by Jodi Vaughn
He needed his job—no, he lived his job. There was no fucking way he was going to let some meth-head werewolf destroy everything he’d created and worked for.
Zane looked up and growled.
He was going to hunt that fucker down and make him fix him.
And then he was going to rip his throat out.
***
“So you’re telling me Zane never came back or made contact with you after he arrived?” Lucien narrowed his gaze on Matt. The tattoo artist shifted his weight and looked a little uncomfortable as Lucien questioned him. Lucien always knew when a wolf was lying, and his gut told him Matt was telling the truth.
“Yeah, man. I was too busy getting your Guardian’s tatt going to even notice if he came inside or not. You know I do the Guardian ink in the back room, away from the general public.” Matt shook his head and laughed. “The last thing I need is for humans to see that tattoo and demand to get the same thing. It is pretty badass, you know.”
“Sure is.” Jaxon smiled his easy smile and popped a piece of gum in his mouth as he surveyed the latest addition to the tattoo shop in the form of a beautiful human female in jeans that hugged her curves. She gave him a sexy smirk as she bent over to pick up a piece of paper. She made sure to keep her ass up in the air so he could get a good look.
Jaxon growled his male appreciation.
Lucien slugged him in the shoulder.
“Hey.” Jaxon scowled and rubbed his arm.
“Pay attention. You’re not here to get laid. You’re on duty.” Lucien’s measured words were emphasized as he spat them out between clenched teeth. It was bad enough that Zane was missing and he’d lied to Barrett about his whereabouts. “I don’t have time to babysit you or your dick.”
“Fuck off. You’d like babysitting my dick too much for my comfort.” Jaxon snorted and returned the punch to the arm.
“Is there something I need to tell Barrett about?” Matt arched his brow as he glanced around nervously. “I mean, I don’t want there to be any trouble. He’s been a good Pack Master and I don’t want to piss him off.”
“Fuck, no. We got everything under control. As you know, your duty is to keep the Guardians tatted up. That’s it.” Lucien scowled at the tattoo artist.
Matt swallowed and let out a sigh. “Yeah. The last thing I want to do is be on Barrett’s bad side.”
“You have no fucking idea.” Lucien turned and made his exit out of the Moon Goddess Tattoo Shop. He hurried to his bike and straddled the massive motorcycle. Jaxon mounted his bike and gave him a look.
“So what is it that we aren’t telling Barrett?” Jaxon flipped the kickstand and balanced the bike between his powerful thighs.
Lucien gave him a long look. “That Zane has gone rogue.”
***
“Skylar, why does this canvas smell like wet dog?” Hector grimaced as he positioned the tarpaulin on the floor for tomorrow’s painting of the sheetrock. Her worker shook his head and said something in Spanish that was probably a lot of cursing. “Did you adopt a homeless animal?”
She grinned.
“Maybe.” If Hector only knew he was smelling a werewolf and not a dog.
“Okay, I’ll be back tomorrow to get the second coat on.” Hector stood up and ran his gaze along the wall, assessing the baseboards lined with blue painters tape.
“Sounds good.” She gathered her tools to take out to the shed. Hector grabbed the heavier tools and headed out the door. She shook her head. “Hector, I can carry my own tools. I don’t need your help.”
“That’s what you always say. You need to learn to accept help when it’s given,” Hector hollered from the yard. “You’re too damn stubborn for your own good.”
“So I’ve been told.” She snorted and cradled her tools as she followed after Hector. The sun had dipped behind the horizon, leaving purples and pinks in its wake across the sky. Despite the evening’s approach, the humidity stuck to her skin like a plastic Halloween mask that had been worn by a sweaty child. Placing her tools inside the shed, she closed the door and placed a new chain and lock she’d picked up in town around the handle. She’d hidden the evidence of the break-in from her workers. She didn’t want them asking any questions and she didn’t want them to worry that a drug-head was breaking in and stealing the equipment. If they started worrying, then they’d start looking for another job site to work.
