“Sarah’s checking on that for me today. She’ll let me know, but I think Stephanie would be fine if I just told her what to do,” Abraham rumbled. “Do you think they’ll be gone long?”
“I’m sure they’ll be gone for most of the day. Why?” Erik knew why. He just wanted to hear his brother admit it. Abraham was falling for this woman hard. He’d drive by the clinic, often eating his lunch in the diner across the street then drive by her home in the evenings just to see that she’d made it home safely. It was hilarious to Erik and his brothers, who never thought to see the immovable mountain, Abraham, crumble under the gaze of one small woman.
“I just worry about her and Sarah. They were heading over to that party store about fifteen miles or so out. I think Sarah could take care of herself if anything came up, but Stephanie isn’t like us. I don’t think I’d handle things well if she were hurt.”
Erik remembered a time when Abraham had completely lost control. A woman he’d been seeing for a while had been in a car accident. She hadn’t been his mate and he’d known that, but he’d come to care for her anyway. She’d even known his secret and accepted him, regardless. When he’d received the call from the hospital informing him of her death, he’d completely lost it. His anger and sorrow had boiled over into a devastatingly destructive rage that would have made a berserker Viking’s rampage look like a toddler’s tantrum.
Erik looked around at the garage, remembering the broken glass, dented metal and busted walls that remained after Abraham had finally collapsed from exhaustion. He’d been a bloody mess. His hands had been cut, fingers broken, and he’d lain half under a fallen section of the wall he’d so badly abused. He’d been different after that night. His heart was now surrounded by a concrete fortress he guarded like a rabid dog, determined to never let a woman ever get that close again.
Stephanie was his mate. He’d told Erik that much already, and it was obvious his brother was already quite attached to the fiery female. She’d already begun to chip away at the walls surrounding Abraham’s heart, and Erik found himself grateful to the woman. She would be the one to bring Abraham back to the laughter and love he had once found in life. But God help any fool who dared to harm her because there would be nothing left of the poor bastard once Abraham found him.
Erik couldn’t say he would blame him though. If he were to ever come face-to-face with the two wolves after Sarah, he’d be every bit as ruthless. Their bond was the most amazing and precious thing, and he intended to do everything in his power to ensure he never felt an ounce of pain come through it.
His woman deserved every happiness in this life, and he would see that she had it, even if that meant allowing her to start a fight every once in a while with Abe.
“I’m sure they’ll be fine. I can feel Sarah still, and she seems to be having fun.” Erik thought about the mountain lion incident again and frowned. “Of course, she does have a slightly odd sense of ‘fun’ compared to most.”
His brother seemed to be a bit of a mind-reader. “Yeah, well, she has fun kicking the shit out of people, so good luck gauging their safety based on that.” He gave Erik a grin that clearly said, ‘welcome to my world’ and went back to shining his wheels.
* * * *
Sarah and Stephanie had an amazing lunch at a little mom-and-pop diner before beginning their shopping. Stephanie found a biker chick costume sure to draw a few interested gazes while Sarah found a beautiful, sateen, hooded cloak and a little black dress, to wear under it.
“Let’s go over to the shoe store next door and get some boots for me and some shoes for that dress.” Stephanie pointed across the street. They were about half a block from the car, and Sarah was certain she’d caught the faint scent of wolf as they’d left the diner, but no other trace of scent seemed to linger, so she chalked it up to her nerves and waved her friend onward.
Once in the shop, she quickly regretted having agreed as Stephanie handed her yet another pair of ridiculously high heels. “I have never worn heels in my life. How in the hell do you run in these?” Sarah grouched as she stumbled around the displays in an attempt to balance.
Stephanie’s giggle died when Sarah cut her a scathing look. “You just have to practice. I think you should get them and, maybe, some lower ones for the festival.”
“Why in the hell should I buy shoes I can’t even walk in?”
Stephanie wagged her eyebrows at Sarah and laughed. “Because Erik will swallow his own tongue if he sees you in those fuck-me heels and that dress.”
