What the fuck? I clenched my fists, working to keep my cool. My excitement was replaced by rage. Why would she walk out of Cole’s office looking like she’d just had sex? It made no sense—Cole was mine. He might be holding back information he should share with me, but there was no way he would sleep with someone else. He couldn’t mate me and do that to me. I knew it wasn’t who he was, but I needed to hear it from him.
“Amy, right?” I asked, blood boiling.
“Human girl, right?” she answered with a smug grin on her face.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I asked, careful to keep an even tone.
“Having a bit of fun. Shouldn’t you be home sleeping?”
“I’ll wait for Cole to come home to the bed we share. I don’t like to sleep without my mate.” I pulled down my scarf and tilted my head up, proudly displaying Cole’s mark.
Amy’s face reddened as she pushed past me and ran out the door. Fuck her.
I stormed into Cole’s office, releasing the anger I held at bay. “What the fuck was that?”
Cole looked up at me from behind his desk. His brows rose as he met my fiery gaze. In a blur, he moved to where I stood, pressing his body against mine. He put his hand on the small of my back, pulling me close. His touch was electric, igniting every nerve in my body. He used his other hand over my shoulder to gently shut the door and pin me against it.
“Hailey,” he said in a deep growl. My body reacted automatically to his voice. I loved when he said my name that way, so primal, so sexy.
I ignored my desire and pressed him for the truth. “Don’t give me that,” I said. “That skanky blonde just walked out of here looking like she’d been fucked.”
“I didn’t touch her,” he answered, sliding his hand down and cupping my ass.
“She certainly wanted me to think you did,” I replied.
Cole lowered his brow. “Then she isn’t my friend. I’ll set her straight. She will never be alone with me again. Trust me, Hailey. There’s only you.”
He slid his hand down my thigh and up under my skirt. Pulling the denim up with his hand, he moved slowly, teasing me with his touch. He took his hand off of the door and touched the place he had claimed me, the physical mark that represented his promise to me.
“You’re mine,” he growled.
“I’m yours,” I said, submitting to his raw sexuality. He traced my neck with his fingers, then squeezed his fist in a handful of hair behind my head, and pulled down. My body obeyed and my head tilted upward.
Cole put his mouth on mine, forcing his tongue through my lips. I moved with him, caressing his tongue with mine. His desperation was as clear to me as my own. Excitement spread through my body, radiating from my lips. My breasts ached as our chests rubbed against each other.
“And you’re mine,” I whispered. I needed him to show me, to feel his desire for only me. He should walk around his office drenched in my scent, clear to any she-wolf sniffing around.
“Yes, I’m yours. Only yours,” Cole gasped between kisses. I pulled his belt loose and tossed it across the room, then tore at the button and zipper of his jeans. Both hands on my ass, Cole lifted me off of the floor. Grasping at my mate, I wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his muscular core. Driven by the urge to leave a physical mark of ownership, I put my mouth on his thick neck and sucked. Mine. Cole’s chest rumbled as he let out an animal growl. I released his skin, pleased to see the red oval I had left. His lips pressed hard on mine. I opened my mouth to his as he shoved his tongue inside of me. Cold wood pressed against my ass as Cole set me down on the edge of his desk. I pushed his papers, giving myself a bit more space. A huge sweep of Cole’s arm and all of the papers and office supplies were on the floor.
It was a hot as hell way to show me he put me above his work.
“That’s a lot to clean up,” I teased as I sat waiting for him. I pulled my legs up onto the desk, resting the heels of my boots at the edge.
Cole just smiled and tore my shirt open, exposing the white bra beneath. He was rough and claiming, yet gentle enough to keep the buttons intact.
“Show me how much you want me,” I said, pulling his jeans and boxers down off his hips. His cock sprung up at me, full and ready. “That’s what I’m talking about. Own me,” I begged, squeezing my breasts and spreading my legs for my mate.
Cole grabbed my hips and slid me to the edge of the desk. I lifted his white t-shirt up, revealing the defined eight-pack beneath. He slid a finger up and down the side of my panties, teasing me. Tilting myself toward his touch, I pressed my hips forward.
