“What could he smell on you?” Seth’s voice was just above a growl. She whipped around to glare at him. No one growled at her, especially moody males.
“What do you think he could smell? I didn’t shower after my little stress-reducing treatment. I smell of you.”
He grinned, the first she’d seen since that morning. He grunted something she assumed meant “good” and turned to look over the people in the diner again. His nose kept flaring as he sucked in smells. He was taking the changes so well. She remembered the first time she’d walked into a crowded room after her shifter traits had started to awaken. She’d run out with her nose plugged after only a couple of minutes. How he was handling the food and people smells was just amazing.
“So tell me. What do you smell?” She was curious to see if he could pick out individuals yet.
“The food smells are overwhelming. I can smell barbeque sauce and fried chicken. Under the food are the smells of the people. I’m in a little overload right now. My nose almost burns with all the scents.”
“It’ll get easier to filter out or ignore things. I’m amazed you’re still sitting here, actually. If you want we can get our food to go. I don’t think I ate a single meal with people for weeks after my change.”
“No, I’m okay. I might as well start working on filtering.” He looked at her and scowled. He leaned forward and whispered, “I can smell the arousal of two males. It’s making my wolf pretty angry.”
She reached across the table and took his hand. Stroking his wrist with her thumb, she whispered back. “You’ll learn to control that reaction too. I don’t much like the fact that three females in here are really happy to see you, but I’ll manage.”
As she stroked his wrist she could feel his heart rate slowing and within a few moments it was beating in time with hers. Even his breathing slowed to match hers. They were like a single entity with two brains. She was interrupted by the arrival of one of her favorite men to torture. She sighed, loudly before turning in her seat.
“Luke, go away,” she growled before looking up. She caught the look the male shot at Seth before turning to her.
“Emily, nice to see you again. I thought I’d invite you to run with me this weekend. It’s been a long time since we ran together and I’d like to remedy that.” He sneered at Seth.
“Luke, we’ve never run together. The last time you tried to run with me you tried to take me down against my will. I remember putting you on your back and making you cry.”
Luke turned bright red. Anger seeped off him, his voice rising in volume. “I don’t get it. I’m a strong male. Far better than any other single male in the pack and fucking perfect compared to this guy. You know what? Maybe I do get it. It’s not me—it’s you. There’s something fucking wrong with you. Maybe you’re a lesbian or something. Do you like fucking chicks?”
She sighed. “Go away. I’m not explaining this to you again.”
A growl rumbled from Seth and she whipped around to find him baring elongated canines. Fuck. He was partially changed and rage shook his body. Claimed mates didn’t take kindly to other males being near their females. She knew they hadn’t claimed each other, but obviously his wolf felt differently.
“Luke, go now.” She pushed her power at him enough to get him to back away from the table. She turned her attention to Seth. He was still staring at Luke with murder in his wolf eyes. She breathed deeply and pushed at him with her mind. “Seth. Calm.”
He shook his head and shrugged off her command. She was impressed even while she started to worry. If she couldn’t control him he could really get hurt, or hurt someone else. She dug deeper and pushed again, entering his mind.
Calm now. You will not disrespect my uncle by fighting in his diner.
No. He approached my mate and insulted you. I’m owed the right to take him down.
Shit. He was right. He could challenge Luke if he wanted to for insulting her, mate or no mate. The female in her wanted to watch him beat the ever-loving crap out of Luke. The Alpha and independent side of her wanted to kick them both in the nuts and walk out on them for being cavemen.
“You can do what you feel is needed but I would suggest discretion. These people don’t know you and they all know Luke. Beating him to a pulp isn’t a great way to meet others of our pack.” She breathed the words so no one in the building would hear her. She was walking a fine line between making him look weak and keeping him from doing something stupid.
Seth finally turned to look at her. His eyes were a gorgeous amber color and had taken on his wolf shape. His canines were still gleaming between parted lips. She felt her heart rate kick up and a rush of heat to her pussy. That was all she needed—a pissed-off male and an aroused female didn’t make for good family entertainment. He flared his nostrils and snarled, teeth bared and lips curled. It wasn’t the cute look she’d seen before. This smile promised carnal pleasures. He turned toward Luke and she braced herself for action. If he attacked the other male she would have to pull them outside.
“You will apologize to Emily. Now.” Seth’s voice was deep and powerful. She could feel the power flowing over her skin, making the hairs stand up. She watched the eyes of the other man widen and fill with fear.
Luke stumbled back before stammering an incoherent apology. He turned and fled from the diner with his proverbial tail tucked between his legs. That was one way to deal with the problem. Everyone in the place watched Luke leave, then as one they swiveled to stare open-mouthed at Seth. If they hadn’t picked up on his Alpha vibes before, they knew about them now. Even Sal came out of the kitchen with a surprised look. Seth’s power still radiated off him in waves.
“Let’s get our food to go.” Emily was still stroking Seth’s arm and she could feel static shocks zinging between them. He needed to bleed off the aggression and power before he put them all on the ground. “Seth. Look at me. You need to calm. Look at my arms. You’re pushing out so much power you’re charging the air around you.”
