by Jane Jamison
At once, the tension eased—except from Moses. He wasn’t pleased by her comment. Thankfully, however, he kept his mouth closed.
“Anyway, we’ll let you two get back to it. Come on, guys. There’s a beer with my name on it at the bar.”
“Oh.” She hadn’t expected Thomas to leave. Instead, she’d hoped to have Ryan and Grant sit down, too. She had to fight the urge to take Thomas by the arm and ask him to stay.
He leaned in as he stood up. “It was nice meeting you, Willa.”
“Yeah. Same here.”
And then they were gone as quickly as they’d appeared.
Damn.
Moses scraped his chair against the hardwood floor and scooted closer. She shifted in her chair, trying to put more distance between them without being too obvious.
“You’d better stay away from those guys.”
“Why?”
“They’re not worth your time. They’re part of my…organization. Not high ranking ones, either.”
She didn’t care if they were omega pack members. “And what kind of organization is it?” Her gaze met his, a challenge.
His eyes narrowed. If she’d been part of his pack, he would’ve had every right to get angry. Instead, knowing she was human, he held back. “The folks in Fate like to stick together in groups. They’re in mine. Not that I’m proud of it.”
“Like gangs?” She smothered a smirk. “Or a bowling league?”
“More like an exclusive club.”
“Hmm.” She knew she was pushing it, but the devil in her wouldn’t let her stop. “What’s the old saying? I wouldn’t want to belong to any club that would have me as a member. Or something like that.” Shaking her head, she pretended to ignore his hard look. “You know what I mean.”
“Nah, I don’t.”
Maybe his tone wouldn’t have seemed so sinister if she hadn’t known he was a werewolf. Still, she needed to get away from him, if only for a few minutes. If she got lucky, she might run into the sexy cowboys again. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Where you going?” He clutched her arm, holding her there.
She glanced at his hand on her, his fingers digging into her flesh. “You’re hurting me.”
He turned her loose. “I asked you where you’re going.”
“To the ladies’ room.” She was up and moving as fast as she could. Fear tensed her body, and it wasn’t until she’d reached the hallway leading to the restrooms that she stopped and dragged in a breath.
“You’d better stop playing around,” she whispered to herself.
“Oh, I don’t know. I think you should definitely play around.”
Ryan stepped out of a niche against the wall. “Headed to the ladies’ room?”
“I am.”
He held out his arm like a gentleman caller taking his best girl on a date. “Then here, let me make sure you get there safely.”
“Why, thank you, sir.” Warmth spread into her cheeks. Was she really blushing?
The short walk to the ladies’ room door was far too short. Yet, just as they’d gotten there, Grant and Thomas came out of the men’s room.
“Hey, there,” said Thomas. Grant remained quiet, but a quick smile came and went.
“I was escorting the pretty lady to her destination.” Ryan still had her arm entwined with his. “We wouldn’t want any big, bad wolves to get her.”
For a moment, Willa was sure they knew her secret. But then Thomas laughed and added, “She’s no Little Red Riding Hood. Something tells me she can take care of herself.”
“Still, maybe you should keep on going and get her away from Moses.” Grant cleared his throat. “Sorry. I forgot he’s a friend of yours.”
“Sort of.” She didn’t want to claim Moses at all, but he had helped her out.
“I get that.” His dark gaze met hers. “Just be careful around him, okay?”
“Because of his temper? Yeah, I know what you mean.”
“Yeah. His temper.”
Did he mean more? If she’d had time, she would’ve asked. Taking a wild chance, Willa put her back to the wall so she faced all three of them. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure. Ask away.” Thomas glanced over his shoulder as though looking for Moses to appear.
“Do you have a mate?”
They kept their expressions neutral enough, but she still caught a flicker of a reaction in their eyes.
“A mate?”
“You know what I mean, Ryan. Do you have a woman?”
He checked with his friends. “Are you asking me or all of us?”
