Hayley recalled the vivid image from the nightmare again. Grayson had endured the savage, brutal attack to protect her. He didn't flinch from the pain and the horror, and even though his flesh was being ripped from him, there was a fierce pride and love in his eyes.
She saw that pride and love now as he stared at her. His turbulent eyes were filled with hunger and yearning. Grayson was a powerful, proud, formidable Alpha. He had hundreds of wolves under his command. He was fearless, unstoppable and deadly in a fight.
Grayson Edge could have any female he wanted. Hayley wondered just how many women he'd had. Too many to count, a bitchy voice in her head whined. A strong, virile, powerful man like Grayson would have had scores of women.
Hayley shook away that annoyingly high-pitched voice in her head. That was his past, and he was entitled to it. Everyone had a past. And her own past wasn't that pretty either.
What mattered was the present. Grayson was in her present, in her house right now. She searched his face and saw her own longing and loneliness mirrored in his eyes. Perhaps tonight they could give each other the warmth and comfort they both craved.
Very slowly, she reached up and cupped the side of his face. Pushing herself up on her toes, Hayley touched her lips softly, tentatively to his.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Grayson groaned and clamped his arms around Hayley possessively. Her kiss was soft and shy, and he knew he should take it slow with her, but he just couldn't stop himself from grabbing her. He needed to touch her, to feel her soft, curvy body flush against his.
Hayley gasped and her lips parted immediately when he swept his tongue across her mouth.
God, she smelled and tasted so good. Grayson deepened the kiss, his mouth moving hungrily over hers. Hayley wrapped her arms around his neck, whimpering as his tongue tangled with hers.
With a moan, she speared her fingers through his hair and kissed him feverishly. Her restraint and inhibitions slipped away as she rubbed mindlessly against him.
Grayson could feel her pebbled nipples stabbing into his chest. The realization that she wasn't wearing a bra under that big t-shirt made him painfully hard.
Grayson released a shuddering breath as he sank his face into the soft curve of her neck. He nuzzled her tenderly and sighed. He could still smell the stench of Strom's blood on him but as he held Hayley in his arms, the violence and horror of the night gradually melted away.
It felt so right to hold her in his arms, to have her with him. He would do everything to keep her safe. But would she be safe with him?
“Why did you come to Wolves Hollow?” Grayson murmured into her hair.
Hayley's smile was sad. “To forget my past, and to break the pattern of my life.” After a long silence, she said, “After my first divorce, I should have been able to spot a liar a mile away. But no, I didn't put my guard up and I fell for the wrong guy, again. My second husband was a liar and a cheat. He even tried to cheat me out of my share of the house when we divorced. I've learned my lesson and I guess I'm better off alone.” She gave a wry smile. “Wolves Hollow seemed like a nice little town.”
“It is,” Grayson said, brushing a lock of hair from her forehead. “You just have to stay out of trouble.” He made a face. “But sometimes trouble comes looking for you.”
She gave him a long look and said teasingly, “I'm glad you came looking for me, Grayson.”
He nipped at her ear and growled, “Are you saying I'm trouble?”
“Aren't you?”
Grayson opened his mouth and shut it again. Hayley smiled as she smoothed away the deep lines on his forehead. “Don't frown,” she said. “I was joking. You're not...”
“I am. I am trouble.” He gripped her wrist tightly. “There will always be trouble and danger around me. I can't let you...” He swallowed hard and growled, “Hayley, I want you to be safe. I need you to be safe.”
She blinked in confusion. “I...”
“Wolves Hollow is a nice town, but there are many shifter packs and clans here. Some of the packs are led by Alphas who are more aggressive, more predatory and territorial.”
“Like Strom,” she said.
“Yes.” His expression hardened. “You will be safer if...you leave Wolves Hollow for good, Hayley,” he gritted out.
Her green eyes blazed as the meaning of his words sank in. She walked up to him and put her palms flat on his chest. Then she shoved him, hard.
“Did you just tell me to get out of town? Your town?” She stabbed a finger into his chest.
“I just...”
“You're the biggest, baddest Alpha in Wolves Hollow. I get it. You just took over two rival packs and made your pack even bigger. Argh!” She clutched her head with both hands and turned away. “How could I...”
“Hayley...”
“You!” She took a sharp breath and tried to compose herself. “I thought...I thought that you're a good guy.” She let out a brittle laugh. “I guess my luck didn't change. I may be in a new town, but I'm still attracting arrogant, manipulative jerks! God, I can't believe I actually...believed you. I even...” Her voice cracked.
She closed her eyes for an instant. When she opened them again, there was a hard, cold light in her eyes. “I know what you're doing. You want my house, and you're trying to get me to leave. You're hoping that I'll be so eager to sell my house that you can just grab it for next to nothing.”
“What do I want your house for?” His voice rose.
“I don't know! Maybe to...to build an extension to your mansion,” she snapped, gesturing wildly.
Grayson stared at her in disbelief and exasperation. “Hayley, will you just...”
“That's what my ex-husband did,” she said angrily. “He schemed to get me out of the way, so he could get his hands on my share of the house.”
