Reyna frowned. Expensive lamp. She never would’ve thought some cow-town bar would decorate with anything not found at a generic bulk warehouse. Didn’t matter. Her father would pay to replace it and more for the inconvenience.
“I’ll make sure to keep a low-er profile from here on out.” She crossed her fingers behind her back and gave Allan a reassuring smile. Whatever he wanted. Wasn’t like she had planned that first debacle either. She could certainly avoid making waves again.
“Sure you will,” he snapped, yanking open the fridge and taking a Shiner from the shelf inside. He closed the door without offering her one.
“I didn’t try to get in trouble in that bar and I don’t feel bad for teaching those flannel-wearing-handsy-cowboys to ask before feeling up a girl. I wasn’t the only one in the bar they were bothering, just so you know.”
“I didn’t see anyone else.”
“That’s because they ran off when the punches started. But there were two girls playing pool when the so-called flirting had commenced.”
He crossed his arms, the beer dangling from two fingers. “And I suppose the girls just disappeared?”
“I don’t know where they went.” Reyna moved closer to him, a challenge beating in her heart. “Hell, between all the touching and groping and lewd comments, I was tempted to put a lot more pain on those boys. They certainly deserved it.”
“There are laws. There are ways of doing things in the human world.” He shook his head and looked away. “You call the sheriff, and we handle it. Plus, you threw a grown man halfway across a room. Do you realize how lucky you are that no one questioned how you did that?”
Reyna opened her mouth and then snapped it back shut. He did have a point there. She’d made a bad choice.
At home she was used to being surrounded by wolves. The New Orleans pack was massive compared to the VonBrandt family. There were whole businesses, bars, and restaurants that catered only to werewolves. Places where they didn’t have to fear being “seen.” Plus, New Orleans had so much weird shit and voodoo stuff twenty-four seven, the locals didn’t think twice about seeing anything out of the ordinary.
“Just stay on the ranch and out of town.”
“You need to loosen up a little.” She sidled a little closer and took the beer from his hand, taking a long sip before handing it back to him.
He stared at her, a mixture of lust and irritation swirling in his big brown eyes, as if he couldn’t decide whether to yell at her or kiss her.
She made the choice for him.
Grabbing the lapels of his shirt, she attacked his mouth without hesitation. Her body burned with need. Their magick mixed together in a swirl of energy. He was her mate. She was surer of Fate’s push than she had been of anything else in her life. He just didn’t agree with her—correction—he was trying to pretend it wasn’t true. Denial, again. This man had some issues to work through. First and foremost, he needed to embrace being a wolf.
Allan returned the kiss for a millisecond before pushing her away, but that small taste hadn’t been enough. No way in hell was she giving up now. She tightened her grip on his shirt and wrapped a leg around his thigh, rubbing her hip directly across a very hard bulge in his pants. Now we’re talking.
“We can’t do this.”
Fuck. She pouted as he untangled her body from his and pushed her away. Can’t. Schman’t. By the end of the day, she’d have those delicious lips of his on her again. And next time, there would be no pushing away.
“Look,” she said. “I’ll talk to the bar owner. I’m sure he’ll be fine if we make it right. We can replace the light.”
“How are you going to explain that you threw a man over the mechanical bull with your spaghetti arms?”
“I wasn’t going to go into detail. I was just going to apologize and give him a check. Money talks, cowboy.” She crossed her arms beneath her breasts, forcing them just a little higher over the edge of the corset. Boobs do too and they’ve yet to fail me.
His nostrils flared slightly, and she smiled. He might be in denial about her being his mate, but he could only hold out for so long. All wolves would eventually follow the magick. It’s in our blood.
“I don’t want you anywhere near Joe. He’s pissed. And if he forces my hand, I’ll have to arrest you… with the full moon tomorrow night…” He put the half empty beer bottle on the counter behind her and stalked away. “Just leave it be. I’ll take care of it.”
