by Rose, Renee
He nods, apparently satisfied and all business. “I’ll be back in a few. Don’t move.”
I tug on the bound wrist. I’m sure if I wanted to, I could extricate myself, but it would take some work and the use of the fingers on my broken arm, which I don’t feel much like jostling.
“Be a good girl, and I’ll think about a reward.” His gaze drops to my beaded nips and I squirm.
“It had better be a good one,” I throw back at him, and he lets out a pained laugh.
“We’ll see.” He’s giving off that angry vibe again, which I think means he’s sexually frustrated. Actually, I think it’s more complicated than that. He wants me but doesn’t want to want me.
I know the feeling, buddy.
He casts one more glower down the length of my body and adjusts his cock in his pants before he stalks out and I hear the front door slam.
* * *
Titus
I disconnect one of the wires to Sunny’s alternator, just in case she’s serious about leaving. I don’t think she will, but the woman is pretty stubbornly independent.
And it wouldn’t be the first time she’s run off on me.
I rub my forehead as the testier part of me grumbles that I should let her leave if she wants to leave. I’m not looking to get tangled up with her again anyway. But there’s no way I can let her fend for herself like this.
A few days until she’s out of pain and I can get her bus repaired. Then we can part ways before things get intense again.
It’s the only decent thing I can do.
I walk over to the diner and pick up three orders of the huevos rancheros (two for me, because I have a wolf’s appetite), and I get a couple giant bear claw pastries too.
My wolf gets cheerful on the walk back, like the idea of providing for a female makes him frisky.
She’s not our female. Definitely not our mate, I tell him, but he doesn’t give a shit. In fact, he was ready to mark her this morning the moment I caught the scent of her arousal. Which doesn’t make sense. I never even marked Barbara, Titus Junior’s mother. Just never had the urge. She wasn’t my true mate.
In retrospect, I don’t even know why I took her as a mate. I think it was because she wanted it from me.
I got sucked into her world.
Or maybe because I wanted a kid.
I did want Titus Junior, even though it sucked raising him without a mother or a pack. He’s the only thing that ever made sense in my life.
Fates know females never did.
I open the door, and sniff the air.
She’s still here.
I’m surprised at how relieved I am. This woman gets under my skin far too quickly.
I bring the food into the bedroom, and I’m instantly hit by her scent. She’s still aroused. Moreso, even, than when I left.
What turned her on? Being tied up? Anticipation of a reward? I vow to get to the bottom of it, but after I feed her.
“Were you good while I was gone?”
“Nope,” she says immediately. “I was definitely not.” She squirms around on the bed.
Fuck. She’s so hot like that.
I set her free and help her sit up, then place the food in her lap.
“Thank you,” she purrs. “This smells amazing.” Because she’s Sunny, I know she means every bit of the glow of appreciation she infuses into her words.
My wolf preens.
I get us forks from the kitchen and perch on the side of the bed to eat with her. I don’t know why—I could just as easily leave the food with her and eat mine at the table, but it’s like I have to watch her eat the food I brought home.
For one moment, I imagine how it would’ve been to have Sunny as the mother of my pup instead of Barbara.
I somehow know she would’ve cried over the pup, never would’ve wanted to let him out of her arms. Not like Barbara, who barely bonded with our son.
“Are you thinking about babies?” Sunny asks with that uncanny habit she has of reading minds.
I screw my face up into a grumpy mask. “What are you talking about, woman?”
“You want grandbabies, too, don’t you? I seriously can’t wait.”
I throw her a dubious look. “Why? What’s the rush?”
Her tongue darts out to lick a speck of salsa from her lips and my dick gets hard. “I love babies. I can’t wait to be a grandma, although I’m not going to let them call me that, of course.”
“Them?” I chuckle. “You have this all planned, don’t you?”
She shrugs.
“Why did you only have one kid, if you love babies so much? Couldn’t fit any more into that RV of yours?”
Like a light bulb on a dimmer switch, I see the light around her face diminish.
Damn. I’m such an asshole.
“I tried.” The two words drop and sink between us like blocks of concrete into a lake. She shrugs, her gaze taking on a remote look, like she needs the distance to speak them. “Five miscarriages. Foxfire is the only baby I brought to term.”
A chill runs across my skin.
“Shit.” I can’t imagine. I remember the anticipation of Tank’s birth. If the pregnancy had ended in tragedy, I don’t know how I would’ve gone on. “I’m sorry. That sucks.”
“Yeah, well, I got Foxfire.” Her voice is falsely cheerful. She’s a terrible actress.
“Were they all… with the same guy? With Foxfire’s dad?”
Half-breeds are weaker species, maybe that was why. Or maybe Foxfire was the only one who took because she is half shifter.
A shutter slams down over her features. “No. Didn’t you have work to do today? Private business or something?”
Wow. Okay. Touchy subject.
And she’s right. I have shit to do.
I shouldn’t feel offended at being shut out by an overly-emotional woman I didn’t want to get involved with, anyway.
I can’t stop the sympathy swimming through me, though. Sunny comes off as chirpy cheerful, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t suffered, just like the rest of us.
