by B. N. Kasner
His bear’s words rang through his mind. She’s always been ours. Holy shit, while Carter was twiddling his paws, his fucking animal had known. “Is that all, or do you know more?” He really didn’t like the look on Scott’s face.
“For a mating bond to form and take root, there has to be some kind of mutual affection and wanting. It’s not as one-sided as you’d think.” He knew what Scott tried to say without actually coming out and saying it. The time had come for Carter to admit, at least to himself, how deep his feelings for Grace ran. Carter wanted her, and not just sexually.
No, he wanted a life with her, including kids and anything else she was willing to give him. Her strength drew him in like honey. At every turn Grace had been there, ready to fight for the ones she cared about. The best part was, she fought for him the same way. No matter what he did or said, Grace never hesitated to stand beside him.
Although, after the past week, that had probably changed. Carter had never pushed Grace so far before, and he regretted it. “I know what I have to do. Thanks for helping me.” Carter and Scott shook hands. “Good luck with Grams.” He called over his shoulder, leaving the office door open on his way out.
Everyone knew Scott and Grams, Mason’s grandma, were in the same boat as him and Grace. Of course, the circumstances were different, but Scott wanted Grams as a choice mate. The words choice mate didn’t sound like the right term after seeing that magic picture. If there wasn’t a choice, why call them choice mates? He’d have to think up a better name and share it with Scott.
He’d just started his car when his phone rang, Carter answered it without looking. “Carter Mont-” He didn’t even get his whole name out before getting cut off.
“It’s Nathan. Did you hear about this dancing shit on Friday?” Carter growled just thinking about Jacob Benson getting his paws on Grace. She was his and his alone. Since he now knew there wasn’t a way for the mating to be undone, Carter was going all in.
“Don’t remind me. I was standing right there when the little shit asked Grace out. How the hell do you know about it?”
“Annie.” Goddess, mates really couldn’t keep anything to themselves. “But we may have a bigger problem.”
“What could be a bigger problem than this punk taking my Gracie on a date?” He hadn’t meant to let the nickname slide, but fuck it. Nathan already knew, what would be the point in trying to hide it from him.
“Your Gracie, huh?” Nathan chuckled, Carter could only imagine the insanely cocky look on his face.
“Shut up, asshole. Just tell me what’s happening.” He pulled his car onto the road, heading towards the office. He needed to get some work done after bailing for two days straight.
“This Jake guy broke her heart in high school and embarrassed the shit out of her. Me and Mason just had to talk Gene out of hunting the guy down and killing him.” Carter stepped on the gas. The kid had said something about Grace remodeling his mom’s living room. He’d hunt him down and do the job for Gene.
Grace was his responsibility now anyway. Not to mention, he felt extremely overprotective of her. Even more so in the last ten minutes when he’d come to his decision to give things between them a go. “Why does it sound like you’re going eighty in a car?”
“Because I am. I’m gonna find this asshole and break every bone in his body.” The snarl in his voice surprised him.
“Calm down. Fuck, you sound worse than Gene did and he saw her crying.” Carter’s tires squealed when he hit the brakes. He’d made it to the office in under fifteen minutes.
“Did you just say Grace cried?” She never cried. Whatever this kid had done to her, it had hurt her deeply. Carter would make sure Jake hurt just as bad when Carter was done with him.
“Shit, will you listen to me. I’m trying to tell you there’s a way to make the kid go away.” That shut Carter up. Oh, he would still dig up any dirt he could on the punk, but whatever he found would just be the ace up his sleeve.
“Go on.” He turned his car off, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel.
“Annie came up with the idea of everyone going dancing together. Which means, you my friend, are now invited. Show up early and scare the damn fucker off. You’ll have to watch out for Gene, though. He’s probably thinking about doing the same thing.”
“Shit, tell your wife thanks for me. How much does she know?” Nathan’s silence told Carter everything he needed to know. “As long as she doesn’t let on to Grace, I don’t care what you tell her.”
