by Sam Crescent
“Go ahead.”
While the clerk processed the card and Caleb’s information, Erica glanced around the hotel lobby. A family in the corner caught her eye. A mother, father, and two small children, all laughing together at something. The mother held one child on her hip and the father had the other one sitting on his shoulders. They looked so happy, and Erica’s heart ached for her own boys. Leaving them had been the hardest thing she’d ever done, and it was the only part about her previous life she missed. She hoped they were doing okay.
“Okay, we’re all set.” Caleb gestured toward the bank of elevators on the far side of the lobby and set off. Tearing her gaze away from the family, Erica followed Caleb, not wanting to lose him in the crowd. When they reached the room, she was stunned by the interior. It was almost as nice as the penthouses at Tank’s hotel.
“Wow.”
“You take the master bedroom and en suite.” Caleb pointed her in the right direction. “I’ll use the main bathroom and smaller bedroom.
Still a bit shocked from the developments, Erica entered the master bedroom and closed the door behind her. She hesitated a minute before turning the lock. It wouldn’t be a match for Caleb’s strength if he really wanted to break the door down, but at least it sent a message and would give her a minute to prepare if he came in uninvited.
Erica dropped her small backpack beside the bed and headed into the bathroom. A large soaker tub took up one corner and she groaned. It had been weeks since she’d had a proper shower, let alone a soak in a luxurious tub. She started the water and stripped, avoiding the mirror. No way did she want to see what kind of mess she was in.
She wished she could brush her hair, but she didn’t have a brush and there wasn’t one in the room. She gathered the travel-size bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, and took a quick shower to get rid of the worst of the grime before she sat in the tub. When she finally lowered herself into the steaming water, she sighed, letting herself sink down.
The bath relaxed her so much she drifted in and out of consciousness, before finally becoming aware of a banging sound. Someone was pounding on the bedroom door. Shit. Caleb was probably wondering what had happened to her. Climbing quickly out of the tub, she grabbed the bathrobe from the counter and pulled it on as she headed to the bathroom door.
“Just a second!” She cinched the belt of the robe and then unlocked the bedroom door to find a relieved-looking Caleb.
“I was worried something happened,” he said. “If I’d had to wait much longer I would have broken the door down and I really didn’t want to give that clerk the satisfaction of not refunding the security deposit.”
Erica tucked her hair behind her ears and glanced down at her feet. “I fell asleep in the tub.”
“You should be more careful. You could have drowned.” God, he sounded angry.
“Give me a fucking break. My first bath in weeks and I fell asleep. So what? And it’s not like anyone would care if I drowned anyway.”
He gripped her chin and tilted her head so she couldn’t avoid his eyes. “I would care.”
They stood for a minute, gazing into each other’s eyes, before Caleb released her.
“So what was so important you tried to break down the door?”
“I wanted to know if you’d like to go for dinner.”
“Oh. That would be nice, but I don’t have anything to change into.” Erica tightened the robe around her. “I don’t really want to go out in the cold again.”
“Right. Okay, I’ll order room service.” He started to turn away, but before Erica could close the door, he stopped. “I can ask my friend’s girlfriend to bring some clothes for you. We still don’t have to go out, but at least then you’re not…” His voice trailed off as he allowed his gaze to wander over her.
Heat spread through Erica’s cheeks as she scented his arousal. She realized he probably smelled her, too. Clothes would be a definite bonus. “That would be great. And if it’s not too much trouble, I could use a hair brush and some proper conditioner. And a toothbrush.”
He grinned at her. “I’ll call Jake and then room service.”
After he disappeared into the main room, Erica closed the door and flopped down on the bed. Coffee, food, a place to stay, and soon clothes. He was being so kind, but she questioned his motives. Sure there wasn’t a huge werewolf population in a major city like this, which had drawn her here in the first place. So it would be odd enough for him to find a lone wolf, but there was no reason for him to go out of his way to be so good to her.
