by A J Manney
Emma stared at the most beautifully designed coffee shop she had ever seen. There were large windows, making the entire coffee shop sparkle and shine. There were small café tables scattered throughout the shop. The floor was a beautiful gray hardwood floor that was contemporary and paired perfectly with the long white serving counter that doubled as a serving counter and an eating counter with tall bar stools. There were several hanging white pots with beautiful greenery around the shop. White lights hung from exposed wooden beams in the ceiling. There were a few wall art pieces scattered throughout the shop with little pops of color.
“This is the most beautiful shop I’ve ever seen,” she said.
“I tried to make it similar to the outside oasis you liked outside of the restaurant we went to on our date,” Garrett said.
Emma turned and threw herself into his arms; he caught her and held her tightly against his chest. “I can’t believe you did this for me,” she said, her voice muffled in his chest.
“Get used to it, baby. I’m planning on spoiling you for the rest of your life.” He tipped her head back and kissed her. Then he pulled back and Emma watched in confusion for a moment when he kneeled in front of her. Then it hit her. Tears instantly welled up in her eyes.
“Emma, you have made me the happiest man in the entire world. Would you do the honor of becoming my mate? We don’t usually propose and do the whole ring thing; that’s a human tradition. But I figured maybe that would make it more real in your mind,” Garrett said, and Emma could see the slightest uncertainty in his gaze.
“Yes,” Emma said through her tears. She had never been more sure of anything in her entire life. She watched as Garrett slid the most incredibly beautiful ring onto her finger. She looked down at the intricate design. There was a beautiful large diamond in the center. Wrapped around the diamond on either side were two beautiful silver bands filled with small black diamonds that braided together and then curved around the large diamond in the middle. She looked up at Garrett.
“The large diamond is you. The intertwined band with black diamonds represents my wolf and I. It’s wrapped around the diamond because you are the center of our world. We will always protect you and cherish you,” Garrett said.
“It’s so beautiful, Garrett. Thank you,” she said. She threw her arms around his neck and he pulled her tightly against him. She pulled back after a moment. “I feel like I don’t deserve any of this. You’ve done so much for me, and I have nothing for you. I haven’t been able to give you anything.”
“I don’t want anything from you, Emma. I simply want you. You giving yourself to me is the greatest gift I could ever ask for,” he said.
“I love you, Garrett,” Emma said.
Garrett closed his eyes and brought her close to his chest. “Then I have everything I could ever want.” He opened his eyes. “I love you, Emma,” Garrett said simply.
“Will you bite me now, mark me as yours?” Emma asked softly.
He pulled back and looked down at her, his eyes lightening in color. “Why now?” he asked in a low voice.
“I’m wearing your ring. It’s only right that I wear your mark, so it’s official in my world and in your world. Besides, I want the challenges to stop. I don’t want you to have to go through one more challenge if I can do something to stop them,” she said, reaching up and putting her hand on his cheek.
He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, his eyes were almost fully glowing. “There’s nothing I’d like more,” he said, his wolf present in the gruffness of his voice. “But not here. We will do it at the house. And Paul needs to be there. I’m not sure what’s going to happen when I bite you because you’re a human. A wolf heals from the bite quickly; I don’t know about a human. The bite needs to be deep enough so the bite stays permanent. So, Paul definitely needs to be there.”
“Then contact him and tell him to come to the house tonight,” Emma said.
“Are you sure?” Garrett asked.
“More so than of anything else in my life,” Emma said honestly.
Garrett pulled her in for another searing kiss. Emma stood on her tiptoes, trying to get closer to him. He must have understood her need, because he lifted her a moment later. “Wrap your legs around my waist, baby,” he whispered.
Emma did what he said, and he deepened the kiss. Emma wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Garrett finally slowed down and eventually pulled back. He tucked her hair behind her ear. “Let’s get back to the house,” he said. Emma couldn’t agree with him more; she wanted to as well. But she also wanted a few answers to some questions, and she wasn’t sure when they would get privacy like this again.
