"So let me get this straight. You want me as a mate and I don't do relationships. I sleep with men and then forget their names. Maybe there is another—"
"Shut up, honeycomb. You're overthinking this and we both know that you need my help. Besides, don't act like you don't want me. We were all over each other earlier, and trust me, I'll be the best thing that ever that happened to you," he cut her off, sounding very confident.
Red didn't know how to respond to that kind of statement. Apparently he had been watching her for weeks, and she didn't even notice. She hated that William wanted to dominate her. All Red wanted to do was to wipe that arrogant smirk off of his gorgeous face. Insufferable man.
"This isn't a game to me; it’s my life. I need to think about this first. It's not a decision that I'm willing to take on lightly," she snapped at him.
"There is nothing to think about, honeycomb. It’s a done deal. We’re made for each other, and if you just let me fu—"
"Don't even think about it. Just keep a safe distance from me from now on. Maybe I shouldn't have come here. It was a bad idea," she muttered, thinking out loud. She couldn't imagine being owned by someone. Maybe this wasn't the same thing, but she’d bet mating with William meant she would lose her freedom.
The alpha king looked angry, but Red didn't give a damn that she might have hurt his over inflated ego.
"Whatever you say, honeycomb. I'll pop in to see you tomorrow at the tavern, so we can at least talk things over in more detail," he said, and Red assumed that this was the end of their discussion. She reminded herself that he was a werewolf—a dangerous wild creature, but she wasn't scared of him. She only desired him. And that only pissed her off further.
"I haven't even agreed on anything yet. And I told you to stop calling me that," she told him, and then started walking towards the door. She was annoyed with herself that she let him touch her, annoyed that she was attracted to him, and furious that he already assumed she would agree to his terms. When she was with Charles she’d never felt overwhelmed or even turned on as much as she was now. She was already dreading seeing him tomorrow in front of all her customers and her grandmother especially.
Ruby was the sort of person that would like him instantly —Red just knew it.
"You're very sexy when you’re angry." Red heard his annoying voice behind her, and a few of his men laughed when she marched towards the forest. They were all sitting around the fire, cooking something. Her stomach growled with hunger when she smelled grilled steaks. "And you shouldn't be walking home alone. The forest is too dangerous."
Red sighed loudly, trying to ignore the fact that most of them were incredibly good looking too and bare chested. She turned around when she reached the trees and showed him her middle finger, trying really hard to ignore the pulsing sensation between her legs.
"I told you I can take care of myself, wolf."
It was official: Red had her first crush on a man, and she had no idea how this was going to turn out in the long run. The fact was that she hated William, but desired him too. She was so screwed.
Chapter Seven
"What time did he say he was coming over?" Ruby asked again. Red was used to her constant questions by now and she knew her gran wasn't a young bird anymore, but in a way she figured that Ruby liked keeping Red on her toes.
The tavern was almost empty tonight. Red glanced at the clock on the wall, thinking that their bad phase might continue for a while. She and Ruby barely had any customers throughout the day; only later on a few people showed up. On top of that, William was planning to come to the tavern, and Red wasn't looking forward to seeing him.
Two highwaymen were found dead in the forest this morning, and people believed that they were murdered in cold blood by werewolves. No one knew what really happened, and Red wasn't planning to talk about it. She thought that it could only make her situation worse. The news in town spread quickly, and people didn't want to take any chances going out at night.
"He didn't, Gran, and I told him he didn't have to see me tonight," Red said, pouring shots of tequila into a glass. "Here you go, Martha, this is your fifth tonight."
The town's hooker had been in the tavern since Red opened up and it looked like she wasn't planning to leave either. Normally Martha drank until she was unconscious, but tonight Red noticed that she was taking it easy. Two other girls, probably her friends, were talking to each other and not paying attention to her. Red had a feeling that Martha was upset about something, but so far she was too busy worrying about William to question her about it.
