She seemed surprised that I would ask, but as far as I was concerned, we were now equal partners in life and I didn't want to do anything against her wishes.
“Of course. I think that's a great idea.” I could see the gears spinning in her head. She was formulating her own plan. “What if Kyle lets us stay here, indefinitely? Would you ever consider joining Westin Pack? Officially, I mean?”
Change packs? Change my allegiance? I didn't know if I could do that. I was Irish. Ultimately it was who I would always be. The only time in my entire life I had gone against my Clan, against my Alpha, was for her. Could I do that again? If Da ordered me back home, could I resist?
“I don't know.” I squeezed her hand when her face fell. “But I'll consider it, okay?”
She brightened. “Thank you, that's more than I have a right to ask of you.”
“We're in this together, E. It's not fully my decision. If you stubbornly refused to leave here, I'd have no choice but to stay”—her smile grew at the thought—“but I hope you'll consider what's best for both of us before going to such lengths.”
She nodded in agreement. I had never once considered that my mate may not want to accept my pack. I couldn't stress about it, and wouldn't let it ruin our night. We would face many obstacles in our lifetime together. I just had to have faith that we'd work through them.
After we ordered dessert, Elise excused herself to go to the jacks. As I stood on her exit, my eyes scanned the room and I was surprised to see a familiar face in the crowd. The human, Dave, who had assisted in her rescue, was standing by the hostess, watching my mate.
I walked over to him and he smiled when he saw me, offering his hand he nodded towards Elise. “She's looking much better than the last time our paths crossed.”
I didn't feel any threat coming from him, and neither did my wolf, so I smiled back and nodded. “She's doing well. I can't thank you enough for all your help.”
“It was nothing.”
“What are you doing here, Dave? There's not another threat you're following, are you? Nothing I need to be aware of?”
He sighed. “We aren't supposed to talk, Patrick, you know that. People could be watching.”
“If there's a threat to my mate, I need to know about it, Dave.” I pleaded with him in a hushed voice.
“There's been no activity that I'm aware of. I'm just doing a usual check of the area around San Marco.”
“You scare me with how much you know of us.”
“And if my people find out that you know of us, then we're equally screwed.”
I nodded. Humans were watching the packs. I knew that now, but I didn't know exactly who he worked for or if they were good guys or bad. I trusted Dave, but I didn't know if I trust his kind.
I took out my wallet and slipped him a business card. It had all my contact information on it. “If you do hear of activity, especially with the Bulgarians, I'd appreciate an update. I know I already owe you big time for what you did.”
He hesitantly took the card and pocketed it. “Okay, I will.”
I had to trust he'd keep that promise. Before Elise returned I settled back down at our table. We finished a companionable dessert, joking and chiding each other with much lighter conversation than earlier. I paid the bill and we headed out.
“Patrick?” someone asked while we were waiting for the valet driver to bring the car around. I turned to find the blonde human walking our way. He really wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer.
I extended my hand in greeting, “Martin. What a surprise to see you here.” I eyed him suspiciously.
“It's great to see you,” he said as if he was talking to a celebrity, and it dawned on me from my brief memories of him, that that was exactly what it was like. He had been overwhelmed and excited to meet a real, live shifter and that excitement clearly hadn't worn off.
“You too. We're just on our way out.” Elise cleared her throat and I knew I'd have to introduce her. “Martin, this is my m . . .”—I caught myself—“my girlfriend, Elise.”
He shook her hand excitedly. “Elise, it's an honor to meet you.”
Dave came to the rescue. ”Martin, our table's ready.”
I nodded thanks to Dave, and when the car arrived, we made a quick exit.
The door had barely shut when Elise rounded on me.
“They were human, Patrick.”
I nodded.
“How do you know them?”
I had a terrible feeling in my gut that she wasn't going to like it, but I couldn't lie to my mate either.
Elise
Chapter 23
Humans! Patrick just introduced me to two humans! I was trying not to freak out. They didn't have foreign accents either, so I knew they weren't people he knew from home. When had he met them? How did he know them? I couldn't help the questions flying through my head as I fought to keep them from flying out my mouth.
Patrick sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I'm not supposed to talk about how I know them, love.”
“Patrick. How do you know them?”
“They are part of a secret human organization that monitors shifter activities.”
“What?” My heart was racing at the thought. I couldn't have heard him right.
“We aren't supposed to know they exist, just like they aren't supposed to know we exist. You cannot tell anyone about them, Elise. It's not safe for any of us, and right now, we need them.”
“What do you mean, we need them?”
“Martin's not the brightest of the bunch, and he was super excited to meet a real shifter when we met. He's still a little excitable, if you hadn’t noticed. The other guy there, Dave, is a doctor of some sort. They were in the woods monitoring the Bulgarians that captured you when I came across them. They were already formulating a plan to rescue you. They knew there was unusual activity between the packs, but not much more. They suspected the Bulgati brothers were trying to start a pack war when they kidnapped you. They already knew who you were, E. I gather they've been watching us all for a very long time. They have an “observation only” rule amongst their people. They could get in just as much trouble as me if anyone found out we worked together to rescue you.”
