The sun was still high in the sky even though it was late afternoon, and a warm orange and pink light colored the roofs and walls of the cottages. Inhaling the pine-scented air, Celeste closed the light rain coat she had bought for this trip and climbed down the porch step.
A few of the villagers milled around the only pub in Angel’s Pass. They waved at her with open smiles and sunny disposition. Celeste didn’t stop to chat, but she had the impression that had she done so, they would have accepted her like one of their own. There was something quaint and friendly about small towns that she missed in the big city.
Following the street signs, she crossed the entire length of the village to reach Lake Placid Park. From the brochure she found on the kitchen table, Angel’s Pass’s public park was the crown jewel of the town. Acres of wild flowers and the largest animal reserve in the region, the place contained thousands of plant species, and it was home to beavers, bears, elk, deer, cougars, and coyotes. The reserve was also hunting ground for the Sunrise Pack, but that piece of information was not made public. Supernaturals were out, but small clans like the Sunrise Pack preferred to keep a low profile.
A wooden bridge crossing a river marked the entrance to the park. The sun was lowering over the plain, and golden shadows grew longer as Celeste began jogging on the dark soil. The last warm sun rays kissed her face. Feeling at peace, she increased her pace along the solitary path until she was sprinting. With every running step, Celeste felt her heart become lighter. Butterflies danced around her. The place was magical.
As she rounded the bend, a large German Shepherd came barreling toward her. The overgrown puppy wagged his long tail at her and stopped to deposit a slimy tennis ball at her feet.
“For me?” she asked, crouching to offer the back of her hand to the dog.
The German Shepherd sniffed her hand and his tail wagged even faster as he happily barked.
“Do you want me to throw it for you?” She patted the soft head and picked up the tennis ball that was coated in dog saliva. “Good thing I love puppies,” she murmured, raising her arm to hurl the ball as far as she could.
The ball whirled in the air and disappeared behind the bend. A loud curse followed as a man emerged from behind the tall bushes.
“What the f—” He fell silent when he saw Celeste.
“I’m sorry—” Celeste couldn’t believe her eyes.
Standing a few feet from her was the gorgeous alpha from her recent fantasy. He was even wearing the blue-and-gray-checkered, flannel shirt.
Temporarily dumbfounded, Celeste froze on the spot with her mouth hanging open.
5
Milan heard the whistle of the incoming ball at the same time the missile hit him squarely in the forehead.
“What the f—” He couldn’t finish the sentence because he saw the woman standing by Kurosawa’s side and his brain shut down.
The adjective beautiful wouldn’t do justice to the rare vision that was the woman. He wasn’t a romantic by any stretch of the imagination, but the tall, curvaceous brunette on the other side of the trail could make one out of him.
“I’m sorry,” she said before giving him a strange look.
He didn’t even try to decipher what her look might mean. Years of failed attempts to understand what women thought or why they did the things they did had taught Milan to tread carefully. Only this time, for some unknown reason, he didn’t want to use caution. What he wanted was to grab her by her waist, hoist her over his shoulder, and whisk her away to Pioneer Lodge.
“Hi,” he said instead, walking slowly toward her.
“Hi,” she said back, her eyes on his forehead.
His hand automatically went to that spot, and he winced, feeling the welt under his fingers.
“So, so sorry—” The beautiful stranger brought her hand to her mouth. “I didn’t mean to hit you.” She stepped closer to him, her generous chest rising and falling fast.
“No big deal.” He moved even closer to her and inhaled her scent. She was a werewolf. The discovery pleased him greatly. “I’m used to women hitting on me.”
“Are you?” The she-wolf’s lips curved up into an amused smile. “I hope I didn’t cause permanent damage to your brain.”
“Milan,” he said, laughing. He offered his hand for her to shake.
She tilted her head ever so slightly and accepted his hand. “Celeste.”
“Nice meeting you, Celeste.” He held on her hand longer than necessary, relishing how her breath hitched and her eyes widened. “So, you are the visitor from Dallas.”
