, punching him hard in the arm. “I don’t know what your deal is, but people are starting to look.”

  Yeah, all five of them. And he just plain didn’t give a shit. “Let them look,” he grunted, his gaze never leaving the stage. But he wasn’t staring at the woman who was slowly moving across it in a sensual dance. She wasn’t the one he wanted. There was someone else. Another woman. One just out of reach beyond that stage, and his bear was pushing him to get to her now.

  “Nolan, let’s go have a seat and you can tell us what has your panties in a bunch,” Brayden said, walking past them holding three beers and turning to grin at him. “We can sit right up front if you want.”

  “I don’t wear any damn panties,” Nolan snarled, grabbing a beer from his hand as he stalked past, picking a table close to the front, but far away from anyone else. Kicking out one of the chairs, he sank down into it and took a huge pull of the alcohol, hoping it would help calm the fire racing through him. He’d never been so fucking hard in his life.

  Noah sank into a chair on one side of him, Brayden on the other. After a brief moment of silence, Noah leaned over to ask, “Is it the other scent I’m picking up? The female one?”

  “What is that?” Brayden asked, his nose scrunching up slightly. “It’s different.”

  His hand tightening on the bottle of beer, Nolan muttered, “Fox.”

  “What is she to you?” Noah demanded, even though Nolan was sure he already knew the answer.

  “Everything,” was his response. Because, that was what a mate was to one another. Their everything.

  “You have got to be shittin’ me!” Brayden exclaimed, slamming his bottle onto the table. “Knox has a bunny, and you have a fox?” When Noah raised an eyebrow at him, he shrugged. “Hey, your mate is a freaking witch. Hell, I hope I end up with something as cool as they all are some day.”

  “I hope you end up with a skunk,” Nolan bit out, his eyes trained on the small opening in the curtain at the side of the stage. That was where she had been hiding just a few moments ago. He was sure of it. Who was she? A dancer? Hell no! She wasn’t taking her clothes off in front of anyone except him!

  Nolan stiffened when he felt fingers trail over the top of his back to rest lightly on his shoulder. “Hey, sweetie. I was wondering when you would be around again. We’ve missed you.”

  And they could keep missing him. Gently removing the arm that was now wrapped around his neck, Nolan lightly pushed the woman away. “I’m sorry, Candy, but I can’t.”

  “What do you mean you can’t?” she snapped, her lips turning down into a frown.

  “
Just what I said,” he replied calmly, leaning back in his chair and looking up at her. “I’m taken now.” He’d caught the scent of his mate, and just like that, he was fully off the market. He might have been thinking about it before, but now it was a done deal. He would never touch another woman again.

  “I call bullshit,” Lette said, appearing behind him. Sliding her arms over his shoulders, she leaned down and kissed his neck. “Come on, baby. I know what you like. I’m off work in twenty minutes. Let me show you.”

  Barely resisting the urge to fling the woman from him, Nolan growled, “Get your hands off of me, Lette. Now.” He could feel his fangs threatening to drop, and he closed his hands tightly into fists as he fought to push his bear back. No one touched what belonged only to his mate. No one.

  “Ladies, there’s a group of men that just walked in who would love your attention,” Jake Wolfe said, joining their table. Sinking into a seat across from Nolan, he nodded to Candy and Lette as he motioned for them to leave. When they were far enough away that they wouldn’t hear their conversation, he asked, “What the hell is going on over here, Channing?”

  “It’s none of your fucking business,” Nolan snarled, his gaze going back to that spot where he was positive his mate had stood, probably staring out at him.

  “You are in my club, growling at my employees, which makes it my fucking business,” Jake responded, his eyes going wolf for a slight moment before changing back.

  “My brother doesn’t mean any disrespect, Jake,” Noah said quietly. “He just found his mate, so he’s a little on edge.”

  Jake’s eyes narrowed on Nolan, “What do you mean he just found his mate?”

  “He means, we walked in the door and I knew she was here. Somewhere.” Nolan lifted his beer bottle, tipping his head back as he took a long drink. “Now, I’m just waiting for her to make an appearance.”

  Jake frowned, glancing around the room. “You know everyone here, Nolan. Hell, if the rumors are accurate, between you and your brother, you boys have been with the majority of my female staff.”

  Guilt swamped him as he realized what Jake said was true. He’d slept with close to half of the women who worked at the Naked Wolfe. What would his mate think when she found out?

  “Bro, it was all before her,” Brayden said, bumping an arm into his. “It’s going to be fine.” When he didn’t reply, Brayden grinned. “Besides, I’m sure you won’t be the one to pop her cherry. Not if she works in a place like this.”

  Nolan let out a warning growl before muttering, “That doesn’t mean she wants her mate to be a man whore.”

  “Awe shit,” Jake said, raking a hand through his hair. “Cherry Pie.”

  “What?”

  Sighing, Jake told them, “I think I know who you might be talking about.”

  “Well?” Nolan prompted when he didn’t go on.

  Before Jake could respond, one of his dancers stopped by his chair, leaning down to ask, “Boss, can I talk to you in private for a second?”

  “Sure, Gina, but first, did the new girl happen to show up tonight?”

  “Well,” Gina hesitated, her gaze going to Nolan and his brothers before she slowly nodded. “Yes, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “Anything you have to say about her can be said in front of us,” Nolan said.

  “Dammit, Nolan.”

  Nolan bared his teeth at Jake, allowing the claws on one hand to emerge. “She’s mine, Wolfe.”

  “Oh!” Gina gasped, her hand going to her throat, her eyes wide as she stared at his mouth.