“Nice job today. I’ll see you tomorrow, bright and early.” She grinned and strode toward the house.
“I can wait on you.” Hector scowled.
She stopped and turned to face the man. He’d been working with her since she started, and she’d learned that he was a dependable, hardworking family man with six kids all under the age of seven. He worked long hours to give his family a life he never had.
“Hector, go home. I’m fine. You are going to miss Cecily’s dance recital.” Cecily was Hector’s older daughter and had been taking dance lessons for the last six months. She loved it more than life and told everyone she met that she was going to dance in New York City one day.
A smile broke out across the man’s face. “She’s wearing that pink fluffy thing you gave her.”
“It’s called a tutu. And I’m glad she liked it.” Skylar had found the tutu in a yard sale in one of the upscale neighborhoods in Jonesboro. She knew Cecily would love it the second she’d laid eyes on it.
“Maria bought her a little crown thing to go with it.” He pointed to the top of his head.
“Tiara. It’s called a tiara.” She shook her head. “You’ve got six girls, Hector. You need to learn the language of all things female.”
Hector laughed a little. “That’s what you need, Skylar. A little girl all your own. You spoil ours too much.”
She felt her smile falter. She’d never have a child because she’d never have a mate. She was damaged goods. She knew her place in this world.
She’d accepted her fate long ago.
“You’ve got enough girls for me to spoil. I don’t need one of my own.” She plastered on a fake smile that didn’t have any roots in her heart and continued toward the house.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Skylar.” Hector hurried to his truck. A few seconds later, there was nothing but a cloud of dust where his old truck had been.
She went room to room making sure no tools had been left behind. She didn’t need even one to go missing. She was operating on bare bones.
Darkness had fallen silently. She’d been too busy locking up to notice the time. Pulling out her phone, she frowned as she realized it was almost eight o’clock.
Unease slithered up the crook of her neck and pressed its weight onto her shoulders. She cut her eyes around the dark house, looking for any signs that someone had snuck in while she wasn’t looking.
No, that wasn’t it. Whatever had her nerves on alert was coming from outside.
Easing up to the living room window, she scanned the yard. Her pupils widened to accommodate the dark.
Nothing.
Stepping away from the window, she shook her head.
“I’m just being weirded out because of Zane.” Ever since he’d shown up, she couldn’t stop thinking about what kind of trouble he was in. And why he couldn’t control his shift.
If any werewolf found out that Zane was out of control, they wouldn’t hesitate to turn him over to the Pack Master of Arkansas. It didn’t matter if Zane carried the Guardian mark or not. Easy money was easy money.
And if the Pack Master found out she’d known about Zane and had hidden him, she’d face punishment as well.
“Maybe he’ll be gone when I get home.” The thought oddly disturbed her. Despite the danger he was placing her in, she didn’t want him to leave. There were so many questions she had.
When had he become a Guardian?
How were his parents?
What was going on with his sister Katy?
Unease slipped into a familiar feeling of sadness as she thought of his sister. Katy had been like
her own sister until a few years ago. They’d grown up together and had lived together in Louisiana. Now, they were strangers.
Slamming the door shut and turning the lock, she hurried down the steps and across the yard to her own truck. Getting in, she started the engine and locked the doors. Old habits die hard.
She turned on the road and headed back to town and to whatever surprise awaited her.
***
Zane paced the cramped space in the bedroom as he continued to peer out the window for Skylar’s truck.
Where the hell was she?
It was dark, and she should have been home hours ago.
His skin crawled as his heartbeat jumped into a fast rhythm. His body hummed with energy, and he wanted nothing more than to shift and run off his anxiety.
The lock in the front door clicked, and he stopped in his tracks.
“Zane?” Skylar’s soft voice called out from the other room.
Relief and irritation hit him square in the gut like a sucker punch. Fisting his hands, he stormed into the living room.
“Where the hell have you been?” he thundered.
