by D. Fischer
When I get to the sink, I dump the plates and turn to head back and gather more. Arms cage me in as he holds the counter top with each hand, towering over me. “I am your business, Bre. You can pretend all you want that you aren’t attracted to me, but I sure as hell know different.”
My body shakes with quiet laughter as I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. If he only knew … “Look, Flint and I aren’t together. Last night was a one-time thing. That’s it. Okay? Satisfied?” I drop my hand and I make to push past him, but he refuses to let me leave my cage. “Dude, seriously?” I glare at him.
Ben takes a moment to search my narrowed eyes. “Evo said something to me earlier.”
“And what exactly did my dear brother tell you.”
Ben inhales a deep breath. “That you think we’re mates.”
My body tenses with total shock and hurt by the betrayal. More than hurt—I’m livid. I knew Ben would find out eventually, but I was hoping my Pack mates would have left this alone, letting him find out for himself. It’s just like my brother to step in when it came to his sister.
My efforts are completely fruitless when I push my hands against his chest to shove him back. Ben is a well-built male. Shoving him is like trying to move a brick wall. When I fail to move him an inch, I get into his face instead. “And let me guess, you think it’s a load of shit?” I ask, my voice barely containing my anger.
His jaw ticks at my verbal challenge. “No. I don’t think we’re mates.” He pauses, searching my face. “I admit I have some sort of fascination with you, but I don’t think it’s a mating or I’d have known by now.”
I laugh and shake my head. “You’re a dumb bastard. You wouldn’t know your mate if she hit you with a two by four, and trust me, that’s been tempting. You’re so consumed with yourself and your Beta shit that nothing else matters. The only thing that matters to you is that I declined sex with you. The only thing that matters to you is that this little female bruised your manly ego.” I step a little closer, his scent swirling around my head. “I’ve got news for you, you egotistical asshole. I don’t give a shit anymore. Mate or not, I don’t need you—”
My rant is cut off when he captures my mouth with his. A take-your-breath-away kiss that dominates my lips and sizzles out my anger like blowing out a flame. Taking the kiss further, he grabs my hair and pulls my head back, slipping his tongue inside.
Sighing against him, I easily respond to the demands of his tongue. He tastes so delicious. More delicious than I remember in my drunken state last night. He pushes me against the counter and rocks his erection against my abdomen, making me moan against his lips.
“It would seem that you ‘need’ me more than you say.” His whispered words fan my face.
A box drops to the floor just inside the kitchen making us jump. We were so consumed with each other that we didn’t hear anyone else come in.
“Holy shit,” Kelsey says. “That’s ahh … I’m just … I’ll go. Um. Yeah. I’ll just go back where I came from and disappear for a respectable amount of time. Carry on.”
She grabs her box off the floor, hurries back in the direction she came from, and tells someone to follow her because the kitchen is “ocupado.”
I push Ben away instead of continuing where we left off. He moves easily for me this time, his lips swollen from our kiss. He gives me a questioning look.
“I’ll be in my quarters,” I mumble, defeat in my voice. “I’ve got work tomorrow morning, bright and early. I need to get some sleep.”
“Bre—” Ben begins.
“Don’t. We’re not mates, remember?” Without another backward glance, I walk out of the house with more confidence than I feel.
If he thinks he can have me whenever he wants just because he knows I’ll respond to him, he has another thing coming. I’m nobody’s plaything. I’m not an ego-stroker. He has two hands—he can stroke his own damn ego.
Benjamin Grobin
I watch her leave the kitchen without a backward glance. I know she wants me—I can smell it. Yet, she turns me away … again. My wolf snarls inside me, for yet again, I’m letting his female walk away. That’s right—he now thinks of her as his. He dares me to challenge that thought, too.
Gripping my head, I try to massage away the tension. Why does she keep denying me? I close my eyes in disgust when the answer hit me. She’s denying me because I’m denying her as my mate.
“What’s with all the guilt?” Kenna asks, walking in with Kelsey behind her. Both women carry boxes with them and set them on the counter.
