“You finished, my beta?” Heath asked her softly.
As she took a deep breath she could smell nothing but Heath: his cologne, his scent, simply him. Laney wanted to curl into him and let him hold her close.
“No, I am not your beta,” she said instead. “You are not my Alpha.”
“Yes I am, Laney-girl.”
“Why are you making this so hard?” Laney shouted as she turned back to him. She hadn’t realised Heath had come so close and she had to take a step back.
“Hard?” Heath asked as he stepped toward her again. Laney moved back but Heath followed her until she was pressed against the side of the building. Heath placed a hand on either side of her head and leaned down until they were practically nose to nose.
“Hard is turning around and realising that you’re not there, that some psycho has taken you from me.” Heath leaned in, burying his face in her neck; he took a deep breath. Laney didn’t move. Everything in her was screaming for her to reach out and pull him close, but her mind refused the action.
“Hard is finding him with his fangs buried deep in your flesh,” he said as he nuzzled her. “You know what’s hardest of all? Knowing that the only reason you were ever in danger was because of me.”
What? She didn’t understand. She had brought the danger to the pack house; she was the weak link and that was why she had been targeted. Christophe would never have tried to take one of the other females of the pack.
Before she could ask what he meant, a car swung into the lot shining its headlights on them.
“What the hell are you doing near my sister?” John yelled as he flew out of the driver’s seat.
Mary must have heard him arrive or been looking out for him because she was there in seconds.
“Johnny, wait, it’s okay,” Mary said as she caught hold of her husband’s arm.
Heath pulled away from Laney and turned to face her brother with hands raised out to his side. It was a small action but it was enough to take a little of the steam out of John.
“Get in the car,” John ordered both Mary and Laney.
“Take your wife home, John. I’ll be along soon,” Laney said as she stepped around Heath. They needed to finish this tonight. She didn’t want to spend any more time wondering what if. She needed to get on with her life.
John shook his head. “I’m not leaving you here with him.”
“I’m not asking you.”
John stared down at her as she came to a stop in front of him. Laney returned his gaze. She didn’t blink; she didn’t turn away; she just stared. “Leave.”
“I’m not happy about this, Laney,” John said, but he looked away first and she knew he would do exactly what she wanted.
“I’ll be fine,” Laney assured him. She turned to hug Mary. “Thank you for a fun night.”
“You sure you’ll be okay?” Mary whispered as she hugged Laney back.
“I promise. I’ll call you tomorrow.” Laney squeezed her tight once more before she moved back, letting them get into the car. As the taillights disappeared, she wondered how she was going to survive the rest of the night.
*
Heath leaned back against the wall and watched Laney. Any doubts he’d once had about her were pretty much gone now.
The look she had given her brother—making him cast his eyes down and away from her—was such an Alpha move. He’d actually used it on occasion.
“You realise my brothers want you dead,” she told him without turning around.
“You realise I am far from scared of the men in your family,” Heath returned, which was true, but he was now sensibly cautious of the St. Clair females, especially after the encounter with her mother.
“I don’t know why you’re here, but you have to understand that you are not my Alpha, and I won’t be your beta.”
Heath's softly huffed laugh had her whirling on him, anger pouring from her in waves.
The wolf in him howled out a greeting, one meant only for its mate, one that Heath felt deep down in his very soul.
“What’s so damn funny?” Laney demanded.
“You really want to know, Laney-girl?” Heath asked as he came away from the wall.
“Yes. I want to know what has put that smirk on your face,” she snipped.
Heath stopped a few paces away from her and smiled.
“You know what I find so funny? The fact that you don’t think you are my beta, that I am not your Alpha, and that you have any say in this at all.” He watched as Laney’s eyes went wide before they narrowed to mere slits.
“Did you hit your head?” Laney asked as she moved closer to him.
Heath's smile widened. He needed her to come to him. He couldn’t force this, no matter that his wolf was demanding he do just that.
“Nope.” He shook his head.
Laney came closer still.
“So are you just naturally this dumb?” she asked as she took another step.
“Must be,” he said as she took that final step that had her standing toe to toe with him.
“Would you have danced with him?” Heath changed the subject so quickly he could see the confusion on her face. It was in that moment when he had seen those two men walk up to her that he had known there was no way he could or would let her go. Laney St. Clair was his no matter what.
“Danced with whom?” Laney looked at him confused.
“The guy who asked you earlier. Would you have danced with him?” Heath asked as he reached out to brush a lock of hair off her forehead.
“Sure. It’s not like I’m involved with anyone else. Maybe I should have danced with him and seen where it headed,” Laney told him with a raised eyebrow.
“Oh, my beta, you are more involved then you have ever been,” Heath said before taking hold of the back of her head as his mouth descended on hers.
The kiss wasn’t soft or gentle. It was a kiss to brand, to mark her body and soul as his, as she had marked his soul as hers.
He felt her hands on his chest start to climb until she was able to wrap her arms around his neck. Heath dropped a hand to her waist pulling her closer until she was pressed the full length of his body.
