His Wolf's Desire

by Shannon Nydia

  JAYLA NOTICED HE kept his voice low, but the frigidity of his tone made her shiver. As unkind as his words were, they weren’t what pierced her heart, wounding her. People said shitty things when they were mad. Hell, if they were keeping score, she’d said things to Brad over the course of their business relationship that should have gotten her fired. She could get over his rant. But his visible transformation was what froze Jayla’s movements. His handsome features were overtaken with the venom running through his veins. The deep scowl on his face matched the antipathy in his eyes. This argument was no different than any of the other thousand or so they’d engaged in. But this was, however, the first time she ever felt the aura of his resentment. She’d never heard his voice take on that dangerous edge.

  She knew in that second, if he could have walked away from her and never looked back, he would have. Panic and fear engulfed her. All air left her lungs. If she were standing, her knees would have buckled from her revelation. Her shaky hand flew up to her hair, trying to smooth away her emotions.

  She knew right then she couldn’t live without him. She needed Brad in a way she never thought she’d ever need anyone. The day he found the strength to leave her behind? She didn’t think she would survive it.

  She continued to watch in torment as his features hardened. The expressions she witnessed hurt more than any words he could ever hurl at her. Closing her eyes tight, Jayla tried in vain to emotionally disentangle herself from Brad.

  She needed to get away from him. She wanted to flee from the desperation she felt clawing at her insides. She couldn’t take one more second of him looking at her with such repulsion. Somehow Jayla pushed her sob of despair down a little further. Jumping up, she cast her eyes down, trying to pick up her jumbled pile of papers from the table. Her whole body trembled as she fought the tidal wave of emotion gripping her. She kept dropping documents, unable to tame the mess as her eyes began to blur from the hot sting of tears threatening to spill.

  BRAD HAD ACCOMPLISHED what he’d set out to do, but her reaction to his outburst was the last thing he’d expected. He’d been prepared to fight with her like they always did. He’d never seen her show vulnerability, and it had him feeling like the world’s biggest ass. He reached out to her, but before his fingers found hers, she flinched away from him.

  Brad could barely hear her as she spoke. “You once wrote an article for our company newsletter that stressed the fact that sometimes familiarity and personal connections can provide the most important details in successfully completing a project. That’s why I suggested you take the lead. You worked with Oscar Miller on an acquisition two years ago. My specialty is with large corporations. The needs of a smaller company are much different than what I’m used to doing. This particular assignment is right down your alley. If we’re interested in doing what is best for the client, I thought you taking lead made sense. I would have happily taken a supporting role doing whatever you needed me to.”

  She collected all her papers and tossed them into her briefcase. Her hand quickly wiped away a lone tear that escaped from her damp eyes.

  Brad couldn’t move. He couldn’t talk. Before he could figure out a way to fix things, Jayla turned on her heels and strode for the door.

  “I have learned a lot of things from you, Brad, but obviously not enough to garner any respect from you. Don’t worry. I’ll stay out of your way,” she whispered over her shoulder on her way out the door.

  Chapter Nine

  Brad felt like shit. Grabbing for his beer, he put the frosty mug up to his lips, hoping the cold dark ale would numb his feelings. Closing his eyes, he could still envision the hurt on Jayla’s face. She’d tried so hard to hide it, but the raw emotion of her words and her wounded demeanor still stung all these hours later. She didn’t deserve his over-the-top reaction. He’d felt his rage roll off him in waves and knew the exact moment she’d felt the heat of his fury. The pained look which passed over her delicate features sliced at his anger, his ego, and his heart.

  He’d lost it at the office earlier. He’d misunderstood Jayla’s suggestion of him taking the lead on their assignment. He’d gone berserk at the thought of her trying to set him up and betray him. And by letting his temper get out of control, he’d pushed her wolf away.

