Did it nod at her?
The guy still sitting stood up and backed away. That was when the dog viciously barked and lunged.
Mr. Knife wasn’t as brave as he looked. He ran, tripping and falling onto the knife. He screamed in pain.
Stupid fuck never learned not to run with scissors. Great.
“Aw, fuck!” his cowardly friend, Mr. Pantswetter, yelled.
Lindsey screamed. “Help! Rape! Help!”
* * * *
Ivan winced at her piercing cry, wishing he could tell her to put a sock in it. The braniac who fell on his own damn knife would need an ambulance, no doubt, but Ivan worried more about getting her to safety.
He backed into her and swung his head around to bump her. He felt her hands tangle in the dense fur at the scruff of his neck.
Ooh, long fingers. Strong fingers. Bet they’d feel good…
Crap, now he was sporting wood.
He sat in front of her, pressed against her, wishing she’d shut up. The second attacker, Sir Pissalot, looked at his writhing, bleeding friend, and ran.
Coward.
Five minutes later, two rangers raced down the trail, one leaning over the injured man. The other ranger dropped to one knee next to the woman, who’d blessedly stopped screaming now that the cavalry had shown up too fucking late.
“What happened?”
She sobbed, her arm circling Ivan’s neck. Despite her patina of fear she smelled…
Yum.
Fuck, and he’d almost softened again.
“I was jogging…and three of them…the other two…he had a knife and when the dog growled, he ran and tripped and fell on it…” She broke down in tears again.
Unable to help himself, Ivan licked her face, trying to comfort her.
Yeah, right, okay, so he wasn’t just trying to comfort her.
Jeremy would be totally pissed, but too fucking bad. This was more important.
“Is this your dog, ma’am?”
Ivan froze. Oh, shit.
She stroked his fur. “Yes. Yes he is.”
Ivan heard her pulse quicken at the lie.
“You do know they’re supposed to be on a leash and have a collar and tags?”
The woman tensed. Ivan whined, praying she could lie convincingly. Holy fucking shit, now he had to depend on her, at least until Matlock and Barney Fife got their act together and stumbled out of eyeshot so he could run for his clothes.
“He slipped his collar.” She cradled Ivan’s head in her palms and met his gaze, winking. “Thank God he stayed with me.”
He couldn’t help it. He winked back.
* * * *
The rangers overlooked the uncollared dog considering she almost got raped. She stood just short enough she could tightly knot her fingers in Ivan’s fur at the scruff of his neck as the rangers escorted them to the parking lot.
She’d parked next to his truck. Could his day go any more to shit than it already had? He just wanted a fucking run. He knew he should have gotten a vehicle with a keypad entry. At least then he could get in his truck and go when no one noticed.
After an hour of questioning by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, she was free to go and Ivan learned her name was Lindsey Martinez. He had no choice but to jump into the backseat of her car when she opened the door and said, “Come on, boy.”
Thank God. At least she hadn’t dubbed him something lame like Fido or Spot.
She lived in a one-story condo complex in Temple Terrace. Far from the worst neighborhood, but not the best. All the way home she glanced at him in the rearview mirror.
And daammnn, she smelled good. He had to fight not to drool.
He paid careful attention to the address. Jeremy would never let him live this down.
She opened the car door. He had no choice but to follow. To get to a phone he had to follow her, because he damn sure couldn’t shift into a naked guy in public.
Not that he minded following her. Especially when his nose sat right at ass level…
He accidentally bumped into her when she stopped at her front door.
She jumped. “Listen, buddy, we’ll get along fine if you don’t go sticking your nose up my hind end.” Then she smiled.
He looked up at her. We’d get along a helluva lot better if you’d let me do just that.
His heart beat at an unsteady pace. Call Jeremy, yeah, that was what he had to do.
Umm, why?
Oh yeah. Work. He had to get to work.
He followed her inside her condo. Tidy, not fancy, some moving boxes stacked in her living room.
She rummaged in a kitchen cabinet and filled a bowl with water, knelt down onto the linoleum, and watched him drink.
She ran her hands over his body. He closed his eyes and gulped, wishing she wouldn’t do that and praying she wouldn’t stop. As her hands approached his rump, he jumped when she brushed against his balls. It took every ounce of will he had not to shift and fuck her silly right there on her kitchen floor.
Why’d she have to smell so damn good? Even with the last traces of bug spray she smelled right, smelled like—
Mate.
He looked at her.
“You are a boy. I thought so. Hard to tell with all that fur.” She cradled his head again, staring into his eyes. Hers were green, as he’d suspected, a beautiful shade of jade green he could lose himself in.
“Thank you,” she whispered, then broke down crying, throwing her arms around him, hugging him, burying her face in his fur.
He rested his chin on her shoulder. How could he leave her? He wanted to curl up in her lap and stay with her and lick every tear off her sweet flesh.
Mate.
Now that the word had pierced his conscious he couldn’t get it out of his brain. Every beat of his heart hammered it home.
Mate. My mate. My mate.
He’d never felt like this before. This wasn’t wanting a piece of ass. This was deeper, in his blood. In his soul.
When she sat back, he licked her face, whining. Jesus, I love you, Lindsey.
