by Lia Davis
Cora hugged her waist, trying so hard to ignore Torin’s body heat as he closed the small distance between them. He kissed her temple and said, “Let me in, Cora. Please don’t shut me out.”
Her heart ached, and she was tired. Tired of fighting this alone. Tired of being alone.
“I’ll try.” Straightening, she lifted her chin. “Come on, we have a security system to plan and implement.”
Ana smiled and drew Cora into a hug. “It’s a pleasure to work for you. Your design is brilliant.”
A lump formed in Cora’s throat. “Oh, stop kissing up to the boss.”
“I have to get my brownie points in somehow.” Ana released her and laughed.
Feeling a little better, Cora turned toward the door, only to have Torin gently grip her elbow, stopping her. “I have to meet with Hayden and Luna. I’ll be back this afternoon.”
The silver in his eyes darkened slightly, sending a jolt of desire through her. What was she doing? Pushing him away and running from fate did nothing except drive a wedge between them. And if this male was the only one to get her wolf to react, then the woman needed to open up and let him in.
Rising to her toes, she kissed him softly on the lips. “I’m not doing anything tonight.”
He snaked an arm around her, pulling her flesh against his hard body. “Yes, you are. You’re having dinner with me.”
“Hmm…let me think about it.”
He bit her ear, stirring the hot desire in her belly and making her ache deep in the nether regions. “Behave, Cora, or I’ll have to punish you.”
Ana cleared her throat. “I totally get the whole mating dance thing. But we have work to do.”
Embarrassed and a bit giddy, Cora pushed out of Torin arms. “I’ll see you later.”
He growled before he turned to leave. Cora sighed. “He is one intense male.”
****
Torin entered Hayden’s home, not expecting to see Christa, the twins—Brenna and Bryce, and Luna there. “Hey, guys. What’s up?”
Luna looked up from her book. “Hi, dear. Have a seat.”
Uh-oh. When Luna used pleasantries with him—like she did with her natural-born sons—he was trouble. Or had done something to annoy her. He couldn’t think of anything he’d done lately to annoy her.
He paced to the sofa and bent to hug her and kiss her cheek. “Morning, Mama.”
She smiled, but there was no happiness in her expression. His heart sank to his feet. Something was wrong. He glanced to Hayden where he perched in an armchair across from them with his mate in his lap. “What is it?”
“I’m concerned for Cora,” Luna finally said after a long pause.
Torin ran a hand over his face and sat back on the couch. “Her wolf is suffocating, I know. I’m working on it.”
“How are you handling it?”
He sighed and rolled his neck. “I’m not sure yet. I just found out myself. Her wolf responds to me, a little.”
“You’re her mate. It makes sense she would.” Luna unfolded her legs from beneath her and stared at him as if in thought. “Take her for a run. Try to get the wolf to come out.”
He gave a nod. “I can do that. What else is up?”
Luna looked away while Hayden spoke.
“Jared found my uncle alive and sent word to him about my father’s death.”
“As his twin, would he know this?”
Hayden closed his eyes. The male looked tired. They all did. The war with Onyx had worn them down. With the rebuild of Ashwood, they had stretched their resources thin.
“Not necessarily. They weren’t close as kids, and, when Royce turned on his family and Pack, Raff took off. No one has heard from him since.”
“Until Jared found him.”
“Yes. I’m hoping he will return and aid in stopping Onyx permanently.”
Torin raised a brow at his adopted brother and best friend. “Why would he and how?”
Luna stood and answered his question. “Because Raff knew what Royce was doing and hated him for it. Felix stole his mate, raped, and killed her right after Sable was born.”
“Fuck.”
Sable was not only Felix’s daughter, but also Jared’s fated mate. The one he broke the mating bond with, which damn near drove him insane. To top off everything, the female had recently turned against her father to lead a shifter rebel group.
“Does Jared know?”
Hayden nodded. “It is why he convinced Mom to allow Raff back into the Pack.”
“Look, this isn’t public knowledge. We are only alerting the senior enforcers and a few sentries. I’ll deal with Raff if and when he arrives.” Luna turned to the kitchen. “Anyone hungry? I’m in the mood to cook lunch.”
Torin met Hayden’s gaze and shook his head. Luna either cleaned or cooked when bothered by something. When she was pissed, she let her wolf out and went hunting. She was definitely bothered by the mention of Raff. He tried to search his memories of the male and couldn’t remember any tension between him and Luna.
Then again, seeing him again could bring up a past she’d buried with her mate. “She’ll need us to stay close.”
Hayden glanced to the kitchen. “Yeah. I know.”
Chapter Five
Cora walked through the door of the apartment she shared with Jasmine and her seven-year-old twin brothers. After a great planning session, Alec called it a day about an hour earlier than expected, so Ana drove her home to MoonRiver since she had dinner plans with her new family.
“Jas?” Cora called as she entered the living room, which was half the size of the Russell family home in Ashwood. In MoonRiver, they occupied the limited housing because the Pack thought it would be a good idea to leave the den in ruins in an effort to keep Onyx’s attention away from the area.
Cora guessed it made some sense. But it also left them vulnerable in the event they needed to retreat to the den—like now.
