Dire Wolf Mates - Chapter 8: Chapter 8

“So, you need a job and a place to stay. How come you came here?”
“Tony the Perv said this place was a boarding house,” she explained.
“Who the fuck is Tony the Perv, and where can I find him?” Derrick asked. He couldn’t help the growl that entered his throat.
Why would she call someone a perv unless he was acting pervy? That was just totally fucking unacceptable. He knew by the way his Wolf snarled that his eyes were full on gold with his beast, but he couldn’t help it.
The sound of his pretty little mate snapping her fingers in front of him brought his head up. Her violet eyes were glittering as she did. Damn, she was hot when she was pissed. Derrick growled deep in his throat and a wicked hint of a smile grew on his face.
“Hey, knock it off, Fido. Quit the grumbling, he didn’t touch me. Besides, I mean, hello, I’m a Shifter. I can handle myself.”
“But you call him the Perv?”
“He was just a creepy little human. He didn’t do anything to me. Anyway, I’m fine,” she said.
That she was reassuring him without realizing it made his insides warm and his beast rumble in satisfaction. She was taking care of him, sweet, sexy, thoughtful mate. And she was right. She was a Shifter and a badass. As long as she was happy, so was he.
Damn, that was fast, but that was the way it happened. Derrick felt as if he’d been struck by lightning. His entire body was wound up and tense, but he couldn’t let her see that. He wanted her calm and relaxed, ready to accept his claim. He just had to work on the when part.
“Alright,” he said. “I will let it go.”
It wouldn’t always be the case. He was bound to be pigheaded and overprotective, not to mention possessive as fuck, especially once he claimed her, but he could see that she was perfectly fine. Good for Tony. The Perv would never know how close he came to being mauled by a pissed off Dire Wolf. Still, his beast wanted him to sever the man’s head from his body.
Bashing heads and taking names was kind of an old, favorite pastime. His other half could be a bit bloodthirsty. Just another Dire Wolf thing.
The prehistoric animal had some very black and white notions of what was acceptable and how to deal with what was not. Mostly, what that meant was something or someone was bleeding at the end of the day.
Derrick had yet to be on the receiving end of such dealings, but he’d dished out his fair share of bruises and broken bones. Of course, he tried to limit his maiming to the really bad fuckers. Which is the category he’d put anyone in who tried to fuck with his mate.
Mine. Grrr.
Did he mention he was a possessive asshole? Well, yeah. It would only get worse the longer he went without claiming her. Mating fever could take him if he didn’t get a handle on this now.
“Lucy, I understand you came in here looking for a job, but you know what we are to each other. I know you can feel the pull,” he began.
“And I know what you’d like to think we are, but I am telling you, the Fates made a mistake. I’m not looking for a mate,” she told him firmly, shaking her head and looking him dead in the eye.
Dammit, if he didn’t find it hot as hell, he’d wonder if she was challenging him. Derrick was not used to anyone showing so much indifference to his dominance. She had spirit and spunk, and fuck, he was intrigued.
He narrowed his eyes, but she held his gaze. Derrick was an Alpha. Not many people could hold his stare. Okay, no one had ever held his gaze for more than a few seconds, but there she was, staring him down, and his Wolf was preening like a lovesick fool.
“Lucy,” he said, testing the weight of her name on his tongue, and finding he liked it very much.
“I know my name. What’s yours again?” she inquired with that certain haughty air only felines had.
Fuck it, he shrugged, finding he kind of liked it. Haughty looked sexy as hell on her.
“Derrick Rand,” he replied immediately, unable to resist trying to please her.
Goddammit.
He was acting like a lovesick puppy already. The notion should’ve pissed him off, but he couldn’t help grinning.
“Well then, Mr. Rand⁠—”
“It’s Derrick, darlin’,” he drawled.
“Fine. Derrick darlin’,” she teased, rolling her pretty purple eyes. “Do I get the job?”
“Yes,” he said automatically.
“And the room?”
“Yep, that too,” he smiled.
He did not relish the idea of his mate working in the bar, but it was the only way. He wasn’t so pigheaded he couldn’t figure that much out. Derrick had to keep her there with him, otherwise how could he claim her? And claim her he would.
“Come on.”
“Where?” she asked, not completely trusting him.
