Sitting there, looking at Macey, Luke felt that instant connection. Hell, he’d felt it the moment she touched him at the bar. The protectiveness. The completeness. She was meant to be his.
But she was a human, damn it. She couldn’t be his fate-bound mate…or even his regular mate. When he saw her sitting in this booth, he should’ve turned around and walked out the door. He was wasting his time and leading her on, but he couldn’t help himself. The woman was magnetic.
If he were honest with himself, he’d admit Macey was the reason he came to this damn restaurant in the first place. He’d been tailing her for weeks, hiding evidence and trying to throw her off the trail of the demons, and he knew her schedule like clockwork. Tonight was Gumbo Place night, and he’d wandered there on autopilot, subconsciously hoping to get a glimpse of her. He hadn’t planned on joining her for dinner, but here he was, enjoying every second of it.
“You said your dad owns the bar? And you work there?” The melodic cadence of her voice roused him from his thoughts.
He blinked as the question registered. “Yeah. I mean…my dad owns it, but I don’t technically work there. I’m a contractor.”
“Oh, that’s cool. So, you do remodeling and stuff.”
“And stuff.” He chuckled. “You have a way of simplifying things.”
“You have to in my line of work. There are only three things that motivate people.” She ticked them off on her fingers. “Money, power, and love.”
“And, which one motivates you, Ms. Carpenter?”
She grinned slyly. “I guess that depends on the situation.”
He finished the last bite of his food and rested his elbow on the table. The silence must have made her uncomfortable because she babbled through the rest of her answer.
“I mean…I’m okay money-wise. And power? I guess I have more than I need.”
“So all that’s missing is love.” As soon as the words left his lips, he wished he could take them back. Love was one thing he couldn’t offer her.
She shifted in her seat to sit on her hands. “I…yeah. But it’s…Who am I kidding? It’s missing.” She let out a half-hearted laugh and cast her gaze to the table.
He’d done it again—hit a sore spot with her for the second time in one night. Real smooth. Maybe he could change the subject. He cleared his voice. “Do you have family close by? Brothers or sisters?”
She sat up straight and inhaled slowly before she spoke. “My adoptive parents live in Metairie. My biological parents died when I was young. I had…” She put her fingers to her lips. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this. It’s not something I talk about.” Folding her hands on the table, she gazed up at him with sad eyes.
Instinct told him to comfort her, but what could he do? It was an ancient pain she held deep in her heart. It would take more than a few kind words from him to help her heal. He placed his palm over her petite hands, almost covering them completely. Vibrating energy seeped from her skin, snaking up his arms, and she sucked in a sharp breath as the fine blonde hairs on her arms stood on end. He followed the trail of goose bumps over her shoulder and up the delicate curve of her neck. She licked her lips. That tiny flick of her tongue had him groaning inwardly, his mouth watering with the need to taste her. He released her hands and fisted his in his lap. The need to pull her into his arms and kiss away the pain overwhelmed him.
She possessed some sort of magic, but he couldn’t figure out what kind. Did Macey even know? She didn’t act like any sort of magical being. And if normal humans had adopted her, not knowing…Thoughts raced through his head, but he needed to focus on the present.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “We don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to.”
“It’s okay.” She rubbed her hands together and gazed at them quizzically.
She must’ve felt his energy too. A pure human would never notice it.
A smile brightened her face as she dropped her hands into her lap. “You’re easy to talk to. I don’t mind, actually.”
Leaning his elbow on the table, he rested his chin on his hand. “Do you still see your parents often?”
“Two or three times a month.”
“Must be nice. I see my folks nearly every day. It gets old.”
She inclined her head and looked at his arm. “Hey, what’s your tattoo of?”
“It’s kind of like a family crest.” He lifted his sleeve and slid his arm toward her.
“It’s beautiful.” She traced her finger across the design and yanked her hand away as a jolt of energy shot straight to his heart. She looked at her fingers, furrowed her brow, and looked at him. “Why does that happen?”
“What?”
“Please tell me you feel it too. Every time I touch you, it’s like…I get shocked.”
He considered lying, saying he didn’t feel a thing. But the way her gaze implored him, he had to admit it. “I do. I guess we have a spark between us.” He chuckled, trying to play it off. He felt more than magic of the supernatural kind. The chemistry between the two of them was undeniable.
She smiled, the delicate curve of her lips sending his heart into overdrive. “It does feel that way, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, it does.”
They stared at each other for a moment, and he lost himself in the emerald sea of her eyes. She was a witch. Or maybe some type of fae. She had to be. Could an alpha werewolf mate with a witch? Would her magic be enough to produce werewolf offspring? He’d have to do some research. Maybe somewhere along the family lines…It would explain how the younger siblings got their powers—like his sister who could see the future in her visions. But how could he find out if Macey truly possessed magic? “Can I ask you something?”
“Why not? I’ve already told you my dirty little secret.”
“I’d hardly call it dirty.”
She shrugged and folded her arms on the table. “Shoot.”
“Do you know anything about…er, do you believe in magic?”
