Tiffany rolled her eyes. “Sure you do.”
His smile widened. “You did good. Really good. I’m impressed.”
“I need to go now.” Tiffany pulled her shirt over her head.
His gaze moved to her breasts and heated. Then he averted his eyes. “Let’s meet back tomorrow.”
“Same time?”
“Yeah.” He moved to his feet and dusted himself off. “Enjoy your picnic.”
She smiled. “I will. You enjoy your date and please, whatever you do, think up something special.” Tiffany turned. She removed her shorts.
She could hear how Brynn’s breath caught in his throat. Could hear his heartrate skyrocket. She couldn’t help but smile to herself. The male was attracted to her too. Whether he liked it or not.
Then she frowned. It wasn’t something to be happy about. It complicated things. One or two more lessons and they were done.
“Yeah, I will. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.”
Tiffany glanced back at him. His eyes were on her ass. She folded her clothes and tucked them into a hole in a nearby tree. Then she shifted and made her way back to her village.
She felt invigorated. Giddy with happiness and excitement. She was seeing Brynn again tomorrow. No! That wasn’t it. She was meeting Sebastian shortly for lunch.
Once she got back, she showered and changed and was just brushing her hair when a knock sounded.
“Coming.” She finished brushing her hair, and gave herself a once over before heading for the door. Her dress was yellow. It fell to just above her knees.
Sebastian’s eyes widened as she opened the door. “Wow!” He took a step back, pretending to be knocked back. “You look amazing.”
“Thank you.”
Sebastian held out his free arm. He was holding a big basket in the other hand.
She linked arms with him and they headed for the forest.
They chatted about their day. Tiffany didn’t mention Brynn. She hadn’t told anyone about meeting with him. Her brother had wrinkled his nose at her when she’d arrived home before asking what she’d been up to. Thankfully, he hadn’t put two and two together.
The last thing she needed was to have one of the others find out about Brynn. It could spell trouble for both of them. Then again, their species were no longer at war. There had even been some interspecies relationships. She still needed to be careful. Her parents would not approve.
Sebastian spread out the blanket and laid out the food. He wore a pair of jeans. The male was nothing short of gorgeous. There was a slight wave to his hair, which was thick. His eyes were a thing of beauty. Not nearly as stunning as a certain vampire’s but …
Wait up.
She couldn’t think like that. Oh shit! He’d asked her a question. How many kids she wanted. “Um …” It felt like she had a mouth full of teeth. “I hadn’t really given it much thought. Two, maybe three.”
“I’ve always wanted a bigger family. I hope that we can compromise?” He raised his brows.
Her heart picked up speed. Shit! This was moving way too fast.
“Um … let’s not think about that. We’re on our first date. We haven’t even kissed yet.” She shook her head, trying not to sound like a complete idiot and failing.
“That can be easily rectified.” His gaze was on her mouth. Zoned in. Sebastian cupped her cheek with one of his giant paws. Her heart beat just about out of her chest as he inched closer.
You can do this.
You can.
Tiffany lowered her gaze to his mouth. His lips were full. Fuller than Brynn’s. Not as appealing. Her heart beat even faster. It was panic, not anticipation. What was wrong with her?
You can do this.
You can.
Sebastian inched even closer. She could feel his breath against her lips. He was sweet, he was sexy, he was the right male for her.
Tiffany pulled away at the last moment. “I never kiss on the first date,” she blurted.
He looked down for a second before pulling his hand away. A look of disappointment crossed his face, then he smiled at her. “I look forward to our next date then.”
She forced herself to smile back. “Me too.” Tiffany tried really hard to believe it but she couldn’t. She would try harder. Once she got to know the male better, things would change. They had to.
It was so confusing. She needed some advice. There was only one person she trusted enough to speak to.
Her grandmother refilled her glass with lemonade and sat down next to her. “Alright, dear. Out with it.”
