Amber: July: Mystic Zodiac, Book 7

by Brandy Walker

  After breakfast, she took a quick shower while he cleaned up the kitchen. She loved the smell of sex as much as the next Siren, but she had no intention of heading out in public reeking of it. She did have some personal pride.

  Andreas tugged her to a stop in front of an empty storefront, yanking her from her inner thoughts. The windows were dusty and there was a For Rent sign clinging to it.

  “What are you doing?” She looked over at him as he pulled out his phone and watched him punch in the phone number on the sign.

  “Do you know how long this place has been empty?”

  Amber shook her head. “Not a clue. I don’t think I’ve really noticed it before.”

  He looked at her and the corner of his lips quirked up. “Strolling Main Street isn’t on your daily to-do list?”

  “If I had more time, it would be. I work late, and when I do go out during the day, it’s to get my errands done and get back home with enough time to nap before heading back into work.”

  He hummed under his breath, and then pressed his face and hand up against the window. “It looks like a decent size. Probably retail before.” He turned and looked around. “It’s in a good location. Do a lot of Mystics live here?”

  She nodded, not sure where he was headed with the line of questioning. She realized then, she didn’t know a lot about him, other than he was a wolf and had the sexiest body she’d ever seen. “You’re awfully interested in this place for a guy who is just visiting for the weekend.”

  His only response was to give a non-committal grunt. Lifting her hand to his mouth, he kissed the back of it and started walking again. She followed along willingly. It was like her brain had detached from her body and thrown out everything she’d held true.

  Sirens didn’t settle down. They didn’t get married or attached to one person in particular. It was an anomaly—at least in her generation. Was she actually getting to the age where she needed to find the one? She really wasn’t sure, and didn’t know whom she should talk to about it either. Her family wasn’t what she would consider a touchy-feely group. And feelings and emotions…forget about it.

  Thoughts of finding the one led her to thinking about the bite. It was a claim on her body and soul to anyone looking. Other wolves would know she belonged to him, hell, other predators would know too if they were in contact with both of them.

  They hadn’t talked about what he’d done during sex. She knew what it meant to shifters to do that. Knew it was the mark of a mate. She may not have verbally agreed to it, but the second she’d whipped her hair to one side and bared her neck to him, she was basically giving him the green light.

  Focusing on Andreas, she tried to pry into his mind again to get a glimpse of what was going through his head. The tattoo on her back heated, and she wondered if it glowed red beneath her top. Thankfully, if it did, her hair would cover it. She didn’t need to clue him in on her attempt to read his mind.

  And that’s all it was—an attempt. Even now, after getting pretty damn intimate, she couldn’t get a read on him. It was like a huge steel door stood in her way, and she couldn’t find her way around it.

  Andreas tugged on her hand and pulled her into an ice cream shop. “Let’s get a treat,” he grinned like an excited little schoolboy.

  They approached the counter and a young woman standing behind it lit up. Her back went ramrod straight, and she thrust her ample breasts out. She had eyes only for Andreas, and it pissed Amber off.

  “Hi,” the girl purred in what she probably thought was a seductive tone. She nibbled on her lower lip, making Amber want to reach across and punch her in the face.

  Andreas, the big beautiful man next to her, barely glanced at the woman. “What would you like, koukla mou?”

  Goddess, he threw those Greek terms of endearment around easily. Glykó mou, my sweet. Koukla mou, my doll. She had to admit, she liked it. It had been years since anyone spoke to her in the tongue of her ancestors. It was flattering and sexy as hell.

  Amber glanced at the offerings. “Vanilla caramel chocolate in a cup.”

  Andreas turned to the girl, a thousand watt smile on his face. She sighed and her eyes glazed over. “We’ll take two of those, please.”

  They stood there for what felt like minutes waiting for her to move. Amber felt a whip of possessive jealousy crack through her. The girl’s thoughts were broadcast so loudly; Amber didn’t have to try to hear them.

