Laurence released his suffocating grip on his steering wheel and hesitantly took his keys from the ignition, keeping his eyes peeled on the bustling bar in front of him the entire time.
It had been two long months since Mateo disappeared and it was driving him mad.
Laurence had zero experience with finding people, but he was learning quickly that this meant you had to be stealthy and sly. No good information lied on the surface, so he had to be careful as he started associating with people that could easily get him in trouble.
He felt a strong pang of uneasiness as he stared at the bustling bar once more, but refused to let it get the better of him.
It was his fault that Mateo was in trouble and he was going to do everything he could to find him.
Laurence dropped his keys in the front pocket of his slacks after locking his truck. His attention spiked as he instantly recognized the scent of his mate.
His mouth watered and his eyes bounced around, trying to see her in the fleet of people entering the small space. His shoulders sagged as he realized he once again imagined the sweet scent.
He joined the large crowds swarming into the cramped space and was instantly hit with the strong stench of sweat, alcohol, and hot sauce.
Laurence scanned the room quickly, ignoring the throng of people shoving around him from standing in their way.
He quickly noticed his target and swiftly approached the empty bar seat next to him.
He waved at the bartender and asked for a beer before looking at the man he was meeting. His informant avoided eye-contact and stared straight ahead, sipping his own whiskey.
“Do you have it?” Laurence asked, keeping his voice low enough that only the man next to him could hear.
The bartender came back with Laurence’s beer and he slipped him a five dollar bill in return.
“That depends on what you have.”
Laurence scowled and gripped the wad of cash in his pocket, sliding it under the bar. His target grabbed it greedily before slipping it out of view.
“You know what will happen if that is not the amount we agreed on, right?”
Laurence nodded and took a swig of his beer. He knew who he was dealing with and he wasn’t stupid.
The man grunted and nudged Laurence’s leg under the bar. Laurence quickly slipped his hand under and grasped it, immediately slipping the flash drive in the pocket that once held his money.
“We’re done here,” the man commanded and stood quickly. “I’m assuming you got my drink?”
Before Laurence could even answer, his informant had left.
With a heavy sigh, Laurence pulled out another bill and slid it under his neighbor’s cup. He felt some tension slide off him from the swiftness of their transaction.
He was quickly learning that some people wanted to talk, some people wanted to threaten, and some people just wanted to get it over with and leave.
He preferred the latter.
Laurence took another long swig of his beer before rising, eager to get the small disk home and see what kind of information he could pull off the phone records and final video found of Mateo.
Laurence stood up from his stool so quickly he didn’t see the woman right behind him until it was too late.
Laurence slammed into her hard, sending her falling back. He quickly reached out and steadied her, his hands gripping her waist tightly and her brown curly hair falling over his hands against her back. She responded just as quickly, grasping his forearms that held her from falling.
Through the suffocating stench of alcohol, he caught whiff of the most delicious smell of forest and flowers.
Her earthy smell startled him and Laurence felt the world fade from around them as he focused in on the beauty resting in his arms.
Her dark hair fell in soft curls around her face and down her back, her eyes almost the exact same color. Laurence followed her tan golden skin down to the soft curve of her neck and even further to the generous swell of her breasts. He instantly felt his heartbeat increase at her presence, nevermind her closeness.
She was by far the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen.
He was shocked he found her so quickly.
He heard her breath hitch in her throat as their eyes locked and Laurence stared into her dark eyes. He read the shock quickly, but was startled to find some panic behind her mysterious gaze.
He helped her into a more comfortable upright position and she slowly removed her hands from his forearms to adjust her dress.
“Sorry,” she muttered as she fixed her appearance. “I didn’t see you. Thanks for not letting me fall.”
Laurence felt his mind fog at her sultry tone. Her slight accent had him instantly pushing to take her away from here and keep her all to himself. His desire to claim her mouth was mind-numbing.
“You can let go now, I got it.”
Mate.
His wolf purred and he tightened his arms around her, regardless of her reassuring words.
As soon as the word crossed his mind, he instantly knew it was true.
This goddess before him was his.
“No, you’re mine,” he growled, not even recognizing his own voice.
“I’m not. Now let me go.”
“Is there a problem here?” Someone spoke from behind him.
Laurence finally loosened his grip and glanced back to see the bartender peeking his head over the counter. “Is this guy bothering you, ma’am?”
Laurence flicked his eyes back to his mate, who was looking anywhere but him.
He had to hold back the urge to snatch her and drag her out of here so he was all she would look at.
“No, it’s fine.”
As she said the words, his mate spun around and tried to disappear into the crowd.
“Wait,” Laurence whimpered and reached out, only to grasp air.
He quickly followed her, staying close on her heels as she weaved her way through the crowd. Laurence tried calling after her, but she seemingly ignored him as she all but darted in the opposite direction.
Why was she running from him? Didn’t her wolf tell her that he was her mate?
When she slipped in the hallway leading to the bathrooms, Laurence found his opportunity and grabbed her arm.
She quickly spun and grabbed his throat, pushing him against the wall. She was surprisingly strong, even for a wolf, and she held him firmly against the wall.
“Look, I don’t wanna have to do this, so just go away, okay?”
Laurence grabbed her wrist and spun it behind her back making her twist so she was now against the wall. He held onto her wrist gently and held it next to her head against the wall.
“What’s your name?”
She wiggled, but when she realized he wasn’t going to let her go, she sighed. “Look, we don’t want to make things complicated. Just forget this ever happened.”
“I don’t understand. You’re my mate.”
The woman blinked as if the fact didn’t make a difference. “So?”
