by Hazel Gower
When she’d been a teenager, her brothers had teased her when Dolton had joked about her scent and her crush on him. Alissa didn’t want Dolton to embarrass her in front of all her new fiends, work colleagues, and her roommate—the guy she was kind of sorta thinking of dating. She’d been trying to avoid it by escaping through the window. Dolton had politely told her she was his friend and his best friend’s little sister and he couldn’t, wouldn’t, be with anyone but his mate. Alissa had been devastated, argh, who was she kidding she was still heartbroken over his rejection. Another reason was, Alissa hadn’t told her parents where she was working, or where exactly she was living and with who. Oh, they’d tried to get it out of her, but she threatened to move to another country if they didn’t leave it alone.
She’d had to threaten to tell every bad secret she knew about her brothers if they didn’t leave her alone and abide by the same rules as her parents. They believed her because she’d moved to Sea Breeze in secret, without them finding out until she was gone, which with her overbearing family had been an amazing feat. Alissa had been to visit them and made excuses every time they tried to come and see her in her new home. She wasn’t ready for them. She was enjoying her new life too much.
“Er, hi Dolton. I um…well…argh….” She really couldn’t think of a good excuse as to why she was stuck in a window. “Fancy seeing you here? I didn’t know you were here.” She really sucked at lying. Alissa groaned when his answering growl went straight to her core, sending warmth over her and a tingling pull. Stupid, traitorous, body.
“Don’t bullshit me, Alissa. You saw me and bolted. Why the fuck are you here and sticking out of the women’s bathroom window?”
“The truth?
“Yeah, even if I wasn’t a shifter you suck at lying.”
“Well…I wanted to leave and didn’t want to go the front door route.” Alissa was glad for shifter hearing so she wouldn’t have to yell and draw more people.
“So you thought going through the friggin bathroom window and falling to the ground was God damn better?” He was snarling now and Alissa knew he was close because she didn’t have to strain to hear him.
Clenching her thighs as his voice turned her stomach to butterflies and her skin got hot, she prayed for divine intervention. She didn’t bother answering him because really what was the point. She knew there was no way she was going to avoid this confrontation anymore.
Dolton’s big strong hands gripped her waist and gave a good pull. Alissa moved with the force of his tug, popping out and falling against him. Crap that hurt. She knew she’d have bruises in the morning. Dolton didn’t even grunt when all her weight landed on him. He leaned back against the toilet stall.
Trying to wiggle out of his hold didn’t do any good. Dolton held her tighter and walked towards the exit of the bathroom.
“Put me down, Dolton.”
He ignored her and kept going. Elbowing him, he sighed heavily and turned her and pushed her up and over his shoulder so he had her in a fireman’s hold. Alissa became frantic to get down and away from him. She whacked his back and pushed off him.
“Alissa, so help me if you hurt yourself further you won’t like your punishment.” He slapped her arse and then squeezed it.
Oh. My. God. What the hell was going on? What had Dolton Brown just said and done. Surely he didn’t mean all that in a sexual way. He walked out of the bathroom and turned towards the back of the restaurant.
Alissa pounded on his back. She couldn’t let him take over. She couldn’t let her new friends see her like this. They all thought she was this confidant take charge woman. “Put me down. Let me down now,” she yelled.
Brittney, the girlfriend of Ryan who she worked with and had become a friend too, rushed over. She walked behind Dolton and looked down so Alissa could see her as she hung over his shoulder.
“Alissa, are you okay? What happened? Do you want me to get Lucas?”
Oh crap she couldn’t get Lucas. “No Brittney, I’m fine. I’m um…”
“Hey you, stop. Buddy put Alissa down.” Dolton didn’t listen to Brittney either, and kept moving.
Alissa needed to defuse the situation, something was wrong with Dolton, and as much as she wasn’t happy with him right now, she didn’t want him to get into a fight or in trouble with the law. Shifters, didn’t get treated very well by the justice system. “Brittney it’s okay. Dolton is a family friend. He found me in er…well, in a strange situation and is being a little overprotective. Let me calm him down and I’ll go home. Tell everyone I’ll see them tomorrow afternoon.” Alissa tried holding herself up on Dolton’s back, she couldn’t see Brittney well, but knew she hadn’t stopped Dolton.