Apart from the hooker and her friends, there were two other men in the tavern. Ruby had already found out that they were on their way to Earl's Court Kingdom and they were only passing through Farrington.
"Fifth? Are you sure, love?" the hooker asked surprised, sounding much more sober than usual. Five shots of tequila would have knocked anyone out, but Martha was resistant to alcohol. Red didn't even know how she kept going every day. Her friend, Cinderella, told her that Martha was blessed with some magical abilities. Apparently Martha was a changeling, a daughter of a fairy that left her with a human family and took the human child in exchange. Red wasn't sure if she actually believed that story, but Cindy did. Last night, Red saw a bunch of wolves that shifted into drop dead gorgeous men, so now she figured that anything was possible.
"Yes, love, I counted them," Red replied and then leaned over the bar. "Are you sure you’re all right?"
"No, yes … well. I guess, I'm just bored, Sex with men doesn't make me happy anymore and my magic seems to be absent too," Martha sighed, and Red nodded. Deep down, she kind of knew what the town hooker was talking about, apart from the magic bit.
She suspected that Martha's clients stopped coming to the brothel; Robin One Eye was spreading rumours, inflicting fear into anyone who was willing to listen to him. Two highwaymen were found dead with their throats torn apart. William had wanted to send a strong message to the leader of the highwaymen, but at the same time he was damaging his own reputation.
"There’s no point overthinking this, darling,” “His terms are quite reasonable, and I know you like that boy. From what I remember he was very good looking, exactly the type that you normally go for."
Red didn't respond, chewing her bottom lip, aware that her gran was right. William was the epitome of tall, dark and handsome, but he was arrogant too. She still had no idea if she was ready to accept his offer. Since yesterday she hadn’t heard back from One Eye and he must know that Red had something to do with his men's death. Red was armed and ready to fight if she had to. She wasn’t about to let another one of his men get the jump on her again. After what happened in the forest, she was done messing around and made sure she carried her gun.
The noise of a slamming door made her jump a little. A minute later she saw that William had entered the tavern. He was walking towards her with another man. Red couldn't understand how she didn't notice him all those days when he kept watching her. He must have truly used some magical powers to make her forget about him, because their steamy moment together was stuck in her memories.
Blazing heat surged through her insides and she saw that now other people were staring too. Unfortunately, that annoying, arrogant smirk remained on his face. Red was just about to ask him what he wanted to drink, but to her surprise he approached Ruby first. Warmth flared, and his scent wafted over to her. After a sharp intake of breath, she tried to ignore the desire that had begun forming in her stomach but was failing miserably.
Red had to admit that William looked much hotter fully clothed, wearing a heavy jacket and black trousers.
"It's such a pleasure to meet you, ma’am," he said, in a flirtatious tone of voice, taking Ruby's hand and placing a gentle kiss on the front. Red shook her head, and rolled her eyes. The heat radiating from him was slowly beginning to overwhelm her. "My name is William and with your permission I would love to take your granddaughter as my mate."
"Hold on a minute, you can't
just bar—"
"Shush, Red, stop interrupting. Let William talk. I do love a well-mannered young man," Ruby cut her off, and then giggled like she’d forgotten that she was in her seventies.
"Well, hello there, and who are you, beast man? Why don't you have a drink with me?" Martha said, turning abruptly around and looking straight at Will's pack member. Red remembered him from last night, but didn't know his name. Martha seemed to have forgotten about her issues all of a sudden and her face brightened up instantly. The werewolf smiled and sat beside her.
"Thank you, ma’am,” William said, and Red couldn't believe what she was hearing. “Now I understand from whom your granddaughter inherited her unique beauty. If I didn't know, I would have guessed that you were in your late sixties." No doubt, Ruby was loving the sudden attention, looking slightly flustered.
Even Mr. Ridley was already up on his feet, looking displeased that William was complimenting Ruby so much. The town hooker was rolling a lock of her red hair around her finger, seeming immersed in conversation with Will's man.