  Now, sulking at a shifter bar, he didn’t know how to fix things. He wished he didn’t want to fix things. He felt like he was losing his freaking mind. There had to be a way to make things go back to the way they used to be. The shifter setting wasn’t one he’d normally frequent, but Brad was desperate. He’d picked this bar for a reason. Maybe he could appease his wolf in a different way.

  * * * *

  Jayla’s resolve to avoid Brad turned out to be a much easier task than she’d anticipated, and her day flew by. She didn’t see him or hear a peep from him.

  After work Jayla stopped at home just long enough to shower and change into the lone short skirt she owned. She paired the black skirt with a tight white button-down shirt and a pair of killer black stilettos. She wanted to laugh; she was wearing the getup her sister bought during her visit to Seattle. Acknowledging the fact Jasmine had great taste in sexy clothes, she twirled in front of her mirror one last time, approving of her ensemble.

  She punched into her GPS the name of the shifter bar she’d heard her sister mention on a few occasions. Twenty minutes later, Jayla stepped into the joint, assessing how many single shifters were hanging out looking for a fling. It was her first time coming into the Fray. It was her first time coming to a shifter bar.

  After the episode in the conference room today, she knew she had to get Brad out of her system. There must be a way around what was happening between their wolves. She concluded that maybe it wasn’t Brad driving her crazy. Maybe it was just the fact he was a wolf. She’d never had sex with a shifter before, and the whole experience must have confused the hell out of her inner animal. There had to be a way to cure her addiction to Brad.

  As she scanned the scene before her, she caught the eyes of a few interested shifters. Most of the tables were filled. A few couples were locked in embrace on the makeshift dance floor. It seemed to be a nice ratio of males and females. And the place wasn’t overly crowded for a Friday night. Moving through the crowd, she sat down at an empty stool at the bar. Placing her purse on the countertop, she suddenly felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise in awareness.

  Shit.

  She could sense Brad was close by. Jayla knew that if Brad was frequenting the establishment, then it was her cue to leave. As she was about to stand, the patron next to her accidently bumped her arm.

  “Sorry ’bout that.” The man offered her a sincere apology.

  “It’s okay,” Jayla replied as she grabbed her purse off the counter.

  BRAD TRIED LIKE hell to stay focused on the redhead in front of him. Joining his table uninvited, she leaned forward, giving him more than a teasing view of her cleavage. She’d been trying to engage him in conversation for a few moments. His lack of responsiveness didn’t deter her as she tried everything to pique his interest. The problem was…she wasn’t Jayla.

  His cock stayed flaccid and uninterested. At least it had until he’d sensed Jayla. Then his cock stood up like a flagpole saluting her presence. His eyes darted over the redhead’s shoulder, and he witnessed Jayla standing up from her barstool. He fisted his hands as his eyes ran along the lines of her shapely legs. From her dainty ankles all the way up to the hem of her short skirt, the woman possessed curves to die for. He assumed she must have sensed him there and decided to leave. Then the male sitting next to Jayla rose along with her and pulled out his wallet. He appeared to be closing his tab, getting ready to leave… With her.

  Fuck that.

  Brad stormed away from the redhead without a second thought. If she tried to say something to make him stay, it was lost on him because he was blind with jealous rage at the moment.

  “Who’s your friend, Jayla?”

  Not bothering to turn around, she s
poke to the empty space in front of her. “Leave me alone.”

  “What are you doing here?” Brad shoved his hands into his pockets, trying to stay composed.

  “Apparently the same thing you are.”

  Sure, maybe he was here trying to find an alternative to her sexual napalm. But she couldn’t do the same.

  “I hope you’re not thinking about leaving with this guy.”

  The man in question turned toward Brad, chuckling. “Dude, chill. I bumped her when I was about to stand up. I was apologizing. I’m paying for my drink and going home to my mate. I’m so glad I don’t have to deal with life as a single wolf anymore.” He threw some cash onto the counter before offering Jayla some advice.

  “Good luck, darlin’. Don’t be too hard on him. When I was young, my wolf wanted to tear apart any guy looking in the direction of my girl. He’ll outgrow it. Just be patient.”

