by M. Limoges
A bump to her shoulder pulled her from her depressing thoughts, and she glanced to her right. Jace stood beside her with a protective arm wrapped around his new human mate, Michelle.
“Hey, sis.” He placed a kiss on the top of Kate’s head then glanced around the bar. “Where’s Stephen?”
“What am I, his keeper?” She rolled her eyes. He cut her a sharp look, and she jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “He’s busy tonight.”
Jace scanned the bar and frowned when his gaze landed on his friend. “Huh. I’m going to step over and say hello.”
He helped seat his new mate on the barstool next to Kate then pushed his way through the crowd.
“How are you, Kate?” Michelle spoke in a warm, affable tone.
Jace’s mate was so sweet it made Kate’s teeth hurt, but she could never purposely bring herself to be mean to the woman. She didn’t deserve Kate’s anger. In all honesty, no one did. Not even Stephen, though he often received the brunt of it.
“I’ve had better nights. But the real question is, how are you and Jace? I haven’t seen much of you two lately. Holing up in the bedroom, I take it?”
Michelle turned a bright shade of red and ducked her head. “Something like that.”
Despite her crappy mood, Kate smiled. “Nothing wrong with that. Not a thing at all.”
Though Michelle was almost six years older, Kate still felt the urge to protect her. Perhaps it was the air of innocence that surrounded the woman. “You’ve made my brother a happy man. I’m proud to call you part of my family.”
The petite woman surprised her by springing forward and hugging the breath out of Kate’s lungs. “Thank you. That means so much to me.”
“Alright, enough of this. I’ll grab this round.” Kate sat back. “And I promise not to let you drink too much…this time.”
Michelle wrinkled her nose. “I’m sure Jace won’t let that happen again. His idea of a fun night does not include cleaning up vomit and force-feeding me aspirin.”
Kate laughed and grabbed her beer, which nearly spilled when a bulky male shouldered his way between her and Michelle.
“Well, what do we have here?” Damien glanced at the two of them. “The two loveliest ladies in the bar.”
Kate snorted. The biggest flirt in town, he could lay it on thick when he wanted, but he was a good, honest man who loved to have fun. “Hey, Damien.”
He laid a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “How you doing tonight, sugar?”
“Not too bad. Just having a couple drinks before I head home.” She resisted the urge to peek at the pool tables again.
“You sure everything’s good?” His furrowed brow and the thin set of his lips told her he suspected more. He’d most likely witnessed Tanya hanging on Stephen. No doubt the whole bar noticed.
“I’m good. Why wouldn’t I be?” Damien’s green eyes narrowed and his mouth opened as though he wanted to say more, but Kate switched topics. “How about a dance before I leave?”
Damien studied her a moment longer before shoving away from the bar and extending his hand. “It would be my pleasure, sugar.”
She downed the rest of her beer. There wasn’t enough liquor in the entire bar to drown her sorrows tonight. But dancing with a hot, attractive male might make her feel somewhat better and forget the sight of Tanya’s hand on Stephen’s ass.
Kate placed her hand in Damien’s and jumped from her barstool. Ignoring the crowd’s stares, she didn’t dare glance in Stephen’s direction. It wasn’t as if he would notice anyway. He was too busy with Skankarella. And so what if he did see her? She was a damn grown woman. Stephen had no claim on her, and she definitely didn’t have one on him. She was tired of playing the good girl and pining after a man she could never have.
Melding into the group of gyrating shifters on the dance floor, she allowed everything else to fall away around her. Her focus was on the strong male who moved in close behind her and settled a firm hand on her hip.
Chapter Three
Stephen managed to extricate his arm from Tanya’s grasp. He ignored her ridiculous pout and cuffed Jace’s shoulder.
“Man, it’s good to see you.”
Christ, he’d never been more thankful to see his friend than he was at that moment. For at least an hour, he’d tried to ditch the woman with the death grip on his arm who squeezed his ass each time he attempted to take a shot.