Dolton grunted and Alissa saw Brittney better the further Dolton walked down the hall. Brittney followed slowly staring at her as she struggled to hold herself up. Alissa tried to bring herself up again so she could tell Brittney she was fine, but she didn’t have the stomach muscles. Dolton kept walking down the hall until he came to the back.
“I’ll get help, Alissa,” Brittney said leaning down to catch her gaze before straightening and retreating. Alissa opened her mouth to stop her but Britney wouldn’t listen so she didn’t bother.
Dolton opened a door and stepped through shutting it behind him. When the door was shut he slowly slid her down his body. She glared up into the biggest intense brown eyes she’d ever seen. His rusty tree bark hair fell just past his ears and a piece now covered his eyes. Alissa had no idea what come over her, but she reached up, stroked his cheek, and brushed the lock over to the side out of his eyes. He snapped at her hand with his sharp half changed teeth and she jumped back.
“What the hell has gotten into you, Dolton?” That went for her to. Alissa hadn’t ever touched him like she just did. Dreamed of it, yes, but never done it. He’d always been the one to touch her and even then, he was very careful and respectful.
“Who is Lucas?”
“Um…er.” Her mind was blank for a moment, her only thought the sexy man before her. His fresh woodsy smell filled her senses and she basked in the manly scent. She’d missed him. She’d missed the way his gaze never forgot any of the details around him, how he pointed out things she missed, like a butterfly going by, children playing, a raindrop falling, and landing a special way. She’d missed the complements he’d always given her, the way he always smiled when she came into the room. She missed the sound of his voice. She just plain missed him.
Dolton snarled and tilted her head so she gazed directly into his eyes. “Who the fuck is Lucas?”
Oh, yeah, he’d asked about her roommate. Lately Lucas had been trying to be more, but he couldn’t replace Dolton, no one could, no matter how hard he tried. Lucas had kissed her a few times and she’d felt nothing but pangs for a man she could never have. A man that didn’t want her because she wasn’t his mate. Alissa defiantly hadn’t mentioned to any family member she was living with a man. She hadn’t wanted to answer any questions or have the person she stayed with interrogated. “He’s a…a…friend.”
Dolton narrowed his gaze on her. “Why are you here?”
“To eat and be at the work Christmas party.” She shrugged trying to act casual. Maybe it would calm him down; he seemed real riled up.
It didn’t work. He snarled and his lip curled. “You’re a stripper?”
“What?” Her eyes widened. Surely he wasn’t serious. In what universe could she be a stripper? His lips thinned at her reaction and he was growling loudly. Why was he growling? He wasn’t just called a stripper. “No! I work for them as their, accountant, payroll, and occasional manager. Although the last six months or so I’ve taken over keeping things in order backstage, and helping with anything the guys need.” Alissa was proud of that. She helped keep the show flowing at a steady pace and made the employees happy.
Banging on the door had her groaning and wishing she could hide. “Alissa, baby, you okay?” Fuck, Brittney really had gotten Lucas. “Alissa answer me. Are you in there?
Are you okay? Baby, I’ll go get help if you don’t answer me now.”
The rumbling in Dolton’s chest got louder until the snarling was so loud she couldn’t hear anything else. “Baby,” Dolton growled. “No not his, you’re mine. Not his baby. Mine. My mate. Mine, mine, mine.” Dolton gathered her to him and nuzzled her neck, licking and nibbling on her skin.
Holy shit. Alissa was speechless. He so didn’t say what she thought she heard, did he? She opened and closed her mouth for what felt like a million times before she answered Lucas. “I’m fine Lucas. I know Dolton.” Shit, was that her voice, it was all breathless and sexy. Clearing her throat she yelled, “I’ll…be out in…oh.” Dolton rubbed his rock hard erection against her and she lost the ability to speak. Oh God, what was wrong with her?
