by Jen Talty
“I’m not like everyone in Havern. I left there six years ago and have no intention of moving back.”
“But you pretend things like me don’t exist.”
“I wouldn’t say I pretend, but I didn’t open my eyes to it and avoided going to certain places or doing certain things out of fear.” There, she said it. It should have made her feel better, but all it did was serve to make her ashamed.
And she should be.
“My mother can’t stand people like you. Makes her ashamed of her own race.” He turned, his eyes filled with anger.
“Your mother is human?”
“Does that shock you?”
“Not sure that is the right word,” Daphne said, wondering if there was any way she could dig herself out of this hole. “I was raised to believe something that in reality I know is wrong, but anxiety over what I didn’t understand has hindered me, but mostly because I was never exposed to it and that kept me from engaging with anyone who wasn’t human. I know that sounds shallow and prejudice.”
“Ya, think?”
“I’m sorry. I understand if you want to call this entire thing off.”
“Is that what you want?”
“I honestly don’t know what I want.” On shaky legs, she stood, though couldn’t bring herself to close the space between them.
“Fair enough. Why don’t we sleep on it and we can talk more in the morning?” He turned his back to her. “I’ll take the sofa.”
She didn’t know if the shiver that shot up her spine was because she was relieved or disappointed.
Didn’t matter. It was for the best.
“All right. I’m going to go inside. Are you coming?”
“Not yet. I want to walk around, check things out.”
Fear gripped her heart. “You’re going to leave? I mean, what about the rogue pack? Should I be worried about him? Do you think he’s dangerous?”
“I don’t know yet.” Chaz turned. His eyes bright orange. “The question is: do you think I’m dangerous?”
Chapter 4
CHAZ COULDN’T BELIEVE of all the humans he could have been set up with, he ended up with a Havernite. There were many small towns across the country like Havern, and the Twilight Crossing Council had been working to force the towns to accept races of all kinds, only not a single paranormal creature wanted to live among people who in the past had burned witches at the stake, hunted shifters for sport, and did whatever they could to rid the world of his kind.
People like Daphne believed werewolves were monsters and had no moral compass at all.
He knew there were werewolves who believed all humans were worthless creatures and viewed him, having a human mother, as the weakening of the wolf race, which wasn’t true at all. The wolf was dominate, so his human DNA was essentially dormant, except for in human form, and even then, his wolf instincts were just as sharp.
He glanced over his shoulder, looking inside the cabin. Daphne had left the small lamp on by the sofa, which she’d covered with a sheet and a blanket. The fact she’d stepped away from him in fear when she’d made the connection he was indeed a wolf, told him he should pack up and leave.
Only he couldn’t. He told himself it was because he didn’t trust Cosmo. The Midnight Special pack could be dangerous. They didn’t like interspecies breeding of any kind and they liked humans even less. Of all the crimes against humans from the paranormal came in the form of a wolf from the rogue pack. He took out his phone and was about to send his uncle a text, but then he realized if he did that, it would be breaking his agreement.
Go on the date.
No work.
At all.
Fuck. But if this Cosmo guy was indeed still part of this pack and dangerous, he needed to know before he left Daphne alone.
He texted his buddy, Aron Kerch, a shifter and fellow Twilight Crossing Officer. Aron owed him one.
The night called to Chaz and he figured it would be easier to sneak around as a wolf than a human. He stepped from the porch, ridding himself of his clothes.
Changing from human to wolf took only a few seconds, but the shift was dramatic and caused him some pain, the only side effect of being a half-breed.
Once in his wolf form, he roamed the area, staying in the shadows. He could smell eight other males with their female mates. The Midnight Special, much like the Havernites, didn’t believe in mixing species. They also wanted to rid the world of humans in general. The pack was small, but building in numbers and strength every day.
He scouted out every cabin housing a wolf. He also found a couple of witches and one shape shifter, often mistaken for wolves, but a very different breed. Shifters could take almost any form, but never became the object. Werewolves were wolves. Period.
Hiding in the shadows of the trees, he eyed cabin number eight. It was a good three-hundred feet from his cabin, facing the lake, but angled slightly in the other direction. He noted it was a larger cabin, maybe a two bedroom. The porch swung around the side to where he thought the master bedroom was situated. Cosmo’s dark, pungent stench that reeked of hard living filled the air. His mate smelled more like a combination of freshly cut grass with a hint of pine. Interesting scent for a female, but it was obvious she’d been an alpha in her original pack and Chaz suspected she outranked Cosmo in this one.
The front door pushed opened and Cosmo stepped into the night, his dark silhouette outlined by the moon and the stars. He looked to the woods and growled a warning. Chaz opted not to answer back since he didn’t pose a threat.
At least not at the moment.
Cosmo leaned over the railing and snarled. Chaz knew Cosmo could smell him, but for all he knew Chaz had just gone for a run before bedding his girl. Some wolves liked to do that. Besides, Cosmo had no idea Chaz was on the Twilight Crossing Council or that his family was one of the most powerful and largest packs in this part of the world.