  God, I’d love to fuck him. I wonder if he has a monster-sized dick. Ugh…but he’s with that slut.

  Amber felt her anger build at the base of her spine. It tripped up her tattoo, along with the need to beat the girl senseless.

  Andreas must have caught the girl’s imminent death rolling from Amber and cleared his throat loudly.

  The girl blinked rapidly and mumbled sorry before rushing to get their order. Andreas paid and pulled Amber out front. With his hand in hers, the anger dissipated. The Siren chilled the fuck out, and the throbbing of her tattoo abated. There was a small seating area, and they found an empty table. In a most companionable silence, they dug into their ice creams.

  Amber was fully aware of Andreas’s dark gaze on her as she ate. His stare zeroed in on her mouth when she licked the spoon.

  “See something you like?” She made a show of scooping another spoonful and slowly sucking it off.

  He smirked, sending a flash of heat through her. The curved corner of his mouth. The dimple that made her knees weak. Damn, the looks the man gave her were too much. “More than like.” The words stroked a chord in her, sending her pulse racing.

  Holy fuck, she was in trouble. Amber finished her ice cream quickly and pushed it away. She needed him to focus on something else. Maybe him. Most men enjoyed talking about themselves. At least that was her experience. “Tell me about yourself. What do you do back in the city?”

  He waved his spoon in the air. “Boring city office work. I toil each day away like the rest of the population, only to come in the next day and start all over again.”

  “Doing what though?”

  “Take a wild guess. I’m confident you won’t figure it out. I know you can’t tap into my mind.”

  She snorted and rolled her eyes. How did he know? It didn’t matter. Not right now. She wanted to figure out what he did in life first. “I would almost think you’re a lawyer. You had that stuffy, pretentious vibe when I first saw you. You dressed down, but you were still dressed better than people who dress up. Maybe you’re in the financial district. Banker. Stock trader.” She narrowed her eyes and tried to imagine him pouring over numbers all day.

  “Nah,” she said talking it out. “That’s too stuffy, even for you. I don’t see you crunching numbers day in and day out.”

  He flashed an amused smile at her, motioning with his spoon for her to go on.

  “Let’s see.” She tapped her fingers on the table and cocked her head to the side. This would have been so much easier if she could pop into his mind. “You’re sure as hell no one’s personal assistant. No, you’re the kind of guy who has one.” She thrummed her fingers some more. “IT…maybe. I’ve heard they’re sexier these days; but then, your clothing is a bit more refined. More expensive. I don’t know if those guys are paid enough to splurge like that. Business management?”

  If she hadn’t been paying close attention to him, she wouldn’t have noticed his subtle shift in demeanor.

  “Business management of some kind, it is.”

  Andreas conceded the point with a tip of his head. “Of a sort.”

  Amber couldn’t stop the grin from forming on her face. “What kind of sort? I’m close, but I know there’s something still a little…off. Just tell me. I promise I won’t laugh if you’re like a rubber ducky business magnate.”

  He chuckled lightly. “Nothing quite so fun. I own and run a clothier business.”

  Amber’s mouth fell open. “Excuse me? A clothier? What does that mean exactly?”

  “Have you ever heard of A Shift in Styl
e?”

  She nodded. “Who hasn’t? It’s the top of the line place to get clothes tailored for Mystics, specifically shifters. You manage one of their stores?”

  “No. It’s all mine.”

  “Uh, the whole company or just one of the franchises?”

  “The whole kit and caboodle. Came up with the concept. Designed the first line. Started the company.”

  With each word, Amber’s mouth dropped open more. The guy in front of her, the man telling her she was his mate, was the fucking brains behind the first ever clothing line for Mystics around the world.

  She snapped her mouth shut as the words finally sunk in. “Are you a fucking billionaire or some shit?”

  Andreas’s laugh was overly loud and drawing attention of passersby. “Not a billionaire. Millionaire maybe. I’d have to check with Theo.”

  “Theo, the shaggy-haired guy you were with at the bar?”

