“I need to call Maurice to tell him I’m bringing back Kurosawa a few hours earlier than expected,” he said, dropping his cell into the cupholder between the seats.
As he drove to the cottage, Milan took Celeste’s hand in his, reluctant to let go of her for even a moment.
Kurosawa welcomed them with barks and whines. Milan fed him, then let him run outside for a few minutes before herding the dog into the Jeep.
As he was about to close up the cottage, he saw Celeste looking at the broken frame on the hallway floor and her blush filled him with male pride. He hastily swept the shards to the corner and disposed of them.
“I’ll have to call someone to fix the bed,” Milan said, closing the cottage door. “We should invest in sturdier furniture from now on.”
An even darker red stained Celeste’s face, and it spread beneath her sundress collar.
Milan looked forward to a lifetime of Celeste’s adorable blushes.
22
“I haven’t spent much time here, have I?” Celeste commented when Milan parked in front of the cottage she had rented.
“I wish I could make love to you in that bathtub you mentioned,” Milan said, “But we need to hurry up if we—” He bit off his words as something caught his attention.
Celeste followed his line of sight and saw a pickup truck parked on the other side of the street. It looked slightly familiar. “What is it?”
“Probably nothing,” he answered, leading her to the porch steps.
She fumbled with the key because his nearness was still too much of a novelty and sent her senses reeling. “You drive me crazy,” she whispered to him.
“It’s mutual.” He kissed her neck, sending shivers all over her.
“I’ll be quick—” She stopped abruptly when she finally opened the door and found herself face-to-face with Milan’s ex.
“What are you doing here?” Celeste asked, planting herself firmly in the woman’s path, in a reversal of their previous encounter.
“Jean—” Milan said before letting out a low curse. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
“Nothing,” the she-wolf said, lowering her eyes.
Celeste looked over the woman’s shoulder. Her luggage was strewn all over the small living room, and from what little she could see, broken china littered the floor. One of the bay window’s glass panels lay in shards on the floor, the breaking and entering point.
“I’m calling the police.” Celeste whipped her phone out from her purse and dialed 911.
“No, please!” Jean cried. “I only wanted to scare her a bit. Send her packing,” she said, looking past Celeste at Milan. “Please, don’t do this to me. Don’t let her ruin my life. I know you still care about me. You came back for me. I will leave Malcolm—”
Milan placed a hand on Celeste’s shoulder, making Jean flinch. “Stop talking.” His voice was a low rumble.
The dispatcher answered Celeste’s call, and she gave him the reason for the call and the cottage’s address.
“Milan, I know you still love me. No woman can satisfy your appetite but me.” Jean’s tears washed her mascara down her cheeks. “I know you like it rough—”
“You are embarrassing yourself,” Milan said.
Celeste watched the scene unfold with a mix of horror and pity. The she-wolf was clearly deranged if she thought that burglarizing the cottage and begging for Milan’s affections would achieve the result she hoped for.
The police siren drowned out the woman’s reply, and her expression changed. One moment she had been crying and imploring, the next fury transformed her face.
“You can’t do this to me,” Jean spat, her hands reaching out toward Celeste’s face, long nails aiming for her eyes.
Acting on pure instinct, Celeste shifted, slamming the woman to the floor when her body expanded into her wolf. She only had to show Jean her fangs to scare her into submission. Jean didn’t even try to shift. She showed her throat to Celeste’s wolf and scooted on the floor trying to get away as Celeste advanced, leaving a puddle of urine in her wake.
“Celeste,” Milan called.
After one last low growl, Celeste’s wolf turned and went to his side, shifting back. Milan immediately stepped in front of her, shielding her naked body from the werewolf police officer waiting at the door.
When the policeman moved, another man appeared, hastily climbing the porch steps.
Milan let out a hard breath before acknowledging the newcomer. “Malcolm—”
The man looked haunted as he walked past Milan and burst into the cottage. His eyes zeroed on the woman on the floor. Shaking his head, he said, “What did you do?”
