Roaring for Him (BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance) (Wicked in Wilder Book 1) (10 page)

But the bastard wouldn’t let her.

Bastardly bastard.

Mitchell retreated fully and her heart stuttered when she caught sight of his eyes. His yellowed-wolfen eyes. His beast was out in full force and it pleased her cat. It loved that he was edgy around her. “We’ll go to your place, but I refuse to spend another night on that porch. I won’t force myself into your bed.”—Did he cross his fingers?— “But I’m going to have something other than hard wood to sleep on.”

“My porch?” She raised her eyebrows.

“I didn’t get done until late and I…” Emotions she couldn’t identify swirled in his gaze. “I refused to be away from you so I slept on your porch in wolf form. You’re mine.
Mine
.”

Oh, she liked the sound of that. A lot.

Mitchell ground a little more black pepper, and sprinkled it over the steaks he’d laid out on the aluminum-lined pan resting on the kitchen counter. The kitchen was nice, homey, and comforting whereas the one at the pack house was massive and held all commercial appliances. This place was… soothing.

Mitchell had already lit the coal on the grill in the backyard and now waited for it to get hot so he could make dinner. He hadn’t been able to provide for Tilly the previous night, but he would now. He’d left his mate relaxing on the couch, flipped on her stomach so she didn’t put pressure on her back. When she awoke, he’d present her with a nice meal. He didn’t hunt and kill the cow, but he could at least cook the damn thing for her.

She still hadn’t allowed him to look at her wound. Even after he’d glared and growled, she’s remained stubborn. Damn, it got him hot.

Before they’d left Lush, Emma took care of redressing her injury. It rankled his wolf that his female wouldn’t allow him to help her, but when he stared into her pain-laced eyes, he’d swallowed his objections.

He’d simply held her hands, their gazes locked, while Emma took care of his mate. It hadn’t been the time to assert his place in her life. When she was better, he’d make sure she knew he was number one. If she was in pain, she would come to him. If she was happy, she would show him. If tears filled her eyes and her heart ached, she would look to him for support. He recognized she had responsibilities to others, but they would handle them
together
. She’d never go through things alone. Ever.

A scrape of metal on metal reached him, and he stopped moving. He tilted his head to the side, his wolf assisting him to magnify the sounds in the house. Yes, he’d handled Seth, but there was no telling what someone may do. Just because Mitchell proved his domination over his pack, and forced Seth to submit, didn’t mean the battle was won. He needed to remain vigilant since he had no doubt a challenge was on the horizon. Maybe not from Seth but from someone.

The hinge on the front door squeaked, the high-pitched sound cutting through the silent house. He wiped his hands on a nearby dishrag and then tossed it aside. He strode from the kitchen, his footsteps silent on the polished wood floors. He wasn’t sneaking, not exactly, but he ensured he remained quiet until he knew who had entered. He rounded the last corner, allowing him to see the entryway, and tension immediately fled his body.

Phoebe.

He stepped forward, the movement drawing her attention, and she jolted. “What are you doing here?”

Mitchell glanced into the living room, noting Tilly’s slack features and even breathing. “Shh…” He placed a finger over his lips. “Your sister’s sleeping. Lock the door and come to the kitchen.”

She glared at him, eyes narrowed and they flashed black. He’d almost forgotten Phoebe was not only a bear, but also a teenager. For now, he was merely her sister’s boyfriend. No,
mate
. Even if they hadn’t solidified their connection, she was his. But no matter his label, he wasn’t in the position to issue orders despite what his wolf demanded. The animal growled, filling his head with the rumbling sound, and he pushed it back. He could get into a pissing contest with a seventeen-year-old kid later.

“Please.”

Phoebe rolled her eyes and dropped her backpack to the ground. “Fine.”

The loud thump had Tilly stirring, body wiggling, and now it was his turn to glare. “Quiet. She hasn’t had a good day and I just convinced her to take a nap.”

The teen pressed her lips together and swallowed hard, probably trying to keep her snarls and objections to herself, but he had no doubt she’d release them soon. As long as they were anywhere other than the entryway, he didn’t care. He didn’t wait for Phoebe to agree with him, merely spun and retraced his steps to the kitchen. Once there, he grabbed his pan of steaks and headed out the back door.

He moved to the grill, checking the temperature and was satisfied with what he found. He kept an ear out for Phoebe, listened to her moving through the house on quiet feet. Before long, she strode down the hall, entered the kitchen, and then exited the house as he had moments before.

