by Ellis Leigh
He didn’t catch the double entendre in his reply until she responded.
Sounds lonely.
He stared, transfixed. Frozen. Was she…flirting? He grinned at the thought.
I find my ways.
I’ve heard that about you. Seems you like to play online with people.
Fuck. How could she have heard that about him? It wasn’t like he got his sexting on often—maybe once a month, if he was being honest. And never under his main username. She’d done her own digging, apparently. Enough so to have found out information on him. That shouldn’t have turned him on as much as it did.
Might as well admit to it. Sometimes. Though not nearly often enough to keep me satisfied.
Poor baby. Maybe you need a different partner.
He wished. Maybe I do. Looking to apply for the gig?
Depends. What sort of benefits would that entail?
Me. Using every dirty word I know to get you off.
Hmmm…not very enticing.
My vocabulary is huge.
I need more than a big vocabulary.
Meet me in person. Other parts of me are huge as well.
He nearly dropped the phone at that one. Not the hint at his size—the rest of it. He hadn’t thought about the words, hadn’t really considered them. He’d simply typed what he’d felt and…invited her out. To meet him. Sort of like a human date. Fuck. He didn’t date. Never had. Wolf shifters were tied to their chosen mates by some random lottery of fate, so dating really wasn’t part of their culture. Sure, shifters would screw around until that perfect someone found them, but not anything like what the humans called dating. No dinners or movies or strained evenings out trying to determine if the lies you told fit with the lies the other person did. Shifters fucked when they needed to scratch an itch—no formal date required. He had to assume she was human, which meant she’d expect him to do human things. Like take her to dinner. And not bite her when he came inside of her tight, hot pussy.
At that thought, and all the ones that involved parts of him inside parts of her, he had to adjust his cock through his jeans. The damn thing was so fucking erect, it had leaked precome all over his belly. From texting. Words on a screen from someone he’d never met. Not the first time that had happened, but definitely the fastest…and least direct.
Hard and wanting and ready to take the girl on as many dinners as he had to, he waited for her response to his offer. And then he waited some more.
The alert that finally sounded from his phone was the ringing of an incoming call, and it wasn’t from her.
He swiped to answer, hoping like hell he wouldn’t growl into the phone. “What's up, kid?”
Bez grunted a greeting. Or the Bez equivalent of one. “I know Luc’s been looking for info on that fucking town in Alaska. How’s it coming, old man?”
The only thing that should have been coming was him, but he tried to tell his cock to stand down. By rubbing his palm over it a time or two. Or six.
“They live almost completely off the grid,” Deus said, willing Birdfoot to text again. To respond. To give him some sort of answer so he could think about anything else other than her. “If Luc refuses to go digging in town himself, someone’s going to have to go up there.”
Deus still hoped it wouldn’t be him, especially not if he might have a date to deal with.
Bez squashed that hope quick. “You’re the only someone available. How soon can you have boots on the ground?”
Figures. Deus growled, glancing at the screen of his phone to make sure he hadn’t missed a message from Birdfoot. Nothing. No response. No date. And now a trip to motherfucking-nowhere Alaska. Perfect.
“I’ll book a flight right away. Maybe tonight or tomorrow morning.” His voice sounded petulant even to his own ears, something else that irritated the shit out of him.
Clueless as always—or simply ignoring Deus’ irritation—Bez said, “Sounds good. Get it done, Deus.”
As if he wouldn’t. Deus ended the call and pulled up the private plane website again. Changing the details of the flight to make it easiest on him, he booked himself on a trip to Alaska to search out information for Luc. Exactly where he didn’t want to be. He also sent one more text to Birdfoot. Because he had no ability to resist her, apparently.
Not in person, then?
She didn’t answer right away. In fact, her answer didn’t come in for close to three hours. Three very long, very frustrating hours. He’d tried to pass the time with his games, but to no avail. He’d finally given up and headed for the shower, jacking off four times before he finally felt enough relief to get back to work on research.
One ping indicating a text message out of the blue, and he was rock hard again.
Short and direct, Birdfoot’s message read You’re quite pushy.
He couldn’t hold back his grin. And you’re quite negligent in replying.
Maybe because I had things to do.
I was doing *things* while texting you. And afterward. Lots of things afterward.
What sorts of things?
He considered sending her a dirty message but figured the truth would land better. At least, he hoped it would.
Talking to one of my coworkers.
About your Alaska job?
Yeah. Why? You interested in heading up with me? I’ve got a private plane booked for the trip.
I don’t know you.
We can fix that before we get on the plane.
As he’d expected, she gave him another long wait between messages. Every second seemed to span an hour, every minute a full day. And during all of that time, he and his wolf kept their eyes locked on the phone screen. Waiting. Hoping for something. An inch. A maybe. Something.
But in the back of his mind, his thoughts turned darker. Warier. He couldn’t figure out his reaction to this girl. He didn't date, didn’t care to hang around other people, and had no interest in humans. Yet there he was, texting a woman he only knew as Birdfoot to meet up. To fly to Alaska with him. What would he do if she decided to take him up on the offer? He couldn’t just come out with “Oh, by the way, I’m an ancient breed of shapeshifter, so don’t panic if I turn into a giant wolf with spots on my flank.”
