by Cara Carnes
“He threatened the pack?”
“No, I believe he was threatening to unman you if you hurt the daughter of his heart.” Drew chuckled. “Apparently, there’s a whole pack of Jaguar males who’ve been trying to get her attention a hell of a long time. He said he’d owe you if it worked out. At least this way he wouldn’t have to select a favorite from within his den.”
“I didn’t realize she was part of the den.”
“She’s oblivious to her importance to them. Losing her will be a huge loss.” Drew sighed. “I’m gonna give this to you straight. You’ve got a choice. Melanie and Ellie will always have a home with the Tao pack, as will you and Kinsey. But Daniel has offered you all a place within their den.”
Shock kept him silent.
“I filled him in on what I assumed was the situation with Melanie and Ellie. Your honor alone made him comfortable with the recommendation Jadrien had given him. You have some choices to make. You all do.”
He couldn’t imagine Melanie and Ellie in the midst of Jaguars. He couldn’t imagine him in the thick of a den. Admittedly, the Jago Alpha had his shit together and it was a hell of a sweet den. It felt as though he was violating his blood by even considering the offer, yet a part of him realized he wasn’t truly a part of the pack right now.
Neither was Melanie or Ellie.
And Kinsey. Could he ask her to uproot her entire existence and move across the country to be with him—where he lived a solitary life in the shadows of his pack with a woman and kid who weren’t his, yet were his to care for? The entire situation was screwed six ways to Sunday.
He blew out an exhausted breath. “It’s definitely something to talk over with a couple of people. It seems wrong to even consider.”
“We’ve never cleared the air about what went down between our dads. For the record, your old man was a hell of a guy. Not many had the balls to do what needed to be done back then. I’m thinking he’d be pretty damned proud of you right about now.”
Pride rose within him. The praise healed abrasive wounds from long ago he’d ignored. “I wouldn’t have ever gotten it in me to have this out with you if it hadn’t been for Kinsey.”
“It’s amazing what a good woman can do for a man without even realizing.” Drew slapped him on the back. “Let’s go grab a beer and see if we can feed your woman. Gee tells me she has a thing for ranch dressing. He’s pretty sure she’s nuts, by the way. Most of the pack does.”
Drayce laughed. “Of course, she’s my woman. I wouldn’t have her any other way.”
***
Drayce and Drew came in laughing and slapping each other’s backs the way only best friends did. The sight made her heart swell. Her man had mended the fence. But wait.
He’d done it without her. Arg!
Standing up, she crossed her arms and struck her best I’m-pissed-at-you pose—including the tapping foot motion. The Tao Alpha paused. Oh yeah, smart man. He knew she was pissed and didn’t want any part of it.
Eldan ambled up to Drayce and thumped him on the shoulder. “Funniest shit I’ve seen in a decade, man. Happy for you.”
Drayce gave the two men a chin lift and headed straight to her as though she was invisible. Did he not see her I’m-pissed-at-you pose? It’d stopped every Jaguar in the Jago Den at least once. It was a good pose. “You’re too cute when you’re pissed,” he whispered. “Makes me hard.”
Arousal billowed in her belly, fanning out to her limbs, swelling to a full-on inferno between her legs. She moaned when he swept her into his arms and claimed her mouth. Hoots and hollers echoed within the bar, but she couldn’t care less. Her man was kissing her senseless. When he set her to her feet, she blinked up at him a couple of times, unsure what she’d been thinking moments ago.
Eldan chuckled beside them. “Damn, man. You’re a master at diversion.”
“Shut it,” Drayce grumbled.
Diversion. Things synched in her brain. “You did it without me, didn’t you?”
“It sort of just happened, sweetheart, but we’ve got lots of shit to decide. Together.” He tried to kiss her, but she leaned back.
“Hold up there, Prince Charming.” She grasped his face in her hand and squeezed. “I had a list.”
“You had a list?” Drew inquired.
“Don’t ask,” Drayce commented and rolled his eyes.
