“You okay? You seem a little off.”
Shit. She knew me too well. “I’m good.”
She narrowed her eyes a bit, pursing her rosy lips as she considered me. I gave her a goofy smile.
Her lips curled up in a wistful smile, sending my soul into a flutter, as she shook her head in dismay. “I’m onto you.” She pushed off the wall and returned to the kitchen.
I tugged on my pants. I always rode a fine line when it came to her. My wolf had grown inpatient, his need to claim her stronger than ever. His anxiety heightened my physical reaction to her, increased my craving for her. Just looking at her roused my cock.
I rolled my shoulders and strode into her small galley kitchen. She was standing near the coffee pot, her hands working. I crowded the space beside her.
She had poured two cups of coffee and was already adding sugar and non-dairy creamer to hers. “You didn’t have to rush over. The break-up happened days ago.” She tried for a casual approach, but I could sense her unease.
I glanced at her, observing her stirring her coffee. For as close as we were, it always felt like she had a wall up between us. “It’s me, Drea. You don’t have to pretend. Let’s go sit in the living room and you can tell me what happened.”
She stared down at her steaming coffee for a moment before picking up the mug and heading to the living room.
—
Chapter Four
DREA
Damn. He knew me too well. It’s like Bren had a sixth sense when it came to me. I was surprised he hadn’t sensed my attraction to him by now, but was grateful for that one.
I set my cup of coffee on the side table and bent over to adjust my knee-high socks, which had begun to slide down my plump calves. Happy with their new placement, I sat down on my worn leather sofa. It was worn in the sense that it had rustic-style fading around the edges, adding to its character.
I frowned when Bren didn’t immediately sit down. He stood behind the couch, his entire body stiff. His grip was so tight on the ceramic mug in his hand I wouldn’t have been surprised if he broke it. His gaze was focused entirely on me, his brown eyes dark with a new emotion in their depths.
I swallowed hard, concern tugging on my gut. He wasn’t himself. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
He inhaled deep, adjusting his jeans then jerking on his black t-shirt before he made his way around to the front of the sofa. He sat down next to me, his eyes never leaving me.
Don’t get me wrong. When Bren was around me, he gave me his undivided attention, but never like this. The look on his face was similar to a predator who’d spotted his ideal prey. His eyes were eating me up in a way that had warmth spreading through my body.
I picked up my cup of coffee, willing my body to stop reacting to him. The last thing I needed was to mess up our friendship because I couldn’t control my urges around him.
Bren angled himself sideways on the couch, towards me, throwing a single arm along the back of it. “Talk to me, sweetie.”
“Not really much to say.” I shrugged. I blew lightly on the hot coffee.
“Give me the short of it then.”
I felt heat tinge my cheeks. It’s not that Bren didn’t know I was fat, it was obvious to anyone who cast a glance my way, but to openly admit it in a conversation felt like I was exposing myself on a new level to him, one I wasn’t entirely sure I was ready to do yet.
The back of his hand stroked my left arm. “What happened, Drea?” His voice was soft; the hints of baritone a soothing lull to my broken soul.
I took a deep breath, gathering my courage. “Turns out John is an F.A.”
A single brow drew upwards on his face. “What’s that?”
I nibbled my lower lip, casting a wary glance towards him. “It’s a fat admirer.”
Both eyebrows lifted towards his hairline this time. “So he only likes… bigger women?”
“Ugh,” I groaned. “This conversation wouldn’t be half as awkward if you had an ounce of fat on you.”
Bren immediately frowned. “You’re not fat, Drea. You’re a beautiful, curvy woman.”
“Yeah, well, John thought I was fat. In fact he thought I was his ideal fat girl. So much so that he said if I ever lost weight he would dump me. So I dumped him, and all my confidence, that night.”
Embarrassment mixed with anger. I felt hot tears welling in my eyes. Damn it. I did not want to cry. I held my cup of coffee with both hands, focusing my gaze on the hot brew within it.
