Zane

by Kim Fox

  Jax was beside him, laughing at the poor guy. “I told you my plan was going to work,” he said with a shake of his head. “You should have done what I did: Look undateable.”

  Zane desperately wanted to get outside to follow Gwen, but he couldn’t pass up an opportunity to insult Jax. “You are undateable,” he said. “Did your plan also involve Draven kicking your ass for that little stunt? Because that’s exactly what’s going to happen.”

  Jax scoffed. “No, it’s not.” The lion shifter thought about it for a second and then swallowed hard. “You think?”

  “I know,” Zane said, pushing between the two of them. If he hurried he could still catch Gwen before she got home.

  All he needed now was for the last member of the crew to stop him, but that wasn’t going to happen. Axel had been making out with the blonde girl who had bid on him for the past half hour.

  Zane hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Gwen since he took her in her kitchen the night before. It was the best experience of his life, one that he wanted to experience again and again, but he also felt horrible about it. Gwen was an amazing woman, and she deserved more than having a freak with a two-thousand pound Kodiak bear living inside of him.

  They could never be together. Sure, he could hide his bear for a few weeks, maybe even a few months, but she was bound to find out one day, and when she did, she would abandon him just like his parents did.

  She might seem interested, but she didn’t know any better. She didn’t know what she was truly getting. She’ll never want me if she knows what I have inside.

  But he still wanted to thank her for the donation, and tell her that she could pass on the date if she wanted to. He didn’t want her to feel obligated to have to spend an evening with him just because she wanted to donate some money to a good cause.

  Just as he got to the door, Draven stepped in front of him, blocking his way.

  Dammit!

  He looked over Draven’s shoulder at the open door. His heart was racing as he pictured Gwen getting home. He desperately wanted to talk with her, but he didn’t want to have to knock on her door late at night. She might get the wrong idea.

  “I warned Joan, and the Vega brothers too,” Draven said, looking worried. Draven never looked worried.

  “That’s good,” Zane said with a nod. “Then don’t worry about it. If he shows up again, we’ll have The Clawed Squad, the Vega Brothers, and the Wilde Crew to help us out.”

  Draven took a deep breath as he looked around. “That won’t even slow him down.”

  Hearing that made Zane’s stomach drop. Between them all, they had eighteen apex predator shifters, including a dragon shifter and Joan’s bear, and if that wasn’t enough, they had two skin shifters as well.

  Taking care of one dragon would be easy. All it would take is for one of the skin shifters to channel him, take over his body, and that would be the end of it.

  “Tyler or Rhett won’t slow him down?” he asked, referring to the two skin shifters in town.

  Draven took a deep breath. “I don’t want to worry you with this yet,” he said with a sigh. “Go have fun on your date. And besides, this is nothing new. I have to deal with them every few hundred years.”

  “Them?” Zane asked.

  Draven forced out a tight smile. “Go enjoy your date. Thanks for doing this for me.”

  “Anytime, boss,” Zane said with a smile.

  Draven cracked his knuckles as he looked around with fire in his eyes, literally. “Now where the hell is Jax?” he asked through gritted teeth. “He didn’t want a date with a young pretty girl, then fine. He gets a date with me.”

  Zane chuckled to himself as he rushed out the door. He warned the lion shifter not to pull a stunt like that, but he didn’t listen, and now he was going to pay for it.

  Zane wished he could hang around to watch the show, but he had to catch Gwen before she got home. He took a deep breath and started running.

  “Gwen!” Zane yelled. She turned as he jogged down the sidewalk, finally catching up to her in front of the closed bank.

  He braced himself as she turned. The sight of her gorgeous brown hair and stunning brown eyes always made his chest ache when he saw her. Every time she turned, it felt like a punch in the gut.

  But this time, she looked worried. Her slim eyebrows were drawn together, and she was biting her lip as she stared at him with a pained look on her face.

  “Gwen,” he said, feeling his stomach drop. “What’s the matter?”