  “Yeah, he’s the financial guru. I try to pour as much money back into the company as possible. Make sure everyone earns decent wages and all of that behind the scenes stuff. It’s why I spend so much time in the office these days.”

  Amber sat back and tried to process it all. “And you’re bored of it, aren’t you?”

  Andreas took his last bite of ice cream, then sighed happily. “How can you tell?”

  “You’ve got this excited glow about you. When you walked into the bar, there was an aura of stress around you. Tension creased your face. Your back was rigid. Now you look…happy and satisfied.”

  “Maybe that’s because of the company.” He reached out and skimmed a finger over her hand. A shiver skated up her arm and down her spine. His touch, even something as simple his finger lightly drifting over her skin, electrified her.

  Andreas watched as lust filled Amber’s eyes at his touch. It was a simple act and less than he wanted to do. The way she licked that damn spoon had him imagining her on her knees in front of him, sucking his cock to the back of her throat. It was a wonder the wolf hadn’t insisted on it the moment the idea popped into his head.

  She sucked in a shaky breath, her lips parting slightly. He was more than ready to leave the quaint little Main Street and head back to her place.

  Abruptly, he stood and pulled her up out of her chair. Gathering up their containers, he tossed them in a nearby trash and propelled her back to where they’d parked the SUV.

  “Time to go, my sweet,” he rumbled.

  She giggled and tugged on her hand. “Slow down there, wolfie. We’ve got plenty of time.”

  “Not unless you want me to push you up against a wall and fuck you in plain sight of everyone. I’m not opposed to the idea personally. That way, people will know you belong to me now.”

  Her eyebrows shot up and she picked up her pace. They passed by the empty storefront again and a surge of a different kind of excitement shot through him. It was something he hadn’t felt in years. The spark of an idea. The whispers of a new dream.

  They breezed past it and were in the SUV and back at her place in no time. He’d go back to the storefront later. Finish listening for the dream. For now, he was going to show his woman, his mate, how much he wanted to be with her.

  Chapter 9

  July 4th – Saturday 1600

  Andreas stood out front of Ecstasis D waiting for Theo to show up. He’d texted his friend when he and Amber had gotten there. She went inside to get to work while he stood out front chatting to the bouncers, Leif and Gunnar.

  He’d learned the three drunken shifters from the night before had been properly scolded and barred from the establishment until they apologized to Amber. A bit hard to do when she worked there and they couldn’t get in, but he didn’t mind them not being able to get close. He should find the punishment acceptable, but the wolf in him disagreed. He felt the bears should be barred for life, and not allowed around Amber—ever. Flaying them would also work for the wolf. In public, of course. In front of their Den as witnesses.

  Theo finally pulled up, windows down and music blaring. “Let’s go,” he shouted, leaning over to pop the door open.

  Andreas climbed inside the truck and buckled up. Theo’s driving left a little to be desired in his opinion. The man had no regard for speed limits or road signs.

  They spun around and headed to Theo’s cabin. They zipped past the turnoff to town and hooked a left at the next crossroad. Winding down the mountain, passing cabin after cabin, each one further away than the one before. Driving until the road dead-ended at a final cabin. The old world logs made an impressive two-story structure.

  “I don’t know if I’d call this a cabin.” Andreas said, shaking his head.

  “Eh. More of a mountain getaway I guess.” Theo hopped out of the truck, Andreas doing the same. “I took your stuff in earlier. You’ve got the room on the upper level. I took the one downstairs.”

  Theo pushed open the door and stepped inside. He took a huge sniff and grunted. “Home sweet getaway.”

  Andreas shut the door behind him. Theo ambled off into the kitchen. The huge open floor plan making it easy to see the entirety of the space.

  “It’s nice.”

  “Thanks,” Theo met him in the living room with a beer. He plopped down in front of the empty fireplace and kicked his feet up on the coffee table, while Andres took a seat on the overstuffed, larger than normal matching chair. “I bought it a couple months ago. Been up once or twice. This is the first long weekend here though.”