—
Chapter Five
BRENDON
My wolf roared. Indignation thundered in my chest. I wanted to rip the asshole apart limb by limb. How the fuck could he treat my woman that way?
Shit. That was the problem. She wasn’t mine yet. That had to change. She deserved love, regardless of her weight, and I was the best man for the job. Nature dictated that twenty years ago. Everyone in my family knew Drea was mine; they’d all been waiting anxiously for me to finally claim her, especially after my dad retired and handed the pack over to me.
My heart broke at the tears brimming; her cheeks were stained a deep pink. My gaze slid down to her lips being abused by her teeth.
I set my cup on the coffee table and moved closer to her. I crooked a finger beneath her chin and lifted her head to face me. “Listen to me, sweetie.” I kept my voice low and smooth. “He was an idiot. No man should dictate a woman’s weight. Whatever makes you happy is the weight you should be at.”
Her honey brown eyes stared into mine, so innocent and lost. I grabbed her cup and set it beside mine on the coffee table. Her gaze followed my moves, but she didn’t move a muscle.
I leaned in close, hovering over her lips, looking directly into her eyes. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re perfect just the way you are.”
Her breath hitched, and for the first time, I got a whiff of her arousal. It was barely present before it disappeared again. I cocked my head, inhaling deep. Drea fidgeted, her blush deepening. I tapered my eyes on her. The little minx had been hiding it all this time. She was attracted to me. It wasn’t a one sided thing.
Damn it. How had she been able to mask it for so long? Had I known she felt any sort of attraction to me, I wouldn’t have waited so damn long. Fuck. I’d suffered all this time because she was embarrassed to reveal the truth to me? Crap. That meant she didn’t think I felt the same. This whole time we’d both been suffering in silence.
“Drea.”
“Yeah?” Her voice was thick.
“Be honest with me.”
Her brows drew together. She was back to fidgeting. My arms framed her on either side of the sofa; my wolf was rattling his cage, fighting to be set free so he could claim her. He was focused, like a silver bullet with a close target.
“Always,” she said.
“Are you attracted to me?”
Her eyes widened marginally. She pushed on my chest, willing me to give her more space. I didn’t budge an inch. I saw a bit of the confident, sexy woman I was used to reach the surface. “Listen, Bren. You’re a good looking guy, but I know we’re best as friends.”
“Why?” I pressed.
When she finally met my gaze, I saw a fire was burning in the depths of her eyes. I was waiting to scent her arousal at any second, but it never came. I pursed my lips. Perhaps I had read her wrong. Maybe she did think we were better off as friends. Fuck. If that was the case, then me and my wolf were screwed. There was no way I could be with another woman for any extended amount of time. I was destined to be with Drea or no one, with only the occasional one-night-stand to get me by.
She shifted beneath me. “Why are you bringing this up now?”
I inhaled deep, savoring the aroma of her inside me. My wolf clawed at my chest, challenging my control every second, fighting to take control of the situation.
My pulse kicked up as a tiny whimper escaped her. Shit. Her tiny mewl punched my core, increasing my drive to claim her. Damn it. I was over the games. I was over watching
her with other men. I was over not having her in every way.
“Because I’ve wanted you since the day I met you. I’ve always wanted you, Drea. I dream of touching every curve, tasting every fold and watching you come.”
She stopped breathing, a startled expression on her face. Several seconds went by before I finally scented what I’d longed to smell all these years: her arousal. I breathed her in. No longer was her desire a puff in the wind; it was a full-blown scent that claimed the air.
Knowing she wanted me just as badly as I wanted her sent me to the brink of my control. I barely contained my wild wolf, barely contained my desire to pummel her pussy and bite her shoulder.
My gaze traveled over her, noting every tiny detail. Her rotund thighs were squeezed together tight, creating a line that led straight to her jewel. Her chest rose and fell erratically now, drawing my attention to her hard nipples, visible through her bra and shirt.
