by Sam Crescent
“That sounds creepy,” Elle said. She couldn’t hear Brandon. Their connection mustn’t be there.
“We’re compelled by one another. There is no other man or woman for either of us. When we mate, we mate for life. It’s our tradition. Vamps, on the other hand, are notorious hound dogs.”
Elle burst out laughing. The other woman was done explaining the mating rules for one day. “Thank you for giving me the heads-up.”
She grabbed the tray with all the food on it. The table waited patiently in the corner for her. Brandon’s gaze was on her as she walked past.
The men at the table didn’t help her as she handed out each of their orders. Remembering who ordered what was the challenge. Once she handed out the last can of soda Elle stood up.
“Congrats, miss, you remembered who ordered what. There’ll be a good ol’ big tip waiting for you,” the guy said.
Great, I don’t want your money. You give me the creeps.
“Will there be anything else?” she asked.
“Not at the moment.”
She left them alone to serve other customers. When members of the pack entered they took the time to assess the human collection.
Layla looked harassed as she tried to keep up with the pack orders. “They’ve got an appetite today,” she said, when it quietened down for a moment.
“It’s the night after the full moon. They’ve always got an appetite.” Elle made sure to keep her words quiet so the visitors didn’t hear anything. Grace Hill had one rule, and that rule was sacred. No one outside of Grace Hill would ever know about the pack. Brandon made sure to enforce the rule whenever visitors came through.
Matthew and his mate walked into the diner. “I’ll take this,” Elle said, moving toward them.
She watched as they seated how Matthew kept touching his woman. From what she saw, he didn’t like to be away from her for any length of time. She found his attentiveness sweet.
He stroked his mate’s face before turning to her. “Hiya, Elle, congratulations on your mating,” he said.
Elle pressed the pen to her lips and then pointed the tip in the direction of the humans.
“They’re still here?” he asked.
“They’re making their presence known. Thank you for your words. They really mean a lot.”
“We’re not all monsters in the pack.” He snuggled against his woman. “Being with your fated mate is the best thing possible.”
Yearning hit her in the stomach. She wanted the kind of love on display. Putting a hand to her stomach she excused herself from the table.
Elle walked out of the diner and walked around to the back and as far away from the workplace as possible. She leaned against the nearest tree taking in huge gulps of air.
I can’t do this.
There is no way that I’m his mate.
He doesn’t look at me like that.
Staring up at the sky, she took in deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves.
“What are you doing out here?” Brandon asked.
She spun around to face the man responsible for her current turmoil.
“What do you want?”
“It’s not safe for you to be out here alone,” he said, moving closer.
“What? Why? I’ve lived her since I was sixteen. Why is it suddenly not safe? Grace Hill is the safest place to be.”
“I’m pleased you think so.”
His smile made her angry.
“Grace Hill is surrounded by werewolves. How can this place not be the safest place in the world?” she asked.
Brandon’s smile fell. “I don’t like you serving those men.”
“Get used to it. It’s my job.”
She pushed past him only to have her arm caught in his. Brandon’s naked fingers touched her flesh sparking a flame inside her. Staring at his covered chest she wondered if there was ever going to be a time when she didn’t feel vulnerable around him.
Chapter Nine
Brandon understood why she needed to get away after watching Matthew with his mate. The chemistry sizzling between the couple was hard to witness, especially as their relationship wasn’t getting any better. He didn’t feel closer to her. In fact, he felt farther away from her than ever before.
She glanced down at where he held her arm. “Please, let go of my arm.”
“We’ll have what Matthew has,” he said.
He needed to see the sadness on her face replaced with happiness. Brandon was compelled to make her happy.
Why, fates, why?
Ignoring his own turmoil, he cupped her cheek, stroking her soft tender flesh.
“We know nothing about each other.”
Cupping her face between both of his palms, Brandon stared down into her face. Her gaze still refused to meet his. Touching her bottom lip he was struck by the fact he’d not even kissed her.
“You know, I’ve not even kissed you yet,” he said, voicing his thoughts.
“No, you’ve bitten me, slept in my bed, but you haven’t kissed me yet.” Her gaze went to his lips.
Licking his lips, Brandon wanted to taste her. He needed to know if she tasted as sweet as she smelled.
“So beautiful,” he said.
Her lips lifted up. Brandon was less than an inch away from her face. Those lips would be his.
“Elle, you’re wanted inside,” Layla said, interrupting the moment. She pulled away from him. He looked over his shoulder to see her friend’s backside retreating. Elle rubbed her arms putting enough distance between them.
“I better go in,” she said.
“Tonight,” he said as she passed by him.
She turned and frowned. “Tonight?”
“Yes, tonight I’ll be collecting you from your parents’ house. You’ll be spending the night with me. I’ve already organised it with your father.”
“Why tonight?” she asked. Her arms were folded underneath her breasts as she assessed him.
“Over the next couple of weeks there will be visitors. The kind I don’t want you around. I’ll be spending as much time with you as possible leading up to their visit. When they’re here, I won’t be near you. You’ll be free of me.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“No argument?”
