by Celia Kyle
And yet… he was waiting.
He sighed and leaned against the side of his car, waiting for the woman of the hour to come strolling out, that mangy dog in tow. As much as he bitched about Ebenezer, he’d become used to the pup. They’d come to a half-assed agreement. Ebie promised not to piss in Isaac’s house or car and Isaac agreed not to take the dog on a one-way walk into the forest.
He glanced at his watch and noted the time. He also noted that Kira still hadn’t emerged. With a sigh, he crossed his arms over his chest and settled in for a long wait. She still had a good ten minutes, but if his female in-laws were anything to go by, he’d be waiting a while.
Then the creak of dry hinges announced the opening of her front door and he smiled. Apparently he wouldn’t be waiting a while. The dog emerged with a happy bark, tripping over himself as he bounded down the stairs and raced to the gate. Kira followed him, her tinkling laugh filling the air, and he couldn’t help but smile.
The gate rang when she swung it wide and the moment Ebenezer was free, he raced toward Isaac, nails scraping on the sidewalk in his mad rush. He caught the dog with ease, scratching and petting as Kira approached. She walked toward him without a hint of hesitation. She was still uneasy in strange situations, but now he was faced with the cool and confident woman he’d slowly come to care for. Or not-so-slowly.
She neared him, a handful of feet separating their bodies, and he pushed Ebenezer aside. Opening his arms wide, he gathered her close the second she was within reach. The aroma of blueberries and sensual woman crept into him. He moaned and buried his face against her hair. So damned sweet and seductive.
“Hey,” he mumbled into her neck.
He lapped at her skin, teeth aching with the need to shift his position a few inches and then sink into her warm flesh. His cock hardened at the thought, thickening and lengthening in an instant.
Kira wiggled, shimmying her hips, and he swallowed his groan.
She enjoyed torturing him way too much and he didn’t want her to ever stop.
“Hey,” she murmured, tilting her head to the side and granting him better access.
Just… damn.
“Hey,” he spoke into her shoulder, letting his tongue flick out for a taste of her sweetness. It burst across his tongue, filling his mouth and he ached for more. But he wouldn’t because they were taking their time.
Isaac was ready for the time to be over now.
He let his bear out the tiniest bit and his fangs lengthened and sharpened. With his method of torment exposed, he scraped it along her neck, tracking the delicate line of her throat and then venturing to her shoulder.
Kira whined and pressed closer, pushing to her tiptoes as if she couldn’t get close enough. Well, he couldn’t get enough of her, so they were on the same page.
He suckled the skin, scratching her and then laving away any hint of sting he may have left behind. She shivered in his arms and the seductive scent of her arousal came to him. Her musky hints of sweetness filled the air and he was desperate to drop to his knees and see if she tasted as good as she smelled.
He hoped so.
He also hoped he’d get a chance to discover the truth. Soon.
Someone nearby cleared their throat, but Isaac wasn’t too concerned. He didn’t scent any strangers—maybe a hint of Mrs. Laurie from across the street—and Ebenezer didn’t seem worried. That meant he could keep kissing on Kira until she told him to stop.
“Ahem.” The thump of a cane on the concrete was a familiar sound and that voice actually was Mrs. Laurie from across the street. The woman was a hundred if she was a day and she always got into everyone’s business. It’d been helpful when Mia lived in the house and was attacked by her crazed cousin.
Now it was just annoying.
With a sigh, Isaac eased his lips from Kira’s shoulder and pasted on a smile. When Kira would have pulled away, he kept her in place by squeezing her hips. It was bad enough he got caught making out on the street. He knew the old woman would be on the phone with his mother the moment they left. The last thing he needed was Mrs. Laurie also telling his mom that he’d been rock hard.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Laurie.” He coughed and swallowed hard, doing his best to banish the arousal from his voice.
Kira groaned and pressed her forehead to his chest. Yeah, he knew the feeling. With the woman’s appearance, away went all prospects of sex. Not that they were headed in that direction. Yet.
