by Mary Abshire
I chuckled. "No, it's actually good."
"Where did you meet him?" she asked.
I walked further down the aisle, eyeing the clothing on the wall. "Remember when I went to Phoenix during the Fourth of July weekend and I said I helped a werewolf?"
"That's him?" she asked.
I looked up and examined the t-shirts with writing. "Yeah, another werewolf challenged him, and Alan wanted me to send the guy's soul to Hell in front of leaders in his company."
"Why?"
"The guy that challenged him murdered and raped women. Alan didn't want that kind of behavior tolerated in the company."
"Oh," she said. "That's a good reason." She paused briefly. "So, what if you're bitten by a werewolf?"
"A bite won't do anything but make you angry." At least, that's what I had read in books. From the little I knew about them, they could only procreate with their own kind.
A calming expression overcame her. "That's a relief."
We turned our eyes to the shirts on the wall for display.
"What are you looking for?" Dani asked.
"I bought Drake a shirt that said 'Bite me' when I was in Chicago…"
Dani laughed. "That is classic."
"Yeah, I want something like it," I said, scooting toward the back of the store and scanning the shirts. Near the top, I spotted a white one with red letters saying “I Bite.” A small pair of fangs showed up under the i and e. Perfect.
Dani pointed up. "What about—"
"I've already got it." I found the t-shirt near the bottom of the shelf and grabbed one in a large size. Drake probably wouldn't wear it out, but I knew I could get him to put it on at the house in front of me. Plus, I knew the shirt would make him smile and that alone made me want to buy it.
"Will he wear it?" Dani asked.
"For me, he will." I patted my pockets and realized I'd forgotten to get money from him. "Do you have any cash on you?"
"Yeah." She dug into her pocket. "Alan gave me some bills."
"Jessie, is that you?" asked a familiar feminine voice.
Dani and I turned at the same time. Gail and Donnie came strolling toward us.
"It is you," Gail said. She turned to Donnie. "I told you it was her."
"New friends?" Dani asked softly.
I nodded as the two drew nearer. Gail wore a tight red shirt that read “Merry Christmas, I Was Naughty and Nice.” Donnie had on his usual dark jeans and a black t-shirt with a matching bracelet around his wrist. They came to a halt in front of us.
"Last minute shopping?" Gail asked.
"Yeah," I replied.
Donnie brushed a cluster of his bangs away from his eyes. "Who's the shirt for?"
"Oh, it's a gift for Drake," I said.
"He wears clothes from here?" Gail asked with a hint of shock in her tone.
"He will in front of me, and if I buy it for him," I said.
Donnie chuckled. His eyes turned to Dani. "Hello."
"Hi," Dani said.
Holding out my hand toward the duo, I said, "This is Gail and Donnie. I met them a couple days ago." I turned to face them. "This is Dani, my best friend from Indianapolis."
"The paranormal investigator?" Gail asked.
"That's me," Dani said.
"Awesome," Donnie said as he nodded.
"Hey," Gail tapped my arm. "Are you coming out to the graveyard tonight?"
Biting my lip, I turned to Dani. I really wanted to stay home and enjoy the holiday with friends.
"Visiting a graveyard on Christmas Eve?" Dani asked, her eyebrows arched.
"They want to start a paranormal investigation team, and start by looking for spooks tonight at the graveyard," I said.
"I'll go if you go," she said.
"Oh, come on," Gail said, pleading. "We'll have fun."
"What time?" Dani asked.
"Sometime around ten or eleven. We can call you when we head out there, if you want to meet us," Gail replied.
Dani and I exchanged glances and she shrugged. "Up to you."
I faced Gail and said, "I'll let you know later. I have something else I have to take care of tonight first."
"Okay, sure. Just call me," Gail said.
I bumped Dani's arm. "We better get going before the boys start howling."
"Nice to meet you, Dani," Gail said.
"You too," Dani replied.
Clutching the shirt in my hand, I strolled toward the end of the aisle.
"See you later," Donnie said.
