“The grocery store is just right down the street, so we might as well walk.” He looked over his shoulder at her. “Only if that’s good with you.”
Kenzie nodded and smiled up at him. What a considerate male her mate was. They rounded the corner, and the small grocery store came into view.
“We’ll head in, get whatever your heart desires, then head over to the butcher shop.” He lifted their joined hands and pointed to a small shop across the street. When she didn’t answer right away, he continued. “It’s the only place my brothers and I go for steaks.” She wasn’t a very big meat eater, not since she was a deer shifter and all, and when she wrinkled her nose, he laughed. “Baby, you’re mated to a bear shifter. You know, a carnivore.” He winked and leaned down to lay a soft kiss on her forehead. It wasn’t the most intimate display of PDA they performed, not like what they had just done moments before, but it still had her toes curling.
They headed into the store, and Kenzie decided spaghetti and a salad was probably the safest option if she was the cook for tonight. How hard was it to boil water and throw some lettuce in a bowl?
After they grabbed what they needed, and Bram picked up a bottle of red wine, which he insisted was needed, since it was a crime to eat pasta without it, they were walking across the street to the butcher shop. She stayed back while he ordered so much meat her head reeled. The smell of raw meat alone had her stomach clenching. Once he was finished, they headed back to his truck.
There was a group of young men standing right by the alley, and it was clear by their secretive actions they were doing something illegal. She had seen enough back-alley drug deals living with Rook and being around the people he associated with to know what one looked like.
It seemed even in quaint-appearing towns there was scum that littered it. Bram tightened his hold on her, and just as they were about to take the longer way, one that had them crossing the parking lot and turning left, one of the guys called out.
“Hey, you got a smoke, man?”
Bram tensed and pulled her behind him. She could see around his arm the four guys making their way closer but still staying by the alley for protection. The wind picked up, and she scented that they were wolverine shifters.
Normally, that breed was on a thin wire as it was, easily provoked, and angrier than any other species she thought possible for the small animals inside them.
“No.” That was all Bram said, and she could feel how tense he was, how on alert, and that had her deer feeling the same. These males were off, high on whatever it was they were exchanging among them, and unstable.
“We’re just passing through on our way to Mogador. Thought we’d stop in Bumfuck, Egypt for some brews and a little recreational enjoyment. We got some for sale.” The one who was talking seemed to be the leader. His dark hair was long and greasy, and his clothes hung off his willow-like frame. The other three didn’t look any better. They were high for sure. They wore the same frantic, paranoid expressions.
“No.” Again, that was all Bram said.
“What, you too good for my shit?” That was the thing with junkies; they always thought the worst about everything, and it always concerned them.
“Didn’t say that. We don’t do that shit. I don’t have cigarettes for you, so move along.” The tension that came from these four wolverines was intense. It was still daylight out, yet they clearly didn’t care if anyone saw.
She knew something was about to happen before they made their first move.20The hair on her arms stood, and her animal rose to the surface. She couldn’t win against one wolverine, let alone four, but she could outrun one, and there was no shame in that.
Bram’s bear rose violently as well, and the growl he emitted would have had any sane person fleeing, but these shifters were high and clearly stupid as hell.
“Bram, please, let’s go. They aren’t worth it.”
One of the wolverines hissed at her comment, which in turn had Bram bristling.
“You should listen to your bitch.”
Bram’s shirt stretched almost to the point of ripping as his bear threatened to escape. He stabbed his finger at the shifters. “You don’t look at her, speak to her, or even fucking think about her.” His voice was distorted, and she knew there was no way she could stop whatever was about to happen. The air crackled with electricity, and Bram pushed her back. She looked around, but there was no one walking by. For that, she was thankful, because she didn’t want any innocent people getting involved. “Step back, baby, but stay close.”