“How do you know?” She raised one hand to stop him from answering. “Let me guess, news spreads fast in Angel’s Pass.” She chuckled. It was a pleasant sound, like the tide moving pebbles to and from the shore. He could happily fall asleep to that sound.
“This town feeds on gossip, and you have the most beautiful accent.” He moved one more step closer.
The green of her eyes became brighter as her mouth opened into a “O.”
After a moment of silence, she said, “What else do you know about me?”
Somehow, her question didn’t sound idle.
Milan gave her a thorough once over before saying, “You’re a runner. You enjoy food and eat healthy. You work in an office.” He paused and raised an eyebrow. “How am I doing?”
“Three out of three.” She winked at him. “What else?”
“The most important thing—” he said, letting the rest of the sentence trail.
Celeste cocked her hip. “And that would be what?”
“You are dying to get in bed with me.” He delivered the pièce de résistance locking his gaze with hers.
Before he could stop her, Celeste had already pivoted on her heels and ran back in the direction she had come from.
“Celeste!” he called, caressing his cheek.
She didn’t turn, and Kurosawa, who had kept quiet the whole time, began running after her.
“Kurosawa! Come back!” Milan let out a string of profanities as the German Shepherd disappeared around the corner without hesitation.
“Great,” he said under his breath. “Just great.”
6
Celeste ran as fast as she could, her legs propelling her forward until her muscles hurt and her lungs couldn’t pump air any longer.
Milan’s explicit advance had spooked her, and her body had reacted before she could even think of a smart comeback.
I’m a grown-ass woman. I don’t run away because a man said something inappropriate. I’m done running. I should have stayed and gave him a piece of my mind. That’s what I should’ve done before leaving in a more dignified way, like walking, for example. Why did I have to up and run like a witless scaredy-cat?
Because he’s the alpha from your fantasy, her inner voice said. And I had a fantasy turn into a nightmare in the past.
Something told her that this time, it was different. For one, her wolf was roaring in her head to turn around. When she was dating Royce, her wolf had never shown any preference for him. The contrary was true, and Celeste had ignored her warnings. Should she heed her wolf now? Maybe she should.
Milan was one of the most handsome men she had ever met. His unshaven jaw, dark gaze, and unruly mane, all conjured sinful thoughts. In fact, now that she was being honest with herself, his last statement was the fourth truth he had said about her. When he spoke the words, she had been thinking about being in bed with him.
But a harmless fantasy confined in the sacred shelter of her mind, her dirty secret nobody would ever know about, was one thing. Having the star of said whim reveal her inner thoughts to her was something else entirely. That wasn’t done.
But to run away like a coward, is that done? Her inner voice had a knack for being truly annoying. Celeste wished she could turn it off, but she had already tried and failed in the past.
Soft fur brushed against her leg, and she turned to see that the German Shepherd, Kurosawa, was still following her.
“Big boy,” she said,
slowing to a halt. “You should go back to your owner.”
As if summoned, Milan’s head bobbed above the tall edge of the trail. As their eyes met, Celeste shook in anticipation.
She forced herself not to run away again.
I am an adult, and adults don’t flee when they have perfectly capable mouths to deal with unpleasant situations, she reminded herself. Although, deep inside, she knew that the situation had been far from unpleasant.
Milan closed the gap between them but remained several steps behind. Raising his hands before him, he said, “I swear I wouldn’t have followed if Kurosawa hadn’t run after you. He isn’t mine, and my friend will kill me if anything happens to that big idiot. And, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry I offended you.”
“You shouldn’t say those kinds of things to women you don’t know.” Celeste patted Kurosawa’s head to busy herself.
“You’re right. I shouldn’t,” he said. “I’m sorry."
“I don’t usually run away like that. I don’t know what came over me,” she said.
By now, her brain had resumed normal working hours and she knew exactly what had come over her, but she needed to preserve what was left of her dignity.
