She grabbed one of the croissants and took a bite out of it. After chewing for a few minutes and then giving a pleasured sigh, she looked up and fury burned in her eyes. “These are delicious.”
Grunting, I gestured towards the freezer. “They were already made. Last week. Pre-mate.”
“I’m going to go out there and give that asshole a piece of my mind.”
“What did he say?”
She dropped the returned food into the trash. “He announced to the room that he’d had a bite and it was vile. Said he even found a hair in his. His wife backed him up. They’re on a smear campaign.”
My face reddened. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope. They’re out of here.”
I held up my hands and shook my head. “No, don’t do that. Let me talk to them. It’s my fault. I upset them. I’m sorry, Muddy. Let me try to make it better before you go all dragon lady on them.”
“No, I’m the owner. It’s my responsibility to deal with assholes.”
“Muddy, let me just try.”
She stared at me for a few seconds before sighing. “They’re rude to you once and they’re out on their asses.”
I took off my apron and ran my hands through my hair. My mate was out there. I didn’t want to face him, but I wasn’t going to let Muddy suffer because of something I’d done. I wasn’t that big of a coward. My bear pushed at me to go out faster, but I dragged my feet.
“If I’m not back in ten minutes, come looking for me. And bring a bucket of ice water.”
She laughed suddenly, understanding my meaning. “Can’t trust your bear, huh? She wants her mate.”
I nodded. “More than I can even begin to explain.”
My bear pawed at me and chuffed happily as soon as I pushed open the door and walked into the dining room. Alec’s scent enveloped me and wrapped me in a warm embrace that curled between my legs and urged me closer to him. Maybe I was making a mistake leaving the kitchen.
I wanted to go to him. I knew I’d never feel that type of attraction for anyone else. The pull was real, and it was strong. I just…couldn’t. There was too much shit behind me, too much baggage to think that I could go forward with another man.
I spotted Mr. Manus and his wife sitting at a table to themselves off to the side, which meant they’d been bad mouthing me very loudly. I kept my eyes on them and fought the urge to glance at my mate.
Mr. Manus scowled and pursed his lips when I arrived at their table. “Yes?”
I forced a calmness to settle over me and kept my voice lowered but pleasant. “Hello, Mr. Manus. Mrs. Manus. I heard you had a problem with the croissants. I do all the baking here, and I pride myself on the quality of my recipes. Baking is my passion, really.” I was beyond aware that Alec was in the room, and it was a struggle to maintain composure.
“It wasn’t just us, young lady. No one could eat them. You might want to consider another endeavor because your baked goods certainly aren’t up to par.”
My blood pressure shot up and I folded my arms in front of me. “I’m sorry you feel that way, but perhaps I could prepare something else for you? As I said, baking is a passion of mine. I’ve even had guests enjoy my creations so much they’ve suggested I open my own bakery. I promise you, that if you give me a chance, I can make something you’ll enjoy.”
“Maybe you could transfer to housekeeping. Waitressing doesn’t seem to be your thing, and as a baker, you’re a flop. My wife and I certainly don’t trust you with our food anymore.” He’d raised his voice significantly to say that and then frowned. “Anything else?”
My bear was too riled to allow me to respond. In fact, I stood there for a few moments with my jaw hanging open. I wanted to scream at the man, but others were watching. Including my mate, judging by the ominous growl coming from across the room. Instead, I bit my tongue and forced a weak smile.
I was stiff-legged and rigid as I shuffled back to the kitchen. I slid through the door and slumped against the counter. Well, that completely sucked, but the worst part wasn’t Mr. and Mrs. Manus’s insults or my anger towards them.
The worst part was fighting my overwhelming desire for the man across the room who was pissed off on my account, and my longing to run to him and take comfort in his arms.
12
Alec
Rage unlike anything I’d ever felt coursed through me. I wanted to tear the man a new asshole for speaking to my mate that way. The only thing that kept me in my seat was that Chelsie sat across from me, enjoying the show. My wolf demanded that I defend our mate, to hell with Chelsie and what she thought. And I tended to agree with that. I had my business to think about, though.
