by KD Jones
“May I come in?” he asked, with a touch of humor.
“Oh, please.” She had forgotten they were standing in the doorway staring at each other. She moved out of the way to let him inside. She checked him out as he entered. He wore his suit very well, carrying himself with confidence. He spoke eloquently and his pants were tailored to showcase a nice tight ass. Her perusal was cut short with he cleared his throat to get her attention.
She blushed as she moved past him to lead him into the house. “Would you like something to drink?”
“No, thank you. I was expecting Alpha Ric to be here to formally introduce us.”
“He and his mate had a dinner to go to. The rest of the pack went bowling. It’s just us.”
“I am sorry not to meet the others, but I am quite pleased to have you all to myself. Shall we go out to dinner?”
“Yes, I’m all ready.”
*****
Connor held little Aiden in his arms while he bit Connor’s hand for the fourth time. “If you had your fangs, you would have sucked me dry by now, kiddo.” He ruffled Aiden’s hair, making him laugh.
Jackie smiled as she looked down at her son. “I was worried that I would have punctures from breastfeeding him. Luckily he won’t develop fangs until much later. He won’t need blood until he comes of age, usually around sixteen.” She reached for Aiden. “Let me feed him his bottle so he’ll stop biting.”
The doorbell rang. Connor wondered if maybe it would be Roxanne. Of course, the real reason he hoped that was it would mean she wasn’t be on that stupid date with this new alpha. Adrian answered the door and he heard a woman’s voice call out.
“Where’s my grandbaby?”
Not Roxanne.
He watched Jackie roll her eyes. “Lila, glad you could come. I was about to feed Aiden his bottle.”
“Oh, let me.” Lila clapped her hands and Aiden was delighted to go right to her.
“Who let the cat in the house?” a tall man behind Lila asked. That was Lila’s mate Laws, the beta of the wolf pack.
“Laws, be nice.” Lila lightly tapped him on his chest.
“Was just a joke, love.” He looked over to Connor and winked. “I was teasing. No offense.”
Connor smiled. He liked Laws. He had spent a little time with him when he had come home for Aiden’s birth. Laws did like to make jokes, but it was usually meant to put people at ease. “None taken.”
“Where’s the food? I’m hungry,” Ric proclaimed.
Mary snorted. “You’re always hungry.”
Ric shrugged. “I’m not disagreeing with you.”
“Okay, everyone to the dining room. I’ve got everything spread out, so just help yourself,” Jackie announced as she reached for Aiden to feed him.
Connor followed Samantha in and sat next to her. The others followed, finding their own spots and passing around plates and bowls of food. It was really impressive. “Wow, Jackie you outdid yourself. I don’t remember you cooking this well . . . I mean, this much before.”
Jackie laughed. “Adrian did the cooking and, yes, I know it’s a lot, so eat up.”
There was a pleasant conversation going around the table. People kept their questions light at first, asking him about what he had been working on in South America, the people there, and what he missed most about the United States.
“Besides missing my family and friends? I have to say the thing I missed most about the US was Big Macs. Or really anything from McDonald’s.”
“Don’t most countries have McDonald's?” Sam asked.
“A lot do, and they often serve different stuff special for that country, too. But where I was, there was no such thing as fast food,” Connor informed her.
Sam glanced down at her phone to check a new text. “Oh good.”
“What’s good?” Jackie asked.
“Roxanne made it through dinner with this guy. She may have found a keeper.”
“That is good,” Ric acknowledged.
Yeah, just fucking great. Connor fought to keep his feelings under control. He looked up and found Lila staring at him.
She smiled at him. “I’m sorry, it’s been awhile since I have been around a panther shifter. Usually there is a calming quality about panthers, but you seemed to be filled with turmoil. Why is that?”
“It could be that the guy that made me was a crazy ass psycho killer, which is what I’ll probably become.” Connor spoke without thinking. Everyone in the room grew quiet.
