by Tasha Black
Before she could change her mind, she rolled up on her elbow and kissed him lightly. Last night that had gotten her quite a reaction.
Erik froze under her. Then pressed his lips firmly to hers.
Emboldened, Ainsley moved her hand into his hair and pulled lightly. Then she slid it back down to stroke his chest and abs.
She could feel him hold his breath, wondering if she would go lower. She wavered a moment in indecision, and he brought his hand up to stroke her cheek gently.
Her heart melted at the sweet gesture and she drew back a little to look into his eyes.
He looked back at her for a moment, a flash of mischief in his brown eyes.
The next thing she knew he had flipped her onto her back and pinned her down with his body.
Her heart raced. That gorgeous, rock hard body was covering hers. She could feel the heat of his colossal erection against her thigh.
She knew they were just sharing a flirtation, but being in his arms like this felt so right. She looked up at him, searching his eyes for what he might be feeling.
He smiled down at her, then lowered his head to nuzzle her neck.
His stubbly jaw felt amazing against her skin. She giggled and arched herself up to him.
“Are you giggling at me?” he demanded, pulling away.
Her heart almost stopped, but then she saw he was being playful. She nodded slowly.
“Well, then you’re just asking for it!” he announced.
Suddenly he was rubbing his face in her neck, on her chest, and lifting her t-shirt to rub against her belly.
Oh no. Ainsley did not have rock hard abs. Instinct made her struggle to cover her imperfections.
Erik stopped instantly.
“Are you okay?”
“Um, yes, I’m fine…I…” How could she tell him she was embarrassed about her body without making things worse?
He flipped off of her and sat on the edge of the mattress at a safe distance.
“Listen, Ainsley, I won’t do anything like that again, ok?”
Reluctantly she nodded.
He smiled back at her encouragingly.
“I’m going to make you some breakfast. Go ahead and do whatever you like to do in the morning.”
He walked away and she allowed herself to watch him go. Even his back was muscular.
Ainsley shook herself and hopped out of bed. There was no point crying over spilt milk. And besides, what if she had drawn his alpha?
After getting refreshed, Ainsley padded downstairs. The house was really amazing– the woodwork made it feel homey in spite of the large rooms. She could hear Erik humming in the kitchen. She turned the corner and he looked up at her.
“Hey,” he said softly, pushing a mug of tea across the counter.
“Mmm, thanks!”
The smell of peppermint filled her nose and she took a tiny sip, knowing already that it was too hot.
“So did you get any sleep?” he asked.
He’d turned to crack a few eggs into a pan. Ainsley noticed with regret that he had found his t-shirt again as well as jeans and work boots.
“Yes. You?”
“Yes,” he said thoughtfully.
“But?”
“But nothing. I usually don’t sleep well with… company.”
Ainsley smiled into her mug. The sound of another egg cracking told her that Erik was back at work on their breakfast.
“Can I help?”
“Nope, I’ve got this.”
Ainsley looked out the window. A flash of brown fur reminded her of everything.
“There are still wolves patrolling?”
“Twenty-four seven until I tell them to stop,” Erik replied grimly. “I know you probably don’t want to talk about what happened yet…”
He paused, and Ainsley could tell there was a but coming. She decided to spare him.
“No, I don’t mind telling you. I was freaked out last night, but I’m fine now.”
She toyed with the string on her teabag, trying to decide where to begin. Erik kept cooking - a mercy, since it made it easier for her to speak.
“I invited Clive over last night. I thought it would be best for the town if I could choose an alpha. You finally convinced me,” she laughed weakly.
“Why did you choose Clive?” Erik asked lightly.
She had told him her parents wanted her to choose Clive. But it was a lie. Maybe Erik had sensed it.
“Because he seemed like an easy choice. And because…”
Erik turned. There was a look on his face that Ainsley couldn’t place. It was almost like he expected to be disappointed. She might as well tell the truth.
“Because I didn’t plan to stick around. I figured with Clive I could choose him and then extricate myself and go back to New York as soon as things were settled. I knew I wouldn’t accidentally fall in love with him. Though I knew I would have to love him in some way to make it happen. I hoped that loving the way he took care of everyone else would be good enough. Pretty dumb, huh?”
She swore there was a victorious little smile hidden in Erik’s cryptic expression as he spun back to the pan of eggs.
“There’s no way that could work, Ainsley.”
“So…so clearly it didn’t work. And he got angry. He decided that if we had sex it would happen without me making it happen. And when I got scared and angry and told him to leave, he told me he would be alpha whether I wanted him or not. And he came after me.”
There was no point bringing up the ghostly visit from Brian. This story was hard enough to tell.
Erik was silent.
She could tell he was listening hard, but trying to give her the space to talk. She was glad he wasn’t being too sympathetic. She was a strong person and it would have been an insult to have him treat her like a poor pathetic thing.
“So I backed up and knocked over my softball trophy. And I grabbed it and when he stepped toward me, I threw it at him as hard as I could.”
