The Wolf's Bride (Shifters Unleashed Book 1)

by Natalie Aejaz

  He instantly wanted to go to her—hell, he had thought of little else but seeing her for the last two weeks—but the bloody Council mobile went off. The report from the investigation team was here. Shit, this could not wait. He scanned the details of The Alternative’s employees, right now resentful about this position of responsibility. If only he could put this damn business aside for a few minutes and go after her … He froze near the end of the list. Leanne McCarthy? Must be someone else with the same name. He clicked on the link and a bio opened, her face smiling at him.

  Leanne worked for The Alternative?

  She did not just work for the organization … she was the one responsible for putting out all those stories about shapeshifters. Leanne was the reason his kind was being threatened by official investigations. She had been obsessed with writing about the beasts, publishing one witness account after the other as if it was her mission to expose them. Was that why she had asked all those questions about shifters, in the forest? And like an idiot he had only gone and answered them. How could he have been so fucking stupid, letting his guard down? And how long before she ran an expose, detailing the information he had so easily given? He might as well have fucking handed the beasts over to the government himself.

  As he clenched his fists, his head became heavy and nails grew into claws. Knowing the glow was in his eyes, he did not dare look up. There must be an explanation. She was not faking her response that day—she wanted him. Until she knew what I am. Then she could not wait to get away. Anger buzzed through his ears and blocked out the words of people around him as pain shot through his mouth, fangs extending. When did she plan to betray him?

  He was losing control of his emotions and needed to get out of here, quick. He placed money on the table, keeping his gaze on the floor as he left the pub, and rushed to the nearby car park where he parked his Porsche. Inside the vehicle he took a deep breath to calm down, but could not stop thinking of Leanne. She had lied to him even though he trusted her. When he turned on the sound system rock music blared out, and he switched the setting to Mozart before closing his eyes, resting his head against the seat. He visualized gardens, mountains and lakes—practiced the relaxation exercises he had used for years—but it was no good.

  Leanne had got details out of him that he had no business giving to a human.

  He could not control it. Before he lost hold of his beast, he drove out of the car park, toward the forest.

  A SHIVER PASSED THROUGH LEANNE as she left the office building for Foodies, as if someone had run a finger down her spine. Rex? Her damn imagination, more like it. The streets were crowded because of the lunch hour but despite the swarms of bodies, a well-dressed lady caught her attention. She could swear the woman had a feline quality to her walk, so much so that Leanne practically visualized a tail bouncing off her backside. Am I going mad? She was noticing animal qualities in people and imagining glowing eyes all over the place these days. The lady disappeared into the crowd and Leanne hurried on, wanting to see Dave and return to work on time.

  The café, with its lilac walls and cute wooden furniture, was a cozy space with simple but tasty food and as expected, packed at lunchtime. Dave sat in a corner at a table for two, near a small window with quaint frames painted white. The sight of him caused resentment to flare up inside her but she attempted to quell it, forcing a smile to her face as she approached the table. Why did he suddenly want to meet?

  “You’re looking well,” he said, standing to give her a kiss on the cheek. The gesture was uncomfortable, as if coming from a stranger. She took the seat opposite him. He looked presentable enough, dressed in a corporate two-piece and dark brown hair recently cut, but she could not help comparing him to Rex. Pretty unfair. At least boring old Dave was not about to go around ripping young men apart.

  “Looking well yourself, too.”

  He indicated toward the menu, printed on a sheet of handmade paper. “Fancy something to eat?”

  “I’m not hungry.” Despite the tempting smells wafting around the café she could get nothing down, not before knowing what he wanted, anyway. “Shall we talk?”

  He frowned. “You’re more direct than usual?”

  She was? “You need to get back to work, too. So we might as well come straight to the point.”

  He raised his eyebrows before holding an envelope out to her. “The key to your apartment. I’m sorry I didn’t give it back sooner.”

  Shit, she had forgotten. As she placed the envelope in her bag, she appreciated him remembering, and taking the time to return it … but why was he now looking so uncomfortable? “What is it, Dave?” Had he already found someone else?

  “The thing is … seeing as we’re not getting married after all”—Get on with it, Dave!—“I wanted to have my ring back.”

  “What?”

  He sat up straight as if affronted, shoulders back. “Well, it’s only to be expected. I spent a lot of money on that ring, three—”

  “Yes, I know. Three months of your salary.” He really was something, wasn’t he? Getting in touch after two weeks just for a damn ring. She was surprised enough when he bought it for her in the first place, considering the stingy git had only ever given the most practical gifts on her birthday each year. When buying the ring he even referred to it as a bloody investment and following the engagement expected her to show it off to whoever they met; so that its expense might be discussed and notes made on how well Dave was doing.

  She did not want to hold on to the ring, but there were other things to consider. “I’m happy to return it,” she said, “But we need to sort out the outstanding costs of the wedding.” For starters, the insurance company had refused to pay out. Bloody small print. Dave’s surprise was obvious as she continued. “I would be well within my rights to ask you to pay for everything, seeing as you did not get your act together until the last minute. But all I want is for you to cough up your fair share.” And if he did not, she would go ahead and sell the ring at a loss to cover his share—it was nothing more than what he deserved.

