Page 7 of My Shifty Bodyguard

I must move my arm away.

I am physically incapable. How is that possible? I’m the strongest shifter in the entire territory, and yet I can’t figure out how to lift my arm.

We stand there perfectly still in the sunlight, her hand warm on my arm, the world holding its breath around us. Even the breeze seems too polite to interrupt whatever… this is.

The baa of a goat interrupts us. Stupid goat. Goat’s meat stew is delicious, isn’t it?

She drops her hand. “Goats!” she cries out. “I haven’t petted any goats yet! Look how beautiful they are. What kind are they?”

“Nubian.” I let out a long breath and follow her over to the goat enclosure.

Paul, whose clan owns the sheep and the goats, is making his way through the enclosure, scattering fresh hay.

“Heya,” he says, giving Violet a curious glance. “We have a visitor?”

“Yes. From out of town.” I give a short nod.

“I’m Violet!” she says cheerfully. “And I love your goats.” She knees down and pets one of the females.

Paul smiles at her. Then his smile fades and he looks at me. “Any more trouble with the Frostbanes? I heard two of their teenagers ‘accidentally’ ended up on the Shadowpine pack’s property this morning. A-holes.”

I grimace, and stress wraps itself my guts and squeezes hard.

My parents and their mating plans…the Frostbane problems heating up…and I can’t mate with Violet.

I can’t not mate with Violet.

Does she even want me? The way she let her small, warm hand rest on my arm…it felt like she did, but right now she’s practically necking with a goat.

“We should go,” I say tightly.

Violet glances up at me. “We should? Where?”

I don’t know. I just know that my wolf is so restless it’s about to burst out of my skin.

“There’s an ice cream parlor over at the dairy farm section. There’s half a dozen shops over there, actually. You can get a little shopping in.” I turn and walk away abruptly, because I want her so badly that I can’t even look at her right now.

Behind me, I hear her following, and I feel her hurt feelings wafting through the air. That’s a mate thing, isn’t it? I have been told that fated mates becoming attuned to each other’s emotions, especially when they’re intense.

I hurt my mate.

Glaring ahead of me, I bite down on my lip so hard I taste blood. And I walk even faster.

Chapter Four

Violet

Well, so far Mission “Make the Sexy Murder Statue smile” is an epic fail. I think he looks even more grim then he did when I first met him, as if that’s even possible.

On the bright side, the mocha fudge ripple ice cream that I’ve just been served in an enormous waffle cone looks like its to die for.

The western edge of Moonstone territory feels like someone picked up a tiny farming village, shook out all the stress, and dropped it in the middle of rolling green hills. I’m sitting at a picnic table outside the little ice-cream stand—technically Moonstone Creamery, but it’s basically a window cut into the side of a converted barn. The whole place smells like waffle cones and sunshine.

Eight small shops line the gravel path in a horseshoe shape. They’re beautifully weathered, oversized wooden sheds with hand-painted signs that proudly announce things like GOAT MILK SOAP, FRESH PRODUCE, and ALPACA YARN. A few pack members wander in and out with baskets.

Beyond the shops, the farmlands stretch out in a patchwork of texture and color. Sheep graze in lazy clusters, goats bounce around with the chaotic energy of caffeinated toddlers, and the alpacas… stare. They’re so cute. I’ll have to pet them next. I’m sure they’re friendly. Something that cute has to be friendly.

Okay, that belief hasn’t always proved to be true, but I am going to continue to operate as if it’s a fact. That way I can continue to believe that the universe makes sense.