by Lori King
Instinct led him and he forced his way into the bathroom to find Tavi curled up in a ball on the bathroom floor, blood coating her firey hair, and arms.
“Tavi! Are you okay? What the hell happened?” He reached for her, only to pull back when she whimpered and shuddered away from his touch. She was scared of him. That point hit home in a painful realization that his desire to protect her had led him wrong.
Another scent filled the air, and he cocked his head to glimpse the shimmer of tears on her cheeks. Blood was still leaking from her injury, but he wasn’t sure where it was. “Tavi, baby. I’m not going to touch you, but I need to know where you’re hurt. I heard you fall, and smelled the blood. It scared the hell out of me, and…Shit.” Pausing, he started to crouch next to her, only to jump back when she shied away again. “Tavi, I’m an EMT. I’m trained for this, please let me help.”
“Don’t touch me!” she cried out so loudly it surprised him, and he froze. The scent of her terror filled the air making him want to vomit.
A knock on the front door startled both of them, and he jumped making her whimper again. “It’s okay, Tavi. It’s just my friend Tina. She came over to help me explain everything. Let me go let her in, she’s a nurse and she can help stop the bleeding if you don’t want me to touch you.”
Without waiting for a response, he took off for the front door, throwing it open like a madman, and waving Tina in. “Thank God you’re here!”
Tina’s smile faded and she growled. “Why do I smell blood? And fear?” She headed down the hallway following the scents that flooded the air, as Luke explained what happened. They found Tavi had managed to shut the door, but it hung crookedly on the hinges after Luke’s grand entrance from moments before. Through a tiny crack in the door jamb, he could see her standing at the sink trying to wash blood off her hands.
“Tavi?” She visibly stiffened, and turned her head toward the door. The sight of a three-inch cut across her hairline made his stomach flip-flop and his knees tremble. How many times was he going to have to face his mate being injured? He was supposed to be protecting her. Swallowing the disappointment in himself, he paused at the door. “Tavi, can you open the door so that we can look at your head?”
“It’s fine,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion and exhaustion.
“Doesn’t look fine to me,” Tina said. “Looks like you might need stitches.”
Tavi’s head shot up and her eyes met Luke’s through the tiny crack. He could see her weighing her options as she reached for a towel and pressed it to her forehead.
“Baby, will you at least let Tina in to check you over? Like I said, she’s a nurse, and she can make sure you’re okay. I’ll stay out here if you want,” he pleaded, lifting his hands submissively in the hopes that she’d find him less threatening.
After another moment, Tavi moved to the door and pulled it open a few inches. “Where’s the wolf?”
Tina snorted, but Luke just shook his head. “He won’t be back without your permission. I swear.”
Persuaded, she pulled the door open, and he finally got his first good look at her. She was shockingly pale in the harsh florescent lighting of the bathroom, and blood covered the top of her scalp and the side of her face. Clothed in a tiny nightie that barely covered the tops of her thighs, she was shivering as the adrenaline wore off.
“I hit it on the vanity, but it’s not very deep,” she said, letting Tina step across the threshold of the bathroom.
“I see that.” Tina nodded. “Why don’t you sit down on the toilet and I’ll take a peek. Luke, could you pass me a robe or a blanket for her? She’s shivering.”
He rushed to collect the blanket from her bed and pass it to Tina. Once it was wrapped around Tavi she seemed to visibly relax a little.
“So, why exactly were you running in the house, young lady?” Tina asked playfully. It brought a half smile to Tavi’s face before she answered.
“Ask Luke. He’s the one who had the bright idea to bring a wild animal into my house.”
Tina frowned his way as she opened the cabinets in search of supplies. “A wild animal huh?”
“A wolf,” Tavi said, glaring his way.
Tina paused, and cocked her head. “Do you mean he shifted for you?”
