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NeNe tried to control the rolling of her stomach. Lord knew she didn’t want to appear any weaker in front of the bitches who’d literally beat the living shit out of her, let alone the rest of the asshats who’d gathered, but damn if her body wasn’t having other ideas.

As Coti lifted her into his arms, she was sure the motion would be the final straw, yet her body relaxed, the nausea dissipating, thank you, lawd. Forget decorum, or women’s lib, she wanted to snuggle up to the big tattooed biker. She wanted to let him fight her battles, well at least until she healed, then she was going to find each of those bitches one-on-one and beat the fuck out of them. Of course, she’d have a goddamn bat with her because those bitches knew how to hit, hard.

“Easy, we’re gonna walk out of here,” he murmured near her ear.

She blinked at his whispered words. Her body trying to curl into a ball in his arms. Looking into his eyes, she thought she saw a flash of red. However, with only one eye, she was sure it was a trick of the lighting, or the bitches had fucked up her sight. “Am I going blind?” she whispered back.

Coti tilted her chin up. “You’re going to be fine. Just hold still.”

It was then she realized her arms were wrapped so tightly around his neck he had to be uncomfortable. She took a deep breath, pain in her wounded ribs made her wince, but she forced her arms to relax slightly. Up close, she could smell his masculine scent. Damn, she wished she wasn’t missing the vision in one eye. At such close proximity, she’d have been able to study his tattoos, then she’d be able to ask him if they had meaning. God, she hoped he had a story behind each one, instead of just getting them because he was bored. For her, getting ink was special. Each of her tattoos had meaning. She didn’t judge those who went out and got one because they wanted to, but for her, they were cathartic.

“Hey, stay with me,” Coti said.

She jerked upright, not realizing she’d almost drifted off to sleep. Crap, they were almost to the entrance of the little makeshift town Mac had created. “My bike,” she croaked. God, it felt as if she’d swallowed sand, then proceeded to gargle it for shits and giggles.

“Where’d you park it?” he asked, not breaking stride.

NeNe wondered how far they’d make it before gunfire would erupt. Knowing the men who manned the gates, she wouldn’t put it past them, or Mac, to have them shot as they drove off.

“NeNe, I need you to tell us where your bike is,” Coti said with a little force behind his words.

Running her tongue over her lips, she tried to sit a little straighter, trying to orient herself in Coti’s arms. “I can walk,” she offered.

Coti grunted. “Bike?”

She gave him the general location, praying like a good little church girl that it was still there, only breathing easier when they reached it.

“Ace and his boys are going to trailer it back to the Iron Wolves Club, along with my bike. Now, before you open those lips that are too damn bruised for me to kiss shut, don’t. Just don’t,” he growled.

“Hey,” she said. He wants to kiss her lips? “What was I going to say?” she asked.

“Damn wolves always making the females lose their minds.” The one she thought she’d heard called Ace muttered as he walked by. “We got this. We’ll also follow you out just to make sure you ain’t picked up no shadows.”

“Thanks, man, I owe you a solid.”

“Don’t fuck up my car, she’s special,” Ace said.

NeNe placed her head back on Coti’s chest, her mind whirling. These men were taking over, talking as if she weren’t there. She should be putting up a fight. Heck, her bike, her baby, was going to be trailered away by men she didn’t know, yet all she wanted was to lay down and rest for a week or three. “I think I have a concussion.” That was the only reasoning she could think of.

Her words had Coti stopping, his face screwing up as if he was in pain. “No, you’re just exhausted. Once we get out of here, you can rest.”

“Gee, thanks for that great triage, Dr. Coti,” she snarked.

Coti winked at her. “Want to see my stethoscope?” He wiggled his brows.

The absurdity of his words and the fact she actually did want to see his “stethoscope” made her laugh, then regret doing so when the pain struck her. “Oh god, don’t make me laugh; it hurts my face,” she moaned.

One of the men from the tent came up next to them. He reminded her of Kellen Styles in looks and demeanor. He kept pace with Coti while the other men could be heard talking behind them.

“Your face hurts me too, little girl. Why did they beat you like that, may I ask?”

“Joaquin, don’t.” Coti stopped walking.

