by Lacey Thorn
“How are you hard again? Didn’t last night wear you out?”
His laugh again. God, it was as beautiful as him. “All I have to do is think about you, and I’m hard and ready. One word of encouragement and I’ll be happy to bend you over the table. Breakfast will keep.”
I had to admit the idea had merit. Then my stomach growled, and Simon turned back to the stove with a laugh, not even giving me a chance to go with the sex offer. I took another sip of coffee and tried to force myself to focus. Talk. We should really talk. There were so many things I needed to know, to understand. I had ideas about what it meant to be mated. I mean, I’m not stupid. But I wanted the specifics. There was one thing I really wanted to know.
“Are you in love with my brother’s mate?”
“What?” Simon glanced back at me, and I wasn’t sure if he’d heard me or not.
“Are you in love with Belinda James?”
That got his attention. He turned fully to me.
“Where did you get that idea?”
“I heard Madison speaking with another woman at the clinic you took me to. They were discussing how horrible you must be feeling since you were…” I trickled off as his gaze narrowed with anger.
“I was what?” he demanded.
“Mated to a human.” My voice was soft and hesitant.
“That’s why you ran from me?” He clenched his fists at his sides, the muscles in his arms and shoulders bulging. “What else did they say?”
I swallowed. “That you were in love with Belinda James. That you must be devasted to know you weren’t her mate. Madison seemed to think you could mate someone else and was willing to take the lead in that one.”
“And?”
Had his jaw had that tick earlier? I didn’t remember noticing it. Lord, was he angry!
“And?” I wasn’t sure I wanted to admit the rest of what I’d overheard.
“What else did you hear, Cecilia? Don’t even think about lying to me. I want to know all of it.”
I opened my mouth to make a snappy comment then thought better of it. I couldn’t make light of this. Not this. Not when it meant…well, everything to me.
“That you must be disappointed to find yourself with a human for a mate, especially one so far beneath you. A weak, frail, little human.”
“Sonofabitch!” Simon exploded and reached for his phone.
“Simon, I—”
He cut me off with a wave of his hand as whoever he’d dialed answered on the other end. “Is Madison working?” His gaze met mine. “Put her on. Now. Whoever it is can wait. Don’t make me repeat myself.”
“Simon, really it’s okay. I mean, honestly. I don’t mind being beneath you.” I tried for a grin. “Or under you. We could always try over you?”
He didn’t even crack a smile.
“Listen to me and listen closely,” Simon snapped, anger rife in his tone. I’d hate to be on the receiving end of his current fury. “You need to think long and hard on the words you spoke the night I brought in my mate. Words my mate overheard. Words that sent her fleeing. If anything would have happened to her, I would have held you personally responsible, Madison. Do you understand that?”
He paused, and I could hear a high-pitched response.
“Sorry doesn’t cut it, and I’m the wrong person to give it to. When we return, you’ll make amends to my mate. My mate. She’ll be treated with the respect she deserves, and if I hear of anything like this happening again, you’ll be searching for a new pack. Do I make myself clear?”
His gaze narrowed at whatever she replied then he hung up.
“Simon—”
He held his hand up as he made another call.
“So much for the respect I deserve,” I mumbled, and Simon’s lips twitched as he shook his head.
“Gabe, hey.” I sat, feeling my own ire rise as I listened to him share what I’d told him. I had no idea who Gabe was, but I also heard Simon mention Raina. I knew who she was. She was the mate of the alpha of the James Pack. Would that make her my alpha? Did mates have an alpha? As a human mate, was I expected to follow an alpha? I wasn’t good at obeying orders. I had a defiant streak a mile wide. My dad continuously warned me about it. And Hannibal said it drove him crazy. Damn it! I should have spent more time grilling Hannibal, so I wasn’t walking into this whole mating thing blind. Well, maybe, Leslie instead. Hannibal’s mom would be a lot more likely to give me answers.
