Wolf Mate (4 page)

There were some muffled
screams and shouts from passersby and onlookers. Pedestrians hurried
into the shops and restaurants, thinking they would be safer indoors.
They didn't want to get caught between a lion and a wolf. Dax
didn't care about them. Neither did he care about the snarling,
scrabbling lion in front of him. All he cared about was Melynda.

But she wasn't looking at him.
She was staring at the lion and crying out, “Steven! No!”

Dax raised his hand just as
Steven, the lion, leaped through the air and smashed face first into
his claws. The lion fell to the ground and howled in pain. There
were deep scratches at the side of his face. The lion cub had come
very close to losing an eye.

Dax lowered his hand but
didn't retract his claws. Steven could leave now, with just a few
scratches and a bruised ego. Or he could continue slamming himself
against an alpha Silver Wolf, and end up maimed—or killed.

Fortunately, the werelion's
ego wasn't bigger than his brain. He growled at Dax and Melynda, and
slowly backed away. Melynda clearly wasn't worth the fight for him.
Shaking out his golden mane, the young lion turned and slunk off into
the crowd.

The fight was over even before
it had really begun. A handful of onlookers expressed their
disappointment by booing after the retreating lion. The curbside
entertainment was over. The crowd dispersed and the tension
dissipated. People went about their business and the city rolled on.

But for Dax, it was as if he
was trapped in a soundless, timeless bubble with Melynda. Or perhaps
he just wished that he was alone with her.

People and traffic flowed and
ebbed around them, but Dax was only aware of Melynda and the distance
between them. They stood just a few feet from each other, staring at
each other with a thousand tortured emotions swirling around them.

She was so near. And yet, so
far away.

Melynda was biting her lower
lip to stop it from quivering. She wasn't going to be the first to
break the silence, but she would turn away first and walk, maybe run,
away from him. He knew she would not allow herself to cry. Not in
front of him.

Dax's voice was strained when
he spoke. “Why do you do this, Melynda?”

She swallowed hard. “What
I do is none of your business.”

“
Are you doing it to
make me jealous?”

“
Don't flatter yourself.
It's not about you.”
It's all about you.

Dax closed the distance
between them in two strides, but he didn't touch her. She looked
like she was about to break, and his touch might just shatter her.

“
I have to go now,”
she whispered, wrapping her arms around her waist as she tried to
hold herself together.

“
Melynda...”

“
Please, please, don't
say anything, Dax. Just. Don't.” Her voice cracked.

Pressing a hand to her mouth,
she turned and fled from him.

It was the second time tonight
that he watched her run from him. But this time, he didn't go after
her.

He wouldn't chase her. If he
did, he would catch her, and he would never let her go.

She didn't deserve this.

Melynda deserved so much more,
so much better.

She didn't deserve a wolf like
him.

Dax let his nail gouge into
his palms, feeling the blood ooze between his fingers.

Pain. At least he could still
feel pain.

The rousing beep of his phone
saved him from the haunting images of Melynda. He glanced down. The
call came from the PAC Headquarters.

“
Dax? It's Jett here,
Jett Riley. One of my Enforcers is in trouble—with the law.”

Dax gave Jett his full
attention. Jett was the Head of the Enforcement Unit, the only human
on the Paranormal Affairs Council (PAC) of New Moon City. Jett joked
around a lot, but when it came to his Enforcers, he was dead serious.

“
What kind of trouble?”

He heard Jett mumble a curse
before answering, “Levi Madden, my senior Enforcer, has been
accused of murder.”

Dax walked with Jett into the
Central Police Station, where Levi was being held.

“
I'm Levi Madden's
lawyer,” Dax told the officer on duty. “I'd like to see
my client.”

“
And I'm Levi's boss,”
Jett interjected. “I...”

“
Sorry. Mr Madden is
allowed just one visitor. So, which of you is it going to be? His
lawyer or his boss?” The police officer looked at them
dispassionately. His expression told them he had dealt with many
screaming, hysterical family members, shouting attorneys and cunning
reporters before. He had dealt with them all, so he could certainly
deal with the PAC lawyer and the PAC's Head Enforcer.

Jett's knuckles cracked loudly
as he clenched his fists. In this situation, Levi needed his lawyer,
not his bull-headed, hot-tempered boss.

Jett glared at Dax. “You
make sure Levi is okay.”
Or else.

Dax nodded at Jett. Jett was
one tough human, and his threats were not to be taken lightly. But
Dax was the legal counsel for the PAC. His job was to protect the
members and Enforcers of the PAC, and he always made sure he did his
job well.

Threats never bothered him.

Even though Dax didn't take
Jett's threat seriously, he respected the man. Jett led the
Enforcement Unit well and he always looked out for his Enforcers. At
this moment, he was stepping back, putting Levi's welfare first.

“
Don't worry. Levi will
be fine.” Dax clapped Jett on the shoulder as he followed the
officer in, leaving Jett to pace in front of the counter.

Dax was led into a bare room
with just one table and two chairs. He sat down and waited. In a
moment, the door at the other end of the room opened and Levi Madden
was led in, his hands cuffed in front of him. He looked a mess, with
dried blood on his face and clothes, and bruises all over his face.

Once he was seated at the
table opposite Dax, Levi leaned forward and growled even before the
officer had left the room. “I didn't kill anyone, Dax. I
swear!”

Dax nodded. “Tell me
what happened.”

“
It's...complicated.”

Dax frowned. “Complicated?”
What's complicated?
Levi wasn't referring to the murder
charge, that's for sure.

“
She...she was in
danger! I had to do something! I couldn't...I just couldn't leave
her...with him! He'd kill her!”

“
Who would kill her?”

