by Aubrey Rose
“I...I don’t know if I’m the person you should be with, Aric. I have a hard time trusting people. Hell, I have a bit of an attitude if you haven’t noticed.” She laughed. “Your parents and Ellie are the only ones who have been on my side before I met any of the other girls. I’m broken.”
She wasn’t broken. She was scared.
Pain fisted around his heart in a vice grip. The last thing he’d ever want was to hurt her. He turned to face her fully.
“I’ve wanted to be with you for years,” he admitted.
Doubt sparked in her eyes. He nodded. “It’s true. Ellie’s known for years that I wanted you. She thought it was just lust at first, but recently when I admitted to her you were more than someone to be with for a night, she warned me to not push you.”
“Push me?”
“Into a relationship unless you were ready.”
Her brows lifted. “Oh.”
“She’s always been very protective of you, and I didn’t realize why until now. Ellie loves you like the sister she never had.”
She sniffled. “I love her so much. She’s more than family.”
“Jordan, I can’t promise you I’ll be anyone other than who I am. But I can’t fathom not spending more time with you, helping our relationship grow.”
She bit her lip. She folded and unfolded her hands, agitated. “You really want to do this? I should warn you I have a jealous streak.”
He grinned. “I do too.”
When she didn’t appear convinced, he tipped her head up. “I’m not perfect, far from it. But what we have, this connection that’s deeper than I’ve ever felt for any other woman. I want it to grow. Do you feel the link?”
She raised a hand and placed it over his heart. “I do.”
“Trust me. Give me a chance to prove to you we can make it work.”
“But...”
“No buts. Life is what we make of it. You made a decision at sixteen to not allow your parents failures keep you from the life you wanted. Now you need to make a decision again. Will you allow fear to hold you back from what’s right for you? For me? For us?”
She grinned. “I hold the key to everything, huh?”
“You may not think so, but you do.”
The smile dimmed on her lips. “What about your animal? Does he get a say in this?”
“Baby,” he let her see the wild side of his beast in his eyes, “my wolf claimed you as his the moment he first saw you.”
Her nails curled on his T-shirt and she tugged him. It was a different kiss. One filled with more emotion than he’d anticipated. Their tongues rubbed in a sexy dance that turned his cock to steel.
She moaned. “I think I need therapy.”
He kissed the corner of her mouth and her jaw. “Why?”
“Well,” she panted, “every time I see that wild look on you, my panties get wet and I want to rip your clothes off.”
Hell. If she felt that way, they may never leave the house again. Thinking of her sexy body and slick pussy surrounding his cock made the animal inside him push at the skin.
“Let’s get you home,” he said and put the truck back in drive.
She slid a hand over his thigh and ran her nails over the bulge in his pants. He took a quick glance at her. She licked her lips and grinned. “Let’s get me home and get me laid.”
That was an even better plan.
* * *
Jordan glanced at the speedometer on her car, but couldn’t figure out how the vehicle kept slowing down without her pressing on the breaks. It got to the point the damn thing stopped in the middle of the road.
“Are you kidding me?” She slammed her hands on the steering wheel. Thankfully she wasn’t too far from her house to get there by foot. Aric was supposed to pick her up for dinner. The last thing she wanted with their new relationship was to have him get to her house before she did and realize how untidy she really was. While she wasn’t the most organized person in the world, she didn’t want to scare the man with the reality of her disorganized ways just yet.
She grabbed her dead cell phone and walked along the side of the deserted road.
“Nice time to wonder if living so far out town was a good idea,” she mumbled.
Fifteen minutes later, she reached her door. Throwing her bag on a sofa, she rushed into the kitchen to get a drink of water. Soft tapping sounded from down the hall where her bedroom was located. She put the glass of water down. She listened intently. The sounds drew closer and closer until she was sure there was someone in her house. Her attention snapped to searching the vicinity for a weapon. Someone had broken in and she wasn’t taking it lightly.
