by Jodi Vaughn
Getting rid of the house would be just one more step in healing his feelings of abandonment from his past.
“I didn’t say it was. I’m just bored.”
“What about running your”—he cringed as he forced the words out—“business?”
“I need a little break from all that selling. Why, the only time people come up to me anymore is to find out what flavor edible underwear I have. I feel used.” Granny pursed her lips into a thin white line.
Damon felt nauseated.
“Besides, I need a little time away to refresh. And I want to check out what Jonesboro has to offer. Heard they have a cute little farmers’ market on Saturday and a street festival every Thursday night.”
“First of all, I’m not going to just hang out. I have things I need to get done. Besides, I’m taking my Harley, and Ava’s going too, so there’s no room for you.”
“We can put the sidecar on it and there will be room for me.” Granny’s weathered face brightened.
“Oh, hell no. No one is putting that monstrosity on my Harley.” Damon fought back a shiver. The Guardians were still giving Jayden hell about how he’d discovered the sidecar on his beloved Harley Davidson Breakout with Granny in the passenger’s seat. It just wasn’t a good look.
“What are you guys talking about?” Ava walked into the living room, pushing a rolling suitcase.
“Wait. Hold up. What’s with the suitcase? You know there’s no room for it in my saddlebags. Just take one set of clothes.” He shifted his weight as the estrogen in the room doubled.
“I can’t travel with just one change of clothes. What if the weather changes? Or it rains? Or I spill something? Or we find a nice restaurant? Not to mention my shoes. I need my shoes, Damon.” Her eyes widened frantically.
“What are y’all discussing?” Jayden strolled in with Haley snuggled under his arm. Jayden planted a kiss on her lips when she gazed up at him.
“Damon won’t let me go to Jonesboro with him and Ava.” Granny pouted and gave Jayden puppy eyes.
“Damon, stop being a dick and take Granny.” Jayden glared at him.
“Jayden, language,” Granny quickly corrected.
“Why don’t Granny and I take my SUV and you ride your Harley?” Ava said. “That way we can pack whatever. Plus, I’ve been dying to check out this new Arkansas artist, Ande Allison. I’ve seen her artwork online, and I want to buy some before she gets expensive.”
“Good idea, dear. Get her on her way up.” Granny smiled and patted her hand. “I hope she’s better than that artist who did that canvas for me in Little Rock. I asked for an abstract garden. I got a picture of a vagina.” Damon’s stomach clenched as he shook his head, trying to dislodge that mental image.
“Granny, please.” Jayden rubbed his eyes.
“That’s a good idea. You and Granny ride together and we’ll meet up at the house.” Damon knew better than to argue with either Granny or Ava. Besides, this way he could do a little investigation on his own without Ava knowing what he was up to.
“I’ll pack a picnic.” Granny clapped her hands together and grinned.
“It’s only a two-hour drive, Granny. And it’s hot as hell out there. We’re not doing a picnic.” Damon looked to Jayden for support, but his fellow Guardian just shrugged his massive shoulders.
“Dude, you’re fighting a losing battle. Just go with it.” Jayden smirked as he and Haley made their exit.
Damon gritted his teeth. Fucking Jayden.
***
Zane’s body pulsed with adrenaline as he raced across the rice fields toward the city. For a small town, it sure had a lot of nightlife going on. He’d encountered a couple of teenagers parking on a back road and had scared the shit out of the guy when he’d leapt out in front of the car. The guy had screamed and shoved his girlfriend in front of him, which had earned him a well-deserved slap in the face.
Then he almost got hit by a truck when he jumped across the railroad tracks. The asshole must either have been drinking or doing drugs, because he leaned out the window and shot him the bird. The guy didn’t seem fazed that he’d just seen a large-ass wolf.
Zane’s paws hit the ground in a rapid staccato. His lungs ached as he sucked in breaths with each bounding step. His heart beat between his ears, and his body echoed with the need to find Skylar.
And when he found her, he had half a mind to take her over his knee and…
His body warmed at the thought. Not of hurting her, but the idea of having her bent over her kitchen counter—or better yet, the bathroom sink—as he sunk his dick into her tight little body.
He shook his head and continued his breakneck journey in the direction he knew she would be headed.
She was too damn stubborn to listen to anything he said. Coming out here this late at night was a bad idea. Even if she was carrying a gun.
The full moon illuminated the white farmhouse sitting up in the distance.
Relief poured off him in waves as he noticed her truck turning into the driveway and coming to a stop. She kept the headlights on as she got out of the truck.
He gave her credit for that move.
He kept his gaze locked on her as he hurried though the rice field. Unease pricked the back of his neck, alerting him to some unseen danger.
A rustle came from the back of the house, followed by a large, dark shadow. Whoever or whatever it was, was quick. Skylar, sensing the danger, lifted her gun in the direction of the noise.
Zane’s heart squeezed in his chest. He pushed his body harder, running as fast as his legs could carry him. Ignoring the sting in his lungs, he growled as he rushed to close the distance between him and the danger that threatened Skylar.
