by Olivia Arran
I slid into my truck and followed, eyes peeled for trouble. Not that I expected any, but it was easy to forget about the threats that existed outside of Heartsridge when you didn’t live them every day. Even if Mina never accepted me as her mate, at least I could comfort myself with the fact that she was safe. No one could ever hurt her, not with me around to watch over and protect her.
My heart hurt at the thought but my head accepted it. I’d do my damnedest to get to the bottom of why she resisted me, but I’d never force her. Never make her do anything she didn’t choose to.
I knew from bitter experience—it never turned out well.
Chapter Ten
Mina
The bug, as I’d lovingly named my well past its sell by date Volkswagen Beetle, managed the journey without spluttering more than usual. Parking the lime green car under a tree, I patted its hood in thanks before making my way over to the group sitting around the yard in a semi-circle. Strangely, in the center was a pile of what looked to be junk, all piled haphazardly and just waiting for a little breeze to send it all flying. I heard Cade’s truck crunch to a halt behind me, but I didn’t look back, sliding into a free chair next to Harper and giving everyone a little wave.
I was numb. No, that was a lie. I felt too much. Emotions swirled and crashed in my chest, tightening my throat and stinging my eyes, threatening to bleed out of me if I gave them a chance. Silence was my only salvation against the onslaught.
“How’d it go?” Harper peered at me, concern shining bright in her warm brown eyes.
The swell thickened, pushing past the lump in my throat. I nodded. It was a damn farm, that’s all. Nothing to get this upset about.
“What’s the plan?” Cade’s deep voice vibrated inside my chest.
Damn him. With his easy smile and eyes that saw straight through me. If he’d badgered me, it would have been easier, but he’d let me be, offering the kind of silent support I didn’t want, but so desperately needed. Yup. Damn him.
“Barbecue,” someone replied.
Not to mention his little stunt earlier! I still couldn’t get the image out of my head. I was scarred; would never be the same. Couldn’t close my eyes without seeing the lines of his body, the swell of his muscles as they dipped and curved in all the right places. The strong set of his shoulders and the broad expanse of his chest. A stomach that should be illegal. What man looked like that? I mean, really? Magazines, maybe, but real life? I snorted, my shoulders shaking with disbelief. It wasn’t fair. And don’t even get me started on that … that … thing between his legs. I wasn’t a virgin—had lost my v-card fumbling in the barn with a boy who was barely a friend, but had the same needs as my own—but, unless my memory was rusty, he hadn’t been built anything like that. Kind of. Similar shape; different dimensions.
“Mina?” Austin’s voice dragged me out of my little snit. People were moving, stretching and piling into trucks. Harper gestured at me, holding a door open and saving me a seat.
Shoving all thoughts of Cade back into a little box I’d labeled dangerous, I ran over and slid inside.
The drive took all of five minutes, our crowd erupting from the trucks with whoops and hollers worthy of any self-respecting cowboy. Harper grabbed my hand, dragging me over to a large table and setting up shop. Leona bounced down onto the bench next to her, tilting her head back to receive a lingering kiss from her handsome mate before he disappeared into the crowd with the rest of his team.
Cade lingered, his eyes sweeping over my face and his hands jammed in his jean pockets.
A flush worked its way up my neck.
“Get the poor girl a drink,” a man called over, raising his bottle with a grin.
The flush roared into a full-blown flame, burning my cheeks. I ducked my head as Cade walked away, my eyes lingering on his ass through the safety of my lashes. What? I wasn’t the only woman appreciating the view. Several heads turned to take in the view as he walked by. At that thought, a low snarl dragged its way out of my chest, vibrating my upper lip.
“Oooooh!” Harper leaned forward, eying my face with a speculative glint. “Someone’s pissed. I wonder why that could be?”
“Leave her alone,” Leona murmured.
“Why? She’s being stubborn and it’s not doing her any favors.”
“I am right here, you know.” I didn’t mean to snap. Taking a deep breath, I blew it out on a sigh. “Sorry.”
Harper touched my hand with her little finger. “Don’t worry; we’re family now. Family can bitch at each other, it’s one of the rules.”
