“Can I just say that I really, really like that about you?” I grinned.
His eyes heated and he pressed an open-mouth kiss to my inner thigh. “I can’t get enough of you.”
I was so shocked by the way my body kept reacting to him. The simplest of touches had me ready for him all over again. I was sore, but it didn’t matter. His kiss was gasoline to my fire.
He read my mind and growled. “No, I know you’re sore.”
I frowned. “I’m fine.”
“Liar. I saw you walk to the bathroom earlier. You look like you’ve been riding horses.”
“You sound entirely too proud of that.” I rolled my eyes, but grinned and leaned back against the headboard. “There’s something different about you, isn’t there?”
Mac held my gaze and sat up. “What do you mean?”
I wanted to ask if he was like the polar bear I saw, and I was pretty sure I knew the answer. Almost positive. But, on the off chance I was wrong, this night would probably come to a screeching halt. There was no coming back from crazy. “Nothing. Never mind.”
He shook his head. “No, tell me. I promise, whatever you say will be okay.”
“Are you…”
“Am I what?”
“Are you…” I curled my feet under me and tucked my hair behind my ear. “Promise that you won’t think I’m bananas?”
“I promise.”
“Okay.” I took a deep breath. “Are you a shape-shifter?”
He stifled a laugh. “How do you know about shape-shifters?”
“You are! I’m not bananas.”
“You’re not bananas.”
I gasped and leaned forward. “I knew it.” I scooted even closer and stared into his eyes. “You’re a polar bear, aren’t you?”
He scowled and shook his head. “No, I’m not a polar bear!”
“Oh. Tiger?”
“Hell no!”
I was playing a game of “let me guess what animal you are” with the man I’d just slept with. I probably should have been downright shocked. Instead, I was excited. Laughing, I decided to tease him a little. “Mmm…peacock?”
“Mel, come on.” If I wasn’t mistaken, he was sitting up straighter and flexing.
“Well, if you are of the avian variety, your feathers are ruffled right now… Oh, please tell me you’re not a turkey buzzard... Are you?”
He glared. “No.”
“Flamingo? Penguin? Housefly? Ooh, I got it—jackass?”
With a loud growl, he grabbed me and pinned me beneath him. “You are the most disrespectful little woman ever.”
I giggled. “Honestly? The way you like it when I run my fingers through your hair makes me think some sort of dog. I’m right, aren’t I?” I cupped his face and nodded, seriously. “You’re a poodle.”
He nipped playfully at my neck, sending me into a fit of giggles. “Not dog. Wolf. And liking the way you touch me has nothing to do with being a shifter and everything to do with being touched by you.”
“Mmm.” I stretched up to kiss him. “Can I see?”
He seemed hesitant. “You’re not weirded out?”
“Not at all. I admit, I had trouble digesting the whole thing at first. Kinda thought I lost my mind. But I know what I saw, and now I just think it’s really cool that you can turn into an animal. I wish I could shift into an animal.”
Something pained crossed over his face, but he blinked it away. “What would you be?”
I thought about it. “I’d want to be something badass like a cheetah, or a wolf like you. Most likely, I’d actually be an oversized house cat.”
He raised his eyebrows. “An oversized house cat?”
“Yeah, the kind that lies around and sleeps all the time and expects to be fed between belly rubs.”
Laughing, he rolled off the mattress and stood at the foot of the bed. I rolled onto my stomach with my chin propped on my fist and watched him. I grinned as his eyes went to my naked ass. His growing erection was impressive and dangerously close to my eyes if he didn’t move back.
“For the record, I’ll feed you and rub your belly anytime you want.” He rolled his shoulders. “Are you sure you want to see this?”
I nodded. “More than anything.”
He held my stare for a minute more, then nodded. He was there one second and the next, there was a massive wolf in his place. Solid black with glowing silver eyes, he stood stock-still, watching me. He was bigger than any wolf or dog I’d ever seen. The word hellhound flashed through my mind. Except, he was stunningly beautiful and didn’t appear frightening. Although, there was no doubt he could be if he wanted to.