“Alright. I’ll see you Friday, make sure you wear your dancing shoes.” Carter laughed as he hung up the phone. He’d be bringing more than his dancing shoes with him. Along with any information he’d be able to dig up on Jake in the next two days, Carter would be bringing his charm.
After all the bullshit he’d put Grace through, it would take every trick in Carter’s book to make her warm back up to him. Carter chuckled to himself. He had never thought in a million years he would be the one chasing after Grace. It gave him an erotic thrill. Both the man and bear liked the chase. There hadn’t been one with Becky, but Grace was a whole different kind of woman. One he looked forward to have writhing in pleasure underneath him.
With this way of thinking, he’d have to be on high alert around Gene. It wouldn’t do him any good to get into a fight with her brother. His whole plan relied on winning her back over, not pushing her further into the arms of another guy. Carter prayed he hadn’t done that very thing already.
Chapter Nine
Holding the black dress up to her body, Grace looked herself over in the mirror. Her usually straight hair looked strange curly. Ella had convinced her curls drove men wild. Grace didn’t know how true it was, but she’d try anything at this point. Blonde Barbie bitch had her hair curled. Maybe guys really did like curly hair better than straight. All the evidence pointed in that direction.
Her stomach felt like it had bats flying around in it. She hadn’t been this nervous since her first date with Jake. Now, she wasn’t just worried about Jake. This time she’d have Carter and Gene watching her every move. Grace’s heart fluttered at the thought of Carter.
Over the past two days, they’d kept their distance from each other at the office. Only speaking to one another when it was absolutely necessary. It hurt her more than she had thought it would. She may have started the silent treatment, but now she wanted it to end. Too bad Grace’s pride wouldn’t let her.
After all the bullshit, he’d have to be the one to break their icy silence. No way she’d put herself out there with him again. Not when she knew she’d only get burned in the process. With a growl, Grace stalked back to her closet. The one thing Grace had in abundance were dresses. Long, formal ones and short, sexy ones.
A dark hunter green dress caught her eye. She hadn’t worn it since Ella’s wedding and Grace loved the way it made her look. The dress hugged her curves like a second skin, with little cap sleeves which hung off the shoulder. It provided the perfect amount of leg, showing off her best asset. Just because she was vertical challenged didn’t mean her legs weren’t sexy and long.
“Grace honey, you wanted me to let you know when it was six. Well, it’s six.” Grace had a tough time keeping track of time when her nerves got the best of her. It took half an hour to get to Lucky Star, so she really needed to hop to it. She hated wearing makeup, but she needed to make sure she looked amazing.
Grace just wasn’t sure which guy she wanted to impress more, Carter or Jake. The girls were dead set against Jake. Hell, the guys weren’t any better. Her brother had wanted to hunt Jake down and tear his head from his shoulders. The two of them meeting without Grace there wasn’t something she wanted to chance. Hell, even a part of her didn’t want a thing to do with Jake, but she hadn’t lied to the girls.
It felt nice to be wanted for once in her life. She’d never been good enough for her dad. Carter hadn’t ever looked at her as something other than his friend’s kid sister. Her mate had passed away before t
hey were old enough to actually understand what mating involved. However, Grace wasn’t stupid or blind.
Some of the unmated males in Redwater flirted with her when Gene wasn’t brooding over her shoulder. But they didn’t want her for a mate. Once they realized she wasn’t going to drop her panties for them, they backed off like she had fleas. Why didn’t anybody see her as mate material? It couldn’t be her mouth because Lani literally didn’t have a filter regarding anything.
Damn it, Ella had come out of the woods and even she got her mate in the end. There had to be something she wasn’t seeing. Maybe her fighting skills scared off all her potential candidates. Guys probably didn’t like the fact she could beat them with one paw tied behind her back. At the next training course, she’d tone it down a little on the ass whopping.
Grace would probably get shit from Gene, but she could handle him. Even if she couldn’t, Lani would step in and take it out of Grace’s hands. Her sister-in-law knew how to manage Gene when he got a thorn in his paw. She slid her feet into a pair of flats, grabbing her heels on the way out. Driving and heels didn’t go good together.