“All of you.” Her heart was so loud she was sure they could hear her. Should she tell them that she knew what they were? Should she tell them she wanted to be their mate? How did she know for sure? Maybe she didn’t yet, but she sure as hell wanted to find out if they were taken or not. If they weren’t, then great. If they were… She didn’t even want to go there.
“No, we don’t. None of us has a mate,” answered a very serious-looking and intrigued Grant.
“Are you planning on sharing one woman?”
Thomas shifted from one foot to another. Was she making them nervous? “Yeah, we hope we can. But that’ll depend on the woman.”
“These questions are kind of out there. Why do you want to know?” asked Grant.
Oh, how she wanted to answer him truthfully. Suddenly, she ached to tell him everything. But the time wasn’t right. Instead, she shrugged and feigned an indifference she didn’t feel. “I’m just curious. Henrietta told me that it’s kind of a thing around here. You know. ménage relationships.”
Their bodies loosened up a little. Her mind, revved up by her quickening pulse, had gone into overdrive, needing to know what they were thinking. Was this it? Was she finally meeting the men of her dreams? “And that it’s usually two or three men to one woman.”
“I guess Henrietta’s been filling your ears with a lot of ideas.” Grant glanced down the hallway. “What else has she told you?”
Again, she considered telling them the truth then changed her mind. If she pushed too hard, too fast, she might lose them. “Wow. Isn’t that enough? I mean ménage isn’t exactly a normal thing. Unless you live here, I guess.”
“Yeah, that’s enough. Didn’t you want to…?” Grant inclined his head toward the ladies’ room.
“Oh. Yeah.”
“Besides, Moses is waiting for you.”
Shit. Thomas was right. If she didn’t get back to Moses soon, he’d come looking for her. Finding her with other men wouldn’t make him any easier to control. “You’re right.” She put her hand on the door. “I guess I’ll see you around.”
“Yeah.” Ryan eased back. “I hope so.”
She smiled and pushed her way into the small restroom. Thankfully, no one else was inside. Taking a breath, she waited several minutes then checked her hair and left. The men were nowhere to be seen as she made her way back to Moses.
Before she could get a word out, he was on his feet and taking her along with him, his hold tight on her arm. “Now, how about we head to my place?”
She jerked her arm out of his grip. Not a bright thing to do when dealing with a temperamental werewolf. His eyes flared with amber spots. She mellowed her abrupt move by skimming her palm along his arm. “I don’t think so. I told Henrietta I’d get home early.”
He scowled. “She won’t mind. Not when you’re with me. I’ll drive you home tomorrow.”
Tomorrow? Oh, hell, no.
She stepped back, needing to put distance between them. “No, no, that’s okay. Besides, I drove here. Thanks, anyway.” Before he could argue more, she started moving toward the door. “Okay, then, bye, Moses. Thanks again for the drinks. See you soon.”
To her relief, he didn’t follow her. As she hurried through the crowd, she glanced toward the bar at the far side of the room. Thomas, Grant, and Ryan stood with their backs to the counter, watching.
If only I could stay here and get to know
them.
Her focus slipped to the scowling Moses then back again to the men.
If only I’d met one of them instead of Moses.
Shoving her back against the door, she went outside, spun around, and rushed toward her car. One way or another, she had to free herself from Moses. One way or another, she had to see the men again.
And if I do, then what?
She wasn’t sure, but she’d figure it out. Smiling at the idea of getting to know Grant, Ryan, and Thomas, she slipped behind the wheel. Being with Moses had turned out to be a good thing after all.
Chapter Two
“She can’t be his mate. There’s no fucking way someone like her is Moses’s mate.” Ryan slammed the back door of The Wolf’s Den against the outside wall. He hadn’t meant to hit it so hard, but he had to get his frustration out one way or another.
“Calm the hell down,” ordered Grant. Although his friend was a secondary alpha like him, Grant was older and had always tended to bark orders. They’d grown up together, running between their parents’ ranches and getting into the usual young werewolf mischief. “She’s not his mate.”
“Sure looked like he was headed that way with her,” added Thomas.
“Maybe according to Moses, but she didn’t act all that interested.”