Laurence’s nostrils flared and his mouth tightened.
That’s all she had to say? So?
“So I’m not letting you leave. Why are you resisting?”
His mate twisted her leg behind his and shoved him hard, making him fall hard on his back.
“Forget this ever happened.”
Eva stared down at her mate, a look of shock covering his handsome features as she gave him one last fleeting look. She needed to leave before it got her in trouble. Eva spun around, making sure the flash drive was still secured in her bra before hustling to the exit sign. She was feet from the door before the strong hand of her mate grabbed her shoulders and spun her, his eyes frantic.
“If you bump my foot again and I’m going to rip out your eyeballs,” Eva glared at Laurence, his movements freezing as he realized he was pressed against her foot. Embarrassment passed through him, which he quickly hid with a hurried mumbled apology and slid over on the hardwood so he was no longer brushing against her bruised ankle.
“Here’s something for you to sleep in,” Laurence offered, grabbing a large shirt and some basketball shorts from the drawer. Eva shifted her weight uneasily, her arms still folded tightly over her chest as she surveyed the room he was letting her stay in. It was about the size of her hotel room. It wasn’t much
Laurence’s head was still spinning by the time he registered she even left. He watched with a sinking feeling in his stomach as the dirt clouds rested from her hasty retreat. Despite her quick escape, Laurence couldn’t get the electric tingles from her searing lips out of his system. Her response was not only unexpected, but it was also thrilling.
The loud music thundered through her whole body and the stench of alcohol and sweat scrunched her nose, but Eva still found the desire to stay. The secret of what happened lies in this one guy. She had to stay. After seeing Cullen’s face on that tape and watching those men mercilessly beat her brother, Eva knew she had no choice but to follow the only lead she could really hang onto.
Laurence scanned the large bar, searching for anything that would lead him to Eva or Cullen. He had finally been able to find the club and when he caught a whiff of the delectable scent of his mate, he burst in. Her scent was faint and was now swallowed up by the overwhelming scent of sweaty bodies, but that did little to deter his determination to find her. Eva was pretty tall, especially when she had heels on, and there was no way she could blen
Laurence turned his back on the lights and squatted next to Eva, once again holding her face between his hands. Her head easily moved between his fingers, but her skin was now unnaturally warm. He knew she needed medical attention soon or she was going to be in a lot of trouble. “You have to be okay for me, babe. Hang in there, help is coming.” Once he heard the car door open, he stood up and turned around, standing in front of Eva&rsq
Eva’s head pounded as she finally started waking up again. Her head felt like it was sitting underwater and the thoughts she could conjure up were muddled at best. What did she do to get a headache like this? When Eva’s hands refused to move, she snapped her eyelids open.
5 years later Laurence cursed under his breath as his truck pulled to a stop and he put the vehicle in park. The once glorious pack just north of where he used to call home was now nothing but splintered wood and piles of ripped fabric. The dark home was glowing in the night, lit by some dim lights that managed to remain intact. Five years and three destructive wolves later, Laurence still wasn’t used to seeing the damage these wolves could make on their packs and families.
Eva followed as Laurence launched the last of his bags into the back of his truck. The morning dew stuck to her shoes as she tread across the grass, her feet chilling from the moisture. She stood beside him as he gazed at his empty home, only furniture left inside the large house. Eva saw the longing and the pain etched on her mate’s face and a pang of sadness settled in he
Eva lifted her eyebrow and looked warily at Laurence as he placed down a large bowl of pasta in front of her. “Eat. It’s not poisoned.” Eva watched him carefully as he sat beside her, his own bowl of pasta much smaller than hers. She had lost a lot of weight that she needed to gain back. When Laurence picked up his fork, Eva finally did as well and she spooned a forkful of pasta into her
Laurence stared at the gray tombstone, his hands still shoved into the pockets of his pressed black suit. His brothers remained by his side, all of them completely silent as they stared at the burial site. Everything felt like it was happening too fast, but also that it wouldn’t be over soon enough. Laurence pushed back another wave of emotion and swallowed hard, clearing his throat.
Eva slowed down as a yell floated through the night. She honed in on the direction it came from and slowly slipped down from the tree, landing swiftly on her feet and stepping towards the yell that unmistakably belonged to Peter Arroyo. She could hear his increased breathing and heart-rate as she came across Peter, who was laying under Mateo’s large black wolf, his gun pointed straight at Mateo’s large form. “Careful, Pete. We wo
Every muscle in Eva’s body tensed as she glared at the gun pointed at her face. “What are you doing?” Amber matched the heat in her eyes with her own distrust. “That man ruined my life. He took my future away from me and my family. Trust me, this is what he deserves.”
Laurence gave one last fleeting glance as Eva nearly dragged his father’s large body around the corner. He had felt his heart drop in his chest when he realized that Eva was trying to extract her revenge on Peter. He knew she could handle herself and he knew that she would not give up easily, but he also knew that the Arroyos played dirty.
Eva glanced behind her to see Mateo slip the gun from the back of his pants, obviously feeling the uncertainty as she had. He made brief eye contact with her before slightly nodding. Reaching into the side pocket of her pants, she slipped out the large knife and curled her fingers around the hilt. The dagger was long and sharp, but it was hardly going to be as effective as the gun Mateo held. At first, she argued with her brother about the weapon, but she finally relented and grabbed the dagger once she realized he wasn’t going to give it up.
Eva gulped and stepped out of the car, eyeing the road ahead of them. They would continue their journey on foot. They weren’t too far from Peter’s building, but they were far enough away that their cars wouldn’t be obvious if they left them here.