“Working.” She pulled what smelled like food containers from brown paper bags and narrowed her eyes at him. “Why are you naked?”
He glanced down at the towel wrapped around his hips and then scowled at her.
“I ruined my clothes, remember?”
“I know, but you could have at least put my robe on instead of that.”
“Stop changing the subject. It’s been dark for hours. Where have you been?”
“I had to stop and get you more clothes. This time I bought extra.” She dropped the bag on the kitchen counter. She jerked her head back at him and shot him a glare. “Wait, do you think I ratted you out to your Pack Master?” Her lips pressed into a white line as her gaze narrowed even further. “I may not be a gray, but I don’t ever rat out my race. Ever.” She shoved away from the kitchen counter and stormed past him toward the bedroom.
“Skylar.” He growled and caught her elbow.
“What?” She spun around and faced him. Anger flashed behind those blue eyes, and something shifted in his chest. His body heated, and his breathing turned to a pant.
He couldn’t smell her—hell, he couldn’t smell anything. He shouldn’t be feeling this. Not at all. He tried to release his hold on her but couldn’t as his heart thumped loudly in his chest.
He growled low and deep as he pulled her into his arms. The second her body sunk against his, all he wanted was her.
Her lips parted and her pupils dilated. He knew then that she felt it too.
He slammed his mouth across hers, sealing the taste of her onto his mouth and searing it into his brain. She tasted like cherries, and he wanted more. He wanted so much more.
Lust licked every cell of his body until he was trembling with animalistic need.
She didn’t fight him and instead relaxed into his hard embrace. Her hardened nipples pressed into his naked chest through her thin T-shirt. His hand slipped around and up under the back of her shirt to brush her naked skin. Her heated skin grazed his rough palm, and he pressed her closer as he deepened the kiss.
She moaned and then fisted her fingers into his short hair as she sucked his tongue into her sweet mouth.
Fuck, she was going to give him a heart attack before he got inside her.
“Skylar.” Her name hung between them like a soft prayer. He was used to bedding women, but none like her. None like Skylar.
“Stop talking and take my clothes off.” Her feminine hands reached for his towel and pulled. The terry cloth landed in a puddle on the tile floor of the living room. Good thing he’d closed all the curtains; otherwise, they would be giving the public a show.
She glanced down at his straining erection. Her mouth dropped open and she murmured a feminine sound of appreciation.
“It’s my turn.” He tugged her T-shirt over her head and tossed it in the air. A lacy white bra was the only thing covering her beautiful breasts.
He unsnapped her jeans and pulled the fly down in a slow and torturous motion. As much as he wanted her, he didn’t want to hurt her. Judging by the look on her face, she’d not been with a lot of men. Especially men as well-endowed as he.
He shoved her jeans down to her ankles and knelt in front of her. Lifting one leg, she balanced a hand on his shoulder while he pulled her jeans off. He looked up at her. Her red hair curtained her face, and her full lips were parted as she panted. He gave her a wicked smile.
He hooked his thumbs in her white lace thong and tugged it off. He ran the pad of his thumb along the red landscaped landing strip down to her clit. She shivered and gripped his shoulders with both hands, and he felt her legs tremble under his hands.
His heart beat faster as he nudged her legs farther apart. He kept his gaze fixed on hers as he pressed an open-mouthed kiss to her wet heat between her creamy thighs.
Her taste exploded on his tongue as he licked at her wet flesh. He growled like a bear needing more of the sweet honey that only she could give.
“Zane, don’t stop.” She gripped his head and pulled him closer as her legs began to tremble.
He grinned with male satisfaction and continued his assault between her thighs. Hell couldn’t pull him away from her. He was quickly becoming addicted to her. At the moment, he really didn’t give a fuck.
“Oh god,” she cried out as her head fell back against the wall. He gripped her thighs, holding her upright as her orgasm swept over her. He didn’t stop licking and sucking until she was nothing but a quivering mass in his hands.
When she went limp, he steadied her as he stood up. Cradling the back of her neck, he pulled her in for a kiss.