He fought his wolf down; the animal was fighting to claim her as its own, but Heath didn’t want that, not yet, not until she asked.
He let her go when she finally pulled away, feeling a little smug at her panting breath.
“You’re not playing fair,” she told him when she could breathe normally again.
“You want to talk about playing fair, my beta?” he asked as he caught her arm to pull her back to him. “Was it fair that you turned up here looking for me? Did you play fair when you dressed up for me that night?” He spoke softly as he tipped her chin up so she would look at him.
Laney hadn’t played fair; she hadn’t been playing fair since that night and Heath would be damned if it would carry on. He was the Alpha around here and she was going to learn that, one way or another.
“That was different.” Laney shrugged. Heath looked down at her with a raised eyebrow.
“And how’s that?” he asked as he drew her closer, pressing her against his body. He was rewarded as a small shudder moved down her and her breath accelerated.
“I didn’t do it for kicks; I did it because I liked you and wanted to know you better away from my family and your pack.”
Heath heard the hurt in her voice.
“And you think I’m doing this for kicks?” He frowned down at her. “Because I’m what? Bored and thought ‘hey, let’s go play with Laney’? Is that what you think?”
“Last time I saw you, you threw me off your property because I had put your people in danger. Now here you are acting like you care. What am I meant to think?”
Heath shook his head. He was such an idiot; of course she would think that. What else could she think? Shaking his head again he looked down at her.
“I was so angry the last time I saw you, not because you had done anything wrong or brought any danger
to my pack, but because I had put you in danger. Christophe left a threat the morning that Wall came to get me when I rushed you out,” he said, explaining something that was long overdue.
“I know. Wall told me. He said threats had been made.” Laney shrugged.
“You got Wall to tell you that?” Heath was impressed. Wall was loyal to a fault. He would never give away information, not unless—Heath’s wolf howled—not unless he was speaking to his Alpha or the mate of his Alpha. No matter what the others said, Wall was no dumb jock. That was becoming more and more obvious.
“Did Wall tell you the threat wasn’t against the pack?” he asked as he slowly walked her backwards.
Laney shook her head as she frowned up at him.
“Did he tell you why I wanted you away from us?” He continued to move until she was pressed against the side of his truck.
“No, he said there had been a threat, that’s all. I figured you wanted me gone so you could protect those you cared about without having me in the way,” Laney explained with a one-shoulder shrug that spoke less of nonchalance and more of sorrow.
Placing a hand either on side of her head, Heath leaned down until they were nose to nose.
“Christophe left us a message. The threat wasn’t against my pack, it was against you. He was planning on hurting you.” Heath watched as the information sunk in. Laney’s eyes went wide before they narrowed and if Heath’s heart could have beaten any faster he was sure it would have exploded clean out of his chest. He could see Laney wasn’t scared by the information. Oh no, his beta was pissed.
“So you threw me off your land so I would take the danger away?” she snapped. Heath was wise enough not to smile although he wanted to badly.
“No, I threw you off so you wouldn’t be in any danger, not so you would take the danger away. Being there, with me, had put you in the position of prey, and I refused to let you be that. You are my beta and I will protect you 'til my dying breath,” he said honestly.
Heath watched the play of emotions over Laney’s face. He could see she still needed convincing but she was starting to thaw, and that was all he wanted right now.
He knew that he had been a blind idiot. He was man enough to admit it but he would be damned if he’d make the same mistake again and let her go. Laney St. Clair was his mate and he would fight for her, even he if he had to fight Laney herself.
“You’re an idiot.” Laney voiced his thoughts.
“Why thank you, my beta.” Heath chuffed.
“I can’t believe you thought I would be safer with my family than with shifters who could take on Christophe.” Laney looked at him as if he were a biscuit short of a full packet.
“Laney.” Heath leaned in, nuzzling her neck, scraping his fangs over the tender flesh where his mark would be soon. “Let’s just say I don’t always think straight when I am near you.”
“So you’re horny now and thought I might like to come back and play?” Laney tried to shove him away but Heath wasn’t ready to move. He only leaned back so he could look down at her.
“What the hell?” he asked, amazed. “You think this is a booty call?”
His anger was reflected back at him in her eyes. “What else am I meant to think? We killed the threat a week ago, yet you haven’t even been to see me until now.” She tried to push again but still Heath refused to move.
“You are meant to think I was looking out for you, protecting you from what we are, from what I am. We are animals, beasts and monsters,” Heath spat.
He should have seen it coming, but she had blinded him again with her words. He didn’t see her reach back or see the slap coming until the sound of her palm hitting his face broke the silence of the night.
“Don’t you ever say that to me again,” she said, panting angrily. This time when she pushed he let her move him away. Laney paced and Heath watched, ready to drag her back if she tried to leave, but she took four steps away before turning and marching those four steps back so she could get right up in his face.
