Alec (Keepers Of The Lake Book 3)

by Emilia Hartley

  The water-beast bared its teeth at her. She thought it would lunge. Would the water sink through her flesh? Would it be a blunt and bruising blow that ravaged her muscles? She cringed away.

  Hands pulled her away. Alec’s arms were warm and firm around her. His cheek pressed against the top of his head. This time, she heard Zane strike. Alec hissed in pain. Her heart rebelled, trying to punch its way out of her chest. There had to be something she could do to stop this.

  Charlie wasn’t this useless. She had been, for a long time. She had been weak and mild and soft-spoken, but that wasn’t who she wanted to be. Her soul screamed. It was wild and yearned for freedom.

  “Cut your shit,” she howled at Zane.

  The world fell silent. No one made a sound. No one dared move. Charlie looked up to find that several of the clan members had shifted. Cole and Heath were massive beasts on the shore. Buffy stood behind Jude, who glowered at the lake beasts. Jude didn’t look afraid in the least.

  She was pissed.

  The clan was healing, but they could never fully recover if they didn’t save Zane. The truth of what happened to him would always be an open wound, festering until the day they died and only the monster that had been Zane remained.

  Slowly, the water that had risen over the shore began to creep back down into the lake. The water-beasts snarled one last time. Then, they crumpled into droplets of water. Charlie let out a breath. Her shoulders slumped with relief.

  Alec never let go of her. He clutched her tight to his chest. She didn’t complain. If anything, she gripped his wrist and leaned into his chest, savoring the warmth of him. If she didn’t think about it, she could pretend that he had accepted her. His skin against hers felt so right. This was where she belonged.

  Then, Alec let out a shuddering breath and his head fell to her shoulder. His fingers pressed into her arm, like he was reminding herself that she was real. Once more, his breath rumbled. She would have turned and captured his mouth if not for the clan on the shore.

  “Alec,” she whispered. She tapped his arm, rubbing her thumb along his skin because she couldn’t help herself.

  After a short moment, Alec nodded. Little by little, he pulled himself away. She missed him the second he was gone. Her soul cried out for him, echoed by her beast’s roars. Behind her, she could hear Cole and Heath shifting back to human form. It had been too quick for them. They would be exhausted by the back to back shape-change.

  The night had come to an end. Smiles and laughter were nowhere to be found. Cole hung across Jude’s shoulders. Buffy and Heath sat on the ground in a tired pile.

  “Well,” Charlie whispered to Alec. “That was interesting.”

  She wasn’t ready to leave yet. Her beast wanted to be near him. It refused to go back to the small cabin. Her stomach flipped. She remembered that the water-beast had slammed through the back wall again. When she checked the wall, there was a gaping hole where fresh drywall had been.

  “You can’t stay there tonight,” Alec told her.

  She shrugged. “I guess I can sleep in my car. It won’t be the first time.”

  Alec gave her a sidelong look, like he was trying to delve into her past to see why she would have slept in her car. Without saying anything else, he took her hand in his. When their fingers intertwined, her heart pattered too quickly. He led her away from the cook-out, toward a cabin at the far end of the lake. It was on the other side of Cole and Jude’s.

  The tempo of her heart sped up, wild and erratic. She could find no words as he led her past the door.

  Inside, the cabin was dusty. It was obvious no one had lived here in a long time. There was a cheap futon in the living area and an old kitchen table set near the sink and oven. It wasn’t much, but she could sleep here. The faint smell of Alec touched everything. She wanted to curl up in it.

  It wasn’t like being near him, but it was good enough.

  9

  Alec watched Charlie regard the futon. There was gratitude shaping her features, but Alec wasn’t done. He tugged her past the futon. She wouldn’t be sleeping there tonight. He wanted her in the same room. After watching her rush toward danger, his beast was coiled too tight. It wouldn’t let her out of its sight.

  Alec would only be able to rest if he could see her. He wanted to be able to hold her all night, but he knew that was only asking for heartbreak. When Wednesday came, and he had to send her home, he wouldn’t be able to. Not if he let himself hold her the way he wanted.