Grabbing a cast iron frying pan and a butcher knife, she took soft steps around her kitchen island, toward the hallway the noise was coming from. It was coming closer. A sound from the front yard made her glance to the door.
Before she had a chance to react, a woman rushed out of her hallway.
“Who are you?” Jordan asked, gripping both the pan and knife in her fists.
The woman was petite, dark, with incredible green-gold eyes and short, curly hair. Jordan recognized the distinct eye coloring from the white wolf that chased her.
“I think the better question is who you are. I came here to be mated to the Alpha’s first born. But instead, I was snuffed... for a human.” Her soft voice dripped with condescension.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The woman took steps toward her, lengthening her fingers into claws. Her features turned feral, proof that the wolf was ready to attack.
“I was promised a future Alpha. And as an Alpha bitch, I get what I am promised.” She ran toward Jordan with her claws extended. “Even if that means taking a little human out of the way.”
Jordan dropped the knife on the ground and gripped the pan with both hands. The woman ran toward her. She swung hard, hitting the woman on her wrist. Bones popped on the female. She shred her clothing as she shifted. Jordan swung the pan again, but the woman moved. A white wolf had taken place of the petite woman. Adrenaline rushed through Jordan’s veins. The wolf was on the other side of her kitchen island.
Using the pan as a shield, Jordan walked around the island to face the wolf. The wolf jumped faster than she expected, and was taken by surprise. The white struck her, digging her claws into Jordan’s arm.
Jordan screamed. Anger burned in her gut. This stupid woman was attacking her for her rights to Aric. As if any woman could tell an Alpha what to do.
She swung the pan and hit the white wolf on the side. “Think again, bitch. Aric picked me.”
The wolf growled, salivating and showing large canines. Another swipe of the claws and she got Jordan on her shoulder.
“Fucking bitch. The man doesn’t want you, go find someone who does,” Jordan growled.
Blood dripped down her shoulder, soaking her white T-shirt until it clung to her body. The animal came close again. She swung the pan with all her might. Her grip on the iron was hard to keep with blood turning it slippery.
Jordan hissed at the burning running down her arm. Before she had a chance to take a breath, the wolf jumped on the counter and then on to her. She fell backward on the ground, lost her grip on the pan, and landed on her back with a groan. The wolf was right over her, digging her paws into her shoulder.
She grabbed the wolf by the fur and yanked its head back as hard as possible to keep it from biting her. She held the wolf back with her left hand tight on its fur, while feeling toward her right for the pan. Sharp metal made contact with her hand. The knife. She wrapped her fingers around the handle and gripped it tight.
Her hold on the fur slipped, and the animal reared back to open her jaw wide. Jordan used that moment to drive the knife straight into the wolf’s neck. A loud yelp and the animal hurled itself off her. She gasped, watching it struggle to remove the knife.
Jordan stood, wiped her bloody hands on her pants, and picked up the pan. She marched toward the retreating animal.
Loud noises took hold of her front yard, but she was too busy with the wolf. She swung the pan on the wolf’s head and smashed it on the side of its furry muzzle.
The noises in her yard turned louder. Jordan stared at the bloody wolf. The shape of the female took hold with the knife lodged in one side and poking out the other side of her neck. Blood oozed from the wound, creating a large puddle on her floor.
Her front door burst open. She watched Aric and Ellie run inside. They appeared to have been in a fight. Only they weren’t bleeding like Jordan was.
“Are you okay?” Aric rushed to her side.
“Just peachy.” She swallowed against the bile trying to push up her throat. The longer she stared at the woman on her kitchen floor, the more she wanted to throw up. Aric helped her stand, both of them staring at the blonde’s body.
“I know that woman. She’s one of the daughters to an alpha in another region. But I didn’t know her wolf was white. We didn’t really talk the night of the ceremony.”
“Jordan?” Ellie looked into her eyes, her brows dipping in a frown. “She’s in shock.”
