~

 

“Has he threatened you?”

“He’s threatened to disown me if I don’t come back,” she shrugged. “I’m not going back.”

“That’s it?” Malachi demanded.

Donna didn’t answer him right away. She wasn’t sure that she needed to stoke the flames that were obviously burning brightly within the man for what was going on. She shrugged again.

“Then why the baseball bat?” Malachi started to move back towards her.

He could sense the deceit in the air that was coming from her and that he definitely didn’t like.

“It’s better to be safe than sorry. I’m alone in the house, apart from Stacey. I’ll defend what’s mine if necessary.”

Malachi had a distinct impression that she would too. She’d definitely swing, maybe hit — maybe miss, but she’d give it a damn good go. He liked that.

“You know when I said I wasn’t going anywhere?” He left that question floating in the air between them. He watched as her eyes narrowed at him, as she thought about it, and then she started to slowly shake her head.

“That’s not necessary,” Donna said.

She wasn’t sure she liked that idea. Out of the frying pan and into the fire — and she didn’t even know him.

“It is to me.”

That was the truth of it. Malachi would defend his mate no matter what. Even against her own kin.

“Mummy, is Santa here?” Stacy’s sleep filled tones snapped Donna back into mummy mode, and she shot a warning look toward Malachi before she pushed up from her chair and started for her daughter’s bedroom.

Malachi felt his bear’s interest pique just as much as his own. His kin. His daughter, no matter what anyone said. A child to protect with his life.

“You’ve got a few sleeps until Christmas, Stacy. Santa’s not ready for Christmas yet, and neither are we.”

Malachi noted the way that her voice had changed when she was speaking to her daughter. Her tone was softer, gentler, and he could hear the love that she had her child in her voice. He liked that hell of a lot.

“But I heard a man,” Stacey said.

Malachi was unsure what to do. Did he head for the front door and leave so the child wouldn’t be fearful and upset?

Did he stay and introduce himself? After all, even if his mate rejected him, he still wasn’t going anywhere when he had females to protect.

Perhaps he needed to protect them from outside the cabin?

Malachi headed towards the front door. He could still hear them talking as he pulled it open and walked outside.

He was as good as his word. He’d protect them from the outside tonight.

 

~

~

~

 

Donna knew there were only a view more days of school left before the Christmas break and she was going to make the most of them. When she’d driven Stacey to school, she’d noticed Malachi’s truck following her there.

When she’d driven to the grocery store to pick up a few things, she noticed Malachi’s truck there to. The man was taking this whole protecting her thing to a different level that she wasn’t sure she was comfortable with.

She was planning to go back home, get on the Internet, and find out everything that she could about shifters and mates. He may have thought he’d answered all of the questions last night, but there were always more questions to be asked.

When she came out of the grocery store, there he was, and he looked exactly the same as he had when she’d seen in there the day before. He was leaning with his backside against his truck, his arms were folded over his broad chest, and his legs were crossed at the ankles.

The man was as sexy as hell.

Malachi pushed away from the truck and started toward her. She had much the same expression on her face as she had when he’d first seen her come out the store the day before.

It was a cross between questioning his sanity and suspicion.

“I’m not going to get lost,” Donna said.

“Sorry?”

“Between the grocery store and my cabin, I’m not going to get lost. I know where I’m going,” Donna offered back, and Malachi grimaced. She was miffed.

“I didn’t think you were,” Malachi offered back. She was human; he didn’t know how to handle human females.

“Then stop following me,” she gave a small shrug of her shoulders, a half smile that didn’t reach her eyes, and wrinkled her nose as if she was annoyed.

“Can’t.” Malachi shrugged back at her.

“Try.”

“I would — but it will be a wasted effort on my part.”

“You’re telling me that you’re going to follow me around like a stray?” Donna asked, and then meant the grimaced to herself at her analogy. She guessed a bear would like being called a mutt.

“And look at that — you didn’t even feed me, either.” He grinned, and she was relieved. She knew the man had a sense of humor, she was just glad that he’d taken her words the right way.

“They say not to feed strays,” she shrugged again.

“Then it’s lucky I’m your mate,” Malachi growled at being able to say the word.

Mine…

His beast said the word — the claim — that he couldn’t yet say out loud. He wished he could, but he didn’t want to scare her away.

Malachi knew that he could be doing just that by his actions, chasing her away by trying to keep her safe. He didn’t want to appear overbearing, and yet it was in his DNA.

“Well, I’m going to put these groceries in my car — drive to my cabin — and make use of my free time. Just in case you lose me on the way,” Donna’s voice was dripping with sarcasm.

“Have you had breakfast?” He asked for two reasons — one; he hadn’t had breakfast and boy was he hungry — not just for breakfast. Two; his mate needed to eat, and he needs to make sure that she had. If that meant spending extra time together — that was just a happy coincidence.

“Are we back to me feeding a stray?” The amusement in her eyes told him that she might just have forgiven him for following her — there was no saying that was the truth of it — but, he could hope.

“If you’re offering…”

“I wasn’t,” Donna chuckled.

“Then I am offering. You can you come home with me and cooking breakfast, or you can play it safe, and we can grab some at the bakery.” Malachi tossed out the challenge to his mate, where she recognized it as a challenge or not didn’t matter. It was still a way to gauge how nervous she was around him.

“I never play things safe.” Donna offered him a grin.

Malachi had to bet that she didn’t know how sexy she looked right then. His cock was twitching inside his jeans worn like it was trying to break free to get to her.

He’d definitely liked that a lot.

“Back to my cabin is then…”

“And I also never accept food from strange men.” She chuckled as she turned to walk away from him.

“I may be strange — in more ways than one — but I’m still your mate.” Malachi chuckled as he called after her. She turned and offered him a damn sexy look over her shoulder.

“The jury is still out on that one.” She grinned.