“Nothing is going to happen. I’ve got no reason to argue, and my folks deserve the house to themselves. It’s a win-win for me.”
Elle turned away from him. He followed her inside the diner to see it full with the locals. The only strangers were the men still seated in the back. He saw that the man lusting after his woman spotted her. The human’s gaze followed her wherever she moved.
“You’re growling,” Drake said. A napkin was pressed into his hand. “Maybe you should go and wipe up the human’s drool?”
Brandon threw the napkin back at him but kept an eye on Elle at all times. “Don’t make a scene, Alpha. The humans are eating, and soon they’ll be out of Grace Hill and out of our lives forever,” Darcy said, trying to reason with him.
Elle bent over to fill someone’s coffee. The human was getting out of hand. Brandon didn’t know how the humans interacted with other humans, but he was fucking pissed off with the guy’s disrespectful attitude.
Drake and Lewis stopped him from leaving the table.
“What can I get you?” Elle asked, choosing that moment to serve them.
He grabbed her wrist, inhaling her scent. The desire to take her out of the diner and have his way with her was strong. Brandon wanted nothing more than to fuck her all day and all night long. He’d fuck her cunt, ass, and mouth and then climax over her body, filling every part of her body with his scent.
She won’t handle it.
Step back.
Again, he was wondering why the fates had been cruel to him.
“The coffee is fine,” he said, releasing her hand. His men dismissed her.
“When are you going to mate her?” Lewis asked. “The scent of you is lessening on her. If you’re not careful someone will take her.
She’s powerful leverage for being your mated woman.”
An alpha’s mated woman was considered gold in the paranormal community. The best way to blackmail a wolf was to do it through his mate.
“She’s human,” Brandon said, staring at her ass. He wanted to see her naked. There was so much he wanted to do with the young woman. He’d teach her the fine art of making love and then the power of a rough fuck. Together they’d learn everything about each other. He couldn’t wait to get started in her teaching.
What about the visit? The meeting with other species, what will you do then?
Shutting off his desires, Brandon watched as she handed the human men she’d served the check.
“What is there to do around here?” the guy asked.
“Nothing of interest.”
Brandon listened to their conversation. He was pleased Elle didn’t try to encourage the guy to stay.
The guy reached out to touch her. Gripping the edge of the table, Brandon did everything he could to stay in control.
“Hey, don’t be like that,” the guy said.
Elle pulled her hand out of the guy’s grip.
“I’m not being like anything. You need to leave. There is nothing important for you here.”
The guy looked at her for several moments. He shrugged and signed the check.
“Whatever, I was just being nice.”
Elle took the guy’s payment. She turned away from the table and was about to leave.
Slap.
The sound echoed throughout the diner. Brandon tensed. The guy had just hit his woman’s ass. Elle’s cheeks were aflame as she looked at him. While he’d been out talking with Elle, most of the diner had vacated. The customers who were left looked toward him shocked by what just happened.
Rage consumed him.
“Oh shit, that guy deserves whatever is about to happen to him,” Darcy said.
****
Elle couldn’t believe one of the customers had slapped her ass. The jerk she’d been serving had been annoying her for most of the day. She’d turned him down flat, and now he was slapping her ass as if he had a right to touch her.
She whirled toward him, ready to kick his ass when a giant roar echoed throughout the diner. The pack froze, and goose-bumps erupted along her arms; and they weren’t the nice kind. Turning around she saw Brandon stalking toward him. His arms looked thicker than she remembered. What had happened to him?
Brandon stroked her cheek. The throb of the slap died away the instant he touched her. She didn’t understand him. Chancing a look in his eyes she saw they looked darker than usual. Glancing away, Brandon growled. No, not Brandon. He wasn’t in there. This was the alpha.
Lewis and Darcy ran to her side. Drake walked slowly behind the rest.
“Take her back to my place. This ends now,” Brandon said.
“What?” she asked, confused. “What ends now? I don’t understand. Brandon, leave it, they’re not worth it.” She tried to pull him to her. Brandon gave her to Lewis and Darcy.
“Take her.”
They held her arms and escorted her out of the diner. Lewis grabbed Layla on the way out. The only people inside the diner were the pack and the human who’d pissed the alpha off.
“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen,” she said.
Layla shook, but they all kept moving toward Brandon’s house. None of the men spoke.
“I’m going to see Layla back home,” Lewis said when Brandon’s house was in view.
“Okay, I’ll take care of our queen.” Darcy tightened his hold on her arm.
She gasped staring down at where he held her.
“I’ll call you,” Layla said, embracing her.
Watching her friend walk away with Lewis hurt her more than she could understand. Brandon had sent her out of the diner. She didn’t even want to think about what was happening there.
“That’s enough,” Darcy said. He opened the door letting them both into Brandon’s home. They walked up the stairs to the room she’d woken up in after Brandon bit her. Darcy let her go but remained by the door and her only chance of escape.
