My Gold (A Steele Fairy Tale Book 1)

by C. M. Steele

  The strength of his stare forced me to turn my attention to the other two. First to the clearly older man, a slightly shorter version of the brooding beast in front of me. The hair was dark, but graying at the temples. I looked at the woman who was beautiful and carrying a medical kit, reminding me that every part of my body was hurting. Their expressions, unlike the beast, were filled with concern.

  A low growl came from the one in the center. My eyes darted to him, seeing not so much anger now, but the same concern that I saw on the other two. “I’m sorry,” I choked out, feeling nervous and in pain.

  “Oh, no, dear don’t be sorry,” the kind woman said, coming to my side and sitting on the bed next to me. “Can you tell us what happened? How you ended up here?”

  “I was…” I stopped, feeling his eyes on me and embarrassed about going to the bathroom in the woods.

  “We know you’re the woman that went missing. I meant what happened to you downstairs.”

  “Well, I was looking for help, but no one was here. I walked around the back, hoping maybe you were there when a large cougar saw me. It happened so fast, but it came after me and I jumped through the open window, crashing into everything. I’m terribly sorry about the mess. I can pay to have it replaced.”

  “That chair was one of a kind,” the giant handsome man muttered. I started to cry. One bad thing after another and I was worn thin.

  Immediately, he rushed to the other side of the bed leaning over it, causing me to flinch in fear. Seeing my reaction to him, he stepped back like I’d struck him. “I wasn’t going to hurt you. You don’t have to be afraid of me,” he said without taking his eyes from mine. With him standing so much closer, I could see his pupils dilate, leaving those honeyed irises sliver thin. A piercing stare that I could get lost in. This wasn’t good. I must have done some serious damage to myself. The first thoughts of desire in my head and they were for a total stranger whose bed I hijacked.

  “I’m sorry. I need to go back to my camp.”

  “No,” he barked out.

  “What he means is that you’re hurt and shouldn’t be moved. I was a nurse before retiring last year. Let me assess the wounds and then we can go from there. Okay?”

  “Yes, please. I need to let them know where I am. They’ll be worried.”

  “We will inform them and tell them to call off the search. You need to let me examine you and then rest.” I simply nodded because she was right. Parts of me hurt more than I cared to think about. “Now, boys, please leave so I can tend to her.”

  The older man started to make his way out of the room until he noticed the beastly man wasn’t moving. “Son, come on. It’s not proper for you to be in here.”

  “It’s my room,” he grumbled as he willed his feet to leave. He took one last look at me before he closed the door behind them.

  As soon as they were gone, she started the examination. “Nothing seems broken, but you are bruised and have several lacerations. Nothing we can’t take care of right here.” Her bedside manner was so welcoming, but all I could think about was the beast and the warning that he came with.

  “Excuse me, but who are you?” I felt embarrassed that I hadn’t made an introduction sooner. She was looking at me personally and I had no idea who any of them were or where I was.

  A sheepish smile came over her lovely features. “Sorry, I’m Anna Lockwood. My husband is Edward and that grumpy ogre is Logan.” Logan…that was a strong name, kind of reminded me of Wolverine.

  “Is there somewhere else I can rest? Your son doesn’t want me in his room, or house for that matter.” The last bit came out a little pathetic. Almost as though I wanted him to welcome me.

  She patted my hand in a calming gesture. “Oh, Logan’s a bit territorial. He’d pee on everything if he wasn’t afraid I’d strangle him. You will just stay put and let me get you all cleaned up.” She added several butterfly stitches and some bandages with topical ointment. It stung and I groaned with every gentle touch. The way she passed off her son’s attitude brought a hint of a smile to my face. She wasn’t even close to his size, but I could just picture her pulling him by his ear if he gave her trouble. She caught my smile and returned it. Once she was done, she left to start dinner, promising to check on me soon.

  A few minutes later the big man came in the room again. Logan didn’t say a word, just set down a glass of water and two tablets on the nightstand next to the bed. Then he took the cover off me and gently wrapped his hands around my uninjured waist and sat me up. I gasped at his touch; it felt so strong and soft at the same time.