I waved at him as I turned the corner.
To my surprise, the line at the counter was short. Having four cashiers and two baggers might have helped contribute to the small wait. Dani paid for the shirt. I started to tell her I'd pay her back, but stopped myself when I realized the money came from Alan. I owed him, not her.
We stepped outside the store and found Drake and Alan waiting by the glass. Drake saw the bag in my hand.
"Find something?" he asked.
"Just a small gift. By the way, do you have some cash I can have?" I held my palm up to him.
Drake opened his jacket and pulled out a wad of cash. Sure, I knew the man was rich, but I could never get used to seeing so much money. He picked out some bills, then placed them in my hand.
"Thanks," I said as I shoved the cash into my pocket. "Where to now?" I asked Dani.
She grabbed my arm. "Come on."
I held the bag tight in my hand as she pulled me through the crowd, across to the other side of the mall, then into a jewelry store. Bright lights illuminated the pretty gold and silver in the display cases.
"Here," she said, tugging me to a display case on the side. She pointed at the glass. "I want to know what you think of the gold pair of lockets."
I studied the two identical necklaces. A small locket shaped like an egg hung from the center of each necklace. Both necklaces looked exquisite.
"I want to get them engraved. One for you and one for me," she said. "So we will always have something special to remember each other by."
My heart leaped at the deep sentiment while sadness stirred within me. One day, I'd join Drake and live forever with him. And Dani, she would continue to age and would eventually die. The sister I never had would leave me.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I think your idea is excellent."
"Everything all right?" Drake asked, his hand gripping my hip.
I turned and found myself an inch from his face. His lips were so close that I couldn't resist. I gave him a short but sweet kiss. "Everything is fine," I said.
"May I help you?" asked an older store clerk.
Dani pointed at the necklaces. "We want the matching pair and we want them engraved."
"All right," he said. "But it might take a few hours. We're a little backed up."
"That's fine," she said, tucking her long hair behind her ear. She turned to me while the clerk opened the display case. "What do you want on yours?"
Gnawing on my tongue, I thought about what I wanted her locket to say. "How about…Soul Sisters Forever."
Her eyes lit up. "Oh, I love that. It has a paranormal feel to it."
Drake kissed the side of my head. "Some things are worth more than a dollar sign."
I nodded. The price for the pair of necklaces was more than I wanted to spend, but the sentimental worth quadrupled the value.
"Do you want to look around?" he asked.
I wasn't a big spender when it came to jewelry. In fact, I didn't own much. But since we were here, why not indulge in looking? "Sure."
"I'll stay here," Alan said, still holding Dani's bag from earlier.
Drake and I held hands as we strolled around the glass cases, looking at the flashy, shiny, and big figured pieces. While many of them were appealing, I just couldn't see myself wearing something so expensive or ostentatious. As we glanced over the wedding bands with engagement rings, I wondered if Drake had ever been married during his eight plus centuries. He'd told me he had never been in true
love before. Did that mean he had never married?
"Do you see something you like?" he asked.
"Nah, I'm not really into wearing jewelry," I replied.
He placed his hand on the glass and tapped it with his finger. "These are different. I think the blue diamond is nice." His gaze shifted up to me. "It matches your eyes."
Small diamonds in a white gold setting made up the sides of the ring while a dark blue stone stood out in the center. "It's beautiful, and expensive, and the last I recalled, we weren't getting married."
"May I show you a ring?" asked a younger store clerk.
I shook my head. "No. We're fine. Thank you." I tugged on Drake's arm and we headed for the display case full of watches. "In case you didn't know, you don't need to impress me with a fancy ring. I'm a simple girl. Buy me a nice outfit and pair of shoes and I'll be happy," I said before we came to a stop. "Now, how about a watch?"
"I don't need one," he said.
"Okay," Dani said, snatching our attention. "He said two to two and half hours. He'll call when they're ready."
Now that we had each other's gifts out of the way, I needed to find a good one for Drake and something small for Alan and Ryan. The wait time was just enough for me to find what I needed.
