Page 23 of My Shifty Bodyguard

“Someone is trying to harm me and my family. You have been hiding it from me. Tell me the truth, right now, or I’m not going anywhere with you.”

Chapter Twelve

Dax

A storm of relief mixed with apprehension swirls through me as I look back and forth from Ethel and Violet.

My mate is safe.

My mate is also furious.

Never in my life did I expect to be faced down by two females who, together, take up maybe forty percent of my entire mass.

It is very unfair. I prefer opponents who I am allowed to maim.

“I am very sorry. I never wanted to keep secrets from you. I was following the orders of my Alpha. Violet and I will return to pack lands now.”

Violet glances at Ethel. Ethel scowls at me.

I wait, but nothing happens. Violet isn’t moving.

I take a deep breath. “I am going to go make a phone call,” I inform them, and I walk out of the diner, feeling their gaze burning into my back.

I need counsel. I don’t know how female, civilian types think. I call the only person that I can think who may have answers.

She answers on the second ring. They are still in Kentucky, returning next week. "Rowan family.”

"Mother. It's Dax."

"I'm aware. Your designation appears on the screen." A pause. "It's 4:15. I was preparing dinner. Is someone dead?"

"No."

"Are you in extreme danger and in need of reinforcements?”

"No."

"Then this is…a personal matter?”

"There's a female," I say. "She's angry with me. I need her to come with me and she won't."

"Is she a hostile?"

"No. She's a protectee."

"Then secure her and transport her. The objective is her survival, not her good opinion of you."

"I can't just throw her over my shoulder."

A silence comes down the line that could strip bark off a pine. "Why not? Are you physically unable? Are you injured beyond healing? We can hire a healer from the Frostbane pack if necessary, although with your superior healing abilities I simply do not understand why-”

“No! I can’t do it because she is my fated mate. And don’t ask me if she has child-bearing hips!”

“Does she, though?”

I groan aloud. “Mother! I need help with a complicated situation!”

“What about Saoirse? She comes with 2800 acres of timber.”