He said, "A good mate watches out for his female at all times."

Lindy smiled broadly. "He's definitely a good mate."

Tina appeared to take their drink order, and Lindy introduced her to Crimson. "Thank you for saving her life."

"It was my honor and duty," Crimson said sincerely.

Tina nodded and took their drink orders. Crimson didn't know what to order since his only experience with mortal beverages had been in Las Vegas where he'd done tequila shots. Drake recommended beer, and Crimson took his advice. When Tina left, there was a brief moment where no one said anything, and then just as quickly as the silence settled it lifted as Mac and Faith demanded to know about her time in the Fae Realm while Drake and Crimson settled into a discussion about the differences between the Fae and Mortal Realms. Lindy loved sitting in the shelter of Crimson's arms and talking to her friends. It was the best of both worlds.

Jason and Michael stopped by the booth to say h.e.l.lo, and Crimson said that he was interested in taking her hunting the following night.

"Why don't you two come to our house? We'll have dinner and go for a run afterward," Jason offered.

Crimson c.o.c.ked his head. "You eat before you hunt?"

Michael chuckled. "It helps keep us from destroying the small animal population. We all still hunt on the full moon, but with our bellies full, we're not as aggressive."

Jason elbowed him. "You can't say words like belly and aggressive in the same sentence, you sound like a p.u.s.s.y."

Michael rolled his eyes. "You just did."

"Would it be all right if Faith, McKenna, and Drake came as well?" Lindy asked.

"Sure. We'll get some others, too. It's been ages since we've gone out to hunt any other time besides the full moon. It'll be fun. Come over about seven for dinner."

Jason and Michael said goodbye, and as they wandered off to their own booth, the conversations bloomed back to life. Lindy continued with the part of the story where she fell into the brownies' home, and Faith said, "Are you freaking kidding me? That's so cool!"

Lindy snorted. "I could have been sold as a s.e.x slave, d.i.n.k. Cool isn't the word I'd use for it."

Faith narrowed her eyes. "Come on, admit it. Scary as h.e.l.l but kinda cool, too."

Laughing loudly, Lindy shook her head. "You're a nut. They're really sweet, though. Maybe you can come to the realm with us sometime and meet them."

"I'd love that."

Eventually Lindy needed to use the restroom, and Faith and Mac accompanied her. They wove through the bar, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Crimson was watching her closely. She swore she could see his eyes flashing to red even from across the bar.

"He's dreamy," Faith said as they walked into the restroom. "You're lucky to have found your truemate."

"You'll find yours when the time is right," Lindy promised.

"Well, he'd better show up soon," Faith grumbled. "My two besties are mated and you'll be popping out babies before long, and I'll be all by my lonesome."

"Whoa, I'm not ready for babies yet," Mac said, straightening her skirt and washing her hands.

"I am," Lindy said. "I can't wait to have Crimson's kids."

"Will they be wolf or fae?" Mac asked as they waited for Faith to finish.

"I don't know. We haven't talked about it. He's both wolf and fae, and I'm all wolf so I have no idea how that will play out genetically. Even if they couldn't shift, it wouldn't matter to me in the least."

"I'll be the best G.o.dmother to all your babies and spoil them rotten," Faith promised.

"What's your mom think of things?" Mac asked.

Lindy had called her mom before they came out to the bar and shared the news of her mating and that they were going to be living in Allen permanently. She wasn't really surprised to learn that her mom was packing and getting ready to move away, following a male she believed was her mate.

"She's happy for me, but she's really busy with her own life and said she'll try to visit after she gets settled. I kind of feel like I'm not going to see her for a long time."

"Are you sad?" Faith asked.

"Kind of, but I'm more disappointed that I expected more from her. Her behavior just reminds me of where I was headed myself if I hadn't gotten a wake-up call."

"Crimson would have found you regardless of where you were in your life, though," Mac said. "He did the truemate spell."

"True, but even though I almost died before we met, I'm glad he showed up when he did. I was in a good place, emotionally and mentally."

Mac opened the bathroom door. "Sounds like your wolf in shining armor has good timing."

They walked down the hallway and through the door into the bar, and Lindy's breath gushed from her lungs as she felt herself shoved bodily back through the door and against the wall. For a heartbeat, she couldn't form any words as Bruce pressed her hard against the wood paneling.

"Missed you, b.i.t.c.h," he sneered at her, kicking her legs apart with an aggravated growl.

