by Smith, Debra
Transforming Love
Debra Smith
Text Copyright 2012 Debra Michelle Smith
All rights reserved
Acknowledgements
There are people in my life who have always encouraged me to follow my dreams, even when I didn't quite know what they were. My parents and my sisters have been amazing, and I can't thank them enough.
A special thanks to Jen and Connie for being my very first beta readers.
I have to give my husband credit for putting up with me and all the people in my head. You've been wonderful, even when forced to listen to my ideas. Love you.
Also last but not least, you, the reader, for taking a chance on the unknown. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter One
"Just fantastic." Jenny kicked the tire of the broken hunk of junk the used car salesman said was reliable. Yeah, reliable her behind. Steam hissed and billowed from under the raised hood. She looked at her watch and groaned, two hours had passed without a single car on this God forsaken stretch of road.
"So much for my big adventure." she mumbled into the cold and eerie night. Wind rustled the trees, creating monsters from shadows, and the dark secret place inside her imagination adults pretended not to have. She suppressed a shiver.
"What am I, six years old?" She placed her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Great, now I'm talking to myself."
She looked down both sides of the highway. She knew there was nothing behind her, so her direction was decided. She opened the front door, cringed when the hinges let out a ghostly wail, and grabbed her purse, hoping her things would be safe in the trunk for the time being. She eyed her Jimmy Choos and sighed.
"This is gonna suck."
She wiggled her toes, knowing soon they would be red, screaming in pain and cursing the day she traded in her cowgirl boots. The small, delicate ankle bracelet glinted in the moonlight, temporarily warming her. The small charm reminded her of her mother. Dull pain filled her chest, and she forced the memories out of her mind. It wasn't supposed to be like this, her big adventure. She just wanted to see the world. She wanted to feel the coarse texture of sand between her toes and smile as the waves cascaded over her feet. She just wanted to see the ocean for the first time, and then turn around and go home to her father's ranch deep in the Colorado Mountains. Her home life was peachy, but she couldn't fight the ache in her heart telling her she was meant for something more. She stuck out her chin and started walking.
She wrapped her arms around her torso, trying to protect herself from the biting wind. Her legs throbbed, and her muscles trembled with each step. It felt like she’d been walking for years. She removed her shoes a few miles back, hoping to quicken her pace and lessen her discomfort. Her stomach churned. She hated not knowing if she was going to end up as tomorrow's headline. Then the wind died for just a moment, bringing the faint sound of music. She bit her lip, unsure of what she heard. Maybe she was manifesting the sound, but she didn’t care. She started running despite the pain of gravel poking into her bare feet. Her shoes dangled precariously in her hand.
It was probably stupid. Jenny sneaked out to movies and saw all the potentially frightening ways it could go, but she hadn’t seen another person, let alone another car for hours. The music was getting louder, matching the pounding of her frantic heart.
She sucked in a deep breath when she saw it, a bar. It shone like a beacon of life. She walked like a ghost being pulled to the light and her salvation. Gryph's flashed above the entrance. It looked run down, but still the idea of people pushed her forward. She was really racking up her stupidity score. Heck, one more couldn’t hurt, right? She started walking toward the mountainous bouncer positioned at the towering red doors.
“Um, Hi. Can I use a phone? My car broke down, and my cell isn’t working.”
“Clint, we have a live one. What are my orders?” Big and Brawny asked someone on his ear piece.
“Copy, I’ll send her in.” Big and Brawny opened the door. “Clint’s at the bar.”
“Thanks,” Jenny fisted her shoes and purse, desperate to look more confident than she felt.
The minute she walked over the threshold, every male took notice of her. Unease tickled her spine as she noted the lack of females. It was like the whole bar stopped whatever conversation they were having and knew she didn’t belong there. She strolled to the bar, and they turned back to their flat beers and stale pretzels. She felt like the last piece of triple-layer Dutch chocolate cake at a chocolate addict’s convention. Her stomach growled, and she flushed. She set her purse on a faded black leather stool.
“Hi, can I use your phone?” Jenny asked the only guy behind the bar hoping it was Clint.
“No.”
“Then why did you let me in?”
“Not sure, just curious how you got here that's all.”
Jenny was tired, hungry, and her temper was starting to boil. “I walked and thanks for your help, you’ve been real nice.”
Jenny grabbed her purse, stuffed her shoes inside, and started to stomp back out the way she came.
“Now hold on there, I didn’t say we weren’t gonna help you." He brought his hand up to his ear. "Gryph, you're needed at the bar.” Clint winced at what must have harsh words. He removed his ear piece, “He’ll be right out.”
“Thanks,” Jenny sat down on one of the cushioned bar stools. Her stomach growled again. She opened her purse and dug through the contents. The crinkling of a wrapper sparked her hope as her hand gripped her prize. Thank God; she forgot about her purchase from the last gas station. She opened the Lindt Milk Chocolate bar and bit down into its creamy goodness. It was fantastic; the chocolate cascaded over her tongue, and she couldn’t help closing her eyes and letting out a blissful moan.
