by Jen Talty
“I mean, did Gerri interview your parents or you?”
“Me,” he admitted, remembering how desperately he tried to make the spunky old lady blush with his sexual prowess, but to no avail. “She said she wouldn’t find the right person unless I came to her and since my job is more important than anything else, here I am.”
“At least we’re in the same boat.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, though he knew the answer, but wanted to hear the words, so there was no question that they would go their separate ways in two weeks.
“We’re both doing this to get people to back off, but we are also… well… looking to have a little fun in the process.”
He loved the way her cheeks glowed pink when she referenced sex without ever mentioning it, though he wasn’t too happy with how his body responded as he shifted in his seat, trying to keep himself from becoming totally aroused. “I think we’re off to a positive start with the fun stuff.”
“Were you honest with what you want in a partner?” Her gaze darted everywhere but in his eyes and that amused and concerned him.
He liked things spicy in the bedroom. No pain. Nothing too kinky, but he liked things wild and a little rough. Raw would be a better descriptor. “I was.” Maybe a little too honest, he thought.
Daphne lowered her chin, lifting her eyelids, showing off the bright teal color that looked more like a perfect gem than anything else. “So, you only did this to have a one-night stand and get reinstated as a detective?”
“That sounds pretty shallow when you put it like that.”
“No more than me wanting a hot, sexy, man to toss in the faces of my too-perfect-sister and all of my female cousins. Not to mention getting my parents off my back about getting married and settling down, moving back home, having kids and blah, blah, blah.”
“You don’t want all of that?” He rubbed his hand over his thigh, keeping his fingers to himself instead of fisting that golden fountain of lush hair, tilting her head back and licking her neck.
“Maybe someday, but not right now.”
He leaned in, cupping her chin. “And what do you want right now?” He took her mouth a little too harshly, but she responded in earnest. Her hot tongue wrapped around his, sucking it into her mouth, demanding she be able to control the kiss.
The plane bounced and he accidentally bit her lip, cracking it open a tad. The metallic taste assaulting his senses. “Sorry,” he whispered, rubbing his thumb over her plump lip. There was something sweet and innocent in her gaze.
He knew without a shadow of a doubt that she had no idea he was a werewolf, which made him wonder what she’d told Gerri about what she was looking for in a man.
And how she’d respond to him when she found out.
“We really should stop meeting this way.” She smiled weakly, leaning back in her seat, fingers on her lips. “Besides, I think we have an audience.”
He nodded. “Want to watch a movie? I downloaded a few on my laptop and I’ve got a splitter and two sets of headphones.”
“You came prepared.”
He shrugged, pulling out his computer. He needed to regroup and get his libido in check. He hadn’t a clue as to what to expect when he’d agreed to this trip. He figured he’d have a little fun in the sun, pretend to be a boyfriend. He’d done that before. And maybe, just maybe, get laid.
Now that he suspected the latter would actually happen, a wave of nausea rolled around in his gut. He’d made a deal with the old man, that he’d go out with whoever Gerri fixed him up with. It was his mother who’d tossed in the idea of a vacation, making this the longest date he’d ever been on.
As long as the cosmos didn’t choose her as his mate, which he suspected he’d feel something other than hunger to devour her body as if it were his last meal, this would all be over in two weeks.
He just needed to relax.
“Pick a movie,” he said, tilting his laptop so she could see.
She tucked her hair behind her ears, leaning over, scrolling with the trackpad.
The inner wolf growled with desire.
From birth, he’d been pre-destined to be his pack’s leader and his father was itching to step down. Only, his first-born son needed to mate in order to step into his father’s shoes, something Chaz hoped would never happen. His little brother, Nico, would make a fine pack leader, and he currently had a steady girlfriend, though she wasn’t necessarily family material, and they hadn’t mated, so she probably wasn’t his chosen one. Still, Nico would settle before him. Hell, his baby brother, Drew, would settle way before him.
Even his sister, Cheryl, had a better chance of finding her right mate than he did.
“This one.” She tapped the screen, picking out an action flick.
“You sure? There are chick—”
“Nope. I’ve been dying to see that one.” She ripped open the airline blanket and covered her legs.
“You’ve got it.”
He covered his ears with his headphones and leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest, his mind wandering off to what the next two weeks might hold, versus the explosion happening on the screen.
He’d told Gerri that he didn’t want to settle down, but if he did, he’d want a human mate, like his mother, and not another wolf. Not that he didn’t appreciate the female sex of his own kind. Far from it. But something about the thought of the soft, gentleness of a human woman could tame his wild heart.
But that was only if he wanted a mate, which he didn’t. His job didn’t lend itself well to being a family man.
Gerri reminded him that the majority of the time, mating happened without the wolf having any control over it. That mates, especially those in line to lead, happened when fate preordained it. His parents had told him the same thing. Chaz wanted to believe that you mated when you fell in love, not the other way around, and that was something he wasn’t going to ever do.