“An unwritten rule that Harper invented to give herself an excuse,” Leona winked, “Trust me; I know.”
Despite my black mood, I found myself grinning back at the pair. “I haven’t had a lot of girlfriends.”
Leona snorted, rolling her eyes. “Don’t take Harper as a normal example, I beg you!”
“What’s normal?” Julie quipped, sliding onto the bench opposite us.
“Forget everything I said. Everyone’s insane around here,” Leona stated in a completely deadpan voice.
Greeting Julie with a smile, my eyes slid to the men gathering around our table, chairs being dragged over and empty barrels being used as seats. Our crowd had grown from a handful of people to most of the restaurant in a matter of seconds. Wolves and cats and bears, all hanging together as if it were completely normal, some obviously paired off and others giving me the kind of look that said they certainly wouldn’t mind, given half the chance. Music caressed the air and the smell of barbecue had my mouth watering, the outdoor restaurant lit by torches dotted all around the clearing and fairy lights woven into the trees. A large open ended shack housed the large grills and a help yourself kind of bar. It was rustic and welcoming, exactly what I’d expected.
A warm body jostled me, a muscular thigh sliding against mine. I didn’t have to turn, his scent wrapped around me and heated my blood. Bold. Not like him at all. My crowd of admirers suddenly found other things to occupy them. Like the trees or the bottom of their beer bottles, anything but meet the gaze of the man beside me, who I knew was, right this moment, scowling at them. I didn’t even have to look; his thigh vibrated with the low rumble of his growl, his hand on the table clenched until his knuckles turned white.
Ah. Realization hit me.
He’d just marked his territory.
Me. I waited for the flash of anger, the flicker of annoyance to grip me, but it was absent. Which made sense—if I wasn’t willing to take a bear as my mate, then why would I consider a wolf or a cat? Maybe for a night of fun? A whisper of desire coalesced into a thought. Truth be told, I was starting to wish Cade wasn’t my mate, if only so I could get another look at that monster in his pants. I stifled a giggle at the absurd—and completely unobtainable—wish.
“What’s so funny?” His breath was minty, whispering past my ear.
I shivered, a tingle darting down my spine and curling in my stomach. My leg twitched on its own accord, denim rubbing against denim. Laying my hands down flat on the table, so they didn’t get any funny ideas and go wandering, I turned my head.
His face was inches away, much closer than I’d anticipated, the hazel of his eyes looking more green than brown in this fading light. Flecks of gold danced at the edges, his pupils growing under my stare. This close, I could make out the tiny individual hairs in the shadow clinging to his chin. The tiny freckle under one eye. A small scar at his temple in the shape of an apple. How his hair had gold spun through its length, shading it a sandy brown. “Nothing,” I forced out, my eyes dipping to his mouth without warning.
I dragged them back up, pinning them in place, but it was too late, the question was there: how would he kiss? Slow and soft, a melting pot of pleasure? Or hard and fast, demanding and devouring and taking? Tongue or no tongue? The boy I’d once known had been more tongue than lips, enthusiastic but unfortunately not very skilled.
Cade would have skill.
The corner of his eyes crinkle
d and I knew without checking, his lips had spread in a grin. He knew damn well what I was thinking and he was enjoying every second of it. “This is for you.”
I looked down as he nudged a plate toward me, filled to brimming with a selection of meat, salad, and a baked potato. “I already ate.” Though my mouth watered. Harper’s earlier whining rang in my ears. Shifters could put away a lot of food…
“Eat again. You never know what you might need the energy for.” His expression was innocent as he placed both a beer and a can of soda in front of me. “Ladies choice.”
Accepting the soda, I snapped the lid and took a sip, anything to hide my mouth which didn’t have a clue what it was supposed to be doing. Scowling? Smiling? Puckering up for a kiss?
No. Get a grip! Be polite. Say thank you. I opened my mouth, but he’d already joined in a conversation across the table, his body still angled toward mine, but his attention elsewhere. Our arms laid side by side, his was tanned and roped with muscle, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to reveal bulging biceps. Mine was paler, though not by much—working outside all day gave my skin a healthy glow—but my arm looked like a twig next to his. I spread my fingers out, stretching them. His were longer, his palm wider, squarer. Our short, blunt nails matched and I’d bet good money we both had calluses on our palms. His index finger didn’t sit quite straight, hinting at an injury somewhere in his past.