“Mmmm,” I moaned. I was nervous; anyone could come in and see us, but it didn’t matter. I needed him here, now.
Pulling my panties to the side, Cole pressed his cock against my opening. “I’m yours.”
“Give it to me,” I encouraged.
In one firm movement, Cole entered me. I gasped at the overwhelming sensation. It was hard and rough, exactly the way I needed it to be. The primal mix of pain and bliss turned me on even more. His thickness filled me, stretched me as he moved. I dropped my legs around him and submitted to his dominance. Pulling my hips down to his base, Cole owned my body. With one hand on my side, he continued to thrust into me, moving the other hand to my aching breast. His warm fingers slid beneath the cup of my bra and squeezed. Pleasure met in my middle, streaming from his grip on my breast and pressure of his enormous girth filling me.
“Yes,” I moaned in delight. I knew I couldn’t take much more before reaching climax.
One last hard stroke and Cole commanded, “Come for me.”
My body obeyed, and a wave of ecstasy washed over me. Cole stilled. Aftershocks of my pleasure continued as I laid back against the hard desk beneath me.
After I came down from the high, I looked into Cole’s fierce golden eyes. A devilish grin spread across his face, and then he spoke, “Stand up.”
I lowered my wobbly legs to the floor and stood facing my mate. His cock was still hard and ready for me as he stood with his pants down and shirt lifted, and I was excited to see what he had in store for me next.
“Turn around,” he ordered.
Fueled by his authoritative tone, I obeyed without hesitation. I was eager to submit to whatever he desired.
His hands slid down my neck, dropping my unbuttoned shirt to the floor. Goosebumps covered my skin as my body adjusted to the icy air in the room. I hadn’t noticed how cold it was before, with Cole keeping me warm. The heat of his breath tickled behind my ear as I faced away from my mate, longing for his touch to return. With two fingers he traced the mark on my neck, then followed the straps of my bra down with his touch. He unclasped the hook, allowing the bra to drop to the floor. The anticipation was excruciating. I ached to be touched by him again, be filled by him again. Every inch of my skin was raw, desperately longing for the only man I had ever loved. Soon after, Cole slid his hands beneath my arms and around my waist. He moved upward and cupped both breasts in his hands. His touch was pleasantly soothing and sensual. Held close to his body, I started to heat back up.
“You’re so beautiful, Hailey,” Cole whispered, lips next to my ear. “I love your huge tits.” He squeezed my nipples gently between thumbs and forefingers. I gasped as the pressure reverberated through my core. He released my nipples, and pulled my skirt up around my waist. One finger traced the inner seam of my panties, then he slid them down to rest mid-thigh.
“Bend over,” he said.
I did as I was told, and laid my body down on the cold hard desk. I couldn’t believe how turned on I was by being told what to do, by the fact that anyone could walk in the door and see me like this.
“I love your wide, feminine hips and this perfect, round ass,” he said and smacked me right on the bare cheek.
I squealed in surprise. I felt so vulnerable lying there, waiting for him to do what he wanted. It was sexy as hell.
“Fuck me,” I begged.
Cole slammed into me, pre
ssing in farther than before. It hurt, but it felt so good.
“Yes.” I bit my lip and held onto the table as he thrusted hard and fast into me. After only a few strokes, I was ready to come again. Blinding pleasure coursed through my body as I tightened around Cole’s cock. He pushed through my release and found one of his own.
He collapsed into his desk chair and pulled me onto his lap. I was a mess, and I didn’t care. Our physical closeness left me feeling emotionally secure. Let Amy walk in and see us like this. No one could doubt that I was his and he was mine.
I looked up into his deep, honey eyes and said, “I love you.”
He squeezed me in an even tighter hug. “I love you too.”
Chapter Twelve
Cole
I wrapped my arms around Hailey, holding her barely clothed body close to my chest. The tension of the day melted away with her touch. It didn’t matter if the world outside of this room crumbled, because I had her. I was the luckiest man in the world.
