by Lori King
“It was never about us, Luke. Why are you so self-involved that you can’t see that? She didn’t make a choice because we weren’t good enough. She loved Dad in her own way, but he wasn’t her mate. You know that. They cared for each other, and wanted children. That was the only reason they got together. When Mom met Nathan and realized that he was her true mate, Dad had no problem stepping aside. Why do you?”
Luke’s gut twisted in a knot. He’d heard all of these words before, but they didn’t comfort him. His mother, Faith Gray, was the younger sister of Jim and Henley Gray, the former Alpha and Beta of the pack. Faith wanted children desperately, and asked her best friend Dawson Hess to father them because she hadn’t found her true mate. Although his parents were never married, Luke always imagined that they harbored a secret love for each other, and when Nathan Mathis suddenly appeared in their lives it changed everything.
Nathan was human, but that didn’t matter to Faith. She swore she knew he was her true mate from the moment she laid eyes on him, and they’d been inseparable since. That was nearly a decade ago. Only a teenager, it affected him deeply to see his father move out of their home, and a new man take his place, but it sickened him to know that it was a human who was doing so.
“This has nothing to do with Mom,” he said, trying to keep his voice firmly unemotional.
“Oh, I think it does. You’ve never liked Nathan, and you barely speak to Mom anymore. Now you’re harboring some sort of sick anger at all humans because of their relationship. That’s not right, Luke. You know wolves can’t help who their true mates are. It’s biological—”
“Yeah, I know. It’s a chemical reaction in the brain and an invisible connection between two pieces of a puzzle. Yada yada yada. I’ve heard all of this for years, and it doesn’t change anything. We were happy. Our family was just fine until Nathan showed up and wrecked it all.” He was yelling now, his unbalanced emotions having found a place to vent.
“Do you really feel that way? Mom and Nathan are happy. Dad is dating Janet Grant, and he’s happy, too.”
“Sure he is. That’s why he moved off pack land, right?” Luke grumbled.
“The only person still angry and unhappy, is you. This is all on you because you’ve got this chip on your shoulder for humans. Are you willing to miss out on your true mate just because she happens to be human?” Noah made it all sound so ridiculous that it frustrated Luke even more. He hated that everyone was so happy with the way things turned out because he was still so angry.
“She’s not my mate.”
Noah threw his hands up in the air. “Fine, whatever. She’s not your mate, but you do feel something for her. What would you do right now if she was a pure-blooded wolf?”
Luke didn’t know how to answer, because his wolf butted against his chest at the idea. If Tavi was a wolf, he knew that he would continue to pursue her. It was only because she was human that he hadn’t.
“Don’t throw the chance away, Luke. If she’s not your mate, you’ll know it, but don’t push her away just because of this ridiculous idea you have that humans are ruining werewolves. We can’t all live dream lives, and have great opportunities thrown into our lap. Do you know what I’d give to find that perfect person? Or even be able to change my life’s course and go the direction that I want to? Get over yourself and stop acting like a spoiled brat.” Noah turned away and walked down the hallway to his room without another word, leaving Luke standing in the kitchen with an unopened beer in his hand, and a brain full of turmoil.
Chapter 7
Cash cornered Luke before he made his escape from the gym the next morning to question him about the scene after the meeting.
“What happened last night, Little Gray?”
Luke frowned at him. “Don’t you ever sleep? I thought you were going out last night.”
Grinning, Cash nodded. “I did, I got home a couple hours ago and figured a good work out would help me sleep the day away. Back to my question. What happened?”
“Nothing, I just didn’t want everyone thinking I was suddenly a mated wolf. The idea turns my stomach.” He kept his face toward his locker to avoid Cash seeing the truth in his eyes, but he could feel the disbelief in the air.
“You seemed to hit it off with that waitress—”
Biting back a growl, he forced out an exasperated sigh. “You know you guys really need to get your own sex lives and stop worrying about mine. Just because I thought she was cute doesn’t mean I’m ready to shackle myself to her for life, and besides, she’s human. I’m not interested.”
