by Jodi Vaughn
Securing her robe, she opened the refrigerator and pulled out two beers. She shoved one at him as she passed him on her way to her bedroom.
What she needed was a shower. A very cold shower to wash his scent off her and clear her mind.
He caught her arm before she made it into the bathroom and spun her around. She knew she needed to get away, but the warmth coming off his hard, naked body was too much of a temptation for her to step away.
He was going to be her kryptonite.
“Skylar, talk to me.”
“Zane, I don’t…”
Knock, knock, knock.
Zane tensed, and Skylar cut her eyes up at him.
“Skylar, is everything okay in there?” Mrs. Nelson called out from the other side of the door.
Skylar rolled her eyes to the ceiling and let out a sigh. She mouthed “Be quiet” to him as he made his way into the bedroom and closed the door.
Taking a deep breath, she strolled over to the door. Before reaching for the doorknob, she cut a glance over her shoulder to make sure Zane had stayed in the bedroom. The last thing she needed was for Mrs. Nelson to see she had a visitor. That old lady would want to know everything about Zane from his blood type to his shoe size. Not to mention that if she suspected he was staying with her, that old bat wouldn’t hesitate for one second to rat her out to her landlord.
The last thing she needed was another pair of eyes on her.
Gripping the doorknob in her hand, she flung open the door.
“Mrs. Nelson. What can I do for you?” She plastered a hard smile on her face and met the woman’s beady gaze. She cocked her head around Skylar’s shoulder, trying to get a look inside.
“I thought I heard noises. I know you don’t have a TV, so that couldn’t be it.” She swung her gaze back to Skylar. It held an intensity she wasn’t used to feeling from the frail lady.
“I had the radio on. That’s probably what you heard.” She forced herself to hold the woman’s gaze.
“Didn’t sound like a radio to me. Much too loud.” Her eyes narrowed into snake-like slits.
“Oh, well, it’s my new sound system. It can get pretty loud.” She gave her neighbor a sheepish grin. “I’m so sorry to have bothered you with it. I’ll make sure I keep it turned down.” Skylar eased the door closed, but the woman put her foot in the way, preventing it from shutting.
“Are you okay, Skylar? You’re acting a little strange.”
“I’m just exhausted. Been busting my ass to get this job finished.”
Mrs. Nelson frowned her disapproval at the coarse language.
“Sorry. I meant ‘butt.’” Skylar blushed.
“Hmmm. Well, try to keep it down. You don’t want to be known as the troublemaking neighbor, do you? Why, just look at how everyone avoids Samantha in 243 after that whole debacle. Good girls are quickly becoming a thing of the past. You don’t want to get a bad reputation, do you?”A low rumble came from behind her bedroom door. Skylar forced out a laugh.
“As you can hear, I think my plumbing is acting up again. Better go check on it.” She slammed the door in the old woman’s face. Leaning back against the door, she let out a sigh.
Her bedroom door eased open and Zane stood there looking pretty pissed off.
She held her fingers up to her lips and turned to take a look out the peephole. Mrs. Nelson closed her door behind her.
Spinning around, she leveled a glare at him. “I told you to be quiet,” she hissed.
“And I don’t like how that old hag talked to you.” He curled his fingers into fists as anger shot from behind his eyes.
“I learned a long time ago to ignore people’s opinions of me.” She shrugged and headed into the kitchen.
“It’s never okay for people to talk shit, Sky.”
Her heart tumbled in her chest at his endearment for her. It had been a long time since she’d heard him call her by that nickname.
“Whatever. Look, we have bigger issues at hand.” She waved her hand up and down his body. “You apparently have a problem with not being in control of your shift. And I am on an impossible deadline to get the house finished.”
She shoved past him into the bathroom. Before she shut the door, she looked at him. “Which is another reason we can’t happen. We don’t fit into each other’s world. We can’t ever happen, Zane.”
***
“What the fuck just happened?” Zane murmured.