It was obvious he wanted her. Even grubby and half frozen, his arousal had been evident. While contemplating the motives of her rescuer, Erica drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Five
A feminine voice encouraged Erica to wake up. Disoriented, she blinked a few times before a pretty young woman came into view.
“Where am I?”
“Glad you’re finally awake. I’m Carly. Jake’s girlfriend. Caleb asked me to bring you some things.”
“Right.” Erica pushed herself up to a seated position. “Thanks for helping.”
“No problem. Come have a seat over at the table and I’ll help you with your hair.”
Erica followed the girl to the little table in the corner and seated herself in the chair. Carly dumped the contents of a shopping bag on the table and selected a few items. “I brought some detangler because I figured you’d need some. I know how awful the knots get when you haven’t been able to brush.”
Embarrassed, Erica couldn’t think of anything to say, but Carly seemed more than happy to fill the silence with constant babble as she worked away on Erica’s hair. From her scent, Erica knew the girl was human, and she gathered from the way Carly talked she didn’t realize her boyfriend’s friend was a werewolf. It was probably better for her that way. Erica did learn that Caleb lived in Muskoka, and though she wasn’t familiar with Canadian geography, she thought it was somewhere north of the city. It made sense. Carly also told Erica that Caleb was thirty-four, single, and quite well-off. Really, Erica had deduced all but the age already, but she liked the sound of Carly’s voice. She sounded so happy. Had Erica ever been that content with life? Maybe when she spent time with her kids, but certainly not when Tank was around.
When Erica’s hair had finally been freed of all tangles, Carly laid out the clothes she’d bought for Erica. Leggings, jeans, panties, sports bras, t-shirts, and a sweater.
“You didn’t have to do this for me.” Running her hand over the soft fabric of the sweater, Erica blinked back tears.
Carly threw her arms around Erica and squeezed her tightly. “Oh, sweetie, everyone has rough times, and we all need help sometimes. There’s no shame in that. Besides, any girl who’s gotten Caleb’s attention is so worth it. I’ve been trying to set that boy up for years with no luck.”
Erica blushed. “I don’t know about that.”
“I’ll head out to the living room to make sure the boys haven’t caused too much trouble. Hopefully everything fits. And I’d be happy to take you shopping for more if you want.”
Swallowing a lump in her throat, Erica nodded and then closed the door behind Carly. When dressed, she finally looked into the mirror. She’d lost so much weight the clothes hung off of her. But her hair looked healthy at least. At last, she took a deep breath and headed out to the main room, following the musical sound of Carly’s voice.
As she came around the corner, Caleb caught sight of her and stood. Another man about his age stood beside him, and Carly squealed and ran to give her a hug.
“They’re a bit big,” Carly said as she gave Erica a once over.
Pulling at the sweater, Erica nodded. “I’ve lost more weight than I thought. I don’t always—” She snapped her mouth shut and looked around.
They invited her to sit and Erica picked a single chair. She watched the three friends talking and laughing, and couldn’t help thinking about everything she’d lost. Really, she hadn’t had any close
friends since high school, and Tank had knocked her up at eighteen so she really didn’t have much of a life after that.
When the food came, they ate quietly, and Jake and Carly took off soon after, leaving Erica alone with Caleb again. He shifted down to sit on the end of the couch closest to Erica. Before he could say anything, she jumped up and started cleaning up the garbage from their take-out. He followed along and they worked in silence. What would happen next? What was he expecting? He didn’t give her any cues, but awareness of him made her body tingle.
Once Erica had placed the last of the garbage in the bin, she could sense Caleb behind her and knew she couldn’t get out of the kitchen without going past him. So she stood facing the wall, hands braced on the counter, willing him to leave so she could escape to her room.
She could feel the air stirring as he moved toward her, and she held her breath when he stood right behind her. He placed one hand on her shoulder and the other one over her hand. Erica closed her eyes and swallowed. Though only his hands touched her, she could feel the heat from his body and fought the urge to lean back against him.