He couldn’t meet her, couldn’t take her with him, and couldn’t continue this flirting thing. He was a fucking Dire Wolf, and she…likely had no clue what that meant.
But when her next text came in, all those instances of he couldn’t turned into he would.
When and where?
4
A coffee shop. Such a human place to meet for the first time, but what could Zoe have said when Libidine recommended such a public location? “Oh hey, I’ll meet you wherever even if it’s private because, as a wolf shifter, I can kill you in the blink of an eye if you take a single step out of line.”
Yeah, probably not a good idea to lead with that when meeting a human male for the first time.
Which was how she found herself walking past then circling around the block and coming back to the designated coffee shop Libidine had asked to meet her at. She even went inside and ordered a cup of tea—not because she was thirsty, but because she wanted to know all the exit points and corners. She was a big fan of doing recon before a job, and though she’d never felt the need to do the same in the world of dating, she figured it couldn’t hurt to know the lay of the land. She didn’t spend a lot of time in coffeehouses. She also didn’t meet random strangers from the internet without having some sort of financial compensation planned for a job. This was all totally new to her.
As soon as she picked the best table for viewing the shop while keeping her back against something solid, her phone pinged. She knew it had to be Libidine before she even swiped to view the message.
You know you can scope out a place without walking into it, right?
Her lips quirked into a smile without her meaning them to, and she shook her head. Jackass.
I prefer to use all my senses, not just what a camera can show me. I’m
assuming you’re not here yet, unless you have a shock of pink hair like the man in the far corner. Planning on being late?
His response came almost immediately. No pink hair and no plans to be late. I’ve got five minutes until our meeting time. Since you’re so anxious to meet me, I’ll be there in three.
Zoe took a deep breath, set her phone down in the perfect spot so she could see the screen but he wouldn’t be able to when he sat across from her, and sipped her tea. Her leg shook under the table. She was anxious, though not for the reasons she would have expected. She’d enjoyed hookups before—met men for random sex before moving on with the rest of her day. Her meeting with Libidine wasn’t like that. There was something about him, even just in his typed messages and his onscreen persona. She felt a pull to him, a need to find out more instead of running away. She had to follow this crazy meeting through to figure out why, and then she could cut him loose and decide what to do next. Move, or kill him? Change all her internet identifications, or tie him up in her apartment for hours of fun?
Such tough decisions.
She straightened her skirt and crossed her legs to keep from shaking them. Her heels would likely catch some attention, as they were meant to do. There was no mistaking those bright red soles as anything other than designer. She’d picked her entire outfit with care that morning, had spent hours in front of the mirrors trying to look her best without looking like someone trying too hard. She’d chosen the most elegant clothes, the most expensive accessories, and basically draped herself in obvious signs of wealth. Such things scared of plenty of men, the ones who couldn’t live up to her expectations. Libidine didn’t seem like that type of man, but she couldn’t be sure. Many a human male liked to play the part of a person who could afford the finer things in life. She actually could, and no man would get in her way of acquiring the things that filled her with happiness. With comfort. With security.
Zoe knew who Libidine was before he even walked through the door of the shop. Hell, she knew him the second he came into view. Knew his height and the ridges of muscle making up his bulk. Recognized him for what he was. Recognized the lupine grace of his stride. As she watched him approach, her wolf sat up and took notice of the animallike sharpness in his eyes. Yes, they both recognized him. There’d be no need to explain what she was, to tell him about her wolf. He’d know her by scent.
A wolf shifter could always spot one of their own kind.
His eyes zeroed in on hers before he opened the door, and her body went molten inside. Wolf. Definitely wolf, and a powerful one at that. One her own independent Omega wolf would happily spread her legs for. She’d never met a male wolf who could compare with her Omeganess—the source of her inner power.
A gift to most packs, an Omega female could strengthen bonds of the members with ease. When she’d been a child and her mother had recognized the Omega within her, she’d taught Zoe to break those bonds instead so they could run. No use sticking around in a pack that would only use her for her gifts and give her nothing in return. And by nothing, she meant literally nothing. No safety, no comfort, no food, no peace.
But Libidine wasn’t from that pack, and he didn’t seem to be some weak-minded wolf who would try to cage her in simply to follow someone else’s orders. In fact, he seemed almost matched with her in terms of wolf hierarchy. She could sense his strength, could practically smell the fortitude pouring off him as he walked through the door, his steps long but not quick, his stride smooth. She couldn’t look away. She’d never once thought about what would happen if she found her mate, but she knew down to the very core of her being that she was about to find out.
With Libidine.
His eyes—so light green, they appeared almost icy—bored into hers as he took the seat across from her, and his lips turned up in a subtle, cocky smile.
“So.” That was all he said. One word, but it was enough to send a shiver up her spine. The gritty tone, the deep, rough sound. How could one word make her so wet?
She crossed her legs, hoping he wouldn’t notice. Knowing he would.
“So.” Zoe took another sip of her tea, holding his gaze the entire time. Her wolf too strong in her own right to back down. “Libidine and Birdfoot.”
