by Jane Jamison
She jerked her hand to her side. Had he blown her cover? “One of what?”
“One of those women who’ve heard the rumors about Deacon and want to see if they’re true.”
“Deacon?”
He let out a frustrated groan. “Deacon Slater, my boss. The rumors say he’s a vampire, but they’re not true. Come on.” He snorted. “A vampire who runs a pharmacy? Puh-lease. Wouldn’t it make more sense for a vampire to run a blood bank? Or be a doctor, so he could get all the blood he needs?”
She studied him. He darted his eyes away which is a sure sign that he’s lying. He’s trying to cover for his boss.
“He’s a vampire? In Texas? I thought vampires lived in big cities. Did your boss move here from a big city? One like Boston?”
“Yeah, I think so. But everyone who ever lived in Boston isn’t a vampire.” He laughed. “The idea is ridiculous. Oh, sure, he’s kind of strange, but that doesn’t make him a vampire, right? What next? Werewolves and witches?”
She rolled her eyes and played into the dumb-blonde stereotype. “Totally. It’s stupid. No, I’m not one of those freaks.” She acted nonchalant but batted her eyes at him again. “So they think he’s a real vampire, huh?”
* * * *
Daniel Holms edged closer to the beautiful blonde woman talking to Patrick, the daytime pharmacist. He’d come in during the middle of their conversation and, drawn to her, he’d gotten as close as he could.
What was it about her? He drew in a long breath and let her tantalizing aroma, a mix of pheromones and sweetness, fill him. She was special. He chanced another glance and felt his stomach flip in a funny way that he’d never experienced before. Heat flared inside him, and his inner werewolf threw back its head and howled for her.
Could it be? Was she the one he and Anderson had waited for?
Unable to turn away, he inched closer, his body tingling as he drew near her. Jealousy whipped through him when she gave Patrick a quick smile.
I have to know if what I’m feeling is real.
His heart started pounding as he slid his gaze over her. She was average in height, but the black skinny jeans she wore made her legs stretch forever. The gray T-shirt under the gray jacket couldn’t hide her slender waist and ample breasts. Had she dressed in the colorless clothes to keep attention away from her? But then why was she flirting with Patrick? The young man was nowhere close to her league. No, she wanted something from him. But what?
When the conversation turned to Deacon Slater, he had his answer. She was, as Patrick was now accusing her of being, a vampire groupie. Too bad. She was way too hot to give herself to a cold, undead man.
Daniel tuned into the conversation again.
“Like you didn’t know,” scoffed Patrick.
“I didn’t.” She glanced around her, saw Daniel, and froze for a second.
In that brief moment, the connection between them sizzled so hard and fast that he was amazed he didn’t see the sparks in the air. Although he’d sensed it earlier, he could see in her eyes that she felt it, too. She swallowed then narrowed her eyes at him before turning back to Patrick.
Daniel’s pulse sped up. Is this the invisible bond all werewolves feel whenever they find the right one? Take it easy. Don’t do anything to spook her.
“Is your boss coming in tonight?” Her voice wasn’t as confident as it was before, and Daniel couldn’t help but think it was more because of him than because of Patrick.
“I don’t think I should tell you.”
Poor guy, he knows she played him. But at least he figured it out before Deacon arrived. Daniel searched the area toward the employee side of the store. He hadn’t seen any sign of Deacon, but he’d sensed his arrival a few minutes ago. Was he staying in the back so he didn’t have to deal with the vampire groupie?
“Oh, come on, Patrick.” Her gaze slid from his name tag to the man’s face. “What’s the harm? Besides, maybe he’d like to meet me. I could be just what he needs. You know, fresh blood.” She tilted her neck to the side and pointed at her jugular vein.
Patrick made a choking sound then spun around to put his back to her. “This conversation is over.”
She started to say more then gave up. Backing away from the counter, she took another look at Daniel and, once again, the zip of energy binding them together ripped into him. She widened her eyes, then frowned and headed in the opposite direction. Daniel let her get a few aisles away, hoping she’d get less jumpy if he gave her some space.