A claw-tipped hand grabbed Bruce's throat and squeezed tightly as Crimson loomed next to them, his eyes glowing bright red and his fangs elongating in his mouth. With a howl of anger, Crimson tossed Bruce down the hallway, where he landed hard and rolled into the wall.

Crimson swung his gaze to her for only a moment, stroked her cheek gently, and then raced down the hallway with a battle cry that shook the light fixtures. In a blur, Crimson's clothes shredded as he shifted into his wolf form, leaping onto Bruce with a growl. His shifted form was the size of a small horse, and his fur was snow white. He tossed Bruce down the hallway, the male crying out in alarm as he slammed into the wall and fell into a heap on the floor.

"What the h.e.l.l?" Jason and Michael surrounded Lindy, Jason's mouth agape as he witnessed Crimson pick Bruce up again and throw him against the door leading to the parking lot.

"Bruce attacked me, and Crimson attacked him," Lindy said.

"That's your mate?" Michael asked as Jason slipped in front of Lindy and began to walk down the hallway.

Crimson hit the door with his ma.s.sive shoulder to open it, and he snapped his jaws around one of Bruce's legs, pulling the shrieking male out into the parking lot.

"Oh s.h.i.t," Michael hissed.

Lindy was both terrified and elated. Crimson had saved her from whatever Bruce had been planning, but she was worried how far he would take things. Faith and McKenna came through the broken door, their expressions anxious.

Drake, his arms around Mac protectively, said, "What the h.e.l.l just happened?"

"Bruce, he...attacked me. I don't know what he was going to do, but Crimson is out in the parking lot now." Lindy took off down the hallway, following Jason and Michael as more people began to stream from the door Crimson had broken in his efforts to get to her.

Faith stayed by her side as they raced into the parking lot. A small circle of males stood around Crimson, who was snarling at them, Bruce's bloodied leg between his big jaws.

"Crimson." Jason said his name forcefully. "Don't kill him." Crimson laid his ears back, and a snarl rippled from his throat again.

Just as Lindy pushed through the throng, Crimson crunched down on Bruce's leg, and the bones snapped loudly. Lindy cringed at the sound. Bruce was already unconscious, or he would have been howling. Crimson dropped the broken leg and lifted his head, howling so loudly she had to cover her ears. It was an angry, defiant howl. A challenge.

Jason looked at her. "You need to get your mate and head home, Lindy, let him cool down."

She swallowed hard, and tears stung her eyes. Jason's face softened. "He was protecting you. He didn't do anything wrong. I just didn't want him to kill the b.a.s.t.a.r.d, and he didn't. He showed great restraint."

She sniffled and moved to Crimson's side, laying her arm across his furry neck. "How the h.e.l.l am I going to get you home? You're too big to fit in my car!"

She choked out a laugh and buried her face in his neck, trying not to break down. Bruce had put his hands on her. He certainly hadn't had good intentions.

The fur receded so fast she almost fell to the ground, but then Crimson's strong arms were around her, picking her up and cuddling her close. "I think I fit just fine, ch.e.l.le."

"You shifted so fast!"

"Of course. The threat," he looked in disdain at the unconscious male Jason and Michael were kneeling next to, "is gone and you needed comfort. Why wouldn't I shift?"

"I can't shift back right away without tremendous effort, it takes a few hours normally."

Jason looked up at them. "I think my dad has some spare clothes in the office if you want to grab something before you head out. I know you were protecting your mate, but thank you for not killing him."

Crimson growled. "I cannot promise I won't kill him the next time I see him."

Michael said, "I think it's time for Bruce to get out of Allen anyway. He's been a pain in the a.s.s for far too long."

Faith said, "Hear, hear."

"I've called Trick, Lindy," Jason said as he stood. "He'll want to get a statement from you both. This is pack business, but he needs to go to the hospital so there will be an inquiry. We'll see you both tomorrow for the hunt."

Jason turned away from them, and Lindy sighed in relief. Trick was the town police officer and mated to one of the she-wolves. He was human, but very protective of the wolf pack, and he had helped them in many ways over the years. Lindy knew Crimson was in no danger of being arrested; Trick would see to that.

"Let's get you some clothes before my mate's head snaps from her trying to look," Drake groused.

"I am not trying to look, Drake," Mac said, smacking his shoulder.

"That's because you already did look." Faith snickered.

"Love you," Lindy whispered.