“Why would you think you would be like him?” Lila asked.
“I assume that all the panther shifters were going insane and dying out. This guy that made me, Mors, is the worst of the lot.”
Lila shook her head. “The panther nation was once a rich and proud people. They worked hard at being calm and reassuring to others. They had practice because they had an internal battle. Their panther nature is one of a loner, but their human side needs companionship and to be part of a clan. So they always had to work to balance their two natures. There were a few that could not balance themselves and either they remained in their panther form or they . . .” She trailed off with a vague, graceful gesture, but Connor knew what she meant.
“They went crazy,” he finished for her.
She nodded. “But that was very rare. With any being there is the possibility of sickness. Whether human, were, or vampire; all who cannot find a balance suffer a fate of becoming unstable.”
Mary grabbed Ric’s hand as she looked over at Connor in concern. “Are you saying my son will become unstable?”
Lila shook her head. “Of course not. Connor doesn’t have the scent of the sickness that accompanies that. I used to know a clan leader. I can try to search for him. Panthers are notorious for disappearing when they don’t want to be found.”
That was definitely true of Mors. Connor wanted to believe Lila. Some of what she said made sense. He had struggled to find a balance with his panther. And each of the times he found Mors, there had been a strange, sick smell accompanying him. Maybe there was hope for him after all. Maybe he would be able to come home and stay home. Maybe there was a chance he could go after Roxanne. At least, if she hadn’t agreed to mate this Alpha. Fuck!
Chapter 8
“How do you like Strange Lake Falls so far?” Roxanne asked. She was nervous despite all the little things that Lucas was doing to put her at ease. He was easy to talk to. Though he seemed very formal at times, he never talked down to her.
“I just arrived this morning, but the people seem very friendly.”
“They are. I interact with them at the market every weekend. Such good people here.”
“Market? Do you buy or sell?”
“Sometimes both. But mostly I go there to sell my produce. The proceeds go in part to the pack and the rest to me.”
Lucas looked a little shocked. “You are working? But you are our princess. You should be waited on hand and foot, not slaving away.”
She sighed with disappointment. All the wolves she had dated thought that way, that she should be waited on and pampered, although some clearly thought she should wait on them too.
“I’m not a princess. I’m just Roxanne. I love gardening, I love helping my pack, and one day I will dedicate myself to making my mate and children happy.”
Lucas looked her in the eyes and then gave her an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. I know that your family is high up in the werewolf hierarchy. I just assumed . . . but I can see that I was wrong. You are simply remarkable. Why have you not mated before now?”
She felt a little more at ease. “I haven’t found someone that my wolf will accept.” It was just that easy. She couldn’t mate someone her wolf didn’t want.
“What does your wolf think of me?” Lucas asked.
“She is curious. But she is also wary. We have been disappointed before.”
“Well, I hope to surprise both you and your wolf. How about we take a run in the forest after dinner?”
Wow. Most guys would wan
t to take her dancing or something. But Roxanne was a more private person. She loved nature and wanted to be outside more than inside. “Okay. First let me go to the bathroom.” She stood up and left the table. Once she was in the bathroom, she texted Sam that she had made it through dinner. It was a first. There was hope. Maybe. Her mind kept racing to Connor. What was he doing? How long was he staying?
*****
The next evening, everyone was getting dressed and heading to Adrian’s nightclub for the official welcome home party Jackie and Mary had organized in Connor’s honor. Adrian was closing the club for the private party and had invited humans, vampires, and the wolf pack to come.
“Does this look okay?” Sam asked Roxanne, spinning around to show off her outfit.
“Oh, you’ll turn heads for sure. But Adrian and Ric will probably be busting some if anyone gets grabby.” Roxanne laughed.
Sam snorted. “Sure it’s funny to you. But I have like basically three dads telling me what to do all the time. Not that my human dad talks to me much. Ever since Adrian married my mom, he has been protective of me to the extreme. And now with Ric as my Alpha . . . he pretty much treats everyone in his pack like his children, except for Mary. But, damn it, I’m not a child.”
