Lawful Mates - Liam Kingsley Page 0,40

car then circled around to Easton’s side and opened the door for him. As soon as he emerged, I gripped his waist and dragged him against me, pressing my lips to his and kissing him thoroughly.

“There,” I said when we were both breathless. “That’s what I’ve really wanted to do all evening.”

He smiled. “About time. Now, are you ready to run?”

Easton shifted first, and I just stood there for a moment, taking him in. He was absolutely gorgeous. Large and powerful, full of strength and beauty. His golden fur gleamed with the last rays of the setting sun, his bright blue eyes shining out.

“You’re beautiful,” I said softly, my heart skipping a beat.

Easton stretched, his tail flicking back and forth as he looked at me, his head cocked to the side. Then he took a few steps forward and rubbed against my side, marking me with his scent.

I ran my fingers through his soft fur, and he let out a sound of pleasure as I scratched behind his ears. He continued marking me with his scent, and I found that I loved it—more than I thought I would. In his own way, he was claiming me as his.

My heart felt fuller than it ever had, and when I shifted, I rubbed against him as well, thoroughly marking him with my own scent, until there would be no doubt to anyone who knew us that Easton belonged to me, and I belonged to him.

I nuzzled him again, and then turned toward the forest, cocking my head. He trotted along beside me until we were on the other side of the clearing, and then we ran.

I’d never been one to spend a lot of time with my pack mates. Sure, I went on runs with them here and there. But it was never as intimate as this run with Easton. Being in wolf form together, letting our wolves bond and connect in a way that was unique to mates, was like nothing I’d ever experienced. That seemed to be the way it was with the two of us. Easton had opened me up to so many new experiences, and I felt a connection to him that surpassed understanding.

We ran for hours, occasionally stopping by a stream to drink, or in a clearing to play or cuddle. It was relaxing and…fun. Something I hadn’t had enough of in my life. Until Easton came along and showed me what I’d been missing out on.

It was one of the best nights of my life, and by the time we headed back to the car and shifted back to human forms, I knew something truly special was happening between us. And I thanked fate for bringing this man into my life.

12

Easton

After weeks and weeks of dead ends and no new leads, I finally had something to go on.

I hung up the phone, barely able to believe my luck. In my desperation for something, anything, I’d put out some feelers, hoping to get a fresh lead. Looked like it had paid off.

I didn’t know who the guy was who had just called because he’d said he would only talk to me on the condition of anonymity. But he sounded young. He said he’d witnessed the kidnapping of the senator’s son. When I’d asked him why he hadn’t gone to the police, he’d been evasive, only saying that he had a record and couldn’t risk contacting them.

It was sketchy, no doubt. But that was the nature of my work. This wasn’t the first dodgy situation I’d gotten myself into, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

He wanted to meet me on the outskirts of town immediately, so I started gathering my things. My sense of self-preservation was strong enough that I knew going alone wasn’t the smartest idea. Still, who was I supposed to take along? I didn’t have time to put together a security detail. I couldn’t call Kevin since I was dealing with a shady character who insisted I keep the cops out of it if I wanted his info. There was Percy, of course, and my instincts compelled me to tell my mate. But I couldn’t let him know either because that would only complicate matters.

So far, we’d managed to keep our work and personal lives separate. It had worked out for us up to that point. I didn’t want to jeopardize that. I also couldn’t risk Percy gaining some intel from the meeting that he might be able to use in his defense of