“Bye, dad. Love you.” Grace yelled up the stairs, hoping her dad could hear her over the shower.
“Be careful and have fun.” She locked the front door before pulling it shut behind her. Grace wasn’t taking any chances with her dad home alone. Noah was still lurking out there somewhere. Even though he could fight in his human form, Jackson wouldn’t be able to take on someone if they shifted. In the past few months, it had become apparent Jackson didn’t have the ability to shift into his bear form anymore.
In a way, it made sense. His bear had already been broken by the death of her mom, then her dad had only dulled the animal more with alcohol. Jackson said he still felt his bear inside him, but couldn’t hear him or express any of his shifter tendencies. Basically, Jackson had turned himself into a human. And a human wouldn’t stand a chance against a raging psychopath like Noah.
Firing her truck up, Grace prayed. The truck originally belonged to her mother, it had taken Gene three years to get it up and running. Lately, her precious vehicle, who she’d named Bella, had stopped purring like a lazy house cat. With everything going on, she hadn’t gotten a chance to ask her brother to check her truck over. She couldn’t let anything happen to this truck. When she sat in it, she felt closer to her mom.
The drive to Lucky Star felt like it went by quicker than usual. She recognized Nathan, Carter and Gene’s vehicles. Apparently, everyone had the same idea, only Grace was the last one to arrive. “Shit.” She didn’t have the time to be putting on strappy heels, but her flats were bright blue.
Grace made herself take a deep breath. Everybody would still be inside after the two minutes it’d take to put her heels on. With one more look in her rearview mirror, she checked her makeup. She’d have to remember not to rub her eyes or face. Fuck, she couldn’t wait to wash her face later.
Lucky Star had an open floor plan, with a long bar along one wall and a small stage for live bands on the other. There were a few tables and booths tucked away in a corner, along with a couple of pool tables. A long hallway led to the bathrooms and back door which let out into an alley. Lani and Annie were sitting at a table. She waved to them, but neither of them paid her any attention.
Both had their eyes glued towards the bar. Grace followed their line of vision and instantly knew what had them fascinated. Carter, Gene, Nathan, Alex and Isaiah had Jake cornered against the bar. Damn it, this was what she’d been trying to avoid. Before she could stomp over there and tell both her brother and mate to mind their own damn business, Gene, Nathan, Alex and Isaiah started to walk away.
Carter leaned over, whispering in Jake’s ear. Whatever he’d said made Jake look sick. Jake nodded his head enthusiastically, making eye contact with her. Her mate turned around, surveying the room. His eyes stopped on her, slowly undressing her with his eyes. He winked at her when their eyes connected.
Grace gulped. Carter never looked at her like that. Like he wanted to thoroughly explore her body with more than just his eyes. She couldn’t even begin to think what his wink meant.
Jake stopped when he saw her, but instead of returning her smile, he looked over his shoulder at Carter. “H-h-hey Grace. You look nice.” His anxiousness put her on notice. This wasn’t going the way she’d thought it would. “I, um, have to go.” He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes darting back to her mate again.
“But I just got here. You’re the one who asked me to come out.” She laughed nervously, swaying forward and backward with her hands clenched so tightly they hurt.
“Uh, yeah, about that. We shouldn’t see each other anymore.” She raised an eyebrow at his statement. Four days ago, he’d been singing an entirely different tune. “Look, I’m not ready to settle down. Tommy asked me to go on a road trip with him, I just don’t have time for you.” His words hurt, and Grace felt like the same eighteen-year-old girl all over again.
“What about when you get back?” She’d try one more time and give him a chance. Grace knew the answer before he even opened his mouth.
“I’m not coming back. I always wanted to live in Florida.” Why did she keep putting herself out there? It never fucking worked out for her. When Jake wrapped her in a hug, he leaned down and whispered, “You’re beautiful Grace, and I’ll always regret letting you go the way I did. Find yourself someone who’ll treat you like a queen and never let them go.” He placed a kiss on her cheek before walking out the door without looking back.