“Before we go, can I ask you a few questions?” she asked looking at him. She could get used to this position. She was eye-to-eye with him.
“Anything,” he said.
Emma wiggled to get down. “Want to try a coffee?” she asked, her eyes sparkling in delight.
Garrett smiled. “I’d love to.”
Emma grabbed his hand and pulled him with her behind the new coffee bar. After a few minutes of orienting herself to where everything was, she ground some fresh dark roast beans. She made a small pot of dark roast for Garrett and made a latte for herself. She just put vanilla syrup in it for now until she got used to everything. When both drinks were ready, she handed Garrett his and took hers. He led them to a table. Emma pulled out her chair to sit down, but Garrett pulled her onto his lap instead. Emma looked at him in surprise.
“Gotta take advantage of every opportunity for privacy we can get,” he said. Emma relaxed against him and started sipping her coffee. “Ask away,” Garrett said.
“So do your females have babies in wolf form or human?” Emma asked.
“Human form,” he said. “Babies for shifters are born just like regular human babies. We don’t shift until we go through puberty.”
“When did you first shift?” Emma asked him.
“I shifted pretty early,” he said. “I was ten. Most shifters shift for the first time by the time they reach eighteen. If they reach eighteen and haven’t shifted, then they’re not going to shift. Usually, that’s the case. Not always.” Emma was quiet, just listening. “I think that’s what your brother and his friends were trying to get you to do. I think they were trying to get you to shift. Sometimes extreme circumstances will cause a wolf to make their first shift. I think they thought if they hurt you or scared you badly enough, it would force you to shift,” Garrett said in controlled anger.
Emma looked at him in confusion. “But I’m not a wolf.”
Garrett nodded. “I know, but you are an enigma. You don’t smell like a wolf, but you also don’t fully smell human. That’s why you garnered Liam’s attention so much the first time he saw you. He called me and told me I needed to come meet you. He was unsure of what you were. Of course, he had no idea that you were my mate.” Emma listened and thought about everything he was saying. In a cruel way, it made sense.
“You say that extreme circumstances can bring on a shift. Is that what happened to you when you were ten?” she asked quietly.
Garrett didn’t respond for a moment. “Yeah,” he finally said. “My father and mother, our alpha and pack mother, were killed.”
Emma stared at him in shock. She had no idea; he’d never breathed a word of any of this to her. “I’m so sorry, Garrett. I had no idea. What happened?” she asked.
He was quiet, and she gave him time. “My father was a good alpha. Strong and powerful. One of the strongest, if not the strongest, alpha in the country. Because of that, he never worried about his own safety. He never had a need to. He was a prideful man. One night, that came back to bite him. He and my mom went into the woods one night and never came back. They ran into a pack of rogue wolves. There were just too many of them.” Garrett was silent after that. Emma had no idea what to say. “That’s why Max is so obsessed with my security. He remembers what happened that night. We all do. It could have been p
revented.”
“Did you and Liam and Max all grow up together?” she asked.
Garrett’s expression softened. “Yeah. We’ve been friends for a long time.” He was quiet for a moment. Then he looked at Emma. “They’re both strong and powerful enough to be alphas. They could go out and have their own pack if they wanted to, but both of them chose to stay with me.”
“They’re good friends,” Emma said with a smile.
“Yeah,” Garrett agreed.
Emma sat there trying to work up the courage to ask him what she wanted to. Garrett looked at her. “What are you thinking?”
Emma decided to just go for it. “Do you think I could see your wolf again?”
Chapter 45
“I thought he scared you,” Garrett said.
“I’m trying to get past my fear of wolves. I think if I'm around him more, maybe I won’t be so terrified. I mean if I'm going to be living with a pack of wolves, I really need to get over my fear of them,” she said with a small smile.