His beautiful wolf eyes stared back at her and she fought the urge to whine and show her throat. He was throwing his Alpha mojo and it beat against her will. Fuck. She grabbed his hand and pulled him from the seat. There was a fast way to take care of this but it was going to leave her embarrassed for a while. Everyone in the place would know in a few moments what she was doing to bring him back under control. She yanked him toward the back room, throwing Sal a knowing look over her shoulder as she shut the door and locked it.
She flicked the light on and slowly turned to find Seth staring at her with feral lust shining from his eyes. She reached for her pants. She pushed them down her legs and stepped out of them as quickly as she could without riling him. Soft growls were vibrating in his chest as he watched her. She turned her back on him and bent over, resting her arms across a shelf that held cans of mayonnaise and pickles. She tilted her head to the side and rested it on her arms. Cool air moved over her heated pussy. She could smell her arousal like a perfume in the air.
Seth was on her the minute she spread her feet. The sound of a zipper being opened broke the silence. She felt his heat before she felt his body. Strong thighs touched hers just before the head of his cock penetrated her slick folds. He slammed into her, pulling a gasp from her lips and pleasure from her core. His body covered hers as he wrapped an arm around her waist. The heat and weight were intoxicating. There was nothing slow or soft about his movements. He powered into her pussy over and over again, stroking into her, strumming her flesh with his. Hard and fast were the words for this encounter. He fucked her to brand her, to claim her the only way she would permit at the moment.
The hand he had wrapped around her waist moved so he could rub her clit in hard little circles. She was already close. Being taken by Seth fed something primal inside her. She reacted to his power, his scent and his lust. She could feel her orgasm building. She pushed back against his hips each time he slammed into her body. His cock kissed her cervix with each stroke, giving her a small tas
te of pain. She spiraled closer to her release and strained to reach it.
He bent forward and took her neck in his teeth, biting down but not hard enough to break the skin. The feel of his teeth on her was enough to send her over the edge. She gasped out his name. He pumped into her a few more times before locking them together. Hot streams of cum coated her channel, sending a shiver and goose bumps over her skin.
They rested in that position, his cock still buried in her pussy. The jars and cans on the shelves still rocked and clinked together while their contents sloshed to the rhythm of their fucking. His tongue ran lazily over her neck where he had gripped her. She wondered if he had broken the skin. The fear that should have been present with that thought never materialized. It was unlikely that they would create the bond just by him biting her, but it could happen.
He pulled away from her and she shivered from the cold. She turned slowly, unsure what she would find. What she found surprised her. Seth stood, shoulders bowed, facing away from her. She could smell his pain and wasn’t sure what had happened. She dressed quickly before taking a deep breath. She had taken care of his anger and possessiveness, now she needed to take care of his pain.
“Turn around and look at me before you berate yourself any further.” She watched him face her. “You didn’t do a damn thing I didn’t want. You felt how wet I was. There is no guilt in this.”
“Fuck, Em. I just took you in the storage room of a diner because I couldn’t control myself.”
“Yep, and we can do it again if you’re up for it. Although we might want to use a different shelf. This one seemed to be pretty loud.” She grinned. There would be no regret between them, especially after both of them getting off.
“You’re really okay with this?”
“Yes. I am perfectly okay with this.” She took his hand and led him to the door. “Now can we please get our food to go? I’m tempted to get you all worked up again so we can come running back in here, but I’m hungry.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Dad, I hate you right now.” Emily sat in her car about a mile from Seth’s house. The tears had finally dried from her cheeks but she still sounded stuffy.
The conversation when they’d pulled into Seth’s driveway hadn’t been pretty. He’d been angry and upset when she’d refused to get out with him. Her wolf had howled so loudly that she still felt it ringing in her mind. Now the bitch was curled up, whimpering, in a corner of Emily’s head. She understood. She didn’t want to leave him either, but it had to be done.
“What happened, hon?” Her father’s voice pulled her from her thoughts.
“You know what happened, you manipulative bastard. Seth is now a fully fledged Alpha male. Congratulations.”
“Good job, Em. Now that doesn’t explain the hatred you’re shooting through the phone.”
“I fell for him, Dad. Hard. I think I love him.” She sniffled again. Fucking A. She wasn’t going to cry anymore. She’d already shed more tears in the last hour than she had in years.
“Okay, so I still don’t understand the pain and anger.”
“Leaving him at his door was hard enough but knowing he’ll be chasing other females on Saturday is just ripping me apart.”
A growl vibrated against her ear. “What do you mean he’ll be chasing other females? Didn’t he show any interest in you?”
“Of course he did.”
“Emily. Start at the beginning, because I don’t understand. If you love him and he likes you, why in the hell would he be running with the singles this weekend?”
“Because I thought it best for him to scent other females. He can’t decide I’m the one he wants if he’s never sniffed another female, right?”
“You are so stupid sometimes, honey. Shit. Haven’t you ever heard of love at first sight? Don’t you listen to people’s stories?”