Phoebe approached, hands stuffed in her pockets, steps slow. Her gaze told him she was angry and annoyed, but her posture said that she was unsure and uneasy. Understandable. She didn’t know him, not really. All she knew was Tilly’s involvement with him caused her sister’s injuries.

“So, you’re what? Taking over shit now?”
Belligerent. Obnoxious.

Mitchell wasn’t gonna rise to the bait. “No. I’m simply taking care of my mate. I’m not here to take over.”
Liar.

“We don’t need you. Tilly and I have been just fine.”

He focused on the task at hand, lifting the lid on the grill, and carefully placing the steaks on the rack. “I know you have. Your sister has a thriving business and you’re doing well in school.”

“Checking up on me?”

He couldn’t exactly lie about that one so he nodded. “Yup.”

“Whatever.”

He caught her shrug out of the corner of his eye. She pretended not to care, but he scented the truth. “I needed to see what kind of stress my mate is dealing with. That’s all. Do whatever you want with your life.” He placed the last hunk of meat, and slowly closed the lid. He wiped his hands and then crossed his arms as he turned toward her. “My focus is her. Not you. I’m not trying to be your daddy, your big brother, or your best friend.”

Which was almost the truth. He didn’t want to be called brother, but he did want to be the one to take care of the small family. He was fucking lying all over the place today.

“I’m sure as hell not calling you daddy.”

“I’d appreciate that,” he drawled. “You’ve got a father, you don’t need me.” Even if Kade told him the male had never come to town.

Phoebe was quiet, gaze meeting his for a few moments before she finally looked away. It wasn’t a move like his wolves. She wasn’t showing submission, but more an attempt to hide in plain sight. She released a rueful laugh. “Father? Yeah, not so much.”

Mitchell raised his eyebrows. “Immaculate conception, then?”

“One-night stand.”

Ah.

Phoebe shrugged. “Yup. I don’t even know if she tried to find him.”

“Sometimes smart people do stupid things. Maybe your mother—”

“One, she’s not ‘Mom, Mommy, Mama, or Mother.’ She’s Verity. Two, there is no ‘sometimes.’ There’s Tilly, Olivia, and me. That’s a little more than ‘sometimes.’” She blew out a long, slow breath. “I wonder if we’re the only three, you know? Then I remember what kind of person she is and know that there aren’t more kids. If we had another brother or sister, they’d be here with us. Verity isn’t one to take responsibility for herself.” Another shrug. “It is what it is.”

“When was the last time you saw her?”

“I don’t even remember.” Phoebe nibbled her lower lip. “Tilly says officially it was when I was seven, but I really don’t remember. Never?” He thought he scented a lie, an untruth drifting to him on the breeze.

But
, if she was telling the truth, it explained a lot. With a parent who thought of no one but herself, who wasn’t even present in her children’s lives, it meant responsibility rested on Tilly’s shoulders. And now his.

Then pain – Phoebe’s pain – filled the air and blocked out the delicious aromas of grilling meat. Were those tears shimmering in the teen’s eyes? He wondered: “Do you want to see her?”

“Fuck no.” Now he had the girl’s full attention. “And don’t try to find her. Don’t try to bring her here like you’re some kind of white knight delivering our deepest desires. You want to make Tilly happy? Keep Verity away from us.”

“You said you couldn’t remember the last time you’d seen her. What makes you think she’ll come around again?”

The girl released a mirthless laugh and shook her head. “I may not have seen her, but Tilly definitely did.” Phoebe was quiet a moment and met his gaze straight on. “I may be the youngest sister, but there aren’t many secrets. It’s hard to hide the fact that every six months or so, our bank balance dips a little too low. Or suddenly Tilly has to restock our backup freezer. It usually means Verity came around and was either with a human so she needed cash, or a shifter who wanted to gorge himself.” Phoebe’s attention didn’t waver. “If you can keep that from happening, keep us safe from her, then I guess you aren’t too big of an asshole.”

Mitchell snorted. “High praise.”

Phee shrugged and turned on her heel, heading back toward the house. “I don’t suppose you put on any vegetables, huh?”

Another snort. “We’re carnivores.”

The girl faced him, walking backward now. She pointed at him. “You may be, but you’re mating a halfer. We need our veggies.”

Anger rose hot and fast, overwhelming him with the rush. Fur pushed against his pores, and his fingers ached. The wolf was fucking pissed, and he had no idea why. Wait, no. He did.

