by Bella Night
Benefits; claimed mates often exhibit superior strength, speed, agility, healing and fertility, as well as additional unexplained abilities, such as, but not limited to; telekinesis, telepathy, clairvoyance, concilium . . .
“Doing a little light reading?” Wes asked, his voice making Etti jump. She resisted the urge to slam the laptop closed, not wanting to drag Wes any deeper into her mess than she already had. But she knew better. Wes was as stubborn as she was when he wanted something and the look in his eye said he wasn’t going to let this go without some major explaining.
Etti sighed. She was exhausted, but she supposed she owed Wes the truth. She patted the couch next to her and said “You’re gonna want to sit down for this.”
18
Etti
“So let me get this straight,” Wes asked. “I’m protecting a wolf that’s trying to turn you into a shifter so you can both gain enough strength to kill his prick Alpha before the Alpha or your inability to shift kills you?”
“That pretty much sums it up,” Etti said, swallowing thickly as she set down her second cup of coffee.
After showing Wes what she found online they’d spent the rest of the night talking and researching further into the depressingly dark spiral of shifter subcultures. They mainly focused on the hunt and claiming—none of which looked promising for Etti.
Wes scrubbed the tiredness from his face with his large hands. “Cali said she could put us in touch with the head of the local pack, the Lupin family, if we needed more help. And I think this is the definition of, we need more help.”
“No. I don’t want to drag anyone else into this if we don’t have to.”
“Neither do I, but don’t you think the Lupins would want to know what’s going on in their territory?”
“Cali said she’d tell them about the rogues. But Wes, I can’t endanger anyone else. This is my problem.”
“No, Etti, it’s our problem. You dragged me into this, or don’t I count?”
Etti took Wes’s hand, unable to ignore the hurt in his eyes. “You know I didn’t mean it like that. I know I’ve dragged you into this and I’m forever grateful for your help. I just want to talk to Grey first before we start making this a bigger deal than it is.”
“You might die, Etti! I’d say it’s a fucking big deal already,” he argued, his voice raising.
“I know. And you also know that I ask for help when I need it. Like I did tonight.”
Wes sighed and massaged his temples.
“Please just let me talk to Grey before we make any decisions.”
“Fine.” Wes stood, collecting their empty mugs. “I’m exhausted. I’m gonna sleep out here. You can have my bed.” And with that he walked into the kitchen.
Etti knew that meant Wes was done talking. Truthfully, she’d hit a wall, too. There were only a few hours before the sun came up so she decided to use them wisely and get some sleep.
Etti slipped into Wes’s room to check on Grey. He was still sleeping soundly on a sparse blanket on the ground. She knew it was silly, he was probably plenty warm with that thick coat of gray fur, but she pulled a blanket from the bed and covered him anyway. She knelt down to tuck the edges around him. He looked much better. She couldn’t resist stroking his fur. His wolf was beautiful in a wild, dangerous kind of way. Just touching his fur sent a thrill through her veins.
She knew she was closer to him than she should be, but she leaned in further to listen to his breathing. Etti rested her head near his shoulder like she’d seen Cali do. His heart sounded steady—strong. Its beating was comforting and Etti melted into the warmth of Grey’s soft fur coat, listening to his heartbeat as she drifted off to sleep.
19
Greyson
Grey opened his eyes to a beautiful sight—Etti. Her black hair sprawled across his bare chest along with the rest of her. He was in his human form, lying on his back twisted amongst an assortment of blankets and Etti’s long limbs. He slowly moved his free arm, opening and closing his fist without pain. He was astonished by how well he’d healed. He let himself smile for a blissful moment wrapped in warmth and safety with Etti. She had saved his life last night. His mate was fearless.
Closing his eyes, Grey wished for strength. He wished he were as strong as Etti was. But at the moment, he found himself terrified by the emotions rippling through him as he gazed at her. He wound his fingers through her silky black hair, savoring the feeling of it. He inhaled her scent and nearly lost himself. His wolf was pulling at his skin, every instinct begging to claim the gorgeous woman whose soft skin was brushing against his.
