by Bethany Shaw
Lucas was like a brother to him; raised together in the same household, they’d been best friends since their preteens. When Lucas took over for his father, he’d named Essex as his Beta, or second-in-command.
“You’ll know when the time is right. I did with Maggie. Sure, she freaked out at first,” he paused, motioning to the house where Maggie probably was getting ready for bed, “but she came around. Having the bond with her helped. The sooner you mate, the better.”
“Thanks, Lucas.” He could see where mating would make things easier, but he didn’t want to rush anything, either. Haven was his mate and he wanted her to be completely comfortable before they mated. He clapped Lucas on the shoulder and turned to go.
“If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to let me know,” Lucas said. He took a few steps toward Essex. “I’ve already called the council. Witches will be here first thing in the morning to put up new wards around Emerick. These witches, demons, and vampires are powerful enough to get through them, but with fresh wards up, we should at least have some warning they are coming.”
“I understand.” Essex knew that The Hags that had killed his family years ago would come for him at some time; he just didn’t realize that he’d have to protect his mate from them at the same time, too. He and Haven were both the last of their bloodlines, and were both being pursued by the same evil.
“Stay in Emerick. That’s an order. Understood?” Lucas asked.
Essex knew better than to go against a direct order from his Alpha. It wasn’t like he left Emerick that often, either. He knew he had a target on his back, and he didn’t want to bring trouble to Emerick. The town was still hidden from the outside world, at least for the moment. “I won’t leave the property until the threat is neutralized.”
Lucas nodded at him seemingly satisfied. “Good. Now go meet your mate.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. Essex hurried off the front porch and across the way to his house. Before he could get up the steps, the front door opened. His heart skipped a beat and he swallowed hard. It wasn’t Haven who exited, though. It had to be her protector—either that, or his mate had aged horribly and looked like a middle-aged man. His money was on the former.
“Essex Baker, I presume,” the man said, eyeing him up and down.
“You’re Haven’s protector.” It wasn’t a question—he already knew the answer.
The man inclined his head. “Yes, I’m Stephen Carson, retired MYTHS agent, and protector of Haven Carson. She is settling in for the evening. It’s been quite a long day of traveling for her.”
“Is she well?” Essex asked. His eyes slid to the closed door, curious to see his mate. He’d had dreams about an ebony-haired beauty with sapphire eyes, but he’d never met her before. The woman in his dreams had to be Haven.
“She’ll be just fine. Though I should warn you, she is quite... irritated. She has many questions about her past. I have been sworn to secrecy and could never answer any of them. Hopefully, when the time is right, you can answer them for her.”
“I’ll do my best, though I must admit I don’t know very much about either of our pasts.” That was the truth. He knew she was his mate, and a little about his family and hers. The rest was a mystery.
Stephen bowed his head and smiled. “Everything will come to light at the right time. I must take my leave. I trust Haven will be in capable hands.”
“I won’t let anything happen to her—you have my word.” He’d die before letting a single hair on her head be harmed. The innate need to protect his mate nearly overwhelmed him. If it was this strong now, he could only imagine how much more it would be once he laid eyes on her.
“Good. Haven is a special girl. She may have been my charge all these years, but I have come to care for her as if she were my own.” Stephen smiled, but it was sad. “I must see about trying to lead the Hags hunting you away from here. Take care, Essex.”
“You too.” He watched as the man walked away. For a retired agent, he was still heavily invested in MYTHS, if he was protecting Haven after all these years. MYTHS (Magically Yielded Team of Heroics Society) was a group of supernaturals that protected humans and supernaturals alike from the evil in the world. Their job was to protect innocents and make sure that the supernatural stayed a myth in the minds of humans.
Essex’s pack was a special part of MYTHS. Emerick didn’t exist on any human map. It was hidden by wards and magic deep within the countryside of the mountains, and could only be accessed by someone who knew where to find it and had permission to enter the safe haven—that was, assuming The Hags didn’t figure out how to sneak in.
Emerick housed the pack, humans, and supernaturals that needed special protection and a place to hide. When his family had been murdered years ago, he’d come here as an orphan. Thankfully he’d found a family and a place to call home, too. Lucas’ father had been like a dad to him. He truly was a member of the Emerick pack.
The sound of the front door creaking open drew him from his thoughts. His attention darted to the door where a petite, curvy woman stood. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Her ebony hair cascaded around her circular face, and her sapphire eyes widened slightly when she saw him. Arousal permeated the air, and he groaned at her sweet smell. The connection between them was already strong, if simply looking at each other set them both on edge.
His wolf howled inside him, urging him to take the next few feet forward and sweep her into his arms to claim her. There was no doubt in his mind that this breathtaking beauty was his true mate.
She blinked at him, seemingly as entranced by him as he was with her. Then her expression changed. A frown marred her pretty face. She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot on the welcome mat by the door.
“Stephen said that you could answer all my questions. So let’s start with the first one. Who are you and why did he insist on bringing me here?” Her brows rose, and she stared at him as if demanding his answer.