“Oh, no you didn’t.” She pulled out the notebook and thumbed to a list. “I’m adding ‘Respect each other’s quirks.’”
“Whatever you want, sweetheart.” She sat, silenced by the instantaneous placating tone. Whatever he had to say must be huge.
Ellie flounced into Kinsey’s lap. She grunted with the impact. Melanie winced. “Sorry, she’s very affectionate. And wiggly.”
Kinsey tickled the little girl until she was a giggling mess of limbs and curls. The brief bout of happiness settled her. They could handle whatever his news was. She wanted to be a part of this. Family.
Drayce grabbed Ellie, who squealed with delight when he hauled her above his head and spun her around. Her womb fluttered. He’d be such a good dad. He fixed waffles. Who did that?
Her man did.
Oh, my God! She loved him. The realization thundered to the forefront of her thoughts. Heat crept up her cheeks when she noticed everyone watching her.
When had this happened? How? So quickly?
Nans had been right. One minute she was traipsing along, resolved to her impulsive fling with the sexy Wolf. The next she was a belly-fluttering, heart-swooning wreck of epic proportions. This wasn’t good. It was way too quick. No way he’d be down with this. Not this fast.
Okay, keep it together. Hear him out. Panic later. Way later, maybe, oh say in your next life.
Decision made, she slammed her notebook of lists closed and chucked it on the table. She didn’t have time for those lists. Focus on breathing. Okay. Inhaling’s manageable. Check.
“You okay?” Drayce settled into a chair beside her, the proximity making her bits and pieces thump with renewed awareness. So not good. She couldn’t thump when she was this jumbled. Jumbly and thumpy together was bad. Right? “Hey.”
He captured her gaze, and she tumbled heart first into the sexy mocha depths. This was definitely where she was meant to reside. She didn’t care if it made zero sense to anyone. Nans would’ve understood.
“Let her eat. Food always helps. And beer.” Gee’s voice startled Kinsey out of the contemplative haze. She looked down at the pile of fried pickles. Tears welled in her gaze when she saw the two containers of ranch perched at the edge of the basket.
“You gave me ranch.”
“I’m thinking a girl with enough spirit to hang around despite yesterday’s scene deserved ranch with her pickles.” Gee walked off. “Even if it is weird.”
“Ranch with your pickles is about all the approval you’ll get from him.” Drayce grinned. “Drew spoke with Daniel. We’ve got some choices to make. Before we do, there are a couple of things you need to know.”
“Okay.” She chewed a pickle, dipped a second into ranch, and shoved it in. A full mouth was a silent mouth. Listen before you spew your whimsical notions of love forever after to a man who barely knows you.
“Recent changes in our pack allow us to mate with humans now. You can thank Ryker ’cause he didn’t back down from what he wanted—his woman. He got himself a good one; we changed our ways. So, Drew says you, Melanie, and Ellie will always have a home here with the Tao pack, no matter what.”
Wait. Did he say mate? Was he thinking…? Oh, my God. She slammed another pickle slice into her mouth and chased it with a swig of beer. Gee was right. Beer made anything better.
“Your man Jadrien chatted with the Jago Alpha. Daniel and Drew talked.”
She swallowed. They talked. What the heck did that mean? Oh, God, she should’ve called Daniel. Shit. She was supposed to meet Jadrien this morning and had totally forgotten. She rose. Drayce gently pressed her back into the chair.
“Breathe, sweetheart.”
She obeyed. Waiting. They’d talked. So? And?
Drayce looked over at Melanie and Ellie. “We also have a home with the Jago Den. All of us. No matter what.”
Oh. My. A part of her exploded in glee, but she slammed the door of revelry shut before her insides clenched with elation. This was Drayce’s home. They were Wolves. The offer was sweet, but they’d never, ever leave the Tao pack and live surrounded by Jaguars.
Would they?
She peered curiously over at a wide-eyed Melanie. She squeezed Ellie closer to her before she spoke. “Jaguars?”
“Yes. A large den by shifter standards. It’s in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, one of the largest spreads of land for a shifter faction of any kind. Beautiful terrain.”
