“You have been avoiding me.”
Oh crap.
Slowly, she pivoted on her heel. “I wouldn’t call it avoiding as much as, uh, giving us some space.”
Ocean-colored eyes stared down at her. “I do not need any space from you, mate.”
“Wait!” She raised her hands as he approached her.
He stopped. “Yes?”
“Well, I—oh look over there! I think there’s a bomb!” She pointed behind him, and he turned his head. While he was distracted, she took her chance and made a mad dash for the opposite direction.
Ha! That stu—“Hey! What the fuck?”
The entire world turned upside down. Oh no, wait, it wasn’t the world. It was her. That cocky bastard had her over his shoulder and was now carrying her away to God knows where.
“Put me down, you—you—caveman!” she screamed at him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” She kicked her legs and beat her fists down his broad back, but he didn’t even flinch.
All her blood rushed to her head, and she lost all sense of thought. Yeah, that was probably why she was staring at his ass instead of trying to fight him off. And oh fucking hell, he smelled good. Hmmm … like the sea, clean and fresh with just a hint of sweat. Her wolf was going crazy, urging her to touch him.
She yelped when he finally put her upright. Where the hell were they? Glancing around, she saw they were in the empty parking lot behind the bookshop on Main Street. The blood draining out of her head made her dizzy, and she stepped back, bracing herself against the solid wall behind her.
“Are you all right?” he asked, his voice suddenly gentle.
“I’m fine!” she said. “No thanks to you. How could you do that? Carrying me off like some troglodyte?”
“A what?”
“You know. Caveman. Sticks and rocks. Fire. Cave paintings.”
He gave her a puzzled look. “English is not my first language, but I will take note and Google it later.”
“Yeah, you do that.” She tried to turn away from him, but he placed his arm across her, planting his palm on the wall to stop her.
“You are my mate,” he said. “You must have felt it. Heard our wolves call to each other. I’ve searched for so long … I thought I would never find you. You’re more exquisite than I could have imagined.”
His words sent a shiver through her, and her knees wobbled like jelly. He thought she was exquisite? She couldn’t remember any man ever saying that to her. Maybe hot. And sexy. And that they liked her small tits. But not exquisite, like she was something to be worshipped and cherished forever, not just for a couple hours of fun.
No! This wasn’t right! This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. This was too much. “Look, uh, what’s your name again?”
“Petros Thalassa.”
“Right. Petros.” She put a hand on his chest. Jeez, it was like a rock. “This isn’t how we do things in America.”
“I know, but you wouldn’t—”
“Look, I don’t believe in mates.”
“You do not?”
She shook her head. “I believe in choices. I’m a modern woman, you know? And I believe we should have a choice in who we spend the rest of our lives with, or if we even choose to do that at all.”
His jaw set. “I would never force myself on you.”
“What? Oh, I’m not talking about that.” Of course, her dirty, dirty mind immediately went to that, and she was pretty sure there wouldn’t be any need for force. “Look, I’m sure you’re a great guy, Petros. I’m just not looking for anyone right now, ya know? My life is fine the way it is.”
“But we are mates,” he said. “Fated to be together, me and you … uh …” His brows knitted together.
“Kate,” she supplied, rolling her eyes.
“Kate.” He gave a nod. “A beautiful name. Like you.”
“Uh, thanks?”
He reached down and wrapped his large hands around her wrists, the touch sending a zing of electricity across her skin. “Kate-mine, you are a worthy mate,” he said. “And you will be a strong mother to our pups—”
“Just hold on a minute!” she cried, struggling to raise her hands. “Did you not understand a single word I said? About not looking for anyone right now?”
He nodded. “Of course you are not looking for anyone. I am already here.”
“That’s not—”
But she didn’t get a chance to finish her sentence as he pulled her to him and his lips landed on hers.
Holy. Mother. Of. God.
When she was sixteen, Kate once picked up one of those trashy romance novels Sybil used to read and was so bored by the descriptions that she threw it away. It sounded trite. Trumpets and angels singing in the background? Shivers down the spine? Feeling breathless? It sounded like a load of bull crap, and no boy she ever kissed before that and since then made her feel that way.
But this kiss? Oh fuck.
Petros’ lips were warm against hers, rough and demanding, coaxing her to respond. Kate realized he let go of her wrists, so she wound her arms around his neck to pull him down closer. His body slammed against hers, pushing her up against the wall and trapping her there. That fucking amazing tongue of his snaked inside her mouth, tangling with her own. He tasted like the sun and the ocean and the earth … she couldn’t describe it, but that was the closest thing she could think of. Inside her, her wolf howled in delight.
Hands moved down from her waist, over her ass, and under her knees. He lifted her up and wrapped her legs around his waist. Fucking hell, she could feel the significant bulge of his cock rubbing right against her. Right there. Her panties were soaked through in an instant. He was perfectly lined up against the seam of her pussy, like he knew just how to position his body to send tingles of pleasure all over her. Oh God, she was going to come, right out here in the open, riding Petros as he continued to rub himself on her.