Chaz howled low, acknowledging his presence and letting Cosmo know his only intention had been a healthy run of his wolf side. Chaz turned, hurried back toward his cabin. He hoped he hadn’t spooked Cosmo, considering his affiliation with the Midnight Special pack along with his way too friendly wife.
Chaz took the extra time to mark his territory, a scent that should be known to any wolf who dared cross his threshold. If Cosmo and Heidi believed Daphne was his mate, and if they indeed were rogue, both Chaz and Daphne were in grave danger.
And outnumbered.
After assessing the perimeter one last time, he climbed the steps on the porch and stared at the front door. He wanted her to see him in his wolf form.
His true form.
He needed to see her reaction before he could even consider taking her to bed. If she turned in fear or disgust, he’d never be able to even have her for one night.
He whined softly, scratching the door, hoping she’d hear the noise and come investigate. He waited a few minutes before barking, which he hated doing. It felt like he was begging and he didn’t beg a woman for anything. He peered in the window and gave off a low growl meant to entice a female wolf. If he’d been in his human form, he’d laugh at himself. Human women didn’t generally respond sexually to a wolf growling.
The light in the family room flicked on and his growl turned into a rumble of pure heat when he saw her pad across the room in bare feet and a night shirt.
Her naked legs exposed, sending his heart fluttering like the wild beast that roared inside.
She must have heard that one because she stopped in the middle of the room, one hand clutching her chest while the other rested on the sofa. Her gaze darted around the room and he realized she might actually think he was Cosmo.
Chaz lowered his nose, showing the glare of his bright orange eyes as he put his paw on the windowsill.
She inched forward, slowly, until she stood at the door, fingers gripping the knob, staring at him with a questioning glare.
All he could do was nod and hope she understood. It’s not like he could speak English wh
en he was his wolf self. He could project communication to other wolves through his mind, but not to humans. Well, except for his mother. It always blew him away that his mother, a human, could read his mind and he hers, but his father explained that when a pack leader mated with a human in the traditional wolf way, that female became one with the pack. The only thing she was incapable of was having a wolf form.
He scratched the door one last time, needing her to open it. His heart beat faster than when he’d been in the most dangerous situation as a law enforcement agent. If she rejected him as a wolf, then she rejected his human side as well.
The door squeaked as she tugged it open.
When he approached, she didn’t back away, which he took as a good sign. Sitting in front of her, he held her stare, inhaling her pure human scent of lilies basking in the sun on a warm spring day. He tried to swallow his primal howl as she knelt in front of him, cupping his face, her fingers dancing across his fur in a tender waltz.
“Chaz?” she whispered.
***
Daphne stared at the most beautiful creature she’d ever laid eyes on. His calico coat of white, rust, grey, with traces of chocolate mesmerized her as she ran her fingers through his soft fur.
“Chaz?” she repeated, but she knew without a doubt who those glorious orange eyes belonged to.
He made a humming noise as she continued to stroke his body, rubbing her hands down the length of his back, then up to his head, and literally scratching behind his ears. He sat there, staring at her with his adoring eyes, not moving at all while she explored his wolf form.
As a child, she’d been taught to fear anything that wasn’t human. She’d been told they were an abomination, something she never believed, but trepidation kept her from allowing her curiosity to seek out such creatures, meet them, make an effort to understand them.
He bowed his head, nuzzling his nose against her bare legs, whining. It wasn’t a sad sound, more of an underlying appreciation of her acceptance. Or at least, that’s what she heard.
“You’re a handsome wolf,” she murmured.
She could have sworn he said “Thank you.”
Seconds later, he spun and ran out the front door, skidding to a stop at the top of the steps on the porch. The hair on his back stood up and his tail curled between his legs as a menacing snarl echoed from his mouth, sending an icy chill down her spine.
Panic clasped her heart, but it wasn’t Chaz that frightened her.
Following him out on the porch, she stood at his side, resting her hand on his thick neck. In the distance, she saw a couple sets of red eyes piercing through the darkness like a snake raising its ugly head.
Chaz lifted his head and hollered again, then turned his attention to her, making a whining sound and jerking his head toward the door, only she heard, “Go inside and let me handle this.”
“No,” she said, wondering if she’d lost her mind. “I’m staying with you.”
He narrowed his eyes and puffed out a grunt through his nose, before nodding. A long, deep growl vibrated from him for over a minute.
Other wolves howled in response to his threat to back off.
How she knew it was a threat, she didn’t care to question.
Her heart pounded fast and hard as she gripped the back of Chaz’s neck. She should run inside and lock the door, but she couldn’t.
Or wouldn’t.
Nothing had ever felt so right in her enter life. Even in the face of potential danger, she knew she was right where she belonged, something she never felt, even growing up in Havern in the bosom of her family where she’d been loved and adored.
