by Morgan Fox
“I’m afraid you’ve sparked my curiosity.”
“About what?”
“Well, how is it you seem so at home in the kitchen?”
“My father was a chef, and my mother, like me, was a workaholic.” She smiled at the pleasant memory of her past, but he made a quick note about her use of the word was. “My father would keep me in the kitchen with him for hours. He refused to have a daughter who didn’t appreciate the culinary arts as well as the scientific ones. He used to tease my mother that I was just as much his daughter as I was hers.”
“I take it your mother was a doctor?”
“Yes, but she focused on neurology, while I stayed geared towards diagnostic and general medicine.”
“Were you an only child?”
“Yes,” she said. “My father begged my mother for years to have a child, and she finally caved, but once I was born, that was it for them. Being a doctor is hard, adding a family to it…I guess that wasn’t really for my mother.”
Reyes blew out a sharp breath. “I think I know what you mean,” he said, meeting her gaze. “My father only wanted me so he could have a son to follow in his footsteps.”
“My father was the perfect dad. He spent so much time trying to make up for the absence of my mother. I adored him.” Her eyes watered, and he knew more memories of her childhood danced behind her teary eyes. He wished he could take a glimpse into her life and truly know the woman who so easily had captured his heart. “I just wished my mother had loved us as much as she loved her work.”
“Megan, where are your parents now?”
“Dead,” she said simply, turning to begin combining items into a giant bowl. “They were killed by hunters when I was only sixteen.”
“Megan, I’m so sorry.” He stood to comfort her, his arms itching to wrap around her and hold her close.
She raised her hand to stop him from approaching her. “It was a long time ago, Reyes.”
He frowned. “It still doesn’t make it any easier,” he said, his fingers griping the edge of the countertop.
“No, it doesn’t, but I’ve come to terms with their deaths, and even though it still hurts when I think that it was my fault—”
“Why do you think their deaths were your fault?”
She sighed. “My father was trying so hard to get my mother to notice him again. After thirty years of marriage, I guess things had gotten stale.” She continued mixing the necessary ingredients for her pasta and marinara dish. “I’d heard them arguing one night, and my mother confessed that she’d never been in love with my father, that she loved him, but was never in love with him. The mating heat was all she truly felt between them.”
She paused, and he could see her trying to swallow the emotions bubbling up inside her. “I thought that if they just spent time alone together, they could discover the true love that should have brought them together in the first place. For whatever reason, my mother agreed to go on a trip with just my father. Maybe somewhere deep inside she wanted to see if true love really did exist.” Megan shrugged. “My father took her to a cabin in the mountains. One night while they were out running…” A row of tears slid down her cheeks, and he knew he wasn’t going to like what she was about to say. “Hunters tracked down my parents and killed them.”
“Human hunters?”
She shook her head.
“Vampires?” His voice shot up in amazement. Vampire attacks on lycans were rare, but not completely unheard of.
She nodded.
His fingers bit into the granite countertop. “Sweetheart, there is no possible way you could’ve known what was going to happen to your parents and blaming yourself won’t bring them back.”
“I know, but the guilt is still there, nonetheless.”
“Does anyone else know about your family?”
“Yes, Sebastian knows. His father was the alpha at the time that had the murders investigated, but the hunters were never found.”
Reyes knew he shouldn’t have felt jealousy over the relationship she shared with his best friend, but the feelings were there, regardless. “Sebastian really cares about you,” he said matter-of-factly.
“During that time in my life, Sebastian became like an older brother to me, and it was nice to have such a close friend. I guess in a way that friendship connection is what made dating his brother so easy. I’d already felt like I’d known him forever after hearing Sebastian tell stories about their childhood. Sebastian loved Jonah and it showed.”
If only I’d met you sooner. “I’m surprised I never got to know you. I think we must have been ships passing in the night all these years.”
Megan inclined her head to glance at him from over her shoulder, and softly shared, “Reyes, it’s very easy to share things with you. I don’t feel like I have to guard myself around you.”