Good girl, being careful with a stranger. But Lucy was safer with him than anyone else on the planet. The sassy little feline didn’t know it yet, but she was. His dire Wolf had already claimed her in his mind.
“Grand tour,” he growled and held the door open, staring at her ass as she sashayed in front of him.
Sexy little kitten.
Derrick walked her through the bar, out the door, and to the Pack house. It was dark and cool outside, middle of the night and all, but he was sweating bullets. He frowned as he looked around.
“It still needs work, but we are on it,” he told her, wanting her to like the place.
“It’s fine. The house is huge,” she replied as Sheila came bounding over.
“Hi, I’m Sheila Rand. And please tell me my cousin hired you,” Sheila screeched, stopping just short of plowing down his tiny mate.
He couldn’t help his warning growl. Sheila yelped, and his mate’s cute little head popped up. She glared at him, treating him to eyes that blazed purple fire.
“Really? Down, Fido,” snapped Lucy in his direction before she turned to smile at his cousin.
“Hi, my name is Lucy, and I’ll be working here for a couple of weeks till my car is fixed. By the way, your cousin has some serious issues with personal boundaries.”
“Does he now, Miss Kitty?”
Sheila lifted both her eyebrows and whistled long and low. Derrick was not amused.
“What happened to your car?” Sheila asked, ignoring his warning growl.
“Broke down. It’s a hopeless old junker, but it’s mine. Car repair shop says it’s going to be sixteen hundred dollars to fix, but the tow truck driver said you all ran a boarding house?” she asked, biting her lower lip, and making his dick go even harder.
Shit. She really shouldn’t do that. If his mate wanted nibbles, Derrick was her man.
“We don’t run a—er, yes, I mean, we do,” Sheila said, wincing.
“Knock it off,” she snapped again, and he cut off the growl he did not even know he was making.
“See what I mean?” she asked Sheila.
“Boundary issues?” his cousin replied with a teasing lilt to her voice.
Shit.
“Yep, loads of them. Anyway, to answer your question, yes, I got the job, and now I’d like to go to my room⁠—”
“Cole,” bellowed Derrick, turning his head to the door where the Wolf came running.
“Call the local tow company and have them bring Lucy’s car here. When it arrives, fix it.”
“Hey! That is my car, and it stays where it is,” Lucy snarled at him, and fuck if he didn’t find that hot too.
“Ohmygods,” Sheila yelled, and jumped up and down excitedly. “Please tell me you are for real!”
“Uh, yeah, I am real. I mean, I am standing right here,” Lucy replied, head cocked to the side, staring at his cousin like she was daft. A sentiment he echoed at the moment.
“Derrick, I can’t believe you found your mate already!”
“Who said anything about a mate?” Lucy asked, her voice getting all high and squeaky.
“Yes, Lucy is my mate,” he stated aloud, and fuck, it felt good to own that.
“Damn cousin, you lucky SOB. But why do you always have to show everyone else up?”
“Ugh. Not you too,” Lucy argued. “Look, I am no one’s mate! I’m just gonna work here and get my car fixed.”
“Cousin, she’s awesome. Congratulations,” Sheila said, jumping up and down and clapping like she used to when she was a kid and something excited her.
“Alright, Sheila, yes, you guessed it. Lucy is mine, but we haven’t discussed any of the logistics yet,” Derrick told his cousin.
“Oh, I see,” Sheila said, still clapping.
“Hello? I am right here. And no, Sheila, for the record, I am not his, I am not anybody’s. Look, I am tired, and wet from the rain, so how about you show me to my room, please?”
His sweet-tempered mate ignored him as she sashayed across the lot and through the narrow path to the gate and pushed the door open. Derrick growled softly in his throat. He nodded at Sheila, who seemed to understand his orders without words, as she usually did.
Out of all of his Wolves, she was the most intuitive. His sweet Lucy turned around one final time and gave him the stink eye. Fuck, her eyes were so pretty. A blue so deep, they were indigo. Purple eyes, blonde hair, sexy as fuck curves covering her petite frame.
Damn, she looked good. He’d never expected a sassy little kitten was his future, but now that he’d met her, Derrick couldn’t imagine it any other way. This was definitely going to be an interesting mating. Derrick’s Wolf howled in his mind’s eye, the huge beast clamoring to be closer to her.
Mine. Mate.
Soon, he told his animal, soon.