by Boon, Elle
“Where are you from, Noelle?” She’s a witch and if she knows Zelda then she probably knows about mates since Zelda’s other half is a wolf shifter. Not that wolves were as good as cats, but whatever.
“Originally or now?” she asked.
Ridge moved slightly so he could watch every nuance of her expression. “Both.”
“I was born in Canada. My family moved to Assjacket. That’s where I live now.”
There were so many things left unsaid, but he’d get to them. For now, he had some answers. “So, you know Zelda and her band of crazy?”
“Are you referring to her magic as crazy?” Noelle shoved the blanket down, anger making her white-blonde hair literally crackle.
Ridge moved closer, covering her hands with his. “Goddess no. Although, I do think Zelda has a tendency to...go a little overboard on the magic when she’s mad. My sister Tor is a witch and a panther.” He let his words sink in.
NOELLE SUCKED THE URGE to zap him back down. Her magic was seriously depleted, but her rest had restored some of her powers. She wasn’t like an earth witch who only needed to touch the soil and be replenished. Her powers came from within and by the energy around her. She could also take from stones if there was nobody she could borrow from. Of course, she’d listened to her sister and left her most powerful crystals in the vehicle. She reached for the necklace around her neck, feeling the soothing power of the amethyst.
“Whoa, your eyes just lit the fuck up.” Ridge leaned forward.
“Do you have no self-preservation?” she asked, holding her hand up, trying to ward him off. Of course, she should’ve saved her energy. The man was built like the Rock meets Jason Momoa.
“Hmm, what’re you thinking about?” He sniffed her neck.
“Stop sniffing me, shifter boy. I asked you before what you were, but you side-stepped me. Now, I’m asking again. What are you, and don’t pussy foot around the question, or I’ll zap you?” she warned.
“Funny you should say pussy. What do you know about shifters?”
“Argh, don’t do that. Don’t answer a question with a question. Just spit it out so we can move forward.” She tried not to inhale his intoxicating scent; she really did. The man was seriously hard on her good girl senses.
He pulled back, shaking his head. “I’m a shifter, which you’ve obviously already figured that out. However, I’m a Panthera pardus, or a leopard.”
She’d known he was going to tell her he was some kind of big predator, but a leopard, her absolute favorite animal, shocked her. She worked to keep the amazement from showing. Heck, if he had been a mind reader, he’d see all the drawings she’d done in her captivity of Panthera pardus in all their forms, from leopards, to the black panthers. They fascinated her with their sleek bodies and their ability to stalk their prey for hours, sometimes days without giving up.
“Can I see your leopard?” she asked.
“Why are you not freaking the fuck out? In fact, why are you not demanding I take you home right this minute?” he asked with a puzzled frown.
“Well, I’m not without my own abilities. I may not be able to shift into an animal. Well, that’s not technically correct.” She dropped her gaze down at her hands, focusing on what a leopard paw would appear like.
“What the fuck?” Ridge jumped to his feet.
Noelle held her hands up. “I can shift into animals if I know what they look like and concentrate.”
“So, you can shift to a leopard if you wanted?” he asked. He took her paw into his hand.
Noelle shrugged. “Yes. I know the ins and outs of the leopard. I’ve studied the physiology of...well, anyway if I know the animal, I can shift into it. I’m sure Zelda and Sassy can as well.”
Ridge got to his feet, pacing from one end of the bed to the other. “How’re you feeling?”
She hated to hear the distance he was putting between them. There was a connection between them, something like...nope, she wasn’t putting a name to it. She scooted to the opposite side of the bed, hurrying to put her own physical space there to keep her from making a fool of herself. “If I could borrow your phone, I’ll call my sister for a ride.” Not that she would come and get her. Shoot. No, she’d call for a cab or an Uberlift. They’d charge her an arm and a leg, but they’d come. Her neck heated, the amethyst lighting up.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going, and what the hell is that, some kind of beacon?” Ridge came around the bed, towering over her.