“It’s a gift,” he said with a soft smile and a shrug, and then hopped off the barstool with his wolf speed and placed her in a fierce hug before she could object.
“I’m serious,” she said, slapping him gently on the shoulder.
“I am, too. I was raised to be a negotiator. How sucky would I be at my job if people couldn’t talk to me?”
She arched a brow. “You’ve got a point.”
“I still like knowing you can talk to me, and you can, Megan. You can share anything you want with me, no matter what it is.”
Pushing to her tiptoes, she kissed him. “Thank you, Reyes.” She kissed him again. “Now, let me go so I can finish putting the salad together so we can finally eat.”
Pondering forgoing food, he held her for a moment longer before releasing her, still in awe over finding his mate. Holding her like a heavenly gift in his arms, he kissed the tip of her nose and then pressed a long, lingering kiss to her lips, savoring the decadent taste of her mouth. Nothing on earth could destroy the happiness welling in his chest, filling his soul with limitless serenity.
* * * *
Dominic’s eyes sprang open wide as the delicious scent filled his nostrils. His stomach grumbled, making him more than aware of his raging hunger. He hadn’t eaten all day, and now that he had showered, rested, and no longer looked like an old, worn-out punching bag, he felt it was safe to move about the house without alarming Megan. Freaking her out again over Lilly’s presence and supernatural strength that gave her enough power to kick even his ass wouldn’t make any of them sleep easier tonight.
Flipping the covers off, he moved from the bed to quickly dress, slipping into his dark denim jeans, casual white T-shirt and heavy black combat boots, and then like a man on a mission, he followed his nose to the kitchen. Stunned, he wished he could’ve said that the sight he soon beheld hadn’t affected him, but it had. Megan was leaning over the counter, feeding Reyes something off her plate. Her sweet giggle slammed into him like a brick upside the head.
Preparing to turn around and run like a timid little girl back to his room, he winced as he heard Megan call out to him, “Dominic?” He froze like a statue, praying that she hadn’t really called his name, but he instantly knew he wasn’t mistaken when she asked him, “Are you hungry? I’ve made enough for all of us.”
Inhaling a chestful of emotionally calming air, he took the last needed step to enter the kitchen. Megan was no longer feeding Reyes like a fawning lover. Now she stood facing him. Her eyes filled with the unmistakable vision of happiness. Reyes was clearly giving her something he’d never been able to do, and that little fact was pissing him off more than he wanted to admit. If it wouldn’t have made him sound like a complete asshole, he would’ve declined her offer and let the two lovebirds return to their blissful feeding frenzy.
Forging a smile as a wave of unmistakable jealously blitzed in his gut, he said enthusiastically, “Starving.”
She beamed at him, almost seeming excited by his interest and her chance to feed him. He only wished she was excited to see him. Maybe by some force of God she’d want to feed him, too. “Excellent. Have a seat next to Reyes, and I’ll ge
t you a plate. You’re going to love what I’ve prepared.” Not as much as I’d love to have you…Stop it, he warned himself.
Staring at her, he realized that she had become the object of his desires, every last one of them, but he couldn’t get her to see through the worry and rejection of the past. He wished he could use words as constructively and as suavely as Reyes. Then he would have been able to explain exactly how he felt and that he too regretted his past actions. Fighting her at every turn was becoming exhausting and tiresome. He simply didn’t want to do it any longer, but the moment she flared up at him, the passions he harbored inside him took over and the fighting became just another way to tease and torment her. Their aggressive actions toward each other had always been like sex without the fucking.
Passing next to her in the kitchen, his fingertips reached for her of their own accord, grazing over the soft flesh of her arm as he stepped around her, whispering, “I’m sure I will.”
Taking another step away from her was like having the air sucked from his lungs. If Reyes hadn’t been staring at him with utter hatred brewing in his gaze, he would’ve snatched her up into his arms and kissed the sweetness right out of her. However, the rosy glow of her cheeks had him wondering if Reyes had already seized that opportunity.