I was mesmerized.
Without even realizing I was doing, I slid off the bed and moved toward him. I was almost surprised at myself when I reached out and buried my hand in his thick fur. I swallowed audibly. I wasn’t afraid of him. I was just…in awe.
He nudged me with his nose and wedged his head under my hand. I smiled and rubbed his head, leaning into his strong body.
“You’re beautiful.”
That got me a growl, but I didn’t care. What did he want? Powerful, magnificent, ominous? He was all those things, but he was also the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I felt giddy, I was so happy. I wrapped my arms around his neck, completely overwhelmed by everything that had happened tonight.
Mac was suddenly back in front of me, his arms wrapped around me. “You okay?”
I gave him a silly smile. “Yeah, I just… Wow. That is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”
He stroked his hands through my hair and pulled me back to the bed. “Come on. You look exhausted, like you’re barely standing upright.”
“That’s your fault. You wore me out.” I wanted to talk more, but I was so tired.
17
Mac
Mel was sleeping so soundly, I didn’t dare wake her. She was on her stomach, a soft little snore was floating on each exhale, and a puddle of drool was on the pillowcase under her mouth. I grinned as I watched her sleep. She was splendid—everything about her, just unbelievable.
Her giggles of excitement when she witnessed me shift were almost as pleasing to my ear as her lovely singing voice. I’d never been so proud of being a shifter as when she’d stroked my fur and called my wolf beautiful. My head puffed up like a balloon right then. My wolf was definitely still strutting proudly. I was the happiest I’d ever been. Okay, he was a little pissed I hadn’t marked her.
I’d wanted to. She was gorgeous. Sexy. Sweet. And she’d not only gotten rid of the leach she’d referred to as her boyfriend, but she’d also come looking for me.
She came to me!
Having a woman like Mel in my life was the biggest ego boost a man could experience, and I hadn’t been all that humble to begin with. But Mel wasn’t shy about what she wanted. She was quick witted and talented. Her voice was the sweetest sound I’d ever heard and would forever be stuck in my head, no matter the lyrics that accompanied it.
Unfortunately, none of that changed the fact that she was human. She was fragile. She could be easily broken.
I rolled over, got out of bed quietly so as not to disturb her, and went into Ame’s room to check on her. The baby was sleeping just as soundly as Mel and had her little thumb tucked between her lips.
A smile spread across my face as I stood in that perfect moment marveling at what a lucky man I was. The moment lasted for about eight seconds. That was how long it took before panic set in.
Reality struck like a lightning bolt. This all seemed perfect, sure, but right at this very moment, unbeknownst to anyone, and for absolutely no reason at all, Mel could have some dark, deadly disease growing inside of her, just like the cancer that was eating away at Warren. She could be sick already!
Or it could happen next week or next month. Her body could turn on her. Hell, Warren had seemed perfectly healthy and robust for years before there was any sign that he was sick.
I could spend the next ten years, twent
y years, with Mel only to have her stolen away by some vile, wretched, uncompromising human illness.
Oh god. I wasn’t strong enough for that.
I couldn’t walk away now. It was too late for that. I was crazy about her. I wanted her next to me in my bed every night, and still there when I awoke every morning. One night and I was completely fucked. She owned me.
There was a light knock on the front door. I ran back, grabbed my jeans from the bedroom, and stepped into them before answering.
The moment the door swung open, Heather’s nose twitched, her brows lifted, and she stared up at me. Her hands flew to her hips.
I cleared my throat, knowing I’d been busted by my big sister. She could definitely smell Mel all over me. “Hey, Heather. What are you doing here? How’s Warren?”
“Well, well, well, looks like someone finally got himself a life.” She made exaggerated sniffing sounds. “Oh, you naughty boy. Where is she? Is she still here?”
I grunted and crossed my arms over my chest. “Quit razzing me and answer my question. How’s Warren?”