  “This is not like you.”

  No, it was not. Usually, she would put their joint expenses on her credit card and forget about it, but that was when she expected to share a future with him. “It’s only fair.”

  He nodded his head. “And how much are you expecting from me?”

  “You’re the accountant.” With a habit of entering every penny spent on a damn database. “Work it out and give me a reasonable figure. Once the money’s in my bank, you’ll have the ring.”

  “I’ll get back to you tonight. If we can agree on an amount, the money will be in your account tomorrow morning.”

  “And when that’s done I’ll return the ring.”

  And that would be the end of this sorry mess.

  CHAPTER SIX

  * * *

  BY THE TIME LEANNE GOT HOME that evening, Dave had sent a message with details of what he considered a reasonable figure. It was less than what he owed but she was not about to bargain, so replied and asked him to go ahead and transfer the money. She pulled the ring out of the cupboard, where it had sat since the day of the wedding, and placed it in an envelope, sticking a label on the package. As soon as the money arrived in her account, the ring was being sent to him by courier.

  Someone rang the doorbell. She had not arranged to meet Beth and was avoiding mum these days, so who could it be? She opened the door, freezing in surprise when she took in the massive figure looming over her. “Rex?” He charged into the living room and just stood there, staring. Yes, it really was him, out of nowhere and in her apartment, tension simmering underneath that strong exterior. His jaw was firm and fire burned in his eyes, an animal aura emanating from him. The effect was only emphasized by dark trousers and a black shirt that stretched across his muscled chest, making her imagination go wild. Shivers ran all the way through her, heat burning low in her stomach. For the past couple of weeks he had occupied her fantasies, tormenting her, and it was so tempting to
forget what he was and fall into his arms.

  But something had seriously pissed him off.

  “You lied to me, Leanne!” Lied to him? What was he going on about? “You work for The Alternative.” She shut the door and faced those blue eyes, now so cold. “You’re the one who put all those shifter stories out.” Shit. How the hell had he found out? And as if that mattered right now. There was an angry shapeshifter in her apartment, who looked as if he was about to blow. His expression darkened as he grabbed her by the arms. “How the fuck could you do this to me?”

  Okay, so she had not been entirely truthful that day—but why was he behaving as if she had betrayed him, when they hardly knew each other? But we did share a connection that day, something special. Time to drum up some of that confidence that had been working pretty well for her recently. “We were in a forest, alone. And there you were, eyes flashing and upset. I should have told you then that I put out those stories?”

  He took a deep breath as if trying to calm down, but still held on to her arms, glaring down at her. “And what about your questions? When is the information I gave you going on your site?”

  She got it; this did not look good. “I was asking those questions because I was interested. You’re a bloody shapeshifter, for God’s sake. You expect me to not be curious?” She needed to focus on explaining this, not easy with his proximity getting her all hot and bothered. He might not be human, and in a pretty agitated state, but his mere presence was enough to generate tons of pressure inside her.

  Why the hell did you have to be a beast?

  “You’ve got no fucking idea of what you’ve done,” he said, sharp. “Of the situation you’ve put us in.” He let go of her arms and stepped back, clenching his hands. Not a good sign. “Because of your stories, the authorities are after us.”

  What did he mean? Those articles were the reason for the government’s interest in shapeshifters? Impossible. “Nobody takes the articles seriously,” she insisted. “So why would the government?”

  “Because you would not let it go … For fuck’s sake, with enough sightings the bloody Loch Ness Monster would be taken seriously!”

  The thought she might have put him in danger, even if not deliberately, was a sobering one. “I’m so sorry,” she said, voice soft. “But I had no idea the witness accounts were real.” She had treated the subject as an interesting project, nothing more. “If I had known something like this might happen, I would have never touched the stories.”

  Her explanation seemed to calm him, a little. “You expect me to believe that?”

  “It’s the truth. In fact, since meeting you, I’ve not released a single article about shifters.” He was listening, which was something. “I even spoke to my boss and convinced him to let the subject go.”

  He took another deep breath, running his hands through his hair, eyes slowly returning to that blue color. Phew. “You did that? Really?”

  “Yes.” Why did he find it difficult to believe?

  “And what about the officer from the security service who came to The Alternative recently?”

  “How the hell do you know about that?” These shifters were obviously well organized and much more capable than the wild beasts she made them out to be. “The officer … it was nothing. He only asked my boss to hold back from reporting on shapeshifters.”

  “Do you have any other information?”

  “No.” Best not to reveal that her source Harry had mentioned a potential government investigation. This was between shifters and the authorities, and she did not plan to get involved.

  Rex paced the living room before pausing, his eyes studying her, voice low and tense. “Your boss … Alan, isn’t it?” Shit, he really had done his research. “Maybe I should send an investigator to visit him, find out more.”