“W-why would they want me? And Ellie?”
Because they’re awesome. Chewing the last of her piglet shovel, she took another swig of beer and mentally ramped herself up to explain the den to anyone who cared to listen. This was her family they were yapping about.
“Lauren isn’t Daniel’s daughter.” Now, why the hell had Kinsey spewed the little known tidbit? “Oops. I didn’t mean to say that out loud. The thing is, Lauren’s mom was mated before. It wasn’t a soul mating like the Jaguars believe in. He was a real mean bastard. Things went down, and he died. She wasn’t Jago pack by blood. Daniel invited her to stay, at least until she figured out her options. She had a little one to worry about.
“She’d been pretty isolated before. Remember, her mate was a real, real asshat. Anyway, within a month, the entire den had taken her in. She had a job, a passel of friends. Her little girl was playing with tons of kids. And, well, long story short she and Daniel fell in love. Voila. Lauren was his daughter. She never knew otherwise till a couple of years ago when some Alpha from another den mentioned it. He got his ass chewed. Hard.” Kinsey chuckled. “I think he’s still missing fur.”
Ellie giggled.
“So, the den knows firsthand what you and your little girl are going through, Melanie. You may not be Jaguar, but they wouldn’t make the distinction. They’re very progressive. They’ve mated with humans and other shifters for many generations.”
“T-that sounds real nice, a good place for you and Drayce to start a life. I don’t want to be a burden on anyone. We’ll figure it out.”
“Tell you what. Come out, spend a couple of weeks with the den. See for yourself whether it’d be a good fit for you two. If it’s not, then we can go from there.” Her heart stammered for a moment before she looked to Drayce. “I think it might be a good idea for you, too. I mean, just to keep your options open. I know you’d never leave the Tao pack.”
“They’ve seen more of me in the past couple of days than they have the last two months.” Drayce grabbed her hair and dragged her forward until their lips almost melded. “My home is wherever you are because you are my everything.”
“We can’t leave this place. Are you trying to get out of those house fixes because I’m better with a hammer?” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Drayce, we have two boys who are relying on us. Denise needs us. But I would like to drag you back so the den can meet you. They’ve been my life for so long. I can’t imagine not going back at least once. I need them to see I was right to take a chance on you.”
“I’ve been thinking. You want to head to the Jago’s for a bit? Eldan will fill in for me. Hell, he’s done most of the work on my place anyway. Besides, it’ll keep his ass out of trouble. And he’ll handle Nate and Daren until we get back.”
“Hey!” Eldan shouted from across the room.
Ugh. Why did Wolves have such good hearing?
He was serious. Intensity resonated in his gaze. He’d go wherever she wanted. Her insides fluttered. God, she loved Drayce.
Wow. “So, you’d be okay with going and checking it out for a couple of weeks? I mean, if you want us to keep on with what we have.” This was so not the place to have this conversation, but packs were clearly as nosy as dens. “I guess we haven’t discussed if there is a ‘we.’”
“There’s a ‘we.’” He kissed her lips softly. “There’s always been a ‘we.’ I was lost in you the first night.”
“Me, too.” She closed her eyes and laughed uncomfortably. “This is totally nuts. Jadrien is going to cough up a hairball when he sees us all pile into his truck.”
“Where is he?” Ryker demanded.
“Close, but off pack lands. I was supposed to check in with him this morning but got distracted. He’ll get ahold of me. It’s what he does.” She shrugged. “You have no idea what you’re getting into, Drayce. The Jago Den is going to be all over you.”
“I’m well aware of what will go down with them,” he groused. “They’re your family. Your den. We will deal.”
“Yes. Together.” She dragged him closer and feathered a kiss across his lips. “A team.”
Dizzy with the shock of everything happening, she leaned against Drayce. She’d done it. Won her man. They still had a hell of a lot to figure out, a lot of Jaguars to calm down for starters. Whether they were here in the beautiful wilderness of the Black Hills or back in the rugged rawness of the Appalachians, she was exactly where she was destined to be—within the arms of her Wolf.
