Chapter Two – Zak

“Hi there, do you need some help?” Zak fixed a smile on his face, even though he was fighting the urge to drag the door of this old wreck open and do unmentionable things to the occupant within.

Unmentionable to a woman he had just met, at least. But to his mate? Well, he would like to do a lot more than mention the ideas in his head. He wanted to kiss her lips, and then take her hand and pull her to her feet before leading her around to the front of the car. There he would lift her to sit her on the hood; then he would take his time to make sure she knew just what kind of a man he was. The kind who catered to his woman’s every need.

“I’m OK.” Louise took out her phone. “I called my dad, he’s on his way.”

“If you pop the hood, I’ll take a quick look. Cars are my specialty.” He smiled, trying to look like a good boy, but the expression on her face said she knew he was bad.

“No thanks. Like I said, my dad is on his way.” She smiled and went to roll the window back up.

“Zak.” He stuck his hand right through the window. If she put it up now, it would chop his arm off, and she did not look like the kind of woman who would permanently wound a man.

She looked at his hand, her tongue snaking out of her mouth to wet her lips. He’d read her wrong. He’d thought she was disgusted by him, which was why she’d thrown the daddy card at him, twice, but truthfully, she was a little scared of him, and more than a little attracted.

“It’s kind of you.” She ignored his hand.

“Come on, I don’t bite.” He retrieved his hand and straightened up, stretching his back. Her eyes followed his every move. This might not be as difficult as he thought. Wait, of course, it was difficult, he’d found his mate. Did she know about shifters? Hell, if he had any sense, and any compassion for this woman, he should probably keep on moving and leave her for her daddy to rescue. His need for her was almost too strong to control, and he didn’t want to hurt her.

His mate looked at him and then looked at the road ahead. “Do you think you can fix it?”

Zak nodded, gaining control of his swirling emotions. “I grew up putting my old man’s cars back on the road. Let me hear it running, and I’ll let you know.”

She nodded and turned the key in the ignition, and the engine fired up. “It sounds OK, but before I stopped there was a rattling noise that got louder.”

Zak opened the car door and jumped into the passenger seat. An intense wave of need for her swept over him. Maybe this was a mistake? But he couldn’t get out now, without it appearing as if something was wrong. And this was in no way wrong, it was oh-so-right. “Drive it for me, let me hear it.”

She swallowed nervously, her face flushing red at the proximity of his leather-clad body. “OK.”

Putting the car in drive, she released the brake and they drove forward; the rattle under the hood started immediately. “I hear it. Stop right here and I’ll take a look.”

Zak got out of the car, and his mate let out a breath. He liked the effect he had on her. He liked it a lot. Going around to the front of the car, he heard the clunk as she pulled the hood release, then he lifted the hood up and took a good look at the engine.

Someone had spent some time and a good deal of money on getting the car on the road. As he checked everything over, he heard the car door open and close, and then her footsteps as she came around to stand next to him.

He glanced up, seeing her with her arms folded over her chest as if she could keep him at bay. Damn, she intrigued him. Everything about her assaulted his senses, and if he wasn’t mistaken, she wanted him too…but she also didn’t want him, all at the same time. What was she, some high school virgin?

“Do you know what’s wrong?” she asked, looking at her watch.

“Do you have somewhere you need to be?” Zak asked.

“The animal sanctuary.” She pointed up the road. “I’m going to be late.”

Zak straightened up and looked at her. “I could give you a ride.”

“A ride?” she asked.

“My bike.” He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. “It’s fast.”

“I don’t have a helmet.”

“I have a spare.”

“Of course you do.” She looked longingly at the road before her.

“I’ll take it slow.” His voice came out as a purr that all the ladies liked.

She shook her head, her arms tightening around her. “If you can’t fix it, I’ll wait for my dad.”

“I’m sorry.” He held his hands up. “Let me introduce myself properly.” He held out his hand. “Zak Pellow.”

She looked at his hand, but, once again, didn’t take it. “Louise.”

