Walk on the Striped Side

by Jessie Lane

  Her breath hitched in her chest, and she felt a tear escape her eye and start to slide down her cheek. She pushed harder against him, and when that didn’t work, Elena started slapping furiously at his chest. Desperate to get away from him, and out of this room full of people she just remembered were still there. Who were probably standing there, watching her break down.

  Gage grabbed her hands in his and held them immobile against his chest. Then he closed the last few inches between them and once again pinned her body to the wall with his own. Only this time he had pulled his face back to look her in the eyes. He looked determined, and she started to pray that she would survive that determination of his.

  “You have every right to be upset with me.”

  Upset with him? Her mouth dropped open, and she was about to tell him just exactly how upset she was with him when he cut her off.

  “I’m just going to have to prove to you that you’re never leaving my side again. Starting now.”

  And while Elena stood there, feeling dumbfounded, and probably looking like a large mouthed bass with the way she kept opening her mouth, only to shut it again, Gage grabbed her. Putting his shoulder into her stomach, he lifted her into a fireman’s carry that had Elena’s face dangling right above his butt. She was too shocked to move at first. Too stunned to know what to say. So she just hung uncomfortably over the behemoth’s shoulder trying to figure out what the hell was going on here. Of course, that only lasted a few seconds until she heard Chloe’s voice calling her name.

  “Oh Elena…”

  She braced her hands on Gage’s lower back and lifted herself up a little so that she could see Chloe still standing in the room with a huge smile on her face. Delta, Lulu, Alec and Gage’s grandmother were smiling at her as well, but her Aunts were both frowning.

  She looked back to her oldest sister to see she was giving Elena a little finger wave as she announced to the room, “He’s doin’ her.”

  CHAPTER-TEN

  Gage

  His distressed mate hung limply over his shoulder until he reached the doorway to the room. As he was about to exit it, her sister Chloe opened her big mouth. That was when his mate went from docile to a kicking, screaming ball of fury. It was a good thing that he had such a good grip on her legs, because otherwise she might have kicked him in the nuts. She still managed to get in some good kidney shots. If he’d been human those punches would have knocked the wind right out of him, forcing him to drop her. A fact that must have frustrated her, because when he didn’t do anything but grunt, it seemed to piss her off that much more. He carried her out of the house and out to his truck.

  He managed to open the truck’s passenger door without her kicking anything but him, and then he quickly reached in and opened his glove box. He grabbed the one thing of Elena’s that he’d kept after she left him. Her Military Police issued hand cuffs. It had been a rare sentimental move on his part, but when he’d seen the mess she’d left at his place, he knew he was about to put those handcuffs of hers to good use.

  Popping open the rotating arms with one hand, he used his other hand to sling her down into the passenger seat in front of him. Refusing to give up on her violent protest against him, she kept punching. Now aiming at his chest, stomach and the arm that wasn’t holding her, but that was okay because it kept her distracted from what he was doing. As fast as he could, he slapped the first side of the open handcuffs down on her left wrist, then reached over, pulling her wrist with him, and snapped the other side of the handcuffs shut on his steering wheel.

  The minute she heard the ratchet clicking shut, she stilled. Staring at her left hand secured to the steering wheel in shock. Gage didn’t waste a second. He slammed her truck door shut and moved at an inhuman speed around the front of the vehicle so that a second later he was opening his driver’s side door. After he got in and slammed his own door shut he decided to sit there and wait for the oncoming explosion. It was time Elena realized that he meant every word he’d said. She was never leaving his side again. And he’d had absolutely no qualms saying that in a room filled with their family because he abso-fucking-lutely meant it.

  He didn’t have to wait long for her to start her shit. “Tell me you just didn’t do that.” She angrily whispered.

  “Didn’t do what?” Gage asked, playing dumb.

  “Tell me that you didn’t just handcuff me to your steering wheel.”

  He was looking straight at her, but she refused to meet his gaze. Choosing to stare at her wrist in shock instead. He couldn’t help but wonder if she was hoping that if she glared at the handcuffs hard enough that laser beams would miraculously shoot out of her eyes and cut the confining metal off like she was Superman or some shit. “Can’t do that Elena, because I did handcuff you to my steering wheel.”

  Trying to jerk her captive hand away, Gage smelled her blood the instant the hard metal handcuffs broke through her skin.

  “Stop doing that! You’re hurting yourself.” He ground out as he grabbed the now injured wrist.

  Elena shrieked. “Then uncuff me jackass!”

  Taking the key out of his pocket, where he had placed it back at his house, Gage waved it in front of Elena’s face for a moment before inserting it into the handcuffs. He heard her sigh in relief and ignored it. She was only going to get angrier when she saw what he did next. Unlocking the side attached to the steering wheel he repositioned the free cuff around his right wrist and snapped it closed. Then, before his ornery little human could say anything, he held up their captive hands in the air between them.

  “You must not have been paying attention back in that room when I told you that you were never leaving my side again. Pay attention now mate, because I meant what I said. You will spend the rest of your days with me.”

  “You’re off your fucking rocker, aren’t you? And stop calling me that!” She screamed.