“Ahem.”
They both froze, and while Kate’s arms fell down to her side, Petros didn’t move and kept her pinned against the wall.
“I hate to interrupt … whatever this is,” Jason Lennox said in a wry voice. “But we’ve still got work to do.”
Petros cleared his throat, unwound her legs from his waist, then set her down. He turned around. “Of course. Apologies. We were carried away.”
“From what I heard, you were the one doing the carrying away.” Jason looked at Kate. “Kate, are you … okay? Do you need me to—”
Petros stepped in front of her. “Of course she is okay. She is my mate.”
“Oh.” Jason sounded relieved. “Well, I guess I can tell Christina to give you five more minutes.”
“Wait!” Kate called, but Jason was already gone. She looked at Petros and then smacked him on the arm. Ouch, that hurt. “Why did you say that to him?”
“Because it is the truth.”
“But that’s not … you can’t … that’s not the point!” She let out a frustrated sound.
“What does it matter? Soon everyone will know,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Arggh!” She stamped her foot in irritation. “You stubborn wolf! Why won’t you listen to me?”
He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Kate-mine, I am listening to you. To your wolf. It wants me as much as you do.”
“Gah!” she choked in anger. She wanted to deny it, but for some reason she couldn’t make the words come out of her mouth. “I can’t do this! You … you stay away from me! Go back to Lykos!”
“But—”
She waved a hand at him. “I swear to God, you come near me and you’ll regret it!”
Petros’ face turned stormy, but he nodded. “I will leave you be for now. Perhaps you need some time to come to your senses.” He turned those intense blue-green eyes back at her. “But know this: you cannot stop fate.”
She stared after him as he walked away. The wind whooshed right out of her lungs, and it was hard to breathe. His words rang in her head. They sounded like a promis
e. No, they were a threat.
Oh yeah? Well, she didn’t do well when she was threatened. I’ll show you, asshole. Oh no, she was not going to just bend over to fate. She would fight it kicking and screaming.
Chapter One
“And we’re one hundred percent sure that all the bombs have been found and disabled?” Christina Lennox asked.
“Yes,” Petros Thalassa replied as he reached over and switched off the projector that flashed a map of Blackstone on the screen behind him. The conference room went dark for a second before the lights flickered back on. “We used the tech your father brought over from Lykos to sweep the entire town. All the detonation devices have also been destroyed, so there’s no chance of anyone setting them off.”
“All right.” Christina turned toward her team. “Just to let you know, The Chief and everyone we rounded up in the attack are now in the custody of the federal government. The attorney general himself has assured us that they will prosecute to the full extent of the law. Our own attorneys will be working with them to ensure they face the harshest punishment possible. That is why anything solid we can offer them will be of the utmost importance.”
Petros nodded. “We have already begun cataloging the evidence.”
“Good job everyone.” Christina gathered her things. “Let’s finish up our reports and have them sent back to Lykos by end of day. Dismissed.”
All the people in the meeting stood up from their chairs and began to gather their things. The conference room began to empty, but as Petros was about to leave, he stopped when he heard Christina call his name.
“Petros, one moment please,” she said as she walked over to his end of the conference table. She sat in one of the empty chairs and motioned for him to take the one in front of her. “I need to speak with you.”
“Of course Miss—I mean, Christina.” The name felt strange on his tongue; she’d been Miss Stavros to him all his life. There was a pack hierarchy after all, even on Lykos, and it was not proper for someone like him to call the Alpha’s adopted daughter by her given name. Even when they worked together as agents, he called her that. But once he arrived in Blackstone, she insisted he call her by her given name. “What can I do for you?” he said as he sat down.
“Well, I just wanted to see how you were doing.” She shifted in her seat. “I mean, adjusting to life here in Blackstone.”
“It’s very different,” he said. “Everything is different. Even the landscape. It’s all green and lush.”
“I know,” she replied, a wistful look on her face. “I miss the sea sometimes.”
“I would expect that.” His jaw hardened as he ground his teeth together.
She turned her light blue eyes at him, giving him a knowing gaze. Christina Stavros—Lennox, he corrected—was much smarter than people gave her credit for. It was not a surprise her father, Ari Stavros, Head of The Shifter Protection Agency, gave her the assignment to lead this branch. “I was very surprised when Father said he was sending you here to be my lieutenant. And that you had volunteered to come here.”
“You were?”
“You hardly leave Lykos, except for missions,” Christina pointed out. “Have you ever gone on vacation anywhere? Or even traveled to the mainland?”
“What for?” he asked. “We had everything we needed on Lykos.”
“So, why come here?” she asked. “Was it because of what happened in Cyprus?”
Petros’ body went involuntarily still, and the tension in the room became thick as syrup. The memory was still so clear in his mind, and he thought of it every day. About what he could have done differently. If he wasn’t so good at compartmentalizing, he would have gone truly mad months ago.
Christina leaned forward and placed her hands on the conference table. “You know, no one blames you for—”
“It’s not about that,” he interrupted, trying to drive the memories away. They were still too fresh, even after all these months, that he could relive it if he ever let his thoughts stray toward that dark path. He clenched his jaw.
