A Lamb for the Bear's Appetite (3 page)

Chapter Two

Trent watched her from across the seat of the limo, his grin greasy and making her feel like she needed four winter jackets just to feel safe from his slimy gaze. “You know,” he ran his thumb over his split eyebrow, courtesy of the bear, and a dark mask momentarily covered his face. “I don’t think that is the last time we will be seeing that shifter, Olive darling.”

“He won’t be an issue.” She didn’t waver from his stare. “And he won’t ruin what we have going on, Trent.”

His grin widened. “I know, darling, but I don’t think
he
knows that. In fact, I’m pretty sure he will continue to make foolish mistakes all in the name of claiming his mate.”

“I really don’t know what to say, or how to react to what happened back there. I didn’t plan that.” He smirked, and she could see in his eyes that he wasn’t about to let her off the hook regarding him getting his ass kicked. “Listen, I only have to be in your presence for one more week, and our little arrangement will come to an end.” That had excitement and relief flowing through her, but she kept that in check, because the last thing she wanted to show around Trent was hope.

“I’m disappointed in you, Olive. You don’t like my company?”

She wouldn’t have liked it if she only had to spend a minute in his presence, but the fact she had been dancing at his sleazy club for the past three weeks, made her sick to just think about it. She wanted to slit her own wrists on a daily basis. If there had been another way to go about this she would have taken that road, but Olive had no money, and aside from Holden she had no other family. “You know I don’t, Trent. This week can’t go fast enough.” She might do what he said, rub herself on the pole in his nasty club, and even be forced to endure his presence, but she would still make it known that she wasn’t weak. She looked out the window, but was very aware of Trent and the fact his eyes were right on here. The leopard wanted her, and didn’t make it a secret.

“Come here, Olive.” She snapped her head in his direction when he said those three words softly, but with assertiveness. When she didn’t move fast enough he barked out, “Get the fuck over here.” He patted his lap and smiled. “It’s time for you to make me feel better.”

“What?” Dammit, she hated that her voice cracked.

“I think you owe me a little something for the scene that you caused back there.” Olive didn’t both telling him once again that she had nothing to do with that, because it would have been pointless.
“Now.”

That one word had had a chill racing up her spine. She slid off her seat and moved over to where he sat. There were a few inches between them, but apparently that was a few too many. Trent reached out, gripped her around the arms hard enough that she gasped, and pulled her onto his lap. He had his hand in her hair, and yanked her head back with enough force that pain lanced up her skull.

“You smell so good, and look so damn delicious that I am having a hard time not doing what I really want to you, Olive.” He ran his tongue up her cheek, and she closed her eyes and grimaced. His leopard was the one taking control, and she felt the roughness of his tongue on her flesh. “If you knew that things I wanted to do to you, you would run screaming.” He licked her again and again, and she held back the bile that threatened to rise. “And it would be music to my ears.” He took hold of her chin with his thumb and forefinger and yanked her face toward his. “I want you to kiss me like you’re afraid of me, Olive. I want to feel your fear, smell it, and taste it.” He looked at her lips. “But I don’t think that will be very hard for you seeing as the tangy smell of how scared you are fills my nose and makes my dick hard.”

She could feel the disgusting length right beneath her
bottom,
and everything inside of her tightened in fear. He could take her right now, but as she had learned in her short time with Trent, he enjoyed the game just as much as the outcome
..
He leaned in and kissed her, and she didn’t have to pretend to be frightened of him, because Olive had never been more afraid of someone or something than she was of Trent Sharpe.

****

Liam was fuming, really fucking fuming. All he could think about was his mate, and how he had just watched her go. All that shit had gone down last night, but his body was still on alert as if he was standing right next to that asshole leopard. He would have gone after his mate, but Striker and Bodhe had stopped him. He glared at his two friends, and knew his eyes were as black as the coal fueling his inner fire. They had kept him away from his mate. A low growl left him at that thought. They were lucky that was the only thing he’d dealt them, because if he hadn’t controlled himself there wouldn’t be anything left of the males he considered his closest friends.

“Dude, you’re lucky we showed up when we did and pulled your ass back. Did you see the big fuckers that came barreling out of the woodwork? You’re big, Liam, but not even you could take on five leopard shifters, even with us backing you,” Striker said gravely.

“Besides, they were packing some heavy duty weapons, man. You would have had a bullet between your eyes before you even took one step.” Bodhe spoke deeply and with
a seriousness
in his voice that Liam had never heard before. He ignored them and instead thought about his mate.

Olive. Her name was Olive, and it sounded so good to him.

“You fuckers should have had my back.” And he knew he could have taken those assholes on, but then again that was his bear talking, and the damn animal was on a rampage. They had finally gotten his ass out of the strip club, but Liam told himself he would go back for Olive, because there was no way in hell he was going to just walk away. He may not have thought he needed a mate, and at twenty-four years old he was pretty young to have found her, but none of that mattered. The fact of the matter was he
had
found her. She recognized him as her mate, and no way in hell was there going to be anything that stood in his way of claiming her. That leopard fucker wanted her, and that was clear by the scent of sickening arousal that had come from him. Liam wanted to fight the other male polar bear-to-leopard, and he would have no problem tearing the bastard’s throat out.