“There’s more at play here than you know, Coti. I need to find out if she knows anything.” Joaquin didn’t raise his voice, but the command was there like she’d noticed with Kellen.

Coti adjusted his grip on NeNe. “Don’t try me with your alpha bullshit. I let Kellen do it out of respect ‘cause he’s my alpha. I don’t owe you shit except gratitude for helping me get my...NeNe out of that place alive. You want to have a sit down with her and I, you give me twenty-four hours to see to her needs. Fucking rattle my cage, you won’t like what I become.”

Ace, Dalton, and Norris moved up beside him, flanking him and NeNe. “I don’t want to war with you, but on this, I’m immovable.” Damn cats were becoming things he was beginning to like.

“Coti, what’s going on?” NeNe whispered. “They want to know why I got my ass handed to me? That’s easy to answer. Mac wanted me, but I didn’t want him. Grace is a jealous bitch, and her sidekicks are twatwaffle’s who’ll follow that cuntamungous anywhere she goes, do anything she tells them, like the trained bitches they are, without question. There ya go, there’s your damn story. I didn’t do anything nefarious to deserve this.” She pointed at her face. “I didn’t fuck my boss or any of the other porchdickasshats that hangout there. I show up to work, do my job, and remember what they like to drink. I make sure to have their next one to them before they ask for it and make great tips because I do all of that with a smile, not because I don’t wear panties under my skirt. That’s it.”

He barely restrained the growl as he listened to her explain what she did and didn’t do. “You wear a damn skirt around those fuckers?”

NeNe huffed. “Really, is that all you got out of what I just said?”

“How long have you worked there?” Joaquin asked.

Coti glared at Kellen’s cousin. “I said twenty-four hours. You got your explanation, now you get the fuck outta my space.” He hadn’t been joking about rattling the cage he kept his beast locked behind. Hearing her speak as if she’d been fucked with on a daily basis had him wanting to go back and rip the heads off of men who touched her, uncaring if they were human or shifters.

“Can I make a suggestion?”

He turned and met Dalton’s gaze who was Ace’s second in command. “What is it?” he asked.

Dalton tipped his head toward the way they’d come from. “I suggest we all stop our fucking yammering like a bunch of bitches, no offense, ma’am, and get the hell outta Dodge.”

“None taken, since I’m not a bitch,” NeNe said.

Dammit, he was doing a piss poor job of taking care of his mate. “Where’s your vehicle, Ace?”

“You can’t miss it.” The cat pointed toward the only car that was parked between the trucks.

“You gotta be joking?” Coti looked at the low-slung sports car, then at the huge shifter. “How the hell do you fold yourself into that thing?”

Ace shrugged. “With care. Now, off you go. I’ll make sure your toys are delivered safely and I’ll trust you to do the same.”

Coti barely kept from rolling his eyes as he strode toward the vehicle Ace had pointed out. How the damn thing hadn’t gotten jacked while it sat in the lot he had no clue. The closer he got to the vehicle, he allowed his wolf to surface when a sensation of being watched washed over him, making him halt and look around.

“You didn’t think I’d leave Lucile out here all alone, did you?” Ace scoffed, then whistled. Several shadows moved, sleek in their silhouettes, blending in with the night.

“Please tell me those weren’t real panthers, or whatever kind of large cat they looked like,” Coti muttered.

“Okay,” Ace agreed.

“What’re you talking about?” NeNe asked, looking around as he bent and placed her on her feet.

“Nothing, I was commenting about the fact Ace owns a damn Jag and actually left the cat out here. You know, a sleek jungle cat waiting to devour its prey or be devoured if caught by a bigger predator.” The sound of the other man’s laughter made him want to chase his ass down and feed him some damn catnip.

“You say some weird stuff, Coti.”

He opened the door, helping her buckle the seatbelt before going around the hood. “You’ve no clue, NeNe love. No clue at all,” he muttered.

The little human’s world had just gotten turned on its head, but he’d do all he could to even it out and help her acclimate to her new normal.

“Love you too, boo. Love you, too.” Ace laughed.

Coti met Ace’s glowing eyes across the hood of the Jaguar F-Type convertible. Coti may be more of a jacked up truck or Harley guy, but he knew cars. The sleek black cat on the steering wheel was one Coti wouldn’t mind having in his garage. “Is this car even out yet?”

