by P. Jameson
“You okay, El?” Ella’s co-worker with all the metal touched her shoulder and she flinched. “He bothering you? I can get Pete to toss him out.”
Ella shook her head, her eyes wide and crazy.
Shit. She didn’t know it, but the animal part of her was extremely unstable. Maybe the band-aid approach wasn’t the best idea after all.
“Can we go somewhere to talk?” If he could get her out of this place and away from all these people, she could feel safer to express herself. And he’d feel better knowing no one was in harm’s way.
“She’s not going anywhere with you, dog,” the woman spat.
Drake stood to his full height, looking down at her. Who was this woman who thought she could answer for his mate?
“I don’t know you but I think your business is over there somewhere.” He gestured dismissively to the back of the bar.
She crossed her arms, clearly not going anywhere.
Drake leaned across the bar to stare into Ella’s eyes. “Let’s go outside. Get some fresh air.”
She narrowed her troubled gaze on him, but then stormed off toward the door.
“You’d better watch it, asshole,” the other woman snapped. “You fuck with her and it’ll be the last time you fuck with anything.”
“Are you threatening me?”
She leaned across the counter, her voice low. “Yes. And I don’t make empty threats. I’ve spent a lifetime dreaming up ways to dismember the member, if you know what I mean.”
Son of a bitch. This woman was scary. If Drake was human, he’d never want to cross her.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he muttered, following Ella out the back door and into the small alley.
She paced the area, and Drake let the door slam shut behind him. Back and forth she went, becoming more and more agitated. He wanted to do something to help her, to distract her, to take away the pain she must be feeling over her father. But there was so much more he needed to tell her first.
“Say something.” He kept his voice soft, hoping her wolf could feel what he was projecting: he was there for her. No matter what she was thinking or feeling, or what their future held, he would always be there for her because she was his. Even if she went batshit crazy from being a shade. They’d work through it.
Truth was, he never imagined he’d have this chance. Never truly thought he’d have a female of his own to care for. Now that she was here, he hardly knew what to do with himself. Surely he couldn’t go wrong with being available. He’d be anything she needed. Everything she needed. How could that fail?
She stopped and stared at him with wide eyes. “Say something? Say something? What exactly should I say to you? You just told me one of your friends is my long lost uncle, and I have absolutely no way to prove whether you’re right or not because I never actually knew my mother. You… you could be lying to me for all I know. And besides that, to go from having no family to having family in the span of thirty seconds is a little bit of an emotional leap for me, so.”
“Your father must’ve talked about her. Or her family. Surely he—”
“No. He wouldn’t talk about my mother. Only when I was older, and only long enough to tell me how she’d died.” She got a faraway look in her eyes. “He must have loved her very much. Dredging up those memories sent him to bed for weeks.”
“He never told you of your ancestors.”
She shook her head. “But then, why would he if they were all dead? What would be the point?”
“The history of who we are is important, Ella.” Especially so, for one like her. Not knowing what was inside her was dangerous. “What did he tell you as a child?”
Shaking her head, she crossed her arms. “Why should I tell you? My memories of my daddy are precious. Why would I share them?”
“Because I want to help you. And because I would never take them for granted.” He pocketed his hands to keep from brushing his fingers across her cheek. He needed the anchor of touch right now. Figured she needed it too even though he suspected it wouldn’t be welcomed. In the moment, the best he could do was be sincere. “I’d recognize it for what it is. A gift.”
She sighed, running one hand through her dark hair. “Whenever I’d ask about her, he’d change the subject. He used to tell me stories.”
“What stories?”
She gave an uncomfortable shrug. “Fairytales. You know, humans that turn into animals, knights fighting dragons, that kind of thing.” Her tone became wistful. “There was this one about a guardian angel who could only be seen as a wolf. Unless you were dreaming. In your dreams, you could see him and he looked like every other person, so you never knew…” Her voice faded and she dragged her hands down her face.
“Never knew what?”
“If he was real, or if there was more out there somewhere,” she muttered.
“More wolves?”
She nodded, chewing on her lip in frustration.
Her dad had told her about shifters. She didn’t realize it, and Drake could only guess at why the old man had pretended her history was only a fable, but it didn’t matter. She knew things. Maybe this wouldn’t be as hard as he’d thought.
“I know what you’re feeling, that gnawing inside. I’ve been there. And it’s okay to feel it. It’s actually good to feel it. It is not good to ignore it.”
“How could you know anything about what I’m feeling right now?”
Her voice was small and uncertain but that hint of bravery had Drake taking a cautious step forward.
“I told you, I lost everything in the fire. My...” —he couldn’t mention his wolf yet— “…the part inside of me that makes me who I am, it just…” he brought his hand in front of him, grabbing a fistful of air and twisting it, “… churned and churned. It couldn’t rest no matter what I tried.”
Her eyes lit with understanding. “How did you make it stop?”
“I let it out.”
Ella frowned. “Let it out?”
Drake nodded, inching closer. “Let go,” he murmured. “Release it. Free yourself.”
