by Tasha Black
There was a lightness to her tonight, a happiness he hadn’t seen fully on display before. Parker always seemed to be holding back, her merriness gently twinkling her eyes or curving her lips without fully escaping.
But tonight was very different.
He had seen her with a man just now. He was sure of it.
Parker had been standing by the birdbath, and a man was standing before her.
But there was no sign of anyone else in the yard now.
Maybe Mac had dreamed it.
He meant to engage his wolf’s senses to learn more, but suddenly Parker was on the porch with him, flowing into his arms like a river.
Everything in him was hers now, there was no room for thoughts or worries.
He was awash in the scent of her, could practically taste her tomato red happiness, the spicy undercurrent of her need for him.
She pressed her small form close to his and he shuddered at the pleasure of having her in his arms. It was more than a sensual hunger, there was a rightness that embraced them both when he held her.
He lifted her up, gathering her in his arms and carrying her inside, walking right past where their dinner waited on the table, and bringing her upstairs to his bedroom again.
She began removing his clothing as soon as he set her down.
He undressed her as well, and they giggled as their clothing tangled, finally ending up in a pile on the floor.
He chased her into bed, and she laughed and held her arms out to him.
“Oh, you’re so brave,” he teased her. “But are you ready for your big, bad wolf?”
“Very ready,” she told him, letting her legs fall apart.
He nearly swooned at the heavenly scent of her.
She snapped her knees back together.
“Kiss me first,” she scolded.
“Oh, I’m going to kiss you,” he assured her, pressing her thighs apart again.
“Greedy man,” she teased.
But she let him nuzzle her tender thighs and when he reached her sweet sex she held perfectly still, waiting for him to please her.
20
Parker
Parker lay back on Mac’s bed, trying not to lose her grip on reality as he did things to her that made her see stars.
Mac was unbelievable in bed, urgent, yet somehow unhurried.
Parker had never fully lost herself this way before. She felt like she was flying.
It wasn’t like she had no experience - it was just that none of it had ever been with someone who was so wholly focused on her needs.
She wondered briefly if it was the age difference. She’d heard women say that young guys were selfish and awkward. Mac was certainly neither of those things.
He groaned and slid one finger inside her.
Parker grasped the sheets and felt herself already starting to melt.
“Good girl,” he crooned against her.
When he lapped at her clitoris she nearly lifted off the bed.
She closed her eyes and felt her whole body explode with ecstasy.
“Wow,” she murmured when it was over.
“Wow, yourself,” he whispered against her thigh.
He crawled up beside her.
“Ready for dinner?” he asked.
“Um, don’t you want…?” she asked, suddenly too shy to say it.
“I think I’ll wait until you’re ready to commit,” he said with a half smile. “Not to play hard to get or anything.”
“Of course not,” Parker said. “But it doesn’t seem fair.”
“I’m not complaining,” Mac replied.
And she could tell he meant it.
God, he’s in total control.
Parker found that unbelievably sexy. The tension between them ratcheted up another notch as she gazed into his eyes, craving him even more than before.
“Our masala is getting cold,” Mac said, raising an eyebrow.
He offered her his hand and they climbed out of bed.
A few minutes later they were washed up, fully dressed and sitting at Mac’s dining room table by candlelight. Dishes of rice and tender meat in beautiful sauces covered the surface of the table.
“I wasn’t sure what you would like,” he said.
“So you bought everything?” Parker teased.
“I’m going to get a reputation, aren’t I?” Mac asked.
“I’m starting to suspect that you have more money than you let on,” Parker teased.
He smiled, but didn’t offer any more explanation.
Interesting.
“So what was your big errand you had to run tonight?” Parker asked.
Mac looked surprised for a minute, then took a sip of his tea.
“Oh, it was nothing,” he told her. “Pack business.”
“Does that mean it’s confidential?” she asked.
“This time it does,” he said.
“So is this what it’s going to be like?” she asked.
“What do you mean?” He gazed at her, concerned.
“I mean is this what it’s like to be with someone who’s high up in a wolf pack?” she said. “Is it like having a boyfriend who’s an international spy?”
Mac grinned. “I’m your boyfriend?”
“That’s what you took from my question?”
He laughed in reply and she smiled back at him, pleased that he was pleased.
“If you really want to know, then no,” he said. “Most of the time I’ll be able to share things with you. And if you’re my mate you’ll be an honorary member of the pack, so I’ll be able to share almost everything.”
“Almost everything,” Parker echoed.
“Almost everything,” he said firmly. “Only Ainsley Connor knows everything. And I serve at her pleasure.”
“That’s not what you were saying fifteen minutes ago,” Parker teased.