He growled low in his throat. Jealousy was a bitch, an emotion he generally didn’t feel, except where Megan was concerned. She’d always had this effect on him and it made him crazed with sentiments he couldn’t share with a single soul for fear of looking soft and submissive to a woman. Yielding to Megan didn’t frighten him nearly as much as he thought it would. Instead, there was a strange allure to it, a tempting of fate that called to him like a spiritual homecoming.
Her melodious voice stirred him from his thoughts as she placed a steaming plate of pasta and marinara in front of him. “Would you also like to try some Greek salad? I should’ve asked if you wanted that before I served you the pasta.” She looked frustrated with herself.
He smiled, placing his hand over top of hers in a comforting gesture, and he knew his actions were an unfamiliar sight for her to witness. “I’d love some Greek salad,” Dominic told her, holding her weary gaze that quickly transitioned into a look of appreciation. “Everything smells so good.” He twirled his fork around the pasta and took a bite. “Wow, is that delicious.” It truly was. His stomach couldn’t thank her enough. “My God, Megan, your cooking is still amazing.”
Smiling brightly, she thanked him. “I’m glad you like it, Dominic. I thought we could all use a nice home-cooked meal. I don’t get to cook a lot at home because generally it’s just me, but having you two around is actually not so bad.” She winked at them both as they each gazed back at her. “I always enjoyed cooking for an army, and with you two I can, and nothing goes to waste.” She giggled.
Shoving another forkful of pasta into his mouth, he agreed, “You got that right.”
After a half-hour of discussing how yummy the dinner was and sharing a few teasing jabs at each other, the doorbell chimed. The three of them stared at each other. Reyes was the first to stand. Megan’s eyes grew wide.
“I thought you said no one could get through your secured perimeter?” she asked.
“No one can unless they have the passcode.” There was an edge of suspicion hiding within the flat tone of Reyes’s voice.
Megan’s eyebrows vanished up under the wave of red hair sweeping over her forehead. “So whoever is ringing the doorbell knows you well enough to know the code, but not well enough to just come inside?” she questioned.
“That’s what I’m gathering,” Dominic answered.
“Good,” she said, running for the door at full speed.
Within seconds both Dominic and Reyes were on her heels, quickly pursuing her like eager children playing chase. Laughing along the way, Dominic was the first to reach her, yanking her up into his arm, grabbing her around the waist and spinning her into a circle. Never had he felt so silly, so good. The playful ease in which they spent their dinner seemed perfect, and he never wanted it to end.
“Dominic, stop spinning me. I’m going to be sick,” she warned with laughter in her voice.
He did as she asked, and he couldn’t help but laugh with her. Strangely, Reyes was also chuckling heartily at their silly play. Seeing the old wolf acting the part of a youthful boy was a strange, but welcomed, twist.
Reyes glared at her amusingly. “Can you stop for a moment, while I see who’s come to visit?” he asked, holding her chin in his hand, his thumb caressed her bottom lip.
“Sure.” She smirked, and Dominic heard the restless spark in her voice.
Reyes grabbed the doorknob and pulled the door open. The smile he once wore on his face washed away at the sight of their unexpected and unwelcomed guest. Nolan Rodale, Reyes’s father, had come to call, and Dominic knew better than anyone that the shit had just hit the fan.
“What the hell do you want?” Reyes said with a growl.
“Now, is that any way to speak to your father, boy?” The harsh, husky sound of his voice scraped against the walls of his throat as he spoke.
“I haven’t seen you in over ten years. I think I can speak to you any way I damn well please.”
Ignoring his son, Nolan shoved his way into the house, pushing Reyes out of the way, and slammed the door at his back. His vengeful gaze drifted over Megan, and Dominic suddenly had the urge to place himself in front of her to shield her from his terrorizing gaze. He felt her emotions shift like day changing into night. Nolan made her nervous as he did with most people. Good thing Dominic wasn’t most people.