“You are not monsters, you are not animals, you are not humans; you are something so much more. You have a little of everything in you and that’s what makes you special, why people are drawn to you,” she avowed, shaking her index finger just inches from his nose.
It was that move, the way she defended him against himself that sealed her fate. Laney St. Clair was his mate, his woman, his life no matter what she had to say about it.
*
Anger didn’t begin to cover what Laney was feeling. She had started out mad, moved right on to confused, then wanting him badly, and now she’d come full circle to mad. She closed her eyes trying to get control over herself.
How could he describe himself as a monster? Was he not there when Christophe had been killed? Did he not see she was just as much an animal as he was? They had taken the man out together, and now that Laney knew the danger had been to her personally, she was feeling less and less guilty about it.
Laney took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and froze. The angry man of a few seconds ago was gone and in his place was her Alpha, the sensual, dominant male who could make her scream his name without effort.
Laney’s eyes went wide. She didn’t know what had changed but she was angry and she wanted to stay angry. If Heath touched her when he was like this, she would be lost. Her body screamed at her to give in, to step closer and enjoy while her mind screamed for her to run. Before she could move either way, Heath reached out, snagging her around the waist and pulling her hard against his body.
“What are you doing?” she asked breathlessly.
“Showing you what it’s like to be mated to an Alpha,” Heath told her as he ran his hands down her waist until they cupped her butt. Laney put her hands on his chest as she leaned away.
“You really think I’m going to be your booty call?” she asked with as much disdain as she could muster with his hard-on pressed too enticingly against her.
“This isn’t a booty call. If I just wanted sex I could get it anywhere.”
“Well, aren’t we the cocky one.” If he can get sex anywhere, he should just go there and get it!
“Cocky? Only for you.” He grinned and ground his hips against her. Laney couldn’t withhold her groan as she felt his hardness again. Damn it, he wasn’t playing fair. She wanted to stay mad and hurt; she didn’t want to lust after him.
“But I don’t want sex,” he told her.
Laney had to bite her tongue to stop from begging him to carry on when he stopped moving.
“What do you want then?” she finally asked when she had control enough of her body. “Why did you come here tonight? Why did you scare away that guy? Most importantly, what do you want from me, Heath?”
She asked every question; she couldn’t hide from them anymore. Laney needed answers before she could move on.
Heath didn’t move back. He pulled her tighter to him. Laney watched as he became serious, his expression tense, but there was something more there, something that looked like hope but it was gone before Laney could really read it.
“I came here tonight because I wanted to see you. I have missed you more than you could know, and I just wanted to make sure you were okay after everything that happened last week.”
Laney waited as Heath took a breath, and then the arrogant Alpha returned. “I scared that jackass away because no one—and I mean no one—not ever again lays hands on what is mine and you, Laney, are mine.” He spoke with such intensity in his eyes that Laney’s breath caught in her throat. “What do I want from you?” He repeated her question. Laney’s heart skipped a beat as he leaned down and kissed her so tenderly it melted the last of her anger away.
Heath pulled back and looked deep into her eyes. Laney was convinced he was looking into her soul.
“What I want is forever. I want us to grow old and grey together, to run the pack together, and I want us to have many pups. I want us to be a family. You mean more to me than my next breath, Laney-girl, more than seeing a
nother day. I have been so miserable without you this last week that I think even my own pack might turn on me.”
Laney felt a click inside. It wasn’t loud or painful, it just sounded like a door latch opening. She was waiting to see what it meant when a warm, glowing feeling started to spread through her.
Laney had come here a few short weeks ago looking to scratch an itch with a man who had been getting under her skin for five long years. She had thought it would be nothing more than some fun together, but she hadn’t looked deeper; she hadn’t looked into why she sought Heath Marsterson when there were any number of men who were available. Not until now had she realised that she hadn’t wanted anyone else, that she would only ever want this man, this wolf.
Laney slid her hand up Heath’s chest, watching as his eyes went wide, until she could cup his cheek.
“I love you too,” she told him. A split second later Heath raised her off her feet, spun, and pinned her to his truck.
“Again,” he ordered.
“I love you too, Heath,” she repeated with a smile. He took her mouth in a fierce kiss, his tongue tasting her as he stole her breath.
He kissed his way up the column of her throat until he could speak directly into her ear.
“I love you too, my beta.”
“Show me,” Laney urged as she tipped her head, allowing him full access to her neck. She had no idea what would happen but she knew this was right; she could feel it down to her toes.
Heath didn’t wait to be told twice. She watched as his fangs descended fully and his eyes turned to his wolf's. He leaned forward and bit down hard.
Laney felt a second of pain before her body tightened and a hard orgasm ripped through her body. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist as she ground her core against him, riding out the orgasm.
Heath pulled his fangs from her and licked the wound as Laney tried to catch her breath.
“Holy hell! Warn a girl next time you plan to do that and send her screaming off!” Laney gasped.
Heath chuckled as he kissed the bite.
“Didn’t you enjoy it, my beta?” he asked as he leaned back to look at her.
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