The shadow ran straight for Skylar and tackled her to the ground. The sharp echo of a gunshot pierced the quiet darkness.
Zane’s gut twisted as his blood ran cold.
Please let Skylar be okay. Please let her be okay.
He broke free of the rice field and ran into the yard. As he got close, he realized the shadow must be some kind of werewolf due to its size.
Zane leapt through the air and knocked the assailant off Skylar. They tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs. He twisted his body and pinned the attacker to the ground.
The guy was definitely wolf due to his size and the way his eyes were changing colors from blue to yellow, signaling an impending shift.
The werewolf drew back his arm and slammed his fist across Zane’s face, catching his nose in a stinging blow and knocking him off. Rage propelled Zane forward, and he launched his body as the guy began his shift into wolf. He didn’t have but a moment with the upper hand. Once the guy shifted, they would be evenly matched.
He lunged and caught the guy around the throat. A strangled gurgle slid out from his lips as Zane bit down harder. The guy dropped to the ground.
Bloodlust seeped through his entire body as the assailant’s blood trickled into his mouth. He craved the coppery taste. He wanted more.
A whimper from behind had him freezing. Letting go of his hold on the werewolf, he glanced around for Skylar. His gaze landed on her a few feet away. Sprawled on the ground and lying perfectly still, Skylar let out another soft whimper.
He leapt off the attacker and hurried to her side. He lifted his paw to her face and then cringed. He needed his human form. He needed to help her. Why the fuck wasn’t he shifting back?
He searched her face, frantic for signs of any injuries. Had she been shot? Was she hurt? And how the hell was he going to be able to help her in his wolf form?
He glanced back at the werewolf, who was making his escape down the road on foot. He’d managed to shift back into human form before taking off, which pissed Zane off even more.
He turned his attention back to Skylar and lowered his nose to her face. He let out a soft growl, hoping she’d wake up and talk to him.
His nose brushed something wet at her temple. His breath caught in his throat as fear seized his body. He licked the wetne
ss.
Blood.
She’d been shot, and there was no fucking way he could help her in his current form.
He lay down by her still body and rested his head on her chest. The slow rise and fall of her breathing gave him some consolation, as did the steady beat of her heart.
For the first time in his life, he felt fucking useless.
He sat back on his haunches lifted his head and let out his frustration as he howled at the full moon.
***
Skylar blinked back the cobwebs and opened her eyes. The starry night sky stared back at her. She frowned for a second, wondering how the hell she’d ended up sprawled on the ground. Then she remembered.
The attacker.
She tried to sit up, but a heavy weight on her chest pinned her down.
She glanced down. And smiled. She’d know that wolf anywhere.
Zane lifted his furry face off her chest and gazed into her eyes. He leaned forward and gave her a lick across the face.
“Enough. You can get off me now.” She eased up onto her elbows as he lifted his head. She winced at the sharp pain in the side of her temple. Reaching up, her fingers brushed something wet.
She held her hand out and frowned at her bloodstained fingers.
“I don’t remember hitting my head.”
“That’s because you didn’t. He shot you. The bullet grazed the side of your head. You’re lucky to be alive.” Zane’s deep voice echoed in the darkness. She looked over in his direction.
He stayed beside her, crouched like a predator, his naked body gleaming under the bright moonlight. She’d been too focused on her injury to realize he’d shifted into his human form.
A cold shiver ran down her spine. Shot? Her body began to shake uncontrollably.
“Holy shit.” It was all she could force past her lips. “I didn’t realize he had a gun. I thought he was some unarmed crackhead trying to steal my equipment again.” She pushed to her feet. Her legs buckled, and Zane was suddenly right there, his strong hands around her waist, holding her up, lending her his strength.
“Easy. Are you all right? Maybe you have a concussion from the fall.” His eyes bored into hers with worry. He probed the side of her head with tender fingers as all the breath left her lungs in a whoosh.
“I’m fine. I’m just shaken, that’s all.” She sucked in a deep breath to steady her runaway heart.
“Skylar, what were you thinking?” He tightened his hold on her waist and glared at her. Even without the blinding headlights from her truck, she still would have been able to tell how pissed off he was by his harsh tone.
“I was thinking I needed to protect my business,” she fired back. Her mood shifted, replacing fear with irritation.
“It was a stupid move coming out here by yourself this late at night,” he growled.
Anger flared in her veins. She’d been bullied by men throughout her life, and she was fucking sick and tired of it.
She shoved her hands against his steely chest, but he didn’t budge.
“You have no idea what it’s like trying to run your own business. You wouldn’t understand what it’s like to never seem to get ahead.” She stuck her finger in the middle of his chest. “Everything you ever had was given to you. Your family, your future, your position in life. Not everyone gets that. Not everyone is born into a family who cares about them. Some of us are born into a shitty family. Some of us were not meant to survive, but end up doing that very thing anyway. Through our hell, we find a purpose and try to find some redemption.”
She’d never been so damn mad in her life. Not when her father would forget to feed her when she was five years old. Not when her father would beat the hell out of her when she was eight for not cooking his dinner to his liking. Not even when her father let his druggie friends fondle her in exchange for some dope when she hit puberty.