“What’s wrong with you? What’s that sound you’re making? Are you... growling?” Chelsie’s annoying voice broke my red haze.
I looked up at her and winced. The sight of her made me feel queasy after spending the evening before with the woman I was meant for. I never noticed before how unattractive Chelsie was. “I’m not feeling all that well at the moment.” It wasn’t a complete lie.
She pursed her lips. “It’s probably the food. Apparently, it’s not very good today. Poor girl should stick to cleaning rooms like that gentleman advised.”
“The food is delicious, and the croissants are exceptional. That’s guy’s a whiny ass.” I made sure I said it loud enough that my deep voice carried across the room. When he glared over at me, I shot him a look that sent him scrambling to hide his face behind the pages of his open newspaper.
“Good grief, Alec. Did you catch something? You’re acting like a wild beast.”
She was right. My wolf was closer to the surface than he’d been since I was a teenage boy. He wanted out and he wanted to claim his mate. That is, after he took a few minutes to chew the face off the son of a bitch who’d been harassing her.
I sat back in my chair and took a deep breath in. I had to calm down and think clearly. Slim chance of that happening with Carter barely fifty feet from me. It was worse that she was avoiding me. Not that I could blame her. Not with me sitting with another woman.
Damn. How did my mate feel seeing me sitting with another woman? I hadn’t even considered what she might be feeling, or what she must think. Just the very idea of seeing her with another man made me angry enough I could tear the whole damn room apart. I needed to explain. I had to tell her the truth…
Would she understand? I’m not sure I would if the situation was reversed. I felt as though I’d swallowed a boulder. I suddenly found myself in a bigger mess than I’d realized.
“I’m going to run up to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”
I just needed to get away for a second. I needed some air if I was going to be able to make it through a morning of “photo opportunities” with Chelsie.
Out of the dining room and down a small hallway was a guest bathroom. I stood in the tiny room and splashed water on my face, then stared at my reflection. I looked more like my wolf than usual. There was something wild in my eyes that I couldn’t hide no matter how many times I blinked and rubbed them.
I was exhausted. Exhausted, horny, desperate, and suddenly feeling lonelier than I’d ever felt in my life. Meeting Carter had brought out feelings that I didn’t know I was capable of. Without her, I felt incomplete.
I could almost taste how sweet it would be to have her to wake up next to every morning. I imagined quiet evenings in, wrapped up in each other, long walks and playful romps in the woods. I envisioned heated discussions and debates. I wanted to know everything there was to know about her. I had a longing bordering on desperation.
I needed to talk to her, work things out, explain my position. I didn’t know why she was avoiding me. Shouldn’t she be screaming at me to claim her already? Everything in me wanted to.
I shook my head and blew out a rough breath. I was hard again. It was difficult to be anything but when she was always on my mind.
Still feeling a weight in the pit of my stomach, I opened the door and stepped ou
t to find Carter bearing down on me. Her eyes lifted and met mine and then she practically screeched to a halt. Her mouth opened and closed, moving like a fish out of water.
I reached for her arm. The bathroom would be a great place to talk. Or whatever.
Carter had other ideas. She flailed backwards and then charged back through the doorway into the dining room. A few seconds later, there was a crash and then I heard that whiny asshole’s voice screeching over the chaos of multiple people talking at once.
I hurried after her, trying not to be offended and annoyed that she ran from me. As I rounded the corner, I saw her sprawled out in front of me with her ass in the air. Wrapped in a pair of tight, worn blue jeans, she was sexy enough to revive my dick from rejected and wilted to hard as steel.
She was apologizing and trying to scoop up the broken pieces of a coffee cup. The old woman with the sour face was standing over her, a brown stain down the front of her white blouse. Her husband, the whiny asshole, was leaning down, getting closer to yell at my mate.
My mate.
My wolf threatened to emerge, and it was all I could do to not snap the old bastard’s neck. I still ended up grabbing his upper arm and jerking him upright. “Do not yell at her!”