She swallowed hard as I devoured her with my eyes. My muscles clenched as I fought to keep from shredding her clothes and taking her right there and then.
—
Chapter Six
DREA
I couldn’t have heard him right. There was no way Bren found me attractive. But damn my body for reacting to his words like a love drunk teen. Warmth had settled low in my womb; my nipples were tight peaks begging to be laved. My entire body thrummed with awareness. I was hyperaware of his eyes sliding over me, aware of his cock, hard and straining against my thigh. As much as I wanted to deny it, the evidence was there. Bren was telling me the truth.
“I, uh, don’t know what to say.” It wasn’t like I could flip a switch, move Bren from the best friend position to the boyfriend position overnight without hesitancy. We had twenty years between us. He was the best of me in a person; he brought out the best in me, and I didn’t know if I could risk losing that for a chance at more.
If I was honest with myself, I’d always longed for more. I’d always felt this unexplainable pull towards him. Bren was my safe haven. He was my refuge, my strength and my savior. He kept me sane. He kept me smiling when I otherwise would have holed myself up in my room with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. He… I… Shit. There was much more between us than met the eye, and I guess there always had been.
He growled an otherworldly growl that sent shivers down my spine. His eyes seemed to glow as he met my gaze again. “I know you want me. I can smell your yearning for me.”
Abruptly he pushed away from the sofa and stood. He began to pace the living room, running his fingers through his hair. I didn’t get it. One minute he was damn near seducing me, the next he was trying to get away.
“Bren?”
When he faced me, there was a look of pure torture on his face. Anger and sadness swirled in his tight features, slicing me deep. My heart reached out to him. How long had he suffered in silence? I’d opened up to him about each date, each boyfriend, and each break up; I’d unintentionally rubbed it all in.
I closed the distanced between us and hugged him, exactly as he’d hugged me all those times over the years when I needed comfort. He clung tightly to me, his hard wall of muscles crushing my rolls of cushion.
Slowly he pulled back, cupping my face. Without warning, he captured my lips. My body lit up like the Fourth of July, electricity zapping every nerve ending with an intense heat. Liquid longing flooded my pussy as his lips molded to mine, drawing all of my suppressed emotions to the surface, drawing all my secret cravings for him to the forefront.
His lips were soft, but the urgency behind them was rough. He plunged his tongue between my lips, tasting me in a carnal way. He swirled the tip of his tongue along the roof of my mouth, sending a shockwave of pleasure through my body even as my need drove higher.
Every breath I took was filled with his essence. I tasted him, breathed him and felt him, and like a dam bursting, I threw myself into his caress. I slid my hands up his shirt, scraping my nails along his back. He shivered, a tight growl escaping him.
Suddenly, he jerked back. “Fuck. I could get lost in you forever.” His chest rose and fell rapidly, his nostrils flaring with every inhalation of air. A smile curled his lips. “You are going to get it.”
“Me? What did I do?” I feigned contempt, officially over my initial shock at his abrupt disengagement.
“You know exactly what you did. You kept me waiting for over twenty years.”
I put my hands on my hips and narrowed my eyes at him. “It works both ways, babe.”
He chuckled. “Alright. You’ve got me there.” He took another step back. “Before we go any further, I need to tell you something.” His entire demeanor changed. Gone was the playfulness of moments ago; it was replaced with fear.
My attraction for him wavered in the shadows; my desire to be wrapped in him slipped as discomfort plagued me. He gazed at me with concern, with worry. I couldn’t tell if it was for me or for him though.
“What’s wrong, Bren?” My chest tightened, my gut twisted as all the hunger of moments ago officially disappeared into the background.
Unease ate away at me, sending my imagination on a wild goose chase. What could possibly be wrong? We were best friends. We didn’t keep secrets… or did we?
He closed the distance between us, reached out and caressed my cheek. “I’m fine. There’s just something that I’ve never told you. I’ve wanted to tell you for so long, but never found the right time.”