She stopped breathing for a moment. Straightening her spine, she opened her mouth as if to speak, but shut it with a click. “Why? What have you heard?”
Not the response I was expecting. “Nothing. I just wondered if you do.”
She pursed her lips into a thin line as her brows drew together. “I…don’t know. Do you?”
“Sure. Why not? I’m curious about your response, though. Should I have heard something?”
She took a deep breath and blew it out hard. “I can’t believe I’m telling you this.” Leaning forward, she lowered her voice to just above a whisper. “There might be a rumor going around that I can talk to the dead. Some people say that’s how I close so many cases—that I can communicate with the victims.”
He tried to hide the surprise in his eyes by blinking.
Macey held up her hands. “It isn’t true. I can’t really talk to dead people.”
“How do you solve so many cases, then?”
She bristled. “What? You don’t think I’m capable of capturing criminals with my brains and wit? Because I’m a woman I have to have some kind of magical powers to do my job?” She flung her hands about as she spoke; he’d hit sore spot number three. Or was it number four? He’d lost count.
“Macey, I have no doubt that you are the best detective New Orleans has. You’re one of the smartest people I’ve met. My question had nothing to do with you being a woman.”
Her shoulders dropped as her anger tempered. “I’m sorry. I feel like I have to defend myself a lot…to get respect. It’s hard being a woman in a man’s field.”
“I’m sure it is.” And he would have loved to let her vent; he could’ve listened to her voice for hours. At the moment, though, he needed to figure out her magic. “But you can’t communicate with the dead at all? It’s just a rumor?”
She hugged herself with her left arm and tugged at her bottom lip with her right hand, an adorable nervous habit. “I can’t. But I can sort of sense things, I guess.”
&nb
sp; “The dead?”
“Sort of.”
“Amazing.” She was a necromancer. Or a psychic medium. He couldn’t fight the smile that tugged at his lips. There was hope for them yet.
Macey snorted. “Hardly. I can’t control it, and it only helps sometimes. Mostly after the energy’s had time to…”
He raised his eyebrows.
“When it’s had time to soak into an object. If I can touch something—usually a building—that’s when I can sense things.”
“That makes sense.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Does it? I’m glad you understand because it baffles and annoys the hell out of me. But, listen. I have to get back to work.” She reached for the check he hadn’t noticed the waitress deliver. The plates had been cleared as well, but he’d been so focused on the sexy detective, the rest of the world had slipped away.
That was fine with him, anyway. The waitress was one of several pack members after his affections. His upcoming pack leader status appealed to the weaker wolves. As his father’s retirement date inched closer, the number of ladies vying for his attention had gone from zero to about fifteen.
“Let me take care of that.” He pulled the ticket from her hand.
“That won’t be necessary.” She slapped a twenty on the table. “That should cover my part.”
He sighed and laid a few bills on the table to cover the rest of the check. How many times could he offend her in one night? She was a strong, independent woman, and that was only one of the many things that made her so attractive. As they stood, he reached for her hand, expecting her to jerk away when the electricity surged between them.
Instead, she inhaled a sharp breath, glancing at their entwined fingers, before smiling at him. Hand in hand, they shuffled out the door.
His heart thudded a beat of exhilaration. Had he found his mate? The likelihood of a simple psychic being powerful enough to bear a were-child was slim, but he felt so much more power coming from her. A sliver of hope was all he needed. He’d start researching the family lines as soon as he got home. There had to be a way to make this work.
Sticky summer heat caressed his skin as they strolled up the street. A bead of sweat rolled between Macey’s breasts, and he had to tear his gaze away before she caught him looking. What he’d have given to be that drop of moisture…
“Thank you for the company. It was nice.” She paused at the intersection and blinked up at him. “I have to go this way.” She pointed to the left.
“It was my pleasure, Macey. I enjoyed it.”
“I guess I’ll see you around?”
His stomach tightened. Hopefully she didn’t notice his sweat-slickened palms. “It would be easier for me to find you if you gave me your number.”
Her smile widened. “Okay.” She recited the digits as he clumsily punched them into his phone with his right hand. He favored his left, but he wasn’t ready to let her go.
“Got it. I’ll let you get to work now.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to her cheek. Her skin was warm and slightly salty. A shiver ran down his spine as the urge to take her mouth with his rose through his core. Her breath caught, but she didn’t move away. He lingered there, his lips barely brushing her skin as she tightened her grip on his hand and turned to meet his mouth.
He hesitated, gazing into her emerald irises and reveling in the warmth of her breath on his skin. She closed her eyes and touched her mouth to his. Liquid warmth flowed to his core as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body closer. She melted into his embrace, her body conforming to his in a way that felt so damn right. He shuddered, slipping his tongue between her lips, and she moaned softly, the vibration of her voice sending a wave of electricity through his body. He had to pull away, or he’d never let her go.
He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand and memorized the hungriness in her eyes. He could get used to her looking at him like that every day. “I’ll see you soon, Macey.”
Macey couldn’t help but grin as she made her way up Conti Street toward the police station. What a way to start the night. Her logical mind told her not to get excited. Letting people in, getting close, led to heartache. But she couldn’t deny the way her body reacted when she was near Luke. It was almost as if some other-worldly force drew her to him. He’d talked about believing in magic, and that’s how this connection she had with him felt.
Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to let Luke get a little closer. Let him satisfy her physical desires without getting her heart involved. She’d managed to keep the rest of her emotions compartmentalized since she was a kid; she could keep it casual with Luke, couldn’t she? Lord knew it had been a while since she’d had any kind of satisfaction…
She strolled into her office and dropped her purse into her desk drawer before firing up her computer.
“What are you smiling at?” Bryce leaned in the doorway and crossed his arms.
“Nothing you’d be interested in, trust me.” She logged into her e-mail and pretended to focus on the screen, but her grin widened.
“As long as it doesn’t have anything to do with your date with BOB, I’m all ears.” He pushed off the wall and sauntered into the room.
Macey leaned back and spun in her seat to face him. “I did have a date, but not with BOB.”
He plopped into the chair across from her desk. “It’s about damn time.”
Chapter Eleven
Luke managed a grumbled, “Hello,” as he shuffled past the morning bartender. Six a.m. was too damn early to start work. Too early for a bar to open, too, but his old man had the crazy idea they should serve breakfast. To Luke, a bar was a bar. Drinks, beer, maybe some hot wings or cheese fries…They didn’t need to serve anything else.
But the bar didn’t belong to him, and as soon as his dad retired for good, it would fall into his sister’s hands. Luke’s contracting business was lucrative enough, and he was about to become alpha. He didn’t need the hassle of running the bar too.
If he became alpha. The archaic law that he had to have a mate would be the death of him if he couldn’t figure out a way to get the pack to accept Macey. He barely knew the woman, but she already had his heart in her hands.
And he was running out of time.
He ground his teeth. His heart didn’t matter to the pack, but he would become alpha. It was his duty. His birthright. He shouldn’t have to give up his dream of waking up to a woman he loved every morning in order to fulfill his destiny. With the intense connection he felt with Macey, he couldn’t imagine falling in love with anyone else.
A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth as he imagined waking up with her, seeing her silky blonde mane tousled from a night of lovemaking. Her sleepy smile greeting him as he rolled over to embrace her.
He rubbed his eyes to wipe away the image. Focus, man. His first order of business was to register the new rogue who’d just come into town. He powered up his MacBook and glanced at the clock. The rogue’s appointment was at six-fifteen. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be late. His men were already on site at the remodel, and they needed all the help they could get.
After his dinner with Macey last night, he’d joined Chase and James on a demon hunt, so he hadn’t had time to research the family lines for magic, but that occupied the next spot on his list…after he handled the pack business, caught up on the remodel, and took a second to breathe.
At ten past six, someone knocked on the office door. Luke double-clicked the shortcut to open the pack database and picked up his coffee. “It’s open.”
He raised the cup to his lips and nearly spilled it in his lap when the tall blonde stepped through the threshold. She had wavy, shoulder-length hair, and long bangs framed her bright-green eyes. If he didn’t know any better, he’d have said this felt like a set-up.
“Are you Luke?”
He stared at her. His predicament was no secret, and word could have spread to the neighboring packs that the soon-to-be-alpha was in the market for a mate. But to send someone disguised
as a rogue could be grounds to start a war. He dismissed that idea as quickly as it formed. No pack would be that stupid.
“Is this a bad time? I can come back later.”
He rubbed a hand over his face. “No, no. Sorry. I’m Luke. You must be Alexis Gentry.” He stood and held out a hand to shake, and when she accepted, the familiar tingle of werewolf shimmied up his arm.
“Have a seat. Do you have a driver’s license or ID, so I can enter your info into the database?” The chair creaked as he sank into it again. He really needed to get the WD-40 after it.
The woman reached into her pocket and pulled out a small piece of plastic. Sliding it across the desk, she avoided looking into Luke’s eyes and rubbed the back of her neck. “You’re staring at me.”
He picked up the ID and turned toward the computer screen. Holding the card in one hand, he tried to focus on typing the information with the other. The rogue was beautiful, no doubt about that. And he couldn’t ignore the coincidence that she showed up now, as his deadline to select a mate was fast approaching. While he doubted another pack sent her, he wouldn’t put it past his old man to send in a new “rogue” every day until he’d chosen one.
But this woman didn’t hold a candle to Macey. In fact, he couldn’t get the sexy detective off his mind. He needed to see her again. Soon.
He huffed and handed the card back to her. “How long do you plan to stay in New Orleans?”
She raised one shoulder and stared at her ID card. “I don’t know. It depends on how things work out. A few months, maybe?”
“Good enough for me. What brings you here?”
Alexis put her card in her pocket and fiddled with the buttons on her shirt. When she spoke, her voice sounded strained. “Oh, I just like to move around a lot. I get bored, I guess.”
She wasn’t telling him everything, but he didn’t have time to pry the answers out of her. If his old man had sent her, the most harm done was the waste of her time. If she was hiding something else…one of his men could keep an eye on her; he needed to get to work. “How long have you been rogue, and why did you leave your pack?”
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