“Maybe,” Mario Kart Guy said suspiciously.
“No frosting?” She had eyes so she knew already that they didn’t have frosting, but she had to say something before she started to drool on his rug.
“You got a problem with that?”
“No. It’s just…can I have one?” Cue desperate puppy eyes.
He looked her over and when she passed whatever mental inspection he had completed, he nodded and pushed the box to her. The invitation had been received and accepted. Mira walked into the room, remembered to close the door which was a feat all in its own deserving a reward, and sat down next to him.
“I’m Mira,” she said around a mouth full of strawberry toaster pastry. “I had just moved in across the hall when I heard something about a zipper hoagie.”
He snorted. “Sorry, not sorry. I’m Zach and yes, I get a little vocal when I’m in the zone.”
“A little?”
Zach shrugged. “You play?”
Mira nodded. “Not in years but I had once been a Mario Kart Master such as yourself.”
“Good enough.” He leaned over and pulled a box closer to him and picked through it. What he pulled out was a second controller, this one kelly green, and handed it to her. “Plug in, Peach. We’ve got a castle to win.”
*****
“So I hear you found a Rabbit.” Owen grinned wide and bright. Duty called and he had to run home just at the start of the chase. It put his wolf on edge. He wanted to run and hunt his little fluffy pray but instead had to deal with a novice wolf who hadn’t learned control yet. The call from Chuck had been a welcomed surprise.
“I did. She is contained upstairs but I don’t think she will be easy pickings.”
“Don’t want easy.”
Chuck laughed. “It’s good to see you happy again. Your spunk has been on vacation for far too long.” The door to the kitchen opened behind him and Lee stepped out. She had been frowning but brightened when she saw him. Actually, she lit up. Owen couldn’t help himself, he returned the look. Lee would always have a spot in his heart. He adored and loved her but that love had changed from what it once was. She was very thorough in her quest to push him away. He loved her, his wolf loved her, but she didn’t love her. Lee didn’t see her worth, never had. She couldn’t accept him or his love when she heard the whispers around her more loudly than his words. It broke his heart but he gave her what she wanted, time and space. In the end, she took too long and pushed too far away.
He had moved on.
It wasn’t conscious and he hadn’t even realized it until this morning when someone else caught his eye. Who would have thought Sadie’s little sister would be the one to stir his wolf?
“Hey Owen.” She put down the empty tray she was carrying and leaned over the bar to kiss his cheek.
He tried, he really did but the action unhinged him. Owen’s eyebrows drew together as he looked at her. She hadn’t done that since they were dating. “What was that for?”
Her face softened in a way only a woman could pull off. “Just happy to see you is all.”
“I saw you this morning,” he pointed out rather brashly. Chuck laughed but covered it with a cough.
Lee sent Chuck a look that could scare a mountain lion. “And I can’t be happy to see you now?” She turned back to Owen but her confidence had been shaken. Owen was racking his brain trying to understand what was going on. His love may have changed into something less romantic but the embers still glowed. He was more than sure that he could make them burn again. Lee was long, slender, and very athletic. Her hair fell just above her shoulders in a blunt line while her bangs swept over her forehead framing her eyes. It was a beautiful strawberry blonde that had once flowed through his fingers like silk.
“Can I get you something to drink?” she asked breaking his concentration.
“No.” Lee had made him forget why he had come. Her smile was a wondrous and powerful magic on him. He may not know what she was up too but he wasn’t going to let that get in the way of something else that intrigued him. “I’m here to see Mira. What room is she in Chuck?”
“Upstairs across from Zack.”
“He hasn’t scared her away yet?”
“Nah,” he laughed. “They were getting along quite well when I took them some food an hour ago.”
His growl was barely held back, but just barely. “What’s that mean?”
Lee answered. “It means you shouldn’t get your hopes up on the girl.” It was said with some bitterness and a shit ton of bitchiness. Owen turned his head and stared at her. It probably wasn’t fair of him, but he used his status as Alpha to put a little fear into her, just enough to make her squirm because Lee was out of line. He didn’t know Mira, not yet at least. But there was a connection between them and he wasn’t going to let that possibility drive back to Buffalo before it was explored.
“Pardon me, but I’ve just realized that it wasn’t you who had called me about Mira but Chuck. However, it was you who knew I was looking for her. Why didn’t you tell me she was here sooner?”
Lee swallowed. “Um…”
“And what is your issue with her? From what I can see you two had just met back at Sadie’s. She never even spoke to you. The hostility you have--and yes I can see it easily enough and I’m sure the rest of the bar can too--makes you look like a jealous little girl. It’s not becoming of you, Lee and it’s not who I know you to be.” Instead of staying to hear her half ass excuse, he left and found the stairs.
With each flight of steps he settled. He found Mira’s scent right outside her door but it was Zack’s that he found himself turning too. The high chirping laughter carried through the walls to where he was standing.
“That’s right D.K. you take what I give you. Eat my Banana. EAT IT! Mira you better eat another mushroom and catch up. I want to finish together.”