“He’s fine. He got IV fluids and he’s back home sleeping. Feeling much better. But we’re not discussing my mate. You like her?”
I growled. “What did I just say?”
“I don’t give a shit what you just said.” She waved her hand in the air. “You’re not getting away without telling me. If not today, then tomorrow. Anyhow, I came to get Ame. I figured she could sleep at my place tonight, since apparently Jenny’s home for the night. Besides, a baby might cramp your style.” She winked.
“Knock it off. It’s perfectly fine if Ame stays here. I can drop her off in the morning. I don’t mind.” But Heather was already in the room I’d set up for Ame and leaning over the side of the crib.
“Jenny promised she’ll spend a little time with her tomorrow since she’s actually home. She even asked about Ame, for a change.”
I nodded and sighed. “Okay.” I hated to see Heather get her hopes up, but I’d lost all faith in Jenny.
“We have a lot to talk about soon.” She studied me for a moment. “You look different and you were with a woman. I don’t even remember the last time… Something is going on with you, little brother, and I intend to pry all the juicy gossip out of you sooner or later. Be warned.”
I followed her to the door. “If you need me in the morning, call the station. I’ll be on duty. My shift starts at seven.”
“Thank you, Hamish. For everything.” She stared at the ground, her voice going quieter. “I don’t know what I’d do—”
“Hey. You’re not gonna go get all mushy on me, are you?”
She snorted and whispered so as not to wake the baby. “Me? Oh hell no. You got the wrong she-wolf if you think that’s gonna happen. This bitch is tough as nails.”
As I watched her walked along the path adjoining our condos with Ame asleep in her arms, I quietly agreed. “She certainly is.”
I waited until Heather was safely inside, then poured myself a glass of water and wondered what to do about my mate.
Heather really was going to press me for details, and my sister was masterful when it came to eliciting confessions. She should work for the CIA or the FBI, or Interpol. I couldn’t tell Heather the real reason I had avoided claiming Mel. Not while she was going through the very thing I was hoping to steer clear of.
Heather no longer had a choice. I did.
From the bedroom, I heard a crash. Mel groaned. I just listened. Then Mel rushed across the bedroom to the bathroom. More groaning. I heard her throwing up. I raced to the bathroom to check on her and found her on her knees in front of the toilet. Her body convulsed as she choked and dry heaved. I sank next to her.
“Hey, you alright? What’s going on?”
She lifted her head and her unfocused eyes danced around the spot I was squatting.
“Where did the Oldsmobile sleep?” Her skin was pale, the skin under her eyes dark. She looked frail.
“The Olds—? What’s wrong, Mel?” My chest tightened painfully, and I told myself that humans got minor illnesses all the time. It wasn’t necessarily anything big. She could have eaten something that disagreed with her.
She tried to pull herself up, but before I could grab her, she fell backward. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she landed hard, her shoulders hitting the tub with a painful-sounding thud.
I swore and pulled her into my arms. Her body was covered in perspiration. As a trained EMT, I’d always been good in a crisis. I tended to have the gift of clarity in emergencies. It was almost as if, in such situations, the world moved in slow motion and my brain sped up. Not this time.
As I looked down at my mate, I froze. All my training was useless as my brain completely blanked.
Hospital. That was it. Emergency room.
I raced us toward the hospital and left the truck running while I ran her inside. I carried her up to the registration desk. “Help! Now!”
The place was empty, so the young woman manning the desk pushed a button and called someone. Within seconds, two nurses rushed out, then one went back for a gurney.
I laid Mel down and as one did a cursory inspection, the other ran through a list, asking me a myriad of questions, most of which I couldn’t answer.
“What’s wrong with her?” I didn’t even recognize my own voice.
“I don’t know, sir. I’ll come and find you as soon as we know something.”
It wasn’t until after I watched them wheel her through the set of swinging doors and she was out of my view that something occurred to me. I burst through the doors and had a vague sense that one of the medical attendants was speaking to me, something about remaining in the waiting area and letting them do their job. Not sure, though, since I ignored everyone and everything that wasn’t Mel.