He started to stomp away, but Cash pulled him back with a firm hand on his shoulder. “I don’t think so. I think you realized she was important and you’re running scared.”
“Well see now that’s why you’re not paid to think.” Luke regretted the sarcastic comment as it tumbled from his lips, but he couldn’t risk admitting it. Then Cash would know how close to the truth he actually was.
“Easy, Little Gray. For a minute there it sounded like you were in full-on asshole mode, and I don’t think that’s a place you want to be right now,” Cash said quietly, his voice icy cold.
Luke finally met his cousin’s gaze, and felt himself physically flinch from the man’s angry glare. “Stop asking me questions about my personal life, and maybe I can get my head back in the game.”
Cash was silent for a moment and then he nodded. “You’ve got a lot riding on the test next month, and I know you’re feeling the pressure, but now is not the time to push everyone away. You need us more than you think.”
“What I need is to pass that test so I can get on at the Fire Department and get out of that ambulance,” Luke grumbled.
“I thought you liked being an EMT,” Cash asked with a curious frown.
Luke sighed. “I do most of the time. I mean, I love the adrenaline rush, and knowing that I’m the difference between life and death for someone. Being able to save someone is just…well…incredible. And a little overwhelming sometimes.”
Cash nodded in understanding.
“But fifty percent of the time I’m just transporting people between hospitals, or carting people around who called 911 for a ridiculous reason. That’s the part I hate.”
“How do you know they’ve got a ridiculous reason?” The look on Cash’s face wasn’t judgmental, but Luke didn’t know how to respond without sounding worse.
“Like the other day, this lady called because when she woke up her right leg hurt too much to stand on it. Instead of having her husband put her in the car she called 911, and we had to go out there and get her. While we were picking her up there was a four-car pile-up on the Interstate, and a little boy died on his way to the hospital in another rig. If we hadn’t been picking up that lady, maybe we could have made it to the accident in time to save him.” Luke felt the weight of regret on his chest, and he rubbed at his sternum trying to ease it. When it didn’t let go, he took a deep breath and grumbled, “I know, it’s stupid to keep count, but I feel like I’m not doing enough to save lives.”
“You’ve taken an awful lot of responsibility for the whole of humanity if you think being an EMT isn’t saving lives. That woman you picked up, what ended up being wrong with her leg?” Cash asked.
Luke paused and frowned. “I don’t know, I never heard. Why?”
“What if she ended up being diagnosed with some sort of cancer, or a blood clot, and the difference in saving her life was having an ambulance pick her up rather than waiting for her family to drive her? Moments count sometimes. Don’t put that kind of pressure on yourself or you’ll only end up disappointed. Even as a firefighter we spend a lot of our time doing things that don’t require us to save lives.”
“I know that. I guess I’m just stressing over the things I can’t control right now. I need to relax.” Luke slammed his locker shut and picked up his bag.
Cash was grinning at him. “Glad to hear it. Gray Skies is playing at Rustler’s tonight. It’s a special send-off for Rusty befo
re he retires and the new owner of the bar takes over. Why don’t you come?”
“I didn’t realize Rusty had found a buyer.”
Nodding, Cash shrugged. “Yeah, he’s been pretty hush-hush about it, so I’m not sure who the new owner is yet, but I’m sure I’ll meet him soon. So how about it?”
“Maybe. I’ll think about it.”
“Come on, Little Gray, pull on your big-girl panties and get out of this funk you’ve been in. Invite that pretty little waitress along and show her how wolves get down and dirty on the dance floor.” The wiggle of Cash’s eyebrows made Luke grin, but he shook his head.
“Not happening, man. She was just a passing pretty.”
He could tell that his cousin wasn’t buying it, but he held his ground, and finally managed to get away with the excuse that he had errands to run. This was absolutely not the time to consider the possibility that Cash was right about everything. God he hated it when his older cousin was right. Why did everyone seem to want to explore all of the facets of his life lately?
