by C. M. Steele
When I get to the apartment, Jacob’s in his room. “Welcome home, Maria.” This time he’s more cheerful, but he doesn’t bother to come out of his room, which is fine by me.
“Thank you. Goodnight. I have a five am start. See you tomorrow night.”
“Goodnight.” I like that he’s more chipper than he sounded this morning.
Stripping down to my panties, I grab my nightgown and slip it on. Sleep easily takes over because I’m so relaxed. The second my eyes close, I’m out like a light.
By three in the morning, I’m up and getting ready for another day on the job, but I look and see a note from Jacob. I had to go out. I’ll be back tomorrow night. Don’t worry about me.
“What?” I call his cell, but it goes straight to voicemail.
Damn it. I make coffee and get ready for work, all the while thinking about Jacob and where he had to go in the middle of the night. It doesn’t make sense. Everything about him has been different the past few days. It makes me nervous.
I work the whole day, thinking about Jacob. He hasn’t answered his phone or even returned my calls and texts. Erik’s supposed to be at the station all day, but I only see the sheriff once. I try to talk to him, but he does his best to act busy. Then he has to leave just as I’m getting off work. I don’t like it, so I follow him and he’s at Hunter’s home. I wait, and then I see another vehicle pull up. It takes me a few minutes to work up the nerve to interrupt whatever’s going on. I’m barely out of my car when Hunter and Erik come out, scowling. Then, before I know it, someone pushes from behind them. My mouth drops open, and my legs feel like they’re about to buckle.
3
Turner
Mark and I make the trip to Wolfe Creek, even though I’d prefer that he stayed back in White Wolf, but he’s hard of hearing and insisted I not go alone. Within a few minutes on the road, he’s already testing my patience.
"I should have left your ass back there," I say, giving him a deathly glare.
"Nah. You're already on edge. Your wolf has been ready to strike, and don’t lie to me either. You're raging, and it doesn't even make sense. Your father—hell, even you have said that your brother overreacted, and we’re the ones who should make amends."
"I know, but that doesn't mean I'm not supposed to show a strong, united front. He touched my sister, and that automatically put him in my crosshairs. I just want their word that we don't have a problem."
"And a phone call wasn't sufficient?"
"Obviously fucking not. If it was, I wouldn't be going. Now, are you going to drive and stop being a whiny bitch?" I hiss, itching to slam his head on the steering wheel.
"Damn, as long as you don't act that way with Hunter Wolfe, we'll be good." He reaches over and turns on the radio. The Beatles are on, and for the first time I don't hate it. I let it play and then attempt to relax, which strangely happens. It's early afternoon, but it gets dark early at this time of year and although I trust them not to act up, being in another's territory after dark isn't smart.
"We're about twenty minutes out from his property. He's supposed to just have his Beta with him, so if he's honest, then we've got nothing to worry about." The snow turns to rain as we get closer to their place, but then stops altogether and the sun suddenly comes out. It's strange, but my wolf feels restless.
We're about a quarter mile from his home when my wolf growls and I look out the window. It looks like there's a vehicle out there, but we're moving too fast to check it. Oddly, I don't sense a foreboding and danger. I swear for a minute I feel my dick jerk. That can't be right, unless Hunter lied about having someone else being there. Although, if it is her, then I don't care if he lied to me.
"We're here," Mark says, pulling into a long driveway. “Okay, Alpha. You let me know what you need me to do. I’ve got your back, as always.”
“I will. Just keep your cool. I have a good feeling about this,” I say, sensing my wolf is excitable. She's near. We exit the vehicle cautiously and then make our way to the porch. I’m greeted by two large men, who make introductions. Hunter Wolfe and his Beta.
“What’s with the gun?” Mark says, eyeing the holster on the Beta.
“I’m the sheriff. I’m always carrying.” He doesn't flinch and stands strong, which is good for both parties.
“Hey, don’t get bent out of shape. I just asked. We want this to be peaceful as possible,” he says, tossing his hands up in surrender.
Wanting to get this over with, Hunter gets right to the point. “Okay, so two of our young ones got into a fight, but what I don’t understand is why.”
I thought they would have talked to the kid. "It’s because I told my younger brother to protect my little sister. She’s a teen, and well, I don’t want any men sniffing around her. She’s not mating age yet, so when the Crabtree kid kissed her, my brother was on him.”
“Let me ask you something. Did you ever think that they’ll mate once she’s of age?” the sheriff asks me, which raises my hackles. Is he itching for a fight?
I snarl out, “Even if it was possible, why is he kissing her now?”
“Why would you care? He can’t fuck her,” Hunter asks.
“I didn’t react. My little brother did. But it still doesn’t excuse what he did," I say, defending our actions.
“He said it was because some human boy was flirting with her, and he didn’t appreciate it. Erik, why don’t you go ahead and tell them about how you met my sister?” Hunter asks his second.
The sheriff chuckles, but I see the pain behind his eyes. He's married to the Alpha's sister, which means Hunter understands about having a little sister too. “He probably kissed her because he’s young and his mating starts next year. If he feels anything like what I felt for my mate before I mated with her, then his heart is hurting. Jealousy eats at him constantly. It can leave you empty and sad, craving for her just to be near. Have you met your mate yet?”
