turned, bolting down the steps and out the door.
“Shit,” the strange woman said as she jumped from her seat. She slapped the guy with her on the shoulder. “Come on.” She shoved her way down the aisle past the four guys who’d just got on and jumped off the bus without even taking the steps before she was running.
The man with her stood, hesitated at the door, then whirled around. Before Nami could react, he leaned in and kissed her, long and hard and with enough sauciness she nearly let her foot off the brake. His hand cupped the back of her neck, and something about his scent, like cinnamon and freshly split oak, penetrated her to the depths of her soul.
His thumb stroked her cheek. “Mine,” he whispered, even though she didn’t see his lips move, and she nearly creamed her panties right there.
Then, just like that, he turned and jumped off the bus, following the woman, who apparently was chasing the guy who’d run off.
Holeeeeee shit.
Part of her wanted to shut the bus down and run after him. He couldn’t just lay an earth-shattering kiss like that on her and then take off without so much as a how- you -doin’.
And part of her wanted to tear after him and rip him a new one for taking liberties with her like that. Just before she kissed him again.
On that thought, she finally closed the door with a trembling hand and reluctantly pulled away from the curb.
* * * *
Beck’s cock strained against his jeans as he kissed the driver. She smelled like jasmine and tasted like vanilla and rich, dark coffee with a hint of jalapeño peppers. Her brown eyes widened as he lifted his mouth from hers.
When he sent the thought to her, Mine , her eyes had widened.
More proof. She was his. Might not have the clear mental connection Dewi and Ken did since he wasn’t a Prime, but if the woman heard that , it had to be a mate connection.
Unfortunately, he had a job to do. Glancing at her name tag, he saw it read N. Drexler.
Thus committed to memory, he spun around and tore off the bus after Dewi, who was rapidly catching up to James.
“Badger,” she said through the two-way. “Move in. I’ve almost got him.”
From behind them, he heard the sound of the truck’s engine wind up…
And the sound of the bus pulling away.
Fighting his instincts to turn and go chase it, catch up with it, with her , his mate who was now getting away, he forced himself to follow Dewi, stay with her, and help catch this slimy little bastard. Maybe once they caught him, Badger could help him catch up with her bus again and he could get on and ride.
And then more riding of the better kind later, once he got N. Drexler alone and claimed her.
Mine.
Chapter Four
Dewi didn’t know what the hell was wrong with Beck, but she was damn sure going to dress him down for it.
After they caught and castrated James Palver first, of course.
James glanced over his shoulder as he ran, terror painted on his face as Dewi gained speed and closed the gap between them. He wasn’t a Prime. He wasn’t an Alpha. He wasn’t even an omega, with his diluted wolf blood. His parents couldn’t shift, and neither could he. Even if he mated with a pure, shifting wolf, chances were his offspring wouldn’t shift.
So it was with no small amount of amusement Dewi busted out laughing when he ran smack into a light pole and collapsed to the ground like a sack of wet shit.
Dewi jogged up to him and stood over him, planting her sneaker-clad foot squarely in the middle of his chest.
Pointing down at him, she growled, “Stay.”
He froze, staring up at her, unable to disobey her Prime order.
When Beck caught up with them, Dewi glared at him. “Care to clue me in what the hell that was about?”
“Later,” he said, turning to see where Badger and Ken were.
Dewi pulled zip ties out of her back pocket, flipped James over, and bound his wrists behind his back before hauling him