Was Grant right? Ryan sure hoped so. Although they’d just met her, he’d gotten close enough to her to feel something strong. If Moses hadn’t been around, he might’ve gotten a lot closer. He’d wanted to get up close and personal, especially when she’d asked him if he had a mate. If he hadn’t been so surprised, he would’ve asked her if she was applying for the position. Or something more serious such as “I do now.” Instead, he’d stood there like a deer caught in headlights, looking to his friends for answers.
Even if she hadn’t surprised them with her question, she would’ve mesmerized them with her looks. Curves on curves had filled out her simple clothing. Auburn hair, red glints lightening the brunette base, had surrounded her oval face. Big brown eyes, eyes that could take a man’s soul and make him beg for her to look at him, had captured him. He’d gotten lost in their soulful depths. She was shorter than their over-six-feet heights but not too short. Perfect height, in fact, for him to bend over and press a kiss to her full, pouty lips. His cock twitched, threatening to make him uncomfortable. He jerked his attention back to the conversation.
“No, she didn’t, did she?” Thomas brightened. “Grant’s right. Moses might have his sights on her, but she called him a friend. There’s nothing worse than being called a friend when you want to be more.”
“I thought Moses was going to blow, but he’s sticking to his best behavior around her.” Ryan kicked a stone, sending it flying into the shadows. “Once he’s got her, though, he’ll show his true colors.”
“We can’t let him get her. So what do we do about it?” asked Thomas. “You know Moses. What Moses wants, Moses either gets or goes ballistic.”
“Fuck him.” The frustration of earlier had changed into anger. “He doesn’t get to claim her if she’s meant to be for us.”
“Is she?” asked Grant. “Is that what you’re thinking, Ryan, after one meeting? You’re thinking she’s our mate?”
Yeah. “Maybe. I don’t know. It’s not like it hasn’t happened that way for a whole hell of a lot of other folks around here. But I sure want the chance to find out, don’t you?”
“Sure I do.” Grant paused as a couple of werecats exited the building, laughing and downing their last bottle of beer. The groups gave each other a cursory nod of acknowledgment as the cats walked into the tree line and disappeared. “We all do. But we have to be careful. I think Moses is getting wind that a lot of the pack is fed up with him.”
“He’s not anything like his father.” Ryan missed the senior Morris Garrett. He’d run the pack in a fair but firm way. After he’d suddenly passed, his sons, Carl and Moses, had risen in the ranks to take their father’s place. Being the more dominant one, Moses had pushed Carl aside, making him a mere figurehead of a lead alpha. “A bunch of us still wonder if Morris getting shot while hunting was an accident. Buster leaving town so fast afterward didn’t help squash the rumors, either.”
Morris Garrett had gone hunting with a group of the pack. Somehow, he’d become separated from them. The next thing anyone knew, he was lying dead in a pool of blood, his face blown off when Buster had tripped and his shotgun had gone off. At least, that was the story Moses and Buster had told.
“The pack’s already ruled on his death. Ignore the rumors and let it go.” Grant looked to the ground. He’d been closer to the older Garrett than his friends.
“Fine. Whatever you want.” Yet Ryan couldn’t help but still wonder. It wouldn’t have surprised him one bit to find out that Moses had killed his father. He wouldn’t put anything past Moses to get what he wanted, even murder.
“What are we doing about the other? Brady’s been talking up a challenge. Not just him against Moses. It’s not an individual thing. He and his cousins want new leadership like we want.” Thomas checked around them. Talking about a pack challenge wasn’t the safest thing to do out in the open. “Still, the Rann boys would make good leaders.”
“As long as we move up in the ranks, I’d support them.” Ryan was ready to be a primary alpha, but if Moses didn’t like someone, then he didn’t give them much of a chance to move up. The Rann men had managed to become primary alphas, but the scuttlebutt was that Moses had done so to placate them, hoping to head off a direct challenge to his authority. That wasn’t going to happen for them.