Tavi was both disappointed and relieved when Luke didn’t appear during her entire shift. Granted, she was working the day shift rather than the evening, but either way she figured his absence was for the best.
She didn’t believe in love anymore anyway. At the tender age of twenty she’d had her heart broken thoroughly, and she’d never allowed herself to consider the possibility of opening up to anyone else. She didn’t need a man. She had Sonny and Este to call family, so having a man in her life seemed superfluous. At most he would take up half the bed and leave shoes on the floor. Why bother?
“Are you done for the night?”
Shane’s voice startled her out of her reverie and she turned to face him with her purse on her shoulder. “Yeah, Mila just clocked in. Her and Fawn are on for tonight.”
“Did you clean the fryer?” His dark eyes narrowed and he tapped the toe of his combat boot impatiently.
“No, why would I?” There was a sense of foreboding that her quiet evening alone was about to be stymied. She’d been looking forward to a long bubble bath since Sonny was staying at her friend’s house for the night.
“Because I told you to. Get that done before you clock out.” He turned to leave, and her temper got the best of her. Before she could second guess herself, she snapped.
“I’m already clocked out. I’m not going to clock back in to clean a fryer that they’re going to use all evening long. Have Mila or Fawn do it after they close up tonight, or I can do it tomorrow morning.”
“You’ll do it or you won’t have a job by morning. Last I checked I had the title of manager, not you. Put your purse away and clock back in.”
“You can’t do that!”
They were standing three feet apart, but she could feel the icy touch of his glare on her skin, and she shivered. She’d never known a more disgusting human in her life. He seemed to take great pleasure in making her miserable, and she was over it.
“I can do whatever I want. What are you going to do about it?” he taunted.
“I’ll go to Ray, and complain. Surely he’d love to hear all about how you and Fawn are screwing all over the stock room every day.” She stopped because she’d used the only ace up her sleeve. That was the only thing she had over him that might actually get him fired, and they both knew it.
Instead of backing down, Shane moved closer to her. Close enough she could feel his hot breath on her face, but she refused to drop her eyes. That would be a sign of weakness, and she’d be damned if she’d show any crack in her armor in front of him. “I wouldn’t push it, Tavi. It’s been brought to my attention that you’ve had your own male companion here recently, and things got a little hot and heavy right outside in the back lot.”
Shock rippled through her as she remembered the look on Fawn’s face when she caught Tavi and Luke. That was the only person who saw them, so it was clear who the rat was, but there wasn’t anything she could do to defend herself.
“I see, you’ve come to your senses finally. Now, you and I are going to take this conversation somewhere more private…”
Startled, she stepped backward. “What?”
“You heard me. I think you and I need to come to an understanding like Fawn and I have. Most women just need a good hard fuck to get their head in the right place.”
“A what?” she couldn’t believe what she was hearing, and she was having trouble processing the whole conversation. “You think I’m going to sleep with you?”
“Obviously. Why not? I’m more of a man than that guy you were banging out back,” he said with a sneer.
“For your information, I did not bang Luke, and you couldn’t be half the man he was if you had a brain in your head. You’ve gone too far, Shane. I’m calling Ray, and when I tell him that you’re threatening his staff—”
She didn’t even see the hit coming, and she heard it before she truly felt it. A sharp crack echoed through the air cutting off her words as her head rocked on her shoulders, and she stumbled backward into the wall before falling on her ass. Her purse slid off her shoulder and its contents scattered across the floor, but her focus was on Shane who loomed over her with a look of contempt and pure hatred in his eyes.
“You’re going to shut your fat mouth, you stupid bitch—”
Before he could hit her again or continue to berate her the kitchen door burst open behind him, and Oren came charging through. The small man held a frying pan in his hands as though it was a lethal weapon and he intended on using it.
“Get the hell away from her!” Oren yelled, swinging the pan at Shane who took several steps backward, putting distance between him and her savior.
