by C. D. Gorri
It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy cooking. Clearly she liked food. She’d just never been into the kinds of things the other women of her village had been involved with. Yes, she did her share of the chores as was required, but her passion lie in decidedly unfemale things like metalworking and rope weaving.
Her most secret dream was to be allowed to create the designs that filled her dreams. Elia wanted to be an artist of sorts. She would have been too if she’d lived anywhere else, but Seamus delegated jobs and she’d never have gotten permission. Hell, the women there couldn’t even wear pants.
Maybe she didn’t need anyone’s permission now, she thought with glee. Of course, if the American Wolf claimed her as mate, he might have an opinion on the matter. For both their sakes, she hoped not. A million butterflies flapped around in her stomach and she thought maybe they were pterodactyls instead. Crap, she hadn’t even tasted freedom yet and already she had a mate.
She waited for his blue eyes to find her. When they did, they were colder than she’d have liked. Hard and revealing no emotion, the man frowned as she sat down in the window seat.
“Hey, it’s me,” he grabbed what looked like a two-way radio outside the pilot’s door, “We need to go now before we have some unwanted guests catching up to us if you get my meaning. Thanks Sam,”” he said after he’d received a muffled answer.
Panic gripped her as the plane began to move. Shite. She’d never done this. It was a bit scary in truth. As if sensing her unease, the big man moved closer to her. He sat in the chair next to her, unsmiling and silent, but just his nearness calmed her nerves.
That didn’t bode well for her hopes that she’d been mistaken. With each breath, she knew it was true. He was her destined mate. Elia couldn’t think about that at the moment. She squeezed her eyes shut as the force of the big machine gaining speed made her stomach turn and her head ache.
“Chew this,” thick fingers shoved a stick of gum between her lips and Elia did as he commanded.
What could it hurt if she did as he asked this one time? She chewed the minty candy and immediately her ears popped and the unease that had been stirred up inside her gut settled down once more. After a few more minutes, they gained altitude and the man leaned over, releasing more of his fresh morning and lavender laced scent to fill her nostrils. He’d done so not to get closer to her, but to open the window shade.
“Check it out,” he whispered far too close for comfort.
Inside her mind’s eye, her Wolf’s tongue lolled to the side as she sniffed greedily. Elia could feel the silly beast practically drooling over him.
“Wow,” she whispered as she took in the dark blue sky dotted with dozens of bright stars from the small rectangular piece of plexiglass.
“First time on a plane?” he said
“Aye,” she answered quietly, not daring to meet his eyes.
Elia could hardly control her Wolf as it was, if she looked into those deep sapphire pools she’d be lost to him and if there was something she’d learned about men in her young life, it was she needed to hold onto her own will as long as she could.
Seamus was a beast because he’d tried to force her to take him as mate against her will, this man was a beast but for different reasons entirely. He wouldn’t have to force her.
All he’d have to do would be to look at her and she’d walk through fire to get to him. Oh shite, this was not fair. Elia had hardly had the chance to live yet! Why her? Why now?
She pretended to stare out the window as he walked over to the back of the plane. He returned a few moments later with a tray laden with bread, sandwich meat, cheese, a fresh green apple, and a bottle of water. He handed it to her and she accepted, grateful for the sustenance and curious that he seemed to want to care for her. That was nice actually.
“Here, we won’t touch down for seven hours, fasten your seat belt,” he muttered.
“Thank you, um, I don’t know your name.”
“It’s Conall, Conall Truman.”
“Conall,” she liked the way his name felt on her lips and smiled without realizing it, “Thank you for coming for me. When you were late, I was afraid Uncle Rolf had changed the plans-”
“Uncle Rolf? You mean, Rolf Kelly is your uncle?”
“Yes, a distant uncle.”
“I see. Why didn’t he come for you?”
“He’s out of the country at the moment and said you’re Alpha could be there faster.”
“So, why did you need to leave your village like that?”