  Oh, he knew what she meant, but he was having so much fun riling her up that he just couldn’t help himself. “Calling you what?”

  “MATE! Stop calling me mate you moron!”

  Starting the truck, he put his free hand on the steering wheel and started to back out of the Amazon’s driveway. “Can’t do that either.”

  As he shifted the truck from reverse to drive and shoved the gas petal to the floor she spit out. “Can’t or won’t, cat?”

  “Won’t.”

  She let out a scream so loud, primal and outraged that he was pretty sure her Amazonian ancestors heard it from the grave. He’d never seen her so pissed before. The cab of his truck filled with her spiced chocolate smell and his cock responded by threatening to bust out of his jeans. Jesus, but the smell of her right now was enough to make him horny for at least a week. Yeah, she was infuriated on a level that any sane man would steer clear of, but she was also aroused. Part of her might want to beat him bloody, but with the strong smell of lust currently coming off her, Gage also knew there was another part of her that wanted to fuck him senseless. It was time for him to get her home, naked and willing. Before she tried to kill him.

  Twenty minutes later he parked his truck in front of his home and turned the engine off. Looking over at Elena, whom was sitting perfectly still and unbelievably quiet, he tried hard not to become nervous. Elena was a lot of things. Strong, beautiful, hard headed, but one thing she was not was quiet. Since his mate had been unnaturally silent from the moment that Amazonian scream had died on her lips, he figured that meant one thing. She was plotting. He’d known Generals and Heads of State that were practically geniuses in strategy over the centuries of his life. None of them were as dangerous as his woman on a mission. All he could do was hope that some way, somehow, he got through to her tonight.

  Lifting the console between them, he then opened his door and got out of the truck. Reaching back across the seat so that he could grab her, he dragged her to his now vacated seat. Once he had her situated right in front of him, Gage wrapped one arm under her legs and his other arm around her back, causing Elena’s hand
cuffed arm into an awkward bent angle against her back. Making sure not to hurt her, he lifted her stiff form until she was cradled in his arms. He waited for her to try and fight him again, but nothing. Maybe his ornery mate knew that with the handcuffs connecting them she didn’t have much of a chance anyways. Kicking his truck door shut, he walked her to the front door and angled them both so the hand behind her back clutching his keys could unlock and open the door. After he walked into his home with the crunching of kitty litter underneath his boots as the only sound to be heard. He’d thought for sure she might break down and giggle when she heard that, but nothing.

  As he kicked the door to his house shut behind them, she finally spoke through her clenched teeth. “You can put me down now.”

  “Don’t want to.”

  “And I don’t want to be handcuffed to you, so that should prove that we can’t always get what we want. Put me down cat.”

  He grunted. “You into the Rolling Stones now? I’ve got that album you know. I could put it on if you want to hear it.”

  Elena started bucking in his hold, trying to force him to drop her. Silly human. As if she could force him to do anything. He tightened his grip on her to keep her secure against him and quickened his steps towards the hallway that led to his bedroom. Her frustration gave way to an explosion of angry words.

  “You mother fuckin’, ball lickin’, hairball coughin’, oversized ally cat, douche juicin’ bastard!”

  “Douche juicin’? That doesn’t sound very appealing. I hear there are creams for that if you need them babe.” Gage crossed the threshold to his bedroom and walked over to the corner where he had his large king sized bed against the wall. He set his wiggling woman on the edge of the bed and then turned her body so that she faced him.

  Quick as lightening, Elena brought her knee up, trying her best to land a blow to his nuts. He was prepared for the move though, so he blocked the strike and then used his body to pin hers to the bed. Frustrated, Elena spat out between her teeth, “Do they have a cream to cure Asshatism? I could finally get rid of you then.”

  That last comment caused an unexpected laugh to escape him. He couldn’t help but laugh really. His woman was so determined to kick him to the curb that she wasn’t letting what he was telling her sink into that thick skull of hers. She was never getting rid of him. That was okay, because he’d just figured out how he was going to prove it to her. Unfortunately it didn’t involve his earlier plans of getting her naked and screaming his name, but he could wait a little longer for that. Getting up on his knees which were straddling her body, he picked her up and moved her bodily higher up the bed so that they could lay down comfortably.

  Knowing he couldn’t trust her not to try and kick his teeth in, he used his hand not attached to the handcuffs to help pry her legs open and then laid his body between those luscious limbs of hers. He was a big, heavy bastard, so he didn’t want to completely cover her. Instead, he situated himself so that his head was pillowed on her chest, his left arm wrapped around her waist underneath them, and the fingers of his right hand were interlaced with hers.

  Elena stiffened under him as he finally got comfortable on top of her. She was probably expecting him to put the moves on her. Which he fortunately realized would have been an exponentially dumb move on his part. She would use anything against him now. Including the act of sex. She might give into her body’s desires to have him, but the minute they were done she’d say it was meaningless. She’d also probably sprout some ridiculous shit like he only wanted her for a release of bodily fluids.

  So, no sex for them. No matter how much he wanted to be buried balls deep in this woman, he would wait until she knew that she was so much more to him than a quick fuck. Elena was everything to him, and he was going to find a way to make her figure that out even if it killed him. As he lay there on top of her stiff body and waiting for her to relax, he anticipated whatever barb she would throw at him next. After several minutes ticked by, he realized none was coming.