Keeping her eyes down, Jean didn’t answer.
“What did you do?” Malcolm shouted. “Answer me!”
The policeman moved in front of Malcolm and stopped him from advancing further into the room. “Go home,” he said to the distressed man.
Malcolm laughed. “Home? What home?” His shoulders slumped. “You destroy everything you touch—” He gave Jean one last look before turning and storming off the cottage.
The rest of the day was a blur.
After leaving a statement at the police station, they drove to Seattle, where they left Kurosawa at his human dad’s place. Then they stopped at Milan’s apartment, and he packed enough stuff for a week before making love in his bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and hallway. Finally, they took an Uber to the airport.
At SeaTac, Milan bought a seat on her flight, paying an astronomic price for it, then paid four times that amount to bump both of them to first class. When she said it was too much, he answered that they were lucky there were empty seats, otherwise they would have to book another flight altogether.
Once she finally took her seat and Milan sat beside her, the realization that her life had changed in the span of a magical weekend hit her. Celeste could barely wrap her mind around the fact that Milan was coming to Dallas with her, and yet here he was, smiling at her as he squeezed her hand.
She had never believed in fairy tales. Her life, until she decided to visit Angel’s Pass, had been far from idyllic. For most of her adulthood, she had known nothing but betrayal and pain. She had a scar to remind her of that. A scar that wouldn’t go away because Royce had used silver to make sure her skin would be marred forever. Celeste wore it as a badge of honor. She went through hell and survived.
Now, she had met the man of her dreams—quite literally, since she had seen Milan in her mind before meeting him—and they were about to begin the journey of a lifetime. Soon, they would be mated both in body and soul. She couldn’t wait for it.
This time around, going back to Dallas, Celeste barely noticed she was trapped in a tin can crowded with too many people. The five-hour flight felt like it lasted only minutes. Milan whispered to her the naughtiest suggestions about what he would like to do to her, and she forgot they were on a plane.
In the blink of an eye, they were out of the plane, outside the airport, and she was driving her car toward Dallas. Her head still swam, but Milan’s constant touch reminded her that she wasn’t dreaming, that he was real, and not a figment of her imagination.
“Wait until I tell Julia I brought back a souvenir from Angel’s Pass,” Celeste said as she parked in front of her apartment complex.
Milan dropped a kiss to her nose before giving her a sultry stare. “That can wait,” he said. “First, I need to check your bed—” His hand dropped to her thigh. “See if it’s sturdy enough.”
He didn’t do anything else, just left his large hand on her leg, the warmth of his touch and the light pressure burning her through her clothes.
Celeste squirmed in her seat. “You better be thorough.”
Milan’s lips curved up into a smile that promised a night of pleasure, making her wish they were already naked in her bedroom. She was out of her car before Milan had time to walk around and open her door. She took the stairs three at a time and reached her floor ready to burst.
As she inserted the key to open her apartment, Milan steadied her trembling hand with his and gently pressed her against the door.
“I’m going to bite you,” he said. “And make you mine tonight.” He dipped his head to whisper to her ear, “Say you want it as much as I do.” His large body pinned her against the surface. It was a good thing because his voice alone melted her bones and she couldn’t stand by herself.
“Say it.” His command triggered Celeste’s pleasure points, making her moan. She arched against him.
The sound of descending steps startled Celeste into hastily answering, “Yes.”
“Yes what?” His breath fanned over her heated skin.
Shivers ran all over her as the steps grew closer. “I want your mark on my shoulder.”
“And I want yours.” Milan brushed her lips and stepped away as the tenants from the attic walked past them.
Finally, Celeste turned the key inside the lock and grabbed Milan by his shirt as he leaned to kiss her. When the door opened, they stumbled into her living room, hands pulling and pushing at pants and shirts, shoes flying around. Blindly, she dragged him toward her bedroom because she couldn’t wait a second longer to make Milan hers.
Only when Milan tensed and broke their kiss did she smell a familiar scent that made her immediately sick to her stomach.