She laughed. “I need to get a shower. Please don’t pee on anything, okay?” She petted his head and smiled. “We need to get you a collar and a nametag, but what am I going to call you?”
“Fuck me harder” works fine for me, babe.
“You’re not some stupid wussy dog. You need a good name, a strong name.” She braced her arms against him as she stood, wincing. “I’ll think about it. I think good in the shower.”
I bet you look good in the shower, too.
He curled up on the floor at the end of her bed and watched her strip. She threw the clothes away and stepped into the bathroom to start the water.
Mouthwatering didn’t begin to express what her appearance did to him. Her nipples tightened into hard peaks as the cool air hit them. Perfect, natural breasts that would comfortably fit in his palms as his fingers brushed over her.
He whined, his erection nearly painful.
She smiled. “Sorry, puppy. That’s illegal. Hope it’s enough for you to know you’re the only man in my life. You don’t have to share me.” Lindsey walked into the bathroom and stepped into the shower.
Believe me, honey, I’m not sharing you. Not on your fucking life.
Mate. My mate.
He stared through the bathroom door then reality called. He stood and streaked into the living room. Checking to make sure he was out of view of the bathroom, he shifted and grabbed the phone and called Jeremy. A glance at the clock showed it was almost noon.
He anxiously watched the bathroom door while Jeremy took his sweet fucking time answering his cell.
“Ivan? Why the hell aren’t you back yet?”
“Jer, shut the fuck up and listen. There’s been trouble.” Jeremy listened while Ivan detailed what happened.
“Where are you?”
He read off the address. “Temple Terrace.”
“I’ll be there in twenty to sneak you out of there.”
“No!”
“What?”
Ivan hesitated. “I want to stay.”
“What? Are you out of your freaking mind, Ivan?”
Ivan closed his eyes and whispered the words. “I’ve found her.”
“What do you…Oh.”
“Yeah, oh. I need some time. I’m going to be out of touch for a few days.”
“Are you sure?”
He listened to her in the shower. Lindsey hummed, a light, tuneless melody that tattooed her voice across his soul. “Yeah, dude. I’m sure. She’s my mate.”
Jeremy sighed. “What do you need from me?”
“My truck’s still over at the park. And my clothes. She’s in the shower, but she’ll be done in a minute. I think she’s going to go to the store. Can you wait outside and run me over there after she leaves? I can be back before she returns. Just wait for me in the parking lot here, a few buildings away.”
“Don’t leave me sitting all day.”
Ivan heard her moving around in the shower. “Gotta go. Bye.” Ivan hung up and shifted back, padding into the bathroom.
* * * *
Lindsey closed her eyes and let the hot water soothe her sore muscles. This wasn’t a normal dog. She wasn’t into crazy psychic shit, but there was something different about that dog. He wasn’t a stray. He was well cared for. Maybe a police K9 dog or something that escaped from its handler.
She should put an ad in the paper. Shouldn’t she?
The thought ripped her heart out. She didn’t want to give him up. It was stupid, silly, and childish, but the dog saved her. He wasn’t just a dog. He was more.
And it felt right thinking about keeping him.
He needed a good name. Not some normal dog name, a name that fit him.
Sensing a presence, she looked down. He’d shoved his head into the shower, the spray dotting his black fur with small drops of moisture.
Was he smiling? If he was a guy, she’d say so.
“Hey, personal space, buddy.”
He snorted, but withdrew his massive head.
“And don’t go dragging your wet fur onto my bed, either!”
Another snort and she watched through the opaque shower curtain as he rubbed his head dry on her bathmat.
She stuck her head out of the shower and looked at him, an absurd idea hitting her between the eyes. “Hey, you.”
He looked up.
“Go get me a soda out of the fridge.”
* * * *
Is she fucking serious?
He debated, then when the full force of her jade eyes nailed him, he bolted from the bathroom and carefully opened the fridge with his mouth. He gently gripped one of the cans of Coke, trying not to puncture the can, and bumped the door shut with his ass. Then he trotted back to the bathroom where she stood with her head exposed, watching him in awe and disbelief.
He waited for her to reach for the can and he gently placed it in her palm.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
He sat, wagging his tail. No problem, babe. Anything else you want? Sandwich? Chips? Wedding ring? A good, hard fucking?
She slid to the shower floor, leaning against the wall. He worried she’d fainted, but she stared at him, deep in thought. She popped the tab on the can and took several long swigs, then let out a loud belch.
He laughed, which he knew to her sounded like a snort.
“You think that’s funny?”
He couldn’t help it. He nodded. Maybe it would make it easier for her to wrap her mind around the truth later.
“You’re not a normal dog, are you?”
He shook his head. Babe, you have no fucking idea.
She set the can on the floor and stood, finishing her shower. She dried and dressed, and he watched her every move. He’d do whatever she wanted. Anything she wanted.
Now he had to figure out how to tell her the truth.
She walked to the front door and grabbed her purse, then turned. “Don’t chew. Don’t have an accident. Do you have to go to the bathroom?”
He shook his head.
“Okay. I’ll be back in about two hours.” She stopped, laughing. “Jesus, I need a life. I’m talking to a dog like he understands me.”