  He disappeared into the crowd, and Brad took his unoccupied stool before any other wolves became brave and tried to sit next to her.

  “Are you stalking me?”

  “Sorry to burst your bubble, Jayla, but I was here first.”

  “Fine. I’m leaving anyway.”

  He reached out for her arm. “Where are you going?”

  “To a different bar.”

  “No, you’re not. You’re coming home with me.”

  “I don’t want to be around you.”

  “Well, too goddamn bad.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you. I’m on a mission tonight. I’m getting you out of my system once and for all.”

  A wolf she’d made eye contact with when she first walked in squeezed in on her opposite side. The come-on was blatant.

  Brad jumped up and reached around Jayla to grab the shifter by the scruff of his neck. “Back off. She’s with me.”

  The wolf retreated without so much as a peep.

  “Can you tone it down a little, Brad?”

  “I swear, I’ll fight every male here or wherever you go, Jayla.”

  “Why? You want to find some other wolf to fuck so you can get me out of your system.”

  “Aren’t you here for the same reason?”

  For some reason his answer seemed to piss her off. She leaned over and snatched the drink of the person sitting two barstools down from her. Gripping the mug, she threw the liquid in Brad’s face.

  “Go to hell, Brad.” Snatching her purse, she headed for the exit.

  Brad was detained while paying for the drink of the patron Jayla had swiped from, which gave Jayla the time she needed to get away from him. Once Brad got outside, he cursed his bad luck, knowing he would spend the rest of the night trying to track her down. Looking up and down the street, he let out an expletive as he reached in his pocket for his phone. As he began to dial her number, he sensed her presence, turned around, and saw her leaning against the building.

  “I assumed you’d be long gone by now.” He slid his phone back into his pocket.

  “I wish. But unfortunately my stupid wolf wouldn’t let me.”

  “Good choice, Jayla. I would have torn the city up looking for you.”

  “Why? Can’t you just leave me alone?”

  Brad laughed sarcastically. “You threw your drink in my face and cursed me to hell. Yet here you are waiting for me. It’s a two-way street, Jayla. I can’t help it. And this mate stuff is new territory for me. I haven’t figured out how to control my wolf yet. In the meantime, where’d you park?”

  Pouting, she barely answered him. Instead she stomped her foot and motioned with her head in the direction they needed to head in. He reached down to grab her hand. She slapped it away.

  “I’m doing it for a reason,” he growled, looking over her shoulder.

  Right on cue a group of shifters who’d been lurking outside the bar began calling out to her. Brad bared his teeth, his low growl warning of his claim on her.

  “Oh, for goodness’ sake, Brad.” Rolling her eyes, she grabbed his large hand, holding it up for the other shifters to see.

  “No thank you, boys. I’ve already got more wolf than I know what to do with,” she yelled in their direction, waving their intertwined fingers.

  “There is a method to my madness. If you keep prancing around here like an unmated wolf, they’re going to keep coming on to you. And if you think my wolf is going to sit back and let that happen, you’re wrong.”

  “According to you, all I do is prance around trying to gain attention.”

  “If the shoe fits…”

  She let go of his hand, and her small fist came flying up, hitting his shoulder.

  “You know, those tiny bony fists of yours hurt.”

  “Good.”

  “Hey, sweetheart. If you’re through with Romeo, I’d be more than willing to take you home.” Both he and Jayla turned in the direction of a shifter leaning against the side of a building.

  Brad’s lip curled over his teeth, and a deep, threatening growl rumbled from his throat. There was no mistaking the warning. The other shifter’s eyes popped open, realizing he’d messed with the wrong wolf.

  “You can either hold my hand, or there’s going to be bloodshed.”

  “Fine, fine, fine. I’ll hold your stupid hand before you end up killing someone.”

  “Do you really think I want to stomp around like a pathetic horny wolf chasing after my mate like an idiot? I can’t fucking help it. My wolf just takes control, and it’s not till after the fact I realize what I’ve just done. So cut me a little slack.”

