The Chosen Series Box Set: Books 1 - 3

by Charlene Hartnady

  Rushe growled. Before he could stop himself, he took a step towards Ward and his hands curled into fists at his sides.

  Ward stood his ground, putting them almost chest-to-chest. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  His voice had the ability to make Rushe drop his gaze almost against his own will, but he stayed where he was.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be making jokes at your expense. I couldn’t help myself.” His Alpha lightly slapped his hand on Rushe’s back, and just like that the tension abated.

  Both of them took a step back simultaneously.

  Ward’s nostrils flared. “The human’s scent has grown weak and should be almost gone by morning.”

  Rushe shrugged. “Since I’m stuck in here for another four days it doesn’t matter.” He tried not to sound too sorry for himself. He had, after all, brought this on himself.

  Ward smiled. “I’ve been doing some thinking.”

  Rushe shifted his weight, trying not to fidget. “Yes?” he finally said when Ward was taking too long to continue.

  “I may have been a bit harsh on you, and I’ve decided to allow you to go to your female tomorrow.”

  Rushe’s heart-rate quickened. He grinned and could feel how his grin stretched from ear to ear. “Thank you so much, Ward. Tomorrow is Saturday so my human won’t have to work.”

  “It will be faint, but you will still have her scent on you so leave before sun-up. Sawyer will go with you.”

  Rushe nodded, so excited that adrenaline coursed through his veins. “I want to go tonight. Please, Ward.”

  Ward shook his head. “Sawyer has had a long day. I want him to rest before you make the trip. It is only fair.”

  “Fine.” He tried not to sound too disappointed. A few hours would be much better than another whole week. He could not believe his good luck.

  “Wait a minute. What made you change your mind?”

  “Like I said, I thought about it and I realized that it was my fault for allowing you to remain on the human’s detail after I realized that you could not handle it.”

  Rushe tried not to chuckle. “As far as my detail was concerned, what better way to protect my female than to have her directly underneath me?”

  Ward laughed and shook his head. “You still disobeyed a direct order.”

  “So why the change of heart?”

  “I blame myself. You were in no position to be able to keep your hands off the female.” He paused, looking away. “I should have reali—” Ward gestured with his hands as he talked.

  “Stephany told you to let me go early didn’t she?” Rushe asked.

  His Alpha’s hands dropped to his sides. “Yes … okay … yes. My mate made me see things differently. If you and that human belong together then you should go and be with her.”

  Rushe had to laugh, he shook his head. “Your female made you let me go early. Should I start calling her Alpha?”

  Ward growled loudly. “I can make you stay just as easily, you little wet-behind-the-ears pup.”

  “You see, not so nice being teased is it?” Rushe smiled.

  Ward shook his head and smiled back. “You’re way too cocky and it’s going to get you into shit one of these days.”

  “You’re right about being cocky,” he grabbed hold of his dick, “and as to being wet behind the ears … not so much. Not anymore.” He had to smile at the thought of his lush female.

  Ward nodded. “I didn’t hear anything that night. Are you sure you did it right? You should’ve woken up the village.”

  Rushe narrowed his eyes at Ward. “With all due respect. Fuck you! We needed to be quiet and were in one of the furthest cabins. The ones reserved for couples rutting during the heat. Otherwise I am sure you would’ve heard us, even though we were trying to be quiet.” He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He knew that Ward was playing with him. “That is all I wish to say on the matter, as human females are private about these things and I do not wish to embarrass Becky.”

  Ward barked out a laugh. “I don’t think that female can get embarrassed. I’ve never met a human quite like her.”

  “I know.” He felt himself go all warm and fuzzy inside. “She is truly unique. I can’t wait to start our lives together.”

  “Remember what I said to you.” Ward took hold of his arm. “Don’t rush things with this female. Just because you were sexually compatible does not mean that she will automatically want to become your mate. Push too hard and you could scare her off. There is time. You can pursue her for as long as it takes and as many trips to Sweetwater as it takes. You waited a long time for the right female and have found her, don’t fuck this up because you are too cocksure.”