"Shall we move on to another store?" I swung my arm forward toward the exit.
"I know where we can go," Dani said.
Once again, she led the way. We stopped in two clothing stores and browsed through the selection. Dani held back buying, though she took a long time studying prices and sale displays. In one shop, she found a pair of pink fuzzy slippers she couldn't pass up. She attempted to buy me a purple pair, but I managed to talk her out of it.
On the way out of the store, I noticed Victoria's Secret across the way. A brilliant gift idea for Drake came to mind. Well, more like something for me that I knew he would appreciate.
Our two bodyguards came to stand by us. "Ready?" Alan asked.
"Uh, can you guys hang out for a bit? Dani and I need to shop in the big girl store," I said, and shifted my gaze to the other side of the mall.
Drake and Alan looked in the same direction, then Alan chuckled.
I grabbed Dani's arm. "Thanks, guys." Before they could stop us, I pulled Dani along with me, dodging bodies like a pinball in a pinball machine.
I stepped inside the pink-carpeted store and let go of Dani's arm. "Help me find something Drake might like for me."
"Oh, something kinky?" she asked with a mischievous smile.
"Sexy, provocative…"
She waved her hand at me. "Kinky. Got it."
As we browsed around the store, Dani claimed a couple of bras and underwear on sale. Once she reminded me she had nothing when she arrived in Alaska, I encouraged her to grab a few more. I couldn't let my best friend live with only a couple of pairs of underwear.
In the lingerie department, a sexy black and red lace outfit called my attention.
"I like this." I picked up the hanger with the short, see-through top and red skimpy panties.
"Oh, that will drive him wild," Dani said.
My thoughts exactly. The outfit fit what I wanted. I held onto the garment and didn't bother glancing at the price tag. The price didn't matter since I knew Drake would like it.
After I paid for my outfit, one of the gals wrapped it for me while Dani purchased her items. I was grateful for the gift-wrapping service since I hadn't bought any supplies to wrap. Plus, I couldn't wait to see the expression on his face when he opened the box.
We walked out of the store carrying our pink shopping bags. Alan waited for us off to the side. When I didn't see Drake, I twisted around and searched for him. Again, he was nowhere in sight.
"Where's Drake?" I asked.
"He stepped out to make a call. He'll catch up with us," Alan replied.
We continued out into the flow of the crowd, but we didn't make it too far.
"Oh, shoes," Dani said, bringing us to a halt. "I need some. I only have the pair on my feet."
"Okay," I said. "But you're carrying the bags if you buy any."
Smiling, she took off into the store. Strands of her blonde hair flew up behind her.
"She is a shopaholic," Alan said.
I chuckled. "Yeah, I know. I lived with her for three years."
Dani was scanning the racks when I entered the store. The small assortment to select from didn't surprise me, since it was close to the holiday. Yet, she managed to find a pair of work shoes and boots. After she paid, I took her Victoria's Secret bag so she could carry her new purchases.
We browsed another two shops without a sign of Drake. His disappearance didn't worry too much since I was busy shopping with Dani. Alan waited outside the stores while we took our time. The werewolf amazed me with his patience. He'd make a good match for Dani.
At the end of one side of the mall, we reached a JCPenney. Alan spotted an empty bench and made a dash for it, carrying multiple bags in his hands, compliments of Dani.
"Feet bothering you, old man?" I asked.
"Actually, I need to check on a few things. You can go ahead," he said as he withdrew his cell from his coat pocket. A thin layer of sweat glistened on his forehead.
"Come on," Dani said, stepping back toward the store. "It's getting late and I still need to find a coat."
I waved to Alan and followed Dani.
We circled the store until we came to the section with coats. To my surprise, the store had a large selection. After a twenty-minute search, she found a simple black coat that reached her kneecaps.
From the winter clothing department, we headed to the center of the store where all the makeup and perfume counters were located. I stopped near the men's area, wondering if Ryan or Alan would like cologne for Christmas.
