Chapter Five

Graham walked out of the bar, glaring at the two men bickering with each other at the entrance. The smaller one’s nose pricked and he glared in Graham’s direction. Graham snarled. Yeah, I smelled you on her too, asshole. Rage overtook him and he picked the welp up by his collar and slammed him against the brick wall. He barely registered the larger of the two pulling at his arm.

“Touch her again and I’ll end you,” Graham warned, causing the young man’s glare to turn into confusion and then recognition. He gulped and nodded. Smart little wolf. Graham released him and turned back to the line of SUVs waiting for him.

“I told you that rogue was nothing but trouble,” the bigger man said behind him.

Graham flinched at the insult and wondered how often people used the term on his little, innocent mate. He yanked at the constricting collar of his dress shirt until the top two buttons popped off. Mark held open the back door to the second SUV and he saw Stuart lounging on the back seat with a grin on his face. Graham slid into the seat, pivoted and rammed his fist into Stuart’s smug mouth. Stuart fell back and his head collided with the glass, cracking it. Stuart cried out and cupped his broken, bleeding nose

“Not so tough without an audience, are you?” Graham hissed, posing to strike him again.

Stuart shrieked and shrunk back against the seat with one hand held out to stop him. Graham chuckled without humor and sat back in his own seat. He ripped his jacket off and threw it in the back. In the front seat, Jensen looked up from his phone into the rearview mirror.

“Problem?” he asked, looking back down at his phone.

“Needed a lesson in manners, is all,” Graham grumbled, looking out the window as the cars began to pull away from the bar and his mate.

Jensen hummed. “Where were you?”

“Meeting someone.”

“Who?”

“A cheap rogue slut,” Stuart grunted.

Again Graham pivoted but this time he sent his fist into Stuart’s stomach. Stuart lurched forward and choked, having had the breath knocked out of him.

Jensen sighed. “Stuart, if you can’t keep your mouth shut, then get into another car,” Jensen said massaging his temples now.

“Happily,” Stuart mumbled. The car came to a stop and he jumped out at the first opportunity. Stuart glared back at Graham who growled in response.

A moment later the car moved forward again and silence filled the cab.

“Care to explain what’s gotten into you today?” Jensen asked, still looking at his phone.

Graham sighed and pulled at the cuffs of his shirt. He hated wearing suits. He looked into the rearview mirror. “Nothing.”

Mark guffawed and shook his head. “You broke formation, disappeared for twenty minutes and don’t think we didn’t notice you manhandling that little pup.”

“We have a good relationship with Paul. Best not to rock the boat by beating up his security,” Jensen grumbled.

“He touched something he shouldn’t have. I had to put him in his place,” Graham explained.

Mark laughed. “Have you declared yourself the father figure of Sterling?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Graham asked.

“You roughed up the security guard and then punched my son,” Jensen pointed out. "Spill it."

Graham inhaled deeply. “I met my mate.”

Mark and Jensen both gaped at each other with equal looks of shock before schooling their features.

“In Sterling?” Mark asked. “Hm, who would have thought you’d be mated to a wolf?”

“She’s rogue?” Jensen asked, picking up on what Stuart mentioned.

Graham stared out the window recalling how he’d walked by the kitchen door and heard her singing to herself. She moved about the kitchen as though she were an appliance designed to be there. He’d been so pleased to learn she was a cook, a professional one who traversed farmers markets for the very best. He hoped her citrusy cream scent would linger on his jacket and then grimaced when he remembered how carelessly he’d thrown it into the back.

“Not quite,” Graham finally answered.

“She’s not a rogue?” Jensen asked.

“She’s not a wolf. She’s half lycan,” Graham clarified. Silence. “She was apparently abandoned as a baby. Doesn’t know anything about her history. She smells of alpha blood though.”

“Mate bond infidelity,” Mark guessed.

“Probably.”

“What about her rogue status?” Jensen asked like a broken record, finally losing interest in his phone in favor of the current conversation.

“She wouldn’t say.”

Mark and Jensen laughed. “Couldn’t get her to talk?” Mark joked.

Graham smiled despite himself, remembering the feel of her pressed against his hard on. He shifted in his seat as the memory caused his dick to thicken. “There were more important aspects of the bond that needed tending to.”

Again the men in the front seat laughed. “I’ll need to meet her before we can accept her into the pack.”

“I know the laws,” Graham said in frustration.

“Good. Given the current climate I suggest you figure out why she turned rogue. It wouldn't hurt to track down her parentage either. Better safe than sorry.”

“Right. I’ll need a week off to gather information and get her settled at my place,” Graham said.

Jensen looked up at him in the rearview mirror while Mark snickered. Graham knew it was a long shot. Jensen wasn’t known for allowing his subordinates to take time off, especially those in his close circle. They got time off when he did; which meant they never got time off.

“Fine,” Jensen agreed, turning his attention back to his phone but typing more furiously than before. Mark spit out the drink he’d just chugged. Graham smirked in victory. “You’ve never taken time off since working with me. I suppose you’re due. But not a full week, four days… after tomorrow. We have business to tend to first.”

Graham growled in frustration. Not even a day as mates and he was already breaking a promise. He glared out the window, wondering why he didn’t think to get her phone number before leaving.

“Hey, Boss? Speaking of time off…” Mark asked sweetly.

“No.”

“Damn.”