  Rushe nodded. Knowing deep down inside that his Alpha was wrong … he had to be. Becky would be waiting for him. It might take some convincing, but she would soon agree to becoming his mate as well. His heart felt light and he couldn’t help but smile.

  Ross was already in way over his head. Tasting her blood had been utter rapture. Her sweet nectar was like a gift from the gods. Just looking at her pert little nose and sky-blue eyes made him feel warm inside.

  She fired his blood like he’d never experienced before. He needed to get his cock and fangs into her again soon or he might just burst. Becky stood up, her body was something to behold. Her curves were abundant, his dick throbbed and jutted from between his thighs. Disappointment hit him hard when she grabbed her shirt and pulled it over her head. Her hair was wild about her shoulders, mussed from their earlier love-making. Make no mistake, he was making love to this female. He wished he could just tell her how he felt, convince her to give them a chance.

  Becky bent over, giving him a perfect view of her rounded ass and glistening pussy. He groaned.

  Fiery eyes landed on him, almost making him flinch. It was strange, he had been in many battles yet none of the stares from the hardened warriors he faced could evoke this level of emotion in him. Her eyes narrowed as she tossed his tank top at him. “Put on your clothes and leave.”

  He shook his head. “I’m staying the night.”

  She shook her head harder, her blonde curls bounced. “Not happening, buster. You’re not touching me again. We can’t do this, Ross.”

  He moved to stand in front of her. “You’re afraid I’ll get hurt.”

  Her cheeks flooded with color and she dropped her eyes to the floor for a few seconds. “I know, I sound totally conceited and full of it. I’m just afraid one of us will end up hurt. It’s inevitable.”

  “You can’t go through life trying to avoid what may happen. We could be very happy together … forever …”

  The little human actually cringed as he said the word. “I don’t do forever, I can’t.”

  “So you keep saying.” He folded his arms, noticing how her eyes drifted down his body, landing on his cock. Becky groaned, turning away from him as she grabbed his pants and threw them at his feet before putting her sweats back on. He had to stop himself from ripping them off of her. He loved the way she looked. Couldn’t stand that she covered herself from him.

  He needed to be careful, she was already running scared. “Anyway, I’m not asking for forever, I’m asking for one night.”

  “Put on the pants.” Her foot tapped on the floor as her gaze moved from his to the crumpled jeans at his feet and back.

  “I don’t want to.” He folded his arms across his chest. “I’m not going.”

  “Okay, fine.”

  He was tempted to relax but something in her voice gave him pause.

  Her eyes widened and her eyebrows rose. His female put her hands on her hips. “You can stay on one condition.”

  “I’m listening.” Anything … she could name it and he would do it. Not just because he needed to please her again, but mainly because he wanted to talk with her, laugh with her, find out more about his precious female. Although they had texted for months, he realized that he didn’t know nearly enough about her. Ross also longed to cradle her in
his arms, to hear her breathing deepen into a rhythm as she slept.

  “Tell me that you don’t feel anything for me, that you can walk away in the morning without looking back and you can stay.”

  Fuck.

  If he told her that, then he would be lying. The little vixen, she knew full well that he had feelings that went beyond just the sex.

  “I can’t.” He could hear the disappointment in his voice.

  The tension drained from her body and an almost inaudible sigh left her. “Get dressed and go. It’s for the best.”

  “Best for whom?”

  “Us … you. It would be best for you.” She spoke softly. “Now do as I say, please. Honor my decision. Respect me and leave.”

  Ross sighed heavily. “I am a grown male in my prime, capable of making my own decisions. I am willing to risk it to be with you. You never know, you might surprise yourself.” He smiled at her. “I might just be the one you can do forever with. How will you know unless you try?”

  She shook her head, her eyes wide. “No. You would be hurt and I would be hurt because I hurt you or you would hurt me. Nothing is forever. Nothing, Ross.”