“Find everything you need, or do we need to run to the store tomorrow?” I ask, moving my hand to rub the tension from my neck.
“We’ll have to go to the store tomorrow. We don’t have enough food to feed two Packs. The Riva Pack is a large one. Evo decided to make the bonfire a cook out,” Kelsey reports.
Kenna hops on the counter, swinging her legs. “You’re avoiding my question. What do you feel so guilty about?”
Kelsey takes a seat on the counter next to Kenna. “I’m guessing it has something to do with the face-sucking I walked in on.”
Kenna smiles at me and then looks back at Kelsey. “The what?”
“Bre and Ben. They were totally making out right next to the sink.” She points at me with her head.
“Seriously! That’s awesome!” Kenna fist pumps the air. “Wait, why does that make you feel guilty?”
I sigh and close my eyes, trying to muster up some patience for their girly O-M-Gs and cheerful smiles.
Kelsey wiggles her eyebrows. “Is it because I walked in on you two making out?”
“Or because you were making out to begin with?” Kenna asks, pointing her finger at me.
“Or, is it because you feel like you made her cheat with Flint? They’re not an item, you know,” Kelsey clarifies.
“For fuck’s sake. Close your mouths and give me a few seconds of silence,” I growl, rubbing my temples again.
Kenna gasps. “You feel guilty about wanting her.” When I look at her, she waves a hand around. “Not like, wanting her as a mate, but wanting to have sex with her.”
The lightbulb goes off in Kelsey’s head. “And it makes you feel guilty because she thinks you’re mates; you don’t believe it, and all you want is sex.” Kelsey rolls her eyes. “Is that all you men think about?”
Kenna leans over to Kelsey. “He doesn’t know that their mates, Kels. Shut your mouth, shut your mouth!”
“Oh, I know all about it,” I declare. Kenna and Kelsey turn their attention back to me. “Evo told me.”
Kenna’s eyes narrow. “And you don’t believe a word, do you?” she pauses, waiting for my answer. When I remain silent, she huffs. “I don’t know the thought process of that male brain of yours, but if you’re just lusting after Bre then you need to stop. She’s your mate, so unless you want to start the mating, I suggest you keep Junior in your fucking pants.” She holds up her hands when I open my mouth to protest. “Don’t even go there, buddy. You’re mates. Put on your big boy pants, suck it up, and accept it, or leave Bre alone. I don’t know why you won’t accept it or why you can’t see it, but I can. I’ve got a special little gift that confirms it, pal. Claim her or don’t. But if you choose to be an ass and not claim her, you need to let her lead her own life. If you punch the next guy she decides to sleep with or date, you’ll be dealing with me instead of Evo. I’ll use you as a mop and wipe the fucking floor.”
She hops off the counter and heads out of the kitchen, a glaring Kelsey following suit.
I stuff my hands in my jean pockets. “Is there anyone else I can offend tonight?” I ask the empty room.
Evo walks around the corner with his eyebrows raised and a small smirk on his face. “By the looks of things, you’ve single-handedly pissed off every female in the Pack within a handful of minutes. That’s got to be a new record.”
He grabs two beers from the fridge and hands me one. �
�It’s been a long fucking day,” I say popping the top off and taking a swig.
“Everything’s ready to go for tomorrow. Flint called the Riva Pack’s Alpha, Jacob. They should be here a few hours after everyone is back from work.”
“I still don’t like everyone going to work by themselves,” I grumble, swirling the beer inside it’s bottle.
Evo scrubs his face, trying to wipe off the stress. “Neither do I, but to keep the place running, we don’t have a choice.”
“Yeah.” I take another swig. The idea of Bre leaving the territory has me and my wolf on edge. “Anything I should be aware of for tomorrow night?”