“Nice,” Erik remarked as he flipped their eggs onto plates.
“Yeah, it cut his face too. Didn’t really slow him down, but it was a good feeling.”
Erik slid a plate to her and grabbed forks out of a drawer.
“He was so mad that his eyes went yellow. I knew he was going to change. And I thought the best thing I could do was change too. I’ve never changed before, but I almost changed once.”
Erik raised his eyebrows.
“This is going to sound crazy,” she warned.
“Try me.”
“So, the guy, Julian, who I, um…”
“Yes,” he cut her off mercifully.
“Remember when you heard the noise and you found me in the house with the broken window?”
“Day before yesterday?”
Wow, had so little time passed?
“Yes. Well, he isn’t just a college professor. He’s also, um, magical.”
Ainsley let that sink in.
Erik’s eyebrows went up, but he nodded for her to continue.
“I didn’t know that. But when I woke up he was in my dad’s study. There was this awful blue light and a compass. And it pointed at me. He started looking at me like I was…I don’t know… an object. I was so mad that I let go. And I was going to change. But he said something, a spell. And blue light came out of his fingers. And it was like someone dumped a bucket of cold water on my head. I couldn’t change and the light hurt so much. So I threw it back at him. And he flew out the window. And then you came.”
“You’ve had quite a week, Ainsley.”
“I just want to get out of here,” she heard herself say.
“I don’t know,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “You seem to be holding up really well. As a matter of fact, this town seems to be awakening some serious power in you. Do you think you can really go back and pretend everything is normal after this? Do you even want to?”
Ainsley thought about New York. There was her tiny apartment with half a view and a closet
full of gorgeous suits and heels. It was a quiet place, perfect for reading the Journal, but she seldom spent time there.
Most of the time she paced the few feet of cubicle at the office while talking on the phone and drinking coffee. Or she stared at a computer screen replying to email messages while writing property descriptions.
What was her favorite thing about her New York life?
She thought immediately of the incredible feeling of signing a high-end listing. Knowing that the owners had interviewed the best and selected Ainsley Connor. She would practically fly back to the office and complete the listing folder and place it in the admin’s bin - picturing how impressed the admin would be in the morning when she found it there.
Was that as cool as running through the woods with Erik or shooting blue electricity through her hands to smite her enemies?
On the other hand, in New York she made tons and tons of money. And the broker was sure to retire one day. If Ainsley bought the business she would have instant celebrity, and maybe have an influence on the New York skyline.
Of course just by sticking around in Tarker’s Mills she would literally save the town and college from destruction. And the money she had already saved would be enough to live on until she was a little old lady.
There was no use thinking about it now, while Erik watched her expectantly. She shrugged and took a bite of eggs.
“I feel bad about this, Ainsley, but I have to go to work today,” Erik said cautiously.
“What about Clive?”
“I’ve put the word out about him and I’ll meet with MacGregor. He would never move against you in the open. He’s not the alpha. The pack would tear him apart.”
She nodded with a casual braveness that she didn’t really feel.
“I want you to stay put right here. There’s still a patrol and I can spare the guys to keep it up until I get back.”
“I thought you said he wouldn’t move against me.”
“I’ll feel better if you stay put. I can get Cressida to come and check on you.”
Ainsley almost spit out her tea.
Erik spun on his heel and put their plates in the sink quickly, as though he was embarrassed too.
Did he know? Oh god, it would be awful if he knew.
He turned around and grabbed his mug without making eye contact.
Crap. He did know. He must think she was a gigantic slut.
“I’m going to need to get my stuff out of the house at some point.”
“I don’t want you going back there.”
“What if I call Grace and have her meet me there?”
“Why don’t you have her come here and get you.”
“Sure,” she relented.
“Even when you’re with her, stay on the main roads. Stay visible. There are people in town, more than the three from last night, who aren’t happy with the direction the town is going in. Like we talked about, the inn and the highway are going to bring in more people. This is the integration your parents pushed for. Look where it got them.”
Ainsley’s world began to rearrange itself.
“Erik, are you saying that my parents’ death wasn’t an accident?”
“Before last night I would have said no way, but now… Just be careful. And try to keep the magic stuff on the down low. Wolves don’t like magic.”
“Do you think Clive is behind all this?”
“Clive isn’t much of a planner, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone else were pulling the strings.”
“Could that be Julian?” Ainsley whispered.
“I saw him around town a lot with your dad, Ainsley, when he was alive. He seemed to take a real interest in your dad. And I don’t like what you told me today.”
Erik patted her shoulder.
“Don’t worry about it for now. There’s a patrol and I’ll stop home at lunchtime to check on you.”
She wished he wouldn’t go. Not just because she was scared, but because she liked to talk with him. She looked up into his brown eyes.
He smiled mildly and brushed the top of her hair with his lips.
“See you at lunchtime.”
CHAPTER 5
C live was trying to keep his patience, but it was getting harder. He hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. And the voice coming through the speakerphone grated his ears.