Garrett smiled at her before kissing her. “Come on, beautiful. He would like nothing better than to spend some time with you.” He eased her off his lap. They walked outside. Emma saw Max climb out of the car. He kept his distance but followed them as Garrett led Emma towards the trees behind the coffee shop. He quickly stripped down. A moment later, a magnificent black wolf stood in front of her. Emma walked towards him and put out her hand. He nuzzled his nose into her palm. Emma let her hands roam over him. He was so big and powerful, yet so gentle with her—much like the man himself. Garrett’s wolf turned and started walking, then turned back as if to say, “Follow me.” Emma caught up next to him and walked alongside him. A few minutes later, she heard the sound of water. Garrett’s wolf led her to the edge of the water. Emma sat down on the ground next to the wolf.
“This is really pretty,” she said out loud.
The wolf lay down on the ground next to her, and she leaned against him. He was so warm and soft. She felt content to just sit next to him. Emma relaxed in the peaceful quiet all around her. “I could get used to this,” she said softly to the wolf next to her. She stroked his back.
She wasn’t sure how long they sat like that. She dozed off and on. Eventually, Garrett’s wolf roused her and he stood up. Emma stood up next to him, and they began walking back the way they came. It was getting dark now, so she relied on Garrett’s wolf to guide her. They came out of the woods and began walking towards the car. She saw Max walk out of the woods behind them. She shook her head. That man was so stealthy. When they got to the car, Emma slid into the backseat. A few moments later, Garrett slid in next to her, fully dressed again. Without a word, he pulled Emma across the seat and next to him.
“Thank you,” he breathed into her hair.
“Thank you,” she said.
Max climbed into the front seat. It was quiet as they drove back to Garrett’s house. “Paul’s going to meet us here,” Garrett said before they slid out of the car. Emma nodded. Garrett held her hand as they walked towards the house. Emma glanced around the kitchen when she stepped inside and smiled when she saw it was all picked up. She would have to remember to thank Madison for that.
Garrett tugged her hand and pulled her with him to his bedroom. He closed the door behind them and took her into his arms. “You sure you’re ready for this?” he asked.
Emma nodded. “Are you?”
“My wolf and I are more than ready for you to bear our mark,” he said gruffly.
“Okay. Then let’s do it,” Emma said, trying to hide her nervousness.
“Go change into a tank top, so Paul can have easy access to your shoulder if we need him to,” Garrett said. Emma nodded. She went back to her room and grabbed a tank top from her closet and put it on along with a pair of yoga pants. She felt nervous to go back into Garrett’s room. She heard something behind her and turned to see Garrett standing in the doorway, leaning against the door frame.
“You scared me,” she said, breathless.
“I was afraid you would get too scared to come back,” he said with a knowing smile.
“Oh, I’m not scared,” she said a little too quickly.
Garrett walked towards her, stopping only when he was inches from her. “Sweetheart, I can feel the fear coming off of you. Let me hold you,” he said. Emma stepped into his arms, and he tightened his hold on her. “We don’t have to do this right now.”
Emma shook her head. “I want to; I really do.” She waited a breath before asking, “Will it hurt?”
Garrett looked at her intensely. “I can’t say that it won’t, but I will do my best to make you not even feel it.”
Emma looked up at him in confusion. “How are you going to do that?” she asked.
“By distracting you,” he said with a slow smile.
Emma felt butterflies erupt in her stomach. “Oh,” she said, her voice breathy.
Garrett’s smile increased. “Come on, beautiful.” He took her hand and led her into his room. He shut the door and locked it behind him. Emma felt her breathing pick up. When she turned around, Garrett had taken his shirt off. Emma stared at his massive chest. So much for being able to control her breathing. Garrett locked eyes on her and moved towards her like a predator to its prey. Stifling the urge to run, Emma stood still and waited until Garrett was right in front of her. His lips were on hers a moment later, hard and demanding. Emma soaked it all in. He kissed her over and over. He pulled her ever closer until he lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He pushed her against the wall and continued ravaging her lips. Emma felt like she was drowning in sensations. Her heart was slamming against her chest, and still she wanted more of this incredible man. Garrett’s mouth left hers, and she chased after it. He kissed down the side of her neck and she tilted her head to give him better access. She arched up against him as he bit softly on the side of her neck. A breathy moan escaped her. He continued exploring her, pushing her to new levels of pleasure. Then suddenly, she cried out in pain when he bit down on her. She was more startled than anything. Suddenly, the pain was replaced with pleasure. Her body warmed, and she moaned against Garrett. His lips were back on hers, more aggressive than they had been before.
