by DJ Phoenix
He didn’t owe her any explanation, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to discuss it with her. This had been a first since he had become sexually active, which had been a very long time ago. He didn’t know what to make of the whole situation. His wolf’s interference and his lack of performance were a shock and a first. Shit.
What was he going to do now?
What if it happened again?
He went back to his table and found Matt chatting with a human blond. Taking his initial seat, he motioned one of the girls for another beer. He tried to concentrate on Matt’s conversation, but his mind kept wondering back to the breakroom where he had planned to fuck Layla in every position known to man. He just couldn’t wrap his mind around what had happened.
His mood soured as he ran the incident through his mind over and over, and decided it was best to be alone. He let Matt know he was heading home and strode to the bar. Layla was filling an order, and he just wanted to make sure she was alright before he headed home.
She smiled at him and spoke before he had a chance to articulate a word. “Don’t worry about it, Luke. You’re probably just tired or stressed. It happens. And, besides, I got what I wanted … the means it came by is irrelevant. You are the one that didn’t.” She leaned in and whispered, “If you need me later, just call and I’ll drive up to your cabin. You know I’m here for you when you need me.”
Luke nodded and kissed her cheek before walking to the door.
Soon after, he drove into his garage and killed the engine. He locked the door behind him and walked straight to the bathroom, stripping his clothes and stepping into the shower, letting the hot water ease his tight muscles. He needed a run, maybe that’s what had him stressed, just like Layla had suggested. He had been busy with up keeping the cabins and preparing for the council meeting, and he hadn’t shifted in days. His wolf was restless with the need to run and hunt.
Luke stepped out of the shower and decided to go for a run. He opened the backdoor to his cabin and stepped out, draping the towel from his waist over the porch rail. He crouched on the floor and, where a man had stood just seconds before, a massive black wolf with iridescent ice-blue eyes took his place. Luke allowed his wolf to take over and leaped off the porch. Leaving the backdoor open, he disappeared into the dark forest.
He ran a while, chasing game, catching a few rabbits, and after eating his catch, the black wolf took flight again. Luke was lost in the feel of the wind rushing through his pelt and the soft dirt under his paws. He allowed his wolf to run without a care in the world until the sweet fall day and candy apple scent assaulted his senses.
Luke took over his wolf and, for the first time, noticed he was standing right outside a cabin’s window. It was dark inside, but with his wolf’s sight he could see clear as day that a woman was curled up on a couch. He stood in the dark looking at her. When she shifted, he could see it was the redhead from the diner. His cock became instantly hard and his wolf howled.
Realizing the woman would be frightened if she saw a black wolf his size peering through the window, he retreated to the line of trees surrounding the cabin. He stood watch as she slept, all the while trying to make sense of his wolf’s reaction to the mere sight of her and the alluring scent she possessed. Not finding any pliable explanation other than the fact that he really wanted to fuck her, he headed back to his cabin.
He stepped under the steaming water once again and lathered a washcloth. He scrubbed and rinsed his body clean, but still had a hard-on. Taking advantage of his erection just in case a repeat of the earlier events with Layla happened, he reached for his most sensitive parts.
He lathered soap onto his hands and stroked his cock, rubbing his thumb over the head. A shiver rolled up his spine. He had really needed release earlier, his balls were practically blue. He massaged them, cupping them firmly while he continued to stroke his cock. Increasing his rhythm slowly as he flexed his hips and rubbed the head with his thumb, he savored every sensation. Every pang of need. Every throb of wanton desire. He continued stroking his cock as he increased his rhythm. His release was rapidly approaching, so he closed his eyes, and an image of the redhead and her luscious curves filled his mind. The image threw him over the edge. He felt his cock pulse, and his seed squirted the wall in front of him, sliding down the tiled wall to be washed down the drain.
He finally relaxed against the wall to his side, thankful he had been able to find some kind of release. Maybe it had been the need to run and hunt that kept him from fucking Layla. Though something told him the redhead had something to do with his momentary impotence, and he didn’t want to think of the repercussions that would bring.