Noelle glared up at him. “Listen, buddy. I’m tired, and I’m cranky. I overextended myself tonight, but I can still kick your furry butt if you try to do anything stupid.”
Her hand holding the necklace shook.
Ridge peered down at her. One corner of his lips lifted in a smile. The man oozed danger and sex appeal, but he had dimples that softened his hardness some. How was that fair to women and their sanity?
“Ah, my little Katjie has claws. I like knowing you can kick ass, even if it’s mine, you’re threatening.” He ran a hand down her cheek.
“You’re a very strange man, Ridge.” She let her head lean into his palm for just a moment.
“Hmm, I’ve heard that before. Come on, I’ll drive you home.” He moved back, taking his heat with him.
It was irrational to feel rejected by him; Noelle admitted to herself. Heck, she’d been preparing to ask him to take her home anyhow, but him offering was like a slap in the face. He’d been calling her his kitten, and she didn’t think that was something he called every woman he met. But what did she know about him? She’d seen shifters and their mates, well, at least she’d been around Zelda and Mac and Sassy and her mate. They didn’t seem to be able to keep their hands off of each other. Of course, that could be a Mac thing, but she didn’t think so. Goddess, she needed her head examined. Here she was, building dreams and fairytale relationships with a leopard man she’d only met hours ago. Get a grip, girl.
Noelle schooled her features into an expression of calm and remote. An guise she’d perfected in her years as the prisoner to a madman. “Thank you. I’d appreciate that. Where are my shoes?”
She took a step around Ridge’s hulking form, careful not to touch him with any part of her body. Already feeling a connection to him, she didn’t want to build anymore hopes and dreams on stupid foolish fantasies. It wasn’t like there weren’t other men out there. Of course, she needed to get out and allow herself to see them, like her sister Merry suggested. Merry didn’t understand why she didn’t just find a guy and settle down.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
For such a big guy, Ridge moved fast and quiet. It must have something to do with his Panthera inside him. She would love to ask him some questions but held her tongue. “I was trying to find my shoes.”
She could’ve sworn he growled but then he moved away, coming back with her shoes in one hand, a scowl on his face. “Here you go. Do you need a few minutes to get ready?” He nodded toward the bathroom.
Thankful for any excuse to get away from his penetrating stare, she accepted the shoes and fled. It didn’t matter that she might appear like a wuss, she needed the respite from his too-knowing eyes and his too-masculine presence before she hopped into an enclosed vehicle with him. Now that she was thinking clearer without him muddying her mind, how did she get to his house. For another, why hadn’t her sister been blowing up her phone? A bigger question that really bothered her was, why weren’t any of the ladies in their little party searching for her? Goddess, did none of them care about her even a little?
Chapter Three
RIDGE COULD KICK HIS own ass for the callous way he’d talked to Noelle. Shit, his leopard was ready to shred his insides for offering to take her home when all he wanted to do was claim her right then and there. He was a conflicted idiot, which didn’t make him feel any less of a fool. He did a quick check of the towel he wore, surprised she hadn’t noticed the huge tent his dick was making.
With his keen sense of hearing, he couldn’t
miss the sad sounds coming from the bathroom; her little sniffles were almost his undoing. Sheot, what the hell was wrong with him? Instead of going to her, he quickly grabbed a pair of jeans out of the closet and a T-shirt, thanking his good senses for leaving a few there, putting them on quickly, and then waited by the bedroom door. His claws threatening to erupt from his fingers at the tiny sob on the other side of the door. “Motherfuck,” he cursed quietly.
He’d drive her home, or to the bar, whichever she wanted. At this hour, her friends were probably still partying it up. He shouldn’t have brought her back to his place, but his instincts had demanded he take her somewhere she would be safe. Now that she was awake, and he was faced with the reality of his situation, he needed to think. Another rake at his mind from his beast was a disagreement on a visceral level. If there was one thing Ridge was not, it was ruled by his animal. His leopard snarled, telling him in no uncertain terms how stupid he was.
“I’m ready whenever you are,” Noelle said, not meeting his eyes.
