Tall, Dark and Furry (The Elementals Book 1)

by Meredith Allen Conner

  “No. I don’t think they are going to trust me, anymore than you obviously don’t.” Mac said softly.

  Sela yanked her finger out of his grip. She stood on her tiptoes to yell in his face. “How dare you? How dare you expect me to trust you? We met two days ago. Two. And you expect me to trust you?” She rocked back on her heels. “I barely know you. How can you ask that of me?” Her voice dropped to a whisper.

  “Because I’m your mate.” There it was again, his answer for everything. “I trust you. I expect you to trust me.”

  Calm, implacable with none of the passion she was used to seeing in him, Mac stood there and waited. Sela tried to get something sensible to come out.

  Nix. Nada.

  Frustrated beyond all reason, Sela grabbed her hair and screamed. He hadn’t listened to her at all. Or if he had, it didn’t matter to him. In his mind they were mates. Full stop. Once they found each other they were supposed to live happily ever after. Period.

  Her past, her fears – none of it made a difference. Once they met, she was supposed to forget all of that and simply be his mate.

  Riight.

  “I have to pack. Kevin will be here any minute.” Mac turned and headed out of the kitchen.

  He stopped at the door. Turning, he said, “Know this, Sela. I will do whatever is needed to keep you safe.” He watched her. She thought he was waiting for her to say something, but she didn’t know what.

  Finally, he turned and walked out.

  ****

  Mac rubbed his hand over his chest. He hated leaving her like this.

  He threw some more clothes into his bag, zipped it shut then went into the bathroom. He picked up the necessary things, stuffed them into a toiletry bag and turned to go back into his bedroom.

  His reflection caught his eye first. Cold, black eyes stared back at him from the mirror. This is what his mate saw? Mac ran a hand over his head. He ruffled his hair but his expression didn’t change.

  His eyes mirrored his emotions.

  Sela had a point. In fact, she had several very good points. Logically he knew that. But logic had absolutely nothing to do with his feelings for his mate.

  He thought he could give her time to trust him. She might trust him with her body, but not with anything else. Given her background he needed to give her time to trust him. He couldn’t.

  He needed her to trust him right now.

  Those bastards moved fast. That’s all they did, hunt down the Elements. Mac knew they had located one of her sisters. Maybe both of them, but he didn’t think so.

  If they were anything like Sela they were too smart to stay together. No, the bastards had found one of her sisters. And Sela knew which one. He’d seen it in her eyes.

  But she wouldn’t tell him. She wouldn’t trust him.

  And he couldn’t wait.

  The moment he’d met her, all of his priorities changed. Sela came first. More importantly, her safety came first. Now that he’d found her, if anything happened to her . . . Mac shuddered. He couldn’t think about it.

  To keep her safe, he had to eliminate this Order of the Elements. They had a lead. He planned to act on it. He had to leave her to do that. Take her with him? Let her join in the fight? Hell no.

  She might command an Elemental force, a damn powerful one too, but he would not put her in harm’s way. Ever. Hell, he could still see her crouched on top of that damn cage, covered in blood, vicious stab wounds and burns marking her beautiful skin. The bastards had shot her when she was just a child.

  Bring her with him?

  Hell would turn into a ski resort for the elderly first.

  He cocked his head. A truck rumbled down the road. He scented the air. Kevin.

  Out of time. For the first time, Mac, a man, an immortal werewolf who had lived for centuries, resented the hell out of time.

  He grabbed his bag and headed downstairs as Kevin’s powerful truck roared into the driveway. Soft footsteps turned his head. Sela came down the hall from the kitchen. They met at the front door.

  Mac set his bag on the floor. Sela stopped a good couple of feet away. My mate.

  His mate looked equal parts pissed, hurt and worried. Hands on hips, scowling at him, eyes shadowed. Mac couldn’t take it. He stepped forward, erasing the distance between, if just in the physical sense. He pushed her hands away and cupped her full hips, pulling her in tight. Her breasts pressed against his chest. He felt her inhale deeply.