Humans rescued me? I vaguely remembered Patrick mentioning something about humans, but they were actually involved with the rescue? They helped Patrick? He worked with them? It was too much to process.
He pulled the car over to the side of the road. “Hey, hey, hey,” he said, taking my face in his hands and forcing me to look at him. “They aren't a threat to us. I promise you. They helped me save you. I owe them a lot, E. Do you understand?” I nodded. It wasn't that I was scared of humans, but the thought of them watching us, monitoring our activity, and just knowing our kind existed was overwhelming. “Dave will contact me if there is any unusual movement with the Bulgarians. It gives us an advantage since they are already tracking their movements. He's a good ally to have right now.”
I nodded. I did understand what he was saying. Martin seemed like a nice man, but we couldn't keep this to ourselves. “We have to tell Kyle.”
Patrick looked at me in surprise. I knew he wanted me to keep his secret, but this was bigger than us. Still, I knew I wouldn't go to Kyle without him. I wouldn't go against my mate if he insisted we keep it to ourselves. He had trusted me enough to tell the truth about them, and for me, that alone was like the final straw. I couldn't and wouldn't fight our bond any longer. He had said we were in it together. He may not have realized it, but he had just proven that to me without a doubt by sharing this with me. My heart soared and I realized that somewhere in the midst of this date, I had started to fall a little for my mate. Maybe I had always been and was too stubborn to accept it, but I knew without a doubt now. My feelings were changing. Maybe it was love or at least the promise of it someday.
“I won't go to Kyle without you. Your secrets, no matter what, will always be safe with me, but I think he needs this information, Patrick. It's the right thin
g to do.”
“I don't want to cause unnecessary alarm. I gathered from listening to them that this is not a new organization. They've likely been watching and aware for a long time, longer than our lifetime at least. Being aware of them could be enough to trigger unnecessary fear.”
“Kyle won't freak out. He'll know how best to handle it for our pack.” I realized I said “our pack.” Patrick had made it clear that we would be moving to his Clan someday. I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I knew as a female that if I mated outside of my pack that would be the case, but I wasn't ready to accept the reality of that. He fit so well into Westin and I knew the pack would accept him fully. I just needed to convince him it was best for us. I didn't want to leave San Marco.
“You really think it's for the best?”
I nodded. “I do.”
“Does it have to be tonight?”
I shook my head no and gave him the sexiest look I could muster, and hoped I didn't look stupid trying, “I have other plans for us tonight.” As his breath hitched, I tugged on his tie and pulled him close to capture his mouth with mine. I may not have been an alpha like Kelsey, but I didn't mind taking control every now and then either. “Take me home, Patrick.”
I saw the look on his face, the surprise in his eyes. I had purposefully said “home” and he clearly recognized that I did not mean Mom and Dad's place. Our lives were already intertwined. Tonight, I planned to seal our bond once and for all.
When we got back to the cottage, I wasn't nervous at all. I had no doubt that Patrick would not reject me this time. I was careful not to have any alcohol with dinner.
He was a perfect gentleman, up until the moment we walked in the house and he closed the door behind us. That door shut and I found myself pinned up against the wall as his mouth crushed mine. There was nothing sweet or gentle about it. I could smell his arousal strong in the air. He wasn't even trying to hide it from me, and truth be told it was like a delicious aphrodisiac causing a heightened awareness in me.
He lifted me and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He groaned as I pressed into him. With my back against the wall and his hands roaming up the back of my thighs, under my dress, it took every ounce of willpower to slow things down.
“Patrick,” I panted. “We need to talk.”
He growled at me and it turned me on even more. “Later,” he said in a deep, lusty voice I couldn't argue with. He pushed me harder into the wall to balance me as he quickly removed his pants. I pushed the jacket of his suit from him. We both were moving frantically with fumbling hands. I squeaked in surprise when he ripped the thin lace panties from me. He didn't bother to remove my dress, and there was nothing graceful about it when he plunged into me as my back slammed against the wall. I fought off the need to come with the first thrust. I realized that all night this tension had built and I gave in to my needs, equally matching his stroke for stroke. Panting, breathless, and calling out his name, I soared to new heights as he followed. It had been fast and furious, and had me aching for more as I clung to him.
His body was still shaking as my legs dropped to the ground. His breathing was uneven as he tried to regain some control.
“I'm sorry,” he said.
I looked at him like he was crazy and threw my head back and laughed. “Do not ever apologize for that!” I kissed him until his body began to relax and his breathing started to even. Without a word, I took his hand and led him to the bedroom. It would have been easy to have sealed our bond during our frenzied foyer adventure. I felt my fangs begin to descend twice, but after all I had put him through, I needed to do this with a clear head. His pants, underwear, shoes, socks and jacket were strewn throughout the front room, wherever they happened to land. He then made quick work of removing his shirt and tie, and sat on the edge of the bed with his feet dangling. He watched me closely as I slowly stripped off my own clothes, my eyes never leaving his. I was naked and vulnerable in front of my mate as I closed the gap between us.