“I think I almost blacked out,” she moaned against his neck.
She was warm and soft and tasted like heaven. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he’d found himself.
Chapter Four
Still shaking from the force of her orgasm, Skylar pulled back enough to stare up into Zane’s dangerous ice-blue eyes.
She’d been around him for her growing-up years and had never seen this passionate side of him before. He was always in control—of his emotions, his expression, his future. Now after going down on her, he looked like he was ready for seconds.
His generous mouth curved upward into a sensual smile that belied the dangerous teeth lying on the other side of his lips. He was a bit deceiving if you didn’t know any better. To the casual observer, he looked like any other hot guy.
To the werewolf population, he was a lethal Guardian.
“You taste like sunshine.” He growled low and deep, and it made her skin pebble with desire.
“Yeah, well, let’s see how you taste,” she volleyed back.
His pupils dilated even further until all she could see was black.
Running his hand up her back, he pulled her into his straining erection. With his free hand, he twisted a piece of her hair around his finger, lifted it to his nose, and inhaled. He frowned as if remembering he couldn’t scent her.
She ran her fingertips across his furrowed brow.
“Which sense would you rather have? Smell or taste?”
A wicked grin stretched his lips. “If it involves tasting you, definitely taste.”
Her heart thumped in her chest at his words, and her stomach warmed. She’d never wanted anyone like she wanted Zane, yet the ghosts of her past were edging their way forward from the corners of her mind like wisps of steam.
Not this again. I will not be a prisoner of what he did. I’m not that little girl anymore.
Zane leaned down; his warm breath tickled her cheek and sent licks of delicious pleasure deep within her stomach. “You’re beautiful.”
She sucked in a breath to try to calm the vibrational arousal racing through every inch of her body.
“I’ve been called a lot of things, but beautiful is not one of them.” She chortled nervously as she licked her dry lips.
He leaned back, capturing her gaze with a hardened one. “That can’t be true.”
Her face heated and she shifted her weight. She should never have said anything. He probably thought she was an insecure woman looking for a compliment.
She took a deep breath and grabbed his hand. “I think we started a job that needs finishing.” She tugged on his hand as she took a step toward her bedroom.
“Didn’t feel like a job to me.” He grinned, making her body heat with lust.
She didn’t think she’d ever needed a male as much as she needed him right now.
Once they were inside her bedroom, he spun her around in his arms.
“You taste like heaven.” He leaned down and covered her mouth with his. His tongue snaked between her parted lips and licked every inch of her mouth like she was dessert.
When he finally pulled away, she couldn’t breathe.
“You’ve certainly changed since I last saw you, Skylar.” His gaze roamed down her body like a heated caress.
Those ghosts that had hung back in the shadows of her mind lurched forward. She sucked in a deep breath at his words. Cold reality skittered across her flesh, and she pushed him away and wrapped her arms around herself like a shield.
“I had to grow up pretty fast, Zane. Not everyone was born with a silver spoon in their mouth like you.”
“I didn’t mean . . .” He narrowed his eyes and reached for her, but she shook her head, not letting him finish.
“It doesn’t matter. This was a mistake. We are a mistake.” She took a step back from his warmth, determined to be strong.
She didn’t need this right now. Getting involved with a man—even just for one hot night would complicate her plans for the future. She needed a clear head, and whenever she was around Zane, he made her head spin
“Are you scared of me?” He cocked his head and shot her a heated gaze.
“Of course not.” I’m scared of letting you see me. Emotional scars aren’t that sexy to a male like you who could have the finest female in the state.
Though the words were silent, they brought tears to her eyes.
Her heart rate shot up as she grabbed her robe and escaped into the kitchen, putting much-needed distance between them.She’d gotten the apartment because it was safe and the price was right. At the time she hadn’t cared that it wasn’t that big. But with Zane standing in the middle of the room and taking up space with his huge muscles and sexy vibe, it seemed the size of a shoebox.