Ethan shook his head his gaze flat with disappointment. He hooked a finger in his leather jacket, wincing as he swung it over his shoulder and headed for the door. He paused his hand on the knob, his shoulders slumped. He didn’t even look at her, just stared down as if his feet held all the answers. She had to perk up her ears and listen hard to hear his low words, “When you grow up and figure out what you want, Addison, I’ll be waiting.”
The door slammed and she was left alone.
Inside, her wolf howled. Addison fell onto the bed, pulled her feet up and tucked them tightly under her body, and curled up into a ball of misery. What had she done?
***
Ethan viciously punched the elevator button over and over again. “Come on. Come on!” He slammed his palm against the metal, the sting not even helping to alleviate the burn inside.
Finally the doors closed and he was on his way to the lobby, but not fast enough. He had to get out of here. He ached to shift and run off everything. To get on his bike and ride and let the miles wear him down until there was nothing left. Within hours the world had opened up and showed him something he’d never thought he’d be able to have—a mate, a woman. Love. But now, he gave a bitter laugh, fate had played one of her usual cruel tricks.
He couldn’t have happiness. No not him. He was doomed to be miserable for the rest of his life.
The door opened with a cheery bing! He strode out of the elevator and into the packed lobby. The scent of new wolves, pack, and a hint of something supernatural hit him, and he snarled.
“Hey. Get it under control, man.” A man turned to him, reeking of stranger, his eyes lighting up with his wolf as he sniffed the air. “You smell like blood. And rogue.” He growled, his shoulders bunching with tension.
The scent of the shift rose high on the air. Ethan readied himself for the attack, trying to hold his wolf back. He didn’t want to make a scene here. All he wanted to do was run away and lick his wounds.
But the attack never came.
Another shifter, this one with dark auburn hair, and smelling of the local pack, came up beside the first. “Any trouble Aric?”
Aric stared hard at Ethan, his eyes flashing with his wolf. “I don’t know. Is there going to be any trouble?”
Ethan’s own wolf pushed under his skin. He shoved it ruthlessly back. “No.” The words throbbed with an underlying growl, but he shoved that down too. He rolled his neck, cracking the muscles. “I’m just heading out.”
The auburn haired man grinned. “Good. I didn’t think you’d be causing any issues after I had my team patch you up and let you stay here in the hotel.” He thrust out a hand. “I’m Linc Hunter, and this is Aric Wolfe.”
Ethan shot a suspicious glance at Linc’s hand, but he took it and gave it a shake. “Ethan Blaywolf.”
“Aric, this is the guy who saved the girls from those rogues.”
Instantly, the other shifter relaxed. He grinned, showing sharp white teeth, his smile almost friendly. “Nice to meet you, Blaywolf.”
Ethan nodded, but he noticed this one didn’t stick out his hand. “I’m heading out. Thanks for the recovery time and the bed.”
Linc laughed. “By the smell of you, you should be thanking me for more than that. Addison’s one hot number, and I can smell her all over you.”
The back of Ethan’s neck got hot. “Mine,” he growled.
“Relax. You know, she fought my sister and me to stay with you. I wasn’t sure, but once I saw she’d made up her mind, I left her there. Now I see why.” He shook his head. “Her dad is going to be furious.”
At the mention of Addison’s dad, Ethan’s wolf rose again to the surface. He clenched his hands into fists to hold it back. “I need to go.”
“Yeah, man. I can see that. But before you do, I need to know what happened. The girls said you saved them, but I gotta know the whole story. Who were those guys? No one dares to attack anyone on Wolf Lodge property. No one.” For the first time Linc’s easy demeanor disappeared.
Ethan cast a look around the lobby. He lowered his voice. “I need to get out of here. Too many pack.” With Addison’s rejection still boiling beneath the surface, he didn’t trust his control. “Walk with me outside.”
“Sure.” Linc nodded to Aric. “Come on.”
“Not him.”
“Aric’s cool. I’d trust him with my life.” Linc grinned. “In fact, I already have, several times.”
