by Sky Winters
He was there precisely at 5:00, and waited at the door, tapping his foot impatiently. He could hear the soft sounds of movement from inside. He could sense her apprehension, but beneath it, he could smell her lust.
Finally, she opened the door for him, her face wrought with worry and anxiety.
“Weston, I don’t think…”
“You can’t hide what you want,” he said, pushing himself into her apartment and closing the door. “I can smell you, remember?”
His body was so near to hers that he could almost taste her desire. The scent was intoxicating, and the wolf was immediately hungry.
“I…”
He fixed his golden eyes upon her and she trailed off. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she knew that there was no way she was getting out of this.
“I’ve thought about you all day,” he said, slowly coming toward her, his handsome, pensive face not letting her out of his sights. She swallowed hard, running her hands through her long, dark brown hair.
“I’ve thought about you too,” she admitted.
“That’s what I thought,” he said. He looked around fondly at her modest décor, then turned his eyes back to her. Her face. Her body. “This place smells like you.”
He was hard immediately, his wolf overwhelmed by the power of her scent. He was suddenly no longer in control of himself and gripped her shoulders, kissing her passionately. She moaned, instantly on fire as his middle pressed against hers. Despite how sore she was, she allowed him to take her right there on the floor of her apartment, once, then twice, until they were both almost satisfied.
Chapter 7
They were just starting a fifth round when Melanie’s phone buzzed and vibrated. The ringtone was Tanner’s, and she stopped grinding against Weston, wondering what he might want.
“Who is that?” Weston asked, his face suddenly dark. “It’s a man.”
“How do you know that?” Melanie asked, raising her eyebrow at him.
“The way you reacted. Do you love him?”
“He’s my best friend,” she replied, “so yeah. In a way.”
Weston glowered and smacked the phone away from them, off the end table.
“Don’t answer it,” he ordered. “You’re here with me right now.”
“He’s just a friend,” she said to him, her blue eyes boring into his.
“And I’m your lover,” he retorted. “So get with the loving.”
He shoved himself inside of her again and she groaned, overcome with bliss before she had the chance to pick a fight with him over Tanner. She immediately forgot the conversation as her body was overwhelmed with pleasure again.
When they had finished, she lay against his chest. He was spent for now, but it was hard to tell when her scent might drive him to the edge again. But for the time being, his handsome face was content, and he was lounging on her bed with her body draped over his rippling, muscular abdomen.
“So I saw you on a magazine cover,” she said softly. “I didn’t read the article though. How did you make all that money?”
“I’m a good businessman,” he said with a grin. “And actually, you know that app we met on? I designed it. I make a killing off that.”
“Wow, really? That’s impressive.”
“Yeah, really.”
“Have you hooked up with a lot of women on there?” she asked, trying to keep the jealousy out of her voice. After all, this was just a hook up. It didn’t mean anything. It probably meant nothing to him, at least. Especially if he was the creator of a hook up app.
“A couple,” he admitted. “But none of them have ever awakened the wolf in me to this extent.”
“I bet you say that to all the girls,” she laughed.
“No, actually I don’t.”
Weston turned his golden eyes onto her and fixed his gaze upon her. She felt frozen in place as the sincerity of what he was saying sunk in. He had never demanded to see the other girls the next day. There was something about her that he thought was special.
“I don’t want you talking to other men,” he said with a pout, looking away from her and folding his arms over his broad chest. “I’m not talking to any other women. And I wouldn’t dare. You’re all I can think about.”
“That’s a little possessive,” she said with a short laugh. “I don’t think we should commit like that until we both know for sure it’s what we want.”
“It’s what I want!” he barked, turning his fiery eyes back to her. She shrank back away from him.
“I’ll think about it,” she said, feeling uncomfortable with the idea. It wasn’t that she didn’t love being with him, but possessive guys were usually bad news. It could sometimes lead to a lot of conflict like it had with Jake, and even abuse. She didn’t want to stand for that and would do her best to avoid it if she saw it coming.
“All right,” he said, rolling to his side and standing up. He wasn’t facing her, and she let her eyes greedily roam his perfect body, his back, down to his ass and muscular legs. He was incredible. “Well, my driver has been waiting outside long enough. I think I should probably go get some work done.”
He pulled on his clothes and she sighed inwardly, wishing he didn’t have to cover up his beautiful body or leave her apartment. But she had things to do too, she realized, and if she got caught up in this wealthy, handsome stranger, she might end up sacrificing her band’s career. That’s not something that she felt willing to do.
***
After Weston left, she checked her messages. Tanner had simply been curious to find out if she had gotten to hook up with any of the shifter men yet, and told her to call him so they could talk about his new girlfriend. It would have to be a patient woman who stayed with Tanner, who was always partying and looking for government and paranormal conspiracies. She loved him, but she was worried he might never find the girl for him.
She called Tanner back and they chatted briefly. She told him as much as she dared to about Weston, and Tanner was shocked.