“I do need to head out. You’re going to stay here and heal. Right?”
“Yeah, okay.”
“Do not leave this place. If you need something, text me. Understand?”
“Yeah, yeah. Got it.” She waves me away.
I don’t like the way it feels. My wolf wants her to accept my protection. To receive what I’m offering.
But that’s stupid.
I can’t offer her anything.
I pick up the empty cartons from breakfast and stand. “Need anything before I go?” I’m disturbed that I have the urge to lean down and kiss her goodbye.
Not my mate. Not. My. Mate.
“No, thank you, Titus. I’ll be fine.”
I nod and leave, both relieved and disappointed to leave her.
* * *
Titus
I head into town, not even sure how I’m going to go about finding Buzz. Taos is a small town, but I know instinctively that asking around will yield nothing. Buzz is the kind of guy who wouldn’t want people asking or talking about him. Anyone who’s friends with him would know that and; therefore, wouldn’t give out information.
I’m better off just sniffing around. Letting my instincts guide me. I had a good feeling out at the gorge, maybe I should start there.
That was because of her, my wolf says.
Shut up.
Yeah, I’m talking to myself now.
I get on my bike and head out for the high bridge, but keep riding until I reach the Carson area. My skin prickles with warning.
I drive out to a convergence of towns, an area called Three Points, and there, at a corner, I see the goddamn vehicle that ran into Sunny last night.
“Hey!” I shout.
The guy looks at me through the windshield, and then he guns it, taking off at top speed.
Rage rushes through me hot and fierce.
This guy hurt Sunny. I am going to pound him into a pulp. I zip after h
im, the bike roaring beneath me. We hit seventy miles an hour. Eighty. Ninety.
If this asshole thinks he can outrun my Harley, he’s out of his mind.
He skids around a turn and I gain on him, but he’s approaching some kind of settlement.
There’s not a better word. We’re out in the middle of nowhere, but several acres of land are pocked with shacks, RVs, buses and other temporary housing units. Cars are parked everywhere in traveling circus meets Deliverance.
The car skids to a stop and mangy men emerge from everywhere. The hair stands up on the back of my neck as my instincts scream danger. Two dozen or more of them, all coming out to see what the commotion is.
I pull up and park the bike, getting off and going to them before they come to me.
I’m aware that I’m grossly outnumbered.
The scent of shifter hits me hard, and I realize now the extent of danger I’m in. With my strength and resiliency, I could’ve handled a big group of humans. Not true of shifters. They will know how to take me down.
I lift my nose to the air, trying to identify their species. They’re too mangy for wolves.
As they advance, it hits me: coyotes.
Fucking coyotes.
“Can I help you?” the asshole driving the car that hit Sunny asks.
Ignoring the danger, I go alpha on him. I stalk around the car and plow my fist into his face. Bone crunches under my fist and his body flies back and dents his car door.
The rest of the pack surge forward, making a tight circle around me, but no one touches me.
Yet.
Pack laws must be similar. Direct challenges are generally honored among shifters. Settling things physically has always been our way. And if they haven’t caught my scent yet, they’ll know by the way I handled this asshole that I’m not human.
The guy must pick up that I have a personal beef because he swipes at the blood coming from his nose. “What’s your problem?”
I point at the smashed in front of his car. “Hit and fucking run is my problem. You nearly killed a human I care about.” I swing again and he ducks and swings back. His fist hits my ribs but doesn’t make much of an impact.
I slam him into the car with a chokehold around his neck. Now that I look at him closer, the guy looks twitchy to me—small pupils. Sweaty. Like he’s on drugs. Great, just what I need. A tweaked out coy dog.
Growls start up all around me when he turns purple and his eyes bulge.
I release him and land a couple more punches.
“That’s enough.” I recognize the alpha command and take a step back. I’m not crazy enough to know they couldn’t easily take me down. A skinny, bearded man steps into my space. “Who are you?” he demands.
“I’m Titus. And I demand restitution.”
I don’t know if this is gonna get me anywhere. Some packs follow strict codes of conduct, others are more loosely governed.
“Wolf.” The coyote alpha spits. “Haven’t seen you around before.”
“Well, I’m here now. Demanding restitution.”
The alpha considers me for a moment. Then turns to the driver of the car. “This true? You hit a human with your car?”
The guy shrugs. “I hit a VW bus.”
“With a human female inside. She’s injured and the vehicle needs repair. You’re going to fucking pay for it.” I jab a finger in his face and the pack growls around me.
I wait two breaths before I drop my finger. I’m not gonna show submission to a pack of coyotes, even if they could rip me apart.
“The human’s alive?” the alpha asks after a beat.
“Yeah. Broken arm. Lacerations.”
He considers me for a long moment. “She can bring the bus here. We’ll repair it for her.” He jerks a thumb in the direction of one of the falling down buildings. It looks like an old gas station.
Fuck. Is he telling me they’re mechanics? I’m torn between not trusting Sunny’s vehicle with these guys, and wanting justice.
“No chance in hell I’m sending her here. He can come pick it up. And deliver it in perfect condition. And pay the hospital bill.”
“We’ll fix the vehicle. Hospital is your problem.”