“No.” Ethan didn’t know the other wolf. He knew Linc, if only by reputation. And Hunter’s own sister had been attacked. “I can’t trust anyone.” Someone who knew Addison had sent Sven and Bart after her, and despite her stinging rejection, she was his mate. He had to protect her.
“Hang on.” Linc went to the front desk and retrieved Ethan’s backpack. “I think you’ll want this. They exited by a side door. “We brought your bike back. It’s over here.” The other shifter led him around the side of the hotel to a parking lot. When they were around the corner and far from anyone else he stopped. “Now tell me, what the hell is going on.”
Ethan filled him in, ending with, “I don’t know who’s behind all of this. And I guarantee, they’ve cleaned out of the trailer and are long gone. Sven may be a lot of things, but he’s not stupid. He won’t hang around.”
Linc’s eyes glowed green. “I can’t believe someone in our pack would hire those assholes to go after Addison.” A growl lay under his voice, the aggressive sound rumbling every word. “And my sister.”
Inside, Ethan’s wolf rose to Linc’s unspoken call of the hunt. It was in his nature to want to run with a pack, to chase down prey together, to howl at the moon and celebrate the group’s success, but this man wasn’t his pack and the call wasn’t really for him. Sure, Linc was being friendly, but when it came down to it, Ethan knew—to Linc, he was a rogue.
He was a loner, he’d always been a loner. Even the rogues he’d hung with from time to time never lasted long. He knew better than to think someone from the organized packs would take him in, even when they had a common enemy.
“I gotta go.” He swung up on the bike. “Tell Addison if she needs me for anything to leave a message with Mike at the ice cream place.”
“Hey Ethan, don’t go after those guys alone. They’ve pissed me off and I’ve got lots of men behind me. We can take them on.”
“Sure.” He nodded, but he could see the acknowledgment in Linc’s eyes. They both knew—if Ethan found Sven and Bart before the other man did, they were dead men.
He rode out of the parking lot and turned onto the road that headed up the side of the mountain and out of the valley. The entire way to the trailer he went over his plan, just in case anyone was left. The sun was setting by the time he pulled down the dirt road to the isolated lot. The trailer was still there, but he could tell from the abandoned look of the place, every single rogue was gone.
He parked the bike and sniffed hard, checking out the area outside the trailer before venturing inside. When he was sure he was alone, he opened the lightweight aluminum door, nearly bowled back by the smell that hit him.
He shook his head and went inside anyway. They’d left all the crappy furnishings that had come with the trailer, even left some of their belongings in their haste, but someone had taken a baseball bat to the big TV. He guessed it was too large to take with them and they didn’t want him to have it. Vindictive sons of bitches, every single one of Sven’s bunch.
He was sure of it as soon as he opened the door to the room he’d been sharing and the acrid scent of urine hit him hard. The meager amount of stuff he’d left was still there, but someone had pissed all over it. From the stench, more than a few someone’s. His clothes, his sleeping bag, everything but what he had on his back and in his pack was ruined.
“God damn it.”
He left the stinking trailer and stood outside, sucking in deep lung-fulls of fresh mountain air and letting the beauty of the pines and the snow on the mountains soothe his agitation.
What had he expected? That they’d say ‘thanks dude!’ for his betrayal. No. He’d never had much of a connection with them, they’d never been that important, just another in a series of shallow interactions.
The sun dropped behind the mountain and he watched the sky turn pink, while he tried to puzzle out what he was feeling. These guys had been his pack, even if temporarily, and yet losing that connection wasn’t the thing he was upset about.
What he cared about was that they’d tried to hurt Addison. In the face of that, none of the ties he’d thought were important, mattered. What mattered was his mate. His.
And despite her fears, she was his. It was as simple as that. He’d gone from rogue loner to mate, and he wasn’t going to let that go.
He’d never had a shot like this, never felt like this. She was now the center of his universe. The scum who he’d hung out with? They’d dared to hurt Addison and as soon as he saw them, he would tear out their throats. No mercy. No regret.