  “I disagree. It is one night, Becky. We could take it slowly. We could date.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Tanya told me that vampires don’t date.”

  “We don’t but I would be willing to give it a try for you, Becky.” Vampires either rutted freely with chosen partners or they mated when they found the right female. There was no in-between, but if that was what Becky needed, then he would be willing to give it a try.

  “That’s sweet. You’re sweet …” She shook her head. “It would be too easy to fall for you, just like with Rushe—” She sucked in a breath, her eyes darting across his face in a panic.

  “The wolf,” he couldn’t stop himself from snarling the words.

  “Forget I said anything. You guys are just too intense for me. Too much.”

  “What happened to make you so fearful? Did someone hurt you?” Again he found himself snarling the last word.

  She shook her head. “No, I told you, the opposite is true. I’m the one who does the hurting. Just because I don’t seem to be able to stay in a long-term relationship doesn’t automatically mean I was hurt by some guy. Nothing made me like this.” Something flashed in her eyes before she looked away. If he wasn’t mistaken it was pain. For whatever reason, there was something that she was keeping from him. Maybe something she wasn’t even admitting to herself.

  “It’s just that I don’t understand. Maybe you never met the right male. One who could satisfy you,” his voice turned husky, “both in the bedroom and out.”

  “I’ll admit, sex with non-humans has been freaking mind-blowing—”

  He had to suppress a growl at her plural reference. That damned wolf had left his mark on his female. Ross just wished that she would allow him to stay, it seemed she needed to be convinced further that he was the only male for her.

  “But as good as it was, I don’t think it would be enough to keep me. I have Black Magic after all. Although I might just have to look for a bigger freaking vibrator after this,” she mumbled the last. He didn’t understand to what she was referring so he ignored the statement.

  Ross sighed. “I am willing to risk it. I want you to give us a chance.”

  “I don’t believe in true love and happily ever after. I’m a human, we’re wired differently. There is no such thing as fated mates … that’s what romance novels are for. The whole thing is pure freaking fantasy. Look around you, Ross,” Becky gestured around them, “this is the real world.”

  Ross kept his eyes firmly on her. “I don’t have to look around,” he paused, sucking in a breath, “I’m looking at you. An intelligent, beautiful, highly sensual female. I can see what I want and what I am willing to fight to have. I am not afraid of the future.”

  He could hear her heart-rate pick up, could see her chest heave. She chewed on her bottom lip and her eyes even glistened for a moment.

  “I am a patient male. I will give you the time and the space that you need, even if it kills me. I will go.” Just before he picked up his jeans, he saw a look of disappointment flash across her face before she pursed her lips and folded her arms across her chest. Ross donned his pants and pulled the tank over his head. “I want to take you out. One date.”

  She sucked in a breath and by the way her shoulders pulled back and her body tensed he could tell that she was about to decline.

  “Think about it. Don’t give me an answer now. I’ll call you.” He picked up his boots and made for the door, but as his hand touched the cold metal of the handle he paused.

  He couldn’t leave it like this.

  Ross turned and moving quickly, was chest-to-chest with her in less than a split second. She gasped, her eyes wide. He thread his fingers through her hair and kissed her. Quick and hard, ending on a soft touch of the lips. It almost killed him to pull away from such an enticing mouth, such a ripe body. From his female, but he forced himself to let her go. It was even harder to turn his back on her and to leave. Hearing her soft sigh of regret just as he closed the door was almost his undoing, but he forced himself to put one foot in front of the other.

  Forced himself to leave what was his.

  Chapter 15

  Rushe had pushed hard, making the trip to Becky’s place in record time. He craned his neck looking up at her apartment.

  Now that he was here, a knot of nerves twisted in his gut. Maybe he should’ve called first. His wolf was restless, wanting him to move, to go to their female. It didn’t understand the need to pause, to regroup.

