by Lia Bevans
For so many reasons—including her wolf’s temporary hiatus from reality—she needed Blaez far, far away from her and her family.
“That’s it.” She swiped her palm down. “He’s got to go.”
“What?” Terry scrambled to get in front of her before she stormed away. “Go where?”
“I’ll talk to someone else on the Council. Someone who’s not as stubborn as Hazel. Blaez can do his community service anywhere, but not at Wildlife.”
“Are you crazy?” Terry hissed. “You can’t get on his bad side now. He knows everything. The moment he opens his mouth, we’re all screwed. We have to keep him close for the time being. Figure something out later.”
“I can’t,” she whined.
“Face it, sis. You’re stuck with him. Whether you like it or not.”
BLAEZ SHOWED UP TO do his community service on Monday because he was a glutton for trouble. Something about Chantal kicked his protective instincts into high gear and there wasn’t much he could do about it.
“You’re insane,” he mumbled as he stared at the Wildlife For Humanity building across the street. He should be pounding the pavement looking for Caldon. Searching every nook and cranny until he sniffed his brother out. Instead, he let a pintsize firecracker get under his skin.
His fingers darted out and he turned the ignition. The car died. Blaez spent a few minutes stewing in the heat before climbing out of the convertible and jogging to the threshold of the Wildlife For Humanity center. The door swung open and Cecil stood in the doorway beaming at him.
“Blaez!” She squealed and latched onto his hand, rubbing her red hair against his arm. “I got my hair done. Do you like it? The hairdresser said it made me look twenty years younger. Don’t you think so?”
The hairdresser was clearly out to sucker her clients. “Well... you don’t look older.”
“Let the man go.” Mae Ling approached and pried Cecil’s fingers away. She wore a cotton grey T-shirt below a roomy blue jumper. Her black hair reached her chin and it swayed like a fan when she tugged on Cecil. “Ignore her. You should go to Chantal’s office, Blaez. We have an assignment.”
Blaez nodded and crept past Cecil who grinned wildly at him. He couldn’t help smiling back. Blaez admired her confidence. He’d known many women half Cecil’s age who would wave shyly but never approach him.
When he glanced forward again, he nearly collided with Terry. The tall woman wore a dark blue jacket over a black pantsuit. Hair in a severe bun, she arched both eyebrows. “Didn’t think you’d show up,” she said. “Do you have a death wish?”
“I’m starting to wonder that myself.”
“Come here.” Terry led him to an empty room. She slammed the door behind him and crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s evident already, but just in case, I’d like to make it official that our agreement is null and void.”
“I never signed the contract. It was always null and void.”
She looked shocked. “So you had no intentions of fulfilling your end of the deal?”
“I don’t kill children.” He shrugged. “I don’t kill humans in general.”
“But...”
“I went along with it because I knew if I rejected you, you’d find a seedy character to complete your mission.”
“You wanted to protect me.”
“And the kid. I figured if I put you off long enough, you’d eventually see reason. You’re not a bad person, Terry. If my brother were in trouble, I’d bend the rules to protect him in a heartbeat. People like us, we just need a little time to get our heads screwed back on straight before we mess things up.”
“Thank you for saying that.” Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. “It’s hard for me to snap out of something when I’m determined. All I could see was Chantal losing her wolf or worse. She’s the only family I have left. But that’s no excuse. I’m sorry I dragged you into this. I’ll clear things up with my sister as soon as possible.”
“Don’t,” he said.
Her brown eyes twitched. “Chantal would rather not deal with you, but I convinced her to let you stay on and I can convince her to trust you. If you just give me a little time, I can explain—”
“I think it’s better your sister think I’m a bad person.”
“Why?”
“Because I am.”
“Who are you trying to fool here?” Terry pursed her lips and studied his face. At last, she nodded. “Fine. I won’t say anything to Chantal. Be prepared. My sister’s a dragon to the people she can’t stand. You sure you want to stick around for that?”
“At least she can’t shift into a dragon. A wolf, I can handle.”
“Cool.” Wait... what was she doing with her lips? Did Terry just crack a smile at him? “We should go,” she said, her grin fading but her expression and voice light. “We’re taking the dogs to a residential home.”
“Am I supposed to shift now then?” He pulled at the top button of his shirt.
“No.” Terry shook her head. “We don’t take the wild animals in. When we’re on the farm, you can shift and interact with the patients then. Only approved dogs and their trainers can go into hospitals and nursing homes. You’re on duty as a regular volunteer today. Sorry.”
“Right.” He opened the door and gestured for her to go ahead of him. “Lead the way.”
As they emerged into the hallway, Blaez saw Chantal’s door opening and she stepped out. He froze and Terry glanced back to see what he was staring at. He noticed her smiling secretly at him, but didn’t have the presence of mind to look away from Chantal and defend himself.
Terry leaned back to whisper, “Having doubts?”
Blaez didn’t answer. He watched as Chantal maneuvered out of her office holding a stack of files in her hand and a purse slung over one shoulder. She shuffled awkwardly to flip the light switch off. With her hair tied back, he was offered an unobstructed view of her profile—dainty nose, plump lips, pointed chin.
