Wyvern Protection Unit - Chapter 29: Chapter 29

Pain.
Blackout.
Glaringly bright lights.
More Pain.
Larimar blinked against the resounding ringing filtering through the static inside his brain. One minute he was flying down the parkway, racing to rescue his fated mate from her would-be assassins, the next, he was laid out on some horrendously ugly, and for some ungodly reason, squishy linoleum floor.
What the actual fuck just happened?
It had been a long time since someone got the best of the Wyvern. How embarrassing that it was his tiny human mate who’d dropped him on his ass. Feeling sheepish, Larimar tried to get his bearings, not sensing any immediate danger.
The scents of rain, damp earth, fur, whiskey, and woman were confusing the fuck out of him, but he figured she wasn’t screaming, so everything must be alright. Then he heard her voice, and his beast stirred inside of him.
“Good doggies, good doggies. Sit. Play dead. Oh, please don’t eat me. Please don’t eat me. Please don’t fucking eat me,” the female mumbled.
Her accent was educated east coast, husky and clipped in her nervousness. Aside from that, it was a pleasant, sexy voice. He closed his eyes, wondering how it would sound when she said his name—cried it out in the throes of passion.
Then her words sunk in. Shit. Larimar didn’t have time to ponder the dulcet tones caressing his inner Wyvern like hands over skin. His beast was up in arms, refusing to let him enjoy being in her presence. Not yet, anyway. The animal inside of him was pissed off.
He ignored the pain in his head, focusing on the fear so plain to him now. Hell no, that wouldn’t do at all. She was practically pleading with the coyote pack to not eat her. Poor little thing. And it was all his fault. Larimar had sent the coyotes to protect her, but after she hit him, well, their objective had changed.
Sure, he’d been in contact with the coyote alpha that he’d set on her place the whole time he’d driven down to the remote cabin where the DPCA had placed her for safekeeping. But he’d been looking for intruders.
He should have known better. Humans had different reactions to wildlife. Especially city dwelling humans.
Yeah, Larimar figured he should’ve told the beasts to be subtle and stay hidden. His bad. The cabin was remote, but not impossible to find. He wanted to chew Sanchez out for leaving her even a tiny bit exposed.
Of course, the agent hadn’t been aware that Kimberley Scott was Larimar’s fated mate, but whatever. That was on a need-to-know basis. Speaking of which, he took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
That alone confirmed everything he’d suspected upon seeing her photograph. She really was his, or she would be soon if he had anything to say about it. He took another deep breath and held it in. It was part biological, part Magical, and part whatever, but the sure knowledge she was his, filled him along with her sweet, delicious scent.
Fuuckkk.
She smelled fucking amazing, like cinnamon and brown sugar. He could not wait to savor her on his tongue, as need and desire hit him like an arrow piercing his flesh, embedding itself deep in his gut. His cock swelled and his pulse quickened—but first things first.
He needed to quell that note of anxiety in her tone. His Wyvern was pissed as fuck he caused her any upset. Shit. It was his fault she was scared. He had to sit up and explain. Of course, removing his helmet would probably help him do that.
“Fuck,” he grumbled.
“Oh my god. Look, mister, I don’t know who you are, but I have a frying pan and I am not afraid to use it!” she yelled.
“Wait,” he replied, trying to tug the damn thing off.
It was harder than it looked. Whatever she’d hit him with—a frying pan, apparently, and good for her—had crushed his helmet in on one side. Now, the damn thing was stuck.
Oh, that was just fucking marvelous. Larimar growled deep in his chest. He wanted his mate, and he needed to talk to her, but so far all he did was scare the crap out of her and make an ass out of himself.
“Stay back!” she warned, and the coyotes growled louder.
“Miss Scott, please remain calm.” Larimar addressed her by name through the helmet, hating the way it muffled his voice.
“Oh good. You know my name. Wait. That could be bad,” she whimpered. “Okay, are you here to kill me?”
“What? No!”
“Well, good. So maybe if you’re telling the truth and you are not here to kill me, you can get these coyotes out of here, then leave me the hell alone? Pretty please—ah!” she yelled as the alpha of the pack snarled and snapped his jaws.
The words had spilled from her mouth in a rushed jumble and he hated the tremor of fear behind them, even as she tried to cover it with sarcasm. Poor baby. He would fix that.
The confounded helmet was still stuck, but he could see through the visor. It took him half a second to locate the woman with her back against the wall and the coyotes surrounding her. Shit. So not his plan when he’d sent them.