“No, you’re not. But they only do it because they love you. After your attack, everyone just wants to make sure that nothing like that happens to you again.” Roxanne knew what it was like to grow up protected by her family’s wolf pack. It could be stifling.
“I can’t be protected from life. It doesn’t work that way. I have to live my life, make mistakes, learn and grow. If I’m kept in a bubble and never learn who I can trust and who I can’t, it sets me up to be taken advantage of even more,” Sam insisted, clearly frustrated.
Roxanne was impressed with Sam. She had grown up quite a bit these last few years. She had wisdom beyond her age. No one seemed to notice that. It was going to be a tough time for her when she was ready to date again.
“Are you wearing that?” Sam asked for the first time really looking at Roxanne.
Roxanne glanced down at her tight jeans and sweater. “Yeah.”
She hadn’t dated anyone for years before she had came to Strange Lake Falls. She agreed to date per the council’s request, but Roxanne was no longer into putting on a show for a male. She felt confident in herself. Either a guy liked her the way she was or he didn’t.
She dressed for herself. She liked comfort so she wore her jeans and favorite sweater. However, she did make sure to put on her best Louis Vuittons. Shoes were her one weakness, she loved designer shoes and how they made her feel like a million bucks no matter what else she was wearing.
Sam shook her head. “Oh no you’re not. Over my dead body.” She grabbed Roxanne’s hand and pulled her down the hall to her own bedroom. “I’ve got just the right outfit to show off your sexy legs.”
Roxanne looked surprised. “I have sexy legs?” She indulged Sam by allowing her to take over her wardrobe. The younger woman meant well.
Sam rolled her eyes. “You know you’re gorgeous. I would kill to have your long blond hair and blue eyes.”
“I have always envied your darker hair and eyes. You’re beautiful. The men around here have certainly noticed.”
Sam almost dropped the skirt she was holding in her hands. “Men notice me? I’m not sure I want that.”
Roxanne walked over and gave her a hug. “It’s okay to be desired and to feel desire for others. We’re supposed to want a partner.”
“I’m just not sure I’m ready yet.”
“It’s okay, you don’t have to be ready yet. Give yourself time. You’re still young.”
“But won’t the council need me to do my duty like you?”
Roxanne frowned. “I won’t mate if I’m not ready, but it’s my time and I want a mate. For you, it’s different. You have time to find the right man for you. Whether he’s human or wolf, it will be your choice.”
Sam still looked worried, so Roxanne decided it was time to change the subject. “So is this the hot outfit that will have men falling at my feet?”
“What? Oh. Yes. This skirt and my red top will be perfect on you. You already have the right heels. All you’ll need to add is a touch of red lipstick. It feels good to get dressed up for yourself, doesn’t it?”
Roxanne grinned in agreement. “Yes, it does. All right, let’s get me dolled up. I’m meeting Alpha Lucas at the club and don’t want to keep him waiting too long.”
“You must be excited about this one. A second date! You’ve never had one of those with any of the other guys.”
“Lucas is handsome, smart, stylish, sophisticated, and I sense kindness in him.”
“Um, that’s great. But where’s the spark? The fire? The unbelievable passion?” Sam asked curiously.
“Sometimes passion is not the most important in a relationship. What matters will be whether my wolf likes him.” Roxanne shrugged into the skin-tight leather skirt that ended three inches above her knee. The red top she was given was just as tight, which was surprising since Sam was larger in the chest than Roxanne.
“And does she? Does your wolf like him?”
“She’s interested but hesitant. She needs to get to know him and his wolf better first.”
“Well, you look fantastic. So do I. Come on, let’s go before the good music starts playing.” Sam pushed her out of the bedroom door.