A plate appeared in front of me, and I realized Simon was off the phone. Crisp bacon, fluffy eggs, and biscuits.
“Eat,” he ordered. “Then we’ll talk.”
“We could always talk while we eat. Conversation. People do it all the time.” I glanced at the counter. “And I only see one plate. Are we sharing?”
“I ate earlier. Which is a good thing. I’m too angry right now.”
“Why?” I asked, munching on a piece of bacon. “Madison and her friend said some rude things. It’s no reason to get bent out of shape. I’m here. With you.” I shrugged. “I might decide to stay.”
He snorted. “You’ll stay. And for the record, I’m fucking thrilled to find my mate. I knew the moment I heard your voice over the phone. And my heart fucking stopped when I walked into that warehouse and saw Mullins throwing you aside as if you were without worth. Not when you mean everything to me.”
“Simon.” I shook my head, unsure what to say. How could he feel that way about me? He didn’t even know me.
“There’s nothing weak or frail about you. I know you followed your brother into a situation you weren’t completely sure of because you didn’t want him going in alone. That tells me you’re brave and loyal. From what Bas heard from your brother, you antagonized Mullins even as he threatened you while you tried to give your brother an opening. And you contacted me.” He laughed. “Demanded I get my ass in gear and gather the troops to rescue Hannibal and his mate.”
“The woman you’re in love with,” I reminded him.
“Not even close. I admire Belinda James. She’s special. Different. And her difference makes other people nervous. Wary. She needed someone to look out for her. To make her seem approachable. To…humanize her for lack of a better word. She’s an amazing woman. Your brother’s very lucky. You’re going to love her, Cecilia. Like I do. Like family. I’ve never been in love with her. There’s only one woman for me.”
“You really believe that?”
“I know it. Give me time, and I’ll prove it to you. Ask me anything.”
“I asked before if you were born into the James Pack, and you scoffed. I take it that means you joined later? How? Why? Were you part of another pack before?” I wanted to know everything.
“I was actually raised by a human. She found me, took me in, and raised me as her own. Had no clue what I was. We both found out the first time I shifted. Scared us both. She took it all in stride and tried to help me find someone like me. She was my mother in every sense of the word, and I loved her.”
Loved. I noted the word and the sadness that touched his gaze. “She’s gone?”
“Cancer. Wolves don’t get cancer. I’d have given anything to take that pain from her.”
I reached out and took his hand. “I’m sorry, Simon. I never really had the opportunity to know my mother, but I know how I’d feel if I lost my dad.”
“Your mom died when you were young?” Simon asked.
“No idea. She left after I was born. Walked out one day, saying she was going to the grocery store and never came back. It was just me and Dad until he met Leslie. Then I got an amazing stepmom and a brother.”
“I can’t wait to meet them.”
“How did you meet the James Pack?”
“Ran into Bas and Belinda at a bar. Some wolf with a death wish tried to get the jump on Bas while he was engaged with a couple others who were feeling their Wheaties. I took death wish out while Bas took care of the two he was engaged with. Belinda decided I was the reason they were there.”
“How were y
ou the reason they were there? Had you met them before?”
“Remember when I said Belinda was different?”
I nodded.
“She knows things. Before they happen. As they happen. She goes into these trances where she has…visions. It’s terrifying to witness.”
“I’m sure it’s more terrifying for her.” Lord, I couldn’t imagine. Hannibal’s mate. And from what Simon hadn’t said, and what Madison and her friend had said about Hannibal taking Belinda away, I understood. The rest of the pack feared her because they didn’t understand her. I decided then and there that Belinda James and I were going to be best friends. After all, she was going to be my sister.
“Apparently, she told Bas they needed to be in that bar that evening. When I stepped in, she nodded as if she’d already seen it play out. They accepted me without question.”
“They became your family.”
“And yours now. Your brother is mated to the alpha’s only sister. You’re mated to me. Our inner circle is very close. You’re a part of that now. A part of us.”
