Heartsridge Shifters: Cade (South-One Bears Book 2)

by Olivia Arran

  Brent’s shoulders twitched as if he could feel the weight settling there. “I wouldn’t know. We haven’t spoken for over six years and we didn’t part on good terms. I’d imagine he dislikes the purists as much as we do.” His voice was perfectly bland, as if he were reciting a shopping list.

  I wasn’t fooled and I was pretty sure every other person in this room wasn’t either.

  Carter pressed on, “Would he come here if invited, or would we have to go to him?”

  Brent snapped, his entire body thrumming with tension. “Why would you want him here?"

  Miss Lockett leaned into Carter’s line of view, tapping a pale pink nail on his desk to get his attention. “Yes, Mayor Carter, why would we want to invite the leader of the rogues—an oversight I can’t even begin to wrap my head around—here? What good would it do? You have a security breach; you need to fix it. Not invite more trouble into your town.” Her dismissive tone had my metaphorical fur bristling and my bear snarling inside my head.

  Carter, however, dismissed her with a glance that spoke volumes. “Because they’re scared of him and I want to know why.”

  Miss Lockett didn’t back down. “I would imagine inviting another dominant shifter—one possibly far stronger than yourself—into territory that you hold is not the most … sensible idea. What if he decides to take over?”

  I sucked in a breath, nearly choking myself. Did she seriously just call Carter out? If she’d been a shifter it would have been a challenge, no question.

  Carter stilled, only the twitch of his fingers giving away his inner struggle for control. “Miss Lockett. I think you misunderstood your role here at Heartsridge. You are to observe, offer your opinion, if you must, but don’t ever challenge my authority in front of my people.” His voice was deadly calm, a testament to the fury that must be raging beneath his skin. His lion would be clawing to get out, demanding that he assert dominance over the human woman.

  But, fucking hell, he was controlling his shit. My respect for the guy increased tenfold as he continued to stare the meddling woman down without raising his voice or lifting a finger.

  “I’ll invite him here. If we go to him then he’ll have the advantage.” Brent sounded resigned, but resolute. “I’ve gotta warn you, though, he’s a tricky son-of-a-bitch.”

  Carter broke his staring match to acknowledge Brent’s sacrifice with a small smile. “I eat tricky son-of-a-bitches for breakfast,” he murmured, his mouth sliding up into a confident smirk.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Miss Lockett leaned back in her chair, seeming to fold in on herself so as not to attract any more attention. Her nails dug into her knee, her arms locked in place, but I didn’t miss the tiny shiver that shook her shoulders. Or the lowering of her eyelids as she sucked in a soft breath.

  Someone should warn Carter—

  I shook off the thought with a low chuckle. As if he didn’t already know.

  We all left the room with our orders for the next couple of days. Watch the town, keep a close eye on our loved ones, and wait for further instructions.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Mina

  The next day, I was elbow deep in dirt, and loving it. Glorious dirt coated my fingers, lining my nails. I was as happy as a pig in muck. Patting the seedling gently into place, I poked a hole for the next one, lifting it gently out of its tiny pot and tapping off the dirt clinging to its roots.

  “Home time, Mina,” Talbot called from across the way, where he was also elbow deep in dirt.

  “Okay,” I called back, taking my time. This was a delicate moment, one that couldn’t be rushed if I were to give the seedling the best chance of success. Success. I let out the breath I’d been holding, giving the soil around the seedling a final pat, then I placed the tray I’d been working on back on the shelf, where it could soak up the last of the day’s waning sunshine. Dusting off my hands on my apron, I headed up front, to where Talbot was rinsing his hands in a metal industrial sized sink. We’d sunk into a companionable silence filled with a mutual love of dirt and all things green, barely a word passing between us.

  “How did you enjoy your first day?” he asked without turning around.

  I was smiling from ear to ear, surely he could tell I’d had the time of my life?

  He turned and winked at me.