“What do you want to talk about?” he asked, his voice still heavily lust laden as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me flush against him.
I couldn't speak. I pulled my hair together at the base of my neck then brushed it to one side. I bared my neck to him. He leaned in, trembling, and kissed the spot where I knew his mark would soon be. I could feel the longing in him. It surprised me, as it was the first sign of our bond truly taking root.
“It's time,” I told him.
His eyes widened and darkened, staring at me with questioning surprise. I nodded and kept my neck exposed.
He sucked in a sharp breath. “You're sure of this?”
“I don't think I've ever been more certain of anything.”
His eyes flashed with something I didn't recognize and when he smiled, I saw his fangs descending. My mate was as ready as I was. His hands skimmed up my waist sending shivers through me and he nudged me closer. I kissed him and knew he was going to try and escalate it, but I pulled back. He looked confused.
“I'm ready, now,” I told him.
He shook his head. “E, there's a reason sex and the bonding seal go hand and hand. It's supposed to take away the apprehension and the sting. I don't want to hurt you.”
I smiled. “You won't, and I don't want to be influenced by sex or anything else. Okay?”
“You're sure?”
I nodded. He took my face in his hands and kissed me gently. He didn't move to seal our bond right away and for a minute I thought I may have to be the one to start. He placed his forehead against mine and breathed my scent in deeply.
“There's something you need to know before we do this.”
I stiffened. It sounded important, and at a time like this, I couldn't imagine what could be more important. His eyes were clear blue and sincere staring into my soul.
“I love you, Elise. You may drive me insane sometimes and I'm probably going to go prematurely bald with you around, but I need you to know, I want you, not just because of the mating call. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Tears sprang to my eyes. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him close. It's what I had always wanted in a mate. He didn't know just how much his words meant to me.
As much as I wanted to say them back, I just couldn't. I wasn't ready, but I felt the prick of his teeth against my neck, and I followed his lead as my own fangs descended and pierced his skin. For one perfect moment frozen in time, our bond sealed. The taste of his blood was better than I ever imagined and it consumed me in lust. Before we separated he was deep inside me once again. For one perfect moment we wholly joined in body, soul, and heart. I couldn't say the words yet, but I could show him in my own way.
Afterwards we lay in each other's arms just grinning. I didn't think the smile was coming off Patrick's face anytime soon and my face hurt from smiling so much.
“It's really late, love. We should at least try to get some sleep.”
“I have a better idea. How about a run?” My wolf surged forward and I imagined her wagging her tail happily at the idea.
“Okay, let's do it.”
We walked outside hand in hand, not parting until we were ready to shift. I had run with Patrick's wolf before, but that had been different. I was still trying to hide from him then, and while my wolf had refused to cooperate, we were not at peace that night in our disagreement. There was something extra special about shifting with him and staying by his side the entire time. Our wolves wouldn't stop rubbing up against each other. I could already smell our combined scent and knew everyone would know the moment they saw us together. I didn't care. It was done and I wanted every available female within five packs to know and understand that this one was mine. I was finally ready to accept whatever challenges lay before us, and I knew what Kelsey had tried to get me to understand. This, him, it was all worth it.
We headed out to my favorite overlook and watched the sun rise. A light snowfall had covered the ground throughout the night, but it only add
ed to the magic for us.
Heading home, we didn't bother to dress before falling exhausted into bed. As I started to drift off to sleep, I grabbed my phone, and shot a text to Kyle and Liam, letting them know I wouldn't be in the office, then snuggled into my mate's awaiting arms and fell fast asleep.
Patrick
Chapter 24
Date night had certainly been a success. I had been shocked when Elise had told me she was ready to complete our mating. It had been nothing like I had imagined it would be, but I cannot think of one thing I would have changed about the night. From start to finish, everything was perfect.
I looked over at my beautiful mate asleep in the bed next to me. The need to protect and love her was overwhelming me. I thought the feelings would subside after the bites, but it seemed to escalate instead. I made a mental note to ask Kyle about it as I got up and made my way into the kitchen. I was famished and I knew my mate would be too when she awoke.
I pulled out bacon, eggs, toast, hash browns, and pancakes and started cooking. I wasn't a great cook. Hell, I wasn't even a good cook, but I could fix a fine breakfast. They didn't have everything I'd like for a proper Irish breakfast, but this would certainly do nicely.
I knew the moment Elise woke. I didn't quite know how to explain how I knew, I just knew. It was like I could feel her waking up. It was one of the earliest signs of a bond strengthening and it made me downright giddy in excitement to feel that connection to her.
“Oh my gosh, that smells amazing. I'm starving,” she said, entering the kitchen. I quickly noted she hadn't bothered to dress. I suspected clothes were going to be optional around here unless company was expected. I knew I'd never tire of seeing my mate naked, so it was fine by me. I had tossed on a pair of gym shorts out of courtesy, without bothering with underwear. It was good to know I needn't bother in the future.
Fighting Destiny (Westin Pack Book 2) Page 17