“The Weston Randall?!” he exclaimed. “I love that guy! He’s the reason I’m writing my book on the government’s attempts to oppress shifters!”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Mel sighed, considering whether or not it would be a good idea to tell Tanner about how possessive her fling had gotten. It might be better to help her friend maintain his illusion.
They spoke a little more about her steamy night with Weston before moving on to the girl that Tanner was dating. They had met in an online forum, which meant that they were both probably into the same conspiracy stuff. That was a relief, but she was worried that her friend had planned a date to meet her that night.
“It’s no different than using a hook up app,” Tanner said with a laugh. “Don’t worry, it will be a meeting in a public place.”
“All right…”
After they hung up, Melanie got back to making the band’s flyers and thinking about Weston. Her body was aching in all the right places, but she wasn’t sure she could handle a man who was so possessive. And yet she couldn’t get him out of her head. Maybe he would plan another date with her. He had gotten serious about her quickly, and she had to admit she was flattered and relieved that he hadn’t been able to get her off his mind. Maybe it would be all right.
It was late before she finally finished the flyers and sent them to Tammy and George for a once over. She fell into her bed, suddenly catching a whiff of Weston’s scent. She didn’t know if it was a cologne or what, but he smelled rich, like cedar trees. It was a rugged scent that drove her wild.
She fell asleep, dreaming of him all night long and the ways he might use her body if given another chance.
Chapter 8
Weston got an alert saying that Mel’s website had posted new content. They were playing a gig at another bar, and since he had finished up his work early, he decided it would be good to reward himself with a chance to relax and listen to Melanie’s incredible voice.
He dressed his best and headed to the bar
, his mind single-tracked and anxious for an opportunity to see Melanie again. She drove him wild. She was the only human woman who had ever been able to handle it when he unleashed his full power on her. She not only handled it, but she reveled in it. She loved it when he took her as much as he loved doing it. Never had he met a sexier woman with a more voracious appetite. It was exactly what a wolf needed.
When he arrived at the bar, Weston found a concealed table and watched her perform from afar. He gazed around the room, his eyes narrowed as he took in all the men in the room as they stared at Melanie – his Melanie – and enjoyed her performance. He wasn’t sure he could stand the male attention, but she didn’t give any of them any notice. It wasn’t her that he didn’t trust though. It was other men and what they were capable of.
He’d been with a human woman before, who had a long and tangled up history with human men. They were ruthless and cruel to her, and had taken advantage of her time and again. The stories she had told him were enough to make him furious. He no longer trusted human men. If he was going to be with a woman, he would protect her and make her his alone. No other man would dare to come within arm’s reach of her unless he okayed them first. It seemed dangerous for her to be in such a public space, stared at like this by men who had evil glints in their eyes.
He could smell cruel intentions just as easily as he could smell Melanie’s arousal. Several of the men in the bar were leering at her, imagining in their minds what they would do to her if given half a chance. It had his blood boiling, but he tried to focus on her and forget what he was sensing.
When the set was over, Melanie smiled out at the crowd before disappearing off stage. He met her between the bar with a grin. She was surprised, but he could also sense that she was excited to see him. The mere sight of him seemed to do it for her now, making her hot and unleashing that scent he couldn’t get enough of.
“Weston,” she said, smiling at him.
“Good evening,” he replied with a low bow.
“Hey, your set was incredible,” one of the untrustworthy men who had been in the audience said, interrupting their conversation. It was a man who had blood on his hands, Weston knew. A man who was ruthless and unkind to the gentler sex.
“Thanks –“ Mel started to say, and then she gasped as Weston punched the man square in the face. He flew against the bar and slumped to the floor, knocked out.
“Stay away from her!” Weston roared.
“What the hell are you doing?!” Melanie cried, rushing to the man’s side. “He was just enjoying the show!”
“But he –“
“No, I can’t do this Weston. Not if you’re going to be like this. It’s not right. Get out of here, I don’t want to see you anymore.”
He looked hard at her, hoping for a glimmer of mercy, but she was completely serious. He growled loudly and left the bar. If she wanted to surround herself with dangerous creeps, who was he to stop her?
“To the manor,” he barked to his driver. They drove away from the bar without another word.
Chapter 9
“He did what?” Tanner exclaimed with a laugh. His date with Sandy had gone well and they had chosen to meet up together after the gig. Mel was angry and distraught, but mostly she was hungry. They met at a diner a few blocks from the bar and saw that Sandy was definitely right up Tanner’s alley. She was smart, conspiratorial, and gorgeous.
“I’m serious, he just knocked that guy out for no reason!”
“Actually, shifters always have a reason,” Sandy interjected. “I was with one for a few years…their senses are highly attuned to things we only find out the hard way. Maybe he was just protecting you.”
“Yeah right! He’s just so possessive.”
“Can I see what he looks like?” Sandy asked.
“Sure, I’ll pull up his profile.”
Melanie took her phone out and tried to log into her ComeShift app. She received an error message and then tried again. Finally, a screen popped up saying her account had been permanently suspended.
“Ugh! You see what I mean?! He kicked me off his stupid app. He doesn’t want me to be with anybody else. He just wants all men to stay away from me.”
