Cohen

by Emilia Hartley

  Savannah barely dodged his dive as she swam expertly out of the splash zone, brown head bobbing upward with a gasp for fresh air. She watched him with bright golden eyes as he buoyed upward, righting himself in the water and fixing her with a triumphant glare.

  “Nice try.”

  She snorted. “Took you long enough. I almost passed out from holding my breath for so long.”

  He rumbled a playful growl, a shiver of pleasure rippling over him before he quelled the urge. Having a bit of fun was one thing; the more permanent possibilities that lay beyond were still strictly off limits.

  With a raise of her large paw, Savannah splashed a wave of water at Tom before he could recover from his infatuation. She dodged his retaliating splash easily diving into the deep water. With an amused grunt, Tom dipped in after her.

  They played in the lake for longer than he’d expected to, finally emerging from the water exhausted and content. Unfortunately the more he’d frolicked with Savannah, the more his desires to take the next step grew, eventually becoming too big an urge to toy with. As much as he wanted to stay just a bit longer, if he was to keep his vow to not let things get too serious between them, he had to leave. Even still, he was satisfied with how the late afternoon’s events had unfolded.

  Turning toward the lake, he saw that Savannah had chosen to swim a bit longer.

  She looked up at him as he shook the water from his coat. “Heading back?”

  With an affirmative grunt, Tom turned to leave. “See you at work tomorrow.”

  Savannah responded by splashing backwards into the lake, and Tom took that as his cue to make his departure. He made it deep into the cover of the trees before he heard the telltale signs of bones snapping and muscles morphing.

  Savannah was shifting back to human.

  Chapter Eleven

  Tom stopped his exit, pausing in his tracks as Savannah’s shift finished. He didn’t turn, knowing she’d be indecent, but hearing her continue to splash and play in the lake ignited an urge within him that he was tired of ignoring. He and his bear wanted—needed—something from Savannah. Something integral and important that he wasn’t entirely sure he was ready for, and it terrified him to think of what that something might be, but for now, maybe just a night of being with her would be okay?

  Surprisingly, his bear didn’t protest when Tom began the shift, his body morphed with little effort back to human. Without preamble, he turned back around, sprinting to the lake’s edge and arcing himself into a high dive. Savannah took one shocked moment to notice his sudden return before diving under the water and out of his way for the second time that night.

  They both popped their heads above water at the same time, Savannah already glaring at Tom. “What are you doing?”

  Tom shrugged. “What’s it look like?”

  She swam backwards a little, both of them aware that neither of them wore any clothes. “I thought you were going home?”

  “Hoping for some time alone for any particular reason?” Tom asked, a bit of his old suspicion breaking through the desire he was feeling.

  Savannah frowned. “No, of course not. I just wanted to swim.”

  “You were already swimming.”

  “And I can’t continue to do that?”

  “Of course you can,” Tom answered, growing frustrated. “I just… any particular reason why you shifted?”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Do I need a reason to shift before I do it?”

  “Of course you don’t,” Tom replied solemnly. He knew she had every right to do as she pleased when she wanted. He had no say over her body and how she lived in it. He just found it easier to contain his desires while they were both bears. Sure, her bear form was amazing in its own right, but her human side ignited sensations within him that he couldn’t even begin to explain. The way she moved, the cadence of her voice, the way the moonlight shone against the fairness of her skin…

  “I spent a lot of time as a bear, before coming here. It’s just easier that way when I’m constantly on the move. But now that I’ve decided to settle down again, I’ve been really interested in reacquainting myself with my human half. I like my bear, but I like this side of me, too, you know?”

  “I like it, too,” Tom breathed, surprising the both of them. He had a moment to wonder if he should cover up his confession with some harsh words before she smiled and turned his entire world upside down. Why was she so jaw-droopingly beautiful?

  “Well that’s a relief,” she chuckled, averting her eyes. “I honestly wasn’t entirely sure you did.”