  They walked in silence. The solo sound of Jayla’s heels clicking against the concrete went on for a few tense moments. Sighing, she offered an apology. “Look, I’m sorry, okay? I get it; trust me. I hate my reactions to you too. I know exactly what you’re going through. I know you would stop if you could, Romeo.”

  JAYLA STOLE A quick peek at Brad and saw the corner of his mouth tilt up. They walked not quite hand in hand, more like fist in very large fist, for about a block.

  “Do you mind if we stay at my house tonight?”

  “I don’t care.” She sighed as she dug in her purse for her keys. Finding them, she yanked them out, stepping toward her car. “I’ll need to swing by my house to grab some stuff. It really—”

  Brad gently grasped her elbow, stopping her movements. With his other hand he plucked her keys from her hand and unlocked the car door. He pulled it open and leaned in to start the car before turning to face her. Shocked, Jayla could only look to his chest. Never had a man open her car door for her, much less start the darn thing for her. It was sweet and unexpected coming from Brad. She assumed he wasn’t doing it so much for her benefit. More likely, he was acting out of habit. The pairing of Bradford Dalton and the word gentleman had never crossed her mind.

  BRAD REACHED FOR her chin and tilted it up with one finger. His face and tone of voice softened. “I’m sorry about what happened in the conference room today. I was out of line. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “You didn’t.” Her lowered eyelids told a different story.

  “I did. I know I did. I was a complete ass. You… You’ve been phenomenal since you got here. I think my whole team adores you, although they don’t want to tell me.” He chuckled, running his hand through his hair.

  “It’s fine, Brad.”

  “No, it’s not fine. Jayla. Please look at me.”

  Her eyes drew up to his face, settling on his.

  “I thought you were planning on sabotaging the assignment, and it just set me… It set my wolf off. The thought of you… The thought of your wolf doing that hurt me…hurt my wolf, and I lashed out.”

  Shaking his head, he struggled to make her understand. There were two parts of him that had never coincided before. He’d always suppressed his wolf, and now all of a sudden he had to learn to live with it. In the beginning it was like having split personalities. But now the lines were starting to blur. He was having a hard time distinguishing what he wanted and needed as a man from what his wolf wanted a
nd needed.

  “Brad, I wasn’t going to—”

  He cut her off. “I know. Deep down I know. I’ve seen how gracious and giving you are to our coworkers. Even to me when I don’t fucking deserve it. You’re talented and a great asset to the firm. I want you to know you have my respect, Jayla. You’ve more than earned it. I snapped today.”

  He reached out and cupped the side of her face. “All I know is I never want to see hurt on your face because of something I did. I acted like a jackass, and I hope you can forgive me.”

  “You could just as easily hold a number of things against me. I’m sorry too.”

  “Jayla, you don’t owe me an apology.”

  “Yes, I do…for the whole prank-calling-as-Martha thingy.”

  Laughing out loud, Brad gave Jayla a huge smile. “For the record, the Martha thingy was brilliant.”

  Jayla couldn’t help giggling. “I miss her.”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t. She gave me diarrhea.”

  JAYLA LAUGHED FOR a few moments before she saw the seriousness return to his face.

  “Jayla, I swear to God, I had nothing to do with the basket sent to Mr. Maldonado. If I ever find out who is responsible, I give you my word they’ll have to answer to me.”

  Closing her eyes, she weighed his words; her heart, her soul, and her intuition all screamed in unison to believe him. Knowing he wasn’t the one to commit such a cruel act meant more to her than she ever realized it would.

  “Thank you,” she whispered as her emotions grabbed hold of her again.

  Brad swallowed hard, hesitated for a moment, then tentatively reached out and tucked a loose tendril of hair behind her ear. He stepped out of her way and placed a palm on the car door, waiting for her to take a seat. Jayla climbed in, and he closed her door. Feeling numb, she stared out her window and watched him stride toward his truck.

  Chapter Ten