  My answer was to hip nudge him out of the way as I rinsed off the first layer of grime. The rest I would attack later, in the bath with a nail brush. A thrill wound its way through me as the thought that I’d been deliberately not thinking about all day inserted itself front and center. I had a date tonight.

  With Cade.

  Forget butterflies in my stomach, I had firecrackers bouncing around and exploding on contact. Zings of anticipation lightened my step as I waved goodbye and made my way to my little car. I’d been a good girl all day, throwing myself into my new job, which wasn’t a hardship since it was the best job ever, but now, I couldn’t hide from the truth.

  I wanted him. More than wanted him. I burned for Cade, with the kind of low, rolling heat that consumed me beyond all reasonable and rational thought. Tonight, if he asked, I’d do more than kiss. Opening the car door, I slid inside. If he could bring me that much pleasure with only his fingers and his tongue, I’d be a fool to pass up the opportunity to see what else could happen if I let myself go and believe for a moment.

  In no time at all I was letting myself into the little cottage. I hummed to myself as I ran a bath, adding an extra dollop of sweet smelling oil for good luck.

  A head poked around the door, Liam’s mischievous face grinning at me. “Are you going out?”

  Swirling the water with my fingers, I nodded, barely managing to keep a straight face.

  “Hmmmm, I wonder who you could possibly be going out with,” he mused, tapping his chin and sidling his whole body into the small space. All arms and legs, he’d reached that gangly stage that all teenagers had to go through. Another year and he’d be filling out, becoming the man I always knew he’d grow up to be. He was going to be tall and broad, like our father, though luckily he had our mother’s eyes. Big and luminous, they didn’t stand a chance in hell of hiding his inner thoughts from the world. Which, I’d decided, was a good thing. Better to be open and honest than hide everything inside.

  I shrugged, playing along with his game.

  Leaning against the wall, he snapped his fingers. “I know … Jake.”

  I wrinkled my nose. Not that I had anything against Jake, but he was too volatile for my nerves to stand in large doses.

  “Brent!”

  Okay, he was going to work his way through all of Cade’s team. “Yup, you guessed it baby brother.” He hated being reminded he was the youngest, though he didn’t stand a chance. I’d practically raised him after our parents had died, so all I could see when I looked at him was a kid with sad eyes and skinned knees, stubbornly refusing to accept that the worst had happened and setting up vigil at the end of our road. He’d camped out there for over a week before I’d managed to coax him back inside, wrapping him in my arms and whispering that I wasn’t going anywhere. He’d been six to my seventeen.

  He jerked his head and pulled a face. I must have been more convincing than I’d thought. “Brent? Really? But I thought—” His eyes narrowed. “Oh, you got me going then!” The grin was back. “I’ll tell Cade that you’d rather be going out with Brent, if you like?”

  “How did it go today with Tiny?” I asked, pointedly changing the subject.

  His smile faded.

  Uh oh. “I thought you liked him?”

  He shuffled his feet, shoving his hands in his pockets.

  Reaching over, I turned the taps off, giving him time to gather his thoughts.

  “He’s great, and all, but…” One shoulder lifted in a halfhearted gesture. “All we do is talk or run. I thought…”

  I knew exactly what he’d thought. “You thought you’d be able to talk him into giving you some sort of badass training?”


  “He knows I want to be an enforcer.” It was almost a childish whine.

  “He also knows that you’re nowhere near ready yet. Do you trust Tiny?”

  “Yes.” No hesitation.

  Jealousy twinged in my gut, but I ignored it. It was good for Liam to have a strong male role model in his life. “Then you’re going to have to be patient and see this through. Talking and running as your fox is good for you. It’ll teach you control over your emotions.”

  “That’s what Tiny said,” Liam huffed, but he was smiling again, even though it wasn’t as dazzling.

  I clapped my hands, making shooing motions at him. “Listen to your gut and trust your instincts,” I ordered, closing the door behind him.

  Stripping off my clothes, I sank into the hot water and closed my eyes, my words ringing in my ears. I was going to take my own advice for once.

