Free Behind the Eight Ball by M.A. Church

too. Marshell took me back to our business to pick up my vehicle.
    “Are you going on home?” Marshell asked as he parked at the shop.
    “Yeah. I’m tired, and I have some serious thinking to do.”
    Marshell nodded. “I know you. You’re not giving up, are you?”
    “I can’t, Marshell. I can’t just walk away. If I go by what I’ve learned about mates, then Heller is supposed to be the perfect match to me. That has to mean something, and for right now, I’m not willing to walk away. Not yet.” I shrugged. “But first I’m going to make a quick trip inside to my office, and then I’ll head home.”
    Marshell stood by the back door. “Oh? Why?”
    “I left my iPad. I don’t want to leave it here all night.”
    “Want me to wait?”
    “Naw, you go on. I won’t be but a minute.” I turned off the alarm and opened the back door.
    “See you at home, then.”
    “Sounds good,” I said.

Chapter Six
     
     
    Heller
     
    OKAY, SO flouncing off might have not been the best idea ever. I really needed to start thinking before I reacted. It wasn’t as if traveling the distance home was a big deal. It wasn’t. I might end up with sore paws, but I knew where I was going.
    This didn’t explain why I was currently crouched under a car in the parking lot and not on my way home. Not sure this qualifies as a good idea either. The car I hid under was located next to the back parking lot for The Perfect Touch Auto Spa and Detailing Shop.
    When I scented Lawson on Marshell, I lost it. The idea of another male covered in my mate’s scent drove me nearly out of my head. Hot on the heels of that came ball-shivering horror when I learned Marshell was a paranormal who fed on the blood of humans.
    Gut-wrenching fear smothered me, and suddenly the fact Lawson was human didn’t matter so much. My first concern was if Lawson was okay. Then Marshell threatened to keep my mate from me and fear turned into raging anger.
    How dare Marshell try to come between my mate and me? The freaky blue snake eyes and fangs hadn’t stopped me from shifting. The other paranormal pissed me off, and my cat wanted out to make a point, even if that meant using claws and teeth.
    Funny how things turned around on me. Lawson’s humanity wasn’t the tremendous issue I once thought it was—and wasn’t that just a shocker? All it took was a perceived threat to my mate for me to wake up and see that. I guess it was the kick in the ass I needed.
    Lawson’s being human didn’t matter. No, the issue was the closeness I sensed between Marshell and my mate. That bothered me. It was obvious there were deep ties there. It never entered my mind my mate might be involved with another, and I didn’t know how to deal with that.
    Well, outside of the fact it made me crazy. My temper still sparked at how easily Marshell touched what was mine. Then the female showed up and she too reeked of Lawson’s scent. It was more than I could stand. I left the restaurant, furious.
    Was Lawson involved with the bothof them? And that was what sent me running. I knew threesomes happened with shifters and with other paranormals. So how involved was Lawson with them? I knew they hadn’t mated Lawson—his scent was pure human.
    But just because Lawson wasn’t a mate to them didn’t mean he didn’t love both the Vetalas. It wasn’t until I’d covered several miles that I realized I’d left Dolf there all alone. I shuddered, remembering those fangs of Marshell’s. Damn things were long.
    I almost went back, but Dolf had Sam and several other clowder members there. And frankly I didn’t get the feeling the Vetala were a threat to Dolf, especially since the female was Sam’s mate. Right, forgot that for a moment. She’s out of the picture now.
    If she was in a relationship with Lawson, well, that just came to a screeching halt now that there was Sam. That still left Marshell. What was I going to do? I ended up at Lawson’s business. Some part of me needed to be here