“Even though I’m human?” Madison’s words made me wonder how many others would look down on me for that. Would they look down on Simon? I couldn’t let that happen.
“Being human has no bearing on anything.” Growls spilled from Simon as he spoke, and I could tell he was really worked up over that. We moved at the same time. He scooped me up when I stood then sat back down with me cradled in his lap. “Believe me, baby. The only thing that will matter to them is that you’re my mate.”
I felt needy in that moment, and I hated it. Part of me wanted to ask if he was sure they’d accept me, because the fear of being shunned was a crushing weight on my chest. My dad had done his best to make up for not having a mom in my life, but there were some things a parent couldn’t take care of. No matter how much they wanted to.
“Talk to me,” Simon urged, tipping up my chin until I met his gaze. “I can feel something’s bothering you.”
“Is that a literal or figurative observation?” I snarked, and something on Simon’s face had me sitting up straighter. “Literally? You can feel what I feel? How is that even possible?”
“It’s part of the mating. When I bit you, it allowed a connection to begin forming. One that will continue to grow.”
“Will I be able to pick up on your emotions?” That might be a cool skill to have.
“You probably already are,” Simon offered with a shrug. “As you get more comfortable with it, you’ll pick up on more.”
“Anything else I should know about mating?”
He looked guilty for a minute. “I should have gone over everything before I bit you. I’m sorry for that.”
I grinned. “I am pretty irresistible!” Simon’s face softened as he smiled. That was better. “What else should I look forward to?”
He brushed his fingers along the side of my head, and I realized it was no longer sore.
“You’ll heal faster. Your immunity will get a huge boost, making you less susceptible to illness and disease.”
“What about my senses? Will I get super spidey type senses?”
Simon laughed. I loved his laugh. “They’ll increase. Not as good as mine or another wolf’s, but better than a human has.”
“I can’t believe my dad knew this and never said anything to me.” My eyes widened. “Wait a minute. As the human mate of a shifter, would my dad be able to sense things?”
Simon gave me a curious glance. “What is it you’re afraid your dad might have picked up on?”
I opened my mouth but wasn’t sure what I wanted to say.
“You might as well know that it’s going to be impossible to keep secrets from me so you might as well come clean now.”
I frowned, not liking that at all. That’s when I made a decision.
“I want to head home today.”
“We can do that. We can be back in Rigton County in a few hours. We’re really not that far.”
“Not your home, Simon. Mine.”
“Your home is mine,” Simon countered. “And mine is yours.” He pointed his finger back and forth between us. “Mates.”
“I want to go see my dad and Leslie. I think they’ll be a fountain of wisdom on what we can expect.”
Simon nodded. “Okay. I’d like to meet you family, anyway. Maybe, we can talk them into coming back with us.”
I snorted. “No offense, but you don’t live in a metropolis of fun from what I saw. I didn’t see any tourist attractions. Did I miss something?”
“Ha-ha,” Simon groused. “Besides, I wasn’t talking about a vacation. It only makes sense, with you and Hannibal both being part of the James Pack now, your parents might want to join. They’d be welcome.”
“How am I accepting all of this without freaking out?”
Simon gave me that grin that had my womb aching with need. My hands fell to cradle my stomach. Holy shit! What if I was pregnant? We hadn’t used any form of protection, and if he’d mistakenly assumed I was on birth control, he was wrong.
“What are you thinking now?” he asked with a shake of his head.
“What if I’m pregnant?”
“I’m not even going to ask how you got from your dad and Leslie joining the pack to thinking you might be pregnant. I think your mind might actually scare me. But for the record, you’re not pregnant. Yet.”
I ignored the comment about my mind as well as his “yet” and focused on his confident answer. “How do you know I’m not pregnant?”
“Your scent would change. It hasn’t. You’re not ovulating.”
“No.” I shook my head and held my hand up when he would have said something else. “I don’t want to think about you scenting me. Or using it to know when I’m ovulating. I’m not ready for that.”