I blinked at the train of thought. Why was I riveted by his hands?
I didn’t have to think hard, it was the honesty that I struggled with, but I wasn’t about to start lying to myself. I wanted them on my body. No ifs, buts, or maybes. I wanted him. But it didn’t mean I would give in. When had this happened?
Back at the farm, when he’d offered support? In his cabin, when he’d flashed me? That first day, when he’d smiled at me?
It felt like the ground was shifting beneath me. I took a deep breath, picking up a piece of chicken to give myself an excuse not to join in with the crowd. Not that they’d noticed my silence, or if they had, they were leaving me to it. Okay. I could handle this. I wanted Cade. Wanted wanted. Not wanted wanted wanted. Wait. I crinkled my nose. I had managed to confuse myself. I flicked through my emotions, sorting them out and cataloging them. I found him attractive. I would like to have sex with him. I enjoyed talking to him. Okay. Nothing mind blowing so far. I dug deeper.
He made me feel safe. He made me feel good about myself. I liked who he was.
I like him.
The chicken leg wavered in the air, the sweet smelling sticky sauce wafting up to my nose. When had that happened?
It didn’t mean anything. Couldn’t mean anything. He could never be my mate.
So why was I getting hot and bothered, if nothing was ever going to happen?
Chapter Eleven
Cade
She’d fallen silent and I was trying to convince myself not to worry. Maybe she was thinking about us. Me. I hoped so, as I couldn’t get the damn woman out of my mind. Across from me, Daryl—one of the wolf pack enforcers—and Shane—bear shifter on team South-Two were in the middle of recounting a funny story about something, I wasn’t sure what. I hadn’t been listening. Owen, Alpha of the wolf shifters, leaned over the pair, adding a few words of his own.
My attention swerved back to Mina. Every cell in my body thrummed with awareness. Then back to the guys.
They were silent. Had I missed the punchline? One by one, their mouths curved up in identical smirks.
“What?” It was a low growl.
“Nothing.” Shane picked up his cider—some girly fruity flavor, for fuck’s sake—and took a long swallow, his eyes observing me over the stout bottle.
“Hush, everyone! I have an announcement!”
Glad for the diversion, I directed my attention to Julie, who was standing on the bench, her arms in the air. The low hum of conversation died down, a stillness flowing over the venue until all eyes had turned this way.
Tom, her mate, stood at her back, his arms looped around her waist and a big shit eating grin plastered all over his face.
Julie waited a moment, then on a burst of air, blurted it out, “We’re pregnant!”
Hollers of congratulations and whistles pierced my eardrums. Tom held up a hand, waving for quiet. “Thank you, thank you,” he bellowed. “We didn’t want to say anything until Julie got the all clear from the infirmary. We’re twelve weeks exactly now and, while not completely out of the woods—I won’t stop worrying for another six months—we wanted to share our good news with our friends.” He pressed a kiss to Julie’s bare shoulder, his hand sliding over her stomach with a possessive air. “Drinks are on us and let the betting begin!”
Julie launched herself into his arms and Tom lowered her back to the floor as if she were made out of glass.
I was happy for them. Jealous as hell, but happy.
“What does he mean by betting?” Mina asked in a quiet voice, but it was wasted on a crowd of shifters.
Tio leaned around me, fielding the question before I had chance to formulate a reply, “Julie is an Ocelot shifter and Tom is a wolf. We’ll now spend the next six months betting on what the baby is going to be.”
Mina’s mouth rounded into a circle, her surprise silent. Then her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. “This happens often?”
“Every time there’s a baby.” A hand shoved Tio, sending him rocking forward into the table. “Hey,” he snarled.
Jake ignored him. “She’s not asking about the baby; she’s asking about whether it’s normal for shifters to pair up outside of their species.” His gaze latched onto Mina. “Aren’t you, sweetheart?” His words carried the edge of challenge.
I felt Mina stiffen.
I made to stand, but she dragged me back down, her hand hot against my skin. “No. He’s right. I’m not used to it.” She added a small chuckle, but it sounded forced.
