“Nope. Some males tried to get close but quickly realized she was scented. After that they kept a respectful distance.”
She frowned. Lifting her arm above her head, she turned her head and discreetly sniffed.
Nope. No body odor. She smelled like soap.
“What do you mean scented? Is that some kind of wolf thing?” She looked between the men.
Rusty barked out a laugh. “It means you have a male’s scent on you, warning the other males that you are taken.” He jerked a thumb in Damon’s direction. “And the scent they smelled belongs to your mate here.”
“We’re not mated.” Even though she answered in unison with Damon, it hurt a little that he was so quick to not link himself with her.
“Whatever.” Rusty pushed his large frame off the stool and stood. He reached in his wallet and pulled out a couple of twenties, sliding them across the counter to her. “Thanks, Ava. Will you be back tomorrow?”
“No, she won’t” Damon answered a little too quickly.
Rusty gave her a serious stare. “It’s a shame. You need to teach Jeff how to make them martinis before you leave tonight.”
“I am not making any damn chocolate martinis. I told you I don’t do pussy drinks.” Jeff’s voice boomed from the kitchen.
“Sounds like you handled yourself tonight.” Damon reached across the counter. When his fingertips wrapped around her wrist, she sucked in a breath. Absently, his thumb began to rub tiny circles at her pulse point at her wrist. She was sure her heart was going to jump out of her chest.
“Did you eat?”
“Yeah, Jeff fed me before I started bartending. Did you?”
He shook his head.
She pulled out of his grip and walked back into the kitchen. She reappeared a few minutes later with a hot bowl of chili, and a thick slice of Italian bread and placed it in front of him.
Ignoring the food, he pulled her between his legs as he kissed her. The kiss began gentle but soon grew more urgent as his tongue licked the seam of her lips.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him as her body came alive. She parted her lips, letting his tongue possess her mouth. His tongue darted and licked every inch of her mouth until she could no longer fight back a moan.
“All right, all right. Cut that out.” Jeff’s voice had them reluctantly pulling away from each other.
She opened her eyes and tried to catch her breath. He always did that to her, stole her breath, stole her mind, stole her soul.
Silence filled the bar. Looking around, she saw all the werewolves in the place looking at her with glowing yellow eyes.
Damon stood, his muscles straining through the thin long sleeved T-shirt. He pushed her behind him, trying to block the other werewolves view. He growled as one Were took a step towards them.
“Damon?” She pressed against his back, as dread pitted in the base of her stomach.
He didn’t move. His growl grew louder and for once, she was a little afraid of him.
One werewolf wearing a sleeveless leather jacket took a step forward. She cringed as Damon pushed her further behind him until the bar counter pressed into her back.
Damon’s menacing growl seemed to go on and on.
“What’s going on?”
“They are challenging Damon for rights to you.”
Jeff moved to her side holding the sawed-off shotgun.
She pressed her cheek against Damon’s T-shirt, trying to keep from trembling. Standing on her tiptoes, she peered around his shoulder. The group of werewolves stood shoulder to shoulder, craning their heads to see her, their eyes glowing a strange yellow color.
She narrowed her eyes on the closest male. When she met his gaze, his nostrils flared and he reached down to stroke himself through his jeans.
Disgusted and scared, she snarled.
“You both need to get the hell out of here.” Jeff’s voice was strained, the shotgun aimed at the nearest werewolf.
“I’m going to kill you all for even looking at what is mine.”
Ava felt the raw anger in Damon’s voice. Unexplainable excitement quivered through her body, and she pressed herself more tightly into his strong back.
For the very first time, he was publicly claiming her.
And, now, they’d probably both end up dead.
He had perfect timing.
“Damon, you need to get her out of here, now.” Jeff moved to stand beside him, his shotgun sweeping the room, ready for one of the werewolves to take another step.
Without looking away from the motley crew, Damon reached for her hand and placed it directly across his cock.