“I wish I could say the same, but I’m afraid I know exactly what came over me,” he said, surprising her with his honesty, and making her feel like a phony.
“Does it usually work?” she asked, her heart bolting in her chest. “The cocky pick-up line and macho attitude?”
“I wouldn’t know,” Milan answered with a shrug. “I usually don’t waste time with pick-up lines.”
“Oh,” she could only say, not sure what he had meant with that, but it sounded even cockier than his earlier statement.
“Listen, we started off on the wrong foot,” Milan said. “What do you say about giving me a second chance?” He smiled. “And I solemnly swear I won’t say anything you don’t want to hear.” The naughty light in his eyes told her everything he hadn’t said out loud.
“You are sure of yourself, aren’t you?” She couldn’t help but begrudgingly admire the man’s confidence.
“Feeling lucky tonight,” he said. His dark, liquid eyes roamed all over her, making her shiver.
He seemed to get a kick out of deliberately pushing her, but two could play that game.
“How about I offer you a coffee?” he asked.
“How about we skip to dessert right away?” Satisfied by the surprise reflected on his handsomely scruffy face, she didn’t give him time to react, but closed the gap between them and kissed him squarely on the lips.
She had meant to take him aback, to give him a taste of his own medicine. But as so often happens, even the best plans go awry, and hers didn’t even come close to being a plan. When his mouth took possession of hers and his tongue demanded entrance, she melted in his strong arms.
His lips moved against hers as his arms held her against his big, strong body, stealing her breath and incinerating her few remaining brain cells. Her arms possessively caressed the large expanse of his back as she wished that the bed he had mentioned earlier was at hand.
A moan escaped her throat. She urged him closer. At her silent command, his hands moved down to her backside before traveling to the front to skim the swell of her breasts. Wanting more, she walked him toward the tree behind him, her fingers working on the buttons of his shirt.
Kurosawa barked, startling Celeste. Reality intruded.
As if emerging from a dream, she blinked and gasped before jumping as far away from Milan as she could.
Panting, she stared at him, at his half-open shirt, at his beautiful mouth, red and swollen from their passionate kiss. In her frenzy, she had already started undoing his button-fly jeans.
Suddenly it was cold, and she hugged herself tightly. “I—”
“Don’t say you’re sorry,” he warned her. “Do not.”
Celeste wasn’t sorry. Far from it. She should have told him that.
“I need to go,” she said instead, running away again.
7
Milan watched as Celeste sprinted away as if she were running for her life.
He wanted to follow her but didn’t have an excuse this time. After ruining the moment, Kurosawa had disappeared into the forest, chasing a squirrel.
Truth be told, he didn’t know what to do, and that was a first. Usually in control, Milan fought between the twin urges to run after the beautiful stranger and to stay put. His brain told him to walk in the opposite direction and go straight home after collecting Kurosawa. His other brain, the one between his legs, urged him to sprint and catch up with Celeste. His wolf was very much in agreement with that idea, but his bigger brain made the valid point that running after women, in the woods, at dusk, could be interpreted in the wrong way.
So it was with a heavy heart, and a very displeased part of his anatomy, that he whistled for the German Shepherd to come back.
Kurosawa only ambled back when it was good and well with him, and a frustrated Milan stomped all the way to his lodge, cursing dumb friends and their dogs.
A few hours later, after three cold beers, Milan relaxed on the porch, comfortably lounging on the Adirondack chair his grandfather had built for him. The entire valley at his feet, his wolf senses heard the critters moving in the forest and the nocturnal predators getting ready for the hunt. Small dots of lights flickered here and there like glowing fairy dust.
“What is it about this woman that I can’t stop thinking of her?” He patted Kurosawa’s head, eliciting a low, satisfied rumble from the dog. “And about that kiss?”
Even an entire case of beer wouldn’t have dulled his senses enough to forget what it had felt like pressing her soft curves against his hard body. The taste of her sweet lips still lingered on his mouth.