Sarah imagined just that and proceeded to join her friend in a fit of giggles. She’d never done the girly-girl shopping thing, even as a teenager in the pack, and now, she found it relaxing and fun. Stephanie was an easy person to talk to and an even more pleasant person to shop with. “We should do this again sometime.”
“Definitely. We’ll set up a girl’s night and watch movies, eat junk food and gossip about our guys. You know, swap info and advice.” Stephanie picked up a pair of boots from the display, looking them over as she spoke. “I think these will be perfect.”
Once they’d made their purchases and left the little strip mall, Sarah found herself watching the mirrors just as much as Stephanie. She still couldn’t shake the niggling feeling that something was wrong, and she never ignored a gut feeling.
* * * *
At the festival, Erik and Abraham waited for their women to arrive. They’d been working there since early afternoon, setting up. They’d simply brought their costumes along with them while the women had insisted they needed to go home and prepare themselves. The tiny town’s main street had been transformed into a carnival-type setting for the evening and promised to be a night of good clean fun.
Resigning themselves to the wait ahead, the men found a bench and watched the crowd grow as the evening grew darker. The booths were all decorated with spooky Halloween props, the overhead lights giving off an eerie glow and little ghosts and goblins darting every which way in search of the next game to play and more candy to collect.
Erik really did love living by this small town. Everything was so much simpler than in the city. People were more friendly and helpful, crime was low and values were high. What more could one ask for?
A flash of red prompted his answer as he spotted Sarah, his mate, making her way over. She was an absolute vision. Her blonde hair had been curled into perfect ringlets that hung about her shoulders, drawing his attention to the barely there black dress she wore under her hood. She had delicate black flats on her feet, and the sway to her hips had grown men, and even some teens, craning their necks to get a better view.
When she glanced up at him, he caught and held her amber gaze with his. She’d put on makeup. He’d never seen her all dressed up, and the overall look was so damn seductive, his poor shaft already strained to get to her. Her red-painted lips tipped up in a knowing smile as she linked her hands around his neck before giving him a light kiss.
“Hey there, handsome. Where’s your mask?” she drawled. “I’m looking like a call girl here without my Big Bad Wolf.”
“You’re looking like a wet dream,” he replied huskily. “Have I told you how beautiful you are, lately?”
“Not since this morning.” Sarah enjoyed their easy banter. Most men were selfish, rude and oblivious, but not Erik. He was so easy-going and polite it sometimes drove her nuts. She’d yet to see him truly angry. Sure, he’d been a little peeved about the bar incident, but not really angry with her.
Abraham still sat on the bench where Erik had been and was clenching and releasing his fists over and over while his eyes were trained on the street. Sure enough, he’d spotted Stephanie.
Auburn hair cascaded down her back in thick waves that seemed to move and flow with a life of its own. She wore a low-cut, white tank top with the words “Ride Hard” emblazoned across the bust in flaming letters. Her legs were encased in tight, black-leather pants while her feet were sheathed in a pair of black-leather Harley boots she’d purchased on
their outing. A leather jacket was slung over her shoulder as she sauntered over as if she owned the damn town. Her confidence was amazing. Sarah, herself, would have been so self-conscious in that get-up she might not have even left the house.
Poor Abe looked as if he were ready to keel over. The stunned look in his eyes seemed to amuse Stephanie, who blew him a kiss as she closed the last few feet between them.
“You’re looking good, Abraham. Leather suits you,” she purred.
Oh, she was being bad, and Sarah and Erik were thoroughly entertained by Abraham’s apparent loss of speech.
Stephanie was right, too. Leather really did look good on him. He was built large and had a menacing look to his dark features that would give even the most seasoned bikers pause.
Sarah’s man, however, was savagely attractive in his tattered jeans and ripped shirt. Once his mask was on, he’d be like a wolf-man on the prowl, and Sarah was so anticipating being his victim later that evening.
Chapter Ten
The festival was a success. All the children were heading home, and the adults were starting to get rowdy. Dancing had begun in one section of the street while a band belted out some up-beat country tunes. A bar had been set-up nearby with snacks and sandwiches to go with the cold beers and sodas.