Chapter 3
Cynthia
Cynthia straightened from the curled-up position she was in and realized she had fallen asleep on the couch. Well, at least the couch had been comfortable, and she had a good night’s sleep.
Probably due to the wine, she thought as she walked to the bathroom.
She threw on one of her warm workout outfits and running shoes, and headed out, grabbing her iPod and headphones. She usually ran between four and six miles four times a week, but today was Friday, and the last time she had run had been Monday. She was falling behind on her workout schedule, and today she wasn’t sure how far she could go in the current cold weather.
The townspeople would probably argue that forty-seven degrees wasn’t cold, but for a California girl this was definitely cold. Even though she lived in New York for a while, she never got used to the harsh winters.
Thirty minutes into her run, there was a loud boom followed by pouring rain. She groaned and instantly regretted her running idea.
Great! A thunderstorm.
It would take her at least fifteen minutes running as fast as she could in the mud to reach her cabin.
A shiver ran down her spine. The feeling of being watched had her turning in place and looking intently into the woods lining the road she was on. She didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but an uneasy feeling still clung to her. Giving the woods one last look, she turned and continued her run in a hurry to get out of the rain and back indoors. She wasn’t very outdoorsy, but she did know that being outside in a thunderstorm was not a good idea.
Just as she began to push herself to make it back as quickly as possible, a car horn startled her.
She glanced over her shoulder and saw a truck coming her way. There was no one else around and, well, she did come from a busy city in which the rule of thumb was to never get into a stranger’s car and never pick up hitchhikers. Not knowing what else to do she ignored the car and continued running; maybe the car would just drive by.
To her horror, the truck pulled over just in front of her. Cold dread washed over her and, just as she was about to freak out, the passenger door opened and a smiling Kristy poked her head out, waving her hand.
Cynthia let out a sigh of relief and hurried toward the truck.
Kristy smiled kindly and waved her in. “Come on, we’ll give you a ride.”
Cynthia stilled a little hearing the word we. Who else could be in the truck? “Um … well, I was hoping to get in a good run …” She trailed off, trying to hide the uncertainty in her voice.
“Don’t be silly, this is no weather for running. Mindy doesn’t mind. Come on.” Kristy slid back into the truck as Cynthia approached the door.
Hearing the other person in the truck was female, Cynthia decided a ride sounded just fine right about now. “Okay, if you’re sure. I’m kind of soaked.” Reaching the door, she saw a blond girl at the wheel who, guessing by the similarities, had to be Kristy’s older sister.
Kristy had already scooted into the middle of the bench seat, allowing Cynthia to climb in the passenger side. “Cynthia, this is my sister Mindy, Mindy this is Cynthia, the lady I told you about yesterday.”
Mindy smiled and put the car into drive. “It’s nice to meet you, Cynthia. Kristy tells me you’re renting one of the cabins up the road.”
“Yes,
I’ll be here till the end of September. This is a really nice town.” Cynthia shivered as the cold, wet clothes clung to her body. Thankfully, Mindy was driving into her cabin’s driveway.
Before she could filter what was coming out, she spoke her thoughts. “How did you know which cabin I was renting?”
Kristy answered, “Oh, well you said the realtor told you the cabin was five miles from town and this is the closest one. There’s another three cabins about another two miles up and then about another three miles up there’s a gated community, that’s where we live. You should come to dinner one of these days.”
Mindy smiled and nodded. “Yes, that would be fun. Grandma and grandpa would love to meet you.”
“Thank you for the invitation, I’m pretty much free every night, so just let me know when your grandparents are up for extra company. And thank you for the ride. Would you girls like to come in for a cup of coffee and breakfast? I haven’t eaten yet, and I was just going to prepare something.”
“Sure!” Kristy exclaimed almost immediately, and looked at Mindy expectantly.
“Okay, we can stay for a little while, then Kristy has some chores to do before her shift starts at the diner.” Mindy’s bright blue eyes smiled before her lips.