Grey had never felt such an overwhelming desire for anyone in his life. It came on so suddenly he didn’t know which way was up. He knew Etti was his mate. She had to be. There was no other way to explain it. He felt a connection to her in his bones. But if he was struggling with understanding his feelings, how was he going to explain all of this to Etti?
He’d just met her and she wasn’t a shifter. That complicated things. Grey groaned as Etti snuggled closer to him in her sleep. Her hips rocked against his in a delicious way. He wanted to pin her beneath him and claim her for good. The thought of being without her, of anything happening to her, made his chest ache like he’d been deprived of air.
His need for her was practically unbearable. Etti’s oversized shirt had twisted in sleep, exposing her sexy black panties and most of her torso. Grey ran his hand up and down the velvet skin of her back and Etti murmured a tiny sigh. The noise excited him near bursting. His throbbing erection twitched against her flat stomach and Grey swore loudly as he tried to gain control over the growling wolf inside him.
Whether it was the growl or the expletive that woke her, he didn’t know, but Etti’s dark eyes flew open, instantly alert. “Grey!” she exclaimed, happiness flooding her voice as she threw her arms around him. “Do you feel okay?” she asked suddenly pulling her body from his as though she thought she might be hurting him. “Oh,” she said a bit breathlessly, finally realizing he was completely naked and that he was feeling much more than okay.
Grey couldn’t speak. There were no words for the joy he felt watching her look at his naked body with unabashed appreciation. He could scent her arousal and he didn’t wait—couldn’t wait. Grey pounced, his lips crashing with hers, primal need and desire driving him.
Etti surprised him yet again by meeting his devouring kiss with equal passion. She slid her fingers through his hair and groaned into his mouth as his tongue traced hers. Her groaning nearly unleashed his wolf. Grey rolled Etti onto her back and caged her body with his. She was panting with desire as Grey fisted her hair, pulling her head back so he could kiss her throat. The neat white bandage on her neck stopped him abruptly.
“What’s wrong?” Etti asked breathlessly.
Grey pulled away and sat back on his heels. “I hurt you.” Pain lanced through him as he remembered the sound of her screams when his teeth had pierced her soft flesh. The thought of hurting his mate crippled him.
“Yeah,” Etti whispered, rising to meet him. “But I understand why you did it now. You were protecting me from your douchebag of an Alpha.”
She kissed him lightly, but still Grey didn’t move, paralyzed by the fear that he didn’t know his own strength when it came to Etti. Goddamn he wanted her. But she was human and he didn’t trust his wolf not to hurt her. Grey knew his wolf wouldn’t be gentle and he wouldn’t allow himself to give in to his desires if it meant hurting Etti. Seeming to sense this, she drew her hair to the side and pulled off the bandage. The wound was clean. Only a trace of Grey’s bite remained on Etti’s delicate bronze skin.
“I promise. It doesn’t hurt anymore,” she whispered, kissing Grey again.
She moved her way from his mouth along his jaw to his ear, peppering him with slow kisses and branding his skin with her hot tongue. She nuzzled his ear and whispered. “I know you won’t hurt me.”
Those words tugged at something warring deep inside him. He suddenly pulled
Etti tightly to him, moving her onto his lap and squeezing her to his chest like he was desperately afraid she might disappear. He couldn’t stop himself from shaking. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want to want her. He didn’t want to ruin one more innocent life. He’d only wanted to warn her, but now, with Etti in his arms, Grey didn’t see how it would be possible to leave her.
“It’s okay,” she crooned while stroking his back. “Talk to me,” she begged, pulling his face to look at hers.
Their foreheads rested against each other for a moment as they shared the same breath. Desire painted the air heavy between them. Grey felt like he couldn’t breathe. He was trying to gather his thoughts, trying to think what he could possibly say to make her understand the impossibility of the situation they were now in. But Etti wasn’t looking for words. She seemed to prefer body language.
