Her River God Wolf (Obsessed Mates 1)

“And a good evening to you, too.” Beau turns unhurriedly and throws her a casual smile. And my heart flips. Because he’s absolutely gorgeous.

She storms over, takes in the shattered glass and spilled tableware. “You been causing trouble?”

“He saved us from two nasty men,” Elinor pipes up from the other side of the bar. I’d forgotten about her. And my cheeks warm at the thought of what she just saw happen between Beau and me.

She stalks over, hands on her hips. “We would’ve been toast if he hadn’t arrived when he did.”

“I’m not sure that’s true,” Beau drawls. “Think these girls were doing a pretty good job of holding their own.”

My skin prickles as I realize he’s looking at me with something like admiration.

“Oh, it’s totally true. We would’ve been eaten alive,” Elinor shrills, flapping her hands. She’s hectic, upset by all the disturbance.

“Well, good job, all of you.” Meredith scans the three of us, a ghost of a smile tugging at her lips.

“Guess I owe you a free meal,” she says to Beau.

“Oh, I’m not hungry yet—” His eyes flicker to me. “I’ll accept a beer though.”

“Sure thing.” Meredith barges behind the bar and pulls it herself, before placing it in front of him with a flourish. “You’re free to drink here from now on. Long as you don’t cause any trouble.”

Beau raises his glass. “No trouble, guaranteed. You won’t even know I’m here.”

He slinks off to a corner and settles down on a high stool with a contented sigh.

It gets busy again and I try to focus on my work, but all I can think about is the big wolf shifter lolling at the end of the bar, sipping his beer, scanning his phone and, very often, turning his burning eyes on me.

Whenever we happen look at each other at the same moment, a fork of lightning sizzles through me, rocking my body from head to toe. How am I supposed to focus and chat to customers, when I can hardly breathe? When Beau scorches my skin with his gaze?

Just before seven p.m., another girl turns up to take over my shift, and Meredith tells me I’m done for the day.

“Good job,” she says and hands me a bunch of bills.

Cash.Money of my own. I want to hug her.

Beau dumps his empty glass on the counter. “You ready?” he says.

I blink. “For what?”

“To go home, of course.”

“But I’m staying here.”

He shakes his head calmly. “No, you’re not. You’re coming with me.”

“I am?”

“Of course.” He says it like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, and my heart soars.

Because I want to go home with him, back to Bertha, more than I’ve wanted anything in my life.

Beau picks up my backpack, raises a hand to Meredith and Elinor, and saunters outside.

For a few seconds I freeze, caught in indecision. Worrying that he didn’t really mean it.

Then I hurry after him, heart pounding like a jackhammer.

But when I hit the sidewalk, I turn circles in confusion.

He’s nowhere to be seen.