Too many had already discovered that psychic human women were compatible as mates. When word got out about their ability to carry a pregnancy to term, all hell would break loose. Not only would the women in his pack face increased danger, but all human women would, too.
Bryce’s packmate and second in command, Shane, jogged onto the porch. “You two planning to gab all day, or are you going to play the reining cornhole champions?” He huffed air on his fingernails then buffed them against his dark-blue T-shirt.
“Goddess, save me,” Rose muttered, rolling her eyes.
“Too late. I already did.” Shane wrapped his large hand around the back of her neck and kissed his mate.
Shane, the big, burly, dark-haired second in command, liked to chide the women that he’d rescued them. But the women had saved themselves from the pack of werewolves who’d purchased them like cattle for future mates. Evan and Barron had found the injured Iris in the woods, and after nursing her back to health, had learned that she and other women with psychic abilities had been abducted and sold. Thankfully, some of the women found their way to the Norcal Pack and safety. Not everyone had been so lucky.
On more than one occasion, usually after a few beers, Shane had privately shared with Bryce that Rose had freed him from a life of loneliness.
Good. Shane deserved good things. They all did.
Bryce interlaced his fingers, extending his arms in front of him and rotating his hands until his knuckles cracked. “What you think, Rose? I hate seeing grown wolves cry, but I can’t allow this challenge to go unanswered.”
She elbowed Shane in the stomach and hopped off the railing. “I say we just give them a beatdown.” Rose slipped into a fighting stance and threw fake punches at Shane.
Bryce walked off the porch knowing exactly where this was headed. Never had two more competitive people been mated. Rose would make a great alpha female. In many ways she served as alpha female of the pack, taking on some of the jobs Bryce’s own mate would have filled. Bryce was just glad Shane had no desire to leave and form his own pack.
“You can spank me all you want, as long as you kiss it better after,” Shane murmured.
“Shane,” Bryce said, laughing but speeding up his walk to the cornhole board. “That was more information than I ever wanted to hear.”
Yeah, Bryce’s life was good, but it was about to get better because he finally had a solid lead. He planned to go to Sacramento tomorrow and find his lost mate. How in the hell had she been so close, yet their paths never cross? Call it fate, serendipity, or pure shitty luck, but none of it mattered now. Candace Murphy was born to be his other half. Bryce was going to get his mate back and pity the male who tried to interfere.
Wyatt looked over that the impulsive, funny, and oddly sweet woman, hating that she was an entire foot away from him. After having her soft body pressed against his back the last hour, Candy was too damned far for his taste.
Every and any day was a wonderful time to visit Napa Valley, but September had to be wine heaven. The vines were heavy with grapes, the weather pleasant, and with harvest about to begin, most of the wineries were abuzz with happy tourists. Except for the one he and Candy planned to spend a couple of hours visiting. Usually, he’d take a moment to drink in the rolling hills, but for the life of him, Wyatt couldn’t stop appreciating everything that was Candy.
Fuck it. He reached out and grabbed her hand, interlacing their fingers as if they’d known each other a lifetime rather than less than twenty-four hours.
“What are you doing?” She kept hold of his hand but leaned her torso away from him.
“Trying to impress you.” He stroked his thumb along her inner wrist, trying his damndest not to grin at the scent of her growing arousal. “Is it working?” Hey, horny loved company.
“Not sure yet.” Candy winked. “Don’t worry though, I’ll keep you posted.” She stopped walking at the top of the gravel path, studied the landscape, then sighed. “It’s beautiful. If I actually liked people, I would have considered moving to Calistoga.”
“You don’t like the unwashed masses?”
“In small doses, yes, but to have to smile and be friendly for extended periods of time? Not so much.”
“Remind me not to offer you a job at Sanctuary.”
Candy snorted.
“So what kind of work do you do?”
“In a former life, I flew helicopters. I thought I told you that.”
“You may have, but I was a little distracted by the tears.” Ones he hoped never to see again.
“That was…” She turned away from him, but not before he spotted the flush on her dark cheeks.
