The Mate Challenge (BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) (Sassy Mates Book 4) by Milly Taiden Read Free Book Online

help her keep on going.
    “I really appreciate you taking the time to talk to me,” Emma said. Though she had little to go on, she knew that Embraced was going to be her next stop.
    “Stay away from the club, Emma.” Aria said softly. She finally let go of Emma’s arm and stepped back. “Humans don’t go to Embraced. You won’t find anything good there. The trade of blood and sex between my kind is dirty and dangerous. Someone like you can be hurt in there. Easily.”
    That’s why she had to go. It was very possible Maria found her way into Embraced and gotten into trouble. Unless Emma went to find out, nobody would know for sure.
    “I will see if any of my people have heard of your missing girl,” she promised.
    Emma gave Aria her number. “Thank you.”
    A loud growl sounded in the distance. Aria narrowed her gaze and hissed into the trees. She jumped back. In the blink of an eye she was a good ten feet away from Emma, fangs bared. “Your pet has come to get you.”

SIX
     
     
    Emma glanced around to the trees where Aria was pointing. Sure enough, within the shadows the light from two gold eyes shone through. Then, the wolf jumped by Emma’s side, growling and snarling. He moved in front of her and rumbled a bark.
    The wolf took a quick jump toward the vampire, snarling loudly. Aria veered off to the left, shoving at the wolf with amazing speed.
    “Tell your pet to stop,” Aria hissed. “I don’t want to hurt him.”
    Mason flew at her while she glanced at Emma. He caught her at the side, biting on her leg.
    “Dammit!” She growled and jumped away. “Stop it, Wolfe. I haven’t touched your female.”
    “Mason!” Emma called out.
    The wolf stopped, turning his golden gaze toward Emma. He rushed by her side, growling at the vampire.
    “Stupid mutt made a hole in my pants,” Aria grumbled.
    Emma watched the blood seeping from the wound stop and the bites heal themselves. It was unreal.
    “Are you okay?” She asked, worried for the other woman. Dead or not, Mason had bitten her hard.
    “Yes, just a pesky bite. I’ll go now. I’m not in the mood to get the rest of my outfit dirty,” Aria muttered, glaring at the wolf. “Remember what I said, Emma.”
    She was gone so quickly it took Emma a second to realize she was no longer there. The giant wolf in front of her turned to face Emma and shifted into a very angry Mason Wolfe.
    He prowled to her, eating the space between them with his steps. His eyes flashed gold and the vein on the side of his jaw held her in a trance. She wondered if it would pop the angrier he got.
    “Mason, what are you doing here?”
    “Keys,” he growled.
    She didn’t want to argue with Mason. Not when she’d had such an informative visit with the local vampire. She yanked her car keys out of her pocket and handed them to him. “Happy?”
    He pressed his lips into a thin angry line, opened the passenger side for her and motioned her with his head. “Get in the car, Emma.”
    Uh-oh. He never called her Emma. It was always brat, sexy, gorgeous or some endearment, but never her name. She wondered what the hell pissed him off.
    She slipped into the car quietly. Her mind wrapped around the information she got from Aria. Mason might stop being so angry if she shared what she’d learned with him. She turned to face him but the words died in her throat. His face was an angry mask. His skin pulled tight against his face and showed the animal still sitting below the surface.
    The car’s engine roared as he took off and for a few minutes he sped as if they were running from something. Then, he took a turn she wasn’t familiar with and onto a dirt road.
    “Mason?”
    He said nothing. He stopped the car and jumped out, walking to the edge of a small stream that turned into a natural pool. She’d been there once before with her class on a picnic, but never at night.
    She wondered if maybe she should leave him alone, but her gut instinct was to go to him. To figure out what was