Tiffany swallowed her last bite of pie. “I don’t know what you mean.” She knew exactly what her granny meant but she still couldn’t bring herself to say anything. Maybe talking about this was a bad idea.
“Well …” her granny sighed. “You’re not here for the wild berry pie or the lemonade. You’re not here to hear all about my arthritic hip either, so there must be another reason.”
“I don’t need a reason to visit with you, granny.” It was true.
“Not normally, no, but today is a different story.” She put her hand over Tiffany’s and gave it a rub. “You can tell me. You know I’m here for you, dear.” Her eyes were a dark brown, resembling her brother’s more than her own. Her hair was mostly grey. Her grandmother had a face that was open and honest. Her eyes shone with concern.
Tiffany took a deep breath. “There’s this male.” She stopped there. She didn’t really know which male she was referring to. “Well, actually, there are two males.”
Her granny nodded, she gave a small knowing smile. Wait a minute … knowing?
Tiffany licked her lips. “Um … one of them is perfect for me. Mom and dad approve. He’s an alpha and …” she shrugged, “a really nice male.”
“Right, but you don’t have feelings for him in that way.”
Tiffany shook her head. “I don’t understand it, gran. What’s wrong with me? Any female would give their tail to be with him and he’s interested in me. He made it clear that he wants to mate me. He was asking me all sorts of questions today. How many kids I wanted? If I would prefer to live in his village or if I would prefer to live in the valley for more privacy? He’s already planning out our whole future together.”
“How does that make you feel?”
“It’s stifling. It makes me want to run away and hide. It’s too soon for that.”
Granny made a humming noise. “What about the other male?”
Tiffany couldn’t help the smile that formed. “I don’t know him much at all. I’ve only seen him twice. He’s the opposite of Sebastian, he’s completely wrong for me. Like so wrong that we could never be together. I don’t even think he likes me in that way. I think he’s attracted to me, but …” She let the sentence die. She let out a breath and felt her shoulders slump. “It doesn’t matter. He’s helping me with something. Within the next week or two we’ll be done and I’ll never see him again. I guess I just need to get through the next few meetings with him. I’m hoping my feelings for Sebastian will … develop … once I stop seeing this other male.”
“You do realize that if you felt that way about Sebastian, you probably would’ve experienced some sort of a reaction to him. Does your heart beat faster at the sight of him? Do you feel butterflies in your stomach when he takes your hand or when he smiles at you?”
Yes. And yes. Only, it was true of Brynn and not Sebastian. “I do feel that way, gran. But, I feel it for the wrong male. The one I can’t possibly have.”
“Sometimes things that seem impossible are not as unattainable as you think.”
“You don’t understand, gran.”
“I bet you I do. Your grandfather was from another pack and back in my day, mating between packs was not the norm. It only happened on occasion and then only when the alphas agreed. It was done purely to strengthen ties between the packs and to introduce new blood. Arranged matings were the only way and matings between different shifter kinds was not an option.”
She sighed heavily. Tiffany could see that her gran was deep in thought. “We tried to fight it. The pack leaders were angry. My father damn near disowned me but here we are. Love is a powerful thing, child. I would never have had the happy life I have led if I had ignored my feelings. I would’ve ended up with a male I didn’t love and … I don’t want to think about it. Taking the easy path is not always the right thing to do. Sometimes taking the difficult road leads to the biggest rewards. At the end of the day, you need to follow your heart.”
Tiffany took a sip of her lemonade and put the glass back down on the coffee table in front of her. Her hand shook slightly. “If only it was a case of a different pack or a different shifter type. If only it was a case of a lower ranking beta. Daddy wouldn’t be happy but he would get over it. There is no way Brynn would be accepted though. I doubt he would want to be with a shifter anyway.” She looked her granny in the eye. “He’s a vampire, gran. I don’t even know him. I’m being silly. Forget I said anything.”