Her breath caught in her throat. He was hard, his erection straining against the zipper of his jeans.
Her fingers gripped his erection through the denim and she squeezed.
Something was so desperately wrong with her to be so turned on by Damon’s possessiveness.
The other werewolf’s eyes locked on her hand and they all let out a wail.
“It’s bloodlust.” Jeff answered her unasked question. “When wolves fight, it excites them sexually. He’s making it clear that he is willing to fight to the death to keep the other wolves away from you.”
She should have moved her hand away. After all, it was the decent thing to do. It was uncomfortable having all these males staring at her touching Damon so intimately. For some reason she couldn’t stop.
She glanced at Jeff, making sure he wasn’t watching her with those same yellow eyes as the others. Jeff faced straight ahead, obscuring her view.
“Tell him you want to leave, Ava. He won’t listen to anyone other than his mate.”
“I’m not his mate.” She bit her lip.
Jeff snorted. “A male would only fight to the death for his mate. There are too many for us to fight and survive. If you don’t get him out of here now, this will be the last night he walks this earth.”
The thought struck her like a hot knife in her stomach. If she hadn’t been sandwiched between the bar counter and Damon she would have fallen to her knees.
Swallowing back the pain in her throat, she pressed her lips to Damon’s neck. “Damon, take me out of here.”
She’d been prepared to argue with him, but his reaction was immediate.
He swiveled, and in one graceful motion swung her up into his arms. The werewolves slowly advanced.
“Ava, tell him you want to leave now.” Jeff’s voice was calm as he took a step in front of them, leveling his shotgun at the nearest werewolf.
Urgency hit her like a ton of bricks. Tightening her arms around Damon’s neck, she pressed her lips to his ear.
“Baby, I want to leave, right now.” She caught the lobe of his ear between her teeth and nipped.
He growled and looked at her.
She gasped. His blue eyes were gone, replaced by the same startling shade of yellow as the other werewolves.
He looked away and took a step toward the kitchen. A werewolf tried to follow them, but Jeff slammed the butt of the gun against his head. The guy stumbled to the ground.
Damon growled and carried her across the threshold to the kitchen. In the next moment, she heard the shotgun blast.
She screamed and buried her face into Damon’s neck, clinging to him.
Once outside, she expected Damon to set her down, but he didn’t. Instead, he carried her to his bike and set her on it.
The Harley roared to life as they peeled out of the parking lot, sending loose gravel flying behind them. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held on tight.
His hand covered hers and gave her a reassuring squeeze. He turned off the highway and headed out of town until the streetlights grew fewer and fewer.
“Where are we going?” she yelled over the roar of the motorcycle. “The casino is the other way.”
“We’re headed to Granny’s.”
“Is Jayden there?”
“I have no idea. He still isn’t answering his cell phone. All the calls are goi
ng straight to voicemail. The casino said they haven’t seen him for hours.”
Her stomach felt like heavy mud. Something was very wrong.
“If anyone knows where he is, it will be Granny.”
Chapter Ten
Damon pulled into Granny’s driveway after midnight. Her powder-blue Oldsmobile was parked in the carport, but Jayden’s Mustang was nowhere in sight.
Killing the engine, Damon helped Ava off before hopping off the bike himself.
“What if she’s asleep?” The moonlight illuminated the worry etched on her beautiful face.
“Even if she is, I don’t think she’ll mind a late-night visit. Especially from you.”
Ava wrinkled her brow. “From me?”
“Yeah, Granny likes you. I can tell.”
“Really? How do you know?”
He hesitated for a second. “You’re the first female she’s ever claimed was my mate.”
He watched Ava’s brow relax, her lips curling up into a sexy grin.
“Who’s out there?” Granny called out from the front door. The flick of the outside porch light lit up the yard.
“It’s Damon and Ava.” He waited a second before stepping further into the light. For all he knew Granny was pointing her late husband’s rifle at them.