  His cock, never satisfied around her, began to harden.

  He pulled her up higher. He thrust his nose into the curve of her neck, inhaling her. Her rich scent poured through him. His claws emerged and he eased up on his hold lest he accidentally scratch her soft skin.

  He tilted her hips so they were aligned perfectly. He felt the warmth of her core through their clothes. His muscles tightened. Maybe they had enough time to . . . ah, damn. He turned his head. Footsteps approached, a few seconds later a fist pounded on his door.

  Keeping his arm around her waist, Mac turned and opened the front door.

  “Hiya, Mac. Sorry I couldn’t get here quicker. The insurance company is not buying it and . . .” Mac cleared his throat, shifting his eyes towards Sela. Kevin nodded and quickly continued, “and I had to take a few pictures of the gas stove for them.”

  “Hello guys - cause of the rain inside the bar standing right here.”

  Kevin winced at Mac. Mac shrugged back. Sela had a good point, but he didn’t want her to worry over the bar damages. That should be the least of her worries. He didn’t think Sela had much money. How could she with the life she’d led?

  Sela pushed her shoulders back, almost dislodging his arm in the process. Her voice sounded odd like she wasn’t sure she really believed what she was saying, “I’m sorry about all the water in your bar Kevin. If you let me know how much . . .”

  Mac tightened his arm. “I’ve got it covered, Lupa.”

  Relief, anger, confusion then determination flashed through her eyes. Her lips tightened before she said, “Mac, I’m the one who caused the damage, I . . .”

  “You’re my mate.” He watched the anger flow over her face, before she turned her head away.

  Mac frowned. Why did that make her so mad? He wanted to howl to the world that he’d found his mate. Finding a mate should always be cause for celebration.

  His mate might drive him crazy before they got everything figured out.

  Kevin coughed into a fist. “I think I’ll just go check the windows and doors while you two say your goodbyes.” He hustled off.

  Shit. Kevin had a point. No time for discussion. No time to bend her over, or even take her against the wall. No time for a long goodbye. No time.

  He cupped her cheeks, her skin smooth and warm under his palms. “I have to go. Kevin will watch over you. He’ll keep you safe while I’m gone.” He didn’t want to leave her. Not so soon after he found her and he sure as hell hated leaving her in the care of another male. Didn’t matter how good a friend he was. But her safety came first. Always.

  “We’ll find your sister and keep her safe.” He rubbed his thumb along her cheek. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Sela nodded, but didn’t say anything. Mac scowled. She could at least tell him to be careful.

  He lowered his head until his lips hovered over hers and their breath mingled between them. “Be prepared. You won’t be leaving my bed for a long time after I return.” He caught her gasp, pressing his lips over hers and invading the honeyed warmth of her mouth with his tongue.

  He kissed her hard and long, until they were both gasping for air. Finally he straightened. He moved back. Sela staggered and he caught her shoulders until she regained her balance.

  His mate should always look like this. Lips damp and swollen, cheeks flushed and eyes slightly glazed. He smoothed back a wayward strand of hair.

  “I’ll be back soon,” He promised.

  Kevin stepped into the hall. “I won’t let anything happen to her.” Mac n
odded at him.

  He bent, picked up his bag and walked out the door.

  It irked him that she wouldn’t say anything. He would have to address that issue when he got back. He might be a big, tough werewolf, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate a few whispered words of concern, especially since this battle would be for her sister.

  He was already on the plane when it finally occurred to him that he might want to worry.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Sela stepped cautiously through the rubble. The city of New Orleans had made a remarkable come back from the catastrophic hurricanes in the past few years. Still, there were quite a few areas where the damage had not been repaired yet.

  Livie would be in one of those areas.

  Sela had no doubts. It would be the same type of area she would have picked if she had thought to take advantage of the damage left after the hurricanes.