“I'm not your ex-husband!”
“No. But you're all the same,” she answered. It was a vicious, hurtful thing to say, but she was just so mad. Why did this always have to happen to her?
She stormed to the door and wrenched it open. “Good night, Grayson,” she said coldly.
Grayson took one look at her face and knew that she wasn't in the mood to listen to anything he said right now. At the door, he turned and said, “Hayley, I don't mean...”
“I know exactly what you mean, Grayson,” she sneered. She tilted her chin haughtily. “Let me tell you this. And I mean every word. This is my house, my home, and I am staying put!”
With that, she slammed the door in his face.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Hayley poured herself another cup of coffee and scowled. She was still so mad at herself. Oh she was mad at Grayson all right, but she was even madder at herself.
How could she have been so trusting and stupid, again?
“Grayson Edge,” she snarled and took a scalding gulp of black coffee.
He really did seem like such a nice, decent, upright guy. But all the while, he was scheming to drive her out of her house and out of Wolves Hollow!
He lived next door, so maybe he was planning to get rid of her so he could get her land and build an extension to his big, majestic house. He was hoping to frighten her away so he could get his hands on her house real cheap.
Hayley made a sound of disgust and got up. She dumped the rest of her coffee into the sink and looked out the window. The late morning sun was streaming into her house, but it did little to warm her up. She was feeling so tired and wretched. She hardly slept a wink last night after Grayson left.
She glared at Grayson's stately white house and bit her lip hard. Somehow, she still couldn't believe that Grayson was a slimy, scheming jerk who was no better than her ex. She'd gone through two bad marriages, but two bad apples didn't mean that the whole basket contained stinking, rotten apples. Right?
Her second husband, Vincent, was rotten and dishonest to the
core. He was even worse than her first husband, Raymond, who just couldn't keep it in his pants. At least Raymond didn't scheme to cheat her of her money and rightful entitlement.
Hayley swore under her breath. “Was I...wrong?” she asked her dishwasher. “You heard what he said, right? He said...he said...”
You will be safer if...you leave Wolves Hollow for good, Hayley.
Hayley sat down heavily at the dining table. She recalled the conflicted, tormented look on Grayson's face when he said that. He didn't want her to leave.
She dropped her head into her hands. “I...I should at least hear him out,” she muttered. She hadn't even given Grayson a chance to explain. She had been unfair, judgmental and vindictive. She shouldn't let her experience with Vincent color her view of all men. She had just assumed that Grayson harbored an ulterior motive for wanting her to leave Wolves Hollow. It was possible, she conceded, that he simply had her best interests at heart.
After hesitating another minute, Hayley went to change into her jeans and threw on her denim jacket. She grabbed her bag and went to the door. She needed to talk to Grayson. But after her outrageous behavior last night, he might not even want to talk to her.
Hayley let out a startled cry when she opened her front door and almost walked into a raised fist.
“Oh! Sorry, I was about to knock.” A pretty, blond woman smiled and said sheepishly.
It took Hayley a moment to recognize her. “Ariana,” she said. Ariana's eyes were the exact same shade of blue as her brother's.
“You're Grayson's sister,” Hayley said.
“Ah, yes. Just call me Ari. Everyone does.”
“What can I do for you, Ari?” Hayley said carefully. Did Grayson send his sister here?
“I came here to tell you that your car will be ready this afternoon,” Ari answered brightly.
“My car?”
“Yup. Grayson's working on it right now.”
“But...”
“He towed it to our shop. It was already there when the guys came in this morning. I think Grayson drove out last night to get your car himself.”
“What? Why would he...” Hayley shook her head. She had so many questions but she could only articulate one. “What shop?”
“The Sentinels own Safeway Auto Repair. It's the largest auto repair shop in Wolves Hollow,” Ari said proudly.
“How did he find my car? I didn't even know the name of the street...” Hayley mumbled.
Ari tapped her nose and grinned. “He followed your scent. My brother was the best tracker in the pack before he became Alpha.” Ari glanced at the bag on her shoulder and said, “I can see you're on your way out. I'm going back to the shop now. I'm their receptionist and errand girl. Can I give you a ride somewhere?” She jerked her thumb at her car which was parked right in front of Hayley's house.
“Actually...I was just about to look for Grayson. I need to talk to him,” she stuttered.
Ari cocked her head. “Did you guys have a fight?”
“Fight?” Hayley almost dropped her keys as she locked her front door. “No! Why would I fight with Grayson? I hardly know him.”
Ari smiled. “My brother is a great leader. But he's hopeless with women.”
“He was pretty good with three women.” Hayley bit the inside of her cheek in mortification. Where did that catty remark come from? She didn't even sound like herself.
Ari gave her a sidelong glance as they walked towards her car. “Grayson only did that so he wouldn't have to kill those three bitches,” Ari said. “He had to strip them of their power and position in the pack and make them submit. It was a show of power, and yes, it was very public. It was crude and humiliating. Grayson would never have done it if it wasn't necessary.”
