Head Hunter (City Shifters the Pack #3) - Layla Nash Page 0,55

Persephone was his mate. She was the other half of his soul, the only person who would complete him.

And as much joy as that brought him, he couldn’t forget how little she wanted to do with him. Knowing she was somehow tied to one of the supernatural creatures she wanted to forget existed was probably the worst news she could hear.

Except for more about Bridger’s goons tracking her down. That might have been the thing Persephone dreaded hearing, followed closely by being permanently tied to the pack.

Dodge took another deep breath and tested the thought. “She’s my mate. Persephone Lawson is the other half of my soul.”

His voice went rusty with emotion and he struggled to breathe for a long moment. He’d never expected to find his mate, to find anyone with the potential to make him happy. He’d given up on any kind of domestic bliss after growing up around his grandparents and their fucked up power dynamics, social posturing, and judgment. He’d given up on even short term relationships after leaving his last contract in Africa, after the nightmares got bad and he didn’t spend much time sleeping unless he was drunk enough to pass out. Dodge figured he’d be a bachelor until liquor or fighting killed him.

He cleared his throat but put aside the cigar so he could cover his face. “What the fuck am I supposed to do with that, Silas? She’s not – not ready for any of this. She barely understands what shifters are, what the pack means. She doesn’t understand mates. And why the fuck would she ever choose to stay with me? She can have anyone she wants – any normal human jackass with a normal job and a normal family. Why would she want to be with my scarred, broken ass?”

Silas’s head lowered and he growled again, temper flashing in his eyes. Dodge knew he understood what he said, since Silas didn’t tolerate the kind of self-pity that Dodge could be prone to.

Dodge made an irritated noise. “Oh, fuck off, asshole. You’re not even human right now. How about you give me shit when you can actually talk, hmm?”

And damn him if Silas didn’t roll his eyes.

Dodge picked his cigar back up. “I should let her go. If I was a good guy, I wouldn’t tell her about the mate stuff. I’d keep her safe until the shit with Bridger is resolved, and I’d let her go back to her normal life. Keep an eye out for her for the rest of my life, make sure she’s okay. Maybe that’s the best I can do for her.”

The wolfman growled and tensed, and his attention went to the cellar stairs. Dodge glanced over and started scowling as Todd poked his head in. “What?”

The second-in-command gave him a hard look. “Watch your tone, wolf. I’ll kick your ass across the lawn if I need to.”

Dodge grunted as he poured more whiskey, and waited for Todd to go on. The guy couldn’t keep his mouth shut for even a second, not when he thought he had something important to say.

Todd didn’t disappoint; he went on almost immediately, nodding toward the house. “Detective wants to talk to you. How drunk are you?”

“Not nearly drunk enough to talk to a cop and still be civil,” Dodge said.

“For fuck’s sake...” Todd pinched the bridge of his nose, then pointed at the spot next to him at the top of the stairs. “Go talk to her. The faster she gets what she needs to start investigating, the faster the cops will be able to deal with Bridger and keep Percy safe.”

Not that Dodge would have minded protecting Persephone for the rest of his life.

He shoved to his feet and knocked the coal off his cigar, putting it away for later. He raised the glass to toast Silas and said, “Thanks for listening, mate,” before draining the rest of the drink and trudging up the stairs to the kitchen.

The detective stood in the kitchen, studying a pot of coffee that brewed on the counter. Dodge folded his arms over his chest and ignored Todd lingering in the doorway, no doubt to make sure Dodge stayed on his best behavior.

O’Brien didn’t look away from the coffee. “Your girl is terrified.”

A growl escaped before Dodge could bite it back. “What did you do to her?”

“Nothing, boyo. She can’t get through talking about what happened with the body choppers on her own. Normally I interview witnesses separately, so they don’t influence each