For a moment he couldn’t move. The words were repeated until his body quaked and his eyes hazed over. He was about to change, right then and there. If Zack was touching her in any way, he was going to rip is face off with his teeth. And mushrooms? Jesus, if Mira was hallucinating…he really didn’t want to ask for Lee’s help right now. As a doctor, she would do what was needed but he could do without the looks or the comments about the drugged up stranger who he was attracted to.
Owen closed his eyes and rolled his neck savoring the pops as he went. Control was something he prided himself on and something he seemed to have none of around Mira. When his muscles stopped shaking, he slowly turned the handle and opened the door.
“Go Speed Racer!” Mira half yelled, half sang.
“Wrong game sweetheart.”
“Oh, right. Owen!” Her face lit up. “Come join us!” Mira looked over her shoulder and found him standing in the doorway completely flabbergasted. She was not in any harm, nor drugged out, but she was playing video games with Zach on his floor surrounded by pop tart wrappers and an empty bottle of tequila. When he walked in, he had been ready to toss Zach out the window, but now? Well, he wasn’t sure what to do.
“I’m doing really well. Are you jealous of my skills?” The top half of the screen was in first place and was half a lap away from wining. The bottom half was running repeatedly into a corner.
“That’s me, Mira,” Zach pointed out. “You’re the bottom.”
“Ohhhh.” She snorted. “Zeeky Zach, do you know the Neanderthal?” she slurred and her character began to drift of the rainbow highway.
Zach snorted and tore his eyes from the screen for a moment to acknowledge Owen. “Yeah, I know him but I like my balls too much to call him a Neanderthal.”
“Oh,” Mira pouted with glazed eyes. Owen saw that pink lower lip and wanted to taste it. She was drunk and absolutely adorable. That control he had wound together, just moments before was uncoiling the further she stuck that lip out. He mentally banged his head against the wall. Stop. Imagining. Mira. Naked.
“Can I call him Brute? Because he’s so…” she ran her eyes over h
im and he felt it down to his bones. “Brutish.”
“Little Rabbit, how much have you had to drink?”
Owen walked over so he could get a better look at her. Her translucent skin was flushed red and her pupils were wide and trusting. And just like that his control was back. With that look of trust, he could move mountains.
“About this many.” She held up her thumb and forefinger indicating a few inches. “Wait that’s not right,” she said looking at her fingers and frowning.
“I think it’s time for you to go.” Owen didn’t wait for her to respond or for her finish the game that she was losing. He picked her up and walked her from the room.
“Why are you carrying me again? I can walk. Kinda. Well, I think I could walk if I tried but I haven’t tried. Wait! Where are we going? Is Zeeky Zach coming too?”
He adjusted her just so and her head lulled to the side to rest on his shoulder. Owen smiled. “To your room.”
As if it was the best news ever she said, “I have a room?”
“You do.” He turned the knob and pushed open her door.
“With you?” She actually sounded a bit hopeful. He liked that.
“No Rabbit, just for you. But I will stay with you for a while.” So she didn’t vomit, choke and suffocate. He laid her on the bed and unlatched the hands that had wound around his neck.
“I guess that’s ok. No sex though.” Her eyes closed as her head hit the pillow.
Owen laughed. “No sex,” he agreed but decided to add, “yet,” because he wasn’t going to lie, he wanted Mira.
Since she wasn’t going anywhere and was probably already half way to being passed out he left her and went to the bathroom where he filled a cup up with water. There was ibuprofen in his truck and he would grab that for her before he left. She was babbling to herself when he came back to her.
“Drink up.” Owen held the glass to her lips and struggled to get her to sip. The glass was empty but the majority had gotten on her and the bed. One quick fill up later and he was sitting next to her again. Her eyes were open now. Brighter than the full moon, they watched him with interest. If she wasn’t impaired he might have tried something, like kiss her. Or at the very least touch her kaleidoscope hair that looked soft and inviting. She, however, was impaired and he wasn’t that kind of guy.
“Why are you here?” she asked in a surprisingly clear voice.
“I saw an opportunity and I took it.”
She had to think about that and closed her eyes. Most of her makeup had been rubbed off since he had seen her earlier. The red lips that had done him in were now a nice plump pink. Not nearly as striking but still soft and succulent. Her hair was in a tangle and her clothes disheveled in only a way a drunk person could pull off. And yet, she was still utterly beautiful. He’d only known her a few hours and already he was infatuated.
“What’s wrong with me?”
That was simple enough to answer. “You’re drunk. Some water, food and sleep, and you’ll be good.”
She sighed. “Not what I meant, Brute.”
“Then what did you mean?” he asked softly pushing her hair out of her face. She didn’t answer him. And that bothered him on some basic level. He found he wanted her to tell him what was bothering her.
What was wrong with her? Not a damn thing.
“Mira?”
“Can I ask you something since you seem to know my sister better than I do?”
All of Owen’s protective instincts rose to the surface. The pain in her voice that she tried to hide called to him. As an Alpha he wanted to fix whatever hurt her. As a man he wanted to hold her and smooth away the tremor in her voice.
“Of course.”
“Why does Sadie hate me?”