I whirl and face the alpha fully, fingers curling into fists. Growls start up again. I’m ready to throw down over the hospital bill, but it occurs to me that you can’t bleed a turnip. These guys don’t look like they’re swimming in dough.
Looks like another shit pie is getting served up.
It also occurs to me that I’m here to do a job for my pack. One I seem to have completely forgotten.
“Picked up and delivered,” I insist.
“Fine.” The alpha waves a hand at me.
I force my fists to unclench and try to relax the scowl from my face. “Permission to speak to you about some unrelated business.”
The alpha’s brows shoot up. “What is it?”
“You know anything about a lab out this way? Or shifter disappearances in these parts?”
The guy snorts. “You’d know more about that shit than I would.” He turns on his heel and walks off.
What does that mean?
“Hold up,” I call out, but the coyotes close ranks behind him, blocking my path.
Fuck.
I snarl directions to the hit-and-run asshole and get back on my bike. As I ride away, I breathe in the smell of hot sage to take the coyote stench out of my nose.
* * *
Sunny
I’m up, showered, and sitting on the couch reading on my Kindle app when Titus returns.
“I found the guy who hit you.”
A car pulls into the drive and a scrawny guy with a t-shirt stained with blood tumbles out of the passenger side.
“Titus… what did you do to him?”
“I busted his nose,” Titus answers like it was the only logical action he could’ve taken. “And I told him he’d better fucking fix your bus. So he’s here to take it. Toss me the keys.”
My mouth drops open. I’m not sure what I think. Whether Titus is a hero or someone I really should distance myself from. Violence isn’t something I condone.
I do appreciate him arranging to have my VW fixed, though.
I pull out my keys and then hesitate. “What if he steals it?” I mean the guy looks totally sketchy. Definitely a tweaker. That’s probably why he left the scene of the accident. He was under the influence and knew he’d get busted.
“Then I’ll kill him,” Titus says loud enough for the guy standing outside to hear.
A shiver runs down my spine, because I can’t tell how serious he is. Still, I trust him to handle this. I toss the keys.
He catches them in his huge hand and heads outside.
Sexy, capable man. I’m long past experiencing the biological urge to find a worthy provider, but my hormones don’t seem to know that. I swear my ovaries just dropped three fresh eggs.
When Titus returns, he catches sight of the flower arrangement I made with a jar out of the recycling bin out back and the flowers growing around the cottage.
“Who brought those?” he demands.
“I picked them outside.”
“Huh.” He looks at the jar for a long moment, then at me.
I’m expecting him to rant about me leaving the bed, but instead he cocks his head like he can’t understand why I would do such a thing.
“You like flowers?”
I laugh. “Of course. Who doesn’t? I love flowers.”
“Huh,” he says again, like he thinks it’s the weirdest thing. “I guess that’s what artists do, right?”
“What?”
“Bring beauty to our world.”
I laugh, deflecting the compliment. “The beauty was already in our world, I just brought it inside.”
“Yeah, I guess.” He turns the jar around like it’s the most curious thing he’s ever seen.
Maybe it is weird—I don’t know. It’s just what I’ve always done. A surface without a jar of flowers always look
s bare to me. “That’s the major downside about living in an Airstream. I don’t get to plant my own cutting garden.” I climb off the sofa. I haven’t taken the pain meds they gave me—I didn’t even want to fill the prescription but Titus insisted. My head throbs, and I stop my forward motion for a moment.
“Why are you off that couch, little lady?”
I hide my wince at the spinning room and throw a hand out to catch myself against the door. “Don’t call me lady.”
“Right. Yeah.” Titus frowns at me, glaring at the bump on my head. “I shoulda broken that guy’s arm before I left,” he mutters.
“Titus, no. I don’t want violence enacted on my behalf. I appreciate your help, but please. No more.”
The room tilts and I’m suddenly in his arms. “I think I told you to stay resting.” The deep rumble of his voice enters my chest and heats me from the inside out.
“I don’t like staying in one place for too long.”
He carries me to the bedroom. His beard tickles my cheek.
“Besides, I’m hungry. Let’s go get some lunch, Titus. I’ll buy.”
“You need to stay put.” He lowers me gently to the bed. “I’ll get lunch.”
“Titus—”
“Hush or I’ll tie you to that bed again.”
“That would sound hotter if you weren’t so cranky. Last time was a supreme disappointment, I’ll have you know. I thought something fun was going to happen.”
Titus’ head snaps up, his gray eyes lock with mine.
Oops. I probably shouldn’t reveal how turned on I was this morning. But seriously. The guy tied me to the bed with his belt. I don’t know how kinky he is, but I sure as hell thought something more was going to happen than him setting me free when he returned with breakfast.
He growls, stalking back to the edge of the bed. “Now you’re just begging for trouble.”
Excitement zings through me at the gruff growl of his voice. My lady parts perk up. Is it wrong to want to have sex with him even when I know he’s not into getting involved with me?
Maybe.
I could end up with a broken heart, here. But only if I put my heart in play. And I don’t have to. I can just look at this as a chance to indulge in a little pleasure. Something I haven’t had enough of, frankly.