  He knew he had huge fangs, and he knew not all humans in Blue Creek knew about shifters, though many did. He didn’t give a shit. If the dancer didn’t know before, she did now. “Where is my mate?”

  “She left,” Gina whispered, taking a step closer to Jake. “I think she was scared.”

  “Scared of what?” Nolan demanded. She had nothing to be afraid of. He would keep her safe, slay all of her demons.

  Gina looked down at Jake, waiting for him to nod his approval before she continued. It pissed Nolan off, but he forced himself to relax and retract his claws to try to make her feel more comfortable.

  “Well, she was going to take the stage tonight for the first time.”

  “Wait,” Jake interrupted, holding up a hand. “She told me she’d danced before.” When Gina slowly shook her head, his brow furrowed. “In her interview, I specifically asked her if she’d danced before. She said yes. I asked if she’d danced without her clothes. She said yes. She wasn’t lying. I would have known.”

  “Well, maybe, boss, but that doesn’t mean she’s done it professionally. Maybe it was just around her house or with a boyfriend.” When a deep growl left Nolan’s throat at the thought of his woman with someone else, Gina inched even closer to Jake. “I’m just saying, there are many ways to dance with no clothes on that don’t include doing it on a stage in front of a bunch of people.”

  “Well, that sly little fox,” Jake muttered, shaking his head as a grin spread across his face. “She certainly pulled one over on me!” Chuckling, he pointed at Nolan. “You definitely have your work cut out for you with this one, bear.”

  Brayden chuckled, slapping Nolan on the leg. “And I thought bunnies were fun. I can’t wait to see your fox take you for a ride!”

  “I have to find her first,” Nolan snapped, his gaze once again going to the curtain. “And if she thinks she is going to come out on that stage and strip naked in front of everyone in this room, she better fucking think again! No one is going to see her like that except me.”

  “Well, that’s just it,” Gina said nervously, crossing her arms over her chest. “Teine was waiting for her turn, but when it was time for her to take the stage, she couldn’t do it. I covered for her and she went back to the dressing room. When I went to check on her after my set, she was gone.”

  Sliding his chair back, Nolan rose. “Get me her address.”

  “Can’t,” Jake said, frowning as he tapped his fingers on the top of the table.

  “Why the hell not?”

  “She never gave me one.”

  “Jake…”

  “She didn’t. When she filled out her application, all I got was a name and a number. I didn’t press her because I could tell she was running from something or someone. I wanted her to have somewhere safe to be, just in case she needed it. If I had pushed her for more information, she would have left without taking the job.”

  “Then get me the damn number,” he demanded. Briar could trace it, or whatever the hell it was that she did. If his fox was on the run from something, she needed his protection.

  “Didn’t you used to be the easy going bear?”

  “Bear?” Gina gasped, her eyes widening as her gaze traveled over him. “Is he really a bear?”

  Ignoring her, Nolan growled, “That was before.”

  “Before what?”

  “Before I found out I have a mate, and that she could be in trouble.”

  When Jake left to get Teine’s number, Nolan glanced at Noah. “How do you get through this part?”

  Noah didn’t pretend not to know what he was talking about. “I take it day by day, brother. There’s nothing else I can do.”

  ***

  Teine gently placed a sleeping Athena in her crib, running a finger softly over her cheek. Everything she did was for the beautiful little girl with curly, light brown hair and big brown eyes. She had done as her sister asked and raised the child as her own, except for one thing. Athena may call her Mama, but Teine made sure she knew who Nadine was. Every night, she talked about her sister to the child. Telling her stories of when they were growing up, the trouble they would get into, and how much her mother had loved her. She would never lie to her niece, and it was important Athena knew about her family, her heritage. Because life without family was a lonely existence.

  Even though she had Athena, Teine missed her grandmother and Nadine terribly. Her heart ached for the ones she’d b
een forced to leave behind. Were they alive? Or were they with the Goddess above? She’d fought the urge several times to reach out to old friends to find out, knowing the people she used to call friends would turn on her in a heartbeat for their alpha.

  Sighing, Teine ran a hand through her long, red hair. She would give just about anything to know what had happened to them, but her niece came first. That was one promise she would not break.

  Swallowing hard, Teine wiped at tears that flowed freely down her cheeks as she gazed around the one-room shack that she and Athena called home. For now, anyway. After what just happened at the Naked Wolfe, it looked like they might be moving to a new place sooner than expected.

  Crossing the room to her bed, she knelt down and pulled two large duffle bags from under it. One was her ‘to-go’ bag and was already packed and ready in case they needed to leave at a moment’s notice. The other was empty, waiting for her to fill it with the clothes, toys, and other things she’d unpacked when they moved in the month before.

  Sitting on the bed, Teine grabbed a pillow and held it close. What was she going to do? Closing her eyes, she thought of the reason she’d rushed out of the club an hour before. Her mate. The other half of her soul. How could she leave him? But how could she stay?

  Lying on her side, Teine curled up into a small ball and did something she hadn’t done since the first month she left her small family. She sobbed loud, heart racking sobs, muffled by the pillow she held over her face. She cried for what used to be, and for what never could be.

  Six

  “What the hell do you mean, you can’t find her?”

  Briar glared up at him, her amber eyes sparkling in anger. “You come in my room in the middle of the night, wake me up to go on some crazy witch hunt, and then yell at me when I can’t do what you want? Kiss my ass, Nolan!”

  Nolan didn’t even bother to duck when the hand cuffed him from behind. He knew it was coming. Knox didn’t put up with them talking to each other the way he had just spoken to his little sister. They may give each other shit all of the time, but they didn’t treat them like shit. There was a difference. He’d let his emotions get away from him and he shouldn’t have.