The screen door opened and Granny stepped out onto the porch wearing a purple Muumuu and fuzzy pink slippers, her hair wrapped in some kind of scarf. “Well, why didn’t you two say so? Come in.” She held the door open as they stepped across the threshold, pausing to give them each hugs.
“What are you two doing here at this hour?” Granny asked as she locked the front door. Damon frowned as he counted five locks on the door, two of them deadbolts.
“We’re looking for Jayden.”
Granny turned toward him, concern creasing her already wrinkled brow. “Isn’t he at the casino?”
“We tried calling his cell phone, but it goes straight to voicemail. The casino says they’ve not seen him for hours.” He shrugged. “Is he dating someone, Granny? Someone he might be with right now?”
Granny shook her head in quick, short jerks. “No, no one. This isn’t like Jayden to not answer his phone.” Her eyebrows shot up. “I’ll call. He always answers when he sees it’s me.” Granny headed into the kitchen, her slippers making scuffing noises against the black-and-white linoleum.
He nodded in agreement, but deep in his gut he knew something was wrong.
A minute later, Granny returned wearing a grim expression. “I didn’t get an answer.”
“Okay, let’s not start worrying until we have something to worry about,” Ava said.
Granny worried her chest with the palm of her hand as her brows knitted together. Ava took her by the elbow and led the old lady into her worn recliner. “Damon, why don’t you go into the kitchen and get Granny a glass of water.” She looked over her shoulder at him and knelt at Granny’s knees.
His heart warmed at Ava’s compassion.
Granny turned toward Ava, a slight smile playing on the corners of her lips. “You are a good girl, Ava.” She cupped Ava’s cheek in her palm. “I hope Jayden can find a female like you.”
Ava patted Granny’s hand, brushing aside the comment. Looking back over her shoulder, her eyes met his. “Damon, the water?”
“Forget the water. Get me a shot of Wild Turkey. It’s in the cabinet behind the sugar bowl.”
He returned with a double shot of her favorite Kentucky bourbon in a crystal wineglass when he couldn’t find a shot glass.
“Oh. This is much nicer than a shot glass, more sophisticated.”
He grimaced as the old lady took a bigger drink than he would have without blinking.
He sat down on the floor by Ava and wrapped his arm loosely about her shoulders.
“When was the last time you heard from Jayden?” Ava looked up at Granny as she leaned back and rested against his chest. She never failed to steal his breath with just her touch.
“This morning. He calls every morning to check on me.” Granny frowned before taking another sip.
“That means we were the last ones to see him.” Ava turned her face up to him. “Do you know who he was going to meet with regarding the kidnapping?”
“Kidnapping? What kidnapping?” Granny sat forward so fast her Wild Turkey sloshed across her wrinkled hand.
“Granny, I don’t think you need to know the details.”
“Damon Trahan, don’t you try to leave me out of this. I know you want to protect me, but Jayden is my grandson, and I want to know what’s going on.” She pursed her lips and scowled as she dotted her hand with a tissue she’d miraculously pulled out of her sleeve.
Damon blew out a breath, debating how much to reveal.
“It all started when I was kidnapped by some rogue wolves.” Ava frowned and looked at Damon. “Didn’t you say they were red wolves?”
Okay, so much for keeping things on the down low.
“Red wolves? That’s impossible.” Granny shook her head and frowned.
“Damon rescued me and now I can’t go home because they bombed my house in Arkansas. That’s how we ended up here in Louisiana. Soon after we arrived we discovered another female wolf was kidnapped by someone named David Jenkins. We’ve been trying to locate her before something horrible happens.” She took a deep breath.
Yep, so much for being invisible. He nudged her with his knee.
Ava gave him an innocent look. “What?”
“Remind me not to tell you anything top secret.”
“You think these wolves knew Jayden was helping you and snatched him for some Intel?” Granny’s face took on a look of hardened determination. She took another gulp of her Wild Turkey.