“So, if it’s not that, what made you want to leave Lykos now?”
The question caught him off guard, and he remained silent for a few seconds. “Those reasons are my own. It will not affect the way I do my job, I assure you.”
Blue eyes widened in surprise, but Christina regained her composure. “Of course. I didn’t mean to pry. You are allowed your privacy and reasons.”
“Thank you.” He stood up, despite it being rude to not wait until she did. But the conference room felt stuffy and constricted at the moment. “If there’s nothing else, I would like to head back to my hotel.”
“Yes. I mean, wait. There is.” She stood up and walked over to him. “She’ll be at The Den tonight.”
“Pardon me?”
She gave him a smirk. “Kate. She’ll be at this bar called The Den. Just at the edge of town.”
He thought about playing dumb, but no, Christina Lennox was smart, and he did not want to insult her. He gave her a grateful nod. “Thank you for the information.”
“Kate is … special,” Christina said.
“I know.”
“Not just because she’s your mate,” she added. “I mean, you may need some special handling in her case.” She gave a little laugh. “Frankly, I’m surprised, but then again, not. I like to think that fate brings us to the person who needs us most.”
“My mate does not seem needy,” he pointed out.
Christina patted him on the shoulder. “I wasn’t talking about her. Good night, Petros.”
“Good night, Christina.”
Petros closed up the conference room and shut the door behind him. As he walked out of the Lennox Corp. building, he looked around. Christina was right, about Blackstone being so different from Lykos. And that was a good thing.
Even though he wasn’t born there, Lykos was all Petros ever knew. He knew every person, every rock, every tree, and every grain of sand. But there was one thing he was sure of, something that had been on his mind for the last few years: his mate was not there. The woman the universe intended him to be with forever was somewhere out there, and if he stayed on the island, he might never meet her.
Besides, there was nothing left there. Sure, despite his background, he had risen up the ranks. Who could have guessed that someone like him would someday become the right-hand man to the Alpha’s daughter? Not the people of Lykos, not even the couple who raised him, that was for sure.
As Petros slipped into the driver’s seat of his rented pickup truck, he paused, placing his hands on the wheel. He thought being out in the world might give him a better chance of finding his mate, of finally having a family, and finding a home—a real one—his heart had yearned for all these years.
But, he never expected her.
Sure, his wolf, wild and feral that it was, had recognized her instantly. And she was more beautiful than he could have ever imagined, than he could ever deserve. Green eyes like emeralds that shifted shades when she was amused or angry. Dark blonde hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall, with dyed pink ends that suited her. Even the tiny, sparkling jewel on her nose added to her exotic beauty. And that body—lithe and graceful. He longed to have her underneath him or over him as they made love, and then see her belly ripe with their pup. No, he didn’t expect Kate Caldwell at all.
Or her reluctance.
His wolf growled at him angrily. Like it was his fault. The wolf wanted her badly, to mate with her and be with her. The funny thing was his animal was aware it was damaged, but it so desperately wanted to be fixed. Petros knew his lonely heart and broken wolf needed a mate. And perhaps, just maybe, he’d finally find some peace and forgiveness for his transgressions.
But why she acted that way, he did not know. He had very little experience with women, and none at all with romantic relationships. She said she needed space, and he gave it to her, but he was done waiting like some fool. They were mates, and he would make her see reason.
The Den was not too far out from the center of town. Petros parked the truck in the one remaining slot at the end of the lot, cut off the engine, and made his way inside.
It was a Friday night, which explained why it was so crowded. His wolf bristled at all the people. It hated crowds, and all the shifters in here didn’t make it any better. He’d been surrounded by wolves all his life and being around so many different animals was unnerving. A few of them gave him strange looks as he passed by, probably sensing his agitated animal.
Calm down, he urged the wolf. No one is here to harm you.
He walked around, his eyes searching for his mate. Although this seemed like a decent establishment, he did not like how there were so many males in here. Bears, wolves, tigers, stags, even a flight shifter or two … he didn’t care for so many unattached shifters congregating in a place his mate apparently frequented.
“What can I get ya, honey?” The blonde bartender asked as he approached the bar.
“I don’t suppose you have any grappa?” he asked.
She frowned at him. “What’s that? A fancy cocktail or somethin’?”
“Never mind. A beer, please.”
“Coming right up.” She grabbed a glass from the shelf, filled it up from the tap, and slid it toward him. He took it with a grateful nod and dropped a bill on the table. “Keep the change.”
She did a double-take when she saw the bill’s denomination. “Oh. You sure? Thanks!”
He took a sip of the cold brew, then looked back across the bar. Where could she be?
“And then I told him to go fuck a trumpet!”
Ah, there she was. He would recognize her anywhere, as the sound of her beautiful voice was unmistakable. It called to him, even with the din in the room. He followed the foul-mouthed diatribe until it led him to a table in the corner occupied by three females.
The Blackstone She-Wolf: Blackstone Mountain 6 Page 2