"You're such a charmer, William. Red, what are you waiting for? Get him a drink. A man of his size must be very thirsty," Ruby said to her granddaughter. "And you must tell me more about this mating thing too."
"Gran, I think you’ve said enough. I'm standing right here. Besides, this isn't the best time to discuss that kind of thing," Red said through gritted teeth, furious that Ruby wasn't even the slightest bit concerned that her granddaughter was being forced to mate with a man like William just so she could save her tavern. He was a werewolf, and she only just met him. For years, Red fought to keep her independence and she wasn't prepared to be someone's puppy dog. She stepped out from behind the bar, grabbed his arm and started dragging him across the tavern. "I'll be right back. Keep an eye on things in here, Gran."
"Okay, darling, you two take as much time as you need," Ruby shouted after them and Red only shook her head. She was planning to remind Ruby that she was supposed to be on her side.
"Rough, I like it rough, honeycomb, but maybe we should start with a little foreplay first?" Will asked once she stopped right in front of the burnt outbuilding behind the tavern. Red's skin was aching for more contact and she didn't even realise that she was still holding William's hand.
She pulled her hand away too quickly, as her heart slammed against her ribcage.
"I told you, I was going to have to think about your proposition. You didn't have to come and cause such havoc in the tavern. People in town believe that you murdered innocent people!" she hissed at him, knowing well enough that her panties were damp, and she wanted to kiss him badly.
"You panic too much and I don't like it. Everything’s under control. I already have a plan. It looks like One Eye is not only taking payments from you, but also other shops in town as well. We need to work together to make sure that he pays for it with his head," William explained, dragging his hand through his shiny hair.
"Yes, I suspected that, but I was too ashamed to ask anyone else," Red said, tapping her foot.
Her situation wasn't going to improve overnight, but she wasn't willing to trust William just yet.
"You have to let me take care of this. One Eye created a cozy little nest for himself, but he’s going to get burned."
"What are you planning exactly?"
"Stop worrying about your future. I can always fix everything. One Eye won't approach you again if he knows that I'm around," Will said. "We should go on a date, so you can forget about that scum and relax a little."
"A date? Have you lost your mind?" She couldn't think of a worse possible time to be asked out on a date.
"What? Your grandmother already likes me and we need to get to know each other. I have to show you that on the inside, I'm a wonderful human being, and a great lover, of course," he added with a sexy grin, then winked at her. His damn winking and inappropriate comments were driving Red insane.
Red was too wound up to care that he was standing so close to her. She was also worried about the money. Soon enough, the bank was going to expect another payment for the loan, and she couldn't afford to get anymore stock. Obviously, she was too proud to share all her worries with William. He was only supposed to help her to get rid of One Eye. She didn't want anything else from him.
"I can't believe that you're asking me out when my whole world is falling apart," she snapped, and instantly regretted that she said anything.
William didn't have to concern himself with her problems. Red was always in control, but her self-confidence and assurance started slipping away when he was staring at her with his deep brown whiskey eyes. She didn't know anything about him. He was still a complete stranger and yet she felt like she instantly knew how to read him.
"Your customers will start showing up again, and if you need gold––"
"No, I'm not taking a penny from anyone, especially from you. Forget that I said anything," she cut him off, rubbing her forehead nervously.
"In that case, stop denying that you want me. Werewolves only meet their true mates maybe once in their lifetime. Our little make-out session only confirms it," he insisted. "One Eye keeps making too many mistakes. My men and I are going to watch him for a little while. Soon enough, people in town will figure out that he’s behind the robberies and kidnappings. I’ve dealt with highwaymen like him before."
Red found it hard to believe that things were going to get better anytime soon, but she needed to have faith. Her emotions were all over the place. She shouldn't have given One Eye any money from the start. The tavern was her life dream, and she couldn't allow it to close down.