“Are you going to tell me your name?” His voice was soft, warm breath sliding over her neck. Her body trembled with a horrid combination of fear and desire.
“Erica,” she whispered.
“Erica. Nice to meet you.” He lifted his hands off her, but her relief was short-lived when he spoke in his Alpha voice. “Turn around.”
Unable to resist the power of his voice, she turned. He placed his hands on her hips and moved in closer, pressing his lower body to hers, and showed how much he wanted her. Unable to stop the small whimper from escaping her, she turned her head to the side. She hadn’t meant it to be an invitation, but for wolves, baring the neck was an act of submission, and he took advantage of it.
He pressed his lips against her neck, eliciting a gasp. Desire flared to life inside her as he kissed her neck and nipped at her ear. She slid her hands up his arms and gripped his shoulders, overcome by lust. When he finally settled his lips against hers, she opened to him, allowing their tongues to tangle together.
With a growl, Caleb gripped her ass and hoisted her up to the counter, pulling her legs around his waist. She wiggled against him as he ground his erection against her, his kisses leaving a fiery trail across her neck and jaw. She needed his touch. Needed to feel his skin against hers. She slid her hands under the hem of his shirt, tracing her fingers over the hard lines of his stomach.
Caleb pulled away for a moment and whipped his shirt off over his head, and then grabbed hers and did the same, before coming back in for another kiss. The heat of his body seared into her flesh and fanned the flames of passion even more. Her pussy throbbed and clenched as her body lubed itself, preparing to welcome his steely length. And they weren’t even completely naked. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this turned on. Tank had never—
With a cry, Erica yanked her head away from Caleb and whacked it on the cupboard door behind her. “Fuck!”
She reached up to rub the back of her head, groaning at the sensitive lump that had arisen. Werewolves healed fast, but it didn’t mean they didn’t feel the pain of an injury. And it certainly helped to douse the lust which had taken over her body.
“Are you okay? What happened there?”
Erica looked down and shook her head. “I can’t do this.”
“But, Erica—”
“No. Let me down, please.”
Caleb lifted a hand and Erica cringed back, waiting for the blow to come. Instead, he growled and gripped her chin, and then turned her head toward his. “Tell me you feel nothing.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to shake her head, but he refused to let go. Her stomach tightened, her chest hurt, and she could only manage a whisper. “Of course I feel something. But I can’t do this right now. Please.” At last she opened her eyes to find his inches away, boring into her.
As the moment stretched on, Erica braced herself for his outburst. She winced when he tightened his arms around her and lifted her off the counter, but to her surprise, he set her down and released her. Erica let out a shuddering sigh and moved to go around him. He caught her hand as he went by and she glanced up at him again.
“Someone’s hurt you. I can see that and respect your space. For now. But you will be mine.”
Erica yanked her hand from his and stalked off toward her room, slamming and locking the door behind her. She threw herself down on the bed and took deep breaths as she tried to relax her body. Every muscle had coiled tight. Maybe another bath was in order.
And then she heard his voice outside the door. “Sleep well, Erica. In the morning, I’m taking you home.”
Chapter Six
Home? What the fuck did that mean? He couldn’t know who she was or where she came from. Did the Canadian packs have any ties to the ones in the States? Erica doubted it as she’d never heard any of the Demon Dogs mention it. So Caleb must mean he was taking her to his home.
No fucking way.
She’d never allow another man, especially an Alpha, to control her again. With Tank, she’d been young and moronic, with fanciful expectations of a fairy-tale ending. He’d quickly proved there were no happily ever afters. Caleb might think he could take her away, but she wouldn’t let him. She had to do what it had taken her years to do the last time.
Run.
For a few moments, Erica considered leaving the clothing Carly’d brought her, but she didn’t know when she’d be able to get new ones. It wasn’t like she hadn’t stolen when she’d first shifted back to human, weeks after leaving Michigan. But if she started packing, Caleb was sure to hear and come investigate. What to do?