  Our eyes met and something unexplainable passed between us. The best way I could describe it was magnetic. His large hand brushed my hair away from my face, sending a jolt of comforting pleasure over me. I instinctively pressed my cheek against it, seeking to claim more of his touch. “I’m going to keep you, my little Goldilocks.” His words should have felt threatening, but they only served to pull me toward him.

  “I’m not afraid of you,” I whispered, turning my eyes up to his. The possessiveness in his tone made me wonder if he’d try to pee on my leg.

  “Good, because I’ll never let anything happen to you again.” His solemn oath caused my heart to pound, thumping so hard that it scared me. He stepped back and handed me the glass of water and pills. “Please take them.” I did as he asked, trusting that I was safe with him.

  “Rest my beautiful Grace.” He took the glass and set it back down, kissed my forehead and then swiftly left the room without turning around this time. I ducked back down under the covers and fell fast asleep.

  Chapter 4

  Logan

  Staying away from her was killing me. She was the one and part of her understood it, too. I could see it in those perfectly blue eyes. She longed for me as well. Running my hand through my hair for the tenth time since I left her to sleep, I knew I looked like a crazed man.

  My parents were staring at me as I paced the floor. “Did you inform them that she’s to stay here until she’s better?”

  “I did, son. You know the sheriff is one of us. He agrees that we need to keep her here and then let her decide what she wants.”

  “She’s staying damn it.” It wasn’t up for debate as far as I was concerned. She was mine and the sooner everyone understood that the better.

  “That’ll be up to her, Logan. You know that. It’s not like you can force her to stay. And our secret is our life. You can’t tell her until you’re mated.” I hated when he used logic on me. It was bullshit.

  “I know that, Dad, but that doesn’t change this for me. I know without a doubt that she’s the one.” I continued to pace the floor or I stood a chance of doing something really stupid, like running up there and making a fool of myself. She had to want and accept me, without even knowing my true nature. She was a human and most of us mated with our own kind, but it wasn’t unheard of to mate outside our species. There were so few of us that the ones my age were already mated together. I’d waited so long to find the one to make the beast come out in me.

  “I’m going back out for a run.”

  “Okay, but be careful, the people are still out on the trails.” I arched my brow at her like I didn’t know. I’d been shifting since I was six.

  “Don’t you dare look at me like that. I’m your mother.”

  “I know, I know.” I hugged her and kissed her cheek.

  “Logan,” I heard my name being called, softly. We all looked at each other, so I knew I wasn’t just wishing she’d beg for me. A run was forgotten instantly. I ran up the stairs two at a time, entering the room and closing the door behind me. She was crying out my name in her sleep, rolling around and grunting every time she hit her injured side. I kicked off my shoes and climbed into bed, forgetting my lust and the urge to breed her. My insane need to protect and care for her became my sole objective. I tucked her against my body, her back to my front and held her still.

  “Calm down, little love. I’m here and won’t let anything hap
pen to you.”

  “Logan,” she sighed. A wave of pure joy washed over me. From the moment I came home, my emotions were all over the place. Anger, fear, happiness, complete and utter lust, and back to fear. I didn’t want to lose her. Her friends were going to come here to see her, but I can’t let them take her from me. Immediately my thoughts went to a possible man that was waiting for her at the campsite. My mother already told me that she had gone to use the bathroom alone and gotten lost, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t someone else. What if she didn’t want to stay with me? I had to convince her somehow. My heart was drumming faster and faster with the need to claim her as mine. I placed a kiss on her lips before closing my eyes and falling asleep with her.

  Chapter 5

  Grace

  I woke up covered in a thin layer of sweat on my face, and a pair of arms wrapped around me. There was no doubt in my mind who was holding me. His scent was already committed to my memory from two short encounters. Feeling something stiff against my ass, I pushed back. It took my brain a second to realize that his cock was hard. A low moan escaped his lips as I wiggled my bottom in curiosity with a mild hint of mischievousness.