“You’re not being silly. I knew from the first time I saw my Leonard that he was the male for me. Of course he knew that our relationship would not be accepted so he tried to ignore our connection. In the end he had to acknowledge what was right in front of him and gave in.” Gran laughed softly. “Oh that male could be so stubborn.” Her eyes teared up but she blinked them away. Grandpa had been gone for four years.
“Oh my word, gran,” Tiffany smiled. “You chased after grandad?”
“If I had left it up to him, I’d still be waiting. Sometimes a male doesn’t know what’s right in front of him. I’m going to give you something. It’s a secret passed on from generation to generation. There are a handful of our females who know about it. I want you to use my gift to get to know your vampire.”
Tiffany frowned. “Okay. What is it?” She sounded as skeptical as she felt.
Gran ignored her question. “You need to promise me that you will follow your heart. Maybe neither one of these males is right for you in the end but there is only one way to really find out. Be brave, be strong and be honest, not just with the males but with yourself. Remember that you need to live your life. That means that no one else can tell you how to live it or who to love.”
Tiffany nodded. “I will do my best, gran.”
“Okay then, child. Follow me.” She grabbed Tiffany’s hand. There was a strange look in her eyes.
6
The next morning …
Brynn circled the she-wolf. “You will be weaker than your opponents but you will also be quicker than them. Quicker and more flexible.”
She acted like she was trying to catch her breath. Brynn noticed how she lifted her left hand ever so slightly. Not so winded after all. Then she ran at him. He blocked her easily, the female landed hard.
“You should wait for me to come to you. That way you can use my weight against me.”
“Just two minutes ago you said that I should attack sometimes as well. That it should be when you least expect it.”
“You have a tell.” He held out his hand to her but she ignored it, yet again. Tiffany hated losing.
Her jaw was set and her eyes blazed. “What the hell is a tell?” She stood up, dusting the dirt from her clothes.
“Get that temper under control.”
Her eyes narrowed on him. “You try falling on your ass a couple of times and see how your temper fares.”
Brynn had to suppress a smile. “If you think I had it easy when I started my training, you would be very wrong. I’ve fallen on my ass more times than I care to admit. A tell is a sign. You lift your left hand just before you attack.”
Tiffany looked down at the hand in question and then back at him. Her expression was one of confusion mingled with shock.
“Relax.” He took a step towards her. “We all have them. You need to be aware of it. You need to become more in tune with yourself. Learn to pick up on these small gestures and stop doing them. Your emotions and intentions should be masked and controlled.”
She huffed out a breath. “Shit!” She shook her head. “I didn’t even know I was doing it.”
“It’s a pity you can’t come to a couple of training sessions with me. Then you could observe fighters in action. You could look for their strengths and weaknesses.”
“We fight in our fur. It will be very different.”
Brynn shrugged. “Not really. The same principles apply. Don’t hesitate to take an opportunity. If you’re the underdog, play dirty. Take them out.”
Tiffany looked deep in thought. She had her hands on her hips. She wore a powder blue shirt and the same little shorts. Her shoulder-length hair was pulled into a loose knot on her head.
There wasn’t even a tiny bit of makeup on her face. In fact, she had a smear of dirt on her left cheek and some grass in her hair. Her shirt was torn at the sleeve, with dirt streaks across the front and the back. Her ass was … a thing of fucking beauty … it was covered in dirt as well.
His mind wandered back to the night before. To thoughts of the human female, Sylvia. She’d worn a figure hugging dress. It had dipped low at her ample breasts, revealing a deep cleavage. That teamed with a mouth made for wicked things and big blue eyes. In short, she was devastatingly beautiful. Yet, he hadn’t reacted to her. Not even one bit.
They’d had a simple dinner at the castle restaurant and she’d invited him back to her place. Her intentions were clear. Her sparkling eyes and tone of voice had said it all. She flirted with him but he just wasn’t feeling it.
“How did your date go?” Tiffany asked. It was like she had read his thoughts. She reached into the backpack she had brought with her and pulled out a water bottle.