The sound of small feet rushing down the hall drew her attention, and Cora glanced left to find the Russell twins racing toward her. She laughed and squatted down so they could surround her in hugs.
“Where is your sister?”
“She’s on the balcony with a boy,” the twins said in unison, then giggled.
Cora stood and studied the double-trouble team. “Who is this boy?”
Cole smiled shyly while Kyle grinned and said, “Dane.”
Interesting. A moment later, Jasmine entered the living room and regarded Cora with a shake of her head. Dane, however, offered a slight smile and nodded.
“Hi, Cora. Thanks so much for heading the team. Alec briefed me on your design, and it’s brilliant.”
Her cheeks heated, and she lowered her gaze at the Beta’s praise. “You’re welcome.”
Dane nodded, shifted nervously on his feet, and shoved his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. “Did you go into the field?”
“No, just planning and mapping today.”
He gave another nod and paced to the door. “Let me know if you want to brainstorm or something.”
“I will, thanks.”
Dane held the door open and glanced at the twins. “You two don’t look ready to go.”
They squealed and ran down the hall, skidding into their shared room. After a few moments of arguing, they raced back and right out the door, backpacks swung over their shoulders. Dane laughed as he shut the door.
Cora glanced to Jasmine and raised a brow. Jasmine rolled her eyes and turned to the kitchen.
“He stopped by to take the twins to Luna. They’re having a sleepover at the nursery.”
“Oh, yeah. I thought they stopped those until we returned to Ashwood.”
Jasmine pulled out two bottles of water and handed her one. “Luna couldn’t take it away from the kids. So Keegan and a couple of sentries will be there, too.”
A sense of guilt filled her. Jas would be alone. “What are you going to do tonight?”
The other female studied her for a long moment, a slow
smile lifting her lips. “You have a date.”
Cora picked at her water bottle. “I can stay….”
“No way. You’re not getting out of it that easy. It’s about time you gave into Torin. I mean, the male has been chasing you for the last few months.” Jasmine tried to hide her smile behind the bottle. She failed terribly when it came to teasing Cora about Torin.
“Well he isn’t leaving much room for me to run anymore. Working on the security system means also working with him.” She sighed and leaned against the counter. “I don’t know how to handle him. He’s so much male and dominant.”
Jasmine laughed. “You don’t handle a male like Torin. You tease, love, and bite him.”
Desire settled in her abdomen and traveled farther south. The thought of sinking her teeth into his flesh made her ache all over.
“I don’t have bite.”
“Yes, you do. Be yourself, and do whatever comes natural. But never, ever let him push you. Don’t be afraid to push back. Dominant males like for their females to put them in their place from time to time.” Jasmine leaned into her so their shoulders touched.
Cora rested her head on her friend’s shoulder. “What will I talk about? All I can think when I’m around him is how I want him naked, and I want to run away at the same time.”
Jasmine laughed. “Talk to him about Jason and your family.”
Heart stuttering, Cora went to move away, but Jasmine wrapped an arm around her, holding her in place. “You have to talk to someone. Torin knew your parents, worked with them on occasion. He was also friends with Jason. I bet he hurts from their loss, too.”
Cora stilled, her heart breaking. Pain consumed her at the thought of her family, but Jasmine was right, and so was Keegan. It was time to let them go, honor the happy memories and their love. Hugging her roommate and best friend, Cora nodded. “I’ll try.”
“It was so hard right after my parents died. I see both of them in the twins every day. But I had them to think about, so I forced us to talk about them, keep their memories alive.” Jasmine sniffed and pulled back, tears in her eyes. “It was also the strength of the Pack and their love that helped.”
The doorbell rang, sending Cora’s heart to her feet. Quickly she wiped her cheeks as Jasmine let Torin in. She turned to see him glancing between her and Jasmine.
“What happened?”
Jas rolled her eyes spoke up. “Can’t we have girl talk with a few tears without something being wrong?”
He shook his head. “Females and your emotions.”
Mischief sparked within the depths of his silver stare, telling her he was teasing them. Relaxing, she advanced toward the door, but stopped when Torin stepped into her path. Confusion clouded her thoughts, while desire for this male lit up her insides.
He held a hand out to her and softened his usual stern expression. “How was work?”
“Good. Actually great.” She smiled and took his hand, fighting off a groan at the connection.
Jasmine kissed her on the cheek and whispered, “Have fun. I’m going to hang out with Cam and Shay, eat chocolate ice cream, and pick out baby names for Cam’s triplets.”
“Triplets?” Cora and Torin said simultaneously.
Jasmine giggled and pointed at Torin. “His expression almost matched Blaine's and Graham’s when they found out.”
The left side of Torin’s mouth lifted. “I’m happy for them, but they’re going to have their hands full.”
Indeed. Cora loved kids and thought she would even make a great mother one day, but she couldn’t imagine being one until much later. Lifting her gaze, she met Torin’s stare and quickly turned away. Nope, definitely not ready for motherhood.
“Have fun with your girls’ night.” Cora hugged Jasmine, then moved past Torin, careful not to touch him, and went to wait for him by his truck.