Shock made Tavi’s face turn even paler than before. “Oh shit. You don’t believe…I mean…he said he was, but surely it’s not real. They’re not real.” Her babbling brought a pink stain to her cheeks as her anxiety level rose, and Luke couldn’t stand it anymore. Dropping to his knees in front of her, he took her tiny hands in his, and cupped them against his chest.
“Breathe, baby. Nice and deep. You’ve already been banged up enough, let’s try to get to the answers in a less bloody way.” She stared back at him blankly, but their eyes met and held, and after a moment she began to mimic his deep breathing pattern. They stayed like that in absolute silence, gazes locked, for the several minutes it took Tina to patch up Tavi’s head. Once she’d covered the wound with bandages and proclaimed that stitches weren’t necessary due to the shallowness of the wound, he leaned forward and kissed Tavi gently.
A sigh slipped from her lips into his mouth, and he sucked it in. He wasn’t sure if it was relief or pleasure, but at least it wasn’t fear.
“Okay, you two. Let’s get Tavi washed up, and dressed and then we’ll move this conversation to the living room over a drink,” Tina said, reaching for Tavi’s elbow to help her stand. “Luke, why don’t you go find us all something to drink, while I help get your girl feeling presentable again.”
He nodded, and reluctantly released Tavi’s hands. “I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me, baby, but you can trust Tina.” Pushing down the urge to scoop her up in his arms and carry her to bed where he could keep her safe with him, he marched out of the bathroom and collected the wasted breakfast treats he’d brought earlier. Clearly this explanation was going to take something stronger than hot chocolate.
Chapter 15
Tina Jameson-Gray, as she introduced herself, seemed like the best kind of woman, strong on the outside, soft on the inside, and funny as hell. By the time Tavi was cleaned up and dressed she was also laughing and much more relaxed. She hadn’t forgotten her earlier fright, or her confusion over this mass delirium that seemed to have all three of them in its grip, but she was feeling much better.
Walking into the living room to find Luke on her sofa holding a coffee cup and looking brokenhearted and worried made her heart heavy with emotion. How could someone who felt so strongly for her be so willing to break her heart with this lie about being a fantasy animal?
“You look beautiful,” he murmured as Tina took a seat in the only single chair forcing Tavi to sit on the sofa next to him.
“I know, Little Gray, but thanks for telling me anyway,” Tina joked. “Now then, let’s start at the beginning. Where did you two meet?”
Luke frowned at his pack mate, but to his surprise Tavi answered readily. “Between the Buns. I was a waitress there.”
“Right! I remember you! Or rather, I remember Luke’s reaction to you. The whole pack was talking about it. So you’re not working there now?”
Tavi shook her head. “No, there was an altercation between me and my former boss. I’m unemployed for the moment.”
“Hmmm…the way you said that makes me think there’s more to that story, but we’ll come back to it. So you guys just met last week then?” Tina asked, looking thoughtful. When Tavi nodded she turned to Luke. “And when did you mate her?”
A sharp inhale was Tavi’s only reaction, but Luke answered readily. “The night before last.”
Instantly Tina’s demeanor changed. “Then you should already be hearing your wolf, or at least feeling her.”
“Her roommate, Este, said she was sick in bed when I got here,” Luke explained.
Tina nodded. “Let me guess, a headache, and a general feeling of ickiness? Like things just aren’t right? Does your chest hurt?”
Tavi
looked completely perplexed. “Yes to all of that, but wait, you guys aren’t making sense. My wolf?”
Shaking her head, Tina growled at Luke. “What is it about you Gray Pack men? Wouldn’t this whole thing be much easier if you explained everything before the mating?”
“It was an accident!” Luke protested.
She snorted, and waved him off. “Heard it before. Liam told me that when he accidentally mated me.” Reaching across the distance she patted Tavi’s knee. “I promise, doll, it’s all going to make sense soon, but let me try to explain. I know it sounds impossible, but what Luke is telling you is true. We’re werewolves. Well, I wasn’t a werewolf, I was a human until Liam and I mated, but that’s not important. The important thing is that you understand what’s happening to you.”