Her eyes stayed shut but they had tightened around the corners like it hurt her to ask. Owen smoothed his thumb over the lines around her eyes.
“She doesn’t hate you. I think you just took her by surprise today.”
Mira nodded. “Who was that guy she was with?”
Sadie’s rift with her family was bigger than he had expected. It surprised him because of how often she spoke of her mother and Mira. He assumed they had known that she was at least dating Tyson.
“His name is Tyson. I can vouch for him.”
“And who can vouch for you?” Mira wet her lips and then tugged the bottom lip in for a nervous nibble. “Sorry. That was rude.” He didn’t think so. He thought it was very reasonable question. “What are they to each other?”
“They’re ma-they are dating,” he corrected.
Her eyes flew open and landed on his face. “They’re married!” She launched herself up. Her eyes blazed with surprise. Suddenly sober, she just stared at him waiting for confirmation.
“I didn’t say that,” he said calmly because this was going quickly downhill.
“But you thought it. Holy shit. She got married and didn’t tell me. But she’s only been here a few months. How is that possible?”
Owen placed his palms on her shoulders and squeezed till she looked at him. “They aren’t married, Mira. I can promise you that. They do live together though and I know they love each other. You have nothing to worry about.”
She laughed in a way that was borderline hysterical. “Nothing to worry about? My sister has barely spoken to me in months. I come out here to see her and she kicks me out within minutes and now I’m drunk, sitting in a rented bed with a friend of hers who is making me all fluttery by sitting so close and I find out that she is married. Oh no, don’t try to take it back. You were going to say married.”
Actually he was going to say mated but she didn’t need to know that. “This isn’t something you should be discussing with me.”
Mira nodded. “You’re right. Get out.”
“Excuse me?”
“Please leave.”
Owen ran the conversation thus far over in his head. He came up blank. “I don’t understand.”
She sighed and fell back onto her pillow. “I want you to leave my room.”
“But why?”
“Because you are part of the problem. All of you are. She moves to this town and disappears. I don’t even know her anymore.” Her voice faltered for a second. “I just want to be left alone. Can you do that? Can you just leave me be? The past few weeks have been hell and coming here was a mistake.”
“Rabbit…”
“Don’t. I’m not your rabbit. I’m no one’s rabbit. I’m no one’s anything, not anymore.”
Owen sat for a moment. She had closed her eyes again, effectively shutting him out. It felt wrong and went against everything raging inside of him but he stood and walked to the door. “Chuck has my number. Give me a call if you need to talk. That goes for anything. Get some sleep Mira.”
He saw her roll towards the wall and curl into herself as he left.
Chapter Three
The pounding in her head was louder this morning, more aggressive than most days after drinking tequila and gorging on pop tarts. It was also sad how often those too events happened simultaneously in her life. It’s not even that she searched out those two substances. They always seemed to find her.
Oh, well that’s new. The pounding had a voice. Mira wondered in awe at how much she had to drink the previous night to have her headache yell at her…in English no less. The bed squeaked as she adjusted her position so that she could burrow under the pillow. The pounding was a bit more muted under there.
“Now look here Mira, I’ve got a restaurant to run and standing up here with your breakfast is not helping the people downstairs. Open the door so I get back to work. Mira?”
She moved the blanket off of her head. “Chuck?” she asked aloud.
“Do I sound like the tooth fairy to you?”
No, he sounded annoyed to her.
“Are you going to open the door?” he asked from the other side.
“Oh, right, yeah, coming.” Upon putting her bare feet on the frigged wooden floor, she discovered that she w
asn’t that hung over. It was either that or the cold was one excellent hangover cure.
“The princess has awoken,” he said when she opened the door with a yawn. Mira gave him her best fuck off look.
“You mentioned food?” But even as she said it she could see that what he held wasn’t just breakfast, it was the most glorious of scents layered together in a bowl as deep as her stomach. The sausage was the most aromatic. She couldn’t see it but her nose told her it was under the layer of bubbly cheese that she could see on the top.
“Yes, my hangover cure breakfast. Starts off with potatoes, then a layer of homemade sausage, followed by one too many eggs and a thick layer of melted cheese. It’s nothing fancy, just hearty.”
“Well, I’m sold. Gimme.” Mira held out her hands and snagged the bowl when he handed it to her. “So why the special treatment? I don’t see you carrying a bowl of this across the hall to Zach.”
Both Chuck and Mira looked at the Zach’s door half expecting him to appear at the scent of food and the sound of his name. “He didn’t have the big guy call and make a special request.”
“The big guy?” she asked around a fork full off potatoes. She had no shame and had already dug in as they stood there.
“Owen.”
The fork didn’t stop completely on its way to her mouth but it did stumble along the way. “Owen asked you to bring me food?” After the way she kicked him out last night she was surprised he would do anything more glare at her. She had dated men whose egos were just too fragile to handle a few kicks every now and then. Kicking a man out who could just barely contain his drool around her would typically have had him crawling away with his tail between his legs. But Owen seemed to be made of tougher stuff, which could be a problem for her.
Fault Lines Page 3