  Perched on the wall outside the cottage, I swung my legs back and forth, the full skirt of my dress floating up with every kick. It felt weird being out of jeans, but a date called for a special effort and denim just wasn’t going to cut it. Ergo, the dress. It wasn’t some pale pastel flowery thing, it was a rich, deep blue with silver flashes of thread woven through the thick material, forming strands of lightning that rippled when I walked. Straps tied around my neck, lifting and cupping my breasts in—what I had been assured by the saleswoman was—a most desirable fashion. Personally, they felt like they’d been yanked up around my ears and I was having a hard time ignoring the fact that on every inhalation my boobs seemed to bob and sway, jiggling in a terrifying manner. At least my legs looked good, strong and toned from hours spent walking the farm.

  Movement caught my eye. I sucked my stomach in and crossed one leg over the other in an attempt to appear feminine. I’d even dabbed on some lip gloss and mascara for the occasion. I was a goddamn babe, tonight!

  Cade strode around the corner, his mouth moving, a low mutter floating on the warm breeze. He was dressed in dark jeans and a pressed pale blue cotton shirt, his boots shined and hair slicked back, still wet from a recent shower and darkened to almost an inky black. Civilized, until you looked closer and noted the stubble that hugged his jaw, or the acres of hard muscle straining beneath his shirt. Or the calluses on his large, capable hands. Okay, I couldn’t see the calluses, but I knew they were there. Remembered the feel of them skimming over my body, rough against my delicate skin.

  He looked up, catching my shiver. A slow smile spread over his face as he looked me over, his eyes traveling from my feet all the way up to the top of my head. Reaching me, his hand snagged mine, fingers sliding until we were twined together. “You’re waiting outside.”

  I tilted my face. Kiss me. “I didn’t think you’d want to walk the gauntlet tonight.”

  A touch of relief skirted his face as he tugged me off the wall, bringing me into his arms. Firm lips met my soft, sticky ones, sweeping in for a gentle touch that left me yearning for more. “I missed you today,” he whispered.

  It was on the tip of my tongue to echo his words, when his expression stuttered, freezing in something that looked like awe.

  I looked down, following his gaze, wondering what the hell was wrong with him.

  A low rumble started in his chest, working its way up through his throat to be cut off with a strangled growl. “Fucking hell, sweetheart. I’m going to be hard as a rock all night.”

  Oh. Right. My breasts were still doing their balancing act, but rather than wanting to throw a sweater over them, I had a sudden urge to arch my back.

  The little wanton harlot sitting on my shoulder told me I should. Just to see his reaction. So I did.

  His hands hardened against my back, sliding down to my ass and yanking me closer until I could feel the thick line of him digging into my stomach, grinding against me as he pressed me against the wall, his minty breath feathering my cheek as he growled. “Tease,” he muttered, his tongue darting out and licking against my lower lip.

  “You like it,” I breathed, catching his tongue with mine and hugging him close.

  “Of course I do.” His groan vibrated down through to my toes. “You are perfection sent to test my willpower.”

  Sliding my hands down his back, I tucked them into his jean pockets and dug my nails in. “How are you coping?” I whispered against his mouth. The wall bit into my thighs, every bit as hard as the man crowding me.

  His eyes darkened as he kissed his way along my jaw, sliding one hand up to cup the nape of my neck. “Do you want me to lose control?”

  Did I? The answer hummed through me, and it wasn’t just lust speaking. I wanted to make him lose control, so I could relish the knowledge that I’d done that to him. That it was me who he couldn’t resist. But, “Not yet,” I murmured, tugging on his lower lip with my teeth and staring up at him. “Not here.”

  He closed his eyes, a shudder running down his spine. “Fuck,” he exhaled. “I promised you a date, but I’d better warn you…” He stepped back, looping his arm over my shoulder and hugging me close. We set off toward town, just a man and a woman enjoying the evening air.

  “What?” I prompted.

  The corner of his mouth slid up in a rakish smirk. “Before the night is over my mouth is going to be between your legs and you’re going to be screaming my name.”