But under his drive for revenge was something else, something lighter that sang within him. Despite the anger at his former buddies, despite the danger, despite it all—he had a mate. And at the thought of his curvy delicious Addison, his lips turned up in a smile.
She was everything to him now, and he’d prove it to her.
He got back on the bike, headed for town. He flipped on the lights. It was getting dark. Despite his shifter fast healing, he needed to crash and get some sleep. He had some cash, he’d get a cheap hotel room. Tomorrow, he’d hit up Mike for that job in the store.
He wasn’t alone anymore. He had a pack—a pack of one. Addison. She was just scared. He’d been homeless and kicked around until he’d toughened up and started hanging with the rogues. He knew scared. He could deal with scared.
What scared him shitless was losing her forever. He’d work his ass off and make some money, and maybe, just maybe, he’d be able to show Addison that he wasn’t like those other rogues. It would take patience, but he’d win her over. He didn’t have a choice. He loved her.
Their mark singing through his veins, he revved the bike and drove faster down the twisting turning mountain roads. As a fat white moon rose over the next mountain he took a hairpin fast, tilting the bike and letting the rushing wind swallow up his howls of joy.
He had a mate. Him. Ethan fucking Blaylock had a mate. All he had to do was prove himself worthy. And he’d do it, even if it took the rest of his life.
Chapter Nine
It had been a terrible night. Addison got up late and dragged herself into the shower and turned the water up to scalding, but no matter what she did she could still feel Ethan on her skin. As she soaped and lathered and scrubbed, her fears ran circles in her head, like a pup chasing his tail.
Could she do this?
She’d seen the dark side of the mating bond. Her stepfather was a dominant aggressive male who kept her mother in line so hard, it was tough to see where George’s personality ended and Stella’s began. Addison didn’t think there ever had been any love, but even if there were at some point, it was lost now.
Could her mating bond be different?
She’d seen the Wolfe family. Aric and his brothers with their mates. Sure they were dominant men—all alpha—but they also were nurturing loving mates. And that was something she desperately wanted—that sexy guy who could take charge but didn’t see a strong woman as a danger to his masculinity.
Could Ethan be that guy?
Turning off the water she stepped out onto the plush mat and wrapped herself in one of the hotel’s super-nice towels. She smiled. What she could get used to was luxury like this. At home, everything was bare bones. George made sure her mom squeezed the copper from every last penny. One of the things she was looking forward to in having her own apartment was a few luxuries. She didn’t need resort quality towels and a giant marble bathtub—although, that would be nice—but replacing worn out towels before they became thin enough to see through would be nice.
From what she’d seen Ethan didn’t have many luxuries. As far as she could tell he lived hand to mouth, busking on a street corner for his money. And he lived with those horrible men.
Addison shivered and turned the hair dryer up to high. The warm heat dried her hair and warmed up the bathroom. She aimed the nozzle at the mirror and chased away the steam, staring at her reflection in the cleared off space. She stared in the mirror at her face.
Could she go rogue? Would she have to in order to have Ethan? Was having a mate worth giving up everything? Her pack, her family, her very independence and maybe even lifestyle?
They hadn’t gone as far as the final mating bite, but already the thought of giving him up was painful. Could they go backwards from here, or was she tied to Ethan forever?
She shook her head at her reflection and stuck out her tongue. “Too many questions, girlie, and not enough answers. Enough already!” As she headed into the bedroom for her clothes, the phone rang.
“Hello?”
It was Trish on the line. “Hey, girl, I hear your stud-muffin is gone. How’s about we get together for some hot chocolate and croissants, and you can dish to your buddies?”
Gratitude rushed through her. She had such good friends. She didn’t need to agonize over all of this herself, they’d help her out.
“Absolutely. Meet you in the lobby in fifteen?”
“Cool. We’ll be there. Bring your coat, we’ll head to Snowflake so we don’t have to worry about too many shifters around.”