Erik took Sarah’s hand. “Follow me. There’re some people I’d like for you to meet.” He’d spotted Adam and Ethan tossing balls at the dunking booth and decided to give the poor guy climbing out of the water a break. “You two enjoying yourselves?”
“Of course!” Adam replied. He was the youngest of the four brothers and liked to tease. “Ethan here seems to think his arm is better than mine, so we were just checking.” His pale-blue eyes shifted to Sarah, and a sly smile tilted his lips. “Well, hello there.”
Erik put his arm around her waist and growled, “Behave like a civilized person, why don’t you?”
“As opposed to what?” Adam winked at Sarah, and she barely suppressed her laughter.
“A hound dog?” Stephanie chimed in.
“Honey, you have no idea.” Adam’s eyes slowly raked Stephanie’s shapely figure from top to bottom before coming back to her face. He smirked. “Nice shirt.”
“Thank you.”
Erik laughed when Abraham cuffed Adam upside the head before pulling Stephanie to his side. The possessive move wasn’t lost on his brothers. Abraham had just staked his claim.
“I guess, I’ll just introduce everyone,” Erik began. “Sarah, Stephanie, these are our brothers, Ethan and Adam.” He gestured between the two men.
Adam gave a mock bow while Ethan gave him a quick kick to the ass, pushing him over. The move resulted in Adam landing on his hands and knees at Sarah’s feet.
“Thank you, Ethan,” he sang as he admired the bare legs before him. He only enjoyed the view for about half a second before being lifted back to his feet by a very irritated Erik.
“Keep your eyes up, bro,” Erik growled, and Sarah found that she rather enjoyed his territorial display, rewarding him with a soft kiss on his cheek.
Ethan, who’d remained silent, finally spoke up. “Hello, ladies, it’s nice to meet you both.” He extended his hand to each woman in greeting.
“It’s nice to meet you, as well,” Sarah replied. “So what are you dressed as?”
Ethan shrugged, “Well, I’ve been out here all day, setting up then running the hayride, so I never put a costume on.”
“I did,” announced Adam as he puffed out his half-exposed chest. He wore a white toga and a pair of sandals. His build was solid, much like Erik and Ethan’s, but none were the size of Abraham.
Stephanie cleared her throat before asking, “So, are you a frat boy?”
Ethan snickered, and Adam frowned, “I’m a Roman soldier.”
“Well, I’m sorry to inform you, but your soldier is lacking.” Her matter-of-fact critique had Adam gaping, and Sarah struggled to hide her amusement.
Abraham choked on a laugh while Adam placed his hand over his heart in a dramatic fashion. “You wound me, sweetheart.”
“I’ll wound your ass,” Abraham rumbled. “Behave.”
Adam snapped to attention and gave an exaggerated salute. “Sir, yes, sir!”
Both woman laughed and continued to do so as the group fell into easy conversation and friendly ribbing.
* * * *
Sarah leaned back on the bench where she sat and stretched. “I’d love to go for a run tonight. The moon is full, and it’s always a gorgeous run in the pale light.” She kept her request vague, not mentioning that she wished to run as wolves, knowing Erik understood.
“We can definitely do that later.” Erik brushed a kiss across her brow, so he wouldn’t smudge her lipstick. “Are you thirsty?” he asked.
“Actually, I am a little, but I’ll go and grab us something. I need to stretch my legs a little.” She felt antsy and couldn’t figure out why she had the sudden urge to run, far and fast. “I’ll be right back.”
She stood to leave, and Stephanie did, as well. “I’d like something, too, so I’ll go with you. Abraham, would you like a drink?”
“I would, thank you.”
Leaving the men to gawk as they sauntered off, Sarah couldn’t help but say, “Stephanie, what you’re doing to Abraham is pure evil…and I love it! He’s like a big slobbering beast with you in that outfit.”
“I know! I half expect him to throw me over his shoulder and take me back to his cave at any moment,” she laughed, as they took their places at the end of the line near the back of the stage.