“Good,” he answered simply. “I had a great time and so did Sylvia.”
Tiffany sniffed the air. She gave him a small smile. “Did you at least kiss her?” She drank from the bottle; he watched as her delicate throat worked.
Brynn recalled how disappointed Sylvia had looked when he turned her down. How she had gripped the back of his neck, her eyes on his lips. Like a big fat, class-A pussy, he’d kissed her cheek.
Tiffany handed him the water bottle and he took it. “Yeah.” A kiss was a kiss … right? So what if it was on her cheek? “What about you?” His voice came out sounding gruff. He didn’t like the idea of that alpha kissing Tiffany. She was his student, his friend. He needed all of her focus.
After a long pause she shook her head. “He tried to kiss me but I couldn’t do it.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m an idiot.” When she lifted her eyes to him, they were filled with tears.
“Just because you didn’t want to kiss the male doesn’t make you an idiot.” He took a step towards her. His hands curled into fists. He needed to stop himself from touching her. From holding her and comforting her. It wasn’t his place to do those things.
“That’s not why I’m an idiot.” She pulled her lower lip between her teeth for a beat or two. “When Sebastian tried to kiss me …” She swallowed thickly.
Brynn felt irritated at the thought of the male with his hands on her. Hell, just the thought of him looking at her fucked him off royally.
“When he tried to kiss me, all I could think of was you.” Her eyes flashed to somewhere just over his shoulder. “Of kissing you. Of wanting things I shouldn’t, and that makes me an idiot.”
His heartrate picked up a whole hell of a lot. Brynn could feel his chest heave. Her words made fire ignite in his veins. Made his entire body tense with want. His brain pretty much short-circuited as his need for her grew to impossible heights. He growled softly. “If that makes you an idiot …” Fuck, his voice was so deep. He made a noise of frustration and rubbed a hand over his face. “I’m an idiot as well then. I didn’t kiss the human, well I did, only it was on the cheek.”
The air between them practically crackled.
Her chest was heaving as well. Her nipples were hard. Her scent of arousal filled the air around them. She wasn�
��t alone. His dick was hard enough to drill through rock. He felt it throbbing between his legs. “Shit, Tiffany! There’s nothing we can do about it. You do realize that, don’t you? As much as I want you, we can’t act on it.” Frustration welled in him.
“Yes, we can.” It was practically a whisper.
“It would mean everyone knowing that we have been together. I don’t give a fuck what my superiors would think but you could get into big trouble.” He knew that she didn’t even want her parents, or the rest of her pack, knowing she was meeting with him.
“I’m mature and already years past the mating age but you are right, I wouldn’t want my pack to know. There would be hell to pay.”
He felt a twinge at her words, yet he knew she was right. He’d said it himself. Brynn nodded, he folded his arms.
“You and I both know that this can’t go anywhere.” She shook her head. Disappointment shone in her eyes. “I’m hoping that by rutting we can move past this attraction though. I’ve noticed how you can’t take your eyes off of my breasts.” She smiled shyly.
Brynn clenched his jaw. Her mammary glands were spectacular. Not too big but not too small either. Just right, tipped with plump nipples that reminded him of cherries. His mouth watered for a taste. “Yeah.” His voice was a rough scrape. “It’s almost impossible not to look. I feel the same about your ass. I happen to think that you are very beautiful in all ways.” He took a step closer, folding his arms tighter into himself to keep from touching her. “I want you, Tiffany. Very badly. The fact that we both want this doesn’t make it possible for us though.”
Instead of answering, she reached into her bag and removed a bottle. “We can.” There was a clear liquid inside. It looked like some sort of gel. “My grandmother gave me this.” Then she looked sheepish. “I told her about us … about my attraction to you.” Her gaze drifted downwards for a beat before fixing back on his.
A Mate for Titan (The Program Book 7) Page 29