  She pinched the bridge of her nose as she squeezed her eyes shut. “Nothing.”

  “Are you sure?” Zane asked with a tilt of his head.

  She threw her arms down and glared at him. “What do you want, Zane?”

  Zane took a step back, thrown off guard by her sudden anger. “I just wanted to thank you for the donation.”

  “You’re welcome,” she snapped back before spinning on her heels and charging away.

  Zane took a deep breath as he watched her walk away. “We don’t have to go on the date if you don’t want to,” he called out to her.

  Gwen stopped and shook her head.

  Zane braced himself for impact as she turned around with heated eyes.

  “We what?” she asked, staring at him with her eyebrows raised.

  He gulped. “We don’t have to go on the date if you don’t want to.”

  She laughed and then rolled her eyes as she looked up at the sky. “Holy shit, you’re a jerk,” she said, shaking her head.

  “Me?” Zane said, staring at her in confusion. “I’m trying to be nice.”

  “Nice?!?” Gwen barked, locking eyes on him. “You call that nice?!?”

  “I don’t want you to feel obligated to go just because you wanted to donate some money to charity.”

  “Donate money to charity?” she answered with a laugh. “You think I have money to donate to charity? I don’t even have money to pay my internet bill. I steal Wi-Fi from you guys.”

  “But why—”

  “Because I like you, you jerk!” She took a deep breath and dropped her head, staring at the sidewalk as she muttered something to herself. “I took out that three-thousand dollar loan for a new oven. I absolutely did not have that kind of money to spend on anything else, let alone a date with a guy who doesn’t even like me back.”

  Zane was speechless. She liked him?

  “So, why did you spend the money on me?” Zane asked, trying to understand it all.

  She sighed. “That’s what I’ve been asking myself over and over again. I don’t know… I just kept picturing you with that pretty girl with the black hair, and my hand kept darting up, trying to outbid her.”

  Zane’s bear grumbled contently as he watched her.

  “I can pay you back,” Zane said. “That way you can still buy the oven.” He didn’t have three-thousand dollars, but he could come to the bank tomorrow and get a loan. It would be better that way. Gwen didn’t know what she was getting into with a bear shifter, and a girl as amazing as her should have someone better, someone human.

  “You’re not paying me back,” she said, shaking her head. “It was my mistake. I’ll deal with it.”

  Mistake. That was the only word he needed to hear.

  “Well, I’m sorry about everything,” he said, bowing his head as he turned away. Zane slipped his hands into his pockets and headed back to the bar. For some reason, he suddenly felt like drinking a lot of whiskey.

  His bear growled angrily inside his chest, pacing around with every step that he took. She’s too good for us. But the bear didn’t agree.

  “You still owe me a date,” Gwen called out to him.

  His heart panged as he stopped and turned around. She was still standing on the sidewalk with her arms crossed over her chest, glaring at him.

  “What?”

  “I paid three-thousand dollars for a night out,” she said with a huff of breath. “And I’m going to get my money’s worth. I’m putting my black dress on, ma
keup, and my heels, so you dress accordingly.”

  “Where do you want to go?” Zane asked, slowly walking back to her.

  “That’s up to you,” she said, tilting her chin in the air. “I paid three grand. I already did my part. The rest is up to you, and it better be worth it.”

  Zane opened his mouth to tell her that it was a bad idea, but his lips curled up into a smile instead. “Okay,” he said with a nod of his head. “When?”

  “Tomorrow. Eight o’clock.”

  Zane ran his hand through his hair, studying her face to try and see if she was joking. “Are you serious?”

  She stepped forward and poked his chest with her finger. “Don’t be late,” she warned before spinning around and storming off.

  Zane’s body tingled and his bear grumbled contently as he watched her go. When she was out of view, he turned back to the bar, but now he didn’t feel like getting drunk.

  He was going for a celebratory drink, because he had a date with Gwen.

