Even in the small store jammed-packed full of all kinds of things he had never seen before, his senses were flooded by smells, but it didn’t matter.
Not really.
Because deep inside himself, Zane could feel his wolf pacing impatiently, growling, and demanding to be let out to sniff the beauty standing in front of them.
Zane couldn’t swat the animal away.
He knew there was nothing to do about the canine’s reaction.
Raven Bishop, witch and murder-plot victim, was his mate.
She was his. His to care for, his to protect.
His hands balled up into fists at his side. What a pain in the ass. He didn’t have time to be distracted by his shifter instincts. He had a town to protect and an insane order of witch hunters to thwart. None of that was conducive to losing his head—both of them—to the raven-haired beauty.
Well, shit. He was even waxing poetic in his head, comparing her hair to the bird whose feathers her locks matched perfectly. It even went with her name.
Zane had had every intention of walking into the store to have a calm conversation with Raven and Cerise Bishop about the danger they were in. He had planned on piling them in his truck to lead them to a nearby cabin where they would be safe for the foreseeable future while he dealt with the Order of Salem with his pack and his deputies.
The fact that Raven was his mate changed everything.
Zane was not letting her out of his sight. Whether it was convenient or not, Raven was his to protect.
He took stock of what he knew. Firstly, Zane had the distinct impression that convincing Raven that she needed to come with him would be difficult. Secondly, he knew that with his mate sense blaring in his head as his wolf howled for Raven, there was no way he could leave her side. His wolf would tear at his skin if he even tried to leave the woman in someone else’s care.
“What does the Order of Salem know about the supernatural, anyway? What do you know about it? I’ll call my sister and get this all squared away.”
The thought of Raven facing down an angry armed mob with her sister terrified him.
Taking a deep breath, Zane made the decision to be as honest as possible with Raven. There was no way around it. If he didn’t tell her now, it would only make things more awkward later when he had to tell her. When he seduced her. Because he would.
Zane searched his brain for a frame of reference, but he came up short. He’d never had to tell a woman he had to protect her since she was his fated mate. Perhaps this is what Raven needed to put her trust in him completely.
“Miss Bishop, I have to be honest with you before we go any further.” Raven crossed her arms again, narrowing her eyes at him. “I’m a shifter,” he blurted out, “and my wolf is adamant that you’re my mate. Though that complicates the current situation, I assure you I will remain completely professional. I promise that I will put those feelings aside until this situation is resolved.”
Zane could hear Raven’s heart thundering in his own ears, and he wondered what had made her pulse increase. She’d been fairly calm until he mentioned she was his mate.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Raven’s hazel eyes were all but popping out of her beautiful face. “You can’t just walk up to a woman and be like, hey, so these people are out to kill you. Oh, and I’m your mate but have no fear, I will be professional and won’t chase you until you’re safe. What the hell is wrong with you?”
He couldn’t help but be confused by her reaction.
Zane knew it was less than ideal for him to be mated to her, but it was better he be upfront about it. He hadn’t expected Raven to be angry about it. Overwhelmed? Sure. But not flat out upset.
“I only mention it because I don’t want to be an issue between us.”
“An issue?” Raven gasped. “Sheriff Cross…”
“Zane,” he interrupted her, suddenly longing to hear her say his name. “Please, call me Zane.”
“Fine,” she rolled her eyes. “Zane, you can’t just expect me to follow you around and take your orders because you say I’m your fated mate. It doesn’t work like that. This is the twenty-first century. I’m not just going to take your word for it and fawn all over you.”
He took in her words. He had to admit they made sense. Now he just had to figure out how to backpedal and get Raven to agree to go into hiding with him.
Fuck. Why had he been honest about the mate thing?
Right.
Pure instincts. He had to tell her. His wolf commanded it. Besides, he had to be honest with her. It would make it a hell of a lot easier for him when this was all done. If Raven already knew he was attached to her, it would be easier for her to trust him.
“I’m not asking you to follow me blindly. I am warning you that there is a threat against your life and that as a police officer and a wolf, I am here to protect you. I won’t let you face this alone. Especially not since we don’t know how dangerous these people are.”
“Correction,” Raven interjected. “They don’t know how dangerous I am.”
Zane didn’t know whether he wanted to kiss her or spank her for being so sure of herself. She was brave, and the cop in him admired her for it. But that courage was also foolish, and that made the wolf in him get all kinds of annoyed.
“Would you be able to hurt someone?” he asked. Raven deflated.
There was the crux of it all.
Raven wanted to deal with this threat with her family, but when the Order of Salem came, there was no telling how Raven would react. Would she defend herself, or would she falter, scared of hurting another human being?
His money was on the latter.
“What can I do to convince you to come with me?” he asked her.
Zane knew he must be running out of time. Soon, the Order of Salem would drive up to the store, and they’d no doubt try to complete their mission.
“Nothing,” Raven answered. “There’s no convincing me.”
She turned on her heels and disappeared down the aisle. Zane watched her go but didn’t leave. He crossed his arms and leaned against the small counter. If she wasn’t going to go with him, he’d wait.
He’d be there when the Order appeared, and then, Raven would see that she needed him.
Chapter Seven
Raven
“You’re still here?” she scoffed, rounding the corner of one of the aisles to see Zane.
In truth, Raven had known he hadn’t left. The little bell over the door hadn’t tolled. She knew the sheriff was still in her store, waiting to prove a point.
Ha.
He’d so totally lose face when the Order of Salem never showed. Quacks like that were unreliable.
“I told you I would protect you,” Zane answered.
The man looked about as hot as he could, leaning on her counter. He was flipping through a book called Hexes and Everyday Curses as if it were the morning paper. Raven knew the book held some pretty gross hexes, but Zane didn’t seem fazed by it at all.
Arthur had only seen a pocket-sized book about everyday spells, and he’d blanched before exploding in a huge tantrum about magic. Was that the time he’d accused her of putting a love spell on him? No. That was another time. Fuck, Raven had stayed with that asshole far too long.