“Same here.” Thomas motioned toward the parking lot. “Let’s get out of here. I don’t like talking about this shit around the bar. Too many ears might be listening.”
“We have a decision to make.” Ryan kept pace with his friends as they rounded the building. “Either we stick with Moses or we take a chance and go along with the Rann men.”
“You know which way I’m leading.” Grant quieted again as they passed a couple embracing next to a pickup. Once they’d put distance between them, he continued. “I’m ready to take the risk as long as it’s the right time.”
“Meaning if Willa’s our mate, we should hold off?” Ryan’s own thoughts had already gone there. “That’s what Brady and his cousins did. They were ready to make a move when their mate Laney suddenly showed up. They held off until she was theirs.”
“And you’re thinking we should to the same?” asked Thomas.
“As much as I hate living another day under Moses’s lead, I’m thinking it might be the best thing to do.” He gritted his teeth, disliking the idea of doing whatever Moses might want. Still, if Willa turned out to be their mate, it would be worth it.
“Agreed. Then we hold back.” Grant unlocked his Range Rover and climbed behind the wheel.
“Yeah. Damn it.” Ryan glanced back at the bar, the neon light casting a strange amber glow across the yard. “We’d better figure out if she’s our mate fast. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep from tearing into Moses.”
* * * *
“Hi, you’re Willa Michaels, aren’t you? I’m Laney Sugarfield.”
The pretty woman with black hair and green eyes stuck out her hand. Until coming to Fate, Willa wouldn’t have had any reservation in taking someone’s hand. But after being around Moses and other shifters, she was a little more cautious. Still, what did she expect Laney to do? Bite her hand off?
She shook Laney’s hand and attempted to make up for her initial hesitancy with a bright smile. “I am, and it’s nice to meet you.”
“Are you two shopping together?” asked the large woman in charge of the Classy Cat clothing store. The place was as cheerful as its owner, with sizes for every woman. “I’m Betsy Cramer. Welcome to Fate.”
“Thanks. You have a nice store.”
Betsy beamed. “Why, thank you. I was hoping you’d think so.” Her gaze jumped to Laney. “I’ll let Laney give you the tour, if you don’t mind, so I can a
ttend to the ladies at the register. She knows the store almost as well as I do.”
“Sure, no problem.” Laney slipped her arm in Willa’s. “I’ll take good care of her.”
Betsy was off, moving quickly and gracefully as she hurried back to the register. Willa was surprised that such a large woman could move so fast. Yet as soon as she’d had the thought, she felt ashamed. Why shouldn’t a large girl be able to move? As women went, Betsy had it all together. Nice clothes, great personality, and was the owner of her own business.
“Are you looking for anything in particular?” Laney laughed. “See? I’ve already got the sales spiel down.”
“No. I was just strolling around town and decided to drop in.” She had to play it close and tight with her money, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t window-shop.
“Yeah, the store really draws people in.” Laney turned her loose and snagged a dress covered in pale flowers. “Either that and you were trying to get away from Moses.”
Willa froze, all too aware that her feelings were showing on her face. “Um, no, of course not.”
“Uh-huh.” Laney leaned closer. “Don’t worry. I won’t say a word. But after I saw him hustling after you on the street like a love-sick puppy, I figured you’d find a way to ditch him. At least, for a little while.”
“Is it that obvious?” She’d thought she’d been very discreet, pretending to find the clothes in Betsy’s front window irresistible.
“Yeah. Sorry.” Laney glanced out the window. “I don’t want to get too personal since we just met, but I have to ask.”
Willa liked Laney. She was direct and straight out with her feelings. “Okay. Shoot.”
Laney cringed. “Just so you know, saying the word shoot around here isn’t a great idea. And especially around Moses.”
“Why’s that?” As soon as she’d asked the question, she knew she should’ve kept her mouth shut. She could see the guard go up in Laney’s eyes.
“Oh, no real reason. I mean he’s an okay guy once you get to know him. Sort of.”
Willa shot Laney a look. “Wow, there’s a ringing endorsement if I ever heard one.”