The three of them walked into the cabin, Cynthia ushering the girls into the living room and excusing herself to go change into dry clothes. With a clean pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt on, Cynthia strolled back into the living room. “I’m starving. Want to join me in the kitchen while I prepare breakfast?”
The girls stood from the couch and followed Cynthia to the kitchen area.
After turning on the coffee pot, Cynthia got going on some scrambled eggs and bacon. She quickly prepared the egg batter for some French toast and, in record time, had served three plates and three cups of coffee. It was really nice to have someone to talk to, even though her whole trip was an effort to have time to herself. These girls were a breath of fresh air. They seemed to be down to earth and genuinely friendly.
Breakfast was spent listening to Kristy share the latest town gossip she had picked up while working at the diner. It seemed nice that they knew so many of the people in town, though it kind of sucked that one’s private matters could easily become town gossip. Cynthia took in the sibling banter and felt a pang of loneliness not having Cassie around.
She shook that thought away and refocused on her guests. “So, Kristy, how old are you?”
“I just turned eighteen, and Mindy will turn twenty-six in October.”
Cynthia saw Mindy roll her eyes and she laughed at the sister’s banter. “Are you a senior in high school then?”
“I actually graduated this past June. I’ll be leaving to Colorado State University next fall.”
“That’s great, do you have a major?”
“Not yet, I was thinking maybe I’d like to travel so International Business is on my list, but I don’t think I could leave Mindy.”
Mindy spoke up, reaching across the table to take Kristy’s hand. “Nonsense, you have to do what you feel is right for you. Whatever I chose to do was my decision, nobody else’s.”
Kristy looked at Cynthia to explain. “Mindy didn’t finish college because she came back to take care of me.”
Mindy gave Kristy’s hand a tight squeeze then let go. “I had been in college for a semester when our parents died. Kristy was ten years old, and even though our grandparents took her in, I couldn’t leave her alone. I knew she needed me so I moved back.”
Cynthia had unshed tears in her eyes. The girls had trusted her enough to share this very personal part of their lives. “Kristy, you are lucky to have such an amazing older sister. You can do anything you set your mind to, so long as you are dedicated and you work hard at it. Your sister is telling you to follow your own path and it’s okay. As an older sister myself, I can tell you we older sisters mean that kind of stuff when we say it.”
Kristy nodded her head and smiled at Mindy. “You’re truly okay with me leaving?”
Mindy stood and reached to pull Kristy out of her chair too. “Oh Kristy, I am above happy that you will get the chance to follow your dreams. I promise. Now let’s go because you have to get your chores done.”
Cynthia was grateful that she had met a woman her age and with such a joyful and perky spirit. She had done her best to be a loving daughter for the past year while she cared for her mom. She had tried to be the best sister she could be, and now Cassie was following her life dreams traveling through Europe. She, on the other hand, needed to be around people that could show her how to live again. Mindy seemed like a good place to start.
After they had all finished eating, Cynthia walked the girls to the door. Mindy had informed her that she worked at the only bar in town and cheerfully invited her to visit whenever she had a chance. Cynthia had been a little reluctant, but Mindy had assured her that it was safe and would be fun. Assured by Mindy’s encouragement, Cynthia had agreed to call her up whenever she was ready to give it a try.
Waving goodbye to the girls, Cynthia closed and locked the door. She gathered the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen. Grabbing her wet clothes, she threw them into the washer and sauntered over to her laptop. Firing the machine on, she sat down to write.
Luke
Luke’s day had passed by in a blur. He’d been working hard on the cabins to keep his mind off a certain redhead. Thankful he had finished the roof he was perched on, he jumped down and dusted his hands. He was sweaty and dirty and in desperate need of a shower, but Matt, however, insisted he was starving and wanted to eat, so they headed down the mountain toward town.