Reyna grabbed the Shiner and downed what was left in a few swallows. Something a little harder would’ve been nice, but it would do for now.
The back door slammed shut behind Allan. She needed to move fast.
A quick powerwalk down the hallway toward the dining room where everyone had been meeting produced nothing. Chatter up ahead from another room drew her further down the hall. Her father was standing aside with the alphas.
She tapped him on the shoulder when she realized they were talking about steer prices. “Dad?”
Her father nodded at the Somewhere alpha and the conversation continued. He smiled at her as he walked away. “What is it, Reyna?”
“I need to give Allan a check for the damages. Apparently, I broke an antique lamp and the bar owner is really pissed. He wants me arrested.”
“Reyna, you shouldn’t have been in town to begin with. We’re here for the summit meeting and the full moon run. That’s it.”
“I know. I only meant to play a little pool while we had some downtime.”
“I don’t doubt your intentions, Reyna. I only meant that this isn’t New Orleans.” He took a surprisingly alpha-ish tone with her. “This is a small town. Their small town. The VonBrandts have to be very careful here and Allan was right to be angry with us for risking the secrecy of their pack.”
“If it helps, I was defending myself and two other girls from some major-league jackassery.”
“An honorable fight is still a fight.” Her father pulled his billfold from his back pocket and handed it to her. “Whatever the cost of the damage, double the amount.”
She nodded. “I’m sorry.” Guilt from her father’s disappointment quickened her pulse. She hated disappointing him. He carried the weight of their family sorrow the hardest and she never wanted to lay more weight on his shoulders.
He cupped her face and smiled. “I know, my darling. I also know that you will continue to follow your heart and Allan into town again, but this isn’t New Orleans, so just be mindful of your surroundings.”
“I will.”
A smile tugged the corners of her mouth. Of course, he knew she was interested in Allan. It wasn’t like she’d been trying to hide it. She never tried to hide anything from anyone.
“Allan.” Reyna jogged down the sidewalk toward the SUV marked Sheriff. He was already backing up and turning around to leave. She waved the check in the air and he rolled down his window.
Reyna handed over the check. “This should cover and make up for the inconvenience. Please apologize for me. I didn’t mean to cause you a problem in town.”
His face softened just a little with her apology. He took the check from her and his eyes widened. “This is too much.”
“No. This is damages, plus inconvenience. I might’ve made a mistake—”
“Might’ve?” Allan scoffed.
A growl started in her throat, but she bit it back. “I acted irrationally in a bar full of humans. It won’t be an issue again.” Reyna chose her words carefully. She fully intended to act irrationally again. It just wouldn’t be in a bar next time. And it would only be in front of him.
“I’ll make it right with Joe. It’ll be fine. Just stay away from his place, okay?”
“I can do that.”
She had no desire to visit the honky-tonk bar again, anyway. She had other plans.
Chapter Five
Allan had to admit, Reyna was right. The check had worked a miracle. Joe Walker had taken one look at all those zeroes, and all talk of who threw whom over the mechanica
l bull went by the way.
No more calls for Reyna in the clink. No more who-does-this-girl-think-she-is. And blessedly, no one asking how a small woman in a strapless top had managed to bruise up three cowboys.
He was pretty sure one of the second group of noble fight-stoppers had been Joe’s little brother, and he was a bull rider. Allan could count on him to insist he’d punched out the whole room. At least the wolf secret was safe another day, and Aaron would live to boss the world around a little longer.
The office was dark by the time Allan got there, and only the two deputies on call remained. They sat behind Eli’s desk pretending to be engrossed in a file of some sort.
Allan didn’t make eye contact. He made a quick salute as he passed and threw his cowboy hat on a random desk. “Y’all get that Joe’s Bar stuff cleared up?”
Jeff snorted. “Aside from the seven different stories?”
“Did Joe decide to press charges?” Eli asked.
Allan shook his head. “The wo…” he stopped himself. He’d almost said the word. Wolf. No. Not wolf. “The woman paid for the damages. Just dropped off the check.”