She dragged a hand through her hair, pulling at the thick strands. “How? I don’t know how.”
The hopeless look on her face tore at his heart, making his wolf crazy. He needed to help her turn. He needed to bring her animal out. It was the only way to make things better, to help her heal, but he didn’t want to scare her.
Aw, fuck it.
Drake closed the distance between them, pulling her into his arms. She fell against his chest with a shuddering breath, and something clicked inside him. Like the tumblers of a lock slipping into place. His heart was opening right up.
Was it supposed to be this easy? Was he supposed to care this much for his mate this quickly? Because it was happening, and he didn’t want to slow anything down. He wanted to be so invested in her that their needs were one and the same. He wanted the mating bond and every fucking thing that came along with it.
Drake breathed her in, imprinting her scent.
Shit, if he was really going to do this, just shock her into shifting, they needed privacy.
His chest squeezed in trepidation. What if this was a mistake? What if she wasn’t ready?
He sighed. No, she needed this, to be one with her animal.
Gently, he cradled her jaw, tilting her face to meet his. He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip and she gasped at the tender contact. Slowly, giving her every chance to stop him if she wanted, he bent and tugged her lip between his, sucking and licking, before pressing his mouth more firmly to hers.
She tasted warm and decadent. She reminded him of hot fudge and cinnamon.
He wanted so much more.
Sliding his tongue along the seam of her lips, he begged admission. Tasting his mate seemed like the most important thing in that single moment. Showing her, shifter to shade, what they could be if she let go.
She opened a fraction and he took every advantage of the submission, delving inside to explore her mouth. He moaned, pres
sing her back against the door of the bar. Her short nails dug into the skin at the nape of his neck, and she moved her tongue urgently against his.
Fuck, yes. He needed her to lose control.
But not here. Not where others could see. He’d take her home first.
Drake pulled back, breathing hard. “When is your shift over?”
Ella shook her head, looking confused. Her eyes were glazed with lust. Fucking hell, she looked perfect in this moment.
“There’s still another hour. Why?” She gripped his shoulders tightly.
Drake bent to run his nose along her jaw. Damn, she smelled divine all lust-ridden.
“We have things to talk about.”
She released a breathy sigh as his teeth grazed her collar bone. “Things?”
“Mm hm. We need to finish this specific conversation.”
“Okay.”
He brought his gaze to hers. “I’ll wait for you. I’ll be in the shop. Come find me.”
Her beautiful eyes cleared and she seemed to realize what they’d done. Even though it was only a kiss, he wouldn’t let her regret a moment of it. It was their first and it was special. And although he wished it hadn’t happened in an alley behind the bar, it was still something he’d treasure always.
“Ella…” He was going to tell her something. He was going to give a piece of himself away. Shit, it made him nervous but if he couldn’t be open with his female, then what kind of wolf was he? Besides he wanted her to know how much that kiss meant to him.
Drake lowered his mouth to her ear and whispered. “That was my very first kiss. Now I want more.”
He didn’t hang around to see her reaction. He headed straight to his car, pointing it in the direction of the club. He’d wait for her like he said. They’d finish this one way or another.
Chapter Six
That was my very first kiss. It couldn’t be true could it? Why did everything out of Drake’s mouth seem so unbelievable?
Ella’s mind raced as she poured another round for her customers. Punk and Annie had been giving her the side-eye since she’d returned. But that wasn’t what bothered her the most.
It was this strange stirring inside of her. She couldn’t calm it down. It was familiar; it’d always been there, but now it seemed worse. It seemed unstoppable. Like she’d lose control of herself and break all to pieces.
After she’d buried her daddy, she’d felt it so strongly, some days she’d been afraid to leave the house. She learned to tame the feeling by keeping herself busy. But now… now here she was again, feeling like a rope unraveling.
Dear god, was Blister really her uncle? Did coincidences like that really happen?
She wiped the counter and checked the ice.
No. Coincidences like that didn’t exist. Daddy would’ve called it fate. He would’ve said, “Your path always leads you to where you need to be, even if you can’t see where you’re going.”
Somehow, she’d ended up in Cedar Valley, seeking out the very club where her only living family member resides. In a freaking tent.
No… not somehow. She was there, ultimately, because of her daddy. Because of a lifetime of racing stories. Because of his near obsession with Drake Folsom and the Dirt Track Dogs. Because he always mentioned how much he loved the forest surrounding Cedar Valley. And because he’d told her fairytales when she was little, about the angel wolves that lived in the mountains.
She’d wanted to be closer to her father. To find some connection even though he wasn’t here anymore. She’d wanted to find…
Home.
But DTD wasn’t her home. Not really. And just because her uncle lived there didn’t mean it was where she belonged.
For now though, it was enough.
“You can head out early.” Punk slid up beside her, leaning against the bar. “As long as you promise you’re not going to see that arf arf.”