“Think about it. It could come in handy.”
“No,” I stated again. “Just, no.”
I turned and headed back toward the bathroom. “I’m taking a shower. Grab my bag out of the Jeep, so I can get dressed in clean clothes. Then I’ll clean the kitchen up while you shower. By the way, where are the clothes I was wearing last night?”
“I folded them and put them on the table by the front door. I already showered, but I’d be happy to help you.”
I shook my head. I wasn’t sure we’d leave today if he got in the shower with me. Hell, just the thought of him naked in the shower with me had my thighs clenching. That was one department I didn’t have to worry about. Sexually, we were more than compatible. Which wasn’t fair. I liked Simon. A lot. He would be a very easy man to fall in love with.
“Then you can clean the kitchen while I shower. I’d like to get to my dad’s tonight. Plus, I need to go by my place. There are things I’ll need to take care of before I join you.”
He caught my hand before I could leave the kitchen, pulling me back to him.
“Let’s get one thing straight, Cecilia. We’ll go to your dad’s. We’ll go by your house. But in two days, we’ll be heading back to Rigton. Together.”
Chapter Five
~Simon~
Cecilia fell asleep after a few hours on the road. The woman’s brain bounced from one subject to the next, and most of the time, I had no idea how she made the transition between topics. But I loved it. I’d learned so much about her. More than she probably realized. She was effervescent, outgoing, with more energy than should be possible in such a small package. She had courage. Strength. She was one of those people who would always stand up for another person. And somewhere along the line, her mother had left and made her feel unwanted. Unloved. At least she’d had her father. My mate loved her father. It was easy to pick up on even without our growing connection. She couldn’t help but smile when she spoke of him.
My phone buzzed on the dash, and I grabbed my earpiece and put it in before answering. Bas’ voice sounded in my ear.
“Where you at?”
“On our way to her house to get her things. I’ll meet her dad and Hannibal’s mom
and invite them our way. I’ll let you know. How’s everything there?”
“They’re still in Bee’s room.”
I snickered at the irritation is Bas’ voice. I’d always wondered how he’d react when Bee’s mate finally showed up for her. It appeared he wasn’t too happy.
“Are they staying with the pack?” Maybe, that was why he sounded so surly.
“I don’t know. Raina won’t let me interrupt them yet.”
Oh, that was petulance. From my alpha. It took all I had not to laugh aloud. If Cecilia hadn’t been sleeping beside me, I would have. I didn’t want to wake her, though. I’d been rough on her last night. She had my sex drive through the roof. Hell, even now, I was rock-hard and ready. All I needed was a look of invitation from her, and I’d find a place to pull over.
“When will you be back?” Bas asked.
“Couple of days. Three at most. Something else going on?”
“Madison took off. Gabe’s gone after her. Haven’t heard from him yet, but keep your eyes open.”
“You think she’d head after me?” I didn’t see that.
“She ran after the phone call with you. Maybe, she thought she didn’t have a choice after how she treated your mate,” he suggested.
“I’ll keep my eyes open,” I promised. “Now, tell me what else is bothering you.”
“Nothing. Everything’s quiet.”
It was there in his voice, though. I knew what was bothering Bas. We’d been friends for a long time. “Bee’s not going to leave you or the pack you’ve made.”
“He’s her mate.”
“A mate who doesn’t have a pack of his own. He’ll be a great asset. Make him an offer. His sister will be a part of our pack. I’ll see what I can do to talk his mom and my mate’s dad into coming back, as well. Plus, you know your sister. She’ll have her mate wrapped around her finger in a matter of minutes.”
Bas snorted. “I swear. My sister went streaking downstairs in her skin and jumped right into his lap. She refused to listen to reason. Then she initiated the mating in front of everyone there.”
“She what?” I interpreted the refused to listen to reason as not doing what Bas told her. But initiating a mating in front of her brother and others? Bee wasn’t bashful, but she wasn’t an exhibitionist either.