  Sadly, that thought hadn’t occurred to her. Livie had always been the smart one. Logical and analytical, Livie weighed all her options. Livie came up with their secret phrase, the idea to stay apart so they couldn’t be caught together and the disposable cell phones.

  Sela loved her to death and resented the hell out her. Livie’s logical plans had kept the sisters alive for the past several years, but they had also kept them separated.

  Still, she would do anything for her. And Rea as well.

  The MIBs knew this. They knew if they caught one, they could use her as bait to catch the others.

  But for the very first time, Sela had information on the bastards, rather than the other way around. She planned to use the hell out of that advantage.

  If she could just find her sister first.

  She skirted a crumbled section of wall and peered up through a hole in the ceiling. This house appeared to be way too damaged for a safe hiding spot.

  When it came to Livie, however, Sela knew not to underestimate her.

  She craned her head, cautiously shifted around, but still could not see anything through the hole to indicate someone might be living there. And she could not see any way to reach the decrepit second floor.

  Sela made her way to the back of the house. Standing next to a large hole, she took a mirror out of her pocket, using it to scan the outside areas she could not see without sticking her head out. Satisfied, she climbed out and jogged towards the next house, keeping to the shadows as she did so.

  None of the houses in this particular neighborhood had been fixed. In fact, they all appeared ready to collapse with a good huff of breath.

  Like in the three little pigs and the big bad wolf.

  Sela froze in the depth of a shadow.

  Damn it, damn it, damn it. Push it down. Push it down. I am not going to think about him right now.

  She wanted to rap her head against the weathered wall at her side, but she was afraid it would crash on top of her if she did.

  So far, she wasn’t having any luck with her favorite coping mechanism. When it came to a certain werewolf, he refused to be pushed down into her well of things-I-do-not-want-to-think-about.

  Thoughts, memories, and worse, feelings for Mac, had been continuously bombarding her since she’d left his home.

  Okay, so she’d snuck out of his house like the proverbial thief in the night.

  Actually, when it came right down to it, she’d managed to outwit a cagey werewolf jailor with incredibly powerful senses and really fast legs. Not to mention a super fast metabolism.

  She’d been careful to use barely a quarter of the sleeping pill. She didn’t want to actually hurt Kevin. Mac had not been exaggerating about supernaturals being sensitive to drugs. Kevin accepted the whiskey without a single suspicion. The sleeping pill hit him in seconds. He tried to change and then went down like a furry avalanche.

  Sela stuck the pillow under his head afterwards. It wouldn’t help with any headache he might have, but it made her feel better.

  Even then, he’d almost caught her at the airport. Well, the runway at any rate. She still couldn’t believe he’d almost caught the plane. What the hell had he been thinking? He couldn’t stop a speeding plane from take off, could he?

  At least, it hadn’t been Mac. Sela had no doubts that he would have caught the plane.

  Hopefully, Kevin had managed to outrun the police vehicles following him down the runway. Wonder what the surveillance cameras would show?

  Silly werewolves, thinking they could contain a master in the art of Escape and Life on the Run. Yes, her mother had betrayed her and planned to have her killed, but Sela had learned her lesson well. She could outwit the best of them now.

  She’d even mailed Kevin’s wallet back to the bar. Heck, she’d gone a step further and sent him money for her plane ticket. Yes, she’d liberated that money from the guy at the bar, but her newly discovered conscience had no qualms. Besides, the loser wore his wedding ring while he hit on her.

  It did bother her that she hadn’t left a note. She should have left a note. However, she planned to be back, with Livie in tow, before Mac and his friends returned.

  And then what? What do I do with a delicious hunk of a werewolf who claims me as mate, wants me to trust him and live with him from now on?

  Not a single clue.

  Like a merry-go-round, the thoughts chased round and round in her head. Sela didn’t have any answers.

  Push it down. Come on, chickie, push it down. Concentrate on finding Livie, deal with the rest later.