Mine, she heard in her head. Confusion wrapped around her. My beautiful mate. This time she knew she wasn’t mistaken. She had definitely heard Garrett’s voice in her head. She couldn’t focus on it, though, not when Garrett was kissing her senseless like this.
Eventually, Garrett began slowing down. He kissed her slower and slower until he pulled back and looked at her. “How are you doing, baby?” he asked in a gruff voice, his eyes glowing from the presence of his wolf.
Emma’s entire body was shaking from the experience. “That was incredible,” she said in a shaky voice.
Garrett pulled her closer. “You think that was good? Wait until I make you fully mine,” he said, a promise in his sensual voice.
Emma blew out a shaky breath. She was glad Garrett had a hold on her. She wouldn’t have been able to stand; her whole body was shaking. “Did you talk in my head?” she asked. He nodded, not taking his eyes off of her. “That’s incredible,” she said in awe. “Can I do the same thing to you?” she asked.
“I’m not sure, since you’re not a wolf,” Garrett said, hesitatingly.
"How do you do it?” she asked.
“Just imagine talking directly to me,” Garrett said.
Emma closed her eyes. Garrett. She opened her eyes. Garrett was staring at her.
“That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard,” he said. Then he kissed her again. Paul’s here; we’d probably better let him look at your shoulder.
Emma sighed. I’d much rather keep doing this, she sent to him.
Emma felt a shudder run through Garrett’s body. You have no idea what you do to me, baby. We’d better stop while I still can.
Emma smiled, happy at the way he reacted to her. Garrett opened his eyes and looked at her tenderly. He palmed her cheek. “
I love being able to hear you in my head.”
“Me too,” Emma said softly. Garrett turned serious. He pulled the strap to her tank top to the side and looked at her wound.
“It’s still bleeding. Let’s get Paul to look at it. Are you good?” he asked. Emma ran a hand through her curls and tried to pull herself together. He smiled at her. “It’s okay, baby. I like you looking ravished,” he said with a smirk. He walked over to the door and unlocked it. A moment later Paul knocked on the door and came in.
“Congratulations,” he said with a big smile. Emma just blushed. “Come sit on the bed. Let me look at your shoulder.” Emma did so, thankful that he was so relaxed and didn’t make these kinds of things awkward. “Let’s put some pressure on the wound and see if it will stop naturally. Does it hurt?” he asked.
Emma paused and thought about it for a moment. “It does now a little. It didn’t before,” she said. She glanced at Garrett. He was smirking at her.
Then I did my job, he sent to her smugly.
Oh my word, Emma said. She was mortified. She felt her face flush red when she thought about what she just said to Paul. Paul, thankfully, just smirked. He let her faux paus pass. Emma could have died from embarrassment.
Paul kept pressure on the wound for a little longer. “I’m going to put some salve on it that should help it to heal and not need stitches.” The longer he worked on her shoulder, the more it started to hurt. She tried to not respond because she didn’t want Garrett to feel bad. When Paul pushed again trying to get the bleeding to stop, she winced in pain.
“You’re hurting her,” Garrett said gruffly. He moved closer.
Paul looked at Emma. “I’m sorry, Emma. Let’s get a painkiller down.” Garrett disappeared for a moment, and Paul moved away from her to get medicine. Emma stood up but instantly regretted it. She might not have felt the injury before, but she was definitely feeling it and the loss of blood now. She felt herself sway for a moment before strong arms steadied her. She opened her eyes as Garrett swept her up into his arms. She closed her eyes as dizziness overtook her. Garrett lowered her to her bed. “Here,” Paul said. He handed Garrett pills and Garrett gave them to her. He helped prop her up and gave her a water bottle to take them with. Then he carefully laid her back down. Paul disappeared. Garrett stood up from the bed.