Wild Wolf Claiming. Rhyannon Byrd

if she hadn’t been noticed by some evil asshole intent on making her a part of his unwilling harem, Elliot might have never found her. The idea of never coming face-to-face with her made his insides churn with dread, and yet...wasn’t that wrong, seeing as how he was here because she was in danger?

      Unless... Was she meant to catch the kidnapper’s eye all along, just so Elliot could walk into this greasy diner and find her? Was that how fate worked—one shitty circumstance for an amazing one? It seemed twisted and wrong to him, and he hated that her entire world was about to be turned upside down. But part of living with his past was to always be brutally honest with himself, and he knew there wasn’t a chance in hell that he would change the connection between them. Even if he had to give his life to get her out of this situation, he would take the deal, just for this opportunity to meet her. To be close to her.

      But, God, he hoped it didn’t play out like that. He wanted this moment with this woman, and then a thousand more. A lifetime of them, as they learned each other and grew together. And maybe, just maybe, he would be lucky enough to one day earn her heart. He didn’t have the slightest idea how that could be possible, given...given everything that he’d done—but Christ, it would be sweet.

      Shifting from one foot to the other, she finally cleared her throat and gave him another shy smile. “So, um, do you know what you’d like?”

      You, deliciously naked and needy, desperate for me to please you, he thought, while his wolf rumbled in approval, completely on board with that idea. But to Skye, he simply asked, “What do you recommend?”

      “You look like you’re a pretty healthy eater.” She tilted her head a bit to the side, a teasing look in her eyes as she added, “But even though they’re a far cry from nutritious, our chocolate milk shakes are to die for.”

      Elliot watched her flick a quick look at his dimple as he smiled. “Then definitely bring me one of those.”

      She bit her lip and lifted her brows, big green eyes full of warmth and humor. “The cold should also feel pretty good on your throat.”

      He smirked as he slowly shook his head. “You’ll never let me forget that, will you?”

      “That I saved your life?” she asked with a cheeky grin, before softly laughing. “Heck no. It’s not every day that I get to feel like a hero.”

      Thinking she was completely charming, even if she was teasing him, Elliot lowered his voice and leaned forward on the table with his arms crossed. He’d slipped his jacket off when he’d come inside, and he couldn’t help but notice that her attention had shifted to his biceps as they pressed against his black Henley. Lowering his voice, he said, “I guess I should say thank you, then. You know, for saving my life and all.”

      She brought her beautiful gaze back to his, and smiled again. “Anytime.”

      “Wanna share my milk shake with me?” he asked, enjoying the way his head went a little fuzzy as he pulled in another deep breath of her incredible scent. With Skye Hewitt around, he wouldn’t ever need alcohol to get a buzz. He could just bury his face in the tender curve of her shoulder and breathe her in, so warm and sweet and delicious.

      She blinked a few times at his question, and then blushed a little brighter. “Um, that would be lovely, but we’re too busy for me to take a break right now.”

      “Maybe later, then,” he murmured, knowing damn well that he was going to have to sit her down and explain why he was there before too long. Max could be back with Vivian at any moment, and it was probably best if he talked to Skye before they arrived.

      Softly, she asked, “Do you want anything to go with the shake?”

      “A bacon cheeseburger and fries?”

      “Good choice.” Then with another shy smile on her lips, she turned and headed back to the kitchen service window, where she pinned his order to one of the silver clamps. She cast a quick glance over her shoulder, and it looked like she gave a small laugh when she caught him staring right at her. Her blush bloomed brighter, and then her attention was drawn away by one of the other waitresses who came up and started talking with her. Elliot kept a careful eye on them, relaxing only when it became obvious that Skye and this woman were friends, unlike the scrawny bitch who had been so rude about her.

      When a plate of potato skins was suddenly set in the window, Skye grabbed it and carried the order over to one of the tables that were closest to the door. Though Elliot was dimly aware of the chime that signaled the door being opened, he didn’t pay any attention to whoever was coming inside. He was too preoccupied with watching Skye share a laugh with an elderly man at another table, before putting her arms around the old guy’s shoulders and giving him a gentle squeeze.

      The girl...yeah, she was something else. Watching her, he wouldn’t have been surprised to learn that half the people there came in simply to be around her, and his mouth had just started to twitch with another appreciative smile when reality came crashing into the moment with the blunt force of a hammer.

      “I want everyone to fucking stay where they are!” a harsh male voice suddenly shouted from near the entrance, causing the entire diner to fall silent in fear. “Just dump your cash on your tables and keep your mouths shut!”

      Son. Of. A. Bitch! Elliot blinked as he shifted around a little more in his seat, taking in the asshole standing by the hostess’s station with a deadly, narrowed gaze. Damn! He’d been so drunk on Skye, he hadn’t been paying proper attention to his surroundings, which was unacceptable. He’d been doing this job for too long to let some jacked-up junkie in need of his next fix sneak up on him.

      “I mean it!” the guy yelled, waving his gun around with a trembling hand. “Any of you even think of giving me any shit, and I will pull this trigger!”

      Sliding out of the booth and to his feet, Elliot held up his hands as he took a step toward the pale, twitchy male whose angular face had probably been handsome before it’d been ravaged by drug abuse and hard living. “You don’t want to do this,” he said as calmly as possible. “Trust me. Your best option is to just turn around and get the hell out of here.”

      “Not a step closer,” the robber snarled, suddenly reaching out and snagging Skye’s upper arm. She cried out as he yanked her against him, while keeping the gun pointed at Elliot.

      “Skye, look at me,” Elliot demanded, his low voice vibrating with rage. It took everything within him not to release his fangs and claws in front of the frightened humans and tear this dude’s throat out. But one of the founding tenets of his pack was that their species never be revealed to the masses—ever—under any circumstances.

      “Shut up!” the guy yelled, but Elliot ignored him.

      “Will you trust me and do what I say?” he asked her, flicking his attention back and forth between the junkie’s wild gaze and her frightened one.

      “Why?” she mouthed, and he knew she was asking him why she should give him her trust. Why he was helping her.

      “Because I know how to handle these types of situations.”

      “Are you a cop?” the robber shouted, wrapping his arm around Skye’s throat. She reflexively reached up and curled her hands around the guy’s forearm, the panicked look on her face making Elliot ache.

      He shook his head in response to the asshole’s question, but kept his sharp gaze locked tight on Skye. Then, for the second time, he asked, “Will you trust me and do what I say, baby?”

      Her eyes went wide at the husky endearment, and he kept his focus on her as he directed his next words to the bastard trying to use her as a human shield. “You so much as cause her even one second of pain, man, and you’re going to be dealing with me,” he warned. “And you really don’t want that.”

      “Fuck you!” the guy spat.

      Elliot felt his wolf seething just beneath his surface, and knew he needed to end this quickly. Any hope he’d had that the idiot would