Ella squeezed her eyes closed, but it only brought the memory of Drake’s kiss into better focus. It had been so long since she’d been with a man, but that short sensual kiss was better than anything she could remember. It made her feel crazy inside. It made the stirring worse.
“It’s not what you think.” Ella stared at her friend. She needed to make her understand.
“Oh yeah? Because what I think is that you’ve found yourself a Grade A asshole.”
Ella shook her head. “He… knows my family.”
Punk’s eyebrows shot up. “For serious?”
“It’s… it’s crazy really. He sort of knew my dad, and apparently… I have an uncle.”
Punk frowned. “No shit? Who?”
“One of the Dogs. Blister. According to Drake, he was my mom’s brother.”
“But you never knew your mom.”
Ella shook her head. “I didn’t think there was anyone alive on her side. I didn’t think there was anyone alive on either side. I just… I don’t know how to process this.”
“Shit,” Punk muttered, staring at the floor.
“Yeah.”
They were silent until Annie pushed through the kitchen door carrying a burger and beer cheese. “You heading out?” she asked over her shoulder.
Ella waited until she’d served the plate before she answered. “Yeah.”
“You okay? Things seemed hairy earlier.”
Ella nodded. “Punk can fill you in.”
Annie frowned. “Aw, man. She always leaves out the details and then I look like a dweeb when I don’t know what’s going on.”
“No,” Punk disagreed. “You look like a dweeb because you use words like ‘dweeb.’”
Annie rolled her eyes and gave Ella’s arm a squeeze. “Alright, you go on. We’ll chat later. I have to make some more burgers.”
Ella found herself rushing through the parking lot, in a hurry to get back to the club. She was anxious to see Drake even though she wasn’t sure what she would say to him. She needed more details, that was for sure. And she needed to talk to Blister. Geez, she could hardly believe this was happening. She wasn’t alone anymore. Blister was obviously not the most open person, but he’d been kind to her. She felt confident they could have some sort of relationship.
She parked her car in front of the shop and took several deep breaths to steady her nerves. Closing her eyes, she recalled the way Drake held her. His arms had felt like an impenetrable shield. Like nothing bad could get to her as long as he was there, protecting her. Guarding her. Like a guardian angel—
Ella’s eyes snapped open.
It was silly, but she couldn’t help but think of her daddy’s stories. Drake wasn’t an angel, but she couldn’t deny the bond she felt with him. It was enough to make her shiver.
Or maybe it was something else.
Her forehead broke out in a cold sweat and pressure built behind her eyelids. She wrapped an arm around her stomach to calm the churning there.
What was happening to her?
She stumbled through the door and into the brightly lit shop, squinting against the glare. The place was empty. Maybe Drake decided not to wait for her after all.
Sinking disappointment had her clutching at her belly again. And then the dizziness hit.
What the hell? It’d been a few hours since she’d eaten but this had never happened before.
She shook her head, hoping to clear her vision. Instead, she ended up running into an empty steel barrel. The lid clattered to the floor and the resulting noise was mind shattering. Ella’s hands flew to her ears to dull the sound of rattling metal against concrete.
When it was quiet again, she braced herself against the counter and dragged in several slow deep breaths. In, then out. Steady, steady…
“Ella? Shit.” Drake’s voice sounded like it was rolling through a tunnel, and then footsteps rushed forward.
His arms came around her from behind, gentle but sturdy. The instant he made contact, something inside of her snapped. A warm, tingling sensation started from the center of her chest and moved down, down, past her be
lly… until she felt it between her legs.
She moaned, and in the back of her mind, she knew she should be embarrassed, but she wasn’t. All she could think of was satisfying the hot throbbing between her legs. Drake’s scent wrapped all around, cocooning her in the most delicious and seductive essence she’d ever encountered.
Mine.
She frowned. Hers? What the hell was she thinking? Why did she feel this way?
Squeezing her thighs together, she tried to find an ounce of relief for the tingling. She ground her ass against Drake’s front, but it did nothing for it. She was… god, she was horny as all hell.
A whimper escaped as she lifted the hair off the back of her neck in an effort to cool down.
“Ella?” Drake sounded baffled but all she could manage as a response was another moan. Thank god, he couldn’t see her face. She’d be ashamed later.
Drake’s hands tightened on her waist, and that’s when she realized just how vigorously she’d been grinding against him. It was worse than a dance club move and without the electronic music to accompany it.
Drake’s hand slipped under the front of her shirt to caress the skin of her belly. Yessss. Yes, she needed more of that. More touching. More rubbing. More of him. He was hers and she needed him now.
The warmth of his breath skated across her cheek and neck causing the fire inside her to flare hotter. He drew in a deep hungry breath that had her groaning even louder. Why the hell was it so hot when he sniffed her? What were they, animals?
Drake went rigid against her back. “Oh… shiiiit. Oh, shit. Baby, we need to get you up to your room. Now.”
Ella turned in his arms, pressing her willing body against his. She didn’t want to go anywhere. She wanted… dear god, she wanted him to take her right here in this dusty shop. She wanted to feel his body deep inside her.