“Flint said they’re a good Pack, but people will be drinking.” He wipes the condensation from the side of the bottle. “There’s always a chance of something happening. Hopefully, Kelsey doesn’t plan to drink—she’s the only one in our Pack I’d be concerned about. If she picks a fight with anyone, the rest of our girls will join in. You’re running perimeter tonight, right?” When I nod, he continues, “Good.” He gives a curt nod. “Jeremy has it tomorrow so we’ll have to keep an eye on his mate. I’ll ask Jacob to have one of his wolves run perimeter with Jeremy.”
“That sounds like a solid plan.”
Evo swallows a mouthful of beer. “What’d you do to piss off the women?”
I purse my lips. “Denied that I have a mate.”
“They’re very protective of each other. It’s great as a Pack but not so great when you’re the one they’re angry with.”
“Any advice?” I ask, lifting an eyebrow.
Evo rubs his jaw while thinking it over. “I suppose you should stop being an ignorant asshole. Your wolf knows she’s your mate and that’s why he’s riding you so hard. Otherwise, you would’ve never gone after Flint like that. I don’t fully understand why you’re having a hard time coming to terms with it and neither do the girls.” Evo blew out a breath. “My advice is the same as my mate’s. Claim her or stay away. That’s all I got.” He slaps my shoulder.
My internal war and the bickering with my Pack mates is giving me a migraine. Am I really being ignorant? If she is my mate, this isn’t how I expected it to happen. Mates are supposed to recognize each other the moment they see one another. This obviously didn’t happen for me. But maybe it’s because I’ve known Bre since she was born. Maybe it didn’t hit me like it would have if we hadn’t known each other our whole lives.
I’ve never seen Bre as anything other than my best friend’s little sister. Except for last night. Last night I found her unbelievably sexy. The way she moved on the dance floor, the way her mouth wrapped around the straw of her drink, down to the husk of her voice when I made her aroused. It all wrapped around me like a vice. It was the first time I saw Bre as anything other than Evo’s sister.
She’s is a strong-willed woman with a strong wolf. Her strength matches my own, but her past is a dark one. I may have witnessed the terrible things that happened back then, but she’s the one who lived it. The fact that she survived it with her sanity intact shows some serious strength.
Maybe I should stop looking at her as one of the Pack wolves and start looking at her with the possibility of something more. I never thought I’d ever find my mate—not a lot of wolves do. Could it really be possible that my mate has literally been in front of me my whole life? Could I really be so ignorant? Have I misjudged my wolf’s intentions?
Evo took a moment to let me mull over my thoughts in silence, before speaking. “There a good chance for snow tomorrow,” he says trying to make conversation. When I don’t reply, he tries again. “Lot of people coming tomorrow. We should still build a big fire.”
“Sure,” I reply automatically. My thoughts are still occupied with my possible ignorance.
Chapter Five
Brenna Johnson
“Have a good night,” I say, waving to the ER nurse at the end of my shift. I head out the exit and into the parking garage. I’m exhausted from being on my feet all day. The hospital was busier than normal but it makes me grateful for the distraction. The busier I am, the easier it is to ignore my personal problems.
My thoughts kept drifting to dark places about Ben and my father. The two most important men in my life who are supposed to love me unconditionally, don’t love me at all. My inner demons are showing me how unworthy I am today and it’s causing me to be mentally exhausted.
I fish my keys out of my purse as I walk in the direction of my car. Stopping when I hear footsteps behind me, I turn, expecting it to be one of the other nurses. Instead, two tall male figures with hooded jackets are heading in my direction. As a gust of wind blows through the parking garage, I get a whiff of their scents—male wolf shifters.
I continue to walk toward my car and press the unlock button on my key fob. The men had followed and stopped a few feet behind me. Slowly, I turn to greet them instead of hopping in my car. I just might regret this, but I’m not a coward. My mental exhaustion is making me pissy and I’m annoyed enough to confront this issue of stalking.
“Can I help you?” I ask, my eyebrows lifting in annoyance.
“No,” the tall blond guy grins. He’s covered in grease stains and fidgets from foot to foot.
I wave at them. “Then shoo. I’ve got places to be.”