He wanted to lift her chin and demand she always look him in the eyes, but he didn’t have that right. Not yet. His leopard snarled at the reminder.
“After you,” he said, bowing slightly.
Noelle turned sideways so she wouldn’t brush up against him. Ridge tried to be a gentleman and not push her for any contact, but his beast was riding him too hard. He walked out of the room, his steps catching up with her quickly, so his hand brushed hers as he moved next to her. “Did you get ahold of your sister to see if she was still in town or if they’d already headed home?”
Noelle’s sharp intake of breath let him know she wasn’t as unaffected by him as she was pretending.
“She didn’t answer. I checked on our family app and saw she was still in town. You can just drop me off at the bar.” She shrugged, as if dismissing him, dislodging his hand at the same time.
Ah, sweetheart, it was going to take a lot more than that to brush him off. A nuclear bomb wouldn’t work, but she didn’t need to know that just yet. He needed to get his shit together. He had to work his mind around the complications of what it meant to have a mate who was not only a witch, but a damn powerful one at that. “Let’s roll out, Katjie.” He pulled the passenger door open, then eyed her tight dress.
Noelle held her hand up as he bent down. “I got this, Hoss.”
He stood back, grinding his teeth. “If you insist.” His truck was huge with tires that came above her hips. Being a gentleman, he’d wait until she tried before he stepped in to save her from an undignified attempt.
Her fingers didn’t do the wiggle thing he’d come to expect. Instead she gripped her necklace and closed her eyes. One second she was beside him, the next she was sitting inside like a queen on her throne. What. The. Fuck?
“I do, thank you. Can we go please?” Noelle crossed her legs after buckling the seatbelt.
Ridge slammed the door then bit the side of his cheek to keep from cursing. Shit, the female was going to drive him crazy. He strolled around the front of the truck, slid under the wheel after opening his own door with a lot more finesse than he’d slammed hers. They drove back to town without speaking. He turned the radio on once they left the garage, preferring music to the silence that seemed oppressive. Every couple of minutes, he checked to see if she was still awake, happy to see she was more alert by the second. When the neon lights of his bar came into view, he signaled for the turn. “Do you think your sister and friends are worried about you?” he finally asked.
Noelle shrugged. “They probably didn’t realize I was gone, if I’m being honest.”
He backed into his empty spot in the lot. He’d make sure the dipshit who’d caused all the chaos from earlier wasn’t around before he let Noelle leave. Her comment had him blinking over at her. “Why would they not know you were gone. Isn’t there like a girl code or some shit?”
If his sister had gone out with a bunch of friends, he’d kick all their asses if they lost sight of her for over an hour, let alone a couple as it was with Noelle. He noted the time on his dash showed closing time was in less than a half hour.
“My sister is kind of self-involved right now. I don’t mean that in a bad way.” She slapped her hand over her mouth, clearly stricken by her admission.
Ridge reached across the space, taking her hand away. “Don’t do that. You and I both know you’re not an average human, so let’s cut to the chase, why don’t we? You could’ve hurt yourself tonight, and to think your sister doesn’t give two shits about whether you’re alright or not, is bullshit. As a matter of fact, there should be a rule that females should never go anywhere unless they have a buddy. It’s not safe out here, even if you’re a badass witch like yourself.”
Noelle snorted. “What about you males? Should you have a buddy with you at all times, too?”
He lifted one shoulder. “If we needed to, then yes. Sometimes we do, just depends on the situation.”
This time, Noelle was the one to raise a brow. “So, you think only females should have buddy at all times, while you big bad males only require one in certain situations. Do you hear the double standards in your words?”
Ridge shoved his door open without answering. He wasn’t going to argue with his...mate. Hell, fate had such a fucked-up, twisted sense of humor. “You’re right.”
“Why do I feel as though you’re just saying that?” Noelle asked as he stood outside the passenger door.
“Female, are you always this argumentative?” Ridge never lost his temper or his cool, but the female was seriously trying him.
She grinned. “Before tonight, I’d have said no.”