Mac’s eyes flashed golden and she wondered for a moment if he was going to take her right there, on top of the table. She pictured him sweeping the aside the food, grabbing her, pinning her down and kissing her like there was no tomorrow.
“Careful, Parker,” he said, his voice low and hungry.
“What if I don’t want to be careful?” she asked playfully.
Just then the phone began to ring, and the spell was broken.
“You still have a land line?” Parker asked in disbelief.
“It’s a long story,” Mac said. “Give me a sec.”
He got up and headed to the kitchen to answer.
Parker took a sip of her chai and looked around the dining room while she waited for him.
Like the rest of the house, the dining room’s walls were lined with bookshelves. Some of them housed leather bound volumes, others were home to pottery and serving dishes from all over the world.
Parker caught her breath as her eyes landed on a chunk of honeycomb colored rock on one of the shelves.
“Thanks, Ainsley,” Mac said from the other room. “I appreciate it. We’ll stay in touch.”
Parker found herself getting up and moving toward the rock on the shelf, fingering its rough surface.
Mac’s footsteps came up behind her.
“I’m not exactly an interior design whiz,” he said. “I guess my rock collection probably belongs in the study.”
“What is it?” Parker asked.
“That’s sun stone,” Mac replied. “It’s supposed to have the power of clarity or something like that. I just like the color.”
Sunstone…
The same stone that had been in Arkady’s amulet.
Parker fingered the moonstone in her own, lost in thought.
“If you like it, it’s yours,” Mac told her.
Parker closed her hands around the rock before he could change his mind.
“Thanks,” she said, worrying it between her fingers.
“Does it bother you that I’m so involved with the pack?” Mac asked gently.
He must have interpreted her ponderous expression as having s
omething to do with his phone call.
“No, not at all,” Parker said lightly. “I think I’m just hungry.”
Mac grinned and led her back to the table.
She knew she should probably tell him everything. This was her chance.
And she was eager to talk about it anyway. She had a brother - this was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to her.
But to tell him about her brother meant telling him about her shadows.
And for once, Parker was enjoying a moment in the light.
21
Mac
Mac awoke the next morning feeling fantastic.
He and Parker had stuffed themselves on delicious Indian food, and then she’d fallen asleep on the sofa watching old movies with him.
Carrying her sweet form up to bed and curling himself around her felt so good that it more than made up for the hollow ache of not claiming her.
There would be time for that. J. D. MacGregor was a patient man. No matter what his wolf had to say about it.
He could hear her humming in the shower, so he headed downstairs to start some pancakes. The least he could do was send her on her way to teach with a full belly.
Mac remembered his days of teaching high school. The early hours were the hardest part. He seldom had to head to the college before eight these days.
As he poured the batter onto the griddle, he thought about what it would be like to do this every morning. He wouldn’t mind getting up early if it meant he could have a cup of coffee with Parker and send her off to start her day happily.
She padded down the stairs just as he was flipping a fluffy pancake onto a plate for her.
“Wow, is there anything you can’t do?” she asked.
“Resist you,” he told her, feeling goofy.
She grinned at him and came in for a kiss.
He gave her a quick peck, then handed her the plate.
“Eat first, drive your man wild later,” he scolded her.
She poured so much maple syrup on her pancake that he had to hide his smile.
He watched as she took the first bite.
“So good,” she said with her mouth full, eyes closed in ecstasy.
“Thank you,” he told her, pouring more batter onto the griddle. “How many more do you think you can eat?”
“None,” she told him sadly. “I’ve got to get to school.”
“Will you come back tonight?” He hoped he didn’t sound desperate. Though if he were honest with himself, he was desperate for her to be near him at all possible times.
“Yeah,” she said, winking at him. “I’m like a stray cat. Feed me once and I’ll definitely wander back.”
“I’ll make a note of that,” he told her.
The banter between them hadn’t slowed, but there was something special about it now, it felt like a secret language.
“I hate to eat and run,” Parker said. “But if I don’t beat the kids there, they’ll eat me alive.”
“Oh, I remember,” Mac said, taking her plate. “I’ll see you after work?”
“Absolutely,” Parker told him. “I’m stopping at my place first though.”
“Fine,” Mac said. “But don’t be late for dinner. I want to impress you with some real cooking.”
“Now you’re speaking my language,” she teased.
When she leaned in, he closed his eyes and tried to memorize the moment - the taste of her maple-flavored kiss, the feel of her soft body against his, the way she smiled against his mouth.
It was everything he had ever wanted.
22
Parker
Parker trotted down the steps of her house after a long day at work.
Her old college backpack banged against her back in a pleasant way, reminding her of camping trips and weekends away.
She’d packed up enough to sleep at Mac’s for two nights.
Not that she wanted to make too many assumptions.