  Chapter 6

  Gwen

  Gwen turned as she looked at herself in the mirror, and sighed. I didn’t have quite so many rolls the last time I wore this dress. I guess that’s what you get from having a muffin shop. I really should stop eating the profits.

  This was her sexiest dress, at least it was before she gained fifteen—maybe twenty—pounds. Now it looked a little too tight, and felt even tighter.

  She glanced at the clock and gulped when she saw that she only had six minutes left before Zane was going to come and get her for their date. Can I run to the dress store, break-in, and grab a dress in less than six minutes?

  She sighed. It had to be that one.

  At least her makeup and hair looked good. She curled her hair, and it was looking bouncy with thick curls that hung down over her shoulder. It was just too bad they weren’t long enough to cover her muffin top.

  “Maybe I should just cancel,” she muttered to herself as she stared in the mirror. But that thought instantly vanished from her head when she saw movement in the window by the door. She gasped when she saw Zane walking over, looking gorgeous in gray dress pants and a striped shirt that showed off his muscular frame perfectly. He was even wearing a thin black tie.

  “Wow,” she gasped, grabbing onto the wall for support as she stared at him. He looked like he should have been walking down a runway, or walking in her dreams, but instead, he was walking to her door.

  Her heart started pounding as he stepped up to the shop and knocked on the glass door as he peeked inside.

  “Coming,” she shouted, staring at him in disbelief. She still couldn’t believe that she had slept with this man. He was way out of her league. And the fact that she had done it while wearing dancing walrus pajamas was simply incredible.

  She took a deep breath as she unlocked the door and let him in. A low rumbling sound emanated from his chest as he stepped inside, looking her up and down.

  “What was that?” she asked, staring at him in shock.

  “My cell phone,” he quickly answered. “It’s on vibrate.”

  “Oh,” she said, furrowing her brow as she stared at him. She had never seen him with a cell phone, and it had really sounded like it came from his chest.

  “You look absolutely stunning,” he said, swallowing hard as his heated eyes roamed all over her.

  “Thank you,” she said, feeling her cheeks get hot. “You look pretty good yourself.” That was an understatement. With the way he looked right now, Gwen felt like she got a steal at only having to pay three thousand dollars for the date. He was worth ten.

  “I didn’t know you owned a tie,” she said as she grabbed it. She held in a moan as she let the silky fabric slide through her hand.

  “I do now.”

  “You bought a tie for me?” she asked, feeling her shop get a little hotter. “I feel so honored.”

  His eyes dropped from hers as he glanced down at her curves. “I have to look good with a stunning girl like you by my side.”

  Gwen felt a flutter in her chest as she watched his hungry eyes take every inch of her in. He really likes the dress…

  She was beginning to feel a little less self-conscious, and a little sexier.

  “So, where are you taking me?” she asked as a warm shiver rippled through her.

  “I was thinking the diner.”

  “The diner?” she repeated, staring at him in disbelief. “Are you kidding me? I didn’t get all dressed up like this for a ham on rye.”

  “You can order whatever you want,” he answered.

  Gwen sighed. He was hopeless. A new tie wouldn’t change that.

  “I was worried about this,” she said, grabbing her purse off the counter, “so I came prepared.” She rifled through it and pulled out some papers. “Here.”

  Zane furrowed his brow as he opened the folded up papers. Gwen hadn’t been on a proper date in over a year, so she wanted to make sure it was a good one. She had done some research online and found a few five-star restaurants in the area.

  “I know this one,” Zane said, pointing to the top one.

  “How do you know that one?” she asked, looking at him skeptically. He didn’t seem like the type to go to fancy restaurants.

  “Draven owns a ski lodge beside it,” he answered. “I know the area, but I’ve never tried the restaurant.”

  Gwen stepped beside him and looked at the paper. The restaurant was nestled in the mountains with a beautiful view, and according to the reviews, it had the best steaks in the state. It looked adorable and cozy inside with fancy tables, brick walls, and a roaring fireplace. It was much better than Flo’s Diner.