Etti pulled off her shirt revealing her perfect breasts. It was all the invitation Grey needed. His erection blazed as she pushed herself against him. He let her kiss him deeply, but when she bit his lip he was on his feet in an instant.
“I can’t do this,” he muttered and stalked to the adjoining bathroom, slamming the door.
20
Etti
Etti sat stunned and shirtless on the floor of Wes’s bedroom. As the haze of near-shifter sex dissipated the world came sharply into focus. WTF? Was she seriously about to let a guy who’d nearly killed her last night jump her bones?
Damn hormones. Sometimes being a woman was a real bitch!
Etti looked around Wes’s bedroom. Maybe spending the night there wasn’t such a good idea. Her horny best friend probably piped pheromones in through the air vents or something and now her libido would be warped for weeks. That had to be it. What other explanation was there for her behavior?
She wasn’t a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am kind of girl. But goddamn if there wasn’t something about Greyson West that made Etti want to drop her panties for him. Just thinking about the sexy shifter left her hot and bothered.
Etti untangled herself from the blankets and took in her reflection in the worn dresser mirror. Not her best look, but certainly not bad enough to ward off men like the plague. She’d been moments from what promised to be the best sex of her life and suddenly Grey was running away like she was some sort of stalker. She lifted her arm and sniffed—she didn’t smell like a gypsy. So, what the hell was Grey’s problem?
The guy’s signals were giving her whiplash and it was starting to mess with her head. It’s not that Etti was used to guys falling at her feet, but they usually didn’t run from her either. And she sure as shit had never had one run from her bed—even if it was a makeshift one on the floor. What a dick for messing with her libido.
Etti glanced in the mirror again. She fluffed her long, dark bedhead hair. It fell in waves over her full breasts. She looked sexy as hell. Fuck him. No, on second thought he could fuck himself. She decided she wasn’t going to let the moody mutt mess with her confidence. She dressed as Lara Croft for Halloween every year. And no one ever ran out on the tomb raider! Sure she was a curvier version, but she pulled-it-off, dammit! Even Wes said so.
Etti heard the shower crank on and fumed. “Make yourself at home, prick,” she muttered under her breath as she shrugged grumpily back into Wes’s shirt. She picked up the rumpled blankets, found her hair tie and twisted her long locks into a quick braid before marching out of the room.
“Morning, sunshine,” Wes called from the kitchen as Etti stalked to the washing machine to deposit the bedding.
The smell of strong coffee and bacon sizzling made her stomach rumble and eased her temper a bit. Etti joined Wes in the kitchen and smiled gratefully when he placed a steaming cup of coffee in her hand. “Sit, breakfast will be done in a sec.”
How could she argue with that?
Wes slung a plate of buttered toast on the table, kissed Etti’s head and returned to merrily tend the eggs on the stove while grooving to whatever music he was blaring on his ear buds. Etti always found herself amazed by how chipper Wes was in the morning. She was not a morning person. To the point, Wes had bought her a coffee mug one Christmas that read, No Talkie Before Coffee. It had a fist holding up a middle finger on the bottom. And it perfectly summed up her mood this morning.
She sighed and took a sip of the caffeinated goodness, letting it blaze a trail of warmth down her chest with each gulp. She glanced at Wes’s ass, watching him shake it with mild amusement. Sometimes she wished things could just work out between them. It would certainly be easier than lusting after the temperamental shifter she’d just met. When Wes wasn’t being a manwhore, he was pretty much her favorite person in the world. On top of that, he was an amazing cook and drop-dead gorgeous. Unfortunately he knew it—which led to the manwhoring.
Presently, Wes was dancing in front of the stove, still shirtless. Little beads of sweat glistened on his bronze skin, catching the sunlight filtering in from the kitchen windows. He must’ve already gone for his morning run. Dammit. Etti was hoping to join him and pound out some of her frustrations. But then she remembered her road rash.
A quick look under the bandages left her breathless. Shit! What the hell was in Cali’s miracle whip? Etti’s leg, which had resembled hamburger meat last night, was nearly healed. She was still a little sore, but not half as much as she should be after a wreck like that.
