I was so close to her, so close to shifting and letting her see who I am. I've never felt as protective or out of control as I did yesterday at the lake. The second I felt the rogues' presence, my first and only thought was keeping Laila safe. Neither Micah nor I could figure out who they were. They weren't part of any of the surrounding packs. However, we did know what they wanted. You could smell the lust in them from miles away. I wanted to stay and fight, to rip off their balls and shove them down their goddamned throats. The protective side of me won out though. What mattered was making sure Laila stayed safe.
After seeing Laila and being in her presence, there's no doubt about her being my mate. I want to be her protector, and the only way to do that is to talk to her father. He already knows I'm her mate; it's the sole reason he backed off so I could approach her yesterday. Now that I'm off work, I'm on my way to his cabin to formally nominate myself as her protector.
My phone rings, and every time it does, I keep hoping to see Laila's number on my screen. Instead, it's Faith. I'd give anything to hear Laila's voice and to have her say she wants to see me. It would at least confirm that she feels something. My life has been fucked up from the very beginning. I should've known finding my mate wasn't going to be simple.
"Hey," I answer.
"Hello there. You on your way home from work?"
I turn out of the Grand Teton National park entrance onto the highway. "Nope. Going to see Zayne. I want to be Laila's protector."
"You know that's a royal arctic thing, right? I don't think any of the other packs pick protectors for their females."
It's true, but there's always a first time for everything. "They don't, but it's what I want to do. She's my mate, and I want to protect her."
"That's very chivalrous of you. Let's just hope she wants to be your mate."
I don't like the sound of her voice. "Why do you say it that way? What did she say?" This is what I've been afraid of. I'm not a royal arctic like her, and I don't come from a family with money. There's nothing I can offer her.
Faith blows out a sigh. "It's not what she said, but what my brother did."
My grip on the steering wheel tightens so hard I can hear the leather crack. "What the fuck did that cocksucker tell her? And more importantly, when the hell was he around her?"
I can hear the hesitance in her voice. "Yesterday afternoon. He came over for a few minutes. He kind of told Laila some things about you."
The anger burns like fire in my veins. "What did he tell her," I growl, feeling my wolf just underneath the surface. If Colin were at their cabin last night when I arrived, I would've ripped him apart. Faith grew silent, and it only pissed me off more. "What did he say?"
"He told her about all your conquests. Don't get me wrong, I value you as a friend, but I'm a little disappointed. I didn't realize you were such a manwhore."
"Fucking great," I huff. "This is exactly what I don't need. She'll hate me."
"She doesn't hate you, Cedric. Although I do think she's a little wary now. All you have to do is show her who you are. You're funny, smart, loyal, and all-around a great guy. It didn't take me long to see that in you."
"Thanks for your vote of confidence."
She giggles. "Hey, just thought I'd give you a little warning. My brother really doesn't like you, does he?"
"The feeling's mutual."
"Well, anyway, don't stress over it. I'm here to help. Good luck with Zayne."
I turn down the road to his cabin, and it comes into view. "Thanks. I'll need it." Zayne prefers his solitude, but he's not too far from the rest of us in the pack, especially Laila. When I arrive, Colin's little black sports car is in his driveway. Just fucking great. They work together, so I can't be that surprised, but after what he did last night, I could kill him. He walks out, dressed in a pair of slacks and a button-down shirt, holding a handful of blueprints.
"I hear Laila's your mate," he calls out, tossing his blueprints into the front seat of his car.
I get out of my truck and slam the door. "You're right. She is. And I suggest you stay the fuck away from her."
Colin chuckles. "Or what? You mad I told her what a dirtbag you are? She deserves to know how many women you've stuck your dick in."
The sound of his laugh makes something in me snap. I lunge for him, and out of nowhere, Zayne steps in my way. "Enough!" he shouts, pushing his hands against my chest and Colin's to keep us apart. He glares at Colin. "Don't you have a meeting to get to?"
Colin glares at me and straightens his shirt. He gets in his car and speeds away. Zayne watches him go and then turns to me. "One day, his mouth is going to get him in trouble."
"It already has," I growl.
He nods and walks up the front porch stairs. "So I heard," he says, opening the front door. "I knew you'd come by." I walk inside and follow him down the hallway until we get to what looks to be a drawing room. There are two drafting benches, one for him and the other I'm assuming is Colin's. He sits down at his desk and leans back in his chair, his hardened gaze on mine. "I'm not here to judge you, Cedric. What you've done in the past is your business. With the bond, I know you'll stay faithful to my daughter."
"I will," I promise him. "That is if she gives me a chance. I'm here to ask your permission to be her protector."
Zayne purses his lips. "Think you can handle it?"
I nod. "We both know that with her connected to me, I can protect her better than you."
His jaw clenches. "I wouldn't go that far. I've been in this world a whole hell of a lot longer than you."
"You have," I agree, "but I want to do this. Laila doesn't know me, and I don't know much about her. I want to fix that. The only way is to spend time with her."
Zayne nods in agreement. "She's not like us, Cedric. She's more like her mother. Granted, Alina wasn't considered my true mate, but I loved her more than anything. Full-blooded female shifters feel the pull like us males are supposed to. Laila might not be like that. She hasn't come to talk to me about it yet. I don't think it's going to be as easy to get her to fall in love with you."
That's what I've been afraid of, but I'm not the type to back down. "I understand. I'll do whatever it takes."
Zayne stands and holds out a hand. "Then you have my permission to be her protector. I'll step down, but it's not going to stop me from watching after her."
"I understand." I shake his hand. He's her father. I can only imagine what I'd be like if I had a daughter.
"You have a lot of work cut out for you," he says, slapping me on the shoulder.
Don't I know it, especially after what Colin did. "Is there anything about her I should know?"
Zayne's lips pull back slightly. "She's smart and creative." He waves me over to his desk and picks up a stack of papers, handing them to me. "These are her drawings. I've been introducing her to some of my clients. They all want to hire her to decorate their homes."
I don't know much about picking color schemes or furniture, but Laila has a talent. I hand them back to him. "She's very talented."
Zayne stares down at the drawings. I can tell he's guarding his feelings. "She gets it from her mother."
My back stiffens the moment I feel Laila close by. A few seconds later, I hear a car come down the driveway. "She's here."
Zayne slides Laila's drawings into a folder. "Guess we should tell her the news. This is your chance to talk to her."
Or have her slap the shit out of me. All I know is that I've never been so damn nervous in my life.