He hoped it’d be soon though. Hell, if it meant solidifying their mating, he’d consult a Magic 8 ball and be done with it.
Mrs. Laurie tapped her cane on the sidewalk. “Is that your girl, there? Kiki or something? Turn around, girl.”
Kira released a low, almost inaudible groan and slowly turned in his embrace. He let her move, but wasn’t letting her go.
“It’s Kira, Mrs. Laurie.”
The old woman harrumphed. “No making babies on the streets, miss. Don’t think I didn’t see that.”
Kira’s whole body warmed and his bear rushed forward. Ancient woman or not, no one was going to embarrass his mate.
He tried to keep the growl from his voice when he replied. “Mrs. Laurie, I don’t think—”
His mate’s soft hand on his forearm had him quieting. “Of course, Mrs. Laurie. You know, I meant to come by your home the other day.” Kira sounded sugary sweet. “I wanted to ask your opinion on growing tomatoes.”
His neighbor preened and off the women went, chatting about vegetables and which fertilizer worked best and what type of weather Grayslake had during the seasons and…
Isaac closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He accepted his mate was a mole, which meant she was very into gardening. He normally listened to her chatter, especially since they were working together to rebuild her garden, but now she was delving into the topic with others. Others who were as equally passionate about carrots, and then there was mention of some weird carrot serial killer carnivorous wererabbit in Jamesburg.
He didn’t even wanna think about that. He just quietly helped her rebuild her steel carrot shield thing and went on his way. He hadn’t had the strength to ask questions.
He readily admitted he was afraid of the answers.
They’d moved on to the best time of day to plant and Isaac tried really hard not to groan. What did it matter? Seeds went in the ground. There. Done. In, whatever, a few weeks they’d have food. Or at least, the beginnings of food.
He wished his mate was a solid carnivore. Then he could just hunt for her like a normal couple.
Then again, he was pretty happy with their non-normal relationship.
The slow roll of an approaching SUV drew his attention, had him looking over Kira’s and Mrs. Laurie’s heads and watching traffic. The vehicle was all black, windows tinted so dark he couldn’t see into the truck, but he didn’t have a good feeling about the driver. It was too slow, almost easing to a full stop when they crept past, and he kept his bear’s focus on it, trying to see the driver.
Unease assaulted him, digging its claws into his mind and taking up residence. His bear snarled and roared, desperate to rush to the SUV and take it apart piece by piece. Logically, he didn’t know if a threat lingered inside the truck. That didn’t keep the bear from wanting to bathe in the blood of the occupants. It was just… something inside him said the vehicle was bad news.
“Isaac?” Kira’s delicate hand tugging on his shirt tore his attention from the vehicle and back to his mate.
He dropped his gaze to her shining blue eyes and wide smile. “I promised Mrs. Laurie we’d stop by the store for her on our way home.”
“Of course,” he murmured. He didn’t want to bother with another stop, but if it made her happy, he’d shop for the old lady.
“Perfect.” Mrs. Laurie clapped. “Now, dear, I made you a list. You must buy exactly two and one eighth pounds of…”
He tuned out their chatter once again until his world centered on the feel of Kira pressed against him. She was so damn
ed soft and sweet. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get enough of her touch. Then again, it didn’t matter. He’d have his entire life to enjoy her. Day in and day out, she was his.
Even better was the fact that he was hers.
Ebenezer nudged Isaac’s hand with his cold nose and shifted in place, his weight easing from side to side as he whined.
“What’s up, boy?” He kept his voice low, not wanting to interrupt the women. He also didn’t want Mrs. Laurie turning her non-stop talking on him.
Another near-silent whine and the dog glanced toward the street.
The now-familiar black SUV gently rolled by. This time the passenger window lowered, sliding into the door until the driver was revealed in all his wicked glory. He had short hair that shined in the low light, as if greasy and needing to be washed. His body was thin, almost emaciated and wiry, and his gaunt face matched.
The man needed a deer or two.