The brown-haired guy huffs. The waft of stale cigarette smoke coming from him offends my nose. “You’re the Cloven Pack Alpha’s sister, aren’t you?”
I paste on a sarcastic smile. “And a gold star for you.”
“You’re a sassy little bitch, yeah?” The blond guy continues to grin.
“Yes, in fact, I am. A bitch, that is. This bitch has had a long day and one hell of a week. So, if you don’t mind … ” I jingle my keys indicating that I’m ready to leave.
The brown-haired guy shoves me against the car. “We do mind. We have orders to take you with us.”
“That’s a shame. I don’t go anywhere without an invite,” I growl and throw my head forward, head-butting him square on his nose.
He staggers back, holding his nose and letting out a stream of curses. I can feel blood trickling down my eyebrow from the cut his nose gave me. Head-butting that guy had hurt like a bitch, but apparently not as much as if I was on the receiving end of it.
Their eyes glow wolf as they take a step closer to me. The blond guy continues to speak while the other sets his nose with a sickening crunch, “You can either make this easy for everyone and come with us, or we’ll make it fun and then take you with us.”
“I’m guessing your idea of fun and my idea of fun have two very different meanings. Just where, exactly, would you be taking me,” I ask.
“We’re under strict orders not to tell you.” The blond lets his eyes roam my body. This guy is a pig. The brown-haired guy didn’t seem as enthusiastic about my capture.
“Then you just did.” I allow a small smile for their stupidity. They cock their heads to the side in confusion. “’Strict orders,’” I finger quote, “would come from your Alpha. I only know one Alpha who would even consider abducting a wolf from the Cloven Pack. When you go back empty-handed, tell George I said hello.”
Blond guy frowns in confusion and lunges at me before I have time to process his expression. I side step, grab his arm, and yank him onto his back. The stench that rolls off him tells me he hasn’t bathed today. Maybe not even yesterday.
Hearing brown-haired guy charge at me from behind, I turn and use the heel of my hand to hit him in the nose again. I hear that sickening crunch again, and he howls in pain. Kicking my foot out and aiming for his stomach, I connect, making him stagger back into my car.
Arms wrap around my torso with a strong grip and a nasty stench. Blond guy had recovered from his time on the concrete and holds my arms down to my side. It’s a move I should’ve been prepared for.
Before I can kick backward into blond guy’s knee cap, brown-haired guy lands a well-aimed punch to my stomach, the force gushing the air f
rom my lungs. I look up and notice him pulling back his arm for another strike. Before he could throw his fist forward, his eyes shift behind me. Blond guy’s arms are ripped from my body and I stagger back a few feet from the force of it. I hear a cry of pain from behind me and quickly spin around, preparing myself to take on another attacker. For a moment, I’m stunned frozen, watching as Ben throws blond guy into a nearby concrete pillar. What the hell is Ben doing here?
Brown-haired guy rushes at Ben with a feral growl. He swings his balled-up fist at Ben’s face. Ben quickly ducks and kicks him in his shin. The snap of bone is audible and before he can scream in pain, Ben punches his temple, making his head snap to the side. In what seems like slow motion, brown-haired guy falls to the cement floor, out cold like his greasy blond friend.
Finally getting the breath to easily fill my lungs, I work on quieting my breaths in the, now quiet, parking garage. I lift my head from the unconscious men to Ben. His eyes are glowing wolf and his entire body trembles with rage. He’s having a hard time containing his anger.
“Who were they?” Ben asks, still looking at crumpled up brown-haired guy.
I grab my purse and keys off the concrete. “No idea. They said someone had sent them for me.”
Ben meets my eyes. “The Gray Pack Alpha?”
“That’s my guess. They didn’t exactly say so, but it sounded that way to me.” I frown and walk over to him. “Hey, are you okay?”
I put my hand on his arm. He closes his eyes and inhales deeply. When he opens his eyes again, they’re back to their normal chocolate brown.
He lifts his hand and gently brushes the hair from my forehead, examining the gash I received. “Are you hurt anywhere else?” he whispers.