  “Please stop. I can’t fuck you yet and you’re torturing me,” he grunted, taking my earlobe between his teeth and sucking on that little bit of cartilage.

  “Why are you in bed with me?” It was pitch black in the room so I knew it was late. It didn’t explain why he was holding me though. Mentally, I was loving the feel of his strong, huge body all over me. In his arms, the pain wasn’t so bad.

  “Where else am I going to sleep? You’re in my bed,” he reminded me, kissing just under my ear. I hadn’t forgotten it was his room, but I thought he would stay somewhere else.

  “Yes, but…” I didn’t know what I wanted to say. My heart was so damn erratic that I had to breathe to concentrate.

  “Love, you asked for me in your sleep. I don’t know what upset you in your dreams, but you calmed down when I came in. I didn’t do anything except hold you close.” With great care, I turned around in his arms so that my back was against the mattress. He leaned over me with a smile. “I don’t know how you managed to get here from where you were camping, but I don’t want you to leave.”

  “I’m going to have to soon. My life’s back in Illinois.”

  “It could be here.”

  “We don’t know each other. You could be some crazy maniac.”

  He arched his perfectly shaped brow at me. They didn’t look like they were plucked, tweezed, waxed, or anything, but that he was blessed with pretty brows and eyelashes. “If that was the case, I wouldn’t have given you the option to stay, nor would we have told the search party where you were.”

  “Have they said anything?” I wondered how worried they would be. My friend and I were close, but other than her brother wanting to get in my pants, there was no one else looking for me.

  “My mother said they’ll come around tomorrow.” The grumble in his voice told me that he didn’t like the idea.

  “Why don’t you like company? I mean you’re asking me to stay, but when you first saw me in your bed you were angry.”

  “You inspired a world of emotions in me from the moment I saw you and I was trying to figure them out. I don’t like people coming to my home unannounced.” He reached his hand over and stroked my hair. “You are a very welcome surprise though.”

  “I want to kiss you.” I threw my hand over my mouth, shocked I said that out loud. Logan cracked a smile that struck my womb hard. I felt the desire pool between my thighs. I tried to hide the lustful thoughts from the most handsome man I’d ever seen, but it seemed I was a bit too late.

  He took my mouth, and nothing about it was soft or tentative, it was powerful. His tongue slipping past my lips, caressing mine. Logan captured my moan, then pulled back, breaking our kiss. Slowly, I opened my eyes and looked into his. They were hungry, ravenous and my body screamed to let him satisfy both our needs, but we couldn’t. “I shouldn’t have kissed you yet. I might be a maniac now and never let you leave.”

  “Logan, you are not helping,” I grumbled. “I don’t know what has us in this frenzied heat, but I can’t give in no matter how much I want to.”

  “I know. Your injuries are healing, but not enough. Rest.” He was just as horny as I was, but he held onto his control. Whatever had gotten into me, I didn’t want it to go away. For the first time in so long, I felt truly alive. I fell back to sleep while willing my body to heal faster.

  Chapter 6

  Logan

  That was the longest and best night of my life. I woke up with my arm numb, but it was worth it to see her cuddled against my body. I carefully pulled it from under her and crept off the bed. “You know if we’d had sex last night, I’d think you were trying to ditch me,” she said, her eyes still closed.

  “If we had, you’d feel me in every part of your body and I wouldn’t be going anywhere. As it is, I have to leave you for a little while. I don’t want to go anywhere, but I can’t just skip out on work.”

  “I’m sorry, I was teasing. I know you have things to do. I can’t expect you to spend all your time with me. We just met and I already climbed in your bed.” The way she said it sent me into a tailspin of jealousy I never even considered possible. I pounced on the bed, my lower half straddling her legs with my arms caging her head.

  “Do you climb into other men’s beds?” I snarled.

  She narrowed her eyes at me before turning her scowl into a giggle. “Jealous much?”