“I’m Essex Baker. I met you a long time ago, and I know something about the... men that are after you. They are after me, too,” he said. If she wanted answers, he’d give them to her, although he could only tell her what he knew, and it wasn’t a lot. They’d have to unravel the rest of it together.
Her frown deepened. “You don’t sound like you’re from Tennessee, not with that accent.”
Essex chuckled and walked toward the door. She moved, letting him by, but not before his arm brushed against her shoulder. The tiniest touch set his skin on fire and had his cock rising to attention already. He suppressed the urge to growl and made a note to try not to touch her until she was ready.
“I’m not from Tennessee, no. I was born in Bath, England. I was brought to the US when I was eleven. My family died, much like yours did.” He inclined his head to her. She moved away from the door but didn’t stop staring at him. He shut the door and twisted the locks into place, not that it would do much to keep vampires and warlocks out, but she didn’t know that – yet. Any other night, he’d leave the doors unlocked. There was no crime in Emerick. The only thing you had to worry about was neighbors barging in to ask for a cup of sugar or for help doing some odd chore.
“You know about my family?” Haven asked. Her face hardened, becoming unreadable.
Clearly, he’d said the wrong thing. He needed to fix it. “Stephen told us about your situation. He let us know that you were coming last night.” It was somewhat of a lie, but he couldn’t exactly tell her everything right this second. She’d either believe him or she wouldn’t. Given the situation, he’d bet on the latter. He needed to gain her trust a little bit before he told her everything he knew. “Our town specializes in protecting people that are being pursued by... unnatural things.”
“Unnatural?” She nodded, seeming to ease up a little bit. “The things that attacked me were... well, I don’t know what they were.”
Haven let out a breath and ran a hand over her hair. She yawned, then sagged against the kitc
hen counter.
Essex fought the urge to go to her and wrap her in his arms. She looked exhausted and scared. He wanted to whisk her off to bed and ease her worries away. The wolf in him bubbled beneath the surface, encouraging him to do just that, but he knew now wasn’t the right time.
“You look beat. I’m guessing you’ve been traveling all day?” he asked.
She nodded and yawned again. He knew how exhausting it was when you crashed from an adrenaline high.
“Are you hungry?” he asked. His kitchen was always fully stocked, being a werewolf meant he was always hungry.
Haven shook her head.
“Why don’t I show you to the guest room, you can shower and get some sleep, and in the morning, I’ll answer any questions you have, okay?” He kept his voice low and calm, while he hit her with a low dose of persuasion. Persuasion magic only worked on those that didn’t know how to fight it. He didn’t like using his magic on her, but he figured the conversation would go better if she were rested. Even if he told her bits and pieces at a time, it was still a lot to take in, and he didn’t want to overwhelm her.
Haven licked her lips. Her eyes flared, becoming an even brighter sapphire before simmering down. She sighed. “Fine. I don’t think I have it in me to hear about all this tonight, anyway.”
Her eyes snapped to his, the fire back in them and she took a step forward, pointing. “But if you think you’re going to keep pushing me aside like Stephen, you’ll find you’re sorely mistaken.”
He chuckled, finding her mesmerizing when she was angry. “Noted.”
Chapter Three
Haven groaned and rolled over in the bed. She blinked at the bright sunlight seeping in from the curtains. What time was it? She narrowed her eyes and glanced around the room until she found an alarm clock.
The red illuminated lights said it was nearly eleven. She shot up and cursed. It was late enough Essex might have left to do something, and she’d have to wait for her answers. Crap!
She flung the covers back and hurried to her bag. Stephen had packed a bag of clothes and toiletries for her, and it had been ready and waiting in his vehicle at the train station. How he had known to expect her was still a mystery. Why she’d let him get away once again without spilling the beans was an even bigger one. Why did she keep doing that? It was annoying.
She’d done it with Essex last night, too. One minute she’d been determined to stand her ground and find out everything even if it took all night; the next, she’d been complacent and off to bed. It was weird how it always happened when she wanted to know about her past.
That was how Stephen was, though; he was able to ease her mind just like he always seemed to know things. It was like he had a sixth sense. For all she knew, he did. After what she’d witnessed the other night, anything was possible. The idea of supernatural creatures running rampant should frighten her, yet it didn’t, at least not in the way she thought it would.
While part of her was scared of the unknown, the other part wanted to learn more.
Haven picked out an outfit and quickly changed into it. The emerald green tee flowed loosely to her thighs, and the black leggings fit snugly, just how she liked them. It irritated her how well Stephen knew her, yet she knew next to nothing about him or their family.
Today she was going to find out everything. Hopefully, Essex would know things. He was a stranger, yet there was something about him. The moment he’d walked into the room last night her belly had done a somersault, and her libido had skyrocketed through the roof. He was hot—like, really hot.
No man had ever had that effect on her; the ‘let me strip so you can take me now’ effect. It unnerved her a little.
She took in a deep breath and let it out while opening the bedroom door. The smell of bacon, eggs, and sausage filled the air. Her mouth watered and her belly grumbled. It smelled amazing.