Ace shrugged, a grin split his face. “If you know the right people. Clearly, I do. Take care of Lucile for me. She’s only a babe, fresh out of the factory.” Ace looked down at NeNe and winced. “Sorry about your face.”

NeNe lifted her hand, her fingers ran across her right cheek bone. Coti wanted to punch Ace for reminding her about the damage. She surprised him though as she gave a wry chuckle. “I’ll survive. I guess it could’ve been worse.” She yawned, groaning in pain.

His blood was working through her system, repairing the worst of the internal damage. In all truth, he’d been surprised she hadn’t zonked out within minutes. “Let’s get out of here. See you,” he said to Ace. The other man tossed him a fob for the car through the open roof, making Coti shake his head. Damn vehicles and their lack of keys. With a push of a button, the vehicle roared to life.

“She’s an eight speed quick shift.”

He looked out the side window, not in the least surprised to find Ace next to him. “I’m gonna have to ask you to no,” he growled.

“Gonna need you to be more specific.” Ace stood with his hands on his hips, looking confused.

Coti pointed at him. “You just appearing there like a fucking ghost. Not okay.”

“Ah, so you’re asking me not to explain?” Ace kicked a rock, biting his lip.

“You don’t do the innocent look well,” NeNe said, her one eye staring through the darkness.

Coti bit his tongue, hoping NeNe didn’t question how Ace got from one side of the vehicle to the next so quickly. “As for needing you to explain? I think I can figure out how to drive this puppy.” He revved the engine, the fine hairs on his arms rising.

“I’m the one who’s gonna have to tell you, to no,” Ace growled.

“Hey, what’s she top out at?” Coti asked as he shifted into drive but didn’t wait around to hear what Ace said. More than likely, the other man was cursing him and his future children.

“That was kinda mean.” NeNe’s soft voice had him glancing over at her.

He loved the tone of her voice, just the sound of it soothed all of him. “Nah, he knows I’m just fucking with him. Besides, if I messed up his baby, I’d take care of it.”

“This looks really expensive.” Her hand ran across the console.

At the bruised and swollen knuckles, rage threatened to consume him again. His little warrior had put up a hell of battle against three female shifters. The fact she was alive to tell the tale was a testament to her strength and endurance. “Yeah, it’s not cheap.” He didn’t want to tell her the thing was probably worth more than a hundred and twenty grand, depending on the extras Ace had installed.

“Can you turn the dashboard lights down?” She placed her palm over her one good eye as she spoke.

“Shit, are you hurting?” He looked in the rearview mirror, making sure they weren’t being followed before signaling to pull over. Ace had custom lights that made the dash and door handles glow a bright blue, which could irritate if one was having eye or head pain. He allowed his mind to open, flowing into NeNe’s, searching for the source of her injury. He sent a flood of healing energy from the crown of her head, much like one would do if they were meditating, only his was on the corporeal level. His wolf whimpered, feeling it’s mate’s pain as if it were his own. It took all his concentration to soothe the beast, his other being rising, becoming more dominate as he too wanted to take control.

Once he felt he’d done the best he could without a full-on healing that would alert her, he pulled back, his hands moving on her temples in a soothing motion. “Oh, that feels amazing,” she whispered, her breath fanning across his forearm.

Dick. Hard. That was his state, which was completely and totally inappropriate given the woman was beaten within an inch of her life, looking like she’d gone a couple rounds with Mike Tyson, and lost. “Feel better?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

“Mmhmm,” she mumbled.

He settled back in his seat, pushed the turn signal on, and began the trip back to his place. Not once had he contemplated how he’d explain to NeNe why he’d brought her to his home, instead of hers. In his mind, she was his, and that meant what was his, was hers.

Turo had come out, telling the pack he was hundreds of years old. The revelation had shocked the pack since most were still young pups. They knew shifters lived a longer lifespan than humans, but the oldest of their kind, they knew was only a hundred and fifty or there about. However, Coti and his kind were different. No, scratch that, Coti was different.