He glanced at Daphne, who sat with her feet tucked up under her in the big, first-class seat with her index finger in her mouth. Her skin glowed as if it had been kissed by the sun and then sprinkled with Fairy dust. She wasn’t overly tan, but she wasn’t pale either. The first thing he’d noticed about her when she’d walked into the airport had been her curves. Round where every woman should be. She wasn’t short, but she stood at least five inches shorter than his six-foot-one inch frame. She carried herself with confidence, even though he could tell she had some anxiety.
For the next hour, he barely paid any attention to the movie. His mind kept thinking about what she could have possibly said to Gerri that matched her with him on a sexual level. She seemed so sweet and innocent, but not naive. He figured she would be more attracted to a lover who was gentle and giving, not demanding and rough, like he tended to be.
He let out a long, slow breath.
This was a mistake.
By the time the plane had landed at the Albany airport, he’d kissed her three more times and held her hand as they made their way to the car rental. The entire time he kept telling himself to pull away, but for the love of all creatures, he couldn’t.
“I rented a mid-size car,” she said.
“Let’s upgrade.”
“I wish. I’ve spent way beyond my budget to ride first-class, and on the cabin.”
“This one is on me.” He pulled out his wallet. “I insist.” He didn’t splurge on much, but there was nothing like a good muscle convertible. The young man behind the counter found the keys to a dark grey, convertible Camaro. Perfect for a ride up to Lake George on a warm summer evening.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“Famished.”
“Ever hear of a restaurant called George’s?”
“On New Scotland? Right by the hospital.” Her eyes brightened like a beam of light cutting through the darkness. “Best pizza west of the Hudson.”
He laughed, remembering the sign above the little hole in the wall with those exact words.
The last time he’d
been in Albany was for his sister’s college graduation. Other than that, when he came back to this neck of the woods, it was always to his parent’s house in Vermont. If they knew he was this close, and he didn’t come to visit, they’d have his head on a platter.
Ironic that his meeting with Gerri took him back to the place his parents wanted him to return.
With a mate.
Chapter 3
DAPHNE STEPPED from the small, one-bedroom cabin that overlooked Harris Bay on Lake George. The sun had dipped below the mountains behind her and the darkness had enveloped the sky. A slight breeze kicked up, sending the water below gently rolling against the break wall.
She closed her eyes, sucking in a deep breath. The air smelled like freshly cut roses with a splash of lemonade. Just like she’d remembered it.
Dinner had been quite enjoyable. Not only was the pizza as good as ever with its special red sauce and thick crust, but the company had been entertaining, not to mention relaxing and easy. They’d mostly talked about the time each of them had spent in Albany. The places, bars, and even concerts they’d seen. It became a game to see if one could name a place the other hadn’t been.
He named three.
Three places her parents had forbidden her to go because the clientele tended to be of the paranormal variety. In her five years living in the Albany area, she never once frequented any of those places.
“God, I love it here,” Chaz said.
The cabin door clicked close.
She blinked her eyes open, feeling the heat from his body coat her skin like warm honey. How on earth Gerri had picked him to be her perfect match seemed too ridiculous to explore. No way could she have found someone with so many compatible common interests.
But the truly scary part for Daphne was how open she’d been about her sexual fantasies and something told her that Chaz liked things a little wild and free in the bedroom.
What the hell had she’d gotten herself into?
“When I was little, we used to rent this exact cottage.”
“Really?” he said, lacing his fingers through hers, tugging her toward the two Adirondack chairs on the front porch. “We were right across the lake for a few summers.” He pointed to a similar type grouping of cottage rentals. “And I attended Camp Uncus up on Pilot Knob Road for a couple of years.”
“I always wanted to go there, but my parents wouldn’t let me.” She leaned back, lifting her feet onto the foot rest, noticing a bucket of ice chilling a nice bottle of wine along with a tray of cheese and crackers.
“Why not?” he asked.
She studied him as he poured the wine, wondering if she should come out and ask if he was a human or something else.
No. That would be rude.
“My parents were very strict and didn’t let me do much out of their sight.”
“That must’ve sucked.”
She stared into the golden liquid, swirling it before taking in its crisp pear scent. “I didn’t know any better. The community I’m from is like being stuck in the 1950’s. I barely went anywhere other than my four corners of life. Camp had been the only thing I was ever upset over, and really, you can’t miss what you didn’t have.”
“College had to have been a shocker.”
She raised her glass. “You have no idea.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed another couple walking up the steps from the waterfront. The woman smiled and waved, but the man glowered.
And if she wasn’t mistaken, Chaz snarled.
In the distance, she thought she heard a growl.
“Oh stop,” the woman said, shaking her head. “Alpha, territorial males, whatcha gonna do?” She practically jogged up the steps, hand stretched out. “I’m Heidi and this is my husband, Cosmo. We’re in the cabin right next to yours.”
“Nice to meet you,” Daphne said, though she really wanted to tell Heidi to take a hike. “I’m Daphne and this is Chaz.
Chaz stood, puffing out his chest, shaking Cosmo’s hand and both men looked as if they sniffed each other.
Non human creatures are dangerous. They will hurt you.
Her mother’s words hung in the air like thick smoke in a cigar bar. Deep down, Daphne knew that her mother was wrong. These creatures had been coexisting with humans for decades, but the words lingered in her mind just the same.
