The Wolf's Mate Book 5: Bo & Reika (9 page)

“I wanted to see if you’d like to come hang out at the community center with me tomorrow.  I teach some fitness classes for the older wolves who live in the development where the center is, and the staff could always use a hand in the office.”

Reika didn’t know what to say.  Shyne seemed like a sweet woman, and she didn’t want to insult her, especially since she could guess that Bo had put her up to it.

As if sensing her hesitancy, Shyne smiled softly.  “When I first met Michael, I had a few were-hyenas who were interested in me, and they really came on strong and freaked me out.  I stayed with Michael after that, but the first few days when I was alone in the house without anyone to talk to while he worked made me batty.  I know it’s not the same situation, and I don’t mean to belittle what you’re going through, but it’ll be fun to hang out and get to know each other.  The wolves in the retirement development are so fun, and someone always offers to make lunch for me.  I know you’ll be welcome.”

When Shyne was being so kind, Reika couldn’t say no.  “Sounds good.  What time?”

“I’ll pick you up about nine, and just dress in jeans or whatever.  I don’t expect you to workout or anything, unless you want to.”

Reika made a face, and Shyne chuckled.  Shyne had Hispanic-skin, jet black hair and warm, brown eyes, and even though she wore jeans and a thick sweater, Reika could tell she was fit.

Bo walked out of the bedroom wearing faded jeans and a long sleeved, button down shirt.  His dark hair was slightly damp, and he had a jaw full of stubble that she imagined would abrade her skin just right when they kissed … when they touched … when he slid down her body and rubbed against her thighs.

Oh, shit
.

Her whole body heated at the wicked thoughts she couldn’t seem to get a handle on, and she met Bo’s eyes as he came to her and reached for his jacket.  She saw the lust that flared in his eyes as he drew in a slow breath.  He was so close that she could have kissed him, she could have touched that stubble with her fingertips, but instead she took a big step backwards and forced herself to think about unsexy things like …

Drawing a blank on anything unsexy, she fisted her hands at her sides and clenched her teeth together.  Bo seemed frozen in place for several seconds, and then he grabbed his jacket off the hook and held it out to her.  “We’ll get you a coat when we go out, sweetheart.  You can use mine for now.”

Before she could ask what he was going to wear, he moved a hooded sweatshirt from another hook and pulled another jacket from underneath.  She slipped the too-big leather coat on and was surrounded immediately by the delicious scent of him.  It was going to be a long night.

Shyne offered the passenger seat to Bo so she could join Reika in the second row, and Bo accepted.  Michael and Bo talked about a car Bo was restoring, and Shyne discussed a movie she and Michael had seen the previous weekend.  Reika liked Shyne and found her witty humor and easy smile infectious.  By the time Michael parked in front of a store called Mona’s, she’d let go of all her worries concerning the lynxes and decided to just enjoy herself.

“Alright, we’ll be here when you’re done,” Michael said as he turned and winked at them.

“No way, baby, you’re not getting off that easy.”  Shyne laughed.  “Get your cute ass out of the car and hold my purse when I go try things on.”

Michael made a face at her, but Reika could see the affection flashing in his eyes.  “Thanks for complimenting my ass, love, but no.”

Shyne leaned forward slightly and brushed her fingers across his cheek.  “You remember the sexy little black number I bought for Christmas as a surprise?”

Michael’s brows rose, and he grinned.  “Oh, yeah.”

Shyne sat back with a wicked, triumphant smirk and said, “If you ever want to see it again, you’ll move.  Now.”

Michael stared at her in shock, and then barked out a laugh.  “Got me there.  Alright, alright.”

Michael got out of the truck and jogged around to Shyne’s side so he could open her door.  Bo got out and walked around the front of the SUV towards Reika.  Shyne winked at Reika and chuckled.  “Men.”

Bo opened Reika’s door and held his hand out to her.  “They’re funny,” she said to him, as she squeezed his hand tighter so she didn’t slip on the still icy parking lot.

“I’m glad you think so.  Michael’s the smartass of the group, in case you didn’t realize.”

“I picked up on it.”

Mona’s was a boutique store owned by a rogue wolf — Mona herself — who greeted them when they walked in the front door as if they were old friends.  After a quick up-and-down look, the older woman took Shyne and Reika by the hands and pulled them into the clothes racks, calling over her shoulder for Bo and Michael to have a seat.

An hour later, Bo was paying for several pairs of jeans, sweaters, underclothes, a winter jacket, and two pairs of shoes.  Michael was cuddling Shyne as she sat on his lap and thanked him for buying her a new sweater.

“I’ll pay you back, Bo, I promise,” Reika said as Mona handed her two bags with her clothes inside.

Bo took the bags from her hands and gathered them both in one hand.  He placed his hand on her elbow and ushered her towards the door.  “I didn’t ask you to, Reika.  I promised I would take care of you, and part of that is making sure you don’t freeze to death with no clothes or starve to death without food.”

Michael opened the back of the SUV, and they stowed the bags.  As Bo held open her door for her, she looked up at him and said, “My protests aren’t making a difference, are they?”

He smiled.  “Not really.”

“I’m not going to stop protesting.”

“I’m not going to
start
listening,” he countered.

She chuckled and lifted onto her toes and kissed him once, softly, before climbing into the SUV.  “Thank you.”

He nodded and shut the door.

They ate at one of those fifties-style burger places, and Michael and Shyne kept the conversation light and funny, talking about the pack and the small town of Allen.

When they said goodbye to Michael and Shyne once they were back at Bo’s house, Bo shut the door and locked it.  He hung their jackets.