  If he curled up behind her and let himself fall asleep with her scent in his nose, she would become a part of him that he would never be able to remove. Someday, he wanted that. He wanted to find her again and make her scream his name to the stars above.

  When she’d said his name earlier, his heart had wrenched. She’d managed to calm the furious beast inside him with only a single word, but another part of him had broken. It would stay broken until they saved Zane. Until the danger was gone and he could finally lay claim to the other part of him that had been missing his whole life.

  It was strange to look back and realize that he’d been living a half-life. Alec had looked toward the light, always optimistic because if he allowed himself anything else, he would have been able to see how empty his life had been. Filling it with cheery conversation and a bright disposition had blinded him.

  Alec hadn’t been able to see the part of his life that was empty. Charlie had filled it, once upon a time. She’d been the wild force, like a windstorm, that swept him into adventure. She dragged him along on wild rides and showed him what it meant to live. He didn’t know what he was to her.

  She had come all this way, but Alec didn’t know if it was for him. Perhaps Charlie was only trying to escape the clan in Washington, and they were the only people she could think to hide among. Had she come any sooner, no one would have been here. Fate had brought them back together. He wanted to think that it meant something. He wanted to believe that they were bound together.

  Yet, there was a chance Charlie hadn’t come back for him.

  In the bedroom, Charlie eyed the lone bed. He watched her swallow. They’d been apart too long. He couldn’t read her anymore. There was something swimming in her eyes, but he couldn’t get past the dark veil over them. He wanted to sweep it back, brush his palm against her face, and pull her close.

  He let go of her instead. His dragon growled, vibrating his skull. The beast filled his head with images of him pushing Charlie onto the bed, covering her with his body, feeling her arch into him. He could almost hear her groan of pleasure as he bit into her shoulder and claimed her.

  Alec had to grit his teeth as he knelt on one side of the bed.

  “I don’t know…I mean, I could always sleep on the futon…” Charlie tripped over her words.

  Alec yanked the bed. The blankets fell away as he pulled the twin beds apart.

  “Oh,” was all she said.

  Back when Alec lived here alone, he’d only been able to afford a single twin bed. Now that he was back and Heath had given up his old twin bed, Alec snatched it up to make his feel larger. The gap between the mattresses was slightly bothersome, but it was better than being crammed onto a narrow twin mattress.

  He would have to deal with being cramped for the night. Charlie had to stay on her own side of the room. If she didn’t, Alec might not be able to control his beast. He wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off her. When he looked back at her and found her cheeks still pink from seeing the single bed, his gut tightened. For a split second, he nearly pushed the beds back together.

  Forcing himself to stand and brush off his hands. There wasn’t dirt on them, but if he didn’t do something with his hands they would reach for Charlie. His stomach was so tight. He couldn’t look toward her anymore. Instead, he tore his shirt over his head and collapsed onto the bare mattress, leaving her the one still covered in blankets.

  Women liked blankets, right? He didn’t know. He realized just how few women he’d let into his life. They n
ever stuck around because he could tell they weren’t right. No one had ever felt the way Charlie did.

  No smile compared to hers. He missed it. She barely smiled anymore. Just thinking about what it would take to steal that from her brought a growl to his lips.

  “You offered this bed. Right?”

  He twisted his neck and found her frozen over the other mattress, a blanket hanging from her hands. Confusion addled his brain for a moment, then he realized she must have misinterpreted his growl.

  “Yes. That one is for you,” he assured her. “I didn’t mean to growl. I’m just…tired.”

  Tired of being alone. Tired of pretending like his life was fulfilling. Tired of trying to be happy all the time. It wasn’t working. Where he could be with his family, he was feeling himself starting to fall apart. Would the others help prop him up while he put himself back together? Or would he have to do it on his own?

  Shoving uncertain thoughts aside, he watched Charlie get ready for bed. She tucked the blankets neatly under the mattress, creating a veritable cocoon. He smiled, watching her bend and crouch. He still wished she was more filled out. Each bump of her spine made him angry.