“What can we do for you, Mr. Rodale?” he asked.
“Dominic, how have you been, lad? You certainly look bigger than the last time I’ve saw you.”
“I am, sir.” If he had to use his strength to remove him from Reyes’s home he gladly would.
Nolan moved closer to Megan, and her eyes rounded with unease. “You must be the woman that has turned my son into a neglectful shit, controlled only by a woman’s cunt.”
She gasped, mortified by Mr. Rodale’s blatant comment. “I beg your pardon?” Dominic knew she must be horrified by the brusque behavior of Reyes’s father, and he knew better than most that nothing good would come of his visit.
Fighting for calm, Dominic tried negotiating. Not one of his strengths, but it was perhaps a better tactic that ripping the elder’s head off his shoulders. “Mr. Rodale, this is Dr. Megan Shaw. She’s the doctor Sebastian McCarthy has asked to assist us with the mutating virus affecting our kind.”
He smirked. “I know damn well who she is, Mercer,” he said testily. “I don’t give a shit if she’s the fucking president. She’s turning my son soft, and I won’t have it.”
Reyes hissed, placing himself on the other side of Megan. “That’s the best part of all, Father, you don’t have a say in what I do.”
His gaze whipped to meet his son’s. “The hell I don’t, boy. I have every right to tell you what to do, and I’m telling you to put an end to this now, before—”
“Before what?” Dominic and Reyes said in unison, both their chests suddenly exploding with the strength of the beast within, their protective urges on high alert.
Nolan studied both men, and Dominic knew their secret was out. “Unbelievable. Not only is she your mate,” he said to Dominic, “but you think she’s yours as well.” He looked to his son.
“I know she’s my mate,” Reyes insisted.
“Even though you know you can never have a mate,” Nolan told him without hesitation. “Our family can’t have mates.”
“I can’t explain it, but she is,” Reyes said adamantly.
“Impossible,” he spat. “She’s just a piece of ass that you’re fucking, and that’s about all she is to you. Figure it out, boy. Get her with child and send her on her way if you wish to have a son, but end this charade before I do it for you.”
Megan’s lower lip quivered, and Dominic could feel she was close to tears. He
bore down on her like a man possessed. “Come with me,” he gruffly said, stabbing her with his glance.
“That’s right. At least one of you has the right frame of mind to get out of my sight, where she’s clearly not welcome. Truly, son, have I taught you nothing? You fuck them, breed with them, but you don’t get attached to them, and you certainly never fall in love with them. Females serve a purpose, and once that purpose has been satisfied, they are of no further use to us.”
It all happened so fast. Reyes was on his father, his hands gripping the collar of his father’s shirt, pinning him against the door. “Never speak of my mate again. You don’t have the right to talk about her.”
Nolan laughed. “She’s already fucked up your brain, boy, and you can’t even see clear enough to know it.”
“Come,” Dominic said to her, taking her hand in his. “We don’t need to be here for this.”
She shuddered, fighting back a sob. Her eyes glistened with unspent tears.
Reyes released his hold on his father and abruptly grabbed hold of Megan’s hand, stopping Dominic from taking her away. “I’m sorry, Megan.”
She didn’t say anything, simply pulled her hand away from Reyes and allowed Dominic to take her with him. He led her to his truck, and she hopped inside without questioning where they were going. Honestly, he didn’t know. He only knew he had to get her out of there, had to get her away from the vileness of Reyes’s father. That man had a way of insulting a person just by breathing.
Megan sobbed softly, and like a knife to his heart, hearing and seeing her pain was killing him. He reached for her, his arm sliding around her shoulder. He pulled her against him and cradled her in his strong arm, molding her body securely against him. She didn’t fight his need to comfort her, didn’t push him away. In fact, she desperately clung to him, and for the first time, someone needing him the way she did felt better than anything else in his life ever had. It might take him longer than most to figure out the obvious, but when he finally did it was like the aha moment of a lifetime.