  Tom’s breath caught, noticing the returned half-confession in her words. “I’d have to be blind to not see how beautiful you were, Savannah,” he continued, riding on the coattails of his previous declaration. “It hasn’t been easy hiding this from you. I know I’ve failed. I know you’ve noticed.”

  It was Savannah’s turn to shrug. “I don’t make a habit of assuming. But I can tell you now, whatever you’re feeling…” she met his gaze, swimming near to him once more, “I feel it, too.”

  She raised her hand slowly, making her intent known. When he didn’t stop her, she lowered her hand, brushing feather-light fingertips down the musculature of his left arm. She traced the tribal weave tattoo that coiled around his bicep, sending electric shocks of pleasure through his entire body. His breath spilled out in a shuddering sigh, his reaction to her powerful and immediate. His body tensed, preparing to back away before the sensation grew too dominant to quell.

  “No, please, don’t run away from me,” Savannah whispered, kicking her leg back so that her body was pushed forward. She pressed her body against his and a gasp of surprise and something darker tore from his throat. He felt her suppress her own shiver of intense craving before speaking again. “Whatever this is, whatever we’re feeling right now… I want to explore it more.”

  Tom allowed himself one lingering moment more of their bodies being so deliciously close before he pulled away. This was too much; he wouldn’t be able to handle it if she tried anything else. “Savannah, I can’t.” he hated to see disappointment dampen the look in her eyes. “This all… it’s just too much, too soon. I… maybe we can talk more back at the shop, about where we go from here, but as for… this…” He sighed. “I just can’t. I’m sorry.”

  Savannah gave a small accepting nod. “I understand.” He could still see the disillusionment in her eyes.

  “But please, Savannah, I do agree that I want to explore this more. Explore us more,” he reassured, hoping to replenish a bit of that light in her gaze. “Why don’t you come back to the office once you’re more… clothed.” He swallowed as his eyes followed the water-distorted curves of her body, and he found it hard to think straight. His entire body ached in protest at his decision to cut things short. His bear was roaring. Was he really making the right choice?

  He waved the doubt away. This was the best way to go about it if he was going to at all. “I’d love to get to know you a bit better. The real you, not the you that needs a job,” he finished. Her lips turned up into a soft smile, and he found himself wondering how they would feel against his own.

  Not now, not now… he chanted to himself.

  “Getting to know each other a bit better,” she mused to herself. “That sounds… nice. I’d like that. I can stop by the Chinese place and grab some late takeout, if you want?”

  He shook his head. “If you want takeout, I’ll grab it on the way back. You take care of you.” With a heavy heart, he swam to the edge of the lake, pulling himself up despite every fiber of his being screaming at him not to walk away. Despite this, he kept moving. The wait would be worth it; he just knew it. “See you soon, Savannah,” he called back, making sure to keep his crotch concealed from view. He didn’t wait to hear a response before tearing off into the darkness of the woods.

  ***

  Savannah watched intently until she heard the telltale roar of Tom’s finished shift before submerging herself completely under the water. When s
he resurfaced, her body was shivering; instinctively, she knew that this was not because of the cold. It ached and quivered with unsatisfied pleasure, the heat in the pit of her stomach radiating outward, calling for the alpha bear that left her to swim alone. She’d summoned up every bit of courage to take the next step, hoping that it would be the push he needed to stop holding back. She couldn’t have been further from wrong.

  Thinking back on what had just transpired, she supposed part of her was glad that he exercised a bit of restraint; she could see the merits in taking things slow. It didn’t stop her bear from thrashing about in frustration or her body from aching for Tom’s return. Luckily, she’d be seeing him again in only a short while. She thought of the two of them, alone and content after the swim and allowed herself some hope that maybe more satisfying endings were to come once she met up with him there.

  “It’s nice to see you making good use of your time.”