“Something you obviously needed.” Unable to resist holding her, Wyatt pulled Candy in front of him, then wrapped his arms around her waist. “It’s okay to not be strong all the time.”
“In theory, but we don’t all have a choice.”
“You do now.” This was nice, holding a woman outside of his pride for something other than sex. Soothing her gave him a sense of power that had nothing to do with fangs or politics. That she would allow him to witness her vulnerability more than once was probably a minor miracle. While Wyatt hadn’t known Candy long, spending his life in a bar was a PhD in human behavior. Candy was a woman used to dealing with her problems on her own.
He pressed his cheek against her hair, which was still in two long braids, and inhaled. Candy’s skin conjured images of sunshine and laughter. That was all nice, but if Wyatt held Candy much longer, he’d be tempted to skip lunch and go straight to dessert. And what he had in mind wasn’t served in a restaurant.
“We’re late.” He kissed the back of her neck, then stepped back and smacked Candy gently on the ass, and he was rewarded with a wink and a wicked smile.
Interesting.
They strolled further up the gravel walkway, veering right when they reached the massive wooden double doors that led to the tasting room and gift shop. The large stone building and the accompanying vineyards were amongst the oldest in the area, and their wines the most expensive.
“Wyatt, this place looks closed,” Candy whispered, despite the abandoned parking lot.
“Come on… Don’t you trust me?” His phone buzzed in admonition, and Wyatt ignored it.
“Uh… No. I don’t know you like that.”
“Yet yours was the first face I saw this morning.”
“And your point?” She reluctantly followed him around the side of the building, staring at the ivy-covered brick. Occasionally, she’d brush a finger along the leaves of a bush. “You don’t know me either, I could be a—“
“Doesn’t matter. I’m close to the top of the food chain, I think I could handle it. Besides, that’s what today’s about.” He paused, and his gaze drifted down to her lips. “I may not know much about you, but I do know that you’re loyal and love hard and deep.” Wyatt smiled. “It would be nice to have someone care about me like that.”
Candy’s eyes grew wild, and her scent spiked. The scorched scent of panic replaced her delicate lemony smell. Wyatt ground his teeth. Great, now he’d freaked her out.
“Come on.” Wyatt grinned, hoping to ease her discomfort, then tugged the handle of another massive door and stood aside to allow her to pass through.
It was hard to decide which he liked more: her scent, which had returned to normal, or catching another glance at those perfect fitting jeans. They were faded and baggy enough that she didn’t look as though she were trying too hard to impress, but tight enough to appreciate what may be Northern California’s best ass. With a hand at the small of her back, Wyatt guided Candy through the employee area, followed by a couple of lefts and rights until they reached the lobby, where he was supposed to meet his hook up.
When they stopped, Candy looked up at Wyatt, her head adorably tilted to the side, and studied him. This was an instance that he wished he could read minds—at least hers. What did she see when she looked at him? A man who’d sacrificed and lived for his people?
A player? Or the pampered prince who wanted one thing—one woman who belonged solely to him.
“Hey, everything alright?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.
“Yeah.” He nodded. “It is.” Wyatt’s phone vibrated, for what must have been the tenth time since he left Sacramento, but he chose to give Candy the attention she deserved—all of it. “I’m glad you agreed to spend the day with me.”
“You’re welcome,” she said, her voice soft, lips curved in a tiny smile. “Where’s the restroom?”
“Over there.” He pointed past the empty tasting bar to a small alcove with grapevines painted over the arch. Before she moved from his side, Wyatt placed his hands on her hips and gave her a kiss so light, their lips barely touched. “I’ll wait right here.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
Damn.
When the bathroom door closed behind her, Wyatt scrubbed a hand down his face. His beast demanded he go protect his woman, mark her before a male challenged for her hand. But the man… What the fuck was he doing? His future, from the morning he slid screaming into the world, was pre-destined. Wyatt’s one purpose was to lead his people and to find an acceptable mate to create future generations.
