Chapter~22~The best laid plans.

Nicholas~

I didn't know jack shit about finesse or how to handle people, and it showed, but I'd just watched with curiosity and amazement as my smooth-as-silk mate got precisely what she wanted from the manager. She handed me a manifest before turning and twitching her hot little ass out of the sliding glass doors that led to the impound yard, and I stepped in line behind her, enjoying the view. Once outside, she stops short in front of me. Hitting the brick wall behind her, she grunts and looks at the map.

"Vans are in the back," I point to the yard map. "It's a ways back; are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine, Agent, led the way." She takes the shades off her head and puts them on.

I want to wrap my arm around her as we walk, but I remember her pulling away from me when we pulled in. It isn't appropriate for us to be seen having a PDA, I suppose, so I shove my hand in my pocket instead, none too happy about it.

Zeek invades my mind. 'So when exactly will you be honest with her?'

'So when exactly are you going to keep your opinions to yourself? That was our deal, remember? Would you like me to come clean now, Zeek? Before you have the chance to meet your mate? You know they are a package deal; if Harley walks, so does her wolf.'

That put a different light on it for my wolf. 'Perhaps it is best to wait a little longer. Could you ask what my mate's name is?'

'Sure, Zeek.'

It would help if I knew Harley was in as deep as I am; if she could grow horns and a tail at night, and I would wait at the gates with her spit-shined trident. I chuckled to myself at the thought as we made it to the back row, and I noticed my Amante wasn't looking so well, so I pulled the water bottle from my back pocket and handed it to her.

"Thank you." She pops the Tylenol, which appeared from out of nowhere, into her mouth and takes a big swallow.

Numbers three and four for the day so far. "How long have you had these headaches?"

"Since I can remember." She shrugged her shoulders and tried to blow it off. "Let's go this way first." She heads down the row of vans on our right.

I follow, of course. "Can I make you an appointment with my pack doctor?"

"So you are an Alpha?" She focuses on the van in front of her, kneeling and searching the driver's door for the VINs.

"I was born an Alpha male, yes. You didn't answer my question."

"This isn't the van." She comes up right and sways a little. Zeek growls at me like it's my fault! "It's just allergies because I haven't been diligent in keeping my appointments for the injections. Trust me, I have learned my lesson."

We move on to the next van, though at the moment, I could give a happy rat's ass about its identification, but at the risk of Harley getting injured, I kneel to the driver's door. This one still had a panel, so I ripped it off the metal and cursed inwardly when the VIN matched the one on the missing van. No way was I getting my Amante out of here now.

"This is it."

Harley pulled latex gloves from her back pocket, put on a set, handed the other to me, then moved to the back of the van and opened the double doors. My hands don't fit, but I try to shove them on. Though the truck was empty, Harley still climbed in to have a better look.

"So what made you leave your pack?" Harley is trying to sound casual, but I hear the need behind her question and am about to take advantage of it; it's truth or dare time!

"I'll tell if you will." She looked up at me and nodded. "I didn't want to be the Alpha of the pack and still don't; I left my father's pass to my younger brother. It's your turn, Amante."

Harley never stops her search or even glances my way as if her speech is well-rehearsed. "I don't have any family; my childhood memories are of growing up from one orphanage to another until I aged out."

That lie raised a brow; it saddens me to know Harley would rather have been an orphan than where she came from. I'm seeing that we still have a way to go, at least I am not the only one keeping unpleasant truths about my past, though mine is far worse.

"Sounds lonely to me."

"I survived. There's nothing here; we need to return it to our lot so Belinda can work her magic." She makes the call to her captain.

"Now what?"

She looks at me as if I were a moron. "I'm not sure how the FBI handles it, but once we find evidence, we don't leave it until we secure it."

She winks at me before walking to the trees surrounding the lot. She sits down in the shade, and I follow, of course. "How are you feeling, Amante?"

My mate has mastered the art of deflection. "What is the name you call me? Amante?"

"It's Italian; it means my love or lover. Don't you like it?"

"Yes, I like it; I was just curious. I'm ok; the getting down is easy; it's the getting up that's a bitch."

Her hand goes to the inside of my thigh, and I love the way she responds to my touch. "Have you ever thought about searching for your family?"

She gave me a drawn-out pffffffft! "For what? You think they changed their minds?"

"You could have siblings." I regretted my comment when her eyes filled with sadness.

"I have thought about that." She focused on the ground.

"You're not alone anymore, Harley."

I lift my hand to her face, feathering my knuckles across her cheek before lifting her chin and kissing her lips. The radio at her side goes off, breaking the spell. It's a guy asking for our 10-20. I know little, but enough to know he is asking for our location and that I have to keep my hands to myself. Zeek growls at me.

"Zeek wants to know what his mate's name is."

Harley's wolf came to life, and I felt her purr. "Raelynn, Rae for short."