Turning his head, he growled at the beasts, allowing more of his Wyvern’s telepathic abilities to filter through. The canids turned in unison and several pairs of yellow eyes blinked up at him. With a single thought sent their way, the animals retreated through the open door. They had only been protecting him.
So that’s a no on the flame-broiled coyote, he told his beast.
Animals did not view the world as people did. When he’d contacted the creatures, they had given him their fealty. He would not hunt them down for scaring her when he’d been clumsy with his orders.
“How did you do that?” she asked, and curiosity replaced fear in her voice.
Or was it the smell of whiskey that was a tad stronger now that the furry creatures had absconded? He smirked and eyed the bottle on the floor.
His little mate had been imbibing. At least it was the good stuff. A fan of the label, he made a mental note to bring her some of the more unique flavors Bite had to offer.
“It’s just something I can do, Kimberley,” he explained.
He really needed the helmet off his head. He struggled with it a bit, growing more frustrated by the second. The last thing he wanted was to frighten her, but removing the thing without using brute strength was likely impossible.
Fuck.
“How do you know my name?” she asked, and through the visor he saw her grip the end of the frying pan tighter.
Larimar turned to face her, hands raised as if approaching a frightened animal. He tried to look harmless and calm, which was difficult to pull off considering the crushed-in hunk of metal and plastic that was stuck to his head.
He allowed her to size him up, making no sudden movements. Then, he brought his voice down a decibel to soothe her nerves.
“Easy, baby, I am on your side.”
“What? How do I know that? And don’t call me baby!”
“Alright, alright,” he murmured. “I’ll call you anything you want if you promise not to scream. Just give me a chance, and I will explain everything.”
“Why should I give you a chance?”
“I guess you shouldn’t. Tell you what though, you keep that frying pan handy, and just give me a sec. I have to get this helmet off,” he grunted.
Might as well, he figured. He already knew from Jennifer that Kimberley was aware of the supernatural world. Closing his eyes, Larimar called on his Wyvern to shift his hands into claws. Her soft yelp was not lost on him, and the clang of what he could only assume was the frying pan landing on the hard linoleum floor made him wince.
“I’m not gonna hurt you. Just have to look at you when we talk,” he grumbled, and Larimar used his claws to slice the helmet right down the middle.
Easy-peasy for his sharp, talon-like claws. Kimberley whimpered as he peeled the thing off his still aching, but otherwise unharmed, head.
“There,” he said and breathed in more of her cinnamon scent, swallowing it down happily.
“Are you okay?” she asked softly.
“Yes. Are you?”
Having his senses become overcome with concern for her was a shock to his system, but even that took second place to the overwhelming need he felt to have her in his arms, safe and secure. But he knew better than to rush over and put his hands on her, no matter how tempting and tantalizing an image it made, flitting through his brain was at the mere suggestion of such actions.
Grrr.
Wide eyes, greener than any pasture he’d ever seen, sparkled at him from across the room. She seemed to be taking his measure, and he allowed her that. He could do nothing else, after all, his whole future hinged on how she received him.
Larimar took in their surroundings in one sweeping glance that took a mere instant. His first impulse was to ensure her safety, always, but his real focus was on her.
Every glorious inch of her.
Kimberley Scott was resplendent from the top of her glossy thick locks to the bottoms of her sneaker-clad feet. Everything about her beckoned to both him and his Wyvern.
He wasted none of the time it took for her to decide whether she would trust him. Oh no, he spent those precious seconds memorizing every single inch of the fascinating creature in one long, thorough swipe of his laser-like gaze.
She was the most incredible woman he’d ever seen. Her ill-fitting sweats and too big t-shirt could not disguise the splendid curves that lay hidden beneath. But it was more than just physical. Larimar wanted to learn everything he could about her.
Mine, his Wyvern pushed the thought at him, and he echoed the sentiment.
He inhaled deep and frowned, realizing the borrowed clothes his mate wore had belonged to a man. A growl slipped past his lips, but he stopped the sound instantly at the widening of her eyes.
“You’re a Shifter, right?” she asked.
“Yes,” he responded, pleased that she no longer seemed afraid, merely curious as he was.
“Agent Sanchez sent you,” she asked, and he nodded, not wanting to repeat the man’s name until he could keep the growl from his voice.
He didn’t want her thinking he was a possessive psycho. Even if it was true. Kinda. Sorta.
“That’s why you know my name.”
“Yes, Miss Scott. Or may I call you Kim or Kimberley?”
“Either works,” she replied, eyes wide.
“Alright, I’ll call you Kim. I’m with the Wessex Protection Unit, and I’m here to protect you.”
“You’ll keep me safe?” she asked, and he nodded his reply.
You have no idea how safe you are, sweet Kim.