  “Oh.” He’d be waiting a long time if he was expecting me to protest.

  We turned onto the main street, Cade leading the way to a fancy restaurant I’d only ever glanced at in passing. “I wondered why you didn’t bring your truck,” I said as he held the door open for me. A shifter dressed in a smart black suit complete with starched whites showed us to a booth at the back of the dimly lit room, leaving us with menus and a small smile.

  Cade abandoned his side of the table, coming around to mine and sliding along the leather seat. “I parked around the back so we have it for later.” Warmth glowed from the tiny tea light candles dotting the table, the white linen spotless and silverware sparkling. Soft music filtered through speakers set into the walls, the thick carpet absorbing the footsteps of the waiter as he arrived seemingly out of nowhere.

  “Complements of the house,” he declared, brandishing a bottle of wine for our perusal. Cade nodded and the man set about uncorking the bottle, decanting a small amount into a glass for tasting. Cade passed the glass to me, swirling the deep red liquid around until it coated the glass. “I haven’t got a clue,” he whispered with a shrug.

  “I read somewhere it’s more about making sure the wine isn’t corked than if it tastes okay,” I whispered back, but accepted the glass and took a tiny sip. Rich and tart, the wine flowed over my tongue, leaving a fruity aftertaste. “It’s good.”

  “You sound surprised.” He nodded to the waiter. “Thanks, Mark. And send Carter my thanks,” he added with a wry grin.

  Wine poured, the waiter melted back into the shadows.

  “Carter? Mayor Carter?”

  Cade inclined his head. “Carter is Alpha of the cats and they run the tourism side of the town. He must have caught wind of our date tonight.” Picking up his glass, he sipped, then set it back down, his arm resting on the table and body angled toward mine. Spreading his large, muscular thighs, he took up all available space in a way that sucked up all the air.

  I looked around the restaurant, buying myself time to control the fluttering in my chest. The place screamed understated class, from its polished silver to the dark oak accents. And it was full of humans. Eating, laughing, making eyes at each other. There was the occasional shifter mixed in, but they were few and far between. “This place is so out of my comfort zone, it’s unreal,” I joked.

  “I would have taken you to the BBQ Shack, but I wanted to keep you to myself for our first date,” he admitted in that low, gravelly voice of his.

  I turned back to him. “And this is keeping me to yourself?”

  Reaching his arm along the back of the booth, his fingers played with a strand of hair that had escaped from my top knot. �
�Yes.” Simplicity at its finest. “No one will bother us here, not unless we ask them to.” To underline his point, he tapped the table.

  The waiter reappeared. This time, Cade introduced us. We gave our orders then sank back into comfortable silence.

  I took another sip of my wine. It was growing on me, I decided. The table cloth brushed against my leg, tickling my bare thigh. Wait. Bare? A warm hand slid over my thigh, gently teasing my legs apart. My eyes shot to Cade. He was staring at me, not with intensity or lust, but with a friendly, open smile. His arm was no longer resting along the back of the booth.

  “I want to know everything there is to know about Mina,” he stated, fishing a bread roll out of a basket and taking a bite.

  His fingers crawled higher, sliding around the edge of my panties, fingering the lace. Back and forth. Back and forth.

  I blinked at him, mind spinning for a second.

  “What was your childhood like?” he prompted after swallowing his mouthful.

  One finger slipped under the lace. I froze, my answer stuttering and dying on my tongue. His finger slid back out again.

  A small frown mocked his gorgeous lips.

  “Good,” I managed to force out, despite my mouth being dry and tongue refusing to work. “My parents were alive when I was younger so I had a happy childhood.”

  His finger crept back under the lace, sliding down the crease where my thigh met my groin.

  He wasn’t going to—

  He entered me, dipping inside and swirling, the only outward indication of his act of deviancy was his arm disappearing under the table, but the angle of his body hid that from the view of the restaurant. Hid me from view.

  “Have you lived on the farm your whole life?”