  Charlie stood and realized he was watching her. For a moment, they just stared at each other. The walls he’d kept up came crashing to the ground. He gripped the bed to keep himself in place, to keep from crossing the room and taking her the way he wanted.

  “I, uh, don’t have any pajamas.” She turned, like she was going to leave.

  Alec threw his feet to the floor. There was no way he was going to let her go outside on her own. She might think that Zane wasn’t going to hurt her, but Alec didn’t want to take that chance. She meant too much to him. The others let Zane toy with their mates. Alec wouldn’t be like that.

  “I’ll be right back,” he grumbled.

  He went to her cabin and grabbed her bag, pausing when he noticed the piles of clothes on the floor in the bedroom. There was a soft pink pajama set in a heap. Was that what she wanted? Or was it the soft black pants next to them? He didn’t know, so he swept it all into his arms.

  The clothes released her scent. His head spun and his beast growled hungrily.

  How had he lived so long without her?

  On his way out, he spotted Jude at the picnic table. She was slowly clearing up the uneaten food. When she saw him, there was a smirk on her lips, like she knew what he was feeling. He sneered at her and her know-it-all attitude. Before she could grab it, he snatched the bowl of grilled potatoes and took it.

  Jude said nothing. Then, he heard footsteps racing to catch up to him. Jude pushed ahead of him. He stared down at the tin she plopped on top of the container in his hands. The smell of sugar and peanut butter tickled his nose.

  “That should fill her up.” Jude shot him two finger guns, winked, and went back to the table.

  Alec didn’t know what to say so he said nothing. When he got back to the bedroom, Charlie was curled int the blankets. She had them pressed to her nose, her eyes closed in bliss. Carefully, so as to not wake her, he set the containers down. Charlie snapped awake.

  Her eyes were wide. Her chest rose and fell too fast. Her panicked breath grated on him.

  “It’s just me,” he said slowly.

  Her eyes began to focus. She blinked a couple of times. An embarrassed flush crept over her cheeks. When she ducked her head, his heart broke. He wanted to crawl over that bed and wrap his body around her so that no one could ever hurt her again.

  Instead, he gestured to the stuff he’d brought back. “I didn’t know which pajamas you wanted, so I brought everything. And Jude wanted you to have some food, so she gave me these potatoes and a…pie?”

  Charlie slowly got off the bed. He hated the way her eyes stayed on the floor. Who had stolen her wild nature? How could he get it back for her? He wanted to raze the world for her, destroy every man who had ever hurt her.

  Charlie knelt by his feet and went through the clothes he’d brought. She settled on the pink set but paused and looked up at him.

  “Where can I…” She swallowed, like it hurt her to ask for anything. Her hands tightened on the clothes in her hand.

  Alec noted the way she didn’t stand. She kept herself below him. This wasn’t his Charlie. She would have looked him in the eye, would have stood her ground and asked for exactly what she wanted. Like she did when she yelled at Zane.

  His Charlie was still in there. He could save her.

  “Oh, you need to change.” Alec swayed as he swung around.

  He lurched out of the room to give her privacy. With his back pressed against the door, he waited and listened to her move just to know she was still there. He hoped she touched everything, that she spread her scent over his room so that when she left, he could still pretend she was near.

  He never would have guessed that he would need someone this bad. Charlie filled a void inside him. The void was now home to hunger and desire and rage, but at least he felt something. He would rather swim in this torrent of emotions than let the days pass him by while he felt nothing.

  He couldn’t believe that he’d been so empty. And so blind to it.

  The door opened. Alec squealed as he fell backward. Charlie leapt away from him. He looked up to find her smothering her laughter behind her hands. The smile reached her eyes. He might have hit his head on the floor, but it was worth it just to see that smile.

  “I was going to see if you had any mayochup in your fridge.”

  “What the hell is mayochup?” he asked from the floor.

  “Well, it’s like it sounds. Mayonnaise and ketchup. Delicious on burgers and fries. Some places just call it fry sauce.”