After one long gulp from the bottle, Milan laughed, throwing his head against the back of the chair. His eyes on the clear sky, he wondered why he had such a strong reaction to a woman he had never met before and probably would never meet again.
At the thought that Celeste could be gone forever from his life, a deep ache cleaved his heart in two. The pain was physical, and he pressed his hand against his chest.
“What’s happening to me?” he asked out loud.
Kurosawa immediately stood, pushing his nose against Milan’s arm.
“I’m fine, big boy,” he reassured the dog before jumping off the chair and climbing down the porch steps. “Let’s go for a run.”
Usually, when he felt out of place, he would go to the nearest pub to pick up a willing companion for the night. It had been his routine for so long that he knew all the dive bars in Seattle, but this was Angel’s Pass, where only one pub existed. He knew all the patrons. They were elderly members of the community and their granddaughters, and most importantly, he had no intention of grabbing a woman for a quick lay.
Tonight, Milan had no desire for a generic woman against a wall, he wanted Celeste in his bed, which made for an uncomfortable rest of the evening. He needed to work out his sexual energy before he did something stupid like show up at the Grange’s rented cottage and scare the she-wolf.
“Here goes nothing.” Barefooted, Milan forced his legs into a grueling speed as Kurosawa barked his happiness.
They ran for hours, jumping over fallen logs and avoiding treacherous roots. Milan knew the place like the back of his hand, having spent his youth in these woods. By morning, he reached Silver Lake, high up on the ridge, but his frustration hadn’t abated. If anything, he could only think about sinking into Celeste’s warmth and spending the rest of the weekend inside her.
At the lake, he discarded his jeans and shirt and dove into the freezing cold water, raising a veil of steam as he swam from one end of the lake to the other. He didn’t think it was physically possible, but he grew harder still. It seemed he could do nothing to erase the she-wolf from his mind.
Only one thing to do since nothing else had worked so far. Milan waded back to the shore, secured his tightly
folded clothes to Kurosawa’s harness, and shifted into his brown and black wolf. At least one of them would have some fun.
Followed by Kurosawa, who was having the time of his life, running through the woods and chasing anything that moved, Milan’s wolf covered half of the mountain in a fraction of what it would have taken Milan. At first, the large wolf hunted for prey, but as soon as his belly was full of deer, he enjoyed getting reacquainted with the places from his puppy days. In Seattle, the wolf was always on edge, always looking for something, relegated in Milan’s mind. Here, the entire Cascade Range was his playground, and he took full advantage of his temporary freedom.
Much later in the morning, the wolf finally slowed down, and Milan shifted into his human form. Kurosawa happily yelped at the sight of Milan and sniffed him everywhere as if looking for the wolf.
The nocturnal romp hadn’t improved Milan’s situation. He was still as hard as he had been before shifting, and something needed to be done before he started humping the air. “I need a long shower.”
As soon as he was back at Pioneer Lodge, Milan went straight to the small bathroom. Under the scalding jet of the water, he stroked himself for several minutes, unable to find release. Finally, he bumped his forehead against the shower stall’s tiles. “This isn’t going to happen today, is it?” He tried again to no avail, which only aggravated an already agonizing situation to the point where he couldn’t think straight any longer.
8
Celeste stared at Mr. Coffee as the sound of the drip and the smell of freshly-brewed Americano filled the old-world kitchen. Outside, the sun shone bright with only a few puffy, white clouds chasing each other in the sky. It was Saturday morning, and she had nothing to do but relax. If only that simple task could be achieved.
The entire night, she had tossed and turned and not slept a wink. Milan had been on her mind the entire time. His dark eyes that had enthralled her as easily as a magic spell. His strong jaw with the five o’ clock shadow. His large shoulder she wanted to lean on… Everything about the alpha had mesmerized her. And when he had kissed her back, he made her feel like the only woman in the universe.
Paranormal Dating Agency: Her Dream Alpha (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Angel's Pass Wolves Book 1) Page 3