~A LETTER FROM THE AUTHOR~
I was thrilled to have the opportunity to write this Black Hills Wolves story. Los Lobos was a perfect backdrop for Kinsey and her fierce determination to get her man. May we all fearlessly pursue what we want. I’d love to hear from you.
[email protected]
Want more Black Hills Wolves?
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Reluctant Mate by Chandra Ryan
Chapter One
Aimee sat in Gee’s Bar with her back to the door. The position wasn’t one she would normally be comfortable in, but her pack surrounded her in the one place where she was safe. A tingle of recognition swept through her and forced her to reconsider her positioning. Humans might not be able to harm her here, but there were other dangers she should’ve considered.
She placed a twenty on the bar to settle her tab then moved to stand. She had to get out of there. Fear and anticipation warred in the pit of her stomach as the tingling intensified. As the source got closer to her, the sensation grew. If she could feel him, then he could feel her. She needed to leave before he saw her face.
The bar became a blur as she ducked around the patrons. No one noticed her. Or if they did, they didn’t care. There was no reason for them to worry about a woman weaving through their midst. She could already see the door in front of her. She might make it to freedom.
“Excuse me.” The massive wall of a man stepped in front of her, blocking her escape and dashing her hopes of a clean break.
“I was leaving.” She didn’t dare look up at him. He had her scent. She couldn’t do anything about that. But she didn’t want to have him memorizing her face as well.
“So soon? I just got here.”
She didn’t try to hide the harsh undercurrent of her laugh. “Arrogant much? It’s not like I was waiting for someone.”
“You weren’t waiting for me.” One of his fingers slid under her chin and pulled her head up until her gaze met his.
His touch sent a thrill through her body, but she ignored the sensation. If she refused to recognize the attraction, then it didn’t exist. She couldn’t do the same about him, though. There was no denying his existence. His thick black hair fell to his shoulders in loose curls, and a day’s worth of stubble grew on his chiseled jaw. The sight of him made her heart beat faster and her breath catch in the back of her throat. In short, he was everything a female Wolf could want in a male. Something he seemed aware of as he continued talking. “I didn’t come here looking for you. But now we’ve found each other, I would think—”
“As I already said, I’m leaving.” She didn’t give a damn what he thought. With a stiff movement, she raised her left hand and twisted the ring on her third finger.
He gasped at the weddin
g band but released her and stepped out of the way. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were married.”
And why would he? He’s found his mate. This close to him, her skin buzzed with the tingling mate call. But Aimee didn’t want a mate. She’d buried her true love. She would never replace him. She walked past the stranger out into the clear night.
She should go home and crawl into her bed. If she tried, she might be able to forget all about him. Instead, she let out an exhausted sigh as she made her way toward the woods. She was a realist, and the reality she found herself in hinged on one fact—she wouldn’t be able to forget him. She’d seen him for one brief second and he’d already been burned into her soul. That was the way it went with mates. He’d managed to get under her skin already, regardless of how she felt about the situation.
As soon as she stepped off the path, she accepted her four-hundred-dollar designer shoes would be ruined. One pair of shoes didn’t matter. She had a closet full of them. But she didn’t have any place to wear them since she’d moved out to the sticks. Her days in court were over. Her old life was over. Nobody cared about her shoes anymore.
The tree branches pulled at the smooth twist she’d worked her blonde hair into, but she didn’t try to stop them. Some things couldn’t be controlled. The grasping and tugging of nature happened to be one of them. She didn’t even bother to remove the little twigs and leaves from her hair as she broke into the clearing.
As if guided by some unseen force, she made her way to the middle of the clearing and stared up at the moon. The light it emitted filled her with warmth despite its wispy crescent shape. The moon called to her—loudly. As if the celestial body knew she’d been ignoring it and demanded her attention.
“I….” She sank down to the soft grass and sniffled “I can’t do this. I can’t love another.” She’d been there, done that, and had the broken heart to prove it. “Asking me to isn’t fair.”
Life isn’t fair.