“Fuck,” he grunted. The thought of explaining to NeNe what he was, what the Iron Wolves were, was daunting to say the least. A human didn’t feel the same pull as his kind, or shifters, did. Some humans fell in love and said they had a “soulmate”, but there were still instances of divorce. Hell, divorce rates among humans were almost fifty percent. Those numbers were staggering. He didn’t understand why they even went through the travesty of agreeing to be with one person for the rest of their lives if they didn’t mean it. For him, his people, and other supernatural beings, when they found the other half of their souls that was it. There was no one else for them. Of course, he’d heard the Goddess had made exceptions in cases where a mate was killed, but those cases were rare, such as with Niall, the alpha who’d lost his first mate to a hunter. Now, he was happily mated to Alaina and raising a cub with another on the way.

He glanced over at NeNe, hating to see her so pale, her beautiful face black and blue. His wolf snarled with the need to exact vengeance for the damage done to it’s mate, but the man pushed the urge back. She was human, and he was far from what anyone thought he was.

The Jag ate up the distance to his place tucked away just inside pack lands. He took a deep breath, finally feeling at ease as he pulled into his driveway. While most of the other members of the club had built or bought homes that were more cabin-like, he’d opted for a modern home. One that was all sleek lines and more defensible in his opinion. To the outside eye, it looked as if it were glass and concrete. However, it had bullet proof glass and the concrete exterior was thicker than it appeared. Not to mention, the windows were smoked and could go dark as night, keeping the sun and any onlookers from being able to see in, or out, depending on the need. His brothers in the MC hadn’t asked how he’d afforded his home, mostly because they hadn’t seen all his gadgets. Living a long life gave a man the opportunity to shore up funds and resources.

Hell, if Turo the gun loving son-of-a-bitch, ever got a peek at his gun room, Coti was sure the bastard would be walking out with one or two. Not that he’d steal them, more like procure a few for keeping the peace, but Turo was Coti’s best friend so he’d allow it. He was also one of the best shots Coti had ever had the pleasure of training with, but still, he hated the thought of losing one of his babies.

He dug into his pocket and pulled out his cell. With a couple swipes, one of the bay doors opened. The empty space was quickly filled with his friend’s car. Coti made sure the door was closed before he got out, opening his senses even though he was sure his home was secure. With NeNe’s safety, he wasn’t taking any chances. The smooth drive combined with the luxury interior made it remarkably easy for NeNe to relax, so when he opened her door, it didn’t surprise him to find her half asleep. “Come on, Armina, let’s get you inside.”

NeNe groaned but swung her right leg out. “Do I gotta? How ‘bout I just stay right here?”

He chuckled. “You’ll hate this car in a couple hours. Let’s go, I’ll carry you,” he offered. The need to feel her in his embrace was one he wouldn’t think too much about at the moment.

As he strode toward the door leading into his home, her head rested on his shoulder, her arms wrapped around his neck as if they’d done it a thousand times. Neither spoke as he placed his palm on the security pad, waiting for it to register his imprint. The red light turned green, then the door was sliding into the wall. Once he was on the inside, he made sure the door closed and locked before going farther. He hadn’t lived as long as he had without being cautious, and he sure as shit wasn’t going to start fucking up now that NeNe was in residence.

The lights came on in each room as he entered. The dim setting kept them from blinding him as he made his way to the other side of the house. Once he got to the hallway where he could either take NeNe to the guest suite, or his, the decision came quickly. His. She was his. Again, lights came on, but they were set to low, creating a nice glow so they wouldn’t hurt NeNe should she open her one good eye. His hope was to get her cleaned up and give her another healing session before she got a good look at herself. If she didn’t see the damage to its full extent, he wouldn’t have to explain how she healed so quickly. He could almost hear his mother’s lyrical laugh in his head.

With a nod, the door to his ensuite opened, the shower already on and warming. He was glad little NeNe seemed to be dozing again. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up, then you can sleep.”

“I think I’ll just stay right here,” she mumbled, nuzzling her face against him.

Coti felt her breath on his neck, the sensation more erotic than any other experience in his life. Using a little more of his powers, he undressed NeNe, pushing into her mind the memory of her undressing. If there was a medal for most chivalrous act, he was sure he’d win as he stepped into the shower stall, large enough for six grown men, still clothed with a naked NeNe in his arms. His fucking cock was going to be scarred with the imprint from the zipper, however knowing his little human was comfortable was all that mattered to him. Motherfuck, he was joining the growing list of pussywhipped.