One second he was a breath away from sinking himself into heaven, and the next she was cold as a snowdrift.
No woman had ever turned him down. Ever.
Stomping into the kitchen, he opened the fridge and pulled out another beer. He frowned as he surveyed her meager shelves which contained only sandwich meat, leftover lasagna, a package of sliced cheese, eggs, bacon, and a six-pack of beer. No wonder she was so thin. The girl needed to eat.
He popped the top of the glass bottle and turned it up. He downed half the beer before he heard the shower turn on in the bathroom.
His dick hardened further as he imagined Skylar stepping into the tub, the water glistening off her perfect, silky skin. She’d probably lean her head back and let the water cascade off her auburn hair and down her slender back. He imagined her arching into the stream as she ran her fingers through her hair.
Lost in his vivid image of her, he leaned back against the kitchen counter and closed his eyes. She would be soaping up the washcloth and then caressing her breasts until they were soapy mounds. She’d run the cloth down across her flat stomach and make little circles before inching down farther until she touched her sensitive flesh between her long legs.
His eyes popped open and he downed the beer. His body was on fire and on edge, and if he didn’t do something, he was going to go crazy.
“Fuck it.” He slammed the empty beer bottle down on the counter. Reaching for a stack of napkins, he grabbed a handful. Walking into the living room, he planted himself on the couch and leaned back. Taking his hard dick in his hand, he began to stroke, imagining it was her hand around him instead.
If he wasn’t going to have Skylar tonight, then he damn sure was going to have the fantasy of her instead.
***
“You needed to see me, Barrett?” Damon Trahan ambled into Barrett’s office and gave his Pack Master a nod in greeting. It had been well after midnight when he’d been summoned, and he wasn’t feeling too friendly toward his boss.
“I did.” Barrett shot him a scowl before turning his attention back to his computer screen.
“Look, I get I’m low man on the totem pole and all, but could you maybe next time wait until morning? You know how Ava hates it when I get pulled out of bed.”
“Stop right there.” Barrett‘s fingers froze on the keyboard and he held up a large hand. “Not another word about what I interrupted between you two in bed. That is not an image I need in my head.”
Damon’s lips tilted up ever so slightly. He liked that Barrett wasn’t lusting after his woman. He knew the hard-ass Pack Master saw Ava as a little sister. Good thing, too. He would hate to have to kill his superior for looking at his mate’s fine ass.
“Fine. No play-by-play.” He leaned back in the chair facing Barrett. “But you have to admit this is becoming a habit—you getting me out of bed at all hours of the night.”
“You’re a Guardian. It’s part of the job description,” Barrett deadpanned as the computer screen drew his attention once again.
“Be honest, man. How many times have you called Jayden out at midnight for a meeting? Or Lucien? Hell, any of the other Guardians, for that matter?”
“Jayden doesn’t go to bed at sundown like you do, jackass.”
“I don’t go to bed early.” Damon frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. “Is that what that fucker said?”
Barrett cracked a smile. “That’s what Ava said. She told me she needed you home by six.”
“I’ll have a talk with her.” He loved his mate, but she sometimes pushed the lin
e when it came to the Pack Master.
“Speaking of Ava, how’s her remodel coming?”
“Good. I think she wanted it done faster so she can get it on the market while the housing market is hot. She doesn’t want to move back to Jonesboro, which makes everything easier on me.” Ava’s house had been bombed by red wolves as payback after he’d rescued her from their captivity. Forced to go on the run with her, he’d quickly realized he’d fallen in love. In the end, he couldn’t let her go. After judgment was meted out against the kidnapper, Barrett had mated Damon and Ava together.
“She got someone good, I hope. Contractors will fuck you over if you’re not careful. Especially if they are dealing with a woman. They think they can pull one over on them.” Barrett snorted.
“Actually, this contractor is female.”
“No shit.” Barrett nodded in appreciation.