Her feet moved across the carpet without her even realizing it. Before she knew it, she was in the kitchen.
Essex stood at the stove. His shirtless back was to her. She sucked in a breath at the muscles that lined his back. He was built and toned wonderfully. She could already imagine running her hands down his back while he was buried deep inside her.
He turned around and grinned at her. Heat scorched her face when he smiled at her like he knew exactly what she’d been imaging.
“Morning,” he said, turning back to the stove. “Did you sleep well?”
Haven cleared her throat. “Yes. Thank you.” She smoothed a hand over her shirt and glanced around the room in an effort to collect herself and to keep her mind from turning to dirty thoughts once again. One wall caught her eye, and she had no idea how she’d missed it the night before.
Pictures of wolves and people lined one wall from top to bottom. A few wolf knick-knacks sat out on the shelves, and a painting of a lone gray wolf hung from another wall. It was beautiful—so realistic. Something about the painting called to her. She took a few steps closer until she was right in front of it.
Reaching out, her fingers skimmed over the canvas, tracing the magnificent creature.
“You like that?” Essex’s voice broke her trance.
“It’s nice.” She took a step back and glanced around the room again. “I see you have a thing for wolves.”
Essex chuckled. It was a deep, hearty laugh. One that made her insides tingle. “You could say that. I find them fascinating.”
“I can see why. They are beautiful animals.” Wolves had always fascinated her, too. She didn’t have pictures of them littering her walls at home, but she often stopped to stare at them when she came across them.
“Have you ever studied the wolf pack dynamic? There is something to be said about the way they stick together and help each other.”
His footfalls thudded on the floor as he came to stand behind her.
She peered over her shoulder, getting a good view of his well-defined chest. She snapped her attention back to the wall. “There is something to be said for sticking together.” Which reminded her... “You were going to talk to me about my family,” she said. She licked her lips and steeled herself to face him.
When she spun around, her gaze locked with his mesmerizing ice-blue eyes. They were breathtaking, especially the way they complemented his sandy-blond hair.
“What is it you’d like to know about your family?” he asked. He cocked his head to the side and stared at her.
She swallowed hard. Was he really going to answer her questions? Or was he playing along and would he find a way to evade all her questions like Stephen did? There was only one way to find out.
“Um, everything,” she said with a shrug.
Essex laughed out loud. “That could take a while.”
She huffed. “How about the basics. Who were they? Why were they murdered?” She crossed her arms over her chest.
Essex sobered and nodded. “Very well. My family visited your family often. We’ve actually met—sort of. I came for a visit right after your birth. That was the only time you and I met, but your parents did visit my house several other times before that.”
“Really?” Haven asked. She had no memories of her family at all, even though she had been six when they were murdered. She should remember something, but she didn’t. It was just one more thing that was weird.
“Your parents, Rosa and Edmond Goode, were well respected and loved in the community, and quite wealthy,” Essex continued.
“My last name is Goode?” she asked. Jeesh. Her last name wasn’t even Carson. Was her first name even Haven? Did she really want to know?
“Yes. Your name was changed for your protection,” Essex said with a sigh.
“Because of my parents’ murders,” she said.
“Yes.”
“If they were so well respected and loved, why would someone want to murder them?” Haven asked quietly.
“For power,” Essex said.
He made it all sound so simple. Was taking another life that easy for some? P
robably. It made her sick to the stomach.
“Come. Let’s get you something to eat. We can talk more over brunch.” Essex placed his hand on her elbow, gently guiding her to the kitchen table. Warmth seeped beneath her skin where he touched. She moved closer to him, wanting to feel more of him.
They came to a stop at the table. He pulled out a chair and released her arm. She instantly missed the contact. Part of her wanted to reach out for him to draw him close again, but she didn’t. Instead, she plopped down in the chair.
Plates rattled and silverware clanked as Essex prepared two plates for them.
“I hope you are hungry. I made breakfast and lunch stuff, since it’s kind of late.”
“I’m starved,” she said. She and Stephen had eaten at the airport, but she hadn’t eaten since. It had been well over twelve hours since her last meal. Her belly rumbled in agreement.
“I’m putting a little bit of everything on your plate.”
“Thank you. I didn’t picture you being someone who cooked,” she said, watching him work. The food smelled delicious, but it didn’t seem right that someone like Essex could cook stuff that smelled this good. Then again, it was never good to stereotype anyone.
He carried over two very full plates of food, piled high with way more than she could eat in an entire day.
“Learning to cook was a big thing for me growing up. I like to eat a lot. Let’s just say whatever you don’t eat, I’ll finish off for you.”
She blinked as he sat the full plate in front of her. There was no way she could eat even half of it, even with as hungry as she was. How in the world could he eat his plate and some of hers? Where did he put it?
“My entire family knows their way around a kitchen, even if my mom does most of the cooking. Food is very important to us,” Essex continued. He laughed like he’d told a joke.
Her eyes swept over his six-pack. “I don’t know where you put it.”
Essex grinned and smoothed a hand over his torso. “I have a crazy fast metabolism.”