Justin and Will sat in the guest chairs in front of his desk, listening. He didn’t want to come across like a fucking pussy in front of them, so he pretended to think it was funny.
“Did you find the book yet?” the voice demanded.
“No, I haven’t found it yet,” Clive answered.
“Did you search for it again last night?”
“Of course I did!”
Shit. He was so furious last night he hadn’t remembered.
“Besides, you already has the house tossed twice before last night, plus her old man’s office. It’s time to accept the fact that Connor hid it someplace safer.”
“This is why we should have kept him around until all the loose ends were tied up. You are too impatient. And I wouldn’t trust those goons of yours to mow my lawn!”
Justin made a “Who me?” gesture and Will snickered silently into his hands.
“If you want to be alpha, you will have to be patient,” the droning voice continued.
The words echoed meaningfully, but Clive chose to flip the phone the bird instead of thinking them through.
“You obviously wrecked your chance with Ainsley. The only way for you to become alpha now is to get her out of the picture.”
“I would love to take care of that. She’ll be gone by the end of the day,” Clive crowed.
“Don’t be stupid. The town is already buzzing. You can’t make a move with everyone watching. I told you, be patient. We have to set the town against her. This would be easier if I had the damn book.”
“Maybe you should be the one looking for it, then,” Clive ventured.
“I’m not the one who failed to seal the deal last night, and then let one little girl give me the slip!”
“You never told me she was gonna magic me up.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Ainsley. I had everything under control last night, and then she did something to me.”
“Did something?”
“Some kind of crazy light shot out of her hands, it felt like she dumped a bucket of ice water on my head. It stopped me from shifting, or I would have finished her right there.”
Will made a little finger-swirling “crazy” gesture for Justin’s benefit when he thought Clive wasn’t looking. Clive shot him a furious glance.
“Interesting. So little Ainsley Connor has a secret. Maybe we can use this to our advantage.”
“How?”
“We’ll need to expose her, publicly. Show everyone she’s not what she seems.”
“How do you suggest we do that?”
“Leave that to me. In the meantime, try not to do anything stupid.”
Of course he hung up immediately, before Clive could think of something really great to say back. Justin and Will cackled like hens.
Clive hoped he would have the chance to get even with Ainsley very soon.
CHAPTER 6
A n hour had passed since Erik left for work.
Ainsley had called Grace from Erik’s landline and Grace was going to call her back about heading to the house to get her stuff. Ainsley looked forward to talking with her friend about Brian, but Grace was on duty, and Clive must have been nearby, because for once she said she couldn’t talk.
Next, Ainsley had cleaned up the kitchen things. That had only taken a few minutes. A bit of nervous pacing had killed ten more minutes and then she had begun to contemplate cleaning the whole house or reorganizing Erik’s closets.
That was when she thought more about cleaning. Why not clean up the woodwork in the living room? A quick search under Erik’s sink yielded a bottle of vinegar that looked like it had survived the Depression and a plas
tic bucket. They must have come with the house.
Humming to herself, Ainsley made a vinegar and water solution, grabbed some old rags and got to work. After just a few minutes she could see luster of the chestnut beginning to shine through the grime on the baseboard. It was slow going but ought to keep her mind off…everything.
A terrific bang sounded on the porch, startling Ainsley. She gasped and nearly knocked over the bucket. Was it too late to hide?
Before she could think of what to do, Cressida’s long form appeared in the doorway.
“Who are you? Cinderella?” Cressida let loose a long throaty laugh.
“For fuck’s sake, Cressida! Haven’t you learn to knock?”
Ainsley was horrified to find herself excited as well as annoyed.
Completely ignoring Ainsley’s outburst, Cressida strode over and toed the bucket curiously, wrinkling her nose at the smell of the vinegar. Then she met Ainsley’s eye and cocked her head in mock reproach.
“Hey, you didn’t call or text or anything!” she teased.
Ainsley colored furiously and began to scrub the baseboard again.
“What do you want, Cressida?”
“Put that down. I need to talk to you, Connor. Woman to woman.”
Ainsley slammed the rag down and looked up at Cressida indignantly.
Cressida slid down to the floor with her. She looked worried
“Look, I only have a few minutes before my shift starts. Literally.”
Oh. Cressida must be patrolling today. That put things in a different light. Ainsley knew she ought to be grateful.
She looked into Cressida’s eyes. She had never seen Cressida sit still before. This must be an important conversation.
“What do you want?” Ainsley asked again, this time more gently.
“We can’t protect you forever, you know. Clive has already started trouble.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s harassing Erik over permits right now. He’s trying to stop the job entirely. Erik’s going to lose his shirt over it.”
“Is he allowed to ask for permits? That should be the borough’s job.”
“Do you think Everett Stopes is going to stand up to Clive?”
Everett Stopes had been an old man when Ainsley was a little girl. He was a good code enforcer, but she could see how Clive might push him around.