“Babe, you sure you’re okay?” Lucas shouted through the door and concern was evident in his voice.
Dolton bit down hard on the part where her shoulder met her neck as soon as ‘babe’ left Lucas’ mouth. Screaming, she bucked against Dolton as a sharp pain then immense pleasure washed over her as Dolton sucked, and Alissa came hard.
“Wow, that was amazing,” she panted in a breathless whisper. Her body limp, but she could feel it buzzing, like a magic was seeping through her.
Dolton held her up and murmured against her ear, “I claim you. I give you my mark, my life, and everything I am. I will give my seed. You will give me young. You’re my bear’s and you’re mine. My mate. My woman. My soul. Mine.”
Black clouded Alissa’s vision and she fought to stay awake and take in everything that just happened and what she’d heard. Oh my God, surely Dolton hadn’t just mated her? He’d never do that. She’d told him the last time she saw him how she felt. Wouldn’t he have mated her then? Surely what she thought she heard wasn’t real. Her mind went a million miles a second and she tried to figure out if what she thought happened was real. One thing she did know is that she’d be pissed if he’d mated her. He broke her heart five years ago when he told her he wouldn’t be with her. She fought the dizziness, the heaviness of her body and the need to close her eyes and focused on her anger, but it wasn’t enough.
The blackness over took her and the last words she heard were, “No one but me.”
*****
Dolton…
Alissa was his mate. Holy shit that explained a lot.
When the magic and the mating became too much for Alissa, she passed out in his hold. Picking her up, Dolton cradled her in his arms. The banging on the door didn’t stop and if he didn’t do something soon Lucas would have police at the restaurant. He didn’t want that. Not that the police could do anything. Mates couldn’t be taken from shifters.
Staring down at the amazing woman in his arms, he stroked her cheek. How hadn’t he figured out Alissa was his mate sooner? He groaned, she’d only turned mating age, twenty one, just over a year now, but surely with all the clues he should have figured it out. She was twenty-two, four months ago. Dolton was surprised he didn’t see or hear about her being at her parent’s for her birthday. He loved being around the Maples. He’d always gone with his parents when they’d visited them, even when he was in his late twenties. He’d been twenty-nine the last time he’d seen Alissa. She’d only been seventeen. Dolton remembered when he’d left for his last tour with the army, he’d been reluctant to leave. The whole time he’d been away he’d been guilt ridden with what had happened with Alissa and how he’d handled it. He berated himself, over the different ways he should have handled her confession. When he’d come home and started working for his parent’s at their restaurants he’d been keen to go and visit the Maples, maybe even see if he could apologize to Alissa again. He couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened with her. He’d thought it was guilt for breaking her heart.
“I’m calling the police if you don’t open the door now,” Lucas’ voice on the other side interrupted his thoughts.
Sighing, Dolton transferred Alissa so he cradled her in one arm and went and unlocked the door. He opened it to stare at a tall man with jet black hair and a muscular build. Lucas wasn’t as tall or as big as his six foot eight, or even close to his width, but he was just over six two and with enough confidence to glare at him. Raising his eyebrow in annoyance, Dolton clutched Alissa tighter against his chest. “There is no need to involve the police. Alissa is fine.” Dolton nodded down to Alissa cradled in his arm.
“If she’s okay then why isn’t she waking up while we talk?”
Dolton shrugged and smirked down at Lucas. “She fell asleep.” He wasn’t going to tell this jerk anything. It was none of his business Alissa passed out due to the mating magic being so strong between them.
“Give her to me. I’ll take her home.”
There was no way Dolton was letting this guy take his mate. “No,” he snarled. He felt his fur start to sprout.
Dickhead puffed his chest out and narrowed his gaze. “You’re a shifter?”
Give the guy a medal, he’d noticed something. “Yep. Got a problem with that?”
“I will if you don’t give me Alissa.”