Trish hung up and Addison flew around the room getting herself together, her heart already lighter. She’d started off this weekend thinking she was going to figure out how to separate from her parents and get her own life. Now she had something much bigger to talk about—Ethan.
Make-up slap-dashed on, her long brown hair still not quite dried, dressed—with her coat and purse and winter boots—Addison made it to the lobby only five minutes late.
“There you are.” Trish waved. “Gabby, you lost the bet.”
“What bet?”
The other women exchanged glances. “Gabby thought it would take you at least another twenty minutes to get down here. Eve said ten. I had five minutes late, so I win.” The clear bell of Trish’s laughter ran through the lobby.
Addison smothered her laugh and gave them a pretend frown. “I’m not always late.”
“No, but you had a busy day yesterday, that’s for sure.”
“And a busy night,” Eve added with a sly smile.
“You don’t know the half of it.”
Trish sobered up. “I can tell from here. And if I can, so can the other shifters around. Let’s get moving.” She hustled the group out to the valet and handed over her keys to Barry.
“No problem Trish, I’ll be back in a flash.” He winked and ran off down the path to the parking lot and the girls were alone.
“Oh Trish, I’m such a mess.” Hot tears pushed up behind Addison’s eyes. She blinked them back. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Don’t stress. We’re here.” Trish gave her a big hug.
Gabby stepped up and joined them in their hug. “We may not get what’s going on, but we’ve got your back.”
“Don’t forget me.” Eve wrapped her arms around the other three women, squishing Addison between her friends.
Addison began to feel like maybe she could do this. Maybe her friends could help her straighten everything out. The mountain air was crisp and cool. The sky a bright blue. And she had the best friends anyone in the world could have. Gabby was right, they had her back.
“Okay, you’re squishing me.”
They were all laughing as they let go, separating from the hug.
Addison opened her mouth to thank them as a black SUV pulled up and Julian got out. She groaned. “Oh, no. Not him.”
She knew that no showering in the world would remove the scent of her mark. It wasn’t that she was embarrassed about it, but Julian, of all people. Really? Couldn’t it have been Trish’s bro
ther? Or one of the Wolfe clan?
Julian strode around the corner of his car and frowned. “Where’s that fucking valet?” The light morning breeze shifted, and his nose twitched. His frown went nuclear and he spun around, growling. He spotted her and moved, closing the gap between them much quicker than Addison expected, his gloved fingers sinking into her arm. He shoved his face into hers, his eyes bulging, his pupils shrinking to tiny dots as he sniffed her skin. “Is that rogue I smell?”
“Back off Julian.” She pulled away, but his grip was too strong.
His face wrinkled up in disgust. “Your father said something was up.” He put some space between them but he didn’t let go. “Good thing we’d planned for something like this.” There was a ringing in his pocket. He took out a cell phone, slid his glove off, and answered it, putting the glove carefully back on. “Yes. They’re here. We’re a go.”
“What are you doing?” Addison stared at him. His scent had jumped with a sudden surge of adrenaline.
“I thought I was going to have to work hard to get you out here, but you’ve made it easy by being right where I need you.” He reached into his jacket with his other hand and took out a pistol with a long funny attachment on the barrel. Dragging her with him he blocked the view of the security cameras with his body and pointed it at her chest. “Open the door and get in.” He jerked his head at the SUV.
Addison swallowed. “Let me go, Julian.” Suddenly she felt too warm under her heavy sweater and as she stared at Julian and the gun, she started to sweat.
“Drop it, asshole.” Trish stepped in between Addison and the SUV, her upper lip curled into a snarl. “You won’t shoot her. You wouldn’t dare.”
“Fuck that.” Julian let go of Addison and shoved her hard.
She toppled into Trish, the two of them flailing for balance as they both hit the SUV door hard. By the time she’d untangled herself and found her feet, he’d grabbed Gabby. Holding her tight against the front of his body, he held the gun to her side and pulled the trigger.
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