She was a beautiful woman and, despite her fierce strength, there was something so fragile about her. It made no logical sense, but whatever it was Chantal kept tugging on his heart like a string attached to a piñata. He was afraid that sooner or later, his heart would burst into a million tattered pieces.
He swallowed and turned to Terry. “You’re going to protect me, right?”
“From Chantal?” She tipped her head back and laughed. “Good luck with that. I barely got out alive on Saturday. And I’m her sister. My best advice? Stay out of her way and don’t tick her off. Maybe she’ll forget you exist.”
He’d try his best.
CHAPTER TWELVE
WAS BLAEZ TRYING TO get on her nerves or was he just naturally annoying? Chantal stomped up the cobbled path in search of the volunteer that had slipped away. She shaded her eyes from the sun, glancing over the pruned hedges. Blaez stood in the distance surrounded by the missing residents.
What is he doing? His arms flailed and he ground his hips toward the earth like a college student in a pulsing club. The other residents clapped and some even wiggled their bodies in a poor imitation of his dance moves.
She sped up and, as she drew closer, heard the distinct rhythm of a reggaeton song. At least his dancing made sense now. But it didn’t change the fact that he had broken protocol and taken the vulnerable residents into the heat of the day without her permission.
“Blaez!” She shouted to be heard over the music. “Blaez!”
He spotted her and grinned. She forced herself not to think about how handsome he looked though her wolf had no problems pointing it out.
He’s all mine... the wolf said.
Yeah, yeah.
She brushed aside a wisp of hair that the breeze blew into her face and stormed onto the middle of Blaez’s ‘dance floor’—which was actually the stone courtyard lined with ornate benches. The residents cheered when she appeared and she smiled at them even as she clamped an arm around Blaez’s wrist and dragged him aside.
“I’ll be b
ack, guys!” He yelled over his shoulder, a lock of his black hair stuck to his sweaty forehead. “There’s my phone. You pick the next song!”
“That’s enough,” Chantal hissed. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Having fun,” he said with a devilish grin.
“I read you the rules while we drove here. Some of the residents are suffering from health issues like dementia and Alzheimer’s. We have to treat them delicately or we could make things worse. Weren’t you listening?”
“How does dancing make things worse?” He swept his hands to indicate the women in the courtyard. A few of them clustered around the phone linked to the speakers. “And look. They’re having fun.”
“My program is very fun.”
“I’m not saying animals aren’t therapeutic for some folks, but there’s nothing wrong with mixing it up a little. You’re only reaching the few residents who actually want to spend hours stroking a dog. What about the rest?”
She gritted her teeth, incensed by his dismissive tone. She’d put her life into Wildlife For Humanity. How dare he insinuate that she wasn’t doing enough? “That’s why we have a program. We’re going to read them a story now.”
“How exciting.”
“Excitement could kill them.”
“They’re stronger than you think.” He captured her hand and tugged her forward. Her wolf picked up its head, keeping her from tugging her arm free. Blaez led her into the middle of the courtyard and addressed the residents without letting go of her hand. “Why don’t you let them decide?”
“I’m not playing with you, Blaez,” she insisted. “They need to go inside.”
“Fine.” He gave in. “After one more song. I promised them one last dance.” He grinned at the grandmother holding his phone. “What did you choose, Petra?”
“I heard this one on the radio a few days ago and I loved it.” A slow song played through the speakers.
“Ah.” Blaez closed his eyes and nodded. “A perfect choice. Which one of you lucky ladies wants to dance with me?”
He finally let her hand go and Chantal tried to scurry away, but Petra piped up before she could. “Why don’t you dance with her?”
She froze and stuck a finger to her chest. “Me?”
“Yeah!”
“You should!”
“Go on and dance!”
The residents’ encouragement put her on the spot. Chantal waved her hands. “No. I couldn’t possibly—”
“Come on.” Blaez cut her off when he grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms. Her heart skittered out of time and the breath left her body in a whoosh.
Yes... her wolf said.
“No,” she said. “I can’t.”
“Petra, start the song from the top. Chantal, take my hand. It’s only one song. It’ll be over before you know it.” He slanted her a look that had her wolf melting. Blaez was being an alpha and that excited it more than she could suppress.
“Fine.” Chantal trembled. “Only this song then everyone returns inside.”
“You have a deal.” He closed his hand around hers. His fingers were warm. Gentle. Firm. The music began again and he moved his free hand to her waist. Hazel eyes shifted to green in the sunlight. It was just her, Blaez and the music.
Mine.
And her wolf.
Blaez’s polite distance irritated the creature inside. More. More. Her wolf wanted to be held closer, tighter. Demanded it. The music played, filling the air with lyrics about love and forever. Words her wolf craved.
The song was half-over. Her wolf noticed Blaez was simply dancing with no intentions of getting dirtier with her and lurched forward. The next thing she knew, her hands were snaking around Blaez’s neck, her body flush against him. Her softness against his hard body sent her wolf into a tailspin.
“Ooh!” the ladies shrieked, egging them on as things got a little more heated.