He moved around the store, keeping his eye on her whenever he could. She was determined to get to Deacon, but why? She didn’t strike him as a vampire groupie, and the way she’d pointed to her neck had seemed like she was throwing out bait. But then what was her reason for wanting to meet Deacon?
He yearned to touch her, to hold her, to tell her she was his and Anderson’s mate. Struggling to keep a grin from giving away his happiness, he clenched his jaw and concentrated on finding out why she was here.
He shifted a little, just enough to use his sensitive werewolf hearing. It wasn’t the woman who caught his attention but Patrick. He frowned, listening to the phone conversation.
“That’s right, Mr. Carr. I don’t know what she’s up to, but I don’t think it’s any good.”
Daniel shifted more so he could pick up the sound coming from the receiver. Jackson Carr’s voice was faint, but he could still hear what the alpha-alpha and unofficial leader of the pack said.
“Don’t you get her kind from time to time, Patrick? Just let Deacon handle her. He can glamour her into forgetting about him and make her leave.”
“You know he doesn’t like to use glamour if he doesn’t have to. He’s already delayed his arrival so he won’t have to deal with her. I don’t know what it is, but I’m getting a strange vibe from her.”
Jackson chuckled. “For a human, you sure get a lot of strange vibes.”
“Look, Mr. Carr, couldn’t you swing by and check her out? If you think she’s harmless, then I’ll let it drop.”
“Okay. I’ll stop by in a few.”
Patrick punched his phone off and busied himself behind the counter. Every once in a while he’d sneak a peek at her then get unnerved and jerk his gaze to the floor. With her busy trying to get Patrick to answer more questions, Daniel could take his time observing her.
His mate was incredible. She was attractive, of course, since all werewolves thought their mates attractive even if others didn’t. But she had an extra umph to her. Whether it was feistiness or intelligence or courage, he didn’t know. But it didn’t matter. He’d find out soon enough. When he did, he planned on running his tongue over her body until she screamed for him to take her. His cock twitched at the idea, and he looked away before watching her made his shaft get any harder than it already was.
He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and started punching in Anderson’s number. Anderson Holms, his cousin, was his partner in Moonbeam Ranch. On the side, Daniel selected premium projects for his architectural business while Anderson’s love of the night life—not just the nighttime runs all werewolves loved—had led him to become part owner of Forever’s only bar with a dance floor, The Moonstone Bar. The other part owner of the bar, Blane Rawlins, helped run Moonstruck Ranch on the other side of town along with his brother, Reese.
He paused before he’d finished dialing and stuck the phone back in his pocket. He could tell Anderson about her later when he knew more to tell. He finally gave into the urge to grin. He’d use that reason when Anderson asked him why it had taken him so long to call. For now, he wanted to enjoy their future mate without another werewolf sticking his nose into it.
They’d gotten lucky, no doubt about it. A few werewolves had their mates arrive in town, like the Carr brothers for one and the men of Braxton Ranch for another. But some had to leave Forever and search for their mate. Tucker Lawson had found his mate in Oklahoma, and he’d had to come up with a job to lure her to Forever to meet him and his ranch partners. Other werewolves, tir
ed of waiting for their mates to come to them, had gone searching like Tucker, but without success. They’d returned home to consider taking someone else as their mate or, worse, selling their ranches and moving away. Yes, he and Anderson had gotten lucky to have theirs show up in Forever even if she did have an obsession with a certain vampire.
Daniel decided to saunter over and introduce himself. She might shy away, but if she’d felt their bond even half as strong as he had, she wouldn’t leave town. The compulsion was too strong to ignore. And if she did leave town, she’d come back. Once the connection was made, there was no turning back. She was their mate. He was certain of it.
He could already see her lying on her back, her firm breasts against his palms, her mouth open as she screamed his name. He’d take her fast, unable to resist having her for the first time. But after that, he’d drink from her juices and lavish her with caresses that would tell her more than his words ever could. He’d tunnel his fingers through her long, luxurious locks as he pulled her on top of him. She’d ride him hard, her breasts bouncing, his hands on her hips to hold her to him.