“I’ve never seen you get that look in your eye before.” Striker leaned back on his couch and kicked his legs out on the old, wooden coffee table separating the leather couches. “I mean, shit, dude, I thought you were about to shift right then and tear that leopard’s head off.”

He had been about to, but then these douche-bags had stopped him. But that was going to change, because he was heading back there tonight, and he wasn’t above throwing her over his shoulder and taking her back to his home.

“You just better get those fucking thoughts right out of your head, man.” Bodhe had his arms behind his head, but he was glaring pretty damn hard at Liam.

“What in the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Liam straightened, feeling his polar bear rise up to the tiger’s challenge.

“Chill, man.
This isn’t the Stone Age, and I can see that you’re about two seconds away from getting a club and busting her over the head with it just so you can drag her back to your cave.” Striker started laughing, which further pissed Liam off. He leaned back on the couch, closed his eyes, and breathed out. He did need to calm down, because he knew he couldn’t just order her to stop her life and come with him, and admitting that was damn hard. But there was no way in hell his female was going to be shaking her tits and ass in front of a bunch of horny ass males just to make a living. He also had scented her apprehension in front of the leopard. He didn’t know why she felt the hesitation, but it didn’t sit well with him. She was headstrong, that was for sure, but he was stronger, more stubborn, and he didn’t give up on something he wanted.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Bodhe.” Liam scrubbed a hand over his face. “Besides, I’d like to see how you act when you find your mate half naked up on a stage with a bunch
dickwads
looking at what’s not theirs.”

That had Striker laughing again, and he was about to kill the prick just because he was getting on his damn nerves.

“True, but it’s still funny as hell to see you all worked up. Man, you are the last person I would have thought would go all
He-Man
when you found your mate.” Striker grinned again. “Well, I
gotta
go.” Striker stood and stretched, cracking his back. “I got a hot pussy lined up, but I have to wine and dine her before she’ll spread for me.”

Bodhe started laughing and stood as well. “She must be special if you’re willing to pay for a meal that isn’t off a dollar menu.” Bodhe grinned.
“Unless it
is
dinner off the dollar menu?”

Striker shook his head, but his grin was in place.

“Yeah, I
ain’t
gonna
lie. She’s a hot piece of ass, but definitely nothing long term. I figure if I buy her a burger and fries she might not bitch later that I was only after her for the sex.” Liam could hear the teasing note in Striker’s voice. His friend sounded like an ass, but Liam knew that he treated females with respect. He might be a man-whore, but he wasn’t a bastard. Striker grabbed his phone and pocketed it.
“You hanging out longer, Bodhe?”

Bodhe shook his head. “Nah, I got shit to do at my place.” He stood and slapped Liam on the back. The three of them headed upstairs.

“You aren’t going to do anything stupid, right?” Bodhe stopped before he stepped out of the front door.

“What, you my mom now?” They stared at each other for a moment, because even though Liam was trying to make light of the situation, his mother was a worthless bitch that had nearly sliced his dad’s face right off.

“Listen, I’m not going to hassle you. Do what you
gotta
do, but if you need back-up you hit us up, okay?”

That had Liam smirking, but nodding. “Thanks.” They clapped each other on the back.

He shut the door and braced himself on it with one hand. He wanted to go back to Kashton now, but it was two in the afternoon and that shitty strip club wasn’t even open. Before he could think more on it his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Straightening and pulling it out, he slid his finger across the screen to see a text from his old man.

Dad:
Call me

“He can text me, but can’t punch in my number and call me himself?
Lazy old bastard.”
Liam talked to himself, but dialed his dad’s number even though he bitched about it. He walked into the kitchen as he held the cell to his ear and listened to it ring. He grabbed out of the fridge the bread, meat, and everything else he needed to make a sandwich, and tossed it on the wooden
block island
. His dad picked up on the fourth ring.

“Damn, son.” Trace Dakota was a grumpy bastard that had more bite in him than growl. “I’ve been trying to get in touch with you since last night.”

Liam made his sandwich while balancing the phone between his shoulder and head.

“I don’t have any missed calls from you, and besides,” he slapped his sandwich on a plate and took it into the living room, “why didn’t you just stop over if you were worried?” Liam sat his ass on the leather couch and dug into his sandwich. Trace started grumbling about something, but when Liam heard his wife and mate, Candace, murmuring something in the background, his dad’s voice went gentle. Liam would have rolled his eyes at the fact his old man had gone soft, but all of that had changed. He had felt something change inside of him, when he saw Olive. Even thinking her name had him getting a hard-on, and that should have made him feel like a real bastard since it was clear she wanted nothing to do with him. Liam would just have to show her that being mated to him wasn’t all that bad.

“I’m not going to argue on that point, Liam. I was trying to get a hold of you to tell you Candace is having this big dinner.”

“When?” he asked through a mouthful of food.

“She isn’t sure yet, maybe next month. It’s going to be everyone we know, and I want you there.”

“That’s kind of a ways off. I might have to work.”

“I didn’t tell you what day or time, Liam.” There was an annoyed bite to his father’s tone, but Liam didn’t let it affect him. He knew his father better than anyone, well, the parts he let him see, but still, he was a hard ass polar bear shifting biker, who always had a constant growl in his voice. “Besides, Maverick and Kettah will be there, too, and since you work for him and the boss won’t be at work, that means neither will you. And Alivia keeps sounding out your name, and I know she misses you, so come and spend some time with your baby sister.”