“I am not.” But everything had started to feel surreal. Her body felt cold all of a sudden. She’d swear she was watching things play out from a movie screen. “I’m just a little shaken.”
She was more than a little shaken. Shudders racked her body until she dropped the pan on the floor with a bang.
“I’ll take her to the shower, you clean up here,” Ellie ordered Aric.
Concern filled his gaze, turning the already nervous tension residing inside her into a massive knot in her stomach.
“Jordan?” Aric’s deep voice soothed some of the anxiety she felt. “I’ll be right here.”
She nodded and let Ellie guide her to her bedroom. More voices sounded from inside her house. She knew them all. Mason, Jake, and Nathan were there.
In a trance, she showered and allowed Ellie to dress her wounds.
“I’m sorry, Jordan. I’ll get one of the guys to bring you something more powerful. That arm is going to start throbbing really bad soon. At least these painkillers have something to help you rest for a little while.” She gave her some pills and winced. “These wounds will take more time to heal on you now than they will once you and Aric mate.”
Her mind was a mess. Pain radiated outward from her wounds to her muscles. She wouldn’t try to figure out what Ellie was talking about. Though she hated to admit it, even to herself, she’d been scared that the animal would best her. That added a whole new level of reality to her situation with Aric. What the hell was she doing with someone who had been promised to someone else?
“Did you find out what the white wolf wanted?” Ellie asked.
She nodded. “Aric.”
“When we arrived there were a handful of them outside. They attacked, and we were forced to fight. None retreated so we have some cleaning up to do in front of the house. I wonder why she said she wanted Aric.”
Sand dunes formed in her throat, making her inability to swallow past the dryness even more difficult. She licked her lips, but it did little to help. “She said she was invited here to mate with him and I wasn’t going to stand in the way.”
“I highly doubt that. I know we’ve seen that woman at the scenting ceremony, but I never saw her in her wolf form. You heard Aric. He recognized her human body, but he didn’t talk to her. And I’m sure none of the others did either. It’s probably why we didn’t know what white wolf you were talking about.”
Jordan winced at the pain growing by the second. The throbbing sharpened like steel blades cutting into her flesh. “Was she telling the truth? She came here with the sole intent to be his mate.”
Ellie turned her face away from Jordan “I...I don’t know that part. I know my parents invited women for the guys to meet, but I wasn’t told any of them were already chosen as mates.”
Had Aric lied to her? They’d started this tenuous relationship out of nowhere and she wasn’t sure she wanted to see where things went if this was what awaited her.
“You should wait and speak with him. I’m sure it’s not what you’re thinking.”
She sat back on the bed, the pain in her arm increased. Tears filled her eyes. “I don’t think I want to talk to him right now. Some woman came into my house to kill me. She said I got in the way of what she was promised. How many others are going come with the same claim?”
Fear for her heart and her already deep and muddled emotions made her bite her lip against the sob working up her throat. Who was she kidding? Aric had told her to try, but she already worried it would all go down hill.
“Jordan calm down. I know my brother. If he says he wants to be with you, then he doesn’t want anyone else.” Ellie patted her hand. “Relax a little while I go check on the guys.”
Her mind ran too fast for her to keep up. All she knew was that she’d given a lot of thought to being with Aric. The past few weeks with him had opened doors to feelings that scared her. And she didn’t like being scared.
Chapter Eight
Aric helped his brothers clean up the mess Jordan’s fight with the daughter to an Alpha had left behind.
“This is going to bring repercussions,” Jake said, lugging the body of the naked woman out of the house.
Maybe. Maybe not. Aric’s father was a powerful Alpha. That woman had made her bed the moment she’d attacked their pack. Jordan was part of the Wolfe pack.
“The Alpha that female belonged to is friends with Rocco. Your mate murdered his first born.”