At last she decided maybe another bath would work. She turned on the water and left the bathroom door open. The sound of the water should mask her activities. Then, as quietly as possible, she tiptoed around the room, gathering her things together and shoving them in her backpack. She dragged it into the bathroom to do the zipper, and then she waited.
Finally, hoping enough time had passed for him to fall asleep, she padded to the bedroom door, unlocked it, and then listened for any movement from Caleb. The TV had been on earlier, but she didn’t hear it now. She closed her eyes and strained her ears, attempting to use werewolf senses she’d spent months trying to smother. Was that music? Yes. Coming from Caleb’s room. It sounded as though he’d left a clock radio on. After a few minutes of listening, she figured he was out cold. She tiptoed down the hall but her gaze snagged on a dark object protruding from the bathroom.
She picked it up and a brief investigation showed it was Caleb’s jeans, obviously kicked off and left lying on the floor. What was it with guys? The pants seemed heavier than they should, though. Erica patted the pockets and realized he’d left his wallet. Without overthinking it, she pulled the wallet out and opened it. Inside she found a wad of cash. She took it all and slipped it into her pocket before slipping out of the room.
****
Caleb awoke with a start. He glanced around the hotel room for what had woken him, but nothing seemed out of place. A slim beam of bright sunlight shone between the curtains. He’d overslept. Jumping out of bed, he grabbed his boxers off the floor in case Erica happened to see him on the way to the bathroom. Or maybe he should just leave them off, show her what she’d missed out on last night.
He gave a slight chuckle as he tugged the boxers on, trying to arrange his erection so it didn’t jut out of the hole. He walked across the hall. Erica’s bedroom door was still closed. Kicking his pants out of the way, he closed the door to the bathroom.
While in the shower, he couldn’t help thinking of the encounter in the kitchen last night. Erica might claim to not want him, but her actions said otherwise. She’d responded to him like no woman before and his balls had ached with need after she’d stormed off. When she’d gone into the tub, he’d used the opportunity to jerk off while picturing her pouty lips around his cock.
Mate
.
Caleb stilled the hand that had been idly stroking his dick and concentrated. His wolf was agitated.
Mate!
Shit. Caleb bolted from the shower and raced, dripping wet and naked, to Erica’s door. He tried the handle and it turned easily. Not locked. Not a good sign. He burst through the door to find the room empty. A quick look proved the bathroom was deserted, too. There was no sign of her in the living room or kitchen, either.
“Fuck!”
Caleb hurried back to the bathroom and grabbed his jeans, pausing when his wallet tumbled to the floor. He picked it up and he smelled Erica all over it, and when he opened it, he discovered the missing cash.
“Fuck!” He drove his fist into the door. Right through the door. But fuck the security deposit. His mate was missing and with the cash he’d had on him, she could have easily bought a ticket far away from the city. His wolf longed to break free and give chase, but he knew he had to think with his head if he was going to find her.
Back in his room, he picked up the phone and called Jake.
****
“You’re not serious.”
Caleb twirled the dog collar around a finger. “I’m very serious. I have to track her and in a city like this I won’t be able to do it as a human. Remember how long it took us the other day?”
“People are going to know you’re not a dog.”
“Werewolves don’t exist, remember? People will see what they want to see, and if there’s a leash, they’ll see a dog.”
Jake shook his head. “I’m already regretting this.”
“Come on. I’d help you in a second.”
“You misunderstand. I’m regretting that I don’t have a camera to document this moment.”
In a flash, Caleb had allowed his wolf to take over and transform him. Baring his teeth, he growled at Jake.
“Take it easy. I’m just kidding.” Jake kneeled to fasten the collar and leash around Caleb’s neck, muttering, “Moody fucking werewolves.”
Caleb licked the side of Jake’s face, earning a groan, but immediately he picked up on Erica’s scent and started pulling Jake to the door. They made their way to the elevator and down, earning some surprised looks from other guests. In the lobby, Caleb found Erica’s scent again and took off out the door and onto the street.