  “No, please don’t,” she said quickly, not wanting to think about the questioning tactics shapeshifters might have. “The officer really didn’t give Alan any information.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “I wasn’t about to torture him, if that’s what you’re scared of.” He shook his head as if exasperated. “Why the fuck do humans expect shifters to be violent, out-of-control creatures? All our investigations are subtle. The last thing we want is to draw attention to ourselves.”

  “Well, Alan knows nothing.” Her stories had sometimes leaned toward the macabre but to be fair, she only had fear-mongering movies as a reference point. According to those, any self-respecting werewolf should have murdered her by now, in the most indigestible manner imaginable.

  Rex’s gaze was on her, unmoving. “And why did you convince Alan to stop the stories? They were silly, but doing very well. A good source of income, I imagine?”

  She shrugged her shoulders, hoping she came across as nonchalant. “I didn’t want to bring more attention to you guys.”

  “You did it for me?”

  Yes, she did. His expression changed, that hint of a smile on his sexy face making her melt. He is not human. Which was why she was going to ignore the desire pooling deep in the pit of her stomach. “After you helped me out that day, it was the least I could do.”

  His gaze turned heated, raking over her body, lingering on her hips and breasts, and then her lips. She held her breath, knowing he wanted to kiss her, every part of her responding in anticipation when he stepped closer. “That’s all? Leanne?”

  The way he said her name, all slow and sexy, made her skin tingle. “There’s no need to read anything else—” His lips landed on hers before she could finish. He drew her to his strong warm body, his hand cradling the back of her head as he swept his tongue against hers. She moaned, and he did it again, lust overcoming her as she sank against him. Yes, she wanted stable and normal … but this just felt so … good. She moaned against his lips, silently begging him to assuage the unbearable pressure rising between her legs.

  Holding her tight, he lifted her in those strong arms and sat on the sofa with her, guiding her to his lap. His tongue probed deeper, and she squirmed against him, his erection against her sex. Even with the barrier of material, the contact nearly drove her over the edge. He gently pulled at her ponytail so it fell open and as his tongue thrust inside her mouth, his other hand moved up between her thighs. When she rubbed harder against him, he released her lips, his eyelids heavy and jaw slackened. “Leanne,” he groaned. “You’ve no idea of how fucking difficult it’s been to stay away.”

  Oh, but she did.

  He bit out what sounded like an oath as he lifted her for a moment, so he could shift her skirt to her waist. Hooking his fingers under the lace, he dragged her panties down, and she quickly edged her legs out of them. The last two weeks had been agony, yearning for this. He touched her between the thighs, caressing her clit with his thumb and making her tremble. “More, Rex.” She lifted her hips, opening her legs wider.

  She gasped when his fingers entered, thrusting in and out of her, thumb still stroking her swollen clit. “You’re so wet,” he whispered. “So fucking beautiful.” Her body went limp with desire as he released her head onto the armrest. Eyes on her face and fingers inside her, he opened the buttons of her blouse and his hand slipped inside her bra cup, making contact with her flesh as his eyes shifted to amber; but the glow did not make her nervous, already familiar. He stroked and flicked her nipple until she was panting loudly and then moved his hand to the other cup to find that erect bud. His gaze never left her face as his fingers pushed deeper into her, thumb working her clit. Yes! How did he know what would make her feel good? Helpless, she lay across his lap as his demanding hand moved between her nipples, flicking and teasing; his erection pulsing under her ass and driving her wild. She arched her back, hips rising with each thrust, until she was thrashing her head against the armrest as ecstasy overcame her.

  “Rex!” she cried, out of control with need, arms stretched out above her, the pleasure overwhelming. She had fantasized about this since that day in the forest, tried to remember how it felt, but nothing in her imagina
tion had been as good as this. She screamed out his name again when her orgasm overtook her, and as he pulled his fingers out she went limp, head falling back over the armrest.

  But Rex was not done with her.

  Taking her by the shoulders to pull her up, he shoved her legs apart so she straddled him, skirt still around her waist. He quickly pulled her blouse away and her back arched when he reached for the clasp of her bra, swiftly opening and removing it before staring at her exposed breasts with a hunger that made her nipples ache for his mouth to cover them. Whimpering, she arched her back a little more so her breasts thrust forward, offering herself. She had never been all that comfortable being naked in front of anyone else, but right now pleasure shot to her core because Rex was looking at her, jaw clenched and that heated gaze full of desire as if she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. When she moved her fingers to his shirt to open the buttons, he twisted his hand through her hair, forcing her eyes to meet his. The fire had intensified, no hint of blue remaining. His other hand was on her leg and when she felt a prick on her skin, she looked down. His nails had grown. What the fuck?

  He is a beast. Not human.

  He tugged at her hair so she was looking into his eyes again. “I want you,” he said, his voice deeper than ever and face tense. Something had changed about him and it should have scared her, but instead was turning her on. He now fixed his gaze on her straining nipples, making her squirm in anticipation. Just when she could not bear it any longer, he moved his mouth to her breast, sucking and licking her nipple. How was she so turned on again, so quickly? She laced her fingers through that thick dark hair, tugging at it to pull him closer, relishing his growl against her breasts.