Once he’d entered the Den without Kate, the damn she-Wolf had taken it as an open invitation and latched on. Of course, he hadn’t missed Kate’s glares from the bar. For her not wanting him around, she damn sure hadn’t appreciated Tanya’s free hands. Stephen silently pleaded with Jace to understand and spare him from the damn nuisance of a woman who just wouldn’t take the numerous hints he’d thrown at her.
Jace pasted on a charming smile. “If you don’t mind, Tanya, I need a word in private with Stephen.”
Stephen heaved a sigh of relief and sidestepped Tanya before she could plant a kiss on his cheek. Her face contorted with annoyance, and she stormed off, her sights no doubt locked on the next unsuspecting Wolf. He grabbed his beer from the edge of the pool table and downed a healthy swig. When he turned to face Jace, he fell under his friend’s scrutiny.
“You want to tell me what the hell’s going on?”
“Not a damn thing. Trust me, I’m still working on your stubborn-ass sister. That”—he nodded toward Tanya—“was not my idea at all.”
Jace chuckled. “Yeah, Tanya’s determined to snare herself a mate by any means necessary.”
“Ha, you think? I could’ve never told. She wasn’t exactly subtle about it.” Stephen swallowed a mouthful of beer. “Besides, I already have a mate.”
“Oh yeah? How’s that working out for you?”
“Nothing a little more time and a smooth hand won’t remedy.”
Jace roared with laughter and tipped his head toward the dance floor. “You mean like the one Damien has?”
Stephen whipped around, and his jaw almost hit the ground. At once, he zeroed in on Kate and Damien. Their traitorous friend’s hand rested on Kate’s lower belly as he grinded against her ass. And his mate just let the sly bastard practically dry hump her.
Oh, hell no, this shit wasn’t happening. There was a certain code in their pack. No one was allowed to touch another Wolf’s mate in such a manner. And the entire pack knew Kate was his by now. It wasn’t as though he’d kept it a secret.
A surge of anger pushed through Stephen. He threw his arm out, slamming his bottle of beer against Jace’s middle, and stalked onto the dance floor toward Kate. The sight of her wiggling her firm ass against Damien’s crotch set Stephen’s blood on fire. Inside, his Wolf urged him to make Damien pay for the insult. Shoving down instinct, he focused his attention on his mate.
Stephen strode up to the dancing couple without a word. Instead, he snatched Kate away from Damien and threw her over his shoulder. She cursed and jerked in his arms, but he carried her into the ladies room, meeting the wide-eyed stares of two of the pack’s females.
“Ladies, can I have a moment of privacy with my mate?” He barely registered the gruff voice as his own.
The pair giggled and scurried from the restroom, whispering to each other. He flipped the lock on the bathroom door then set his mate on the bathroom counter. Before one enraged word left her throat, he slammed his lips over hers. Roughly spreading her legs apart, he moved in between her thighs, shoving his hard, denim-covered erection against her center the same time his tongue plunged inside her mouth.
Far from the reaction he expected out of her, she arched into him and wrapped her legs around his waist. She sank her fingers into his short hair and ground herself against the bulge in his pants.
Devouring her mouth, he kissed her with every bit of passion she evoked in him. Their tongues tangled in a delicious duel, replacing every shred of fury pumping through his bloodstream with white-hot lust.
Holy fucking shit, she was a living flame in his arm
s.
Stephen’s hands went to the waist of her jeans and popped the metal tab free. He slid his hand beneath the lacey band of her panties, and nearly came in his pants when he brushed over the smooth, heated skin of her sex. Fuck, he couldn’t wait to taste that silken flesh.
When he ran his fingers along the seam of her damp pussy and pressed his palm against her clit, she tore her mouth free from his.
“We have to stop.” Kate balled the hem of his shirt in her clenched hands.
Yeah, they needed to stop, but for an entirely different reason than she imagined.