His cock twitching to life reminded him that he was in the pharmacy. He ran his tongue over his teeth and snagged a packet of gum to freshen his breath. Hoping to make it appear as though he’d accidentally run into her, he ambled her way. He was near her when Jackson Carr burst through the front door of the pharmacy and blew his plan to hell and back.
Jackson’s long legs took him to the back of the pharmacy before the woman, his future mate, had time to look up and see what was going on. “Where is she?”
Patrick thrust out his chin, indicating the beautiful vampire groupie. Jackson pivoted and strode toward her, his face an expressionless mask. “Miss, I’m Jackson Carr. I kind of run things around Forever. Patrick seems to think you’re waiting for Deacon for all the wrong reasons. So if you wouldn’t mind, Ms.…”
She looked shocked for a moment but recovered enough to straighten her spine and lift her chin and glare at Jackson. “The name’s Shannon Newman, if you must know. And I don’t know what you mean. I came in for…these.”
He had to give it to Jackson. He had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing.
Jackson kept his impassive expression except for the frown showing in the lines between his eyes. “You came in for adult diapers?”
She took a quick look to see what she’d grabbed without thinking from the shelf in front of her. “I did? Uh, yeah, I did. I have a urinary problem. Do you have something against incontinent people?”
Jackson smiled, giving her unspoken praise for thinking on her feet. “Okay. Now that you have them, I guess you’ll pay for them and leave, right? In fact, just so there are no ill feelings, I’ll have Patrick put your item on my bill. So, if you’ll just take it and leave, we’ll avoid all kinds of trouble.”
Her gaze darted to Patrick and beyond. “Trouble? I don’t know what you mean. I did have another reason for coming in. One that I don’t want to share with you or anyone else.”
“Patrick seems to think you have a thing for Deacon Slater. That you’ve got a vampire crush or something. You do know he’s not a real vampire, right? He might look like one and dress like one, and maybe at times he even acts like one. But he doesn’t drink blood, and more to the point, he won’t be drinking your blood. So you can run along back home.”
“I don’t know where you got such a crazy idea. Is it against the law for me to browse in a pharmacy? I think it’s a fascinating place, what with everything anyone could want right at their fingertips. What more could a girl ask for?”
Jackson took her arm and gently guided her toward the entrance. “All kidding aside, I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist. Mr. Slater doesn’t feel comfortable coming to his place of business while you’re hanging around.”
She jerked her arm free. A flash of irritation came and went across her face in an instant. But if she pushed him any harder, Jackson wouldn’t hold back.
Jackson handled the disputes in town, whether the argument was between humans, vampires, or werewolves. Although he wasn’t officially an officer of the court or police officer, whatever he said was considered law. The other werewolves followed Jackson’s lead, and, if they didn’t, they could always bring the dispute to the council for arbitration. To help out, Jackson rarely exerted his power, preferring to keep things as democratic as possible.
“Take your hand off me.” She stood her ground against the man who towered over her. “The last time I checked Forever, Texas, was part of the United States. Being an American citizen, I have the right to go wherever I want. And this is where I want to stay.”
He admired her guts. Not many supernatural beings, much less humans, had the guts to stand up to Jackson Carr.
“You’re right. Forever is a part of the country. However, we have laws against loitering in our town, and if you decide it’s not worth spending a night in jail, then you’d better get your sweet little fanny out of here right now.”
She took a step closer, challenging Jackson. Challenging any werewolf, especially an alpha-alpha, wasn’t a good idea no matter what. Daniel grimaced and started working his way toward them. Besides, he couldn’t have Jackson throwing his future mate out of town.
“Lady, I’m trying to take it easy on you. But if I have to, I’ll pick you up and carry you outside the city’s limits.”
She fisted her hands on her hips. Oh, hell no. Daniel groaned.
“I’d like to see you try it.”
Chapter Two
Daniel hurried forward and reached her a second after Jackson took hold of her. Jackson’s nostrils flared, and amber flecked his eyes.