My eyes never left Jake and that’s when I saw it: pity. He felt sorry for me. But why? Before I had chance to process the information, he’d stalked off.
“Asshole,” Harper spat out, slipping her arm through Mina’s and hauling her to her feet. “Come on, let’s dance.” Grabbing Leona with her other hand, she dragged the pair away from the table, to a clear spot in the center. “Put me down for twenty on the baby being an Ocelot,” she yelled over her shoulder.
“See? Not everyone thinks wolves are the dominant species,” Julie murmured to her mate, humming along to the tune drifting over the air.
“I’ll show you dominant…” Luckily someone chose that exact moment to crank the music up to ear blasting levels, saving me from overhearing any more of what was obviously a private conversation. Thank fuck.
Swiveling on the bench, I leaned back against the table, propping my elbows up on either side as I watched the women shaking and wriggling, doing some sort of complicated dance steps that had my eyes crossing and my mouth watering. Or, rather, Mina had my mouth watering. Arms in the air, her body rippled back and forth in an undulating wave, punctuating each beat with a shake of her ass. Her gorgeous, rounded ass that was right this moment testing the limits of the denim that hugged it.
Lucky denim. I bit back a groan, shifting in my seat while discretely trying to rearrange my hardening cock. A low chuckle disabused me of the notion that my discomfort had gone unnoticed.
Austin settled down next to me, tilting his bottle toward the dancing crowd. Shit. I blinked. When had that happened? There had to be at least twenty people up there now. “Don’t give up on her.” Nothing else. That was it—his pep talk. Done. Rising to standing, he strode over to his mate, pulling her into his arms and giving every male within ten feet a look that promised pain. The couple didn’t dance so much as sway, their bodies melded together and they had eyes only for each other. Harper and Mina continued to writhe and jiggle, seemingly unaware of the attention they were attracting.
Zane, Alpha of North-One stalked over with Ian and Oscar following not far behind. Mina blinked up at him
, her hips still moving but confusion clouded her eyes. Harper laughed, whipping around in a circle and sending her hair flying while the other two bear shifters laughed and joked, swigging their beers and attempting to dance.
Zane moved behind Mina, his hands hovering over her hips. He looked directly at me.
One second I was sitting, the next I had Zane by the throat, a snarl ripping its way out of me and the change imminent. Claws tipped my fingers, digging into weak, human flesh.
A small hand landed on my bicep. Unimportant and ineffectual, like a fly.
I pressed harder, piercing the skin. Rage consumed me, a dull roar ringing in my ears.
The fly nipped. A wasp, perhaps?
Zane’s mouth slid up into a grin. “I’m doing you a favor.”
I cocked my head, I heard him but understanding was out of reach.
The wasp yanked me back. I swung around, ready to pulverize. Mina stood there, her hands folded over her chest and her mouth flattened in a disapproving line. Not a wasp.
Releasing Zane, I shoved him away with a warning growl. Rage still rode me, whipping me into a frenzy. She’d danced with another man. He’d been close enough to touch her. To put his hands on her. Somewhere, under the liquid buzz of red, I knew it was irrational, but the beast was in charge now. He didn’t give a shit what was right or wrong. Mina was ours. She should be thinking about me, consumed the way I was consumed, unable to think or act or live without thinking about my touch.
Touch. She didn’t know me, but she would.
My hand shot out, sliding around the back of her head and through her hair as I crowded her body, closing the gap until I had pressed away all the air. Her elbows dug into my chest. I didn’t care. Our hips bumped. Her lips parted, surprise flashing across her face.
I didn’t think. Touch. I craved it. Needed it. Sliding my lips across hers, I demanded she open to me, my other hand coming around and smoothing across her waist, down to her ass, molding her against my thigh. A nip to her bottom lip and she gasped. I swooped in, my tongue sliding between her teeth to tangle with hers, my mouth pressing and moving as I deepened the kiss. The rumble started in my stomach, rolling up through my chest and vibrating in my throat. She tasted fucking amazing. My fingers dug into her ass, rocking her against my thigh, swallowing her soft moan. Her arms loosened, sliding down to her sides.