Before she could continue, Tavi turned confused eyes on Liam. “Can’t you just undo it? I don’t know that I believe everything you’re telling me, but if it is true, then why can’t you just un-mate me?”
Luke shook his head sadly. “I’m sorry, baby. That’s just not how it works.”
“Hold on, did you even explain the whole mating thing to her?” Tina asked. If looks could kill, Luke would be dead by now the way she was glaring daggers at him when he shrugged. “Gah! Men! I swear. Okay, chick, I’m going to start at the beginning. Werewolves are real. I know that’s a tough one to swallow, believe me, but they are. Luke here is a pure-blooded werewolf, meaning he was born that way. I am a mated werewolf meaning I was human until Liam and I mated. My husband Liam is Luke’s cousin. Are you with me so far?”
Tavi nodded, and listened patiently.
“Good, now, the way it works is that werewolves each have a true mate. A true mate is almost like a soul mate, but there’s something biological about the connection. I figure it’s a pheromone thing, but Liam knew I was his true mate before he even laid eyes on me just by catching my scent. We went around about it, but then one night he bit me while we were having sex and there was no going back.”
Luke watched as Tavi connected Tina’s experience to her own. It was clear on her face that she wasn’t very happy about it.
“You see, once a werewolf bites his true mate, their saliva mingles with the other partner’s DNA. In a case like yours, where one partner is human, the werewolf DNA is dominant and takes over. Basically, Luke nipping you means you’re no longer human,” Tina said bluntly.
“That’s not possible,” Tavi argued.
Sighing in frustration, Tina shrugged her shoulders. “I said that, too, but believe me, honey, it is. You’ve already begun the transition, and on the next full moon you’ll shift into a wolf. There’s no stopping it, so it would be better, and healthier to embrace it.”
“I’m a werewolf,” Tavi said softly. Luke and Tina exchanged looks and then nodded. “How am I going to explain this to my daughter?”
The forlorn look on her face stole Luke’s breath, just as Tina shot to her feet. “You have a daughter? Oh shit, Luke! What are you doing? You can’t just mate a woman who has a family. Do you have a husband, too?”
“No! No, I’m single, but Sonny is only ten. She’ll never understand. Hell, I don’t think I understand.”
“I’m so sorry, Tavi. I really screwed this up,” Luke said despondently.
She lifted her head to meet his gaze. “So now that we’re mated, and you’ve…changed me…what happens now?”
“Besides you turning into a wolf?” he asked, frowning in confusion.
“Right. Besides that. You’ve done your part by forcing this on me. Do you just cut and run now? Go find another human true mate to change? What happens now, Luke?” she asked, tears sparkling in her eyes.
He wasn’t sure how to respond. She still believed he was going to leave her. After everything, he couldn’t blame her, but he had to get to the bottom of her trust issues. Now wasn’t the time to question her on her past though, it was more important to reassure her that she wasn’t facing this huge change alone. Taking a deep breath, he reached for her, and pulled her stiff form against his chest, pressing his lips to her uninjured temple. “I will never leave you, Octavia Reid. You’re my mate for life, and I will never leave you.”
By lunchtime Tavi’s head was pounding both from the inundation of new information, and the bump on her forehead. She’d manage to accept the fact that werewolves were real after forcing Tina to shift while she stood atop the kitchen counter with a baseball bat in her hands, and Luke as a shield. Seeing another woman nude was awkward enough, but when that same woman suddenly sprouted fur and fangs life suddenly got tricky.
They’d given her the basics, but she knew in her gut there was more they hadn’t told her yet. Maybe it was in the way they kept exchanging pointed looks when they thought she wasn’t paying attention. Luke had fixed them grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for lunch, but Tavi had barely eaten a bite before her stomach protested. Now she was arguing with the two of them about the possibility of a concussion as well.
“I am going to take some aspirin and then I’m going to take a nap. My daughter will be home from school in a couple of hours, and I absolutely will not scare the hell out of her by phoning her from the emergency room,” she said firmly, rising from the sofa on shaky knees.