“We prefer the term ‘den’,” a deep, slightly amused voice put in. “Wolves don’t generally inhabit caves very often, though they will do in a pinch. Right, Sarah?”
“Go away,” Sarah growled. “I’m no longer available to either of you, so you can leave.” She tugged aside her hood to expose her mating mark. The bite, located where her neck and shoulder met, was a permanent scarring that would forever proclaim her as Erik’s mate. She carried his scent and his mark, so no other male wolf would mistake her as being available.
“Do you really think that I give a shit about your fucking mating?” he growled low. “Trust me, I don’t want to mate your ass. I just intend to teach you a woman’s place in the pack.”
Sarah turned and saw that ole snaggletooth, A.K.A Phillip, had grabbed Stephanie and edged toward the woods behind the band’s stage. She didn’t see Mark anywhere, but she knew the crafty bastard lurked somewhere nearby. She attempted to scent him then she froze, her eyes going wide.
Phillip laughed. “What’s wrong, sweetheart? Can’t find our scent? You aren’t the only one who can mask their smell. Now, come on, and I’ll let her go.”
Sarah remained as calm as she could, but anticipation thrummed through her veins. She would so enjoy kicking his ass again, but she had to get Stephanie out of the equation first. She’d prove to be a deadly distraction.
Stephanie was clearly pissed if her eyes were anything to go by, and Sarah didn’t blame her one bit. Phillip had one arm around her waist, pinning her arms to her sides, while his other hand covered her mouth.
“Stephanie, would you take my cloak back to my seat? I’ll be there in just a few minutes. You should go ahead and get the drinks,” she said, just as she would on any normal occasion.
Phillip released Stephanie’s mouth.
“But…”
“Trust me, this will be all done in a few minutes,” Sarah promised, cracking her neck and shaking out her shoulders. “Go on.”
Stephanie accepted the cloak from Sarah just as Phillip took Sarah’s arm and pulled her into the woods. Sarah hoped Stephanie was smart enough to go back to the men as she’d been instructed to do, but somehow, Sarah doubted it.
Chapter Eleven
Stephanie was torn. Did she go and get the guys, or did she go after her friend and help? Sarah was a hell of a fighter, but two against one was just too much in Stephanie’s book. Not to mention, she had no doubt this was
one of the men Sarah had been eluding.
“Fuck this.” Stephanie removed her small Ruger .357 from her boot and draped the cloak over a branch at the edge of the woods. She was a damn good shot, and the tiny handgun was powerful enough to take care of anything she encountered.
She placed the gun at the small of her back and focused on moving as quietly as possible through the brush while staying close to trees for cover. It didn’t take her long to come upon Sarah and the man who’d brought her to the tiny clearing.
Sarah was the definition of cool and collected as she stood there, seemingly unconcerned as she listened to his tirade. It was when her eyes strayed in Stephanie’s direction that Stephanie knew something was wrong. There was no way Sarah should be able to see her, but it seemed as though Sarah had looked her right in the eyes.
“I have to admit you’ve given us a hell of chase for the last few years,” the man said. He turned as another man entered from the tree line. “It’s about time you dragged your sorry ass back. I think it’s time we got this show on the road, don’t you? First, though, would you grab that girl over there and bring her out here? She could prove to be just as fun, I think.”
Shit! Stephanie thought.
Sarah rolled her eyes and turned to address the newcomer. “Mark, are you really that anxious to have your ass kicked again? You just leave her alone. Stephanie?” she called. “Now would be an excellent time to run and scream.”
As the large man approached Stephanie, she tried to come up with a way to avoid him taking her anywhere while remaining near enough to help Sarah. She looked around, deciding the only thing in her favor was the fact that she was a woman, so she used that to her advantage.
Eyes wide and allowing the panic she felt to show clearly, she took a few shaky steps backward as he drew nearer. When he was only an arm’s length away and reaching for her, she rolled her eyes up in her head and let her body go limp, hoping he bought the act. The sharp impact of her head on the ground set off a mini light show behind her closed lids.
To Tame His Mate Page 8