“So don’t stand there and fucking tell me what to do. You don’t have that right. Are we clear?” She hissed out the last words as her hand itched to slap his perfectly handsome face.
His eyes widened and then narrowed before he pulled her hard into his chest. Her body was pressed flush against his, and she could feel her nipples hardening against his chest.
She hated the hold he had on her body and her emotions. And when she should have been afraid of his alpha male routine, she was anything but. Her body warmed under the pressure of his, and she didn’t fight the urge to arch against his body like a cat.
Zane Steele was going to be the death of her. That much she knew.
***
He’d thought she was shot. The second he’d heard the gunshot ring out across the night, the worst possible scenario had exploded in his mind in vivid color.
His heart had stopped in those terrifying few seconds of uncertainty.
When he’d bolted over to her and attacked the asshole that had hurt her, all he had wanted was to taste his blood and rip out his throat. It was her small whimper that had stunned him while the wolf escaped.
He’d never been so relieved and grateful in his entire life. Never.
When he’d laid his head on her chest and felt her breath, he’d been given hope that she was going to be okay.
Now here she was, alive and full of fire, like always. His Sky.
His body tensed as she rubbed against him like a feral animal, and his dick hardened to the point of pain. All he could think about was taking her right here under the hot Arkansas moon.
He slammed his mouth down across hers, groaning as her sweet taste exploded in his mouth like candy. He cupped her head and angled for a deeper kiss while his other hand slid down to grasp her perfect butt. Working on a construction site had kept her hard and toned in all the right places.
“Zane,” she moaned into his mouth as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.
Damn, she was going to make him explode right here if he didn’t get inside her soon.
He slid his hands down to her ass and lifted her. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he walked her over to her truck. His hand grazed the door, making sure the metal wouldn’t be too hot for her tender flesh before pressing her back against the truck. His erection strained forward, pressing into her flat stomach. He needed desperately to be inside her.
“Now. I want you now,” she demanded as she moved her hot mouth to the side of his neck and sucked hard.
“Fuck, Skylar.” Jolts of pleasure shot across his balls.
She reached down and unzipped her jeans. He continued to kiss her as she kicked the denim off and reached for her shirt.
He held her head between his palms and searched her face. Desire filled her dilated pupils as her nostrils flared. She was scenting him, smelling his heightened arousal. Disappointment flooded his gut. He still couldn’t smell her.
“Are you sure?” He gazed down into her face and prayed that she wasn’t going to change her mind. If she did, he was going to find a pond and jump in.
“Yes. Now.” She pulled him down for another deep, searching kiss. There was no hesitation in either her eyes or her body.
His fingertips brushed the back of her bra as he fumbled with the hook. When he finally managed to release the article of clothing, he sighed with relief. He was one step closer to finding heaven.
She shrugged out of her white lacy bra and hooked her fingers on either side of her panties and pulled them down over her slim hips.
She kicked them to the side.
He took a step back and clenched his hands to keep from touching her.
Her white skin shimmered under the glow of the full moon. Her hair, red as the desert sun, brushed across her shoulders as she stared back at him with those beautiful eyes. Her pink tongue swiped across her full lips, making his cock harden even more. His gaze dropped to her pretty pink nipples, and his mouth watered for a taste.
She didn’t try to cover herself like some untried virgin, yet there was an innocence in her widened gaze that made his heart leap in his chest.
“Why aren’t you touching me?” She lifted her chin as if daring him to lie.
“I want to see you, memorize your beauty before I take you. I want you to see me too. I want you to remember how hard I’m going to make you come, and I want it burned inside your head until it’s the first thing you think of in the morning and the last thing you think of at night. I don’t want you to ever forget, Skylar.”
Her lips widened at his coarse language for a brief second before her pupils dilated even further.
“Then come here and show me.” Her husky voice left no doubt of her lust for him.
Lust surged through his body and he lifted her in the air. She wrapped her legs around his waist, reminding him how delicious they felt together. Using her thighs, she lifted, nudging his cock against her wet heat.
“I want you in me now.” She clutched his shoulders.
She brushed her mouth across his neck, tucked his earlobe into her hot mouth, and nipped.
He growled, fueled by her lust, and reached between their bodies to guide his length into hers.
Poised at her entrance, he met her gaze. She ground down on his cock, burying him deep.
“Oh, god,” she cried out as her head fell back. “Don’t stop.”
“Baby, there’s no way I could stop now even if I tried.” He tightened his grip on her hips and pressed her against the side of the truck. “It feels too fucking good.”
Her muscles clamped down around his dick like velvet heat. She lifted herself up and powered back down on his dick, making his body tremble in anticipation.
He gripped her hips, forcing her to go slow. He covered her mouth with his, kissing her long and deep.
He slid all the way out and then thrust back in until he was balls deep in paradise. Sweat popped up across his body as he tried to control his own impending orgasm. Her sweet body was making it hard to concentrate on anything but how good her tight pussy felt clamped down around his throbbing cock.