“If he decides to bring us a war, we’ll handle it. But they know the rules when they come into our land. We don’t allow anyone to hurt our family. Jordan is mine. She’s a Wolfe and as such, she had the right to defend herself when attacked.”
Nathan started cleaning up the blood on the floor. “That’s true.”
“They should know better than to wage war. Their people were the ones to break our rules. Alpha’s daughter or not. Our family comes first for us.”
Ellie strolled into the room. He scented pain coming from her.
“What’s wrong?” Nathan asked.
She glanced up. Concern filled her gaze. “She has a lot of deep cuts. I need one of you to go get her something stronger. Go to our clinic. Bring a sedative and something to fight infection.”
“I’ll go.” Mason volunteered and followed Jake out of the house. A moment later one of their trucks left with the two brothers and two dead wolves.
Alarm rushed through his body. “Is there anything I can do to make her better, more comfortable?”
“You heard her, Aric. She’s afraid you already promised yourself to a shifter.”
“I haven’t. I told her she’s the only one for me.”
Ellie’s lips tipped downward. “You’ll need to make her believe it.”
He hugged her to his side. “I’ll take care of her.”
After cleaning up the house to remove all traces of blood or evidence of a fight, he went into the bedroom, where Ellie had fully wrapped Jordan’s arm and shoulder with bandages. He sat next to her on the bed.
“Jordan?”
He hated waking her, but knew she needed the pills Ellie had them get for her. Ellie’s training in nursing had come in handy for Jordan.
She opened hazy eyes and frowned.
“What are you doing here?” She winced in obvious discomfort and glanced away. “I don’t know if this is going to work.”
He watched her grit her teeth. The pain had to be bad. He helped her take the pills and spoke quickly before she fell asleep.
“It’s working, Jordan. Stop looking for a problem where there is none. I’m not going anywhere. It’s you and me baby.”
She eyed him warily, but didn’t argue. Instead, she closed her eyes and shut him out.
He knew she needed him, so it was clear he had to stay there with her. Guilt that someone they’d invited to the ceremony had hurt Jordan made him want to kill. His wolf paced inside him, angry, concer
ned, and unwilling to let her go.
She slept for twenty hours before waking up to more pills and some light food.
“You don’t have to babysit me, you know.” She grumbled while she ate the sandwich he’d made her.
“I do so have to babysit you.” He grinned. “You’re all that matters to me, and that means until you’re healed of those cuts, I’m here to stay darling.”
“Wonderful,” she replied with more than a hint of sarcasm.
“Come on, Jordan. Can you honestly tell me you’re in the mood to get up from there and go get some food?”
She chewed slowly before shaking her head. “No. I’m not in the mood for anything other than chopping off my arm and possibly sleeping for a week.”
He chuckled. “Just chopping the arm off? Pain must not be so bad then. I’d have thought it hurt to the point you may want to kill me.”
She growled, showing her perfectly straight teeth for him. “If I killed you, who would get me the awesome drugs and yummy food?”
“That’s right. You have use for me.” He winked. The tightness in his chest loosened some. He was having a hard time holding it together. Watching her sit there in pain was tearing his heart into pieces. The animal inside hurt from being unable to help his mate. All Aric wanted was to hold Jordan in his arms, hold her tight, and reassure himself and his animal that she was fine.
“Don’t get cocky. Once I feel good, all bets are off.”
* * *
After a few days of taking care of Jordan, he was starting to see why she had warned him off. She was incredibly disorganized, which was hell for someone like him. He had a sharp mind and a great memory, but also liked to stay on top of things by writing them down and keeping a clear work area.
At her insistence, he’d brought her laptop and the memory cards to her bed and watched her take notes while she watched video after video of the scenting ceremony.
“You know, I’m going to have to go back there.” She bit her nail. Her focus was solely on the screen and the notes littering the bed. He’d gotten her pads of paper and had even offered to help take notes, but she said she had her own way of working. It was something he’d have to get used to since this was the woman he wanted to be with.