I focused in on her scent. As a wolf shifter, my sense of smell had been a great asset when I rode ambulances. I’d been so panicked and flustered, I hadn’t even thought to concentrate on her scent and see what I could detect.
The odor of disinfectant in the hospital hallway was overpowering, but I leaned close and used my nose to scan her neck, arm, shoulder…
“Hypoglycemia. She’s hypoglycemic.” Which made a lot of sense thinking back. Her symptoms of sweating, confusion, perspiration, and lack of coordination were all symptoms of acute hypoglycemia.
“Is she a diabetic, sir?”
“I-I don’t... I suppose. Yes.” She must be. “Just get her some glucose.” According to the identification badge clipped to her scrub top, I was talking to an RN named Stacey Thomas. “Please, Stacey.”
Nurse Stacey Thomas’s features softened and she patted my arm. “We’ll check her blood sugar right away and get an IV of dextrose going. Don’t you worry. Now, please return to the reception area before I get my behind chewed.”
I turned and headed back slowly, hating that Mel was being taken out of my view. My knees felt weak.
This was what it meant to care deeply for a human.
I slowly backed away, putting myself in a corner of the waiting room. I sat and hung my head in my hands, trying to keep the nausea from bubbling up in my stomach.
I gripped my head. I’d been in this exact room with Heather as she waited for Warren’s last surgery. I remembered her pacing, wringing her hands, pulling her hair, and praying to a god that she’d never spoken to before, all because her mate was human and easily broken.
Every time I shut my eyes, all I could see was Warren’s wheelchair, but instead of it being filled by Warren, it held Mel—slumped over, pale and sickly thin, as she battled for her life.
I managed to hold out until Nurse Stacey came out and confirmed that Mel’s blood sugar level had been dangerously low.
I went home and snooped through Mel’s purse. Sure enough, I found an insulin Flexpen and a glucose monitor. I gathered all of that and Mel’s remaining clothing and dropped everything off at the nurses’ station.
I considered stopping into Mel’s roo
m, but at the thought of seeing her in a hospital bed, hysteria threatened to choke me, so I got the hell out of there.
I needed some breathing room before I ended up a patient there myself.
18
Mel
Waking up in a hospital threw me. It took me several seconds to process where I was, and several more before I put two and two together and figured out how I’d gotten here.
I remembered the best sex of my life, Mac turning into a great big wolf, then there was a fuzzy memory of feeling dizzy, getting up from the bed…then nothing. Ugh. I must have crashed. How stupid of me. I should have checked my blood sugar right after the exertion of sex.
I was released after a couple of hours. There was nothing wrong with me, not once my blood sugar was stabilized.
After a full twenty-four hours, a text, and a voicemail later, I was forced to accept that Mac was not that into me.
He hadn’t responded to my text. Or my voicemail.
I considered going to his home or the fire station to confront him face to face, but I refused to be that woman, one who didn’t know a brush off when she got one.
It hurt, though. I wish he’d just tell me why. Even a text—the hospital trip freaked me out, the sex sucked, you snore, anything was better than being ghosted.
He’d taken me to the hospital, dropped me off, and washed his hands of me. Worse, I hadn’t seen that coming.
A weight settled on my chest; an ache settled in my stomach. Both refused to budge. I didn’t know what it said about me that I cared more about a brush off by Mac than I did about ending an almost year-long relationship with Adam.
That one night with Mac had felt life altering. Beyond the sex, there was a connection. One I’d never felt with another soul before.
It was clearly one sided.
No.
I didn’t believe that.
None of this made sense. Mac had feelings for me. I was sure of it. No one was that good an actor. Yet Mac had dropped me off at the hospital and hadn’t looked back.
Maybe he thought I had something contagious, and was angry that I could’ve gotten him and Ame sick. No, that didn’t make sense either. He could have cleared that up with a text or phone call asking how I was doing.
Craved Mate: Cybermates Page 8