Not above using devious means to get what he wanted, he’d made it his business to know about the men she’d casually dated when she was younger. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind his little mate was still a virgin. With that in mind, he wanted their first time to be memorable. For her to know she’d only ever receive pleasure in his arms. Even though his dick was ready to burst, she deserved more than a quick fuck in a public restroom.
Stephen pulled back and huffed out a shaky breath, stirring the hairs at the top of her head. He leaned his forehead against hers.
“I want to make love to you, Kate.” Unable to resist, he continued to caress her clit with light strokes.
She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the mirror behind her. “We can’t.”
Lowering his head, he nuzzled the side of her neck and kissed his way up to her mouth. “Why not, Sunshine? Let me love you.”
Kate moved her hips against him and pulled his face to hers. He obliged, seizing her lips with a carnal kiss. Her passionate response addled his self-control.
Christ, he wanted to feel her touch.
Stephen eased his fingers from her damp heat and worked the button and zipper of his jeans open. When his cock sprang free of its restraint, he released her mouth with one last nip. His hands settled over hers on his chest, and he guided one down to his hardened length. Her fingertips tentatively brushed the swollen head, and he groaned and tugged her against his body.
Then she squirmed from in between him and the counter, moving toward the door. Terrified he’d harmed her in some way, he turned to face her with his arms lifted in the air. Tears gathered in her hazel eyes as she fumbled with the button on her jeans. He took a step toward her to right whatever wrong he’d done.
“No!” She threw out a shaky hand to ward him off. “I’m sorry, but this was a mistake.”
He could only gape as she backed toward the door, threw the lock, and bolted from the women’s restroom. When he snapped out of his stupor, he wondered if he’d grown a second head and glanced down at his straining erection.
What the fuck just happened?
Then it hit him. She was running away from him, again. Damn it, she wasn’t getting away from him tonight if his aching balls were any testament.
With no small amount of discomfort, he shoved his dick back into his pants and zipped up then went in pursuit of his runaway mate for the last fucking time.
Chapter Four
Kate’s cheeks burned as she pushed through her grinning packmates to the safety of the front door. Of course, the entire bar had witnessed Stephen haul her into the bathroom.
She escaped to the cool night air outside. Sucking in several steadying breaths, she chastised herself for her lack of control. What the hell had she been thinking?
One look, one damn touch, and she was ready to toss all her inhibitions out of the window and surrender to Stephen. To give in to something that could never last between them. Crap, she had to get out of here before she did something foolish like run straight back into his arms.
Kate rushed across the street to her car parked two blocks away. She lowered her head as she walked, digging in her pants pocket for her keys. Preoccupied, she slammed into a solid chest. With an apology on her lips, she glanced up into a face she’d never laid eyes on. A face she recognized as human. One that didn’t belong in the small, protected shifter town of Los Lobos. Every alarm in her body blared a warning.
Whether she could shift or not, she still had an obligation to protect the pack’s secrecy at all costs. She spun to head back to the bar, but another two equally large human males stood behind her. She darted her gaze around, but the three strangers moved in closer, effectively blocking her escape.
“Where you going, sweetheart?” The human in front of her laughed and tugged a lock of her hair. “We just wanted to ask you a few questions, that’s all.”
Panic kicked her heart rate into overdrive. She tried to move aside, but one of the men behind her grabbed her upper arms, his fingers digging into her flesh hard enough to leave bruises. The man in front of her stepped closer, an angry sneer marring his ugly face.
“You Los Lobos folks aren’t too hospitable, are ya?” His face radiated a menace that scared the shit out of her. She might have a chance against one, but there was no way she could take on three men with any odds of success. If only she could shift….
“A friend stopped here a few weeks ago, and we haven’t heard from him since. Mind telling me if you’ve seen him?”
Despite the fear thrumming through her body, she glared at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. No one’s passed through here recently.”
“Somehow, I don’t think I believe you, sweetheart. We’ve been watching this town for a while.”