Grace felt an arm sling around her shoulder, “Don’t worry Red. Someone better will come along and sweep you off your paws. Now. Dance with me. I wanna make this hot brunette jealous.” Isaiah never failed to make her smile. She wasn’t about to let this night go to total shit, so she plastered a smile on her face and let Isaiah drag her out onto the dance floor.
◆◆◆
Carter sipped his beer slowly, watching Grace out of the corner of his eye. Currently, her, Annie and Lani were out on the dance floor. Gene and Nathan stood nearby like their bodyguards since Lani had thrown a fit about Gene breathing down her neck. It worked out fine for Carter because it meant no man could get within five feet of Grace. If Gene somehow missed one, he made sure to glare until the guy got the message.
Only Isaiah had danced with her, and he’d kept his eyes on a mousy brunette who went around cleaning up empty bottles from the tables and booths. Alex, like him, hadn’t left the bar. It wasn’t his place to say anything, but the wolf had done nothing but pound back beer all night. Hell, maybe it was exactly what the guy needed to relax. What the hell did he know? He just didn’t want to see Alex go down the same road as Grace’s dad.
As much as he gave the older Wilson brothers shit, he’d started to come around where they were concerned. Isaiah still got on his nerves when he opened his mouth. Alex however, he got along with. The wolf in question swayed when he got to his feet. Carter went to steady him, but Alex waved him off. “I'm all right.” He clung to the bar, his words coming out slower than usual. “I’m a fuckin’ alpha for Goddess sake. Even though everyone around here thinks I’m lower than pond scum.”
Where the hell is all this coming from? Nobody to Carter’s knowledge treated Alex any different. “Who are you talking about?” Carter would relay the information to Mason and Ella. Surely, they’d want to take care of the problem.
“Like you don’t fuckin’ know!” Alex roared, his eyes turning silver. “All of you look at me and think how pathetic I must be to give up my pack. Don’t lie.” Obviously, Alex had a temper when he drank. Much different to the calm, collected guy he usually was. Isaiah, Gene, and Nathan appeared beside him from out of nowhere.
“Damn it,” Isaiah muttered, grinding his teeth. “William Wilson’s finest piece of work my friends. Making my big brother feel inadequate, even from the fucking grave. Shoulda killed the bastard when I had the chance.” He mumbled the last part, looking at his brother with understanding e
yes. Everyone liked to assume Corey had the most adjusting to do. Carter had a sinking feeling each brother had shit they needed to work through. The older ones were just better at hiding their problems.
Alex started to slump over, at the last second Isaiah caught him. “I’ve got ya, brother. Nathan, you think you could take us home. He’s only gonna get worse.”
“Let me grab Annie.” Nathan disappeared into the swarm of people on the dance floor. Nathan came back with all three women. Carter couldn’t stop himself from staring at Grace. She looked like a Goddess sent from heaven just to tempt his sanity.
The green in her dress brought out her eyes, making them shine like emeralds. Fuck, he was already starting to think like a damn softie. It had been two days since he’d decided to go all in. Carter could only imagine what he’d be like in a month. Probably as bad as all the others.
Since she’d walked through the door, she had avoided him. He should’ve put a stop to her silent treatment right then, but now wasn’t the time. Not with Gene hovering around. At least he’d gotten rid of Jacob Benson for good. Carter had spent every waking moment looking for dirt on the kid.
He’d finally found some thanks in large part to the little punk himself. Apparently, Jake had gone wild once he got to college. Instead of graduating with a degree like he’d told everyone, he’d flunked out two years ago. Why Jake had decided to come home and lie wasn’t any of Carter’s concern, but it was enough to convince Jake to stay away from Grace. It hadn’t hurt both Gene and Carter threatened him with bodily harm if he even so much as breathed in her direction again.
Both Nathan and Isaiah had to carry a mumbling Alex to Nathan’s Hummer. “I had fun. Thanks for inviting us Grace.” Annie hugged Grace, giving Carter a wink over her shoulder. So, Annie was with him regarding Grace. Two allies were better than one. Annie had Grace’s ear in a way Carter didn’t.