“Yeah, that can be a little overbearing,” Sandy said with a short laugh. “Shifters are different than us.”
“Yeah, Sandy is an expert! We started talking when I posted on the forum about my book.”
“That’s cool,” Mel said, putting her phone away. She was still glowering though. Who did Weston think he was? Just because things didn’t work out between them didn’t mean that she should be punished so severely.
They chatted a while longer before she decided it would be bad form to intrude on their date any longer. She headed back home to her apartment and showered before climbing into bed. She could still smell Weston there, and although she was furious at him, she wished that he could have just been a little more perfect. She couldn’t help but feel a thrill when she thought about him coming in and having his way with her.
But she had to stay strong. Whether the sex was good or not, she couldn’t get involved with a man who wouldn’t let her have a life of her own. It wasn’t healthy. She would just have to find a way to move on without him.
***
Weston was furious. He had deleted her account from his app. If she didn’t want to be with him, there was no way he would allow her to meet other shifters through his own service.
She clearly didn’t trust his senses. But that was her own loss. He only wished that he could get her smell out of his house. It was making him anxious.
Weeks went by without word from her, and he found himself feeling angry with himself. It was harder than hell to behave according to human standards. He was always so full of adrenaline and attuned to others in a secret, intimate way that the shifter’s reactions had come to be taboo in their society. Nobody understood their spontaneous violence and intimidating sexual chemistry.
He had never met someone who caused him to respond in such a physical, raw way. No other women had ever invoked the wolf in him so casually, and handled it in such a sexy manner.
Maybe he could try to make it up to her somehow. He picked up his phone.
“Get me Jonas Neil,” he said to his secretary.
“Right away, sir,” she replied. Within minutes he was speaking to Jonas, one of the most successful talent agents in the music industry. He told him about Melanie and her band, and they agreed to meet that evening at her latest gig. He was still following her band’s website, and felt a small thrill at the idea of helping her with the one thing she loved to do the most.
Chapter 10
The set ended and Mel was cashing in on her free drink from the bar. Tammy and George had already left, and she was feeling a little bit lonely. Suddenly, Weston was there. And beside him was a blonde man with a bright smile. He reminded her of a car salesman.
“What do you want?” she asked Weston.
“This is Jonas Neil,” Weston said. “He can represent your band.”
“I don’t need your help!” she cried. “If I get successful, I want it to be because of my own hard work. Not as some pathetic attempt to get back on my good side.”
“Ouch,” Jonas laughed. “He didn’t tell me to like you, he just told me I should listen.”
“Whatever. Thanks anyway, Mr. Neil,” Mel said, storming out of the bar.
Weston and Jonas exchanged looks and Weston sighed.
“I’m sorry about this,” he said, walking away from Jonas. “Better luck next time.”
Jonas smiled and shrugged as Weston followed Melanie, who had disappeared out into the night.
***
“Hey pretty girl,” a gaunt, pockmarked man said, stepping in front of Melanie. She had wandered out into the alley and somehow got herself right in the middle of the raunchy crowd who had been leering at her throughout the whole gig. She pretended not to notice, but the men had been extremely creepy. One of them was the man that Weston had punch
ed during one of her other gigs.
“Where are you heading?” another man asked, grinning cruelly at her.
“That was quite a show you put on,” a third man said as they closed in on her. “Mind giving us a private one?”
“Get away from me,” Melanie cried, turning away and trying to run. She ran right into two other men, who grabbed her by the arms.
“She’s ours now,” the man to her left sneered.
“Let go!” she cried.
Suddenly, a shriek pierced the air. But it wasn’t Melanie’s voice. It was the man who had her right arm. She was suddenly released and fell back onto the pavement as a black streak leapt past her. She squinted her eyes and gasped as she saw a giant black wolf, his fur glimmering silver in the moonlight. She recognized him immediately as Weston.
The wolf lunged at the men, knocking them off balance and tearing viciously at them. Three of the men ran away, but two thought they could outsmart him. Weston lunged at them, tearing their throats out. He stood panting over their bodies before slowly walking away. Melanie stared after him as he walked down the narrow alley, disappearing into the shadows as he began shifting back into his human form.
Suddenly, she remembered what Sandy had said. Shifters had a different way of perceiving the world. He had always been able to tell how she really felt, so maybe he could tell how others truly felt as well. Their true intentions might be more clear to him than they were to her.
She scrambled to her feet and chased after Weston.
“Weston,” she panted, finally catching up to him. He turned to her, fixing his glowing golden eyes onto hers.
“Are you all right?” he asked her.
She stared at him her heart hammering in her chest. She nodded and looked him up and down. After his shapeshifting, he was completely naked, his perfect, muscular body rippling and illuminated by the soft silver moonlight.
Suddenly, the fire that he had ignited within her was kindled again, and his eyes shimmered knowingly as she looked up at him, biting her bottom lip.
“You can tell…about good people and bad ones…” she said, slowly approaching him, her heart thudding heavily in her ears. She had been so afraid she might never get a chance to set things right with him, and now that he was there…