  Brains needed to come with an off switch.

  Something rustled in the next house.

  Crouching deeper into the shadows, Sela raised her hands, inhaled and prepared to launch ice daggers.

  A scrawny cat walked out of the open doorway and slithered off into the shrubbery at the back of the yard. Probably trying to find food.

  Sela’s stomach rumbled. She sympathized with the cat.

  She relaxed and patted her belly. Three houses remained on this block. She would search them then find a cheap motel and dinner. Luckily, the loser in the bar carried a lot of cash.

  Pulling out her mirror, she checked around the corner of the house. All clear. She dashed between the two yards, lightly jumping the weed covered, ragged skeleton of a fence.

  She paused in the shadows of the next house. Controlling her breathing, she cocked her head and listened. City sounds, a car honking, kids shouting, came from a few blocks over, but nothing nearby. No reason to hang around a neighborhood of rotting houses. No reason for the general populous, that is.

  Sela wiped the sweat from her forehead. Late June in the South added a twenty to thirty degree difference from the northern climate. Considering how much she hated the cold, she should have kept to the South.

  Then she would never have met Mac and she wouldn’t have to deal with the choices she now faced.

  She would never have met Mac.

  Sela shivered.

  And now I’m weepy.

  Men in any shape or form messed with a woman’s mind.

  Push it . . .oh, stuff it. Just find Livie.

  Sela stopped at the open doorway and did the mirror trick thing again. She slid through the doorway and . . . Oh, Sweet Hannah. This place reeks worse than a pile of molding trash on a hot summer day on top of an open sewer pit.

  Sela gagged and quickly pulled her shirt over her mouth and nose. She cautiously inhaled and immediately decided breathing through her mouth would be the only way to search this house.

  She remained in place, breathing slowly through her mouth while she waited until her eyes adjusted to the dim interior. The sun crept closer to the horizon, lengthening the shadows. She should have enough time to search the remaining houses before full dark hit.

  Sela wanted to be well away from here by then. If she thought this would be a good place for Livie to hide then she had to figure the MIBs would think so as well.

  Able to make out most of the shapes now, Sela began moving forward. The outside walls of this particular house withstood the ravages o
f water a bit better than the others. Very little outside light trickled in.

  She took another step and . . . Yuck!

  She lifted her foot out of the soft pile of – well, she really couldn’t see exactly what it consisted of. Better off not knowing the gory details, even breathing through her mouth she could smell the odor. The foul stench emanated strongest from this spot.

  Muttering under her breath, Sela shook her foot. Clumps of the stuff flew out from side to side making wet, squishy plops wherever they landed.

  Close to dry heaving, Sela stepped around the pile this time. She hurried deeper into the abandoned house, trying to get as far away from the nasty pile and keeping a wary eye out for any other disgusting heaps at the same time.

  She reached an interior doorway. She didn’t bother with the mirror this time. It was too dark. She held perfectly still and peered inside. She waited, while counting out sixty seconds in her mind. Nothing moved. She went through the doorway.

  More clutter, debris and rubble lined the floor and several walls. She could make out these shapes slightly better due to the pale light that filtered through a small hole in the ceiling.

  The piles in here looked like regular piles, Sela took a wary sniff. Definitely regular piles.

  She lowered her shirt, cast another quick glance around and headed over to the other doorway.

  She stopped halfway across the room.

  Barely breathing, she turned to face the hole in the ceiling.

  She studied the pile of garbage under the hole. If one were careful and stood on the old TV hull . . . Sela tilted her head. Yeah, I could reach the edge of that hole.

  Sela, Livie and Rea were all the exact same height.

  “Livie?” she whispered.

  She held her breath. A heartbeat passed. Two. Three. Four.

  No response.

  She sniffed, cursing. Silly to think finding Livie would be this easy. She had not seen Livie in years. It would probably be years before she saw her again. If ever.

  She sniffed again.

  She turned away then hit her palm to her head. So stupid.