He stuttered at the look on my face and blanched. “S—She spilled coffee all over my w—wife!”
My voice was a low growl, less than human even to my own ears. “I don’t care if she fucking murdered your first born. You will watch your mouth and treat her with respect.”
Carter had gone still and when I looked down at her, She was staring up at me wide eyed in fear. She blinked it away as soon as she saw my confused expression, but I’d clearly seen fear. It was too late to take it back.
I pushed the older man away, lightly, and shook my head. “You’re an asshole.”
Muddy appeared and took charge right away. She glared at me and at the older couple, but her hand on Carter’s shoulder was gentle. “Mr. and Mrs. Manus. It seems that you two are at the root of a lot of trouble around here. Please meet me at the front desk so we can discuss your stay here. Mr. Patterson, I believe your fiancée is waiting on you at your table.”
I all but snarled at her. Squatting next to Carter, I studied my mate, unable to get the image of her frightened face out of my head. “You okay?”
Her cheeks burned red as she nodded. “Sure. Sorry to interrupt your meal. The mess will be cleaned up in just a bit.”
On cue, Chelsie’s red stilettos appeared under my nose. “Let’s go, Bay-bee. We’ve got things to do today. Starting with a little adult play time in the sheets upstairs in our room.” She used a grotesque sing-songy voice for the last part.
If I hadn’t been focused intently, I might’ve missed the way Carter’s fingers tightened around the glass pieces she held. The light scent of her blood assaulted my nose. Chelsie was tugging my arm, but I yanked free and focused on Carter. My mate was hurt, bleeding. I reached for her, but she turned on me, emitting a vicious snarl.
“Go!” Her eyes were no longer blue, but the golden-yellow hue of her bear.
I wanted to ignore my mate’s demand to leave, but she looked as though she was ready to shift right there if I angered her any further. I didn’t know what else to do. I let Chelsie pull me to my feet and away from Carter and a still glaring Muddy.
13
Alec
My skin was crawling. Sitting in the chair in our room, I watched Chelsie prance back and forth in front of me, chastising me about how it had looked when I’d helped Carter. I didn’t hear her. I was overwhelmed with a slew of new emotions. Concern. Worry. Yearning. Devotion. The fear I’d seen on Carter’s face alarmed me. Was she afraid of me? She hadn’t been afraid the night before. Had my display of anger frightened her?
I didn’t like the idea of any of that. Had someone given her a reason to be afraid? If so, I’d kill them.
Chelsie stopped and stood in front of me, her hands on her hips. “Are you even listening?”
“Yes.” No.
“I know you’re not interested in that fat, clumsy waitress. You can’t be. You and I aren’t even in the same class as her.”
I growled before I could help it and rose to my feet. “Same class? What the hell does that mean? We’re not in high school.”
“Social class, Alec. She’s a maid. Can you even imagine her rubbing elbows with the people in our circles? It would be hysterical.” She flipped her hair behind her shoulder and blew out a breath. “Let’s not fight, Bay-bee. We have things to accomplish today.”
The sensation of my skin crawling increased until I was ready to claw my flesh off. “What do we have to do?”
Problems forgotten for the moment, she grabbed her phone and scrolled through it. “We’re finding this waterfall today.” She waved it under my nose, but I had no desire to look. We’re going to have a picture taken in front of it. All the sorority sisters and their fiancés have taken this same picture. We’re only here for a few more days and I want to go ahead and get this one out of the way.”
“About that. We’re going to need to wrap this trip up and head back early.” I looked at my briefcase and thought of using work as an excuse again. I couldn’t exactly tell her that I’d found my mate and could barely stomach being with her anymore. “I have some urgent business I need to take care of back home.”
“Don’t even think about it, Alec. We’re not leaving this place until we have every snapshot for the album. Every. One. Whatever it is can wait two more days. If you need me to, I’ll call Daddy and ask him to help you out.”
There it was again. Another veiled threat. Until I figured out how to end our engagement diplomatically, the best thing to do might be to not enrage Chelsie.