He also wasn’t anyone Isaac recognized. He couldn’t claim to know everyone in town, but as the town’s only doctor and clan Healer, he knew pretty much everyone. Even if he met them in passing for a flu shot. He knew everybody.
So, in addition to a big dose of protein, the guy needed his ass kicked. The bear was insanely protective of Kira and the male’s look was anything but welcoming.
No, it was evil, predatory, and filled with deadly intent.
And it wasn’t focused on Isaac or Mrs. Laurie. No, it was all for his Kira.
Oh well, the bastard would have to get over it. He wasn’t getting anywhere near his mate. Ever.
“Is that okay, Isaac?” Kira’s words caught some of his attention, but he kept his gaze on the SUV still making its way past them.
His fingers itched, the bear more than ready to pounce on the male if he stopped and got out of the vehicle. The desire to crush the perceived threat pummeled him. He didn’t have a logical reason for the need to murder the man. It was simply a pulsing drive to kill the interloper.
Already the bear imagined ways to destroy him.
“Isaac?” Concern coated Kira’s question and he forced himself to pay attention.
“Sorry,” he shook his head. “I missed that. What’s okay?”
“Going to the plant nursery on our way home?”
Home. Our way home. The hopeful part inside him kinda hoped she saw his house as home. Or hell, hers as long as he was inside.
Then the rest weaseled into his brain.
Plant nursery.
“Of course. I think you mentioned you wanted to grab a few things for yourself, too. Right?” He prayed she wouldn’t ask him to remind her about what she needed because there was no way in hell he’d know.
He readily admitted he was a horrible mate and sort of glazed over when she started talking about which spade was better.
They looked the same!
Though, he would never say that again.
Kira and Mrs. Laurie went back to chatting, gabbing about garden hoses—God save him—and he hunted for that SUV again. The one that had rolled to a stop in the middle of the street, right in front of Isaac’s driveway. The glare the driver leveled was enough to send a tingle down his spine and his bear rushed forward. It was ready to defend, ready to kill, and all thoughts of symmetrical rows of dirt were forgotten.
Isaac nudged Kira aside, ignoring her small moue of distress, and strode toward the stopped vehicle. The man might be parked on a public road, but as far as Isaac was concerned, the air the stranger breathed belonged to Isaac and this asshole was polluting it. The fucker could go somewhere else.
The driver’s attention yanked from Kira to Isaac and those eyes widened. The hate was overrun with snippets of fear and Isaac smiled, exposing his quickly lengthening fangs. The asshole thought he could come to Isaac’s house and get away with that? Hell no.
Blue eyes met his, and the male’s skin paled. The closer he got, the better he saw the interloper, the weak chin, delicate nose and thin column of his neck.
Tires squealed and the SUV suddenly lurched forward, burnt rubber filling the air, the vehicle leaving a trail of black lines on the asphalt.
“Isaac? Who was that?” Kira called to him.
“Nobody. Nobody at all. We about ready?” He forced a smile to his lips, pretending their visitor didn’t concern him. Yeah, he knew she could scent his moods, but he hoped she’d think his unease was due to Mrs. Laurie’s continued presence and not a stranger lurking nearby.
“Sure.” She reached for him and he entwined his fingers with hers. “We just have to make four extra stops instead of two and…”
Kira kept going, explaining all the different places they had to go instead of just grabbing a late lunch and then coming home for a quiet night in front of the TV. He’d been hoping it’d be the TV in his bedroom—or hers.
Now, it didn’t seem likely.
Then again, that might be a good thing. They could swing by Ty’s, too. Maybe chat about that driver.
“I’ll let you two young people get on now.” Mrs. Laurie’s voice wavered and she slowly turned her aging body, carefully making her way across the street to her own house.
He kept watch, making sure she was safely inside before he refocused on Kira. “Hey, you about ready? Are we buying Mrs. Laurie the world?”
Kira smiled widely, feigning happiness, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Kira?” He cupped her cheek, enjoying the feel of her skin beneath his palm. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” she nodded. “Just wondering why you felt the need to lie.”