Ari faced her and put a hand gently on her arm. “But once Grayson finds his mate, he will never touch another female.”
Hayley winced. “But...if such a situation ever arises again, if he has to...subdue another wolf…”
“He will order another male in the pack to do it. Grayson could have ordered Scott to do it, and as his Beta, Scott would have to carry out the order. But Grayson never throws his weight around. He could have ordered his Beta or any of his lieutenants to do the dirty work for him.”
Ari carried on fervently, “He is a good Alpha, but like I said, he doesn't know how to sweet-talk and seduce women.” She threw up her hands in exasperation. “Grayson is just...”
“A straight arrow,” Hayley said, suppressing her smile.
“That's my brother. Grayson is the straightest arrow there is,” Ari replied, breaking into a grin. “Hop in. I'll take the scenic route and show your some nice shops along the way.”
Hayley smiled as Ari prattled on happily during the ride. It was clear that the siblings were very close. “He's all I've got,” Ari said when they stopped at a red light. “I mean, the Sentinels are pack. But—family is family.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“Alpha.”
Grayson emerged from under the hood of the car and frowned at Scott and his two senior lieutenants, Mark and Keisha. The three of them stood at attention, their expressions grave and troubled.
Scott stepped forward and reported, “The body is gone, Alpha.”
“Gone?”
“Yes. Strom's body has...disappeared.”
Grayson narrowed his eyes. “Did any of the Red Razor wolves remove Strom's body last night?”
“No, Alpha,” Keisha spoke up. “We kept a close watch on the Red Razor pack. None of the Red Razor wolves went back to the woods last night.”
Mark nodded. “Strom was their Alpha, and they obeyed his commands. But I don't think he commanded their respect. I don't think any of the Red Razor wolves would risk your wrath and their lives by going back to bury him.”
“Have you searched the surrounding area?” Grayson said, slamming the hood down. He glanced back as Hayley's little car creaked and groaned in protest. He had finished fixing it and replaced all the old parts. It was better than new now. She should have no problems with it from now on. It was old but it was a good, sturdy car.
“Yes. We tried to follow the scent. But...it led nowhere,” Scott said.
“What do you mean?”
“It just led us back to the same spot, Alpha,” Keisha answered.
“The scent wound round the forest and looped back to the exact same spot where we'd left the body last night,” Mark said.
Grayson's face darkened as he met Scott's eyes. They had both encountered something very similar when they were both trackers in the pack.
“A looping diversion,” Scott said. He turned to Mark and Keisha and explained, “It's a spell.”
“So a witch is involved,” Mark said.
“There are a few witches in Wolves Hollow,” Keisha said. “Which one...”
“Watch them all,” Grayson snarled. “Involve the Red Razor and Silverfangs wolves in this operation. We can observe how our new wolves fare on a mission. And see where their loyalties truly lie. Who knows? We might discover some good lieutenants and trackers among our new members.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
Grayson watched his Beta and lieutenants leave. He turned back to Hayley's car with a grim expression. He had towed her car back to the garage last night after he left her house and worked on her car alone the whole night. His crew had been surprised to find him working determinedly in the garage when they came in this morning. Grayson hadn't allowed anyone else to touch Hayley's car. He wanted to fix her car himself, and make sure that everything was perfectly safe for her.
“Grayson!”
He turned at his sister's cheery greeting. He had sent her out to inform Hayley that her car would be ready for collection this afternoon.
But here she was.
“Ta-da!” Ari presented Hayley with a flourish. “I go
t you what you wanted, Alpha,” she said with a cheeky wink and saluted.
“I didn't ask you to...” Grayson began.
“You're welcome,” Ari sang and wiggled her fingers at him as she waltzed out the door to the adjoining reception area.
Two seconds later, she popped her head through the door and called out to Hayley, “Oh Miss Winters, if for any reason you're not satisfied with the level of service of your mechanic—” She shot Grayson a pointed look. “Come see me at the reception counter. I'll fill in a complaint form for you, and we will review his performance. It's standard procedure. And we'll service your car free of charge! For life!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Hayley opened her mouth to answer but Ari had ducked back through the door into the air-conditioned office. She looked around and saw a dozen guys staring at her. A few saluted her with the wrench, screwdriver or whatever tool they had in their hand. Others smirked and openly ogled her. A few wolf whistles were heard.
“Get back to work!” Grayson roared and planted himself in front of Hayley to block her from the admiring eyes of his colleagues.
“We don't see pretty females coming through the garage often,” someone groused.
“This place is filled with males. Where are all the ladies?” a young man raised his grease-stained hands skyward and lamented.
“What did you say?” Two women in overalls pushed themselves out from under the cars they were repairing and glared at the men.
“Aren't we ladies?” one of them demanded.
“Aw, Suz, of course you and Nadia are ladies,” the young man said hurriedly and pulled his cap lower over his eyes. “We just never thought of you two as...”
“As what?” Suz and Nadia said together.
The young man looked around helplessly but the other guys simply folded their arms and grinned. He was on his own.
Alpha Next Door (Wolves Hollow Book 1) Page 6