“
Her ex-husband, a real
piece of shit if you ask me,” Levi spat.

“
Who is she?” Dax
asked, his tone gentle.

Levi took a deep breath. “Her
name is Rebecca. Rebecca Rose. She works in a bar, a blood bar in
the city.”

Dax nodded. The blood bars
served alcoholic and flavored blood to the vampires and blood demons
in New Moon City. Some bars provided live entertainment as well.
Singers, strippers, shifters...all kinds of erotic and exotic acts.

Dax took in all the facts.
“What's the name of the bar?”

“
Club Mate. Corny name,
yeah?” Levi attempted a grin, but only managed to grimace in
pain.

“
And what does Ms Rose
do at Club Mate?” Dax asked carefully.

“
She...she's a stripper.
Goes by the name Raven Rose. I...saw her while I was on patrol one
night. I was with Scott, and we were doing a routine check on the
bar, making sure all the laws and regulations were complied with and
the patrons were behaving themselves. I saw her and I...talked to
her. She's special, Dax. She's a very special girl. I knew it the
moment I saw her,” Levi said softly. “I just knew that
she's...” He swallowed.
Mine.

Dax exhaled quietly. He
understood what Levi was saying. Most shifters recognized their
mates instantly. Levi was a bear shifter, strong, protective and
powerful. He wasn't a violent man, and he controlled his bear at all
times. But shifters would kill for their mates. If someone
threatened or touched their mates...

Dax shook away the image of
Melynda with the young lion shifter. The reckless young man had been
holding her by the waist, his arm hugging her luscious, curvy body...

From the way Levi was
squinting at him, he knew that his eyes had turned fully silver.

“
Go on,” Dax
urged. “Tell me what happened tonight. Were you at Club
Mate?”

“
No. I...I was at her
home.”

A pause. “And?”

“
Her ex-husband
appeared. He escaped from the psychiatric ward, and came straight
for her. He was...” Levi scowled. “He wasn't human,
not anymore. He had been tortured by a demon lord, but his mind was
already unhinged before that. He had been beating her, threatening
her, trying to force her not to go through with the divorce. After
his ordeal at the hands of the blood demon lord, he lost it
completely. Even the hospital couldn't do anything for him. They
could only sedate him. But he killed the nurse on duty and escaped,
and he came for her. I fought him off, but he refused to let us go.
I grabbed Rebecca, and we ran. I just wanted to get her away from
him. He...he wasn't human, I tell you! He just kept coming at us,
and from the look in his eyes, I knew that he would kill her. We ran
until we reached the beach. I put Rebecca down, and...and...”

Dax waited for Levi to compose
himself.

“
He attacked her, like a
monster. He didn't want her. He wanted her life! He was going to
kill her, Dax!”

Dax nodded gravely. “So
you fought him. Were you in your bear form?”

“
Yes.” Levi
grabbed his head and started to tug at his short, blond hair in
agitation. “I...I didn't even realized that I'd shifted to my
bear form. I just wanted to protect her! That was the only thing on
my mind. When he came at her, I just slashed out with my claws,
trying to get him away from her. I was in a frenzy, just slashing
and biting and fighting. I wanted to get him away from her. He
would never, never touch her again! The bastard!”

Levi stopped, rocking himself
on his chair. He squeezed his eyes shut, his face contorted in pain.
Releasing a shuddering breath, he stared at a spot over Dax's
shoulder, his blue eyes taking on a faraway look. In a quiet voice,
he continued, “And then, everything fell away. I heard shouts
and sirens, and I collapsed. I was blinded by headlights and in the
same instant I made out the rows of police cars lined up along the
shore, I realized that I had been hit by a tranquilizer dart.”

Levi let his face drop into
his hands. “She...she was bleeding all over, and she wasn't
moving. I couldn't feel her breathing! The bastard...I thought that
he'd killed her! So...I...I...”

Dax held up his hand, and
leaned forward.

“
You protected her,
Levi. He was going to kill her, and you.”

At this, Levi snorted out a
bitter laugh. “He can't kill me! He's only human.”
Levi shook his head. “No. No, he wasn't. He wasn't even
human. He was...something else. Something evil.”

Levi lurched forward and
grabbed Dax's hand. “Can you...do something for me, Dax?”

“
Name it.”

“
Can you protect
Rebecca?”

Dax frowned. “Rebecca?”

“
Yes. I know she's
alive. I heard a paramedic yell out just before I went under.”

“
Miss Rose would have
been taken to the hospital. She would be in good hands. She will be
well cared for by the doctors and healers at the hospital. They are
very professional and they have the best...”

“
That's not what I
meant! No, no! You don't understand!” Levi slammed his fists
down on the table in frustration. “Her ex is a monster! She's
not safe from him! You...have to help me, Dax. Protect her!”

Levi slumped back in his
chair, making the flimsy chair creak and groan under his massive
frame.

“
He's not dead, Dax. I
didn't kill him. He will come for her. I know. Please, Dax, you
have to protect her. He will...kill her.”

Dax studied Levi quietly,
digesting the facts. Finally, he said slowly, “They didn't
find the body.”

Levi opened his eyes and
straightened up. “No. I carried Rebecca, and I ran for miles
and still he pursued us. He's not human I tell you! He didn't tire,
he didn't stop or slow down, just kept coming at us. He caught up
with us near the beach and I fought him. They assumed I threw his
body into the sea. But I didn't kill him.” Levi glowered and
snarled. “I wish I did.”

Dax rubbed his chin. “No.
Body.”

“
Those human police
officers just saw a bear, a man and a bleeding, unconscious woman.”

“
So they shot the bear.”

Levi snorted out an angry
laugh. “And the bad guy escaped. Again.”