He shook his head. “Maybe he just hooked up with a stripper from the Beaver and went down to New Orleans for the weekend.”
“Nope, not my Jayden.” Granny pursed her lips together.
He gave her a disbelieving look. “Right. What was I thinking? Jayden wouldn’t do something like that.” Jayden got more pussy in a week than most men got in a month.
Granny scowled. “Okay, maybe he would, but he wouldn’t have left and not said anything to me about going out of town. That much I’m sure.” Granny drained her glass and slammed it down on the scarred rectangular coffee table. The old lady hoisted herself out of her chair and stood, her balance better than what Damon was expecting.
“Maybe if we find David Jenkins we’ll find Jayden. And Haley.” Ava stood, keeping her hand on Granny’s arm.
“So where do we start?” Granny and Ava both looked at him.
He held his hands up. “Now hold on a second, neither of you are going anywhere near David Jenkins.”
“Who says we’re going anywhere near him? We could be your eyes and ears,” Granny pleaded.
“Hell, no.” He shook his head until it felt like it would fall off. “Look, we don’t even know where to start.”
“Yes we do. You said Jenkins was going to show at the Beaver tomorrow night.” Ava raised an eyebrow at him.
“The Beaver. Why those girls are my best clients!” Granny clapped her hands and gave them a hopeful smile.
“Your clients?” Damon was afraid to ask.
“Clients from my sex parties. Why those girls were dropping three hundred dollars apiece at the last party. I sold out of my crotchless edible panties.” Granny frowned in concentration. “Several of the girls had items on backorder. They just came in a couple of days ago. I need to deliver their orders and the Beaver is the perfect place to do that.”
Ava turned to Granny. “Are those things really good? The edible panties?”
“The strawberry and the green apple are quite tasty. I don’t really like the grape flavor, tastes too much like cough syrup.”
He cringed. Holy shit. There was an image he could do without. “There’s nothing we can do tonight.”
“You and Ava will stay here. It’s too late to be out on the roads on that death trap.”
<
br /> “It’s not a death trap. It’s a Harley,” he grumbled.
“Hit a deer with that thing and tell me it’s not a death trap.” Granny waved for them to follow her down the hall.
“This room used to be Damon’s when he lived here.” Granny flipped the light switch.
He was surprised that everything still looked the same, except not. His twin bed sat in the middle of the room with a different comforter of soft floral colors instead of the blue and white plaid he remembered. The supermodel posters were gone, replaced with paintings of birds and flowers. But one thing stayed the same. She hadn’t moved his model cars off his dresser. There they sat, perched on white crocheted doilies.
It meant a lot that Granny hadn’t tried to erase him out of her life.
“How are we both going to fit in that bed?” Ava was trying hard not to grin.
His dick hardened. “I’ll show you.”
“Absolutely not.” Granny propped her hands on her hips.
“We’re adults.” He scowled.
“And according to you, you are not mated to each other.” Granny lifted her chin.
He took a deep breath. “Wait a minute. Are you’re telling me I can’t share a bed with Ava?”
“Yep.”
“But you sell sex toys.”
“Honey, sex toys aren’t immoral. I have testimonies that women have claimed my toys have brought them closer to their husbands. In fact, one woman, and I won’t mention her name, but she’s a member of the Baptist church, said her husband didn’t know where her G-spot was until…”
He clamped his hands over his ears. “Fine, Fine! I’ll sleep in the other room as long as you don’t ever say that word again.”
Granny gave him a questioning look. “What? G-spot?”
He cringed and hurried out the door. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
***
Damon awoke to the aroma of coffee and the scent of Ava. Her warm body curled into his chest. He smiled and tightened his arms around her.
“Morning.” She pushed herself up on her elbows, her eyes drifting from his face to his bare waist. “I’m guessing you’re not wearing any underwear underneath this.” She hooked her finger on the sheet and threatened to tug.
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