by Dee Carney
“If I run into her, I’ll be sure to tell her to head home.”
Cal lifted his nose in the air and then sniffed. His eyes narrowed, his gaze turning hard. “She’s in there,” he said, his tone accusatory.
“Like I said, I’ll tell her to head home. Seeing how she’s an adult, if she doesn’t want to, there’s not much you or anyone else can do to make her.”
The younger man stepped forward and Murphy tensed, ready to take him on. “Mister, don’t get in the middle of a family issue. This don’t have nothing to do with you and you don’t want to get in Blackwood business. Not unless you want our entire clan after you.”
Murphy met his challenge, stepping forward and making certain he saw the seriousness behind what he planned on saying next. “You do what you’ve got to do and so will I. Know this though, if Sable wants my help or protection, she’s got it. Whatever it is you think you or your family can do to stop me, bring it.”
Chapter Four
Sable listened to the confrontation between Cal and Murphy, immediately regretting the position she’d put Murphy in. He’d had the dumb luck of being the owner of the first home she’d stumbled into. Then again, maybe it was kismet and meant to be. She might not have ever run into her mate if she hadn’t decided to take some time for herself before her sham of a wedding.
Wow. Her mate.
She knew people met their mates, most by happenstance, but never had it crossed her wildest imagination to seek out hers. Not when she’d been told from as far back as she could remember that she’d be married to a man she’d never met. Once they actually had met for the first time, she realized that she and Voss could be friends. After a million years together, she doubted she’d ever love him as more than that. He was nice, but there was no spark between them. Not even a little smoke.
Their clan put them in a horrible position and the guilt of not wanting to disappoint any of them ate at her every day. Did she put herself or her clan first? It had seemed clear before that the pack needed her more than her libido and fantastical imagination did.
Now, though… She’d met Murphy. He kissed her and ignited a passion she hadn’t thought possible. Didn’t that deserve exploring, even if only a little bit?
“Bring it,” she heard Murphy tell her brother. The steel in his voice left no room for argument that he meant what he said. He would defend Sable against anyone who stood against her. Good gods, how sexy was that?
Still…
“Cal, wait,” she called. She grunted after jumping down from the stool and landed on still-tender feet. It didn’t hurt nearly as much as before Murphy’s aid. Between the medication and rest, by morning she’d be well healed.
By the time she got to the door, Cal and Murphy seemed a nanosecond from shifting and going for each other’s throats. She still had no idea what kind of shifter Murphy claimed and being a citizen of the neutral zone meant he could have been anything. She’d glimpsed the white tattoo on the inside of his wrist, but it didn’t provide any clues whatsoever. What if he was something benign like a were-possum or were-ostrich? Up against a wolf shifter and he’d be toast. The men of the Blackwood pack drew blood first and asked questions of the maimed and mutilated body later. She’d only just found her mate; she wouldn’t lose him to senseless violence so quickly.
She eased between their tensed bodies, her own wolf rising to the surface in case she needed to shift and come to Murphy’s aid. She couldn’t stop thinking about were-meercats.
Turning to Cal, her heart clenching over the emotion seeing him invoked, she said, “Please go back home. Tell Cage that I’m fine and I’m sorry, but I just need some time.”
Her brother frowned at her, his gaze not leaving Murphy’s until the last second. His nostrils flared and he staggered back. He looked down at her, a turbulent storm rising in his blue eyes. “You’re in heat,” he said with a growl.
Her cheeks went white-hot for the second time in under thirty minutes. “I-I think so.”
“It’s a fact,” Murphy said. “You’ll be drawing the attention of every male wolf in a fifty mile radius. Maybe even farther out.”
Sable’s legs became Jell-o. “Are you sure? That can’t be right.” Why had no one explained all this to her before? Her brothers wanted her innocent, but their good intentions left her out here flying blind.
“Until you’re mated, men are going to be all over you.” Cal held out a hand. “That’s why you need to come home with me now, where your family can surround you and keep you protected until your wedding when you’re claimed.”
Was that why Murphy had reacted so strongly to her before? Only because of her mating cycle and nothing else? He’d said something about needing her to dial it back, but she hadn’t really paid attention at the time. Maybe this amazing lust she felt for him was due to pheromones.
Her heart deflated.
She studied Cal’s outstretched hand for a second, every instinct telling her she should take it. Maybe her brothers were going about it the wrong way, but they didn’t mean anything by their overzealousness. If she went back home now, she went with the knowledge of what it was like to kiss a man until her toes curled. She now knew what it was like to have a screaming orgasm, one that left her weak and satisfied and panting. In a single day, she’d accomplished her goal of exploring eroticism before being wed to someone who wouldn’t bring her passion, but would give her a family of her own.
Turning to Murphy, she whispered to him, “They’re my family. What would you have me do?”
“I can’t make this decision for you,” he said. “You know why you left, though. What’s planned for you. Return there if you think that’s what you want for your future.”
She didn’t though and Murphy knew that.
“Or,” he continued, “you can stay with me and find out what else fate might have in store for you.”
“Sable,” Cal snapped, his irritation loud and clear. “You don’t know this man. He doesn’t know what’s best for you the way we do. Say your goodbyes and let’s go.”