Dammit. He pressed his fist into the jamb of his office door. The wolves were in his brain now. This was exactly why he ran alone at the full moons, and ignored Aaron’s summons to the summit meeting. It was too easy to slip back into the old enforcer mindset—into the world he’d left behind to do the work he was meant to do. Aaron had given up the goal they apparently hadn’t shared, in order to take over as pack alpha, and someone had to be in the human world.
“Joe will be happy.” Eli walked up to the secretary’s desk and set another folder on top of the stack. “He was pretty pissed when he showed up.”
“Joe wanted restitution. He got it. Now, we can put this mess behind us and get some real work done.” Allan bounced his fist on the wood, wishing it were a punching bag. “Finish logging the evidence from the Townsend case, then I want you to do inventory tonight if it stays quiet.”
“Sure, boss. Whatever you say.” Wally pushed in his chair and leaned on the back. “You headed home?”
“I need to make a quick phone call.” Allan glanced at the clock over his head. 9:30 pm. Would Laurel still be up? He’d have to take a chance.
Jeff and Eli shuffled slowly toward the back room, trading looks and snickering. “Enjoy your phone call,” Eli said.
“Get to work, jackasses,” Allan yelled around the corner after them as he opened the door to his office. Damn, the scent of Reyna was all over his clothes, still. He needed to get out of his uniform and into a hot—no, make that cold—shower back at home, but calling Laurel couldn’t wait. He needed to confirm tomorrow.
He flipped on the light, digging for his cell phone. But when he looked up, his eyes settled on the creamy white cleavage and large erect nipples of Reyna Dubois. Holy damn fuck.
Allan couldn’t move for a long breath.
Her legs were spread, wide, where she sat on the edge of his desk. She could not possibly have been more naked. Everything naked. Shaved smooth. Inflamed. Wet.
Ripe. That was the word he couldn’t find.
Allan breathed in her scent. That was what he’d been smelling. Not her scent on him, but her scent around him. Everywhere. Saturating the air like the world’s most intoxicating perfume.
Her hands rested back on his desk, thrusting her breasts out so that her nipples were icicle points in the air in front of her, begging for his tongue. His mouth watered, staring at their round, dark edges.
He shook himself out of a panting, flushing, swelling stupor and slammed the door behind him.
Reyna’s eyes flashed. “That’s what I’m talking about, cowboy.” She opened her legs wider and closed her eyes. “I know you can feel it.”
He breathed in time with his heartbeat, which was speeding up, the more of her flesh he covered with his gaze. He took a step toward her and felt his erection strain against his pants.
“What I feel isn’t important.” He peeled his gaze away from every perfect exposed inch of her skin and looked for something to cover her with. Her discarded clothes were neatly laid across the chair behind her. At least she’d come in here with some clothing like a human. Wolves liked to be naked too much.
“Oh, but it is important.” She hopped off the desk and her breasts bounced as she landed on the balls of her feet. She padded toward him, taking each step achingly slow. “Can you feel that electric rope around you, pulling you toward me? That’s the magick saying…” She pressed herself against his chest and leaned up to whisper in his ear. “This one is yours.”
Allan couldn’t breathe with her this close—he wanted to bend her over the desk and... Fuck, I can’t afford to lose control.
Her hand snaked down and rubbed the underside of his dick with tender strokes through his pants. “And this one is mine,” she hissed into his ear.
The crude anticipation of a building orgasm began to tingle low in his belly. Not far from where her hand was stroking him.
He blinked and looked up at the ceiling, trying to think of anything other than how good her body felt pressed against his or how good her hand felt on his dick. Or how much he felt the magick too.
But feeling the magick didn’t matter. If he gave in to her, he would lose all of this. A wolf mate would mean disappearing into the wolf world. Gathering all of his strength, Allan took a step back from her.