“What the hell is that doing in my bar?”
Jenny's eyes snapped open at the harsh tone. The man stood with his thick arms crossed over his chest. He looked angry, to say the least. His black hair fell over his intense blue eyes. His jaw was set firm from his displeasure. Then she noticed his full, soft lips. They were a complete contrast with the hard lines etching the rest of his face.
“I walked.” Jenny blurted. She blushed, embarrassed. This was worse than the time daddy caught her skinny dipping with the Jenkins boy.
Tall, Dark, and Scary looked at Clint with a raised eyebrow.
“Well, you heard her, boss. The little darlin' walked.” Clint had a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
Chapter Two
Gryph pointed at Jenny, “You come with me before you start a riot.” He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her to the door in the back of the bar. He opened it roughly and the hinges squeaked in protest.
He motioned to the sturdy black leather couch. “Sit.”
“I would prefer to stand, if you don’t mind.” She stuck out her chin, tired of pushy males.
“Sit. Down.”
Okay, so he minded. Jenny decided not to anger the only chance of help she had. Jeez, she felt like she was in the principal's office after her senior prank. It wasn't her fault the chickens pooped all over his brand new leather interior. He shouldn't have left the top down on his Mustang. She figured the chickens would all sort of…hop out. Gryph growled, low and menacing. She blinked, drawn back to the present.
“Fine, I would love to sit.” She took a deep breath.
“How did you get here? And don’t say you walked.” He leaned against the large wooden desk and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Well I did walk, but before that I drove.” She shrugged, still distracted by her hunger.
Gryph clenched his jaw. “Let’s start with something easy. What’s your name and where are you from?”
“I’m Jenny, well Jenifer, but I like Jenny better. I’m from Colorado.”
“What’s your clan name?”
Jenny scrunched her eyebrows. This guy was crazier than a roped mustang. “Clan?”
“Yeah, your clan. What do you think I would want to know, your shoe size? You walk into my bar, looking like you do. Are you really that stupid? Most of the males here don’t have mates, and honey, you're ripe for the picking.”
Yep, he was totally crazy. She needed to get the hell out of there and fast.
“Look, I’m leaving.” Jenny stood, and before she could open the door, he had her pinned to the wall. Her heart raced as she struggled against his crushing grip. His scent hit her nose, sending heat to pool in her belly. Her head spun trying to decide what it was, undeniably something dark and dangerous. His lips grazed her ear, and his breath fanned along her flushed skin.
“You expect me to believe you really have no idea what I’m talking about? That a female in your state just happened to walk through my door? Your leader is either stupid or playing with fire. I can't believe he thought I would fall for a scrawny thing like you.” Gryph bristled.
“Listen, I have no idea what you are talking about. I have no clue what town or even what state I’m in right now. I just want to go home.” Tears began pooling in her eyes. So much for being independent, once again she’d bitten off more than she could chew.
“Sit down.” Gryph shoved her in the direction of the couch.
She eyed the door, ready to run back to her car. His lips tilted in a knowing smile, saying just try it. Fear made her mind hazy, like everything played in slow motion. She could still feel the heat left by his touch. God. She was crazy just for thinking of her jailer in a sexual way. She could use a drink, or the next best thing, chocolate. Jenny looked through her purse for the rest of her candy bar. She needed some comfort, and it was all she had. She watched Tall, Dark, and Scary step over to the front of a large wooden desk and braced himself on his hands. He shook his head, deep in thought. She took a moment to look at his features: his body was all powerful muscle, the tight black t-shirt did nothing to hide the flexing muscles of his back and his ass was incredible. He looked like walking, talking sin.
“What’s your last name?”
She narrowed her eyes, “Why?”
“Do you want to go home or not?”
“Fine, Koning. My last name is Koning.”
“You have to be fucking kidding me.” He ran his hand through his hair.
“I assure you, it’s true. I can get my driver's license if you would like.” Jenny grabbed her wallet and handed to him. Gryph looked at her ID and closed his eyes.
"Shit."
She was the one being held against her will, and he was upset about her name. It certainly wasn’t her problem if he believed her or not. She genuinely didn’t see why it mattered. She was hungry, tired, and with a lunatic. She bit down on her candy bar and let the flavors give her brief moment of peace. God if she ever saw that used cars salesman, she was going to have her dad take him for a shovel ride. You know the real fun kind where only the shovel comes back. She opened her eyes, and he was staring at her with a familiar heat in his eyes. Her body responded with a heat of its own, and she squirmed in her seat.
“Can I have a taste?”
She almost said no, but she actually did need his help. If giving him the rest of her chocolate bar would influence his decision, it was a sacrifice she was willing to make. She nodded and held out her candy.