23
Milan’s nostrils flared at the stench of male.
His wolf had growled in warning, but in the heat of the moment, he hadn’t sensed the other man waiting for them in the dark.
“So, it’s true.” The stranger’s voice was a low baritone full of malice.
Celeste twirled around. “Royce?”
“I saw you leaving on Friday, and I called you the other day to check on you. You didn’t answer,” the man said, “so I asked around, and today, my police friend told me an interesting tale. You and a man filed a report in the morning, in a town called Angel’s Pass, of all places. A hellhole in the middle of nowhere, in Washington State. I thought maybe it was just another woman with your same name. I didn’t want to believe him. I had to see it for myself. My Celeste has remained faithful to me for so long, she wouldn’t betray me. When I didn’t find you home, I thought, maybe she went with her idiot friend to that karaoke place they went to last time. I waited for you here because I wanted to give you the opportunity to defend yourself.” The man’s tone was low and measured, without any inflection that would give away his emotions.
Celeste trembled. “Royce, go away.”
Milan could sense the fear seizing her, paralyzing Celeste to the spot. He roared his warning to the other man.
Royce emerged from the corner. He was built like Milan, tall and big, and advanced toward Celeste with a manic light in his pale blue eyes. Looking disdainfully at her, he sneered. “You are nothing but a slut, rutting like a bitch in heat with the first mutt that crosses your path.”
Blind rage possessing him, Milan threw himself at the other werewolf, shifting with a deafening howl.
At the same time, Royce shifted into a black wolf. They met in the middle of Celeste’s living room, claws slashing and fangs gnawing. While they fought, Celeste shifted into her white wolf, pacing the room. Milan bit hard into the other wolf’s neck, tearing a chunk of hide. Royce’s wolf roared, spinning and slashing at Milan’s flank. The cut was deep, but Milan’s wolf snarled, gnawing deeper into Royce’s wound. Royce jerked, trying to dislodge Milan’s hold on his neck.
Celeste’s wolf watched from the side, howling and barking. Her worry for Milan spurred the other man’s fury, his claws slashing deeper into Milan’s hide. The sting from the wound would have slowed a lesser werewolf, but Milan had only Celeste’s safety in mind. His rumbling growl echoed in the room as his fangs cut into sinew and tendons. Royce snarled, and his front legs bent as if they couldn’t bear his weight any longer. He dropped on all fours, bringing Milan down with him and managing to roll on his back. For a moment, Milan’s fangs lost their grip on the wolf, and Royce took full advantage of the opportunity, snapping at Milan’s chest, aiming for his heart.
He heard Celeste’s wolf’s pained howl before he sensed the pain tearing him apart. Blood gushed from the deep slash at the center of his chest. Royce’s claw dug into the wound. Milan’s vision turned red. His heartbeats decelerated until he couldn’t feel anything, only a growing cold slowing him down.
Celeste’s wolf charged. Her smaller form entered the melee. Royce sneered at her, but her courage made up for her size as she attacked his wolf. Enraged, Royce’s black wolf slammed his large paw against her belly, shoving her against the wall with a loud thud. She growled, standing on unsteady legs, dragging herself back to the center of the room. Royce circled around Celeste, toying with her, making her spend her energies as she turned right and left to keep him in her line of sight.
Forcing the pain to the back of his mind, Milan lunged at Royce. Taken by surprise, the black wolf went to the floor, but this time, Milan didn’t give him time to attack. Instead, Milan went straight for the jugular and jerked his muzzle hard for several seconds. Sprays of blood covered him. He didn’t stop until his opponent’s large body went limp under him, and even then, he waited for the wolf’s heart to still. Finally, he dug into the wolf’s chest and chewed on the organ, making sure Royce would never wake.
Celeste’s wolf nudged her wet nose against his fur a few minutes later, silently telling him he could release the dead black wolf. Once he did, Milan’s wolf collapsed, but never lost consciousness. He wouldn’t leave Celeste to take care of the aftermath of the fight alone.