“Good to meet you, Louise.” He cocked his head and smiled at her. “I will give you a lift, you will be safe with me, and then I’ll come back and fix your car.”

She shook her head again. “I don’t want you to.”

He frowned. “Why not?”

“Because you’ll want something in return.”

“I am not asking for anything in return. Can’t one person help another without wanting something?” Zak was lying to his mate. Not a good feeling. Of course, he wanted something in return, he wanted her unending love and devotion, but he sure as hell wasn’t expecting to earn that just by fixing her car.

“No one does anything for nothing,” Louise replied and turned on her heel to walk away. Zak could not help it: he lowered his gaze and drank in her curvy bottom, and the sway of her hips.

“Yes, they do.” He followed her around to the driver’s side. “Someone once taught me to pay it forward.”

Her head jerked up. “Pay it forward?”

“It’s where…”

“I know what it means,” she answered quickly.

“So that is what I’m trying to achieve here. I help you, and one day you help someone else.” He held out his hand again, desperate to feel her touch. “What do you say?”

This time she slipped her hand into his, and he closed his fingers, holding her firmly, never wanting to let go. However, when she tugged her hand back toward herself, he didn’t hold onto it. Creeping her out was not on his agenda, and appearing like a leery biker boy might just do that.

“OK. The sanctuary is five miles that way. I’ll grab my purse and then we can go.” She ducked inside the car, and Zak turned away to look across the fields by the side of the road. If he hadn’t look away, he would have simply stared at her. Creepy biker boy, his bear agreed.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Zak replied.

His bear sniffed the air. Are you going to tell her?

About her being our mate? Zak asked.

No, about the sky being blue, his bear said sarcastically.

Funny, Zak answered. Nope, not yet. She isn’t a shifter.

I got that, the absence of needing to hang on to the car to stop her knees giving way was kind of a clue.

Funny, always the funny one.

One of us has to have a sense of humor, his bear replied dryly.

“I’m ready.” Louise held up her keys, and Zak held out his hand, palm facing upwards. “Here.”

She let them drop. She trusted him. For some reason, that made him feel good. Real good.

“I’ll get the spare helmet.” Zak closed his hand around the keys, treasuring the warmth transmitted from his mate’s skin. “Have you been on a bike before?”

“Yes,” she replied.

“Good, so I don’t need to tell you the emergency exits.” He straddled his bike and then held up his hands as if he was a stewardess on a plane.

“No, I already know.” She accepted the helmet he held out to her, fitted it on her head, tightening the strap, and then stood by the side of the bike.

“Need a hand?” Zak asked.

“No, I can manage.” Trying not to touch him, she slipped her leg across the back of his bike, and then slid to a sitting position.

“You will need to hold on to me,” Zak instructed.

Without replying, Louise slipped her hands around his waist. He was certain she had stopped breathing. Smiling to himself, he turned the key in the ignition, and the engine burst into life, the bike vibrating beneath them.

“Hold on tight,” Zak said, kicking off.

Louise’s arms tightened around his waist. “I thought you said you were going to go slow.”

“This is slow,” he yelled as they drove forward, taking the corner a little too fast.

She didn’t speak, but at least she was breathing again. He slowed the bike, wanting the journey to last as long as possible. Behind him, he could feel her every movement, the way her thighs tightened around his when they took a corner, the way her heart thumped in her chest as they raced along the road, the wind whipping at her clothes.

Zak didn’t want to ever stop. Or at least not until they were away from anyone else. A bear and his mate, riding off into the sunset, chasing their happy ever after.

But all too soon, Louise tapped him on the left shoulder, and he reluctantly had to turn off along a driveway that was signposted Bear Bluff Animal Shelter.

She can shelter me anytime, his bear said.

It’s a good thing I am the one who does the talking, Zak replied.

All he had to do was figure out how he was going to sweet-talk Louise into his life. All thoughts of doing the right thing and leaving her alone were gone. She was his, and he was going to prove it to her.