“Yeah. She and Ava seemed to click. Plus, she came in under bid and promised to be on schedule.”
“Just wait. I’m sure some unexpected expense will crop up and you’ll get it up the ass.”
“It’s Ava’s business. I try to stay out of it. I did tell her it was a bad idea to hire someone she’d never met in person. She’s working with the contract via Skype and phone.”
Barrett froze. He turned to give Damon his full attention.
“Well then, I think it’s time for Ava to take a trip over to Jonesboro to check on the progress. I mean, it would only make sense to check in.”
“I’ve tried to get Ava to go, but she doesn’t want to be without me.”
“Which is why you’re going with her.”
***
“Fuck.” Lucien glanced at his ringing phone and grimaced. Even if he answered it, he wouldn’t be able to hear anything over the music in the club. The smoke alone was killing him. After making sure Jayden and Braxton had gotten their tatts, Lucien had sent them on their way back to Little Rock. He and Jaxon had stayed behind to try to find out what was what with Zane.
“What?” Jaxon craned his neck to see the caller ID. “Dude, it’s Barrett. You need to answer it.”
“No shit.” The ringing stopped and Lucien shoved the phone into his back pocket. They’d hoped they could find a lead on Zane at Jonesboro’s only nightclub, but so far they’d come up empty. It was like he’d disappeared off the face of the earth.
“So what’s the plan?” Jaxon glanced at him before turning his back on yet another human female who’d eased onto the bar stool next to him in the crowded club.
“The plan is to avoid Barrett. Find Zane. And get to the bottom of what the hell is going on with him.”
“You don’t think he’s using, do you?” Concern creased Jaxon’s face.
“What?”
“Meth. You don’t think he’s using meth.”
“For fuck’s sake. It’s Zane we’re talking about. He’s the most in-control guy I know. He hardly ever drinks.” Lucien slammed down the shot of tequila and motioned for the bartender to give him another.
“Yeah, then what the hell is up with him?” Jaxon dragged his eyes away from a passing female with skinny jeans that hugged every curve. He met Lucien’s gaze with a worried frown.
“I don’t know, man. All I know is he’s not been right since the drug takedown. Were you in the house after it was over? Did you see him do anything? Take anything?”
Jaxon shook his head. “I barely left his side for two seconds. Besides, they were still cooking the shit. The product wasn’t even ready for distribution.” He glanced around, making sure no one else was listening in to their conversation. “Hell, it was still liquid. Or it was until Zane bumped into it and it destroyed what was left.”
“It doesn’t make sense. All I know is something is going on with Zane and if we don’t find out what it is before Barrett does, he’s going to be out of the Guardians.” Lucien sucked back the rest of the bitter beer.
“At best.”
“What do you mean?” Lucien narrowed his gaze.
“Getting kicked out is going to be the best outcome. I know Barrett, and he’s a stickler for upholding the Lupine Law. If Zane doesn’t stop shifting in public or if he’s on drugs, he’s going to be facing a Tribunal. And we both know what that means. He’s going to get taken out. Permanently.”
***
“Where the hell are you going?” Zane thundered.
Shoving down her anger, she maneuvered around Zane’s large body and snatched her keys and backpack off the kitchen counter.
“I need to go check on something.” She spun around and faced him, not ready for her body’s reaction to seeing him standing there wearing nothing but a sheet wrapped around his lean waist, intensity sparking from his eyes.
After their argument, she’d shown him some sheets and a blanket so he could sleep on the couch while she tossed and turned in her own bed.
He didn’t understand what she’d been through—hell, most people wouldn’t. But once he found out what she was—damaged—then he’d leave her alone soon enough. A Were of his status demanded a pure female, unblemished and perfect in every way.
She didn’t want to ruin him too.
“It’s fucking one o’clock in the morning. You’re not going anywhere this late.” His eyes blazed as he stared her down.