He hummed. “Lust and Lilith. Interesting connection.”
One most people wouldn’t have figured out. Hot and smart. That combination was almost too sexy to resist.
But she’d try. “So…Alaska, huh?”
God, his grin could stop traffic. “Alaska. Interested?”
Fuck yeah, she was. In him. Not so much in spending time in the frozen north.
She set down her cup and dabbed at the corner of her mouth with a napkin, nearly grinning as his eyes tracked every movement with interest, thankful she’d spent so much time choosing the perfect shade of red. “Depends. What’s in it for me? I’m not going to give you all my talents without getting something in return.”
The low growl he released shot straight to her clit. He leaned forward, lowering his voice a little as he asked, “What’s your name, Beautiful?”
By the fates, if she heard her name in that voice, she’d explode. “You can just keep calling me Beautiful, and I’ll call you Alaska.”
He laughed, making her want to reach across the table and touch him. Hell, she wanted to do more than touch. She wanted to strip him naked and explore every inch of that body, wanted to sniff and feel and taste him until her wolf felt satisfied that he was hers and hers alone. But she couldn’t. Not yet.
Sex with a fated mate wouldn’t be some quick tumble in the sheets—it would be permanent in a way she’d always avoided. They could end up tied to each other forever, a thought which cooled her blood quick.
She refused to be someone’s kept woman, and she didn’t know enough about him to be willing to submit. At all.
Alaska dropped the grin, looking serious again. A lustful fire burning in those cold eyes that had to match the one she found herself fighting as well. “You realize I could find out everything about you with a few internet searches.”
Yeah, she knew it. And was surprised he hadn’t already done so. “But you haven’t, which means you know I won’t like it. Besides, what’s the fun in stealing some database to find out about me?” She leaned closer, letting her fingers brush the side of his hand. Locking her muscles down tight so he wouldn’t see her shiver. “How about you earn what you want instead? I’ll tell you my name eventually, if you play your cards right and promise not to go digging into my past.”
He sat back, smiling again. Looking so damn handsome, she nearly drooled. “Game on then, Beautiful.”
Game on, indeed. “How do you like the city, Alaska?”
And so the afternoon went—both wolves pretending to be human, making small talk as any dating couple would. Meanwhile, her wolf paced in her mind, wanting to move closer to her mate. Craving a physical connection with him. But they kept to the contact to a minimum and the conversation light. Easy. Not revealing too much.
When her phone pinged with an incoming message from the text app she used for her work, she snatched it off the table.
“Everything all right?” Alaska asked. She must have frowned at the message for him to look so concerned. She couldn’t help it—the necklace buyer was suddenly ready to meet. They’d given her no explanation for the delay and no options to change the time or location. She only had a couple of hours to prep and get herself across town, which felt rushed. She hated being rushed. Something about the situation felt wrong.
“Beautiful?” Alaska prodded. Zoe shook her head, refocusing on her date with a bright smile.
“Yes, sorry. Everything is…well, it’s a little odd but not bad. I do have to leave, though.”
“Already?”
Had she not truly needed to leave, his concern would have been a turn-on. She would have invited him home with her and allowed them to give in to their instincts. Carefully—no biting involved.
Instead, she had to go be a thief. “I ha
ve another appointment.”
As she stood, he growled. Loudly this time. Zoe reacted without thought, placing her hands on his forearms and leaning over him, her face so close to his, she could feel his breath on her skin.
“Stop that,” she whispered, glancing around to make sure no one had paid attention to their odd position, to verify none of the humans had gotten scared of the sound of a predator in their midst. “You can’t let the humans hear you.”
That was when she noticed their positions—how close she’d gotten to him. How appetizing he smelled. How his eyes had specks of darker green along the edges, like the color was fading as it moved closer to his pupils. Ombré, they called that. How he had ombré eyes.
How he couldn’t look away from her.
How she seemed to be falling toward him.
How her plan had just gone to shit.
5
Deus could have counted on one hand the number of people his wolf obeyed. Hell, he could have counted them with one middle finger raised in the air. Only Luc, his Alpha, could wrangle his inner wolf into any sort of submission. Until her. Birdfoot—also known as Beautiful—wanted him to stop, to not scare the humans or do things that were animalistic and could attract attention, so his wolf cut off their growl. Immediately. No questions, no hesitation. The shock of that rocked him to his very core, but the fact that she stood so close, that her scent had surrounded him and was calling him home to her, settled him in ways he’d never experienced before.
This mate shit was no joke.
“I’ve stopped.” Deus leaned forward to run his nose along her jaw, unable to resist. Damn, she smelled good. “Please stay.”
A sound close to a whimper escaped her, making his dick practically jump in his pants, and her eyes fluttered as if wanting to close. As if he affected her just as much as she affected him. As if the same lust infiltrating every cell in his body was warming hers as well.
A ping sounded, shattering the moment and bringing tension back to her muscles. The dark-haired beauty with the fiery hazel eyes sighed before taking a step back and reaching for her phone. “I’m sorry, Alaska, but I really can’t.”