Chantal clamored for control, blushing so hard she was certain her face resembled a tomato. She fought to put her wolf to sleep, conjuring pictures of her mother and father in Belize. There was no way her wolf would want to jump a man if it was distracted.
Sandy beaches. Beautiful skies. Green sea. Smiling locals.
Belize was her happy place. Their happy place. It was in Belize that her wolf first emerged, speaking to her, merging with her. Mom and Dad were surprised when they saw her sprouting fangs but were ultimately supportive.
She was given an opportunity to figure out her new abilities far away from the States in a safe, tropical environment. It was a special place. A special time. And so held a special spot in her memories.
Think of Belize, she told her wolf.
No.
Her heart thudded in her chest. Her wolf had defied her.
Uh-oh.
BLAEZ BLINKED IN SHOCK as Chantal threw herself against him. Her chest flush against his torso shot lightning through his lower stomach. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and tug her even closer, but he knew he didn’t have a right to.
What had gotten into her? Was she punishing him for ordering her to dance? If so, it was the most unique form of torture. He hadn’t pegged her for the diabolical type, but any woman capable of teasing a man like this was dangerous.
Their onlookers shrieked and cackled, further compounding his embarrassment. Whatever he did next, Chantal would probably scold him for it. His wolf stood to attention, begging him to take advantage of Chantal’s willingness to press up against him even if it was just to make him pay.
He bent his head close to her ear and felt her shudder. She was carrying this act all the way. “You think this is funny?”
“Trust me. I don’t want to do this anymore than you do.” She slid her hand up his neck and gripped it tight as if she was trying to tear the hair from their follicles. The touch sent delicious pain rocketing through his body. He ached to give in to his instincts. Every nerve burst to flames.
What is she doing to me?
Were they fighting or flirting here?
He slid his hands down her sides to rest just above her hips, caging her to him. Their breaths hitched in tandem. His pulse beat out of control. She pulled back to gaze at his face. They weren’t just dancing anymore. This was raw. Passionate. Intimate.
He wasn’t even sure if the song was still playing. All he could see was Chantal, brown eyes pulling him deeper and deeper. He saw a flash of desire in her eyes, but she blinked and it was gone. Maybe the glint was the reflection of the sunshine. The thought caused him to second-guess himself.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Mae Ling’s voice shattered the fog he’d been under. Blaez and Chantal sprang apart. He felt the back of his neck heating up and rubbed the skin, imagining the way Chantal had gripped him there. His body pounded with need.
Yeah, he definitely couldn’t think about that right now.
“Mae!” Chantal’s voice was a higher pitch than usual. “We were... I was just...”
“Whoo!” Petra fanned her face, her sagging cheeks the color of two ripe apples. “I think I need some water to cool down. You with me, ladies?”
The others nodded in agreement and filed behind Petra. They disappeared, waddling on their canes and in their wheelchairs—each one fanning their faces and chattering about the ‘show’. As Blaez listened, his head cleared and he was able to face Chantal without imagining things he shouldn’t.
“Sorry we wandered off, Mae. Is everything alright?”
She surveyed him with eyes narrowed to slits. “Cecil’s ready to start reading the story, but we couldn’t find you.”
“We’ll be right there.”
Chantal cleared her throat and scurried ahead of him. “I’ll help prepare the snacks. Blaez, can you please put the doggie gates back in the van?”
“I’ll get right on that,” he said.
Chantal loped away. When he tried to scamper after her, Mae stopped him with a gentle touch to his arm. He glanced at the top of her head. She lifted her face to
him and her eyes seemed to see through to his soul. Guilt flushed his chest. There were some things in there he didn’t want Mae to know.
“You keep your boundaries, young man.”
He dipped his head. “Yes, ma’am.”
She eyed him a beat longer and then turned and trotted back into the building. Blaez berated himself as he carried the gates and stacked them in the rotten, broken-down van that the center owned. Sweat beaded down his face and he took a moment to stop and take a breath.
He usually had a lot more self-control than what he’d exhibited today. One of the costs of being a lone wolf was leaving relationships behind. He could sleep with a woman to his heart’s content as long as she understood sex was all he was looking for.
Blaez had no desire to grow roots and after a few years of playing around, he realized that the women he chose rarely understood what a no-strings-attached encounter meant. He decided to stop chasing someone to warm his bed and focused on his startups instead. The decision made his work-life a success.
He had no regrets. But it had been a long time since he’d been with a woman and the last person he’d expected to make him long for that kind of companionship was Chantal. He was obviously starved and grasping at straws.
The sound of footsteps caught his attention. He whirled around and spotted the people from the center, along with three new faces, trotting toward the van. Cecil headed straight for him and slipped her arm around his bent elbow.
“We’re taking a few of the nurses home,” she said. “Things are going to be a little tight in here. You don’t mind, do you?”
He glanced at Chantal who carefully avoided his gaze. “No, I don’t.”
Blaez promised himself he’d avoid sitting next to Chantal and Cecil, but when he jogged into the center for one of the nurse’s forgotten bags and returned to the van, the space next to Chantal was the only one available.
They locked eyes and looked away.