  My face lowered, getting closer to hers when I barked, “I’m being fucking serious, Grace. I want to know if you’ve been with men. And if so, how many?”

  “How many women have you been with?” She tilted her head slightly to the side, challenging me.

  “None,” I growled. From her expression, it was clear she didn’t believe me. “I’m serious, Grace. I’ve never been with a woman at all. Answer me.” I was determined to find out. Regardless, she was still mine, but I had to know.

  “I’ve never been with anyone either. In fact, my attraction to you comes as a surprise. But what if I had? Would you be all violent with me?”

  “If you let another man touch you now, I’d kill him.” I had always been a very quiet and controlled person. I’d lost it with her and prayed that I hadn’t scared her away.

  She pressed her hand to my chest, feeling my heart pound out of control. Her eyes stared at my bare chest. Her touch invaded my soul, marking it as hers. She was my other half and I knew she would always be the one for me. It wasn’t like that for most of us, but when the connection was as unrelenting and strong as ours, it was forever. I placed my hand over hers and closed my eyes.

  “Logan,” she whispered.

  “Yes.”

  “I survived a cougar. So be warned, I’d destroy a woman who came near you.” The threat was met with an intense scowl and venomous gaze. My smile was as big as my damn face.

  “Don’t worry because that would never happen. I’m all yours.”

  “We both should be running as far as we can with this crazy talk. There’s no way that it’s right for us to be acting and saying things like this.”

  “Maybe we’ve just been waiting for you to find your way to me. Where are you from, Grace?”

  “Springfield, Illinois,” she replied.

  “Do you have any family there?” I wanted to know who I’d have to deal with and if it would be too hard for her to leave.

  “No, I don’t. I was placed in an orphanage upon birth.” That was terrible. I wished I’d met her years ago. I’ve heard orphanages can be bad. From now on, she had me to be her rock, her lover, her everything.

  I bent down and kissed her lips, taking a long time to pull back even though I didn’t want to. Fuck, leaving for work would be a bitch from now on. “Good, then you have no reason to go back.”

  “What about my job? School?”

  Throwing a fit wasn’t going to help, so I laid out what made s
ense to me. “What about them? I have my own company, you don’t have to work or go to school.”

  “Logan, as simple as you make it sound, it really isn’t.”

  “I believe that it is.”

  “We don’t really know each other. What if we learn something about the other person we can’t deal with?” she asked. Fear slammed in my chest. Since there was such a bond, I let that idea go. Jumping off the bed, I walked into my bathroom. It was time to go to work and I wasn’t fit to talk about this right now. Taking a fast shower, I stepped out with a towel around my waist. When I saw her staring at me with appreciation, I silently cheered myself for forgetting to take clothes in with me.

  I didn’t say a word. Instead, I let the towel fall to the floor and walked to my closet. My cock bobbed hard in front of her, but hey, if there was a way to keep her here, a big cock may be the ticket. I may have never used it with a woman, but I had instinct. Mating was something that came natural to us. The way she licked her lips told me her body understood what it needed.

  That wasn’t the only thing I wanted though. Her mind and heart were important, too. So I moved quickly and got dressed. The slight look of disappointment crossed her face, but then the appreciation was back. “You go to work like that?”

  “Like what?”

  “In a flannel…I mean damn, you’re like the lumberjack a woman would fantasize about.”

  “It’s kind of what my company does. I don’t want other women fantasizing about me. You on the other hand don’t have to, you can just plan for what you want. I have to get going. Be good and rest.”

  “I will. Have a safe day at work.”

  “Always, Grace.”

  I left her without another kiss because I wasn’t sure I had the strength to pull away.

  Chapter 7

  Grace

  My eyes were trained to the door for the next fifteen minutes, irrationally hoping he’d come back to kiss me good-bye. An unexplainable ache built in my gut. We knew nothing of each other and here I was feeling heartbroken that he went to work. It had to be from all the pain I was in. The stress of his leaving took its toll. I fell back asleep for a couple hours, waking when his mother brought some light food.