Perhaps running wasn’t the best idea today. Etti was just grateful she was still walking. What she needed to focus on were the necessities—showering, finding some fresh clothes and checking on her bike. And she needed some time to herself to think. Being surrounded by sexy, unattainable men was not helping.
“Order up!” Wes sang, plopping a huge plate piled high with bacon, eggs and cheesy potatoes in front of Etti. Moments later he joined her at the tiny kitchen table with his own heaping plate.
“So how’s the mutt?” Wes asked between bites.
Etti shrugged.
“I heard the shower. Figured you talked to him—oh wait. I forgot, No Talkie Before Coffee.” Wes nudged Etti and chuckled at his own joke. She rolled her eyes and flipped him off. “God I love that mug. It’s so perfect for you. You should see if they’ll sponsor you.”
“Yeah, yeah. Very funny,” Etti chided.
“Well, I’m assuming he’s feeling better . . . and more human if he’s up and showering?”
“I guess.”
Wes stopped eating. “I guess? Etti, what the hell? I know you’re not a morning person but you made me promise to give you some time to talk to him. But that means you actually have to talk to him. And today!”
“Jesus, Wes. I will. He was in the shower before I got up. I’ll talk to him when he gets out.”
“Good, because I’m only giving you today. Then I’m telling Cali to go to the Lupins to resolve this.”
Etti glared at Wes but her retort was stolen when the door to his bedroom opened and Grey waltzed out in nothing but a towel. It was slung low on his hips and Etti’s eyes instantly followed the defined v-shaped muscles that disappeared beneath the very lucky piece of terry cloth. Shit, she needed to get a grip. She’d already seen Grey naked—twice. But seeing him in a towel still made her sweat.
“Morning,” Wes greeted, dropping his argument with Etti. “Breakfast’s on the stove if you’re hungry.” Then he went back to stuffing his face.
“Um, I hate to even ask, but could I borrow some clothes?” Grey called sheepishly from the doorway.
“Oh, sure. Etti, you know where everything is. Why don’t you help him?”
“I’m eating,” Etti replied without lifting her eyes from her plate.
She heard Wes sigh and push his chair back from the table, stomping away without another word.
21
Greyson
After dressing, Grey joined the breakfast table and ate his meal in awkward silence. He kept trying to catch Etti’s eye but she ignored him. He tried to enjoy the food, but his stomach was in knots. He knew he’d pissed her off w
hen he left her in the bedroom to plunge himself into the ice cold shower. He could scent her anger from the other room, and now, sitting next to her, he found her attitude had morphed from pissed to boiling.
Grey thanked Wes for the food and clothes and offered to do the dishes, but Wes waved him off. “I got this. Actually, if you wanna help, why don’t you drive Etti over to her place? She was saying something about wanting to stop home before running a few errands.”
“Sure, I can do that,” Grey replied.
Etti gave Wes a traitorous glare. “I can drive myself.”
“I don’t mind,” Grey added quickly.
“He doesn’t mind,” Wes smirked throwing Grey a set of keys with a wink. “Besides, weren’t you just saying you two needed some time to talk?”
If looks could kill Grey was sure Wes would be dead from the glare Etti gave him. Grey had heard Wes and Etti’s breakfast conversation while he was cooling off in the shower—cursed wolf hearing. He knew Etti wasn’t looking forward to talking to him, but Wes was right, they did need to talk . . . and soon.
“You know taking a shifter to my parents’ house isn’t a good idea,” Etti fumed, not ready to give up so easily.
“Well, they’re going to find out what happened sooner or later, right?” Wes challenged.
“Maybe, maybe not.”
“Well, that seems like something you two should talk about. Besides, he’s a big bad wolf, he can handle your mother. She’s just a little old lady.”
Etti snorted. “You know damn well my mother has never been called a little old lady in her life.”
Grey watched them banter back and forth, neither willing to back down, and decided to intervene before things got ugly. “Listen, I’ll go wherever you want Etti, but I would really like to talk to you and explain some things.”