“Didn’t they tell you?” she asked, surprised he hadn’t gotten more information than her name, which he’d initially had wrong.
“No.”
“I, well, that is ten years ago my cousin seized control of the Spark Pack after my father’s death.”
“Ten years? I don’t understand-”
“Aye, well you keep interrupting,” she frowned at his impatience.
“Sorry,” he grumbled and put his hands up as if in surrender, “please continue.”
“Seamus is like a nightmare. The bastard got rid of everyone who could’ve stood up to him in those first few hours after my da had passed. He sent his death squads to their homes. Cut them down dishonorably, the others stayed or fled. You see, my father was the Alpha, after Seamus seized control his legacy was lost.”
“What about help? Surely someone reached out?”
“Who could we turn to? Our village is small, full of farmers. He’d already killed the strongest of them that refused to bow to him. After he killed my betrothed-”
“You were engaged?”
“It was arranged at my birth,” she said apologetically without meaning to be, “Archie was just eighteen when Seamus cut him down,” she frowned as sadness filled her.
Archie had not been her mate, but he’d been her friend and her intended. She’d loved him as such and still mourned his death. Seamus would pay for that, she vowed again as she had a hundred million times before.
“I am truly sorry,” Conall replied, but she felt the tension in him, and without thinking, she reached out to touch his hand in comfort.
When he didn’t move she kept it there. Ignoring the thrill it gave her to feel his heated skin beneath hers. Ignoring her she-Wolf’s elated sigh. Silly beast.
“So, why did you need to leave now?”
“Oh, you see, Seamus has been losing ground ever since the Curse of Natalis has been broken. He thinks if he mates me, the former Alpha’s daughter, that he will inspire loyalty,” she looked up when the sound of his growl reached her ears.
Elia might not be ready for a mate, but she secretly thrilled at his response. It was as if some primal part of her enjoyed the fact that he was a virile male, possessive by nature and even if he didn’t know she was his mate, his Wolf seemed to recognize her. That was satisfying to say the least, she thought.
“Well, you’ll be safe now. Uh, I’m going to get some shut-eye,” he grumbled and stood up quickly dislodging her hand from his.
Confusion blossomed inside of her as he turned away. What did she want from him anyway? She was in no shape to admit to being destined for him. She couldn’t stand the idea of a man telling her what to do. Not anymore.
Her eyes followed him though. Helpless to resist tracing his path as he walked to the opposite side of the plane and slid gracefully into the fine leather chair. He had that easy agile movement that seemed natural to all Shifters. Her she-Wolf whined at the loss, and Elia did her best to calm the beast.
The animal inside of her wanted her mate, that was clear. Thankfully, she told herself, he seemed almost completely indifferent. Maybe he didn’t understand what they were to each other. Was that even possible? Whatever. She should be grateful.
Maybe he just didn’t like the look of her. Yes, she was a bit plump for a she-Wolf, but she had straight teeth and clear skin. Her hair was thick and glossy, her best feature for certain. Did she smell bad? Or have mud on her face? She wondered as she took a bite of the apple h
e’d given her.
The sweet flavor burst along her taste buds and she moaned in appreciation. A loud bang sounded, and she whipped her head around to see his own tray hit the floor followed by a wickedly colorful expression. So, her mate had a foul mouth. Well, that could be a good thing she thought naughtily then worked to stop the images that flitted through her mind.
Whatever his malfunction, she would give him space to eat and clean up while she did the same. Then she would talk to him. Anxiety tried to creep its way into her veins, but Elia pushed away the unwanted feeling.
There was no need for it, after all. No, this might be her fate, but she could choose to ignore it. Isn’t that what Americans preached? Free will and all that? So, what if the handsome Werewolf who’d come all the way from America to whisk her away from her vile cousin was her fated mate? She didn’t have to accept him. Not now anyway.
Besides, he didn’t even seem to know it. So With any luck Elia could keep that secret to herself. Maybe things were done differently in that part of the world. Maybe he didn’t recognize her as his mate. Well, she simply wouldn’t tell him. Not now.