“Sorry about the intrusion,” Cosmo said, taking a step back and folding his arms over his chest. “My wife seems to be the self-appointed welcome wagon.”
Heidi gently slapped her husband’s bicep, right over a tattoo of a dark, shaggy, dog—or maybe wolf—with dark red eyes.
Daphne swallowed the growing lump in her throat.
“We rent for the entire summer, so I like to meet everyone.” Heidi’s smile showed off perfectly white teeth, and for whatever reason, they looked as though they’d been recently sharpened. “And there is a summertini tomorrow and we wouldn’t want for you to be left out.”
“Thanks for letting us know.” Chaz inched closer to Daphne, putting an overly protective embrace around her, holding her a little closer than she thought was necessary, except for the fact that every time Cosmo glanced in her direction, he had a look of disgust in his dark, menacing eyes.
Heidi narrowed her eyes, staring at her husband. “I hope we see you tomorrow, right Cosmo?”
“Sure,” Cosmo said with a snarl.
Heidi grabbed her husband by the arm. “Nice meeting you.”
Cosmo puffed out his chest, eyeing Chaz one last time, before turning and walking away.
Chaz’s body vibrated as a deep groan…no growl, rattled in the air.
Daphne had seen men pound their chests and act like territorial morons when it came to women, but she’d never experienced anything quite like this before, and she wasn’t sure if she should feel protected, threatened, or terrified.
Both men looked as if they were settling in for the fight of the century, but over what?
She stood on the porch, listening to the rattle in his chest. He held her tight against his body until the other couple disappeared into the darkness.
“What the hell was that all about?” She took two steps back and folded her arms over her chest and stared into a set of fiery orange eyes that had once been dark brown.
“Did you notice his tattoo?”
“What about it?” She wanted to mention the shift of Chaz’s eye color, but maybe her own eyes were playing tricks on her as his slowly turned dark again.
“It’s the symbol of a rogue pack.”
“A rogue what?” She cleared her throat, taking another step back, the reality of her situation becoming clear. She didn’t want to be afraid. She shouldn’t be afraid.
But she’d been raised to be terrified.
She wrapped her arms around her middle, hugging tight, as if that would protect her from anything.
He laughed, only this time it sounded like a sarcastic grunt. “Rogue wolf pack. They call themselves the Midnight Special Pack and they are bad news.”
“I see.”
“Sure you do.” He unbuttoned his shirt.
She took another step back.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” his voice was laced with a combination of hurt and anger. He opened his shirt, tapping the right side of his chest, just over a tattoo of a moon in the night sky. “The moon represents my pack, Crescent Moon.” He lowered his shirt over his shoulder, revealing a silver badge of some kind with a set of orange eyes in the center. “The mark of a Twilight Crossing officer.”
“What’s that?” She’d heard about it before, but it wasn’t spoken of where she came from. Having only graduated with her master’s degree two years ago, she hadn’t been working at her current job for more than a year, and all her free time had been in developing her own personal teaching style, so other than her one friend, the one who set her up with Gerri Wilder, she hadn’t spent much time socializing.
“A council made up of humans, wolves, witches, shifters, Fairies
, and others to keep peace between all races.” He leaned against the railing, keeping his shirt open, showing off his chiseled abs. “How do you go through, what twenty-five years of living and not come across one of my kind?”
Oh, boy. How did she answer that question? Taking a deep breath, she sat down and stared at the stars dotting the black sky. It reminded her of her Brite Light toy she used to play with as a little girl. She nearly laughed at the white puffy cloud dancing across the moon. She half expected a witch to fly across on her broomstick. “I grew up in a town called Havern on the outskirts of Hudson Falls.”
“I’ve heard of Havern and the people who live there. Havernites, as we call them.”
“We call ourselves that.”
“So, what am I? Payback of some kind?” He cocked his head, glaring at her with unforgiving eyes. “Getting back at your parents? Some kind of rebellion thing?”
“What are you talking about?” she asked.
“You bring me here, find out what it’s like to be with the forbidden fruit, toss me in your family’s face, then go about hating my kind and pretending we don’t exist?”
“I guess I deserved that,” she muttered, lowering her head. “But I didn’t ask to be paired with a wolf. I only said I wanted someone who would understand that I wanted to… well… how do I put this?” She glanced up, catching his gaze. “I think the words I used were wild, animal sex.”
He shook his head. “Have you ever had the kind of sex you described to Gerri?”
She gasped.
“Fucking wonderful,” he muttered.
A long silence filled the night air like a thick fog floating across the woods. The sound of an owl echoed across the lake. The bats sang their high-pitched songs, making the night a scary place.
And here she was with a werewolf.
She stared at Chaz, who looked out at the water. The glow of the moon kissed his strong profile. He was a powerful, yet gentle man. She wanted to go to him, wrap her arms around him, and kiss him. But she couldn’t make her legs move. It wasn’t that she was afraid of him, but she was afraid of the wolf side of him, whatever that looked like. She’d heard stories about humans having relationships with creatures of the night that ended in injury and sometimes death. But those stories came from her hometown and as she went out into the world, she suspected they were meant to keep her terrified of what they didn’t understand.