A low growl rips through my chest painfully, as if the lonely ache has tripled from just the mention of a mate. I need to find my mate. The wolf within me grows increasingly agitated.
Hunter looks at me sympathetically. “So you have, but you’re not mated yet. How long has it been?”
He understands what I'm going through? “Five months, three weeks, two days, and twelve hours," I say with another soul-aching growl.
Erik chimes in. “I fell in love with Chloe a year before our full mating kicked in. Our mating instinct waited until I was worthy of her and became the Beta. I spent a year in purgatory—looking, wishing, and hoping I could touch her. I don’t know how many times I almost kissed her or how many times I snarled at another man for speaking to her. If I’d been younger, I don’t think I’d have the self-control to stop myself. When I thought all was hopeless, the change happened.”
“A year?” My pulse picks up and my chest burns at that information. I can’t wait a year. I’ll go insane.
“A year,” the sheriff repeats. “The longest year of my life.”
“So she’s his mate?” Mark asks about the punk and my sister.
Erik and Hunter shrug and then Erik says, “More than likely, and until the time is right, they’re both going to be suffering. The best thing to do would be limit their contact with the opposite sex, but don’t keep them from each other. Jealousy only heightens the need to claim what they can’t. Keeping them apart will make it worse.” I make a mental note regarding their suggestion, although I’ll see for myself in due time.
“Thanks,” I say, shaking Erik's hand, and when I'm about to shake Hunter’s, I hear the sound of tires crunching gravel.
“I thought you said it was just the two of you,” I snarl. My wolf’s curious about who just arrived.
Hunter’s brows bunch together in aggravation. “It is. If it’s my wife, I’m going to spank her ass.” Whoever’s here isn’t supposed to be. Hunter has a scowl etched on his face as he marches to the front of the house.
“Mine too,” Erik says, walking behind him.
“It’s you!” she shouts out. Unable to stop myself, I drag her into my arms, lacing my fingers through her ponytail and slamming my lips onto hers. A wave of lust slams through me, demanding I take more.
“Wow, didn’t see that coming,” Hunter remarks. I barely make out the words because I can't get enough of her. She clings to me with her legs around my waist, knowing we’re one. I'm a wild man, a beast ready to claim his other half.
I hear their footsteps through my mating haze and snarl, turning to them while holding her to me protectively. They wave me off like I've lost my damn mind, which is pretty accurate. I know that more than anything, she's taken all my rhyme or reason.
“Turner, you two are more than welcome to go to the resort. I’ll call and make the reservation for the next two days,” Hunter says, pulling his phone out of his pocket.
“Thanks,” I say, and then I turn to my mate because she deserves my attention. “Let’s go.”
“Have fun, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”
I flip Hunter off and then flip my mate over my shoulder, carrying her to my SUV without waiting for approval from anyone, including my mate. I don’t care that she came in a squad car or that she’s probably on duty.
“Hey, what about me?” Mark says.
I stop, turning my head slowly and glaring at my Beta. “Walk,” I growl before helping her into the passenger seat.
“Whoa. Where are you taking me? Who are you?” she exclaims, pumping the brakes on the situation.
“I’m your mate. Can’t you feel it?” I question, sensing a bit of resistance.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she says. I can feel her lust rolling off her, but for the first time, my brain processes what I instinctively knew the second she pulled up—she’s human.
“Shit,” I growl, closing the door and sprinting around to the other side of the SUV to hop in. I'm pulling out of the driveway before she has a chance to object.
"Forgive me. I'll slow this down," I say, nearly choking on my words as if they're forced violently from my throat. "I'm Josiah Turner. I'm from White Wolf Ridge." It’s all I can manage to vocalize at the moment.
"I'm Deputy Maria Arroyo.” Her eyes stare into mine as she nibbles on her bottom lip and then swipes her tongue along the edge. “What do you mean by ‘mate’?" she asks, wringing her fingers nervously while tearing her eyes away from me and onto the road around us.
"Calm yourself, love. I won't hurt you. I could never, ever hurt you." I attempt to reassure her, but I’m not sure she’s on board with the suddenness of the situation.
"I don't understand why..." she waves her hands between us "…this connection. I don't understand it."
"I don't know everything, but I believe Hunter Wolfe knows exactly what's going on."
"Why does everyone run everything past Hunter? Besides him being a know-it-all." Damn, she doesn’t seem to like him, which makes me feel better, but then a sense of dread fills me. She has no idea what we are and what we mean to each other now.
"You don't really know the truth." I pull off to the side of the road.
"What are you doing?" Her tension elevates a notch or two, but it’s not from fear. Desire pools between her thighs and invades my nostrils. I want to strip her bare and taste her, let her scent envelop me.
"We need to talk, and I can't leave you feeling so upset."
"We can talk at the hotel,” she argues.
"I'm afraid we cannot. I won't be able to control this raging longing once we are left alone without interruption."
"We're alone here." She takes a deep breath, and I know her body's begging for mine. I reach up and brush her cheek with the back of my fingers.