"I want to twist my knife in his gut. The tavern has been empty for days and I can't keep going on like this," she admitted, raising her voice.
He placed his hands on her arms and smiled brightly. Every small hair on the back of Red's neck stood on end, and she felt scorching desire embracing her suddenly.
"Right now your situation doesn't look good, but you need to trust me, honeycomb. I won't let you down. The tavern will be full again sooner than you expect," he assured her, and new hope filled her heart. Maybe he was right, maybe Red was too hard on herself.
Ruby kept telling her that at some point, she needed to find a decent man that she could settle down with. For a while she believed that Charles was the one, but a few months after he moved in with her, she discovered that he cheated on her with some random maid in the castle. Then he betrayed her best friend, Cindy, so they both went their separate ways. Deep down, she was scared to trust another man, to give her heart away again.
She dropped her gaze to her feet, then looked at him. Heat crawled up her neck, causing vibrations in her chest. Her insides tightened when his face moved dangerously close to hers.
"Why do you keep annoying me like that? That stupid nickname is driving me insane," she said, barely in a whisper.
His eyes narrowed and the whiskey flakes deepened. Red stopped breathing when she realised that he just needed to lean a little further, and their lips would touch.
"Because I can, Red, and because I like seeing the real you. It's so hot when you're mad and it makes me instantly rock hard," he whispered and she shuddered. "So what do you say about that date then?"
"I’ll think about it, but first I want you to promise me that I’ll be involved in whatever plan you have," she told him, forcing herself to step away from him. Her heart ached and every cell in her body demanded to get closer, nearer.
"I'll take care of it, honeycomb, you just run the bus—"
"No, that isn't how this works. I want to be part of your plan," she said, a little louder than she intended, then folded her arms over her chest. "And you have to stop encouraging Gran to get involved too. My gran can be very impulsive and she’s gotten herself in a lot of trouble in the past."
"I have no idea what you’re talking about. I was only being a gentleman," he said. "Your gran is already in love with me, and soon enough you will be too."
Red laughed a li
ttle, and started heading back towards the tavern.
"Seriously, you have to stop talking like that, and get to know me first. I have to go. I have work to do," she said, waving her hand. "I might go out with you, but I want to be part of whatever you're planning; otherwise there’s no deal."
"Stubborn. You won't let this go, will you?" he shouted after her, and she shook her head and continued walking. "Fine then. Meet me tomorrow at the camp and we’ll go from there."
"I will, but it’s not a date," she reminded him, knowing that her voice was too hoarse. She didn't want to end up in his bed. Things seemed much simpler when she was the one picking up men and sleeping with them. Now the wolf man held her heart, he chose her, he watched her, and she didn’t know if she should even trust him. Only time would to tell, but Red wasn't that patient.
Chapter Eight
"We can always treat it as a date, and I can guarantee that you’ll have an amazing time with me," he shouted after her, but she wasn't listening to him any longer. She had more important things to worry about, like counting if she had made enough money tonight to cover her month’s mortgage. Over the past few days she’d been keeping a close eye on her accounts.
When Red came back, Ruby was behind the bar, pouring another pint of beer. Martha was laughing, sitting on Will's man’s lap. He seemed very pleased with his new company too. Those two must have really hit it off, because by this time Martha was normally wasted.
William followed Red inside the tavern.
"You two lovebirds worked things out already?" Martha asked, staring at Red, looking flustered. "Jack’s surely going to stay with me for a bit longer tonight."
Red was trying to ignore the heat that kept following her whenever Will was around. She glanced at Jack who was smiling at her. He too had coffee-coloured skin and wide hazel eyes.
"Unfortunately, Red’s playing hard to get," William stated, winking at her. Red sighed and wondered if he was planning to leave her alone tonight. She couldn't focus on her task when he was staring at her with those eyes. "Jackie is a good man, and I see that you two are already well aquatinted."
Alpha King: Red Riding Hood Page 6