  Hoping to pierce that impenetrable barrier that she’d encased her emotions in since she’d left him, he told her exactly what he was feeling. “I missed you.”

  Elena gave an unlady like snort, but didn’t say anything.

  “I didn’t mean what I said the day you left.”

  A depreciating laugh came from her, but she continued to give him the silent treatment.

  Tightening his left arm around her waist, he squeezed gently, trying to offer her a hug of comfort. Although, she’d probably rather have bamboo shoots shoved underneath her fingernails than receive any kind of comfort from him. And didn’t that sting his pride a bit that his mate would more than likely prefer to endure unimaginable pain than be with him?

  He had no one to blame but himself.

  Trying to move away from his negative thoughts and stick with his goal of making Elena love him again, he kept going. “There was a reason I said what I said.”

  “Because you were telling the truth?” She deadpanned.

  Gage shook his head no, which caused the side of his face to rub back and forth on the spot between her breasts. “Nope. I was lying when I pretended to tell Alec on the phone that you were nothing more than a lay.”

  Her breath hitched. “What do you mean pretended to tell him? I heard you talking to him through the door Gage.”

  He shook his head no again because it gave him a reason to rub the side of his face across that intimate spot of her body repeatedly. Gage only wished that instead of through her shirt he had been able to mark his scent on her skin. They weren’t ready for shirtless yet, so he’d have to be satisfied with this for the time being. “Nope. You heard what I wanted you to hear. I pretended to be on the phone with Alec. Just like I said hurtful things because I knew you were awake and listening. I was trying to make you think I didn’t care so you would leave me.”

  There was a short silent pause and he wondered what she was thinking. Knowing how stubborn his mate could be, he was betting she was trying to find some way to twist the truth up in her head to keep protecting herself from him.

  “Pretending to have a conversation with your brother? That sounds a bit farfetched Gage. The more likely scenario is that you hate that your easy lay caught you in a conversation you didn’t want to be overheard.”

  See? Twisted.

  Hey knew he was going to have to prevail to the logical part of her brain now. “How long have you known about Others Elena?”

  “Four months, why?”

  “Since you’ve learned of our existence in that time, do you feel you’ve learned a sufficient amount about shifters abilities and anatomies?”

  “Enough to get me by. What does this have to do with what we were talking about?”

  “So you understand that we have pronounced sensory abilities compared to humans?”

  “Yeah, I get that you’ve got some animal genetics. So what purr boy?” She huffed.

  He smiled. He’d never say it to her face, but sometimes she really did remind him of a kitten with her fur all ruffled up in ire. “So then you concede that it would have been easy for me to hear you up and moving about in my bedroom through a closed door?”

  He felt everything about Elena pause after his statement. Even her chest stopped moving as she momentarily stopped breathing. Eventually, after inhaling a much needed deep breath, he heard her cautious voice reply, “Yes. You could have easily heard me moving around. So, if that’s the truth, then why do that? Why pretend to have a conversation with someone, in which you make me feel about as welcome as a dried up five dollar hooker instead of just breaking up with me to my face? Why would you want to hurt me like that if I had meant something to you? This is why I’m having a hard time believing you. If I had meant anything at all, you would have never hurt me the way you did.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong.”

  “I’ve been wrong about a lot of things in life Gage. You’re a great example of that. I don’t think I’m wrong about this though.”


  Gage ignored the dig, and kept going. “You’re wrong because you did mean a great deal to me. In fact, I had fallen in love with you.”

  “Bullshit!” Bucking her body to try and get him off of her, she started to lose her temper again. “You never fucking loved me you giant prick! People who love each other don’t set out to break the other person’s heart into so many pieces that it’s impossible to fix it again afterwards.”

  “The fact that I hurt you to push you away proves what I’m telling you. If you would stop thinking with your emotions for a minute, and think with your head instead, you could probably figure out why I was afraid to fall in love with you. Why I was afraid to make you my mate.”

  Settling down again, she asked in complete exasperation. “If you’re telling me the truth, then just spit out the reason Ivanov. Tell me this all important excuse why you felt it was such a bad idea for us to be together.”

  “No.”

  “Why the fuck not?” Elena screamed in exasperation.

  “Because when you figure out why, you’re going to try and run from me and I won’t let you do it. So, I’m going to let you figure it out on your own. Until then, I’m going to spend every second I have proving to you that I did love you. That I still love you. And I’m going to make you love me in return again too. I’m going to do everything in my power to tie you to me in every way imaginable so that when you do figure it out, maybe you won’t run from me. Because I can’t live without you anymore Elena. I’ve tried for two years and it was the biggest mistake of my life. You walked back into my life and now I’m doing what I should have been man enough to do in the first place.”

  “What’s that?” She whispered.

  “I’m claiming you for my mate.”

  “But you’re not a man, remember? Less than an hour ago you told me that yourself. You said you’re more animal than man. And if I remember my science teacher correctly, tigers aren’t exactly known for mating for life. So why should I believe anything you’re telling me right now?”