His superior tone immediately reminded her of what she’d left behind and what might be in store for her if she went back. “Family means everything in the world to me,” she said to Cal. “Everything. But this is my life to lead, not yours. If Voss or anyone else wants me back in the clan, I need a damned good reason to go. Until then, I’ll be here in Deal’s Gap living off hand outs and the kindness of others, but at least I’ll be living my life the way I want to. Go home, Cal. Don’t come back.”
Murphy stood there with his heart beating in his throat while Sable decided whether she’d be leaving him or staying put. He’d been dead certain that logic would win and she’d go back home to the wolves of her pack rather than staying long enough to test out this thing blossoming between them. He would have let her go…but then waste no time in seeking her out to win her back. Even if he didn’t succeed, he would have tried.
He moved between his mate and her kin, separating the two now that she’d made her decision. Staring down her brother, swelling to full size, he growled, “You heard her. Get off my property.”
Cal glared at Murphy. “If you touch her in any way, my brother will have your hide in front of his fireplace. Don’t let her scent entice you into doing something stupid, hybrid.”
Sable moved closer to him, her body brushing against his. The contact gave Murphy an overpowering sense of relief. Together, they watched Cal make a face that said as loud as any words could that this conversation wasn’t over and he would be back with reinforcements. However, he did back away. Once he reached the end of the porch, he discarded his clothing and shifted into a wolf.
If Murphy had anything to say about it, by the time her pack found them, he would have marked Sable and this nonsense about marrying some guy she didn’t know would be put to permanent rest.
Sable’s arms came around his waist, her head resting against his shoulder blade. “Oh gods, I’m so sorry about that. I knew they’d come after me, but I d
idn’t think it would turn into a confrontation.”
“That wasn’t a confrontation,” Murphy replied. He put his hands over hers, trying not to lose himself to the feel of her. “It’s coming when the rest of your family arrives. You probably should know your mind by then.”
“I know that I can’t marry him,” she whispered.
Then marry me.
Where the hell did that come from? Shocked by his mind’s betrayal, Murphy twisted until he slid out of Sable’s grasp. He’d been alone for so long, he couldn’t imagine suddenly wanting to spend the rest of his life with a single person. Yet this woman who hid behind a false image of timidity made him doubt if he really wanted to be alone forever.
Maybe he could have it both ways. Mate, but let her live her life without him for a little while. See the world or something.
Shit.
His mate stood an arm’s length away. Other men would have no qualms about permanently claiming her. Murphy toyed with the idea of giving her his mark and then letting her go. What the fuck was wrong with him?
“I suggest we go back inside and figure out what you plan on doing next,” he said. Same went for him.
“I’d rather we go back and finish what we’d started before.” Her voice went soft. “I liked it a lot. Can you do that to me again?”
Murphy snorted back a grunt of laughter. “You almost sound like you’ve never…”
Oh shit.
Oh shit oh shit oh shit.
Her family wanted her intact. Her brother said not to act on her mating cycle. She was young and…oh shit. “Are you telling me that you’re a virgin?”
Sable straightened. That blush he found so sexy on her lit up her face again. “I told you. My brothers are overprotective. I haven’t been on a date without one of them there, ever.”
Dammit, this changed everything. It was one thing to feel up their little sister. Another to mark her. But any overprotective family worth their salt would absolutely lose their shit over a hybrid popping the cherry of their pride and joy, already engaged to another wolf. Like epic go to war type lose their shit.
“But by some miracle you managed to escape their grasps to make it here?”
“Blind luck and a whole lot of me searching for the first opportunity to do it. That’s why I don’t have any supplies or much of a plan. I just needed to get out.”
“I can’t believe it worked.” Murphy shook his head, wanting to throw his hands in the air and ask why me? He’d never considered his mate before now. Certainly never figured she’d be coming with enough baggage to put Samsonite out of business. And fuck all if any of it was stopping him from thinking about going ball’s deep inside her. The urge to take her inside, throw her down on his bed and use her until neither could stand kept crowding out all other thought.
He could not be having these thoughts. Should not. They would get him dead and Sable hurt.
“Alright, let’s get you off your feet and come up with a game plan for what you’re going to do next.”
She reached for Murphy, but despite how much he wanted her—how much his bear had already decided she was theirs—he couldn’t invite this walking trouble into his home. He could still taste her on his lips and her scent would drive him mad before long, but he knew without a doubt that taking things further would be a mistake.
He side-stepped her touch and said, “I’m going to make a few phone calls. I think I can find a place for you to stay the night. If you end up deciding that you want to stay in Deal’s Gap, I’m sure I can find someone willing to hire you on for light work. Got any skills that I can sell?”
He’d been avoiding her gaze, but didn’t avert his in time to miss the hurt in her eyes. “Is something wrong?” she asked softly.
“You need to know what it is you want without me mucking up your thinking. Figure it out and let me know if I can be of any help. While you do that, I think I should stay away.”
“But why?”
“We’ve got this thing between us, this crazy fucked up thing that makes me insane with wanting you. But if I act on it, I’m ruining your future. I’m a hybrid your family will never approve of, not when they’ve already got your future worked out for you. I’m nothing but trouble, Sable, and you’d best to get away from me as soon as you can.”