Her smile transformed her from beautiful to a knockout. Shit, his body, which hadn’t been hard since earlier, went rock-hard again. “You’re enough to test a saint, female, and I got news for you,” he whispered, moving in closer. “I’m as far from one of those as you can get.” Not giving her a chance to speak, he tugged her face closer to his.
With a gentleness he didn’t realize he had in him; he brushed his lips over hers. As her breath expelled over his lips, he smiled. “Open your mouth, my little kitten.” He feathered kisses across her closed mouth until she did as he requested, giving him access. He took advantage, licking along her top lip, tracing the bottom then delving inside. Her hands went to his shoulders, pulling him closer.
The sound of their heartbeats echoed in his ears as he turned his head to the side, sliding his hand to the back of her head as he held her in place, kissing her deeper. Their tongues dueled, licking and tangling each other in a dance as old as time. He could picture them doing the same thing on his bed with nothing between them but their skin.
A throat clearing from behind him had him drawing away, his breathing a little labored. Noelle’s eyes were closed, her lips even redder than her natural red. He used his thumb to rub the moisture from their kiss into them. “You taste delicious, Katjie.”
“Hello,” a female voice groused from behind.
Ridge noticed a paler, older version of Noelle. hovering behind them. “You must be Merry?”
Noelle’s eyes popped open. “Oh, my gawd, Merry?”
“OBVIOUSLY, YOU’VE BEEN a very busy girl. Should I come back at another time?” Merry snarled.
Noelle pushed at Ridge’s chest, which was like pushing at a stone mountain. “Please let me out.”
“She’s a bitch. You’re aware of that, right?” he asked in a deep voice that rolled over her like a caress.
“She’s my sister.” Noelle wouldn’t make apologies for Merry. It was because of her that her sister and the others had suffered the way they had. She’d pay for that for the rest of her life.
“I can see nothing I say will convince you that she should be any different.” Ridge gripped her around the hips, settling her on her feet with reluctance.
“Who’s your friend, Noelle?” Merry moved closer, lifting her hand onto his chest.
Ridge grabbed her hand, moving it away from him. “Name’
s Ridge. Where’s the rest of your party?”
Noelle was a little surprised to find her sister outside by herself, especially out back. “They’re inside. I was...worried when I couldn’t find Noelle. I thought I’d come out here since this was the direction, she’d been seen heading last. Where’ve you been?” Her dark-blue eyes narrowed.
“I went for a ride with Ridge. He owns the bar. Oh, we’d better get inside if you want a drink before last call is announced. Ain’t that right, Ridge?” Noelle hoped the man who had saved her earlier would do so again. He gave a short nod.
“What do you mean, last call? Don’t you own the bar? You can make exceptions for us.” Merry narrowed her eyes like she didn’t believe him.
Ridge gave a half smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Yes, I own Mayhem, but we also have to adhere to the law. Now, if you two would like to get a drink before they close the bar down, I suggest you hightail it inside. I’ve got a few calls to make.”
Noelle tried not to be hurt as he lifted his cell from the back pocket, his attention immediately diverted from her and her sister. No, she wouldn’t be upset by his lack of attention or the fact that he didn’t seem to give two shits about her. The man ran hot and cold. He was the opposite of what she needed in a mate. Ack, here she was thinking in terms of mates, and she wasn’t a shifter. What the heck was wrong with her? She needed this wedding to be over, so she could go back to the quiet solitude of a lifestyle she was trying to build.
“Are you even listening to me?” Merry literally shrieked.
Noelle sighed, hating her sister’s voice when it took on the whiney tone she tended to get when she wasn’t getting her way. “I’m sorry, Mer, what was it you said?”
“See, I knew you weren’t listening to me. That man, he has you all twisted up. Did you give it up to him in his pickup or what? I told you, you needed to get out there, but honestly, Noelle, you need to be a little choosier. You do not just give it up to every hot guy in a tight pair of jeans.” Merry rolled her eyes, her words seeming to echo around them inside the bar.