TuesDay Tales - Thanks

Hi everyone! Welcome to Tuesday Tales!
We are back with Ezekiel Hallow in Featherweight (Hallow Brothers 6). This week’s word prompt is “thanks”.
**Warning - There is adult situations and adult language.**
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He breathed a prayer of thanks when they parked in a side street deep in the downtown area. He hopped out of the cab of the truck as she propped her bike.
Dakota cocked her head towards the top of the street. “Come on, let’s go.”
“And where are we going?” Ezekiel questioned as he followed her.
She smirked at him over her shoulder. “It’s a surprise.”
They slipped into the crowds of parties that flooded the streets of Nashville. Music from the bars floated out to the street, blending with each other and the noise of the revelers in a strange symphony. Half naked woman laughed in drunken fits as men dressed to impressed tried to score.
Ezekiel flinched as he felt someone brush against him. A wave of nausea hit him like a wave. They had to get out of here.
“Oh, fuck,” Dakota muttered. She clenched her arm around her belly as she doubled over a little.
Ezekiel caught four guys pass by out of the corner of his eye. All of them were staring at Dakota with the gaze of a wolf about to attack a lamb. His low growl sent them off in the opposite direction. No one fucked with his mate.
He laid a hand on Dakota’s shoulder. He felt her tug a bit to get away but she didn’t get far.
“What is it?” Ezekiel asked.
“I’m going to hurl,” she groaned.
He whipped his arm around her waist and tucked her against his body. He curled around her the best he could, using his large body to shield her from the crowd.
“What are you doing?” she demanded. He noticed she cuddled closer instead of pulling away.
He felt something brush across his ass. His stomach lurched in response. “Remember that thing I told you about mating? We might want to find a different way back to the truck and the bike. Where are we going again?”
“An old smoke shop. We turn left in two blocks.”
“Great. Let’s hurry.”
The two blocks through the mob took an eternity. The music was no longer beautiful. It was noise that just made things worse. Every couple steps another hand caressed him. Bile burned the back of his throat. His eyes watered. He felt Dakota flinch against him a couple times but her body relaxed in his embrace.
This was hell. He’d take crossing a thousand bridges over this.