Where did Candy fit into that picture?
Hell, it was clear that for him, Candy was a dangerous distraction, but damned if he could walk away. The phone vibrated again. Well, he had a couple of minutes, it couldn’t be that bad. Wyatt reached for his cell, then balled his hands into fists. No. No way in hell would he allow work, the pride, or even his family to interrupt. Not today. They could have him tonight, but this afternoon belonged to him and Candy.
“Wyatt.” Tina Chow, one of the beautiful and deadly owners of The Chow Winery, walked across the iron catwalk, her high heels tapping a staccato tattoo as she strolled down the stairs like a Chinese-American Scarlett O’Hara. “I was surprised to see you on the books. Why didn’t you call?”
“I’m here for personal reasons, but it’s… not that kind of visit.”
“Ah, which is why you called my brother.” She glided closer, which put every bit of the grace and danger of her tiger on full display. “And how is Bryce?”
Wyatt looked down at the six-foot tall Tina, who with the addition of sky-high heels, was almost his height. There was a reason tigers didn’t form large packs or join mixed groups like his; they didn’t play well with others. Especially the women. But Tina was funny, with a wicked dry sense of humor, and was clear about what she wanted in both the boardroom and the bedroom.
“He’s good.”
“Wyatt, good to see you.” Tony, Tina’s twin, called out as he crossed the lobby, clasping Wyatt’s hand and pulled him in for a hug.
Tony might have looked like the masculine version of Tina, but in temperament, he was her opposite. Where his sister was cunning and cool, Tony was laid back and warm. Until you pissed him off and he ripped out your throat.
Tony released Wyatt and looked at his sister. “Don’t you have small children to terrorize or something?”
“That sounds like a lovely idea.” Tina grinned.
The smile was one that would have scared the hell out of villagers in the days of old. Not just the flash of teeth, but the intention in the green irises with streaks of brown.
“Anyway, call me when both you and Bryce are in town and have time for that kind of business.” She kissed Wyatt on the cheek.
A small gasp made Wyatt curse silently.
Wyatt looked at his date, forgetting about Tina. Not to compare the two women, but Candy was just as beautiful in the fitted yellow t-shirt and jeans. She didn’t need heels and designer clothes to stand out. “Candy,” Wyatt said, tugging her to his side and kissing her temple. “This is Tina. Her family owns the winery.”
“Hi.” Instead of going straight to bitchy, or tucking herself against Wyatt’s side, Candy smiled. “I haven’t seen much, but the grounds are beautiful.”
“Thank you. I’m Tony.” He stepped forward and shook Candy’s hand. “And she was just leaving.”
“Enjoy your date and our winery, Candy.” Tina looked at Wyatt. “Tell your partner in crime not to be a stranger,” she said over her shoulder as she left.
“Will do.” Wyatt slipped his hand in Candy’s back pocket.
“Come this way.” Tony led them past the bathrooms and through a pair of wooden doors inlaid with stained glass decorated with harvest scenes. If anyone bothered to look close enough, they’d see a tiger or two.
“I’m surprised you’re closed on a Saturday,” Candy said, looking around the cavernous room with large stainless-steel vats which held the first stages of what would be spectacular wine.
“We have a private event tomorrow, and they paid for both days.” Tony shrugged. “Hey, it’s their money to waste.”
“In other words, Wyatt got lucky.” Candy nudged Wyatt with her hip.
“Which is what I’ve been trying to tell you.” Wyatt raised her fingers to his lips and kissed her soft knuckles.
“I was trying to get lucky last night, but you were playing hard to get,” Candy whispered.
Tony snorted.
“Please tell me he didn’t hear that,” Candy muttered, then scrunched her face as they walked down a wide set of stairs.
As they descended, Tony gave Candy the abbreviated history of the winery, not the sanitized version he typically gave the masses, but the version that explained how the family created a business that kept them out of the public eye and the difficulties of being not only shifters, but Chinese shifters in nineteenth century California.
“And… here we go.” Tony opened another door, this one more functional than ornate.