“What’s enough?” she asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
“I let you watch your friend walk away. I promise you she’s in good hands with Lewis. He won’t do anything to hurt her.”
“He’ll try to sleep with her,” Elle said.
“So, she’ll be brought to many orgasms. Lewis has never had any complaints. I’ve heard women say he’s got the tongue of a god.”
She glared at him folding her arms over her chest. “Are you guys always like this?”
“Like what?”
“Blunt and disgusting.”
Darcy laughed. “We’re honest about ourselves. If that makes us blunt and disgusting then you’d better get used to it, Elle. You’re our queen, and that means you’ve got to deal with all of us.”
She stared down at her hands. “I’ve never seen him react like that before,” she said.
“His beast was taking over. Brandon is the most controlled out of all of us. However, the guy touched what was his, and no one accepts that,” Darcy said. She watched as he grabbed a seat by the door. He sat down staring at her.
“The wolf is always there?” she asked.
“Look at my eyes.”
His eyes turned from piercing blue eyes to bright amber. She jumped back on the bed hugging her knees against her chest.
“To answer your question, the wolf is inside us all the time. There is no getting away from it. The best we can do is try to control it.”
“Have any of you ever lost control?” she asked, thinking about Brandon.
“Regardless of what you think, Elle, Brandon was still in control even though he wanted to rip the bastard apart.”
She shook remembering the roar coming from his lips. The instant she felt the hand on her ass she’d known trouble would come. Brandon was not the type of man to let something like that slide.
“W-what do you think he’s doing?” she asked.
“You don’t want to know.”
Tears filled her eyes, but she didn’t ask any more questions about what Brandon was doing.
“You’ve surprised me,” Darcy said.
“Why?”
“I expected you to talk my ear off.”
“Why?” she asked, staring at him over her knee.
“Because I’m a wolf, and I work with your mate. I’m like a walking, talking encyclopaedia on my kind, and yet you’re not asking any of the right questions.”
“Why ask when you’d not answer?”
Darcy shook his head. “I wasn’t answering that question, Elle. It doesn’t mean I’m out of answers for other questions.”
She nodded thinking what to ask him.
“Why do you guys only run on the full moon?” she asked.
“It’s tradition. Brandon’s father started it before he died, and he continued it on. We can change at any time of the month. The moon brings the wolf out, and we embrace it. The energy from the moon is intoxicating. Some men have refused to turn back to human.”
“They’ve stayed wolf?”
“Yes. Personally I love my cock too much to stay as a wolf. There is so much I love about being human. Talking with you and watching you blush being on the list.”
She rubbed her cheeks, smiling at his teasing.
“See, I take everything seriously, Elle. You’re the queen. You shouldn’t worry. Brandon and I will worry for you.”
“You shouldn’t have to worry at all.”
Darcy shrugged. “I’m a natural worrier. It’s in my blood.”
“Do you drink blood?” she asked.
“No, we eat meat raw if we catch it in wolf form. Even though we’re in control during the change, the beast is still there, needing to be feed.”
Elle was about to ask him something else when the sound of the door opening and closing echoed throughout the house. Brandon was back.
Chapter Ten
The sound of the human male screaming did little to appease Brandon’s mind. He’d seen the shock on her face. The bastard touched his woman, and he wasn’t letting him leave Grace Hill. The human should have left without trying to get his woman in the sack.
Darcy was sitting with her up in his room.
“She’s up here, Boss,” Darcy said.
His wolf was still in control. Brandon needed to shake the beast off him before he went anywhere near his woman. He’d easily lose control if she started defending the man.
You need to go to her. Mark her with your scent.
With his hand on the banister, Brandon walked up the stairs. The strawberry and vanilla scent grew stronger. Darcy opened the door. His eyes widened as he looked down at his shirt. Brandon glanced down to see the blood on his shirt. Pulling the offending article off his body, he handed Darcy the shirt.
“Burn it, and burn their shit,” he said.
Darcy left without another word. Brandon entered his room and closed the door. Elle stared up the length of his body. “I thought you wore a shirt,” she said.
“It got dirty.”
He folded his arms assessing her. She stared up the length of his body and down. Her gaze never once went to his eyes.
Don’t hurt her.
“I never encouraged anything,” she said.
“I know. He and his friends won’t be harassing you anymore.”
“You killed them?”
They’d given him no choice. The fucking bastard tried to take him on, and then he’d grabbed one of the women in the diner to guard him. She was a pregnant wolf in the last trimester. Not only had the human bastard hit his woman but he’d tried to use one of his kind as a shield. The bastard and his friends had to go.
He sat on the edge of the bed.
“I’m not going to talk about this with you,” he said.
“What? You just killed a human male and his friends. There were four of them, Brandon. You can’t sweep that under the carpet. People care about each other. Their families will come looking for them. What are you going to do when they come here?” she asked.
She didn’t understand.
“It has been handled, Elle. You don’t have to worry about the authorities or anything else. They’re not coming back.”