The grip on her arms tightened, preventing her from pulling free. It was evident she wouldn’t make it to the bar, so she did the next best thing. She screamed at the top of her lungs. The human piece of shit in front of her slapped a rough hand over her mouth, cutting off her yell.
“I know for a fact Marston was here. I spoke to him while he was camped in the woods on the north side of town a few weeks ago.” His hot breath reeked of garlic and whiskey, and Kate gagged behind the hand over her mouth. “That’s right. I know there are strange, unnatural things happening in this town, and I intend to get to the bottom of it. And you’re going to tell me what the hell I want to know one way or another.”
His cruel gaze swept over her body, making her skin crawl. He raised his other hand to cover her chest, squeezing her breast in a painful grasp. “You’re a pretty little thing, you know. How about we have a bit of fun, John?”
“Get the fuck away from her.”
Kate had never been so elated to hear Stephen’s voice than she was in that moment.
The bastard’s hands fell away, and the grip on her shoulders disappeared. Off balance and shaken, she would’ve fallen on her face had Stephen’s strong arms not wrapped around her. She sagged against him as he led her to where her brother, Damien, Gee, and a few other imposing members of their pack had gathered. Each man wore the mask of a predator, waiting for any excuse to rip into the human males who’d trespassed onto their territory and touched one of their own.
One of the humans raised his hands in surrender. “We’re just looking for our friend. That’s all.”
Stephen shoved Kate behind his back, and she clung to him like a lifeline.
“I don’t give a shit what the hell you’re looking for. Get the fuck out of Los Lobos. You’re not welcome here.”
The man who’d threatened her straightened his shoulders. “We’re not leaving until we get the answers we came for.”
Behind her, a low growl pierced the air. With his brows lowered in a scary-ass glare, Gee took an intimidating step forward. “I’d advise you to get the fuck out of our town.”
Narrowing his eyes, the human scanned their group. “I’ll see ya around.”
No one budged a single muscle until the trio of humans loaded into their SUV parked across the road and sped down the dark stretch of highway leading to Collins. Intuition told Kate this wasn’t the last they would see of the men.
Had Marston somehow managed to tell others what he’d witnessed in the woods before the pack made the asshole disappear for good? They knew far more than they should. Their open hostility was a clear indication. These had to be the hunters Stephen spoke o
f a few days ago.
Before she could think more of it, Stephen’s concerned face filled her vision.
“Are you alright?” His warm palm cupped her cheek.
Regardless of her best effort not to cry, tears welled in her eyes. “I’m okay. Just a bit shaken.” She bit her lip. “They know something, Stephen. What if they come back?”
The next instant she was crushed against his chest. “It’ll be alright. The pack’s protected, and I won’t ever let anything happen to you, Sunshine.”
His tender words unleashed a tide of despair in her. With her head tucked against his neck, tears continued to track down her cheeks. She wanted to apologize for running away from him. For not having the ability to protect herself like other shifters. And more important, for not being the mate he deserved.
Kate pushed away from him and dried her eyes with her shirtsleeves. “I just want to go home.”
“I’ll take you.”
She glanced up. “I can drive myself.”
The muscle along his jaw ticked, and he wore an expression that cautioned her not to argue. “I said I’ll take you.”
Since there would be no changing his mind, she simply nodded. The shifters around them closed ranks.
Jace touched her elbow. “You okay?”
She nodded and opened her mouth to answer, but Stephen cut her off. “I’m taking Kate home, so she can get some rest. We’ll stop by tomorrow and pick up her car.”
“Michelle and I can take her.”
“No.” Stephen leveled a hard stare at her brother, who answered with a lift of his brows.
Gee rolled his eyes. “Since you don’t need me any longer, duty calls.” He lumbered back inside the bar, followed by a chuckling Damien who saluted as he filed passed.
Jace placed a kiss on her forehead. “Call me if you need me.”
Kate allowed Stephen to lead her down the sidewalk to his truck. His deep blue eyes never left hers as he settled her in the passenger seat and secured her seatbelt.