He watched from the front window as she drove off. Five minutes later, Jeremy drove into the complex. Ivan shifted back and raced to the bathroom, grabbing a towel from the floor. He returned to the front door and opened it, waving.
Jeremy walked up with a pair of shorts and a T-shirt in his hand, tossing them at Ivan before he even reached the stoop.
“Here you go, brainiac. Jesus, I can’t believe you.”
Ivan caught the clothes and put them on, returning the towel to the bathroom. “No time for that now. You can kill me later. We need to go.”
They made it to the park in less than twenty minutes with Jeremy driving. “Where’s your clothes?” Jeremy asked.
“Off the trail.” They got out of the truck, and Jeremy followed him at an easy, loping pace. Ivan found them still hidden where he’d left them in the brush. He breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, man. I owe you.”
Jeremy smirked. “Yeah, well, I’ll hold you to it.” His face grew serious. “Really?” he asked. “You’re sure she’s your mate?”
Ivan looked down. “I can’t explain how she’s different. You know how normally a woman hits you between the balls when you want her? This one hit me straight between the lungs and eyes. I can’t think about anyone but her, man. It’s killing me not to be at her place, smelling her.”
“Well, good luck. Should I drop by to check on you?”
“I’ll call.”
“Any idea how to tell her?”
“I think so.”
* * * *
Ivan made it back well before she did. He parked in a guest spot and prayed no one had broken into her condo while he was gone. Fortunately, they hadn’t. He put his cell in silent mode before taking it inside. He locked the front door behind him and stripped, looking for a place to hide his things.
The condo wasn’t large. Where wouldn’t she find them? He looked at her bed and inspiration struck. He lifted the mattress and jammed everything into the middle of the bed on top of the box spring, smoothing the sheet and cover after.
He shifted back and waited, pacing the condo, sniffing every square inch of it, looking for anything with even a trace of her sweet scent. Or a sign that she had been with a man recently, even though she’d said she was alone.
My mate.
He greeted her at the door when she returned not quite two hours after her departure, and he fought the urge to shift and help her unload her groceries.
“Hey, boy. Did you miss me?”
He softly woofed. She carried a huge bag of…groan…dog food. At least it was a top-shelf brand, very expensive, human-grade homeopathic food.
She’d spent some bucks. That relieved him and made him feel guilty that she spent that much on him when he wouldn’t be using it for long if he got his way.
Lindsey set the bag on the floor and knelt beside him, hugging him, burying her face against his neck and inhaling. “The girl at the store said it’s the best food, none of that Chinese chemical crap to make you sick.”
She looked into his eyes again. “I should put a found ad in the paper, but I don’t want to. I kept worrying about you while I was gone.”
Join the club, babe. You have nooo clue.
She nuzzled his nose and went back to her car for more bags. She’d bought two collars, not sure how large she needed. She looked at him as she held them up.
“I wasn’t sure what size you’d be,” she said.
And a leash.
A little BDSM? Hmm…
He tried to quiet his anxious cock at the thought. She could lead him anywhere she wanted. Of course it wasn’t kinky to her in this context. He was the perv.
Only one of the collars fit, a large choker. She slipped it over his head. “I should get you to the vet.”
He whined
. Baby, these balls are staying put.
“A big boy like you afraid of the vet?”
He whined again.
“I promise I won’t have you neutered as long as you promise not to go running off and screwing around. Or don’t go peeing on stuff.”
He softly woofed, trying not to laugh. No worries on either count.
She’d also gone to Publix and spent a few bucks. She’d bought him a huge T-bone steak.
“You want it raw?”
He woofed.
She put it on a plate and set it on the floor for him. “That’s a thank-you. There’s three more.”
Hot damn, that’s more like it. He tore into it.
* * * *
That night, Lindsey curled on the couch to watch TV and patted the cushion. He eagerly jumped up next to her, resting his head in her lap with a content sigh.
She stroked his head as he closed his eyes and inhaled her scent.
My mate.
When she started yawning around ten, he remained hopeful as she stood and walked to the bedroom. He waited for a cue, and his heart leapt when she stopped at the bedroom door and turned to look at him.
“Well? Come on, big boy. I don’t want to sleep alone.”
He knew she couldn’t possibly mean it the way he wanted, but he scrambled off the couch and raced past her into the bedroom. He leapt, landing squarely in the middle of the mattress.
She laughed and turned off the lights, stripping before sliding into bed. “Slide over, bed hog.”
He did, waiting until she settled to snuggle against her. She rolled over and threw her arm around his broad chest. “I still need to name you.”
Husband’s always a good one.
* * * *
Lindsey wasn’t sure if she’d sleep, but she did, almost immediately. He didn’t smell like any dog she’d ever had. He reminded her of…
Of a man.
No, she wasn’t so desperate for loving, despite a three-year dry streak in her love life, to contemplate bestiality. Between his freaky intelligence and imposing physical presence, she couldn’t help it.
She loved him.
She dreamed, deeply, of a large man with the dog’s grey eyes and black hair peppered with silver. But he was young, maybe a little older than her, broad shouldered and handsome.