"Love you," Crimson answered, kissing her forehead as he followed her friends back into the bar. The crowd was thick, but they parted for the small group, and Lindy didn't bother looking around. The only person in the world she cared about had protected her once more and now, not even concerned with his nudity, was carrying her into the bar. He always thought of her first. She was humbled.

Tina stood next to the open office door and said, "There are some pants and bar T-shirts on the desk, help yourself."

"Thank you," Crimson said, easing inside the office. The door shut, and Crimson put her down slowly. "Are you hurt, ch.e.l.le?"

"No. He just surprised me. I was too shocked to even scream for help because it happened so quickly."

"He is lucky that I only broke his leg. He is a coward for attacking you and a fool for putting his hands on you. In my realm, it would have been within my rights to kill him."

"You could have killed him here, too." Lindy unfolded a T-shirt while he tugged on a pair of jeans. "But there are a lot of humans here tonight who witnessed what happened. When it's just our people, that sort of thing is acceptable, but when humans get involved, they tend to think our ways are animalistic or cruel."

He made a snorting sound. "What he tried to do was cruel and animalistic. What I did was right."

"I'm not arguing with you," she said as he pulled the shirt over his head. "Let's go home."

After giving their statements to Trick, they said goodbye to her friends, and she and Crimson drove home. She was glad to be back within the walls of her house away from the bar.

"Crimson-" she started, but he silenced her with his mouth moving possessively over hers.

His eyes were bright red, and she felt the p.r.i.c.k of his fangs against her lips as they descended in his mouth. She could tell he was feeling possessive and needed to get his scent on her and erase the image of Bruce touching her from his mind.

Gripping his hair in her hands, she pulled him away, and he snarled softly, panting. "Make me yours again. I need you so much."

With a body-vibrating growl, he tossed her over his shoulder and stomped down the hallway to the bedroom. He eased her down the front of his body and laid her on the bed, and it was the last thing that he did slowly, as he shredded the clothes from his body and hers, and they made love until dawn.

Chapter 22.

Crimson watched Lindy dress to go hunting the following evening. He noticed she hadn't put on undergarments before she slipped into shorts and a T-shirt. Earlier that day, she had taken him shopping and bought him a supply of non-fae-realm clothing, buying him a little bit of everything. He didn't like that she had used her own money to buy things for him; it made him feel like a bad mate. The Fae Realm didn't work in the same way as the Mortal Realm where they exchanged paper money for goods and services. In the Fae Realm, they bartered. He had a satchel of gold and gemstones in the drawer in the bedroom; he just needed to find a way to exchange them.

"Why do you not wear undergarments?" He had never worn what she called boxer briefs before, but she had insisted that most people didn't go without undergarments in her realm.

She smiled as she slipped her feet into sandals. "Because when I shift, it's just easier to have fewer clothes to take off and put back on."

He made a face. "I don't know if I like the idea of you being naked in front of other males."

She chuckled. "They're all mated, and I'm all yours."

He decided that he'd make sure her body was shielded with his while she shifted. He held the door of her car open for her and shut it soundly before he got in on the other side. "Do you like it here?" she asked as the engine turned over and she backed the car out of the driveway.

"I like to be anywhere with you."

She winked at him. "I mean do you like the house? It's only a rental; if you don't like it, we can find another house somewhere in town. There are a lot of empty houses available for rent."

He had scouted around the house earlier, and he liked what he saw. It had a nice-sized yard with a wooded area at the back of the property, and it had two empty bedrooms, which he envisioned their children sleeping in.

He put his hand on her thigh, and she pressed her own hand over the top of his. "Why did you pick the house?"

"Well, it's cute. It's got a great kitchen, and I love the brick fireplace in the family room. Plus I like the yard. I enjoy sitting outside on the back patio at night and just looking up at the stars. It's quiet, too. Some of the developments are noisier, lots of wolves hanging out and partying."

He smiled. She'd chosen the house because it appealed to her in several ways. He liked all of those same reasons, but more than that, he liked the house even more now because he knew she had chosen it for a reason.

"What does rental mean?"

"I don't own the house; it's not mine. I pay a certain amount every month to a company that manages the rental properties in town so I can live in the house. There are other homes that are bigger. We could go house hunting."

He shook his head and gave her thigh a little squeeze. "I like the house. Not only because it is nice but because you chose it. I wouldn't want to change anything about where we live."