Mind made up, Elia ate her simple fare with gusto and drank the cool bottle of water greedily. Afterwards, she stood up and turned around. Darn it, she had to bother him for directions it would seem. Oh well, keep it light, she admonished herself.
“Conall? Might I trouble you for the ladies’ room?”
“Oh,” he blinked quickly and took the air pods out of his ears.
Turning his large frame in the cushioned chair, he pointed at a slender door in the rear of the plane, “Just go through there. There’s a small room with a complete bathroom and a bed. You will find some extra toiletries and a change of clothes in the drawers. Everything you need is in there.”
“Almost everything,” she returned and met his royal blue eyes with an unblinking stare.
It was like Elia could see his Wolf rise up in his eyes, but just before she could be certain he turned his head and tapped the armrest of his chair impatiently. He looked down, like he was studying something very important on the smart phone he held in one massive hand and she shrugged it off.
Oops. It was a good thing, him turning like that. She’d almost given herself away and then where would she be? At the mercy of another male who’d want to rule her life.
Well, not now, maybe not ever. The Fates could simply feck off. She’d never heard of a Wolf taking it slow when he met and recognized his mate, but the way she saw it, if this American didn’t know what she was to him, then she didn’t have to tell him. Not yet.
Grrr.
She ignored her Wolf’s snarl. Okay, so maybe she couldn’t hide it for long, but still, she would be no man’s property! Fated mates used to be an exceedingly rare occurrence, but now that the curse had been broken, it seemed they were popping up all over the place. She hadn’t had a chance to even live yet. Elia didn’t want to be someone’s mate.
Oh feck, she walked over to the door he’d pointed at, anxious to rid herself of the grit from her journey. This was truly a disaster. Well, maybe not. Maybe her first impression of him was simply wrong and the adrenaline from her ordeal had caused her to think he was her mate.
No, growled her she-Wolf, mine.
Chapter 3
Shit. Oh shit. Oh fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Conall slapped a hand over his face as the tempting little she-Wolf walked slowly past him, bringing more of her green grass and morning rain scent flooding into his nostrils.
Two things were very clear to him the second he’d stopped in the meadow to where the GPS coordinates he’d been given had taken him. First off, Eliot Spark was a woman, and second, the woman was his mate.
Shit. He knew it the moment he’d seen her jump out of the brush in ill-fitting cargo pants and a light-colored sweater. Her eyes had flashed gold in the darkness as she defiantly yelled at him, ignoring the fact that her own Pack was hunting her at that very moment.
Beautiful, that had been his first impression. Brave, his next. Mine. That last bit was from his Wolf, and Conall knew then he was well and truly fucked.
Not yet, his sly Wolf growled, but soon.
Shit. His cock was already at half-mast just thinking of the woman. And why should it be? She’d been a mess when he saw her. Dirt on her too-baggy pants, wild dark locks haphazardly thrown into a leather thong and windblown at that, and she had the thinnest scar bisecting her right eyebrow which made her look more pirate than princess at that moment.
Fucking hell, she was nothing like the type of woman he usually picked up. And yet, there was just something about her. Something elusive and breathtaking. Something that had him by the balls already.
Mine, his Wolf pushed the single word at him once again.
Damn it. He didn’t want a mate. Or at least, hadn’t wanted one until he laid eyes on her. She was unlike anything he’d ever seen. Like a racehorse in the cage before the first shot was fired. Her nostrils flared as she inhaled sharply and he knew she recognized him, even if she did not know exactly what it meant.
He balked, refusing to make a move until she did. The ivory skinned beauty looked ready to bolt. As if she’d been in a prison and was only now contemplating breaking free.
Damn it, he intended to be there when she did. The very idea of it had him salivating. If she was beautiful now, he could only imagine what she’d be when she shook off the veil of fear and exhaustion her journey had shrouded her in.