The moment he emerged from the apartment, her heartbeat sped up. He stalked toward her, his gaze fixed on her like she was a prize he looked forward to claiming. Her palms went damp, and her stomach twisted in knots. She wondered how upset he’d be if she bailed on him to hang out with Jasmine and the other females.
When he stopped in front her, he ran his knuckles down her cheek. She tried to suppress a quiver at the soft, warm caress, but failed.
He drew his brows together. “You don’t have to come to dinner with me.”
“What?” Caught off guard by his hushed statement, she studied him. He gave her a choice, always had given her a choice. Not once did he demand anything from her. Yes, he pushed her, taunted her with those sexy smiles and low growls, but never made her do anything she didn’t want.
How did she repay him? She ran.
Not anymore. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her spine, raised her chin, and stared into his gaze until her wolf whimpered. “I want to have dinner with you. I’m done running.”
The next moment he had her flattened against the truck, and his lips covered hers in a searing kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, threading her fingers through his blond hair and drawing him closer as she opened for him.
His tongue dipped inside her mouth, searching until it found hers and they danced together. Pinpricks of pleasure skittered across her skin, leaving her far too sensitive to his touch.
Breaking the kiss, he nipped his way down her jaw to her throat. She froze as her wolf bowed in submission. Torin released her and put some space between them. No. She went to reach for him, but caught her hands, pressed a kiss in each palm, and placed them over his heart. “Your wolf submits too easily.”
She glanced away and confessed to him something she hadn’t to anyone else. “I don’t know how to connect with her.”
“When did you last shift?”
Fear slammed into her chest. “I told you earlier today.”
“When did you last try to shift?”
A tear rolled down her cheek. “The day I found out Jason died. It hurt too much. My wolf curled up and refused to move.”
He encircled her in his arms and held her tight. His earthy scent filled her senses, soothing her. “You said she’s more active when I’m around.”
She nodded, not trusting her voice.
“Then we’re going for a run before dinner to see if she wants to come out and play with my wolf.”
She pushed at his chest until he released her. Shaking her head, she moved a few steps from him. “What…what if I can’t?”
He closed the distance, but didn’t touch her. “Then we’ll go to Sasha. You’re not broken; your wolf is scared. I can feel her. She responds to me.”
Cora glanced at him, then to the forest behind the apartments. A longing to be able to run on all fours, the wind blowing through her fur, filled her. Holding out her hand to him, she gave a short nod. “Okay, we can try. I want to try.”
A sensual smile formed on his lips as he took her hand and led her to forest. Her heart hammered so hard it sounded like it was in her head. God, she hoped this worked. If it didn’t, she’d never be able to mate with Torin. He deserved better than a broken wolf.
Chapter Six
Hand in hand, Torin and Cora walked into the forest toward the creek running through the neutral zone between Ashwood and MoonRiver. The dimming evening sun filtered through the trees. The crispy fall air tingled his senses as his wolf danced within, excited about the run.
A few feet into the woods, he stopped and faced her. Her blue-eyed gaze stared past him, not meeting his. “Close your eyes and try to change.”
She inhaled deeply, then released a breath as she obeyed. Her forehead wrinkled and, after several moments, she blinked. “She retreated. It’s like she’s frightened.”
Tears blurred her vision and her lip trembled. Cupping her face, he forced her to look at him. “Try again; this time focus on me as you do.”
He allowed his own wolf to rise and reach out to her. She sucked in a breath and jerked out of his grasp, turning away from him.
“Look at me.”
She shook her head in the first defiant act he’d seen in her since her brother died. That’s my girl. Satisfaction flowed within him. He’d always loved the bite Cora used to have. As a child, she was wild and carefree even for a submissive wolf.
Closing the distance between them, he leaned in so his lips brushed her ear. “My wolf wants to play. Come out and play, Cora.”
A soft groan left her lips followed by a hushed whimper from her wolf. She began to shake, then crumpled to the ground, cupping her face in her hands. He squatted beside her. “Don’t fight it. Breathe and welcome the change.”
Several long moments passed and still no she-wolf. He thought he’d have to force the change—something he’d only seen done twice in his life and had no desire to do it to another—until she cried out and her skin glowed a soft white. As he stood and took a step away, the glow turned into a flash, leaving a beautiful copper wolf.
The wolf locked her gaze on him and backed away. Not good. He held out a hand and waited to see if she approached. She didn’t; instead she sniffed the air and cocked her head at him.
“That’s it. You know who I am.”
Still, she retreated when he advanced. Then she yipped at him, making his wolf let out a playful growl. He swore he heard Cora laugh softly in his thoughts, making him wonder if the woman and wolf had reconnected. Yet, he could sense she was still timid and frightened.
“What do you want, mate?” he asked, letting her know she was in control of what happened next.
With another yip, she took off to the left and ran through the trees. Laughing, he shifted and gave chase.
Delight and pride fueled his wolf as he ran after his mate. Pure joy filled him. She recognized him as her mate and wanted to be caught and claimed. The mating dance had finally and truly begun.
He howled, announcing his joy and telling his Pack to stay away from the area. Cora stopped several feet ahead and stared at him. A moment later, she too howled, then darted off further into the woods.