“Alissa stays with me. You got a problem with it call the cops.” Dolton was done with this idiot. He went back into his office and opened his top drawer, getting out his wallet and car keys. Lucas followed him and he heard him call the police. Dolton ignored him and locked everything up, carefully cradling Alissa in one arm, before walking out of his office and down the back of the restaurant and out the back to his car. Dolton juggled Alissa and undid his car opening the door and gently placing her in the passenger seat.
Lucas started yelling at him again as soon as he shut the passenger door. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? You can’t just take her. I’ve called the police they’ll be here soon and then you’ll have to give her over.”
Was this guy for real? Surely Lucas had clued on that not only was Alissa something to him, but she’d even told him she was fine and knew him. “Alissa is mine. You will never touch her again. If you have a problem I live at…” Rattling off his address he walked away from Lucas and got in the driver’s side. Lucas followed and banged on the window. Dolton didn’t care, he was done with Lucas, and started his car and drove away. Lucas moved pretty quickly out of the way.
Dolton drove home eager to hold his mate and get to know her in more intimate ways.
Chapter Two
Alissa didn’t open her eyes afraid of what she would face. The bed was soft and Dolton’s fresh woodsy scent surrounded her. Everything from last night ran through her mind and she felt ill. Surely Dolton hadn’t done what she thought he had, especially after he rejected her years ago. Alissa had only just given up the dream she wouldn’t have any chance with Dolton. It was one of the reasons she moved away. Her neck tingled and she wanted to rub it, but if she did he’d know she was awake, and then she’d have to deal with him.
“I know you’re awake,” his voice rumbled beside her.
Crap! Cracking an eye open Alissa looked up into a face she’d fantasized about since puberty hit. Dolton’s big warm brown eyes gazed at her, his plump full lips smirked at her. “How’d you know?”
“Your breathing changed. I’ve been listening to the rhythm all night.”
Opening both her eyes she gazed at him, damn he just got better the older he got. His skin was a dark tanned brown and the stubble on him only added to his sexiness. Avoiding the big questions, she looked around, the bedroom had cream walls and was sparsely decorated, no pictures that she could see and only a three drawer dresser that was the same type of wood as the frame of the bed she was currently laying in.
Dolton didn’t say anything and she could feel his penetrating stare. Sighing she wiggled herself up to a sitting positions. “Why am I here?”
“You really don’t know?” He raised one bushy eyebrow.
“I wouldn’t have asked if I did,” she snapped at him. Alissa wanted things confirmed. She didn’t want to say what she thought had happened just in case she e
mbarrassed herself further. If that was at all possible.
His deep chuckle vibrated the bed and shot tingles of pure heat through her. “Still feisty I see.” He sniffed the air and his growl deepened. His body came over her and she swore she forgot how to breathe. “Fuck, you smell so good.” He rubbed himself against her.
Knowing if she didn’t ask now she wouldn’t get an answer, she pushed at his naked chest, biting her lip to hold in the moan as his solid bare chest had her almost creaming her panties. It was so unfair he was perfect. Giving herself a mental shake she narrowed her gaze on him. “Dolton, answer me. What the hell is going on?”
“I found my mate. She’s been under my nose the whole time. I should have known years ago you were special. I mean how many men can remember their friends’ daughter’s favorite color is purple, and she reads and devours any romance novel she can get her hands on. I remember, your favorite movie is Stardust, and you hate peas and red meat. You love chocolate and veggie pasties. That’s just for starters. I took you to your prom. I went to the movies with you. I scared that boy off that was interested in asking you to your first high school dance and the one after th—”
“What?” He’d scared off a guy that was interested in her. How dare he? She would have said no to them because she was too hung up on Dolton, but still, it would have been nice to be asked. She’d never gone to any school dances with anyone but him or her brothers because no one had ever asked her to go, or so she thought. She whacked his chest. “Jackarse. How could you? I thought there was something wrong with me. No one ever asked me out.”
Dolton grabbed her hands as she went to wallop him again. “Oh there is nothing wrong with you. In fact I spent years getting rid of boys that came sniffing around you. I never thought I did it because you’re my mate. I thought I did it because I was friends with your older brother and parents, and was helping them out. I even thought your crush on me was cute.”