Strands of long, dark hair blocked her face from mine. Gently moving her brown locks, I looked down at the angel I would spend the rest of my life with. Feeling content and close to my mate, I was concerned to see that her eyes were distant as she stared off into space.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Hmm? Yeah, I mean, that was great,” she answered.
“For me too,” I said. “So what are you thinking about?”
“I hate to ruin the moment.”
“Please, tell me.” I didn't want her to feel like she couldn't talk to me. I always wanted to know when something was wrong. Had I been too rough?
“How long did you know you were going to be running off in the middle of the night? How long did you know that there was some kind of danger?”
“I didn’t know until Harkins showed up.” I answered.
“Then why did you make all of those meals? I mean, there’s enough food in that freezer for me to eat for days. You weren’t planning to go away for days at a time, were you?” She looked so open, so vulnerable in my lap with concern on her face.
“I wasn’t planning on going away at all. I thought you might like to pack something for work instead of having to order pizza or Chinese. If I had felt there was any choice, I wouldn’t have gone.”
“Oh,” she answered. “Good. I really need you to talk to me. It crushed me that you left without waking me up first. I want to know everything that’s going on in your life.”
“I’m sorry.” I hadn't meant to hurt her or upset her, only to let her rest.
“So did you get whatever you needed to done?” she asked.
“Somewhat. There’s still someone out there who may try to harm you. If you aren’t with me, I want you to stay with Harkins,” I said.
“Who would want to hurt me?”
“It’s a crazy guy from another pack,” I explained. “He’s dangerous and he’s killed. He seems to have it out for me, and he might try to harm you to hurt me.”
“Why is he trying to hurt you?” she asked, furrowing her brow.
“It’s likely because we have no alpha, so he assumes, just like everyone did, that I would take that place. But I don’t have any concrete answer as to why,” I explained. “Being alpha or next in line would be reason for a challenge, a one-on-one fight. It wouldn’t be a reason for him to harm others.”
“Soooo, then I’m guessing there’s been no challenge?” she asked.
“No, he hasn’t put in a challenge. I don’t think he will; he doesn’t play by the rules. When I was out, I learned he has surveillance photos of me. No one but Lance knows we’re mates, and for now it’s safest to keep it that way,” I said.
“No one knows? Well uh, I’m pretty sure Harkins noticed, and I may have shown Amy when she came strolling out of here looking so smug,” Hailey replied.
“They won’t tell anyone. But make sure you keep that covered when you're out where wolves from another pack could see you, until we get this figured out,” I said, touching the soft skin on her neck. “If the other pack hasn’t found out yet, maybe we can keep it that way until this is all settled.”
“Wolves from other packs hang around town?” she asked, eyes wide.
“We get some. There are some without packs, some visiting from other territories, and some roaming packs. Most don't cause any trouble,” I answered.
“Most, but not the crazy one that wants to hurt my mate,” she said in a flat tone. “How would I even know if a wolf came in the flower shop? How would I know that he wasn’t human?” She squeezed my hand with hers and looked at me with her big blue eyes.
“I want me or Harkins with you. Then it won’t matter if someone comes to bother you, human or wolf. You will be safe,” I said. I would do everything in my power to keep my word.
She nodded, then asked, “Was that big guy I saw in town working for the other pack?”
“I’m looking into it. Let me know if you see him again,” I answered. I hadn’t learned anything about him yet, but I intended to.
“Okay. I will,” she answered. Then she smiled up at me and said, “I brought my clothes over and put them in your closet. Our closet.”
“Really? That’s great,” I replied. I wanted my mate to share everything with me, and to feel like it was our house, not just mine. Claiming space in the closet was a great step toward weaving our lives together.
“Let’s go home,” she said. And we did.