*****
Connor was at the bar waiting on his beer. He had spent the past half hour being welcomed and having his back slapped. Some of the werewolves and vampires present noted the change in his scent but did not comment on it. He was grateful. He didn’t want to have to explain himself and what happened. He could tell his mother was still upset over it. He hadn’t had a chance to speak to her again in private, but he knew he would have to, especially before he left again. His thoughts were interrupted when one of the werewolf twins came up beside him and ordered a beer.
“Oh good, they finally got here,” the twin said.
“Who?” Connor looked towards the front door. He smiled as she saw Sam come in. She was wearing leather pants and a leather bustier. It made her look like a very cute biker chic. Then his eyes settled on the person that followed her in and his breath caught in her throat.
“Roxanne,” he whispered. She was wearing a very short leather skirt and a shirt that clung to her breasts lovingly. His inner cat wanted to suckle from her for hours. She looked delicious.
“Damn. Roxanne is looking fucking hot tonight,” the twin said.
Connor’s claws came out and he had to fight his cat not to shift. This was a problem; his cat was extremely emotional. It made it very hard to control the shift. He used the breathing techniques the shaman had taught him. In and out. His claws receded and he felt himself more in control.
He turned his back to the entrance and faced the mirrored bar. He watched as Roxanne came in and greeted her fellow pack members. Then a tall man with blond hair walked up to her and kissed her cheek with great familiarity. That must be the Alpha she was dating. They looked like the perfect couple. Both were blond, good-looking, and well built. He seemed to be rich and sophisticated, all the things that Connor wasn’t. Plus, he was a werewolf alpha and not some possible psycho killer.
“That’s Alpha Lucas,” the twin said.
“What do you know about him?”
“Just that Alpha Ric knows him and is the one to recommend the match. It seems Alpha Ric is right. This is the first guy that Roxanne has gone on a second date with since I’ve known her. She must really like him.”
It hurt to hear it. Roxanne liked this wolf. Connor wanted to hate this guy. Maybe he did a little. He watched as the smooth asshole led her out onto the dance floor and took her into his arms. His cat growled and paced inside. Mine.
What the hell? His cat had never acted this way before. He had slept with a few women before going to South America. After his change, he found some women very attractive sexually, but he d
idn’t dare sleep with them for fear that he wouldn’t be able to control his shift. Extreme emotions set his shift off, so he had to work very hard to remain calm and cool. Glancing up at the mirror and watching the werewolf’s hands get extremely close to Roxanne’s ass was just too much. He felt his fur aching to burst through his skin. He needed to do something about this. Get his control back somehow.
*****
Roxanne was doing her best to not look in Connor’s direction. She had seen him when she first walked into the club, but she made sure she didn’t lock eyes with him. He was fucking hot, with his tight black jeans and tight jersey t-shirt stretched across his chest. Every muscle was on display and she was desperate to lick every inch of him. Her wolf was in complete agreement. Ours, her wolf kept growling. She wasn’t sure what to do to get her wolf to back down.
When Alpha Lucas asked her to dance, she was grateful for a distraction, but now that her body was pressed against his, she knew it was a mistake. Her wolf wasn’t completely closed off from his wolf’s charms, but her wolf had only one thing on her mind: Connor.
“Is everything alright?” Alpha Lucas asked.
“Yes, I just need to . . . go to the ladies’ room.” She excused herself and walked across the crowded dance floor. But instead of going to the bathroom, she took the back hallway to the alley behind the club. She just wanted to get some fresh air. A little talk with her wolf and she should be ready to go back inside.
As soon as she was outside, the fresh breeze helped cool her a little. Yes, this was what she needed, a moment to herself. She closed her eyes and lifted her face towards the half moon. She couldn’t wait until the full moon was there again. She would run with the pack. She could shift any time, but she loved running during a full moon. Everything seemed brighter, fresher, more alive. A voice from the shadows surprised her.
“Guess I wasn’t the only one who needed fresh air.”
“Connor?”
Connor stepped out of the shadows, his eyes glowing and his breathing labored.