He probably meant to intimidate her and frighten her into submission. What he didn’t realize was that it was turning her on instead.
Stupid girly hormones.
She shifted her weight, thankful his sense of smell was on the blink. Otherwise, he’d know how attracted she was to him right now.
“I have a business to run. And that involves checking on my work sites to make sure some crackhead isn’t stealing my shit.” She stormed toward the door and turned. She waved her hand up and down his body. “And you can’t come because you’re naked. The last thing I need is to be driving around Jonesboro with a naked man. Or wolf.”
It was definitely the last thing she needed. How could she concentrate with his male scent filling up her truck like an aphrodisiac?
“The last thing you need is to take on a thief by yourself. You could get hurt or worse.”
Her gaze drifted south to where his fingers clenched the sheet. She swallowed back the lust that was currently warming her stomach and threatening to take control of her senses.
She shook her head. “I’ve got a gun. I’m not running into danger like you think. I do have a brain, you know.”
“Skylar, don’t you think about opening that door.” His growl sent a delicious shiver across her heated skin.
A smirk played on her lips as she turned the doorknob and flung open the door.
“Don’t wait up.” She slammed the door behind her just as he let out a growl.
Tightening her grip on her backpack, she hurried to her truck before he could follow.
***
“Damn it.” Zane started for the door just as his sheet fell to the floor.
She’d done it. She’d actually disobeyed him and left.
He glanced down at the erection he was sporting and shook his head.
She disobeyed him and it made him hard. Again.
How fucked in the head was that? His body surged to life as the urge to shift took over. His skin prickled and his gut clenched as rage fueled his body. He sucked in a deep breath to control his breathing and force his body to stop the shift.
His gaze landed on the door. Once he shifted, there was no way he was going to be able to open the door and go after Skylar. But if he left now, someone in the apartment complex might see him once he shifted into wolf.
Both fucking choices sucked.
“Fuck it.” He opened the door and sprinted for the back of the complex. If he was going to shift, it was better to do it away from the security lights that surrounded the front of the building.
He made it down the back steps and raced to the tree line just as he heard Skylar’s nosy old neighbor call out her name.
The old bat was probably up la
te doing some TV shopping for some cat figurines or some shit like that.
His body trembled as the shift washed over him. He stayed in the shadows of the trees, hoping the old woman wouldn’t walk out her door. If she saw him, she would probably call animal control—or worse, the local news channel—with reports of a bear.
Finally the door shut, and he relaxed. The old woman was smart enough not to come looking out into the dark. Good for her. Never knew what might be lurking in the shadows.
Zane lifted his head at the star-speckled night sky. The balmy Arkansas air did nothing to cool his overheated body.
No wonder so many wolves preferred the cooler climates like Colorado and Montana.
He cut his eyes and surveyed his surroundings. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t scent Skylar to get a trace on her. And it didn’t matter that he’d been covered up with a tarp while being transferred here. He didn’t need any of that to find his way back to the house that she was working on. When his sense of smell had failed him, his hearing had been amplified. He’d been doing more than just hiding under that tarp while being driven down Arkansas roads. He’d been listening to his surroundings and learning how to get back to where he’d been.
His ears perked up as the shrill of a train whistle cut into the black of the night. His mind quickly retraced the direction toward Skylar’s destination.
He sprang off his feet and raced along the tree line out of sight of humans.
His gut told him that something was off where Skylar was concerned.
He didn’t know what it was, but he damn well intended to find out.
Chapter Five
“I want to go too.” Granny propped her hands on her skinny hips, making her yellow and green muumuu crinkle up a bit, and frowned.
“Granny, this is not a vacation. It’s just a quick trip to go check on the progress of Ava’s house.” Once they got that house fixed and on the market, he’d feel relieved. It had nothing to do with money. Hell, as a Guardian, he did pretty fucking well. All Guardians did. He just didn’t want Ava to have a house or a place she might run off to if she got pissed at him.