  Alec’s brows furrowed. “That sounds disgusting.”

  Charlie stepped around him. He caught a glimpse up her shorts and his breath caught. He forgot what they were talking about as the image was burned onto his mind. A hungry growl worked its way up his throat. His hands flexed at his sides. He could almost imagine what it would feel like to hold her hips in his hands, to press them to his groin.

  She opened his fridge. He got to watch her bend to peer inside, her ass raised in the air. Perhaps letting her stay in his house was a bad idea. Alec couldn’t get her off his mind. And he couldn’t stop thinking with his dick. If he couldn’t control himself, he would cross a line not yet meant to be crossed.

  He couldn’t have her until everything was fixed. He had to fix Zane’s predicament and the clan that had kept her from him. Both needed his attention before he could have what he wanted. He only hoped she wanted it, too.

  When her gaze slid from the fridge to him, the way her eyes raked over his body told him that maybe she felt the same.

  “I don’t know why I expected you to have mayochup after you said it sounded disgusting.” Charlie wanted to slam the fridge door in frustration.

  Not because she was angry over the lack of condiments. It was Alec, laying on the floor, shirtless, and watching her like she was the snack. Her dragon wouldn’t sit still. It writhed under her skin. It whispered in her ears. Restless and aching, Charlie could think of nothing but Alec.

  Unable to take what she wanted, she snatched a bottle of ketchup and a small jar of mayonnaise from the fridge. While her hands were busy mixing the two, her mind wandered back to the man still on the floor. Why hadn’t he gotten up?

  Had she flashed him when she stepped over him? She’d thought nothing of it when she did it, but now she remembered how wide the leg holes of the shorts were, how they flapped around her thighs. He could have seen right up them. He would know that she wasn’t wearing anything beneath them.

  Was that why he was on the floor, hoping to get another glimpse up her shorts? Somehow, the thought made her hot. Her core melted. She was mixing condiments, but her mind was in Alec’s pants. Perhaps staying in his cabin wasn’t the best idea.

  When she was done, she walked up to Alec and nudged him with her foot. He snatched her ankle and held it, his thumb caressing her skin.
Her voice disappeared, chest hollow from the ache that swelled inside her. She had to swallow to speak again.

  “Could you move? I want to eat.”

  She wanted to straddle his hips and run her hands over his bare chest. Would his hair be soft between her fingers? Or coarse? Would the black lines of the tattoo over his shoulder be raised? Or was it one smooth expanse?

  There was no way of knowing until he said her name. He wanted her. She could see that much in the way his eyes turned green. Her own beast echoed the sentiment, but Charlie wouldn’t allow herself to have him yet. Not until he proved that they wanted the same thing.

  Finally, Alec let go of her ankle. He got to his feet and turned his back to her. The room grew silent. The only sound was the crackle of tin foil as she peeled it off the container of potatoes. They were still hot from the grill, reminding her that it hadn’t been that long ago that Zane attacked. That he ruined their night of fun.

  “Eat up,” Alec said, suddenly.

  She paused and cocked her head. “Why?”

  “You’re too thin. Some people are meant to be that size, but I can tell you aren’t. Your body needs more food.”

  She looked down at what she was eating. It was a serving of potatoes meant for six shifters. What surprised her was that she was ravenous. She was hungry enough that she could easily imagine eating the whole bowl.

  “I don’t normally have an appetite,” she confessed. Why was that? Because she felt like she was always in danger, always dreading what was around the corner?

  Here, she knew that Zane was a problem, but she wasn’t afraid of him. Not only would Zane keep her safe, but the others would as well. She wasn’t prey here. She wasn’t someone to be used and walked on.

  If only she could stay.

  Charlie dunked the crisp potato into the pink condiment. When it was sufficiently slathered, she popped it into her mouth. Alec cringed, like it was the most disgusting thing he could imagine.

  “You don’t know what you’re missing,” she said around the food in her mouth. She wasn’t being very sexy.