  “Apparently it’s amazing,” she said. “I found it online.”

  “Using our Wi-Fi?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

  “Please don’t tell Draven,” she said with a nervous grin. “Axel gave me the password in exchange for two carrot muffins.”

  Zane laughed. “I would have given it to you for one.”

  “So, what do you say?” she asked when he turned back to the paper.

  “This is like forty minutes away,” he said as he read it.

  Gwen planted her hands on her wide hips and glared at him. “Three-thousand dollars, Zane.”

  “Okay, okay,” he said, stuffing the paper into his back pocket. “It sounds perfect.”

  Gwen smiled. “It will be.” She checked the windows and back door to make sure they were locked and walked with him outside. “Should we take the penis van or the inconspicuous firetruck?” she asked as she locked the door.

  Zane laughed. “How about the pickup truck?”

  She grinned. “Sounds good.”

  Her stomach rolled with nerves as they walked over her property line to the back of the firehouse where the pickup truck was parked.

  “Woo hoo!” Axel catcalled as the boys walked outside to see them off. “Have him home by ten o’clock.”

  “You paid three-thousand dollars for this guy?” Jax said with a laugh. “You could have had me for three dollars.”

  “I could have had you for three cents,” Gwen called back to him. “Try smiling next time.”

  Jax shook his head. “It was all part of my genius plan.”

  Gunner laughed as he punched him in the arm. “Was it part of your genius plan to get your ass whooped by Draven after?”

  Jax frowned. “Shut up,” he muttered.

  “Have fun, beautiful people,” Axel said as they disappeared around the back.

  Gwen smiled. They were going to have fun. She paid three-thousand dollars and they would have fun even if she had to force it out of him.

  Zane smiled as he opened the passenger door of the pickup truck, stealing one more look at her curves as she stepped inside. She squeezed her clasped hands together with excited energy as she looked around at the spotless interior. It was a new Ford F-150 with leather seats and it actually smelled nice inside. Like rugged mountain men.

  Zane’s door swung open and Gwen held her
breath as he stepped inside with a smile on his handsome face.

  This is going to be fun. She wasn’t going to think about the oven that she still needed to buy with the money she still didn’t have. She was going to focus on the food, the wine, and the company. She desperately needed a night out, and she wasn’t about to ruin it by thinking of her financial problems that would still be there in the morning.

  “Were you really going to take me to Flo’s Diner?” she asked as he started the engine and pulled away. Jax, Gunner, and Axel waved to them as they pulled onto the street.

  “What’s wrong with Flo’s Diner?” he asked with a shrug.

  She laughed. “I should have let the pretty girl with the black hair win,” she said, grinning as she looked out the window. “I would have loved to have seen her face when you took her to Flo’s Diner for her date.”

  “She’s not my type,” he said, scrunching his nose up as he looked out the windshield. “Too skinny. I like curves. Lots of them.”

  Gwen felt her cheeks get red as she stared forward. Then you’ll definitely like me.

  They drove through town, chatting about different things. There was no aggression or fighting like they normally had. It was actually kind of nice. It felt like they had gotten all of that pent-up aggressive energy out of their systems when they had their quick screw the other night, and now they could just relax and be themselves.

  “What?” she said with a laugh as she stared at him in disbelief. “You’ve never been on an airplane?”

  “Never,” he said, shaking his head. “I leave the flying to Draven.”

  “What does that mean?” she asked, tilting her head as she looked at him.

  “It’s a… he likes airplanes,” Zane answered, looking flustered. “There’s the restaurant,” he said, pointing down the road to the base of a mountain. It was perfect. Just what Gwen had been hoping for.

  The restaurant was in a beautiful log cabin that stretched along the base of the mountain. It was the perfect kind of place to get a hot coffee with Baileys after a day of skiing or to settle in front of the warm fire for a fun first date.