Chapter Five
Murphy might as well have slapped her in the face. Stunned, she watched him leave her to limp behind him like some injured, love-sick puppy. It was neither here nor there that the description fit her to a T. What just happened? Had Cal scared him off from their natural attraction to each other?
“We’re mates,” she called, feeling like a miserable idiot for having to point it out aloud.
Murphy grunted and kept walking.
Jerk.
Well, she kind of knew that. And liked it about him anyway. With her luck, he probably hailed from one of those thieving cat clans and that would just explain everything.
He stood up to her brother for her, though and that had to mean something in the grand scheme of things. She only wished she knew why he’d done such a one eighty after Cal left. By now the two of them should be celebrating in the most horizontal of ways. Instead, she could barely keep up with him as he stormed through the ranch-style home and into a room in the back.
Sable followed, but took her time. As she walked, she let her hand trail along the wooden beams of the walls where dozens of pictures hung. Each of them seemed to tell a full story about Murphy’s family and friends. Some were old black and whites; the colored ones showed a more mature man, closer in age to the Murphy she’d found.
A gorgeous raven haired woman and a hulking giant of a man had to be his parents. He looked like a perfect conglomeration of the two. His father’s bulk and his mother’s soft eyes claimed Murphy. His parents looked happy together and most of the photos where they were featured seemed to be private moments caught in still. Tenderness in the way she looked at him. Adoration in the smile he gave her.
How had these two managed to raise such a taciturn man? Their emotion flowed through every pose and touch. If he came from this kind of environment, then it was possible he should be looking for the same in his own home. Yet, he seemed to cling to solitude and at least with her, pushing away someone who was trying to get close.
“Where do your parents live now?” she asked in a voice loud enough to carry to him.
His head poked into the doorway. The furrow in his brow couldn’t have been any deeper. “What?”
She pointed to a picture. “Where are they?”
For a split-second, she thought she glimpsed a fracture in his hard exterior. “Retired and traveling. I get the odd text or picture now and again.” He crooked a finger at her. “Come in here. I think I’ve found a few things that might fit you.”
Curiosity begging her to drag her feet, Sable made her way into the bedroom. His bedroom.
A king-sized bed sprawled in the center of the room, two over large pillows propped against a metal headboard. Next to the fireplace, a leather lounger stretched in lazy repose. Sable could imagine grabbing a good book and listening to the crackle of the fire while the snow fell outside. The room was draped in deep oranges and polished browns. Even the drapery over the single sizable window stole Autumn colors and turned the room into a comfortable cave where any man would want to hole up.
Another glance at the bed reminded her that she’d been on the go for hours. Between the long-distance run, the stress of escape and her body’s need for healing, she could have crawled into the bed and slept for twenty years. Instead of giving in to temptation, however, she dragged her gaze away from those fluffy looking pillows. She found Murphy standing in front of folding doors, a closet bursting at the seams with clothes stretched on either side of him.
He turned, holding out a pair of shorts and tennis shoes. “No idea if either of these’ll fit, but it’s better than just the shirt.”
She took them, tempted to brush her fingers along his, but drew back at the
last second. “For a shifter, you’re very modest. Back home, I’d probably wear only a sundress. The easier to get in and out of if my wolf needs a run.”
“You’re a single woman in the house of a single man you don’t know. Shifter or not, it doesn’t look right for you to be here just in that skimpy thing. Everyone will talk.”
“You’re also my mate,” she countered. “No one would blink.”
As if they both needed the reminder, her belly chose that moment to heat up. Sable gasped at the sudden flare, somehow having managed to forget the agony it kept her in earlier. Murphy’s careful attention drove away the mating instinct for a short while, but apparently it didn’t like being ignored.
He drew in a deep breath, no doubt inhaling her scent, and growled. “Fuck, you’ve got to go before…”
“Before?” He threw her down on the bed and they tore each other’s clothes off? Or before he went down on her again and gave her another screaming orgasm?
“Before your brothers return and start a clan war that I cannot win.” Murphy balled up the shorts in his hand before throwing it and the shoes to the floor. “No one’s going to back me up if I try to claim you. No friends and the only family I got in Deal’s Gap would just as soon see me dead.”
Sable blinked at the venom in his voice, her face white hot as if he’d slapped her with his words.
“I can protect you against one brother, maybe even your family. But if we get together, if you let this hybrid sully you, I’m bringing down the wrath of your clan. I can’t protect you against that. They will win.”
“No one asked you to protect me,” she shouted, suddenly aware of the gripping tension in the room. With concerted effort, she lowered her voice and attempted to speak to him in a calm manner. “Claim me because you want me. Because our animals know we’re right for each other, even if we don’t. Claim me because it could mean a lifetime of a love like no other. Just don’t you dare back down and use my family as an excuse. I’m looking at you and I know better. I don’t have to know you to understand that if you’re determined, nothing could ever get past you. Claim me because you know after you do, I will stand by your side and fight any and everything that dares try to get between us. Claim me as yours, Murphy.”