“Go back to the kitchen, old man. This isn’t your fight,” Shane snarled, clenching his fists.
“There ain’t gonna be no fight. Tavi, are you okay?” Oren released his death grip on the pan long enough to reach down and help her steady herself as she climbed to her feet.
She nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay.”
“Of course she is. She just stumbled over her own two feet. Isn’t that right, Tavi?” Shane said, giving her that same cold death glare.
“I know better. I saw what happened in here, and I heard what you said to her. I put up with you and Fawn scrapping because I think the girl might actually have feelings for your ignorant ass, but you ain’t gonna go threatening the other girls, or forcing them to have relations with you.” Oren’s slow drawl made the whole conversation sound more comical than it was, and Tavi was fighting not to laugh maniacally as shock rocked her system.
“I don’t know what you’re insinuating, old man, but you can’t prove I threatened anyone, and now that neither one of you work here anymore, Ray won’t listen to a thing you have to say. Drop your keys on my desk on your way out, and good riddance.” Shane spun on his heel and stormed out the swinging doors into the diner leaving Tavi and Oren alone in the prep room.
“Are you really okay, kiddo?” Oren asked, brushing his hand over her cheek. It took a moment for her to realize that he was wiping tears off.
She was crying and trembling, as the reality of what had just happened set in. Not only had Shane threatened her, and offered to sleep with her, but now he’d fired her. She had no job. What was she going to do?
“I don’t know. I’m just…I don’t know…”
Oren looked so sad that she almost offered him comfort, but at that moment Mila shoved into the room. “Tavi? Are you okay? What happened? Shane just came out and told me that I was working your shift tomorrow because you quit.”
She exchanged a look with Oren and snorted. “Quit, huh? Not exactly. He just fired both of us because I wouldn’t sleep with him, and Oren came to my rescue after he hit me.”
“What the fuck?”
The voice that spoke wasn’t Mila’s. It wasn’t a woman’s at all. Standing in the doorway just behind Mila was Luke, and he looked furious. The dangerous creature she’d felt beneath his surface was unleashed by his rage, and g
enuine fear struck her for the second time that day. If he reached Shane before she stopped him, he’d kill him.
“Luke, wait—” The words had barely left her mouth before Luke shot back out the door, disappearing from her sight. Leaving her scattered belongings behind, she ran after him, hoping to keep him from getting his hands on Shane. There was no reason to make this situation worse.
Unfortunately for Shane, Luke was significantly faster than she was. He had the other man on a table, and his fingers were tight in Shane’s shirt holding him in place as he snarled into his face. “You fired my woman because she wouldn’t fuck you?”
Shane’s eyes darted around as he looked for a way out, and his face was deathly pale. Tavi could understand the terror in his eyes. Luke looked scary as hell. His body seemed larger than normal, and his usually easy graceful movements were rigid and angry. Even his eyes seemed to have changed shape, and…were they glowing?
Grabbing the back of Luke’s T-shirt, she tugged firmly and spoke softly. “Let him go, Luke. He’s not worth it. This job isn’t worth it.”
Luke’s large frame started to relax minutely, and he shifted his gaze over to meet her eyes. “No, he’s not, but you are, baby.” It was at that moment that Tavi’s heart melted, and she realized that her attraction was more than physical.
“Thank you, but you need to let him go. I need to go home now. Can you take me home, Luke? Please?” Coaxing him back to sanity was easier than she’d expected considering the violent way he’d reacted, but the moment he released Shane, she put herself between them, and Luke wrapped his arms around her, shoving his face against the arch of her throat and inhaling deeply.
“Are you really okay, baby?”
She nodded, and soaked in the protective warmth of his arms. “I’m okay. I just want to get out of here.”
Oren spoke up from behind them. “We should call the police, Tavi. He assaulted you.”
The soft hold Luke had on her went rigid once again, but she refused to release him. “Did he put his hands on you, Tavi?”