She shook it impatiently, almost regretting her choice to share. It was Lindt Milk Chocolate, for Pete's sake, as close to heaven on earth as you could get. His lips curved into a seductive half smile. Before she knew what was happening, he grabbed her outstretched hand and pulled her off the couch and up against his body. He had her trapped, caged by his thick arms, and drugged by his intoxicating scent. He was warm and smelled like crushed pine needles and mountain air.
“W-what are you doing?”
“I’m going to taste you.”
Before Jenny could argue, his mouth captured hers. His tongue forced its way past her lips and found her tongue lying in wait. He began to softly stroke her mouth with his tongue, tempting everything womanly inside her. Her toes curled as his silky mouth explored her own. She placed her hands on his chest to push him away. This wasn’t her. Jenifer Koning did not kiss men in the back of bars in the middle of the woods. Hay fields, however, were on her list of dos. Her nails dug into his chest, and an approving rumble sounded in his chest. She brought one of her hands up to his ear, wrenched the cartilage, and pulled his mouth from hers.
“Mmm… I love chocolate.” His tongue traced his wet lips.
“You’re psychotic. Don’t ever kiss me without my permission again.”
Her breasts swelled, begging for his attention. The walls of her core clenched, needing him inside her, stretching, and stroking her. She wanted this man and it disturbed her. One of his hands moved to her hip and pulled their lower bodies together. She moaned, contradicting her words, as his hard length pressed into her lower abdomen, sending chills down her spine. He leaned his head toward her chin to trail small kisses along her jaw and down the side of her neck. Her nipples hardened against the delicious friction of his chiseled abs. She was ready to beg, to give herself to him for a moment or a lifetime. It didn’t matter. The overwhelming thought lifted the veil of desire, shocking her like a water balloon smack in the face in the middle of July.
“Stop.”
She used all of her strength to shove against his chest. Gryph stopped his assault on her body and took a step back. His posture was menacing, ready to attack. His muscles flexed under his skin tight shirt, and he clenched his hands. He looked like a stallion ready to charge the moment she backed down.
“I don’t understand,” Jenny said. “Why is this happening?”
“You’re mine.” The words possessed authority, leaving no room for denial.
“I am not yours," she ignored the ping of pleasure from his words. "I want to call my father now.” Jenny tried to sound as authoritative as possible, but her body was still responding to his kiss.
Chapter Three
“Your father’s on the line.” Clint handed the receiver to Jenny.
“Thanks.” Jenny faked a smile.
“Hi daddy.”
“Are you alright? Have they hurt you?”
“No, I’m fine. What’s going on here? Why is my name so important and what does he mean when he says clan?” Jenny paced along the worn floor. She held her breath as she stopped moving, not daring to make a sound as she listened.
“Jenny, there are a few things I need to tell you. I was going to, but you left before I got the chance. You are special. Our family is special. I was trying to protect you by letting you have a normal life, but I can’t anymore. You’re the last female of the Koning clan and are to wed the winner of the Slag. The winner claims you as his mate.”
She shook her head, denying his words.
“That’s crazy. What do you mean special? Why can’t I leave? I’m not marrying anyone. I want to wed for love, and nothing will change that. You can’t agree with this.” Her hand trembled and she wrapped it around her middle.
“I’m sorry. They have you now. Gryph will be in charge of your care. As the leader of his clan, he has the right. I only have a few more minutes to talk.”
Tears paved trails down her dirt-smudged face. This can’t be happening. All she wanted was a little adventure, and now she was supposed to marry a man she didn't love; one who
won her in some kind of game. What was she, some sort of princess from the times of yore? Didn't they know it was the twenty-first century?
“Jenny?”
“Yes, I’m here.” She croaked, her voice lost with her right to choose.
“The Slag is in a month. It ends two days before your twenty-first birthday. I left and tried to protect you, but now we have no choice but to go through with the tradition. I am truly sorry.”
She didn’t know what to say, so she waited.
“I’m sending Charlie to stay with you while you wait. He will explain everything. They won’t let you come home now, and I’m forbidden to see you for my crime of desertion. You have to stay there. You can’t try to leave, or I could be punished. They know where I am now. I love you.” He sounded so shattered, so defeated, she could hardly let her words of goodbye past her lips. She had brought the hardest working man she had ever known to his knees. That alone was enough to break her.
“I love you too.”
The line went dead, and Jenny couldn’t hold in her sadness any longer. Her eyes scanned the bar, looking for a place to retreat. She stood and headed to the ladies room. At least she could keep some of her dignity. She walked through the door and took in her surroundings. Well, it was clean. Jenny stared at herself in the mirror and let her mind wonder.
It was all her fault. If she hadn’t left, she could be at home with her dad and Charlie, riding horses and rock climbing. Now she was in a dingy bar with worn stools and frustrating males. Her hands clawed at the edge of the sink, threatening to break the porcelain as vehemence flooded her thoughts. How could her own father keep something like this from her?
“Special,” she scoffed. “What the hell does that even mean?”
Jenny turned the cold water on and splashed it on her face. She had to calm down. She was smart; she could figure a way out of this. She jumped as a knock sounded at the door.