“Let’s get moving then.” I sighed. The faster the better. “Let me get changed and then we can head out.”
Maybe I could use the next couple days to get Chelsie questioning our engagement herself? That could work. Make her think it was her idea to end it.
“Change out of those jeans. You’ll need to be in a shirt and tie.” Again with the fucking demands. Did she think I was a fucking lap dog?
I opened the closet and pulled out a collared shirt before stripping out of my T-shirt and tossing it on the floor. I looked down at it and envisioned Carter having to come into the room to pick it up. I bent down to grab it.
Before I could put it anywhere, Chelsie was behind me with her arms wrapped around my waist. Her skin was chilly against mine and her hands moved quickly down to my belt. “We could always stay in for a bit.”
I turned towards her and caught her hands. “I thought you wanted to get your pictures.”
She stretched up and pressed her lips to my neck. “Our pictures. They can wait for a teensie bit.”
I tried to gently edge away from her, but she was determined. She sank her teeth into the side of my neck and sucked hard. I jerked away from her. “What the fuck, Chelsie?”
She wiped her mouth and smiled. “Now everyone will know that you’re taken.”
I moved to the mirror over the dresser and looked. Sure enough, there was a mark. A big, bold one, made worse by her lipstick. I rubbed at it and scowled at her. “That’s fucked up.” Fortunately, with me shifter healing, it wouldn’t last more than fifteen minutes at most.
She just shrugged and grabbed her bag. “Get your shirt on. We need to head out already. I want to stop and grab a coffee.” I stared at her in mild disgust.
I dressed quickly and as I left the room still tying my tie, I mentally calculated how much money I’d lose if I killed the deal with her father. I was angry, but my wolf was livid. At me. His anger wasn’t misplaced. But, to him things were simple, and I was making a mess of it. Things were not so simple in the human world.
As if on cue, Chelsie snorted and drew my attention to Carter standing at the bottom of the stairs with Muddy. Carter’s arms held a pile of folded sheets. It looked as if she was being removed from the dining room.
Her ey
es traveled up the stairs at the sound of Chelsie’s snort and her face flushed. She watched as Chelsie wrapped her hand around my arm and I saw the exact second Carter spotted the bite mark on my neck. She jerked away from Muddy and disappeared in the direction of the back of the house.
Muddy looked up at me and her sharp gaze saw everything at once. Her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest. “Mr. Patterson. Ms. Dames.”
Chelsie grinned and tightened her hold on my arm. “We’re going to be out for a few hours. Please have our room cleaned.”
Muddy’s eyes flashed a bright yellow, but thankfully, Chelsie missed it. “Enjoy your time out. I’ll have it taken care of for you.”
I wanted to follow my mate, explain what my situation was, but I couldn’t. It would have to wait. Too much was at stake to piss Chelsie off. So, I did what I had to do. I tucked my tail between my legs and followed Chelsie. Like a fucking lap dog.
* * *
Walking down Main Street through Helen’s Corner, I felt an odd but soothing peace envelop me. Things were calm and welcoming in the strange little town.
I passed an empty storefront and stopped to stare. Chelsie kept walking, talking on the phone to a girlfriend. I cupped my hands around my eyes and peered into the huge picture window. The large, vacant space beyond was dusty but had potential. A small cardboard sign at the bottom of the window boasted that it was for sale by a motivated seller for a reasonable price. It gave me an idea.
I jotted the number down and tilted my head to take in a deep breath of late summer air. I’d fucked things up with Carter, but I’d fix it. My plan was to get the damned pictures as fast as possible, get out of town, break it off with Chelsie, and then high tail it back to Helen’s Corner and claim my mate.
I’d beg forgiveness. I’d make it up to my mate that she had to wait a few days for me to iron things out. I didn’t like the idea of Carter being uncomfortable, but it wasn’t as though I’d known beforehand that I’d run into my mate on my engagement trip. Hell, I’d never expected to find a mate at all. Or take an engagement trip. This would all work out, though. I’d make it work.
Shifter Starter Set Page 20