The eyes in the woods disappeared and the collective whirring of wolves confronting each other and fighting for power disengaged into thin air.
Chaz’s neck muscles relaxed as she continued to run her fingers through his velvety coat. The other wolves had made it clear they didn’t like wolves being with humans, though she had no idea why she believed that. The only voice she’d heard had been Chaz’s, but even that wasn’t real. She only understood what he wanted based on his gestures.
At least that’s what she told herself because the alternative was pure lunacy.
He circled her, occasionally rubbing his face against her thighs. As a man, he stood six-foot-one. As a wolf, his head came to her hip and she wasn’t short by any means. Chaz, the man, was an impressive specimen.
Chaz the wolf, equally extraordinary.
Truly a striking presence no matter the form.
He grunted into her thigh, nudging her toward the door and inside her head, she heard him say, “Go inside, I need to change into a human and get my clothes.”
“Okay, but don’t be too long.” She said the words in her mind, not out loud. How the hell did she know what he wanted?
She watched him as he made his way down the stairs, his long legs stretching out in front of him, and his powerful muscles tensed. Letting out a long breath, she entered the cottage. A wave of dizziness forced her to lean against the sofa. Bringing home a man to get her family off her back had been a great plan.
Bringing a werewolf would ignite a conflict she wasn’t sure she could handle.
She lowered herself on the sofa, trying to understand why she felt so connected to Chaz. She’d been attracted to him from the very moment she’d seen him. Even more so when he’d kissed her and she could still feel his soft lips gliding across hers. He was sweet and kind but his eyes promised something wild and unexpected.
Being a wolf was about as unexpected as one could get.
However, the thing that scared her the most was the sensation of feeling like she’d found her calling when she stood next to him on the porch, holding their ground, marking their space.
She chuckled at the absurdity of the thought.
“What’s so funny?” Chaz strolled into the cabin, shirtless, his jeans unbuttoned at the top, and barefoot.
“Some blind date this turned out to be,” she said.
“Is that good or bad?” He leaned against the door, tossing his shirt on the chair, and dropping his shoes to the floor.
“I haven’t decided yet, but to change the subject, I’m concerned about those other wolves.”
He raked a hand through his hair. “I am, too.”
“What did they want?”
“Packs are territorial and part of that was letting me know that their pack is prevalent in this area. The other part is that they take issue with an alpha male, such as myself, being in a relationship with a human. Sometimes wolves will turn on each other over the issue.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.” She decided to leave out the part where she knew that because she’d heard his half of the conversation. Maybe she was still asleep on the airplane, because if she wasn’t, she must be experiencing some kind of psychosis.
“No different than humans who don’t like their kind getting involved with—”
She held up her hand. “Point taken, but all that sounded more menacing than not liking who you date, especially since they don’t know you.”
“That’s the bigger problem. The tension will get worse when they find out I’m with the Twilight Crossing Council, as an officer of the law as well as the next in line to be leader of my pack.” He arched a brow. “You being a Havernite will only—”
“Don’t call me that.” The word had never bothered her much, but coming out of his mouth in reference to her, made the concept dirty and disgusting and she wanted nothing to do with it.
“All right,” he said softly, easing on to the sofa. “I really don’t frighten you?”
“No,” she said in a firm tone.
“You don’t find the transformation revolting?”
She shook her head. “I kind of wanted to curl up in front of a fire with your wolf form.”
“That’s good to know.” He gave her a slight nod and what little smile he had faded. “I have a crazy question for you.”
“Lay it on me.” She couldn’t imagine
anything crazier than what she’d just witnessed.
“Did you understand my gestures when I was a wolf? Or did you hear my voice, like I’m talking right now.”
“If I said I thought I heard you inside my head, would you think I’m crazy?” Why lie now? If she were having a mental breakdown, he might as well be privy to it.
“No crazier than me hearing yours,” he said.
“That’s not supposed to happen, is it?”
“Wolves can speak to each other with their minds. It’s rare for a wolf and a human to do it and only happens under specific circumstances.”
“What would cause it to happen between us? What does it mean?” Her heart fluttered and she was confused as to why he’d been able to hear anything she might have said in her mind.
He dropped his head back on the sofa and closed his eyes.
“It means I just mated.”
Chapter 5
WHEN AN ALPHA MALE takes a mate, it is forever and there wasn’t a single thing Chaz could do to break the bond.
There hadn’t been much he could do to prevent it from happening, either.
“You just did what?” Daphne’s voice shrieked through the thick air.
He sucked in a breath and nearly choked on the heaviness of it. There was no easy explanation. “Being the next in line to lead my pack is something I don’t want, but if I did, it requires me to have a mate, and not just any woman.” He kept his eyes closed, not wanting to see her face, assuming her expression was one of shock and repugnance. How did he explain this to her without her running off into the night?
This would definitely come as a bigger shock than him being a wolf.
“I’m not following,” she said.