“You asked them to go with us so that we could go in Michael’s SUV and have less chance of the lynxes finding us while we were out?”  She looked up at him.

He nodded.  “That’s one reason, and also that I knew you’d like Shyne, and Michael is one of my closest friends.  Did you have fun?”

“I did.  It was nice to not really think about anything serious for a change.”

“Then my mission was a success.”  He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled.

She took in a slow breath and the scent of him, dark and spicy, a combination of his cologne and the wolf underneath, washed over her. 
Her mate.

It would have been so easy to fall into his arms and tell him how to break the blood-debt, ask him to fight for her because they were mates and she wanted him, but she fought against the urge.  With another whispered
thanks
, she took her new things into the bedroom and put them away.  After cleaning up, she changed into one of his T-shirts and settled into bed.

It was cold and empty, and after awhile, she did what she had done the night before and walked into the family room and cuddled against him.  It was the second best night’s sleep she’d ever had.

* * * * *

“So it’s pretty simple,” Susan, human mate of a werewolf and the woman who ran the community center, said as Reika sat in a chair behind a metal desk.  “Enter in the information for the flyer, make it look pretty, and then print out fifty copies.  Then when you’re done with that, you can print out address labels, and we’ll run them around to the houses after lunch.  Sound good?”

Reika had worked in the Dean’s office of the community college she went to for her office management degree.  She hadn’t really expected to go to college, but her parents wanted to give her every opportunity to meet other wolves.  So she was very familiar with the tasks she’d been given, and it would be no trouble at all.

“I’ll get right on it.”

“Good.”  Susan squeezed her shoulder.  “You’re a lifesaver.  I’ve got so much to do.  Hey, maybe if you finish up early, you can start working on the monthly newsletter.”

“Sure, Susan, whatever you need.  I’m here as long as Shyne is.”

Susan clapped her hands happily and then set to work at her own desk across the room.  Reika heard upbeat music suddenly and knew that Shyne had started her exercise class.  The retirement development was for wolves who were part of the Tressel Pack but didn’t want to participate in the rankings, had stepped down from their rankings due to injury or age, or were the human mates of wolves who had died.  The development had several dozen homes, the community center, and 24-hour security in the form of a revolving tour of pack members.

Shyne had picked her up promptly at nine, and Reika had noticed a car pull away from the curb in front of Bo’s home and follow them.  When she asked, Shyne said that it was a wolf from the retirement development who Michael and Bo asked to follow the two women during the day to make sure they weren’t followed and to keep an eye out for trouble.

The day passed quickly.  Shyne appeared at lunchtime and told her they were going to lunch with one of the she-wolves from her class, and Reika spent an hour in a homey kitchen enjoying the most delicious chicken and dumplings she’d ever had.  After lunch, Reika and Susan walked around the development and handed out flyers, and then Reika worked on the monthly newsletter until Shyne finished for the day.

Susan hugged Reika tightly.  “I could use you here, Reika.  Part-time, a few days a week?”

Reika felt the blood drain from her face.  “Susan, I—”  She didn’t know what to say.

Susan glanced at Shyne, who subtly shook her head.  Susan smiled breezily and said, “Just think about it.  Take your time and let me know.  Thank you so much for your help today, Reika.”

Reika smiled tightly and said goodbye, leaving with Shyne.

When she pulled in front of Bo’s home, Shyne put her hand on Reika’s arm and stopped her from opening the car door.  “It wouldn’t be so bad to live here, would it?  Bo’s pretty awesome.  Michael speaks so highly of him and how much he suffered with his injury and everything.  And the pack is so cool.  I’m not even a wolf, and they treat me like I’ve lived here my whole life.  Of course, that might be because Michael would kick ass if someone didn’t treat me right, but I’d like to think it’s because I’m so charming and sweet.”

Reika chuckled at Shyne’s attempt at humor.  “You are sweet, Shyne.  My life is really complicated.”

“
Life
is complicated.  I lost my parents before I learned how to read, and then the woman who took me in died when I was twelve, and I spent six years in a group foster home before I had to leave at eighteen.  I know all about how complicated and difficult life can be.  Granted, I wasn’t arranged to be married when I was in elementary school, but I do know how valuable a good man is, and how rare real love is.  You’re scared, I get that.  But don’t give up on finding real love because of fear.  Just my two cents.”

Reika opened her mouth to tell Shyne that she really didn’t know what she was talking about.  It wasn’t that Reika was afraid to love Bo because a part of her was already half in love with him anyway.  She was afraid to give into that love because he was the kind of guy who would go off to fight for her and might die.  And she was definitely afraid of that.  Instead, though, because she didn’t want to hurt Shyne’s feelings and she genuinely liked her, Reika patted Shyne’s hand and said, “I appreciate you spending time with me today, Shyne, and I’ll consider all you said.”

“Good.”  Shyne nodded her head as Reika got out of the car and shut the door.  Reika waved at the car waiting behind Shyne’s car, and the wolf behind the wheel waved back as he reversed down the driveway and waited for Shyne to back down as well, and then they both left.  Reika stood on the front porch for a while, until the cold nipped at her and forced her inside.

As she hung up her coat, she turned to Bo and said, “Who is babysitting me tomorrow?”

He chuckled.  “I thought you’d like to go hang out with Karly at her restaurant.  They’re getting ready to open in a couple of weeks, and she and a bunch of wolves are getting it ready.”

She walked over to him until they were just inches apart.  “How long are you going to keep this up?”

“As long as I have to in order to know that you’re safe.”