  Savannah shrieked, spinning around in the water to lock gazes with Lucas. He was completely naked, having recently shifted to his human form, and his grin was sickening as he gazed down at her body, vulnerable in the water. She snaked an arm hastily over her breasts, her stomach churning as she quickly remembered to lower her gaze in his presence. “Lucas! What are you doing here?” She tried to mask her terror into something like concern. “I-I mean, what if Tom’s still close by and smells you?”

  “Never you worry about me,” Lucas reassured, voice dripping with menace. “I’m more interested in what you have been up to.”

  “I’m just doing what you ordered me to,” Savannah replied, voice wavering. “Trying to get Tom to trust me.”

  Lucas’s eyes traveled hungrily down her body. “I can see that,” he murmured appreciatively. Her body quivered under his gaze. It felt like a million invisible spiders were crawling under her skin.

  “So,” he began, lowering himself to sit on the damp bank and dipping his long legs into the water. “It’s been a few weeks. Tell me everything you’ve learned.”

  Savannah fought not to back away out of his close proximity, trying to hide the fear and unease she felt around her pack leader. The time she’d spent away from him had been amazing; she’d finally begun to stop living in fear of his watchful eye… until this. Lucas arriving had catapulted her back to the days when she was terrified of any move she made, fearing how her leader would take it and if one tiny mistake would mean pain for her.

  She’d finally felt something like happiness with Tom, and now Lucas was back to remind her that the world she was living in wasn’t hers to enjoy. Everything she’d done, the person she’d become, it was all for Lucas to control. She’d joined his pack knowing this, accepting that as a fact, as if that was how packs were run. Then she met Tom, and Nick and Jo, and knew there was so much more to experience, so much more happiness and respect and love between pack mates, and it was all just lost to the Northern Wind pack. But it was too late, she’d agreed to Lucas’s terms, she’d willingly allowed herself to become his property, and now there was no turning back, no matter how much her mind and body screamed for her to run.

  She gave Lucas a sad smile as she dove into a play by play of her actions over the last month.

  She watched with caution in her eyes as his lip curled at the thought of Nick’s confirmed human mate, how his glare flashed when she mentioned that even now Tom still didn’t fully trust her, and the way his chest rattled contentedly when he heard how she’d effortlessly slipped into their ranks without a single snag.

  She told him everything she knew aside from her personal emotions and thoughts, afraid that he might be testing her. She knew he’d watched her from time to time while she was in Woodhaven, but it was fleeting and sporadic; he couldn’t watch her non-stop. She didn’t know what he already knew from what he’d learned as she spoke, but she didn’t want to think of the punishment he’d rain down upon her if he caught her in a lie or half-truth.

  When she was finished, Lucas leaned back, resting his hands behind him as he tilted his head up to the sky. “Yes, if you keep on this path of wayward seduction, I’m sure you’ll best even that distrusting fool,” he spoke skyward. Slowly, his eyes slid over her body once more, and that feeling of spiders returned. “I’m happy to see you truly doing whatever it takes to please me, little cub.”

  He grinned wickedly. “Quite impressive, if I might add,” he hissed, approvingly, leaning forward to get a better look. “I can see why it’s so… effective.” Slowly his hand dipped into the water, and a terrified scream bubbled up Savannah’s throat, threatening to spill out into the night as his fingertips lightly brushed the slight curve of her breast. It was fleeting, over before her mind could process the contact properly, but the damage was done. She feared she’d lose the contents of her stomach right there in the water as her abdomen churned violently.

  He leaned down close, breath warm on her ear. She was frozen in fear, unable to move though the voice in her mind was screaming at her to flee. “I see the look in your eyes right now. You’re afraid,” he whispered. “I want you to remember how you feel right now as you work your way into that alpha’s bed. Remember who you belong to. Remember your orders. And perhaps most importantly, remember that I won’t tolerate failure.”