  “So, I’m paying you well then.” Andreas tipped his beer back, guzzling half of it down. The alcohol wouldn’t affect him that much, faster metabolism and all.

  “You and my Dad’s architecture firm. I stay pretty busy with both, and the pay is enough to keep me living a good life.”

  “That’s good. Wouldn’t want your taste to have to suffer a lesser-paying job. And my business is pretty flush?”

  Theo looked at him funny. “Of course. I’m an excellent CFO. Don’t you know how much you have sitting in the bank and how the business is doing?”

  Andreas shrugged. He had a fairly good idea, and he’d lied to Amber about it. It didn’t sit well with him, but he didn’t like talking finances to anyone, especially about his worth. It was one of the first things that came out of someone’s mouth when they found out who he was and what he did for a living. They wanted to talk ad nauseam about it. How did it feel to be so rich? What did he do with all of his money? Would he mind floating them a loan? Except, it hadn’t bothered him like it usually did when she asked. She’d let the conversation drop when he’d been evasive about it all.

  “I know. I just thought I’d ask you.”

  “If you say so.” Theo tipped his beer back and drained it. He dropped his head onto the back of the couch and sighed in contentment.

  Andreas finished his beer as well. He rolled it between his hands as thoughts started to swirl in his head. Amber. What the future might hold for them. The empty storefront that practically screamed snatch me up. “How much of a hit would the company take if I decided to start up something new?”

  Theo’s head popped up. “Something new like what? A new company? A new venture? A new life?”

  “A little bit of all of that.”

  Theo leaned forward and put the empty bottle on the table before resting his forearms on his thighs. “Explain. Does this have to do with Amber?”

  “Yes and no. She’s my mate, and I get the feeling she doesn’t want to move from here. She likes working at the bar. She has a nice home in Summerset with great neighbors. I want to be with her, and being here is the best option. She isn’t quite convinced we’re a match–yet.”

  “She is a Siren. This generation isn’t like the old one. They wait longer and sometimes don’t even plan on settling down.”

  Andreas turned his head toward Theo. “That’s pretty deep shit from a guy who has no intention of settling down either.”

  “I never said I didn’t want to settle down. I just said I’m not in a hurry.”

/>   “Huh. Okay. Anyway, Amber and I were in town today walking around, and there’s this empty space on Main Street. A closed up, and available, shop. Looked to be retail at some point. I heard those fucking whispers in my head telling me to stop and look. There’s something there, but I don’t know what it is yet.”

  Theo nodded in understanding. Even though they came from different Packs, they had a connection. A common path they were both traveling. “There’s something in Summerset waiting for you. Interesting.”

  Andreas could see thoughts flying through Theo’s head. His eyes were narrowed, and he was bobbing his head up and down like he was talking to the voice in his head. “I think there’s something here for me too. It isn’t Brit, but I don’t think I came across this place by accident.”

  “Dídymo diadromés.”

  Theo looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

  “Twin paths.”

  His friend nodded and smiled.

  “You don’t mind having a roommate for a while, do you?” He had no intention of being hours away from his mate. Until he could get her to agree to him moving in, he would be sticking close. He would have to head back into the city to sort a few things out on Tuesday, but after that, his time would be spent in Summerset with Amber.

  “Who’s going to run the company?”

  “Nikos can be the man in the city. He runs most of it right now as it is. He’s been chomping at the bit to boss people around more.”

  “Your little brother does seem to thrive on it.”

  “I won’t need to stay here long. Once Amber agrees, I’ll move in with her.”

  “You hope,” Theo chuckled. He knew as well as Andreas did that Sirens could be stubborn when they wanted to.

  “Yes, I hope. I’ll haunt her every day until she agrees, and I can work on this new dream whispering in my ear.”

  Theo hopped up from the couch. “How about a quick run to let that wolf loose? We can get cleaned up and head back to Ecstasis D after. I’m sure you want to get front row seating to be with your mate.”