  This was a human female, she wouldn’t fully understand his ways. He gave himself a mental shake. His human would be really happy to see him. Would most likely welcome him to her bed. His dick twitched at the thought of being inside her tight confines again, of pumping into her sweet pussy. His wolf whined.

  By the way the passing human female looked at him, it was safe to say that he had whined out loud as well. She quickened her pace while glancing back at him as she made her way down the sidewalk.

  He looked back up at Becky’s apartment. Once they had made love, he would be sure she was totally sated, they could spend time together and get to know one another more. There were so many things he wished to know.

  “Are you just going to look up at her apartment all day?” Sawyer asked.

  Rushe shook his head. “Not a fucking chance.” It was the final push that he needed to start walking. He ignored the elevator, taking the stairs four at a time and reaching her floor in no time. As he approached her apartment his hackles rose. He could feel his fur bristle and realized that he had started to shift.

  “I take it that you can scent what I’m scenting?” Sawyer asked.

  Rushe could hear the snuffling noises Sawyer was making. The shifter’s face was raised, his eyes glowed softly.

  “Yeah,” Rushe growled. “Fucking bloodsuckers. What the hell were they doing here?” He could tell that the scent was left at least seven or eight hours ago.

  “Maybe Tanya came to visit,” Sawyer said, his eyes returning to normal.

  “That must be it.” He could scent various human female scents. One of them could be from the vampire queen. It was logical that she would have some of the vampire guard accompany her.

  Although his features pulled back to normal, his hackles stayed up.

  Rushe strode to her door and knocked. “You stay out here.” He turned to Sawyer.

  The other wolf’s eyes narrowed but he nodded once. “I’m not standing here all day though.”

  “Just give me some time with her. Please.” He needed to find out what the hell was going on. The twisting in his gut turned to painful slicing. Something didn’t sit right about this whole thing.

  “Fine,” Sawyer sighed. “Fuck her and then let me in.”

  Rushe gripped Sawyer by the throat and shoved him up against the wall. “You don’t get to speak about my female in that
way.”

  Sawyer’s eyes widened and his mouth gaped as he struggled for air. Rushe had to force himself to release the other wolf, growling as he did.

  Sawyer coughed a few times, holding his hands to his throat. “Sorry … I didn’t mean anything by it.”

  Rushe nodded once then looked back at the door. There was no movement from inside. He knocked again, using more force this time yet trying hard not to put his fist through the wood.

  “Alright … alright,” he heard her sweet voice, “I’m freaking coming already … It’s Saturday morning for god’s sake,” she mumbled under her breath as she approached the door.

  “Oh fuck!” Sawyer whispered as the door opened.

  Her scent hit him deep in the snout, as it would’ve done to Sawyer as well. Rushe snarled. Becky’s eyes widened and she sprang back, gasping loudly.

  “Stay.” He glanced at Sawyer before he moved through the door and closed it behind him.

  “You scared the living shit out of me.” Becky put a hand to her heaving chest. Her heart raced so hard that he was sure it might jump right out of her chest. She wore a cute, cotton nighty. It had a pink ribbon on the collar and a bunny on the front. Her feet were in hot pink, fluffy slippers and her hair was mussed. There was a crease on her left cheek.

  He took in another nose full of her scent, trying hard to rein in his emotions. Rushe was sure she wasn’t wearing panties. The cloying scent of vampire accosted him. His nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply, unable to stop himself. Somewhere, far in the distance, almost gone, was his own scent. Rushe tried hard to focus on that.

  “Come in,” Becky said while walking in the direction of her living room. “I guess we have some things to discuss.”

  “You fucked a vampire,” Rushe blurted.

  Becky turned back, her lip between her teeth. She took a deep breath. “It wasn’t planned or anything.”

  “You knew I was coming back.” He tried to keep his breathing even, to keep the growl from his voice.

  She shook her head. “Ward told me that you weren’t going to come anymore. He said that you would go and find your mate … I thought—”