When Dallas Shifter PD arrived, Milan’s wolf could barely breathe, but he remained by Celeste’s side as she shifted and gave her statement. She told the police about her ex stalking her, of how he had contacts in the department who fed him private information about her. It took several hours, but eventually they were cleared of any wrongdoing, and an investigation was opened to shed light on the reason nobody listened to Celeste when she had filed for a restraining order. It was already morning by the time Royce’s body was removed from the apartment.
“Now you can rest,” Celeste told Milan when they were finally alone.
The world went dark, and Milan’s wolf slipped into a healing coma.
24
After covering Milan’s wolf with a blanket, Celeste grabbed a pillow and lay on the floor with him, hugging his hide to let him know she was there.
She dozed on and off for the rest of the day, only leaving the wolf for a few minutes at a time to take care of her physiological needs. Sharing the blanket with him, she inhaled his scent and synched her heartbeats with his, eventually slipping into a deep slumber when the sun set, and the full moon rose high in the sky.
The next morning, she woke in the arms of the man she had fallen in love with. She must have been truly exhausted if she hadn’t felt him shifting.
“Hey,” he said.
“You’re awake.” Her hands roamed across the large expanse of his back and chest, checking if he was whole again.
“Fully awake,” he said, pressing his manhood against her thigh. Rolling on the floor over her, he nestled himself between her legs, his hands caressing her breasts.
Celeste opened wide to accommodate him and tilted her hips up.
Milan pressed his hardness at her entrance, but instead of uniting them, he hoisted himself up to look at her. “I love you.”
“I love you,” she repeated. Happiness swelled in her heart when he filled her with a deep thrust.
Soon, they were moving at their own unique rhythm, rocking against each other as they kissed. Pleasure mounted inside her, sweet and harsh at the same time. She arched her throat, leaning her head to the side, offering herself to him, body and soul.
Milan lowered his fangs to her flesh, angling his head at the same time, mirroring her pose. He thrust hard, reaching deep inside her, taking her closer to the edge. His fangs pierced her flesh. She exploded in a haze of pleasure as she bit
him, too.
Mine, he growled in her mind.
Mine, she mind-spoke to him, now that they had bonded.
They were finally one.
Epilogue
One year later
Milan looked at Celeste emerging from Silver Lake.
They had moved to Angel’s Pass two months ago, at the beginning of the summer. Malcolm had asked Milan to lead the Sunshine Clan together, and Celeste urged him to accept. After almost a year of travelling back and forth between Dallas and Seattle to tie up all the loose ends, they were ready to settle in one place.
Angel’s Pass had a special place in their hearts, and they couldn’t see themselves moving anywhere else but the small town that had seen the beginning of their love story. They hadn’t moved alone. Akira, Kurosawa’s rambunctious puppy, had come with them, a gift from Maurice when Milan and Celeste announced their decision to relocate.
After considering buying a new place, they opted to renovate Pioneer Lodge instead. The cottage would soon be filled with family and friends who had promised to visit often. To Celeste’s delight, Julia was the first to call dibs on the future guestroom. Although Celeste and Milan’s moving from Dallas had not been a surprise but a long time in the making, their last day in the city was an emotional one. Celeste and Julia promised that they would call each other every day. So far, the number of times they FaceTimed was closer to five or six per day. Celeste hoped that Julia would relocate to Angel’s Pass and had started looking for rental properties nearby.
Nowadays, the bulk of their days that wasn’t dedicated to make love was devoted to make Pioneer Lodge bigger. Adding a whole wing was more work than expected, though, giving that they wanted the addition to look as old as the rest of the cottage. After a hard day of work, they had taken a break and let their wolves lose. The wolves brought them to their favorite spot, the lake hidden between the ridges, and frolicked for a long time before allowing Milan and Celeste to shift back into their human forms.
Paranormal Dating Agency: Her Dream Alpha (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Angel's Pass Wolves Book 1) Page 9