Conall had taken his orders blind from Rafe, trusting in his Alpha to give him all the info he needed. But he hadn’t known his assignment was to retrieve a she-Wolf. And he definitely had not known that she would be his mate. The fact that he had not been aware of the particulars of her need to flee made him angry at himself. He should’ve anticipated, should’ve been there to help.
How? He tried to reason with his baser side, but the Wolf wouldn’t listen. He hated that he hadn’t known she was in danger or why until she’d told him. And now that he did know the details, his blood burned with the need to avenge her. Every mile that added to the distance between himself and that bastard cousin of hers made his Wolf even more pissed. He wanted blood. He wanted vengeance. Mostly though, he wanted her.
Down boy, she needed time. Focus on Seamus Spark and the many ways we are going to beat that fucker. What kind of evil lowlife bastards hunted down a female? Didn’t they know she-Wolves were rare? She-Wolves were precious creatures to be protected and cherished by the entire Pack.
Fuck that, his Wolf growled. She was his. If anyone was doing any cherishing it would be him! Wait. What? No fucking way. Fate might have thrown the woman in his path, but he didn’t have to go down like a felled tree. He could resist.
Mine, growled his Wolf, and the damn furry beast pushed one more thought at him that made him want to howl and tear up the interior of the multi-million dollar plane. He resisted. Just.
Mate. Mate. MATE!
Shit. There was no doubt about it. He was in big trouble. He tried not to listen to the sounds she made as she moved about the small room beyond the main cabin, but it was damn near impossible especially when she began to hum a sweet lullaby in a voice clear and bright as the dawn.
He knew from experience where the shower and bed were. Only a couple of dozen feet separated him from where she was. He closed his eyes tight, held his hands over his ears like a child having a temper tantrum. But still, he couldn’t help himself as he pictured the dark-haired beauty.
Her clothes would be off by now. She’d be naked and standing under the spray of water in the tiny shower stall. She was small though, so it would probably be normal-sized for her. He’d guessed her height to be at least eight-inches shorter than his which made her actually tall compared to some of his Packmates wives, he realized and grinned.
What was she doing now? Was she pouring shampoo onto that thick inky hair? Massaging it into her scalp, then rinsing it off under the warm water. He wanted to be in there with her, wanted to be the one
to test its weight in his hands.
He knew it was dark, maybe black, and he thought it was wavy, but couldn’t be sure. Fuck, when had he ever been so bent out of shape over a female’s hair? Never. That was when. Still, Conall grinned stupidly while imagining what it would look like all clean and dry.
He should’ve paid more attention when she’d been wrapped around him on the back of that bike he’d borrowed. But he’d been too surprised and too aroused. The little she-Wolf had thrown him for a loop, smelling all good like a summer morning after a long rain and looking like the best kind of temptation to him.
Not that it mattered. Conall wasn’t mating her, nice hair or not. Her eyes were something else though if he was just considering the physical aspects of her that he found appealing. Warm brown flecked with gold that flashed when she was angry, and her perfectly pink rosebud of a mouth left him dying for a taste.
Shit. He’d never been one to wax poetic over a woman. But this was different. Special. Elia Spark was unlike any other woman he’d ever met. He owed Rafe. That was for sure. Maybe a night of free babysitting duty. Hell, two nights. He’d never been so grateful to be handed an assignment.
And yet. Conall squirmed in his seat. He wasn’t ready for a mate. Had avoided the possibility for years now. Even went so far as to tease his mated Packmates. What would the guys think when he came back whining like a lovesick pup?
His Wolf card was about to get torn up for certain. Shit. Well, he would just have to lay down the law and see if she didn’t like it.
In the meantime, the sound of her humming from the shower was enough to have his cock grow thick and hard in his jeans. He wanted her and if the way she’d stared at him earlier was any indication, she wanted him too.
So, maybe he should just take what he wanted? What was the harm in that? His blood was boiling with lust. Heart pounding, pulse racing, he stood up just as he heard the water turn off. They had hours yet until they arrived back in New Jersey. Maybe it would be enough time.