I furrowed my brows, wracking my mind, trying to figure it out before he said it. “Don’t tell me you’re gay.”
He chuckled, removing his hand from my face. My skin tingled where his palm had been. “Definitely not.”
“Okay?” Niggling unease was pushing on my core, making patience nearly impossible. “Please just tell me, Bren.”
—
Chapter Seven
BRENDON
It wasn’t easy to tell your best friend, your mate, that she never truly knew you, the real you, all those years. She only knew a part of you, what you wanted her to know; what I wanted her to know.
I could tell her patience was growing thinner by the second; fear washing away her tolerance.
“You know those paranormal romance books you love so much?” I asked.
She narrowed her eyes at me, suspicion in their depths. “Yeah?”
“In particular, the shape shifter romance books?”
“What about them?” Her eyes slit as she continued to watch me, to study me closely.
“Have you ever wondered if they were true?”
Her brows drew together, confusion sweeping through her expression. “No. I always assumed they held a small fraction of truth, but the image they portrayed was more fluff than anything.”
My confident, bold woman was back. “What if they were true in every way?”
She pursed her lips, still slightly swollen from my touch. “Bren, please just get to the point.”
I stepped back, tugging on my hair at the roots. I met her gaze head on, building the last bit of courage I needed to blurt out the truth. “I’m one of them, Drea.”
Her features fell. “Come again?”
“I’m a werewolf, Drea.”
Her face blanked. She didn’t say anything, nor did she reveal anything. Everything was hidden behind her mask, the mask she wore in public with everyone else; the mask she never wore around me.
My wolf howled, my heart cracking around the edges. She was shutting me out.
“Are you the odd man out or is your brother, dad and everyone else in on this?” Her voice was devoid of emotion.
“Drea, don’t do this.” My tone was harder than I meant it to be. My wolf roared; though hurt, he refused to let her go. I couldn’t blame him. In truth, I didn’t think I could let her go either.
“Just tell me, Brendon.” She used my whole name. She never called me Brendon unless she was mad.
She finally let loose, unveiling the fire in her eyes, revealing the anger she felt. “Tell me, Brendon. At what point
were you going to tell me this? I thought as your best friend that I would have qualified as a confidante. I didn’t keep secrets from you. I’ve shared every embarrassing, gut-wrenching part of my life, while you kept me in the dark on… on something as simple as who you are. Tell me, did you ever even consider me your best friend or was I just convenient?”
I snarled, my wolf erupting from my chest. I blinked and my vision was black and white. I fought down my wolf, regaining a smidgen of control.
“Convenient? You’re my mate for Christ’s sake and I never got to kiss you until tonight. How the fuck does that make you convenient?”
She winced as if I’d slapped her. It took her a second to regain her focus. Her face pinched, her features swarming with rage again; her hands flew to her hips. “Don’t turn this around on me.”
“Then don’t turn on me!” I huffed. I wanted her so bad, yet everything was spiraling out of control. It felt like I was losing more and more of her as each second ticked by.
My wolf’s snarling desperation was seeping into my sanity. I felt choked, fear stunting my breathing as I watched her, frozen with a stark expression in front of me.
She stood motionless for a while before her face crumbled, before all of the fight left her. Her arms fell to her sides as tears welled in her eyes. Damn it.
“I think you need to leave, Bren.” She picked up the cups of coffee off the table and headed for the kitchen.
My wolf sneered, shredding my inner flesh; its harassment amplified my struggle. Every breath took effort. It took all of my strength not to let him loose, where I knew he’d damn near rape her at this point. I didn’t want that. She didn’t deserve that. I hadn’t pursued her all this time because I wanted to give her a choice. I wanted to be her choice, not her obligation.
She walked through the living room to the front door. She opened the door and stood there, averting her gaze to the floor. “Please go, Bren.” Her voice was so soft; there was so much pain present in her voice.
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