Matt chatted about his latest fling all the while Luke wondered how long it’d be till he was neck deep in trouble again. It never failed with Matt, it was like a vicious cycle he was cursed to live over and over. Or maybe he was just always thinking with his little head instead of the big one on his shoulders. Truthfully, it was damn lucky for shifters that long ago, when they had been created, the gods had decreed their race would only procreate with their mate, and not until they had performed the bonding ceremony and the union had been blessed by them.
Luke was half listening when Matt asked the one thing Luke had been hoping to never have to talk about. “So, how’d it go with Layla last night? You left shortly after you met her in the backroom. What happened? She not doing it for you anymore, or is she wanting something more? I hate it when chicks do that. All of a sudden, just fucking isn’t enough, and they want a boyfriend to hold their hand and walk their dog.”
Luke snorted at Matt. “No, she doesn’t want more, or at least not that I know of. It was just … I don’t know. I just couldn’t …” If there was anyone Luke trusted it was Matt, but he was having a hard time explaining what had occurred last night with Layla.
Matt caught on instantly, and his face turned serious. “Oh man … I had no idea you were having that kind of trouble. I mean, it’s kind of unheard of amongst our kind. The only time I’ve heard of such a thing happening is when a male finds his mate and he tries to get it on with a different female. His wolf won’t allow it.”
Luke paled at the thought. He didn’t want a mate, but if this was true, then he would have no choice. He knew his wolf would fight him on this. “Shit. You think I’ve found my mate? I don’t feel any different, and I haven’t met anyone.”
“Well, I guess you have a point. I mean, aside from the humans that visit the town, we haven’t had any new females visiting the pack. You think it can be possible your mate was dormant and your wolf just barely recognized her? Or it maybe you just happened to cross paths with one of the many town tourists and your wolf stirred. Thing is, I haven’t scented any unknown wolves in town, so that would mean your mate is human.”
“Fuck, I don’t know, man. This is kind of new to me. Maybe it’s just stress or something.”
Matt shook his head. “Judging by the look on your face, I’m guessing you don’t want a mate. So, all I’m going to say is good luck,
man.” Luke laughed, and Matt joined him, handing his card to the waitress. “Just to make you feel better, dinner’s on me, man.”
Walking into his cabin, Luke closed the front door and went straight to the bathroom. He turned the shower on and slid under the stream of steaming hot water, allowing it to wash away the evidence of the day’s hard work. He stood under the running water, contemplating the whole mate issue. Could he live with a mate? He was so used to being on his own and doing as he pleased, not to mention he enjoyed being able to choose who he fucked as he damn well pleased.
Resolved on doing his best to ignore the issue, he turned the shower off and dried himself. He walked naked to his bedroom and donned a pair of dark denim jeans and a black long sleeve button shirt. Leaving it untucked, he slipped his black ropers on. As he combed his unruly wavy hair, he noticed he had forgotten to shave.
Ah well, he didn’t care.
An hour later he was walking into Joe’s. It was still early, but he needed to lose himself in a few drinks tonight. He nodded at Joe and headed straight to his usual table.
Chapter 4
Cynthia
An incoming text pulled Cynthia out of her storybook world. Unlocking her phone, she laughed at a picture of Cassie. From the background, she could see her sister was living it up in France at the moment. Thankful to hear from her, she replied and set her phone down. She saved her document quickly before turning the laptop off and looked at the clock; it was already four and nearly dinner time. She had worked through the day and hadn’t stopped to eat lunch.
She wanted to try dinner at the diner in town, so she sauntered over to her bedroom and pulled out a clean change of clothes. Letting the shower steam while she undressed, her mind wandered to that stranger she had seen yesterday, her body responding to the image of him, and shook herself out of those thoughts and stepped into the shower.
The sun had set by the time she stepped out of the shower, and it was getting dark outside. Figuring it would be cold, she slipped on some black leggings and a fitted, dusty pink, cowl-neck sweater that fell off her shoulder. She slid her black high-heeled booties on and worked her curls into a manageable bunch, letting them fall down her back. Grabbing her purse after applying a little color to her cheeks and eyes, she headed out to the living room and scooped the keys off the end table.