“Hold up, Jackson.”
Shannon pivoted to gawk at him.
“What do you want, Daniel?” Jackson scowled at him.
Shannon tried to jerk her arm away again, but Jackson held on. Instead, Daniel laid his hand on Jackson’s arm and shot him a look he hoped the big man would understand. He caught the reaction in Jackson’s eyes as he let Daniel pull his hand off her arm.
“What’s your part in this?” Jackson arched an eyebrow.
Yeah, right. As if he didn’t catch my meaning. “I think Patrick must’ve gotten the wrong idea. She was flirting with him earlier.” He caught her glare and added, “Aw, come on. You know you were. And who can blame you? Patrick’s like a flame to lady moths.”
Her glare intensified until she finally caught on to Daniel’s lie. “Okay. You caught me. I admit it. So what? Can I help it if I have a thing for men who wear glasses?”
The three of them swiveled toward a confused Patrick, who couldn’t hear their conversation but somehow realized that they were talking about him. Patrick eased toward the back of the store.
“Nothing against Patrick, but I’m not buying it.” Jackson crossed his arms. “I tell you what. If Daniel will vouch for you and play tour guide around town, then you can stick around for a mite longer. But if I see you back in here anytime soon, I’ll deliver you to the bus stop in Shatland before you have time to open your mouth.”
“I have my own car, thanks.” She glanced at Daniel, who plastered on his most charming smile. “Fine. I’ll do it your way. When in Rome and all that, you know.”
“What do you say, Daniel?”
As if he didn’t already know his answer. “Sure. Why not? I was going to hang out in town anyway.” He tipped his cowboy hat. “Hi, I’m Daniel Holms, and I’ll be your tour guide tonight.”
“Great. I’ll go tell Patrick that we’ve settled things amicably while Daniel escorts you outside.” Jackson nodded at Daniel then turned on his heel and strode toward Patrick.
“What a jerk,” mumbled Shannon.
Daniel laughed when Jackson stopped and glanced back at her. She couldn’t have known the werewolf could hear her. “Let’s get out of here while the getting’s good.”
He took her arm and, once again, felt the rush of energy he’d heard other werewolves talk about when they met their ma
te for the first time. She gasped but didn’t try to force his arm away. Instead, she hurried along with him, taking twice as many steps as he did to keep up with him.
Outside, he took a moment to study her more closely. If he hadn’t seen her in action, he never would’ve believed someone with such an angelic face could have such spunk. She could be any age from eighteen to her upper twenties, and he had a feeling she’d be younger looking at eighty than most women were at seventy. Her blonde hair shone under the bright moon with silver strands adding luster to the golden hue. A light fall breeze wisps of her hair to fly around her head giving her a halo effect. Her big brown eyes locked on to him, and he would’ve sworn she could talk any man into doing her bidding, no matter the personal cost to him. Her body was womanly, with curves that made his cock come to life but didn’t make her overtly sexy. She was, in simple terms, perfect.
She snapped her fingers in front of his face, bringing him back to the here and now. “I said, who are you, and why did you stick up for me?”
He shrugged. “I guess I thought you needed me.”
His answer threw her. “I don’t need anyone.”
“I don’t doubt that’s normally true. But in there, just now? You needed me.” He slipped his arm in hers. “How about joining me for a bite to eat? Milly’s Coffee Spot makes the best hamburgers in Texas. The juice will run down your chin.”
Her tongue peeked out from between her lips, showing she was hungry, but then she pulled away from him to peer back into the pharmacy. “Like I said, when in Rome.”
“Terrific.” Hooking his arm in hers again, he led her down the street toward Milly’s.
“Do we need to take a car? Mine’s right over there.” She pointed at the older black van, and he grimaced.
“Please tell me you’re not married with kids.”
“What? Why would you ask?” Her grimace was almost as big as his.
“Because you’re driving a minivan. Who drives one of those things if they don’t have kids?”
She rolled her eyes and tugged him into forward motion again. “What can I tell you? It’s cheap and can haul a lot of shit.”