Hailey clung to my back as we rode through the dark woods on the Harley. The warmth of my mate against my back was a pleasant contrast to the trip I had spent driving alone. When we got home, we showered together and went to sleep. We spent our first night in our bed, with Hailey officially moved in, snuggled in front of a warm fire. In the morning, I crawled out of bed without disturbing my mate. While I waited for her to join me, I cooked pancakes and coffee the way I knew she liked.
The wooden boards creaked as she came down the steps soon after me.
“Good morning,” I said smiling at Hailey, spatula in hand.
“Hey, handsome,” she answered. “I was thinking maybe we could invite everyone over for lunch or dinner or something. Liv, Eric, and Lance, too. I'd really like to do normal couple social stuff.”
“Okay,” I laughed. “Just let me know what you'd like to do.”
Normal couple stuff sounded like exactly what we needed. I was happy to indulge her.
“I'll have to think about it,” she said. “What do we have on the agenda today?”
Ideally nothing but food, sex, and quality time with my mate, I thought. But after learning about the Cook brothers and the way Zaria had reacted to the news about Garret, I knew I needed to drop by my mother’s house if only for a few minutes. “I need to check in on my mother, then I'm yours for the day,” I answered.
“Hmmm,” she replied. “All mine for the day. What will I do with you?”
Chapter Thirteen
Cole
I pulled into the space next to Zaria's SUV and parked the Harley. It had been a while since I’d visited this house, the house I grew up in. I wasn't sure how long it had been, close to a year I thought, maybe not since last Christmas.
All of the curtains were pulled shut on the small Victorian townhouse. The grass was cut short, likely by the boy who lived two houses down. My mother wasn't much of a gardener, so the yard was bare except for the lone rosebush we had planted when my grandmother died.
I walked up the two wooden steps to the small front porch and rang the doorbell. After a few minutes, I tried a second time. Since she hadn’t called me back, I was beginning to worry. Dashiell may have targeted her as a way to get to me. Harkins was protecting Hailey, but I hadn't considered my mother. I shouldn’t have forgotten to look out for my only living parent. I’d ask Harkins to send one of his men to watch her until this was over. When no one answered, my chest tightened and I pulled out my key and unlocked the door.
“Mother,” I said as I opened the door, concerned by the lack
of response. Her scent mingled with the odor of stale smoke. I could tell that she was home, but not if she was okay. “Hey, Mom, it's me.”
No lights were on in the living room, so I shut the door behind me and opened the curtain to the front window. The room hadn't changed much since I was a kid. It had always been my favorite place in the house. We had the same sofa in the same place against the wall for as long as I could remember, next to the brick fireplace. Zaria kept the same coffee table that I used to play with my toy trucks on. The only addition Garret had made when he moved in was the black leather recliner across from the sofa.
As I looked around the room that was always the same, always tidy, the mess my mother had left told me she wasn’t herself. A full ashtray of cigarette butts sat on the sofa cushion. Empty beer bottles lay across the tabletop; a few were spread on the floor.
In the darkness of the kitchen, I saw a silhouette of a small woman sitting at the table. She said nothing as I walked past her and opened the curtain, lighting the room with the sun. I turned and looked at my mother. She seemed smaller than I remembered, one hand grasping a half-empty bottle of vodka, the other shielding her eyes and holding a cigarette.
“Hi, Mom,” I said, and sat down across the table from her.
She lowered her hand from her eyes and took a long drag from the cigarette before rubbing it out on the plate in the center of the table.
“What day is it?” she asked, squinting at the window. Her hair was a mess, black strands knotted all over the place. I recognized her rumpled clothing as being the same thing she had worn the last time I’d seen her. It was distressing that she likely hadn't changed her clothes in days, and that she reeked of tobacco and liquor.
“It's Saturday,” I answered.
“Where's his head?” she asked, still staring at the window. A strange question, but she clearly wasn't feeling herself. Zaria should have known that Harkins would have buried what we had of Garret in the pack's graveyard. If we found the rest of him, it would go there as well. We would celebrate his life when his widow was ready, but the burying of remains was always done right away.
Werewolves & Whiskers: Sawtooth Peaks Wolf Shifter Romance Box Set Page 18