  She gave the smallest of nods. “Yes, Lucas,” she whispered. She didn’t move as he stood, dripping water down on her as he turned to take his leave. She waited until his footsteps faded deep into the forest before franticly pulling herself from the water.

  She laid out on the bank, clutching her knees to her chest as her body shivered all over. Her stomach rolled violently and she wasn’t sure if she was going to cry, be sick, or both.

  Lucas had made it abundantly clear that he’d take her as his own after she finished exacting his orders. The thought of being mated to him nearly pitched her over the edge of her sanity, and she vigorously shook the thought away. She didn’t want this; she didn’t want to do any of this anymore.

  But what choice did she have other than to obey?

  Chapter Twelve

  Despite the incessant churning in Savannah’s stomach, she carried on with the plan to meet Tom back at the shop. She’d gone home to take a hot shower in the hope that it might burn Lucas’s scent from her skin and the memory of him from her mind, but it did little to make her feel clean. Still, she knew that if she canceled, it would set her back with Tom. Though she wasn’t feeling much in the mood anymore, taking steps back would only make Lucas angry on top of her missing her chance of something more with Tom in the future.

  She frowned at the thought. As if the possibility of having anything with Tom was even an option anymore. It never was. Lucas had made sure to remind her of that fact, that this was all a game by his design. She was nothing more than a pawn to be used by him to get what he desired. None of what she’d built with Tom was real.

  As she walked numbly into the office of the mechanic shop, the scent of hot Chinese hit her nostrils. Her stomach roiled aggressively, and she held her hand over her mouth and nose to keep the smell out.

  Almost immediately, Tom was by her side. “Is something wrong? Is the smell of the food bothering you?” he asked, voice heavy with concern.

  “No, no, I’m fine,” Savannah assured, though it couldn’t be further from the truth. “I guess all that swimming exhausted me to the point of having no appetite, or something,” she lied, hoping that she’d kept her voice and heartbeat neutral enough to keep from sounding any alarms in Tom’s head.

  “Oh, okay. It’s fine if you don’t want to eat,” Tom said. “I was wondering what you’d want to do first anyway, so that answers that.”

  “First?”

  “Yeah, which first, eating or talking,” he clarified, a slight smile on his face.

  “Oh,” she muttered, feeling foolish. “Right, sure.” She could see his grin fall at her lack of emotion and slumped shoulders. “Eating first is fine, by the way,” she finished, weakly.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?”
he asked. “You’re acting totally different, and it’s only been a couple hours. Did something happen?”

  She tried to fake a reassuring smile. “Oh, yeah. Everything’s fine. It’s just, our last talk was so… heavy. I kind of get lost in thought as I brainstorm about it, that’s all.”

  He nodded his understanding. “Alright. As long as everything’s fine.” He turned towards the locked door at the back of the office. “I’m going to go grab a few dishes out the back. Do you mind setting out the food while I’m gone?”

  “No, not at all,” Savannah replied, watching as he undid several locks on the door before slipping inside. Just like the first time, a familiar scent wafted past her nose as the door closed behind him, her bear raising its head up on high alert. She still couldn’t quite pinpoint the smell, though. It only raised more questions in her mind.

  What was going on back there? Why hadn’t any of them so much as mentioned it to her since she’d arrived? Why was the door locked? Several times?

  It reminded Savannah that, though maybe not as bad as infiltrating an enemy pack and seducing an alpha bear into her leader’s trap, this alpha pack still had secrets of its own. She quieted her bear, promising that she’d work to fit a question or two about the locked room into the conversation tonight. She wasn’t in the mood to do much more than talking anymore, anyway.

  ***

  Tom slipped quietly past Dan, the man was already asleep for the night. He had to work to remain silent; just the mere scent of Savannah as she entered the office was enough to make his hands aquiver.

  The moment he’d walked out of sight and sound of her back at the lake, he’d called himself all kinds of foul names for being so stupid. ‘Too much, too soon’? What kind of excuse was that for an alpha to give the woman he fancied?