Reyna’s eyes opened with sleepy leisure. “What’s wrong?” Her words had the same lethargic ease, as though they were sprawled out in some love nest in the middle of the woods, and not standing up in his office in the middle of a public work place.
“Just wondering.” He flexed his muscles and thought of babies and his grandmother and tried to calm his raging hard-on.
“Mmmm.” She stepped forward, but he waltzed back in tandem. “What are you wondering?”
“I’m wondering what you would’ve done if Eli had come in here instead of me?” Allan pointed back at the office. “Just fucked the first person who walked through the door?”
A flash of distress marred her aroused features and she cocked her head. “You really think I would’ve done that? Like any dick will do.”
He gave her a wide berth and stalked around his desk, picked up her clothes, and plopped them onto the desk. “You are a wolf, and a Louisiana wolf, at that. I expect you to want to fuck and run in the moon and give in to your carnal nature, because that’s what Louisiana wolves do.”
Her icy eyes narrowed. “You feel the mate pull. I know you do. It’s all I can think about when I’m around you.”
“That’s… It’s… just a suggestion.”
“That’s a lie, and we both know it.”
“What I know is, you should put your clothes on and go back to the ranch.” He moved a few papers around on his desk, expecting that enraged female flounce to kick in at any moment, but Reyna crossed her arms under her breasts and regarded him.
“And I know enough about my wolf to feel when she’s found her other half.”
“My wolf isn’t a half of anything.” Allan pressed his knuckles into his desk. “I’m not into all this pack and mate bullshit. I know where the magick really comes from. So you can take your wild bunch act somewhere else. I have work to do. Work that means something.”
She chuckled and picked up her clothes. She pulled her panties on, exquisitely slow, so he could smell every inch of the arousal that remained until she covered it with her jeans. “You think your pack isn’t important? Your alpha?”
He paused at the mention of Aaron. Pressure built up at the base of his throat and he tried to swallow it away. “Do you know how infinitesimal the wolf population of the world is, compared with the human population? Because, I do.” Allan drilled her with all the force he could muster in his stare. “The important work. Helping the humans. It’s why we were created.”
She wrapped the corset around her, pulling her breasts into its confines. “All work is important.” Reyna le
aned on his desk and in the middle, their faces were only inches apart. She hovered in front of him, looking over each of his features in turn with open curiosity. “What is this really about?”
He chewed at his response, not wanting to engage her. “I told you. I don’t want to be a part of the politics and drama and shit that Aaron carries around. This is where I belong.”
Reyna nodded. “So you repress your wolf?”
“I don’t repress anything. My wolf makes me strong.”
“But I know…” She put her hand over his heart and her voice softened. “I know you feel this.”
Allan couldn’t help flinching. Of course I feel it, he almost said. The burning cord that pulled at him. The way her scent set his blood to running like a special fuel meant only for him. I hate that I can’t stop feeling it.
But once Reyna went back to Louisiana with her father, he wouldn’t feel it any more, and he could have his human life back.
Allan would never be able to go to New Orleans again, but shit. He didn’t like it there anyway. He backed into the bookshelves behind his desk and crossed his arms. “I don’t feel it.”
“Don’t lie to me.” She turned on her heel and walked toward the door. “You’re not a good liar.”
He shook his head. “I don’t do one night stands, and I’m not taking a wolf mate. The sooner you get that through your head, the sooner you can get on back to the Bayou.”
A flicker of concern crossed her features. “You’d do that? You’d send your mate away? The one that was chosen for you, out of all the world?”
Allan pulled out his desk chair with a sharp scrape. “You should go.” He picked up the phone and flicked his hand. “Throw yourself into the enforcer work that’s so important to you. I have work to do.”
He dialed a few numbers, but didn’t connect the call with the final one. When he looked up, she had hooded her eyes and fixed them on him. She opened her mouth, but didn’t speak.
Reyna obviously understood that she couldn’t argue with his logic.
To Catch A Mate: Somewhere, TX (VonBrandt Pack Book 5) Page 3