“Her pupils are reactive. It could just be the stress,” Tina said to Luke. They acted like she wasn’t in the same room with them.
“I’m not sure I want to take that chance. If she has a concussion…”
Putting her fingers between her lips she let out a loud whistle that had them both cringing away in protest. Tina covered her ears with her hands and scrunched her face up. “Hey! We told you about the super-sonic hearing ability that comes with your new fur coat, right? Lay off the dog whistle!”
Sighing her frustration, Tavi stomped her foot. “I’m sorry, but you’re not listening to me. Thank you, Tina, for coming over and helping Luke explain things”—she paused and gestured to her head—“and for bandaging me up, but now it’s time for you both to leave so that I can go back to bed for the rest of my one day off and enjoy the peace and quiet until I wake up from this dream.”
“You still don’t believe us do you, baby?” Luke said. His hazel eyes drooped at the corners, and his jaw was tight. It was clear he was unsure where to step next on the path with her.
“I believe that you believe what you’re saying. I believe that the two of you have a unique ability. And I believe that you probably know more folks like you, but I’m not sure I believe that one little sex bite has suddenly changed the laws of genetics, and I’m not a fantasy creature. I also believe that I need to sleep off this headache before it turns into a full-blown migraine.”
Tina shrugged and stood. “That settles it then. I’ve done all I can for now.” She slid on her coat and picked up her purse before she turned back to them. “Listen, Tavi, I know how scary this is, and how absolutely insane it is. I was you not too long ago, but when you start hearing her in your head, and you need to talk to someone, I’ll be available.”
“Her?” Tavi asked.
“Your wolf. Whether you believe in her or not, she’ll start making herself known soon enough. My two best friends are also at the den, and I know Caroline and Shandi will welcome you with open arms. They were human until last year, too.” Tina paused but when Tavi didn’t respond, she just gave her a small smile before she let herself out the front door.
When it clicked closed behind her, Tavi immediately turned on Luke and glared at him.
“What?” he asked with a frown.
“You, too. I want peace and quiet.” She pointed toward the door.
Before she’d even finished speaking he was shaking his head. “Hell no. I told you, I’m not leaving you. From this point on, you’re stuck with me, baby. Especially right now when you’re confused, sick, and vulnerable.”
“So what, you’re just going to move in?” Frustration and exhaustion flared and her skin itched furiously. Rubbing at her arms, she wondered if she sh
ould call the doctor.
“Is that an option?” The grin on his face eased a bit of her anger, and she shook her head.
“Not a chance.”
“Okay, well then, I’ll just have to take a nap with you.” His smile spread wider when she inhaled sharply. Her entire body suddenly felt like it was caught up in a firestorm. Flames were whipping through her from her pussy to her nipples, and back. It took everything she had to keep from launching herself across the room into his arms.
When his nostrils flared, and his jaw flexed she backed up a step. “No. I don’t know what you just did, but I’m saying no.”
“You’re lips are saying no, but your body is saying yes. I can smell you, baby. So hot, and sweet. You smell absolutely sinful, and all I can think about is how delicious you taste, and how snugly I fit inside of you.” He moved like an animal, as he slowly crept closer to her. She backed up again, bumping the wall behind her.
“Stop that! I’m sick, remember? No hanky-panky when I’m sick.” She said the words, but even she could hear the lack of force in them.
Luke licked his lips, and she suddenly smelled a spicy masculine fragrance that made her own mouth water. “Mmm…I like the sound of hanky-panky, and you’re not really sick. You’re just transitioning. Do you know what helps a newly mated wolf through the transition?”
She shook her head, and heard herself moan softly when he reached her and pressed his long lean body against hers.
“Sex.” He breathed the words against her cheek, and she gasped for air. Everywhere they touched felt like pure ecstasy. His hands slid up her arms to wrap around the base of her neck and tug her mouth to his, just before their lips connected he murmured, “Let me make love to you, Tavi. Let me ease the fire inside of you.”