“Stop calling me stupid. I feel bad enough as it is.” She could feel anger burning through some of her pain. She stoked the fires, letting it ripple through her body. Anger was easier to deal with and easier to control. “Of course I listen to those stories. They’re romantic and all, but those are from people who had spent years with shifter noses.”
“Okay, so what’s going to happen Saturday? You’re going to run with the singles, right?” She could hear the confusion and irritation in her father’s voice. What he could possibly have to be irritated about she wasn’t sure.
“No, why would I run? I did this whole weekend thing to get out of the run.”
Her father sighed, loud and long. “You are one of the most stubborn, irritating and clueless females I have ever dealt with. I can’t talk to you anymore. I’ll see you tomorrow at the council meeting.” He sighed. His voice was softer when he spoke again. “Em, go back to him. Please. I want you to be happy and this asinine plan of yours is just ludicrous.”
“I can’t, Dad. What if we aren’t meant to be together? I can’t take years of hatred. I want my mate to love me for me.” She scrubbed the last of the moisture from her eyes. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Was she wrong in her thinking? Maybe. Could she accept that as a reasonable reason to go back and claim him? No. She sighed as she started her Jeep and headed home. The week was going to suck.
* * * * *
“Emily. Call me back. You can’t keep ignoring me.” Seth’s voice sounded tinny coming from her cell phone. It was the fourth message he’d left for her in two days. With the click of a button she erased his message before she could play it again just to hear his voice.
She was losing it. The last three days had slunk by, filled with hours of nothing. She couldn’t concentrate, got angry at everyone and just couldn’t get her mind off the male who repeatedly called her. Even her father had had enough of her and sent her home. He’d told her she couldn’t come back to work until she could control herself or until she gave in and stopped being dense.
Three times she had found herself driving toward his house. She kept telling herself it was to check on him. She knew she was lying to herself. She wanted to catch a whiff of his scent, a glimpse of his body. It was a sickness, an obsession. Even now she was driving around in his neighborhood, trying to ignore the need to drive by his house. One quick pass by the house, that was all she needed. Just to make sure he was safe. Every excuse she could think of ran through her mind. Her wolf whined at her, which was all it had seemed to do over the last couple of days. It wanted to go to him, none of this cloak-and-dagger crap. Her beastie wanted to drive over there and throw their collective body at Seth’s feet, preferably naked.
She pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store on the back side of his block. She put her forehead on the steering wheel and tried to get a grip on her actions and thoughts. There was no reason for her to act this way. She wasn’t obsessive, or at least hadn’t been before now. The little voice in the back of her mind reminded her that she was ignoring the fact that he was her mate and this was just torturing both of them unnecessarily.
The sound of her door being opened surprised her enough that she squeaked, something she very rarely did. Her head whipped up just in time to see a very large, very irritated Seth before he pulled her from the Jeep. She didn’t have time to fight or even react before she was held against his wide chest, steely arms banded around her waist and shoulders to keep her against him. He buried his nose in her neck and the growl that reverberated through his chest tightened her nipples.
“I know the sound of this Jeep better than the sound of my own car. Were you going to drive by my house again?” Seth’s voice was deep. She knew if she looked at him he’d be partially shifted. His emotions were so raw and thick she almost choked on them. Pain, anger, arousal, regret. All of them swirled around them, beating at her already frayed nerves. How could she cause this strong male so much pain?
“I’m sorry,” she sniffled. Damn, tears again. What was she turning into? A fucking girl? She melted into his embrace and closed her eyes. His scent wrapped around her like a favorit
e blanket, warming her insides and calming her nerves. Yes, he was hurting, but so was she. This wasn’t easy on either of them. That stupid little voice reminded her that she could easily stop all the nonsense and just go home with him.
“I know,” his voice was muffled by her neck. “I talked to your dad and we both get why you’re being stubborn but it doesn’t make anything better.”
She pushed back from his chest, anger spiking as she dealt with his last statement. “You talked to my dad? Why?”
“I needed to get your number somehow and you aren’t listed. He’s been most helpful.” He burrowed back into her neck and hummed. She went boneless. How was she supposed to fight him off when he could do that to her? His whisper skated across her neck, raising goose bumps. “Come home with me, please?”
She wanted to. Oh, how she wanted to. She could feel the moisture coating her pussy just from being in his arms. Her body ached for his. Her wolf was howling again in agony. She had made a plan, though, and she was sticking to it. They had to be sure that she was who he really wanted. She had to be able to trust his decision and right now she didn’t trust his reaction to her.
“I can’t,” she whispered in response.
“You can. Just get back in the Jeep and drive around the block. I’ll even drive. We can have some lunch, maybe watch some TV. Please, Em. I’m going nuts without you. I can’t sleep, I can’t work—I’m falling apart.”
“Two days. That’s all I’m asking. Give yourself two days, come to the run and meet others, then we can talk. I can’t have this on my conscience if it turns out badly. What happens if you mark me today and in two days or two years you find someone you really want to be with? I can’t take that kind of hatred, because you would hate me, Seth.”
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