"Oh, good idea," Dani said, reaching for a dark blue bottle of men's cologne. She picked it up and sniffed the top. "Alan might like this."
She held it to my nose and I breathed in the soft scent.
"That's not bad," I said.
"Well, well," said a familiar masculine voice.
I cringed internally while a trace of hostility surged through me.
"I can't go anywhere without running into you," he said.
The glass bottle clanked when I set it on the display case. A flame ignited within me, cranking up my body heat while my heart raced. My day had been one of the best until Gabe showed up.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Rage boiled within me from hearing Gabe's voice. Sweat trickled down the side of my face. I wanted to fire off curse words, no, punch him in the face. Instead, I bit my tongue, trying to restrain myself. After all, we were in a public setting.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Dani take a step back from me. Maybe she noticed my reaction to Gabe. I hoped she had because she needed to keep her distance from the badass werewolf.
Slowly, I turned to face Gabe. "I'm hoping after tonight I won't have to see you ever again."
Gabe moved fast. He grabbed my arm and I dropped my bag. "Bitch—"
"Let go of her or I will rip your head off right here, right now," Drake said in a calm voice, yet it was thick with wrath. He stepped in front of Dani. His facial features tightened and his dilated pupils hinted at his anger.
I lifted my hand up toward Drake. "Don't do anything rash."
Gabe's grip on my arm tightened. "You might want to listen to the bitch."
Blood rushed to my head. The temptation to claw his eyes out besieged me.
“Don't move, Jessie. Let me handle this.” Drake slipped into my head, our eyes deadlocked.
"Gabe," said a female with long brown hair approaching on Drake's side. She wore enough makeup for a clown. On one arm, she carried an expensive Coach purse. She gripped two large shopping bags in her other hand. Her eyes jumped from him to his grip on me, then back to Gabe. "What's going on here?"
Before she passed Drake, he wrapped his arm around her waist and tugged her to him. She gasped in fright as he gripp
ed her throat.
"Release her, and I'll set your woman free," Drake said.
Gabe chuckled. "I don't give a rat's ass about her."
The woman's eyes grew wide. If she survived, which I knew she would because Drake wouldn't really kill an innocent person, I bet she would either dump Gabe or take a few shots at him. I hoped for both.
"Do you want to test my strength?" Drake said. "I can snap her neck within seconds."
She dropped her bags and purse, the contents spilling near her feet. A few people noticed as they walked by, but they kept on their way.
"Gabe, let me go," I said.
He jerked my arm. "Oh, but we're having so much fun."
"Let her go before I report this to Troy," Alan said, coming to a stop next to Drake. "Do you want your Alpha to know you caused a scene in public?"
"Troy will take my word over yours any day of the week," Gabe said.
Although I believed him, I suspected the Alpha would frown upon any bad attention thrown his way.
"Gentleman," said a robust man wearing an extremely tight t-shirt that revealed his large muscles. He stopped next to Gabe. "Is there a problem here?"
"Only if he refuses to let our friend go," Alan said, tilting his head toward Gabe.
Strong energy emitted from the man in waves. My skin twitched. I presumed he was werewolf.
"We don't need this kind of attention," the buff man with dark hair said, eyes pointed at Gabe.
"Tell him to release my girlfriend and I'll let this one go," Gabe said.
The beefy man shifted his attention. Drake moved his hand from the woman's throat, then nudged her aside. She instinctively reached for her neck while she sucked in deep breaths.
"Your turn, Gabe," Drake snarled.
Gabe's grip lessened. I yanked my arm free, twisted, then shoved him back a step.
"You're a fucking asshole," I said loudly.
The large werewolf stepped in between us. He lifted his arms up to Gabe to hold him back. "Don't do it, man."
I leaned to the side so Gabe could see me, then I glared at him. "Fuck you," I mouthed.
A pair of arms wrapped around my torso and lifted me off the ground. "Enough, Jessie," Alan said into my ear as he backed away from the two werewolves.
"You're dead, bitch." Gabe pointed at me. Hatred was evident in his voice and tight eyes.