The scent of wine was as thick as blood, and probably worth more than a gallon of O-negative from the veins of a thirty-year-old virgin. Hey, vamps had peculiar tastes. The last thing Wyatt wanted from a woman was blood. But looking at Candy’s slender neck, he could see the appeal of claiming his mate with a bite.
Wait, where the hell had that come from?
Candy stepped into the room and gasped. “Wyatt… this is—” she didn’t finish the sentence. Instead, she spun around, face- planted against his chest, and wrapped him in her arms. “Thank you.”
Wyatt returned the hug. The gesture was so honest and pure, it choked him up. Instead of candles and simple food, Candy responded as if he’d showered her with her weight in gems. As he pressed his cheek against her hair, he knew he’d give her the world if it were in his power.
Tony cleared his throat. “I’ll ah… leave you guys to it. Wine and appetizers are on the table. I’ll let the staff know you’re here.”
“Thanks, man.” Wyatt slid his hands down to Candy’s waist. “I owe you one, Tony.”
“No, you don’t. Happy is a good look on you, Wyatt. Don’t screw it up.” Tony walked toward the door.
“Thank you, Tony.” Candy turned and rested her cheek against Wyatt’s chest.
“You’re welcome. Oh, and don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll put out tonight.”
Wyatt couldn’t see Candy’s expression, but whatever it was made Tony chuckle.
“Oh, I can see why you chose to keep this beauty to yourself. Text if you need anything.” Then he closed the door behind him.
“Keep me to yourself?” Candy looked back at him. “What’s that about?”
“Nothing.” Wyatt led her to the table. “Let’s see what we got here. I hope you like goat cheese, because—”
Candy stopped walking. “Grief isn’t the only reason I date infrequently.” Candy shook her head. “You know what? Never mind.”
“No, I want to know, because unless you have some Dr. Jekyll going on, I’m having a tough time understanding why you’re single.
“This is our first time hanging out, let’s keep it light.”
“Correction—anytime candles and wine are involved or you’re on the back of my bike, it’s definitely a date.”
“Alrighty,” the small wrinkles between Candy’s
eyebrows eased and her voice softened, “it’s a date.”
The voice, the smile, and damn, everything about her hit Wyatt right in the chest. Shouldn’t he be excited to share his joy with Bryce, his best friend? They had talked and dreamed about finding a woman and sharing a true mate over the years. When Evan, a wolf from Bryce’s pack, and Barron, a bear, had rescued and fell in love with their true mate, a distant dream had become a possibility.
But sharing Candy with anyone—even his best friend—left a bitter taste in Wyatt’s mouth.
“Have you ever been in love?” Candy asked.
Wyatt shook his head.
“Well I have, and it exposed me to the kind of hurt I wouldn’t wish on the vilest of people. Maybe I’m just one of the select few destined to live a life alone. That, or my man-picker is broken, since it usually points me to men who cheat, lie, or die. Did that answer your question?”
“That…” he scratched the back of his neck, “sucks. But I have no intention of doing any of the above.”
Wyatt looked over that the impulsive, funny, and oddly sweet woman, hating that she was an entire foot away from him. After having her soft body pressed against his back the last hour, Candy was too damned far for his taste.
Every and any day was a wonderful time to visit Napa Valley, but September had to be wine heaven. The vines were heavy with grapes, the weather pleasant, and with harvest about to begin, most of the wineries were abuzz with happy tourists. Except for the one he and Candy planned to spend a couple of hours visiting. Usually, he’d take a moment to drink in the rolling hills, but for the life of him, Wyatt couldn’t stop appreciating everything that was Candy.
Fuck it. He reached out and grabbed her hand, interlacing their fingers as if they’d known each other a lifetime rather than less than twenty-four hours.
“What are you doing?” She kept hold of his hand but leaned her torso away from him.
“Trying to impress you.” He stroked his thumb along her inner wrist, trying his damndest not to grin at the scent of her growing arousal. “Is it working?” Hey, horny loved company.
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