Halfer.

A fucking slur thrown at half shifters. He hated that Phoebe even knew the word, let alone used it.

Mitchell snarled and strode forward, pointing at her. “Where the hell did you hear that?”

Phoebe stumbled to a stop. “What are you talking about?”

“Halfer. That’s not you. That’s not what the fuck you are,” he snarled.

“Mitchell, it’s the truth. I am a—”

“It makes you sound like you’re less. Like you’re not worthy. And you so fucking are and I don’t want to hear that from you. You or anyone. I’ll—” He was so fucking
enraged
. He thought he was protective of his pack, but this was so outside his experience. “It’s a slur and a fucking piece of shit word and I’ll fucking kill—”

Phoebe grinned. “You like us a little bit.”

He glared at her, but said nothing. He was an alpha. He didn’t talk about his feelings. “I don’t want to fucking hear it again.”

“You also curse a lot.”

That was the truth. “I mean it.”

She rolled her eyes, but her scent had slowly changed from antagonistic—angry—to happy even though her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “I hear you, wolf-man. No more halfer and if anyone calls me that I’ll be sure to tell the big bad wolf.” She crossed her heart. “Promise.”

The back door squeaked while it opened to reveal Tilly standing in the doorway. “Phoebe? Mitchell?” Tilly’s voice was gravelly and deep and went straight to his dick. “What are you two doing? Do I smell steak?”

Before Mitchell could reply, Phoebe bounded toward her sister. “Yup, your mate is making us dinner. I’m gonna work on veggies.”

The teenager slipped past Tilly, leaving them alone in the backyard. He held out his hand for her, smiling when she immediately padded forward and stepped into his embrace. She pressed her front to his side, nuzzling his chest for a moment before relaxing against him. He lowered his head and pressed a kiss to her temple. “Did you sleep okay? Did we wake you?”

She shook her head. “I wasn’t really sleeping. Just dozing.” She tilted her head back and propped her chin on his chest, her gaze locked on his. “I heard what you said.”

“About?”

“Our mom.
That
word.” She grinned. “See? I’m not saying it.” But her expression, the emotional ache in her eyes, told him she’d heard it often enough.

He brushed a few errant strands of hair from her face and tucked them behind her ear, taking a moment to caress her cheek. “I’ll do anything I can to keep you happy and safe. All three of you. You’re my mate, Tilly. They’re your sisters, which makes them my sisters too.”

She buried her face against him, hiding from him. “Are you real?”

He swallowed his first response.
Of course I’m fucking real. Do I look like a damned ghost?
To be followed by a growl.

Instead, he said, “I’m here—I’m real—and I’m not leaving. You might not realize it yet, but your life will never be the same, Tilly McBride.” He encouraged her to look at him once again, to quit hiding. “It’s going to be better.”

The back door squeaked. “Yo, wolf-man. While we do like our steaks cooked, well done isn’t our thing.
Burnt
will make them a hard pass.”

“Way to ruin a moment,” he murmured and brushed his lips across hers in a soft kiss and the scent of burnt meat finally invaded his senses. He’d been so consumed with first Phoebe’s revelations and then Tilly’s presence, he’d forgotten about food. “Got any more steaks in that backup freezer of yours? I didn’t see anything else in the one in the kitchen or the fridge.”

Tilly skirted his gaze, cheeks reddening. “I’ll have to send Phee out. It’ll only take her fifteen minutes or so.”

“Tilly,” he spoke low, gentle and slow. “Did the grocery store not send you guys a delivery yesterday afternoon?”

She swallowed hard and the sticky, sour scent of her embarrassment reached out to him. “She… After Phee went to bed… She always knows when to show up.”

Shit. Fucking shit motherfucker
bitch
. He fought to control his wolf, hating the pain that his mate’s mother caused. Because that was the only “she” that could apply to missing food.
Fuck
.

He wanted to tear the woman apart for hurting his mate, for emotionally battering all three women. “It’s okay, baby.” He gave her another kiss, this one deeper than all others. It wasn’t meant to arouse, but instill confidence in his female. A passionate way to tell her it was okay, that he would take care of everything and she could trust and depend on him. “It’s not a problem.” Mitchell ignored the scent of burnt meat destroying his nose. “Phoebe, grab my wallet off the counter and head over to the grocery store, get another round of steaks and anything else the house might need, okay?”