“I…”
Wasn’t lying.
Of course, saying that would be yet another lie.
“A lie stings your nose, you know that. Kinda tweaks it a little. The stronger the lie, the sharper the hurt. So, what’s wrong?”
“If I don’t tell you, will it make you mad and make you think I’m trying to wrap you in bubble wrap and hide you from the world?” He winced even as he said the words, but it was better to know now before he said anything.
“Pretty much.” She patted his chest, teasing smile in place. Another that didn’t reach her eyes. “You tell me and then I’ll tell you what my nose says.”
She tapped said nose that was lightly tipped at the end, thin and adorable.
“I saw…”
And he finished her sentence with a description and explanation, watching her expressions for any hint of recognition. He knew her family was filled with assholes and deadly bastards.
“The car was local, the driver was not.”
Kira’s voice didn’t waver or tremble, but she did cling to his shirt, fisting the fabric.
“Who was he?”
“I don’t know, but I know where he came from…”
Chapter Thirteen
The male’s scent stuck to Kira, tickling the back of her mind, but not truly settling in and giving her the man’s identity. There was no doubt he came from Kira’s home pack, but the rest lingered just out of reach. It was there and then it was gone before she could catch it. It didn’t even feel like a lost memory. No, it was more like it was purposefully hidden. But how?
After the encounter, Isaac made a call to Ty, giving him what information they had. Which wasn’t much in all honesty. She could one hundred percent tell the stranger wasn’t from the Redby pack.
Her old home was filled with the scents of the desert, dry air, and searing heat and it clung to the driver like a second skin. No, it wasn’t someone local.
Ty promised to look into it and now they were off for their afternoon of unplanned shopping and eventually dinner. Of course, shopping meant a lot of shuttling back and forth between the stores and home.
The word had her heart stuttering, the idea that she thought of Isaac’s as home. Well, really, wherever they were together—his house, or hers—was home.
That said a lot.
Kira padded into the home improvement store, the bright orange garish against the industrial exposed walls and high ceilings. The plac
e echoed, voices overlapping, as man after man strode past. Most were dressed in torn, well-worn jeans and paint-splattered shirts. No matter where she went, the chain store always attracted the same type of males. Hardworking, gritty, strong.
She reached for a cart, only to have her action bypassed by Isaac. “I got this, you lead and I’ll follow.”
Kira grinned. “You’re gonna regret saying that. I’ve got you as my eyes now. Just wait until we get to plumbing.”
She ignored Isaac’s frown and set off into the store. The shelves went sky high, seeming to touch the massive ceiling and she was thankful for the large signs announcing the different sections. Even she could read them.
“We’re supposed to go to Gardening,” Isaac called to her and she waved a distracted hand.
“I know. Just a minute, though.”
Isaac huffed and she ignored him.
Ignored him through plumbing.
And then through electrical.
Again when they got to tile… Well, at least until she hunted a man in orange.
Then he was all about being present. Stupid possessive males.
Yeah, she complained about it almost as much as she liked it. No one had ever cared about her. No one ever glared at a male for getting too close or growled when another reached for her elbow to guide her.
“Hi,” she smiled at the store employee. “I’m trying to glue down some pennies and I need—”
“Pennies?” Both men spoke at once.
“Yes, pennies. You see, in my bedroom—”
“Why are we gluing pennies in our bedroom?” If she weren’t annoyed with Isaac for interrupting, she’d kiss him for calling it “we” and “our” instead of “your.”
She turned toward him and frowned. “I listened to this DIY show and the couple took sixty thousand pennies and glued them to the floor and then they—”
“You want to glue pennies to the floor?” She got them speaking in stereo.
“Yes. You glue them down and then you lay grout and then you put down clear epoxy.” She smiled. She could imagine the gleaming floor, sparking with the burnished hues. She’d never seen one in person, but she could imagine the gorgeous color. She and her mother didn’t just share a species, but the DIY home improvement gene, as well. At least, that's what she'd been told. Kira couldn’t wait to get to the DI part of her Y.