"Anyone can pass by,” I remind her. It’s that notion that staves off my hunger long enough to pull my thoughts together. "Maria," I say, pausing, trying to figure out how to say this. "Listen. Hunter, your sheriff, and me. We're not just human."
"Oh my God. What are you?"
"We're wolf shifters." Her face whitens and then she laughs, shaking her head.
"That's nuts."
"Then how come you jumped into my arms as if you've known me? Let me rub my scent all over you?" She’s about to say something smart, so I put my fingers to her lips. "Trust me, mate. Do not say something like ‘I do that all the time’ because I'll tear this town apart, killing every single man here who thinks you are theirs. You belong to me." I sound possessive, and I am. My father had been right. The second I found my mate, the world would flip on its head and I’d become more irrational than a motherfucker.
"There's no one else, but I don't understand this. You can't be real."
"I could say the same for you. For nearly six months I dreamed of you, and yet here you are as if I'm still dreaming."
"You too?" A dawning strikes her.
"See? I've never heard of it before, but something Hunter said told me he understood my plight more than your sheriff did."
"Oh my goodness, how many are there of you?"
"There's only one of me, but there are thousands of shifters throughout the world."
“Wow. I don’t even know what the hell is going on.”
“Why were you there in the first place?” I growl. It’s been on my mind because if she wasn’t there for me, then why would she be at the home of another Alpha? Jealousy fills my soul like a mad beast.
“Your eyes just flashed a brighter blue,” she says.
“My mate, please explain.” I take a deep breath, attempting to control the urge to mate with her right here. I need to mark her so everyone knows she's mine.
"My roommate disappeared today, and I was looking for him." I stop her right there and undo her belt, lifting her onto my lap.
"You're mine and you've been living with another man?" I snarl, cupping the back of her head.
"You don't own me." Fuck. Please don't do this. I feel the bond cracking. I can't let that happen. I need my queen to rule by my side. She attempts to break my hold, which is futile.
"Maria. Damn it. You own me more than you can ever, ever, ever imagine. I live for you, now and until the end of my days. We're fated to be together. I wish I could even explain what you mean to me."
She reaches up and touches my face. "Don't be upset, Turner. I'm scared, but for some reason, I trust you more than I can even comprehend. It's as if you mean more to me than is even rational. I just need time to absorb what this all means. I've been living around these people and completely unaware."
"I can't tell you anything about them because I don't know much about them, other than Hunter, because he's the Alpha of this pack. He's the one I came to talk to about some trouble his people made in my area two days ago."
She freezes. "Is this about Jacob?"
"Who the fuck is this Jacob?" Just hearing her speak another man’s name with such concern pokes at my green monster.
"My roommate. The one who has gone missing."
"He better not be in White Wolf again,” I mutter to myself with a little more tension than I should. I’m supposed to be relaxing her, not scaring her.
She’s not scared, though. She’s glaring at me with such appalling anger. "So you did that to him?"
Normally I wouldn’t even dare to explain myself, but she is my mate. "No, and before you ask, I don't know where he's at."
She’s about to ask more questions—I can see it in her eyes—but I have to make a call.
"Hold on." I say, "Call Max." My SUV rings while we wait for my brother to pick up.
"What's up, Alpha?" he answers on the last ring.
"Be on the lookout for that fuck. Don't hurt him
, but keep an eye on his movements should he enter our territory."
"What's going on? Are those fucks giving you shit? I'll be down there."
"No. I don't have beef with the Wolfe Creek pack."
"Okay. So I'll keep Aria safe and not let that fuck bother her. What's his problem?"
"They think he might be her mate, but I don’t hold much stock in that shit. I need you to do me a favor. Hold down the fort. I'll be a couple of days. I might send Mark back, but I'm going to be down here for a bit." I know the questions are coming, and I don’t even get a chance to answer because he’s tossing them out.
"What's going on? You never take a vacation, and the season starts soon. They're going to need you here. Daphne's going to freak out. You can't do that; she's about to have a baby."
"Daphne? You’re having a baby with someone? I'm not going to be your other woman," Maria gasps and hollers.
"Whoa. You have your mate. Sorry, brother. I will handle everything." He ends the call abruptly, which is good because I could strangle him. I grab Maria’s ponytail a little rougher than necessary and slightly tug her back because she's banging on my chest and is going to hurt herself.
"Calm your sexy ass down. Daphne's my assistant, and our resort opens in a couple of days. She’s extremely busy and meticulous, so he’s worried about her. Besides, her mate is my cousin.”
“Cousin?” she asks, her cheeks heating up with embarrassment.
“Yes, and by the way, love, we only ever have one mate."
"At a time?" She cocks her expertly sculpted brows at me.
"No—one, period. We only get one. You're the only one who does this to me." I groan as I grind my cock against her wet heat. I ache to come right now, but I need to be inside her. We must get to the hotel now. She moans, pulling at my inner beast, teasing the fucker until he’s ready to pin her to the backseat and drill into her over and over.
"Enough. We can talk later. I'm barely hanging on to my sanity. I don't think my wolf can handle any more of this." I lift her off me and sit her back into her seat. "Buckle up."