The wind was brisk, and the sun was already disappearing behind the hill. Parker ducked her head down and kept walking.
It would be easy to hop in the car, but she wanted to unwind a little before arriving at his place, even if it meant walking home again in the morning before school. Though she suspected he would drive her to work if she let him.
Mac was special. He held such an important position in the pack. He’d clearly had some pretty impressive adventures. He was older.
And yet he was so playful, so ready to spoil Parker with his time and attention.
It felt good.
Her shadow on the sidewalk caught her eye.
She watched it carefully, but it seemed to be behaving properly.
She felt a pang of guilt for not talking to him about the shadows, and her brother.
Mac had experience with the supernatural - he might be able to help.
And more importantly, he cared about her, so she should trust him.
She allowed herself to imagine telling him, talking it all out, figuring out what to do.
I’ll talk to Mac, she told herself.
She let out a breath, pleased with her decision.
The sky above was deepening purple. It was a beautiful night in spite of the cold. Parker gazed at the bare branches of the sycamore on the edge of the college woods.
The shadows around it seemed to gather.
No, no, no…
A man stepped out of them, offering her a gentle smile.
“Hi, Arkady,” she said, her heartbeat slowing a little.
“Hello, Parker.” His voice was calm and soothing.
“I’m glad to see you again,” Parker said, moving toward him. “You don’t have to hide from me, or from Mac. Give me your number.”
She slid her phone out of her pocket and offered it to him.
But he didn’t take it.
“Let’s talk now,” he said.
She shrugged and put her phone back into her pocket.
“I’m sure you have questions,” he went on. “What would you like to know?”
Parker bit her lip.
She thought about how he had referred to the shadow stuff as her gift, but she had never spoken openly to anyone before about her shadows, and she didn’t really know where to begin.
“I’ll make it easy for you,” he offered. “Have you ever experienced anything unusual in darkness or in light?”
Parker nodded.
“It frightens you,” Arkady said softly. “But it shouldn’t. This is your gift, your birthright. When you learn to control it, it will make you happier than you can imagine.”
“Control it?” Parker asked.
“Of course,” Arkady said with a smile. “There is so much to tell you.”
“How can I control it?” Parker asked.
“Right now, you probably can’t,” Arkady replied. “But there is a ceremony, a binding between our amulets. It will allow the power to fully penetrate you and then the relationship will be symbiotic. You will be one with your powers, and you will control them.”
There was something ominous about this idea, but Parker had never been big on commitment.
“We’ll hold the ceremony here, in Tarker’s Hollow,” Arkady went on. “Then we’ll head back to meet with the Order. They can’t wait to meet you, Parker. We’ve been searching for so long.”
“You were really searching for me?” she asked.
“I tracked you by the amulet,” he said. “But for the longest time I couldn’t sense it. This town has reacted with it though, there’s something here - something dangerous. It has the amulet practically singing. Have you sensed that this village is hiding something?”
The wolves.
But Parker couldn’t give away their secret.
“I’m pretty new to all this magic stuff,” she said simply.
“Of course,” Arkady replied, smiling once more. “Anyway, we’ll meet at the amphitheater in the college woods. Tomorrow night at sunset.”
“Tomorrow night at sunset,” she echoed
.
He reached out his hand to touch her hair.
“You look like me,” he said.
She took in his dark hair, the color of her own, but straight instead of curly. His skin was pale like hers, and they shared the same large eyes.
But there was something about Arkady, a sadness that seemed to hang around him like a mantle.
Parker put her hand on his shoulder.
“What happened to you? When we were split up as babies?” she asked.
But Arkady’s eyes had gone wide with terror.
23
Mac
Mac stood still as a statue on the sidewalk.
Parker had texted him that she was walking over, so he thought he would head her way and they could get some fresh air together.
But the closer he got, the more his wolf’s senses began to prickle under his skin.
Whatever he had sensed in the woods the other night was here, it was close.
By the time he was a block from her house the cool magic scent was washing over him, sending his protective instincts into overdrive.
Parker was out here.
She was walking alone.
When he turned the corner and saw her he nearly slumped in relief.
And then he realized she was with that man again.
The stranger’s pale hand caught a handful of her burnished curls and held on possessively.
A wave of magic flowed from the shadowy figure, so pure it hurt Mac’s nose to scent it.
The breeze changed directions and the man looked up instantly at Mac.
Their eyes locked.
“Parker,” Mac growled.
She spun around, her eyes wide.
“Are you okay?” Mac asked her, striding forward.
“Stay back,” the strange man commanded, wrapping his arms around Parker and lifting her up to deposit her behind him.
The wolf rose in Mac’s chest and he leapt before he knew what he was doing, shredding his clothing as he shifted effortlessly into his other form.
The world around him receded and the cold scent intensified.