"Nope, it has to be brown, just like in the drawing."
"Okay, suit yourself."
It took five sessions to complete. Cole and I were well acquainted friends by the end of it. I gave him ten drawings in exchange and he refused to take any money from me. On the final fill in, he nicked one of the skin grafts, which started to bleed. He was quick to call in an antibiotic in case of infection and gave me stricter care orders. I was disappointed when he had to cover it. It was beautiful. So much better than I had imagined, and all the ugliness had disappeared.
KYLE
Chapter 6
I was continuing to stew over the fact that Kelsey was still ignoring me. We had worked side by side for two years, and every time she turned me down I felt the sting of rejection. Yet somehow, I knew the bond between us was strengthening. In the history of shifters, I had never heard of any mated pair taking this long to complete the bond. When she showed up in my woods in wolf form, I honestly thought, this is it. She's finally come for me. We ran and played and had the best night of my life.
Then later that same morning in the office, it was like she had no idea it had been me. How could she not know it was me? Rejection had never felt so bad as that morning.
Since then, I was quickly falling into a funk. Even my mother had commented on it at family dinner the night before. I knew I had to pull out of it lest it consume me.
A small knock on my door and I steeled myself for the scent that haunted me day and night. The scent I loathed and craved simultaneously.
When the door opened, I was assaulted by her smell combined with a coppery scent that shouldn't have entered with Kelsey. All the strength in the world couldn't have stopped me.
"Blood." I said, "Baby, you're hurt. Where? What's wrong?"
She looked at me in confusion.
"What are you talking about, Kyle? I'm fine."
In that moment, she said the one thing I had longed to hear, the only thing that could have jolted me from the compulsion to do anything in my power to protect my mate. She said my name. She called me Kyle, and it had rolled off her tongue with ease. My wolf howled in appreciation, and I was vaguely aware that I had slipped up and called her "baby," yet she didn't seem to mind or notice.
Even that, as shocking as it was, couldn't stop the momentum propelling me towards my mate to ensure myself that she was okay.
I pulled her into my arms and hugged her closely to me. My hands roamed across her back and down her arms needing to touch her everywhere. The smell of blood was stronger, and I knew it was coming off of her. I held her chin in my hands and forced her to look at me.
"Baby, what's wrong? Where are you bleeding?"
She tried to push away, but I wouldn't allow her to reject me this time.
"There's nothing wrong. Wait," she thought momentarily, taking a step away from me and turning her back towards me. I saw her lift her skirt.
"Shit!" I heard her exclaim, marking the third most shocking event of the day, and it was barely 8:30 in the morning. Then she turned and ran out the door.
I followed her until I saw her running into the women's room. I tried to think what it could possibly be. She wasn't human so I knew she didn't get periods. She-wolves sometimes bled a little when they went into heat, but if Kelsey Adams was in heat, I'd know it, and so would every other male within six packs.
I had never felt so helpless, so I ran into Elise's office and grabbed her.
She shot away from her desk when she saw my face.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
I knew she had suspected for a long time that Kelsey meant more to me than I'd admitted, but I had never confirmed we were mates to anyone aside from my dad.
"It's Kelsey. Something's wrong. Blood. I smelled blood on her. She said she was okay, then cursed and ran for the bathroom. I don't know what to do Elise, and if you don't go check on her I'm going to barge in and find out for myself."
Elise laughed. "I knew there was more to you two than you were letting on."
"Nothing's going on E. I've told you that a million times. Now, go check on her."
I paced Kelsey's office for what seemed like an eternity before the girls came back laughing. They were seriously laughing and acting as though nothing had happened. I was immediately pissed, glaring at the two of them.
"It's nothing, Kyle. She's perfectly fine."
"Perfectly fine? Then why is she bleeding?" I asked Elise before turning to Kelsey. "Tell me what is wrong. I need to know you are okay."
Elise rolled her eyes as she turned to leave.
"He's like a dog with a bone." She jabbed at me. "Just show him Kels, and put him out of his misery." Then she winked at me and left our office space.
"Well?" I demanded.
She shocked the hell out of me when she grabbed my hand and headed for my office.
"Not out here."
Once in my office with the door closed, it took a whole lot of willpower not to just take her right there once and for all. She was mine, and it was all I could think about with her soft, small hand in mine.
"First," she demanded, "how did you know I was bleeding?"
"I smelled it. I told you that."
"No way. Normal humans do not smell blood."
I looked deep into her eyes. "There's nothing normal about me Kelsey, and I know you know that."
The confusion in her eyes took me by surprise. All this time I thought she was ignoring the obvious. She couldn't possibly be so clueless that she had no idea I was a wolf too. Could she?
Before I had a chance to think about that, she sat down and hiked her skirt up. All the way up. I could see her satin red panties, but she didn't seem to care.
"I don't know why I'm showing this, but Elise insisted I should."
I drew my eyes to the large bandage covering the entirety of her right thigh.
"A tattoo? You got a tattoo?"
She grinned happily. "Yes, and Cole nicked a part of my skin graft on the final fill in last night, so it's been bleeding off and on. It's fine, I swear. He has me on antibiotics to ward off any infections, but I'm perfectly fine."
I doubted anything could have shocked me more.
"Cole Anderson did this to you?" All I really heard was Cole Anderson hurt my mate.
She rolled her eyes at what was probably a pretty intense look on my face.
"Look, Kyle," there it was again. Twice in one day she said my name. Two years of waiting and this was the closest to acknowledgment I'd gotten. "Mr. Westin." Kelsey said defiantly.
"Sorry. The smell of blood distracts me, and you, you called me Kyle, twice today." She blushed and shook her head. I squatted next to her and took her hands. "I much prefer it, you know."
Rolling her eyes again at me, she motioned for me to take a seat across from her. Not even bothering to lower her skirt back down.
"Do you want to hear this story or not? Elise already bullied it out of me, but I'd prefer you didn't hear this second hand. You've been really good to me, and I don't want to lose this job."
Her big brown eyes captivated me, and I simply nodded.
She took a deep breath. "When I was little, my parents and I moved around a lot. We finally settled into a small town, not much different than this one, when I was about ten. Two weeks after my twelfth birthday, two wolves attacked us. My parents were killed, and I barely got away. It was bad, Kyle. I was in and out of the hospital for months. It took eight skin grafts to cover the damage the wolf had done."
Fury filled me until I could barely see straight hearing her story, and I fought to control my breathing and not explode into my own wolf, demanding we protect our mate.
"Anyway, I was in and out of foster homes til I turned eighteen. My parents had left me a small trust fund, but it wasn't enough to cover four years of college if I wanted to live on my own too. I went for the first two years before taking a year to see some of the country. I knew I was home the moment I drove into San Marco, and when I found the little cottage f
or rent, I knew it was perfect. I re-enrolled online to finish my degree, as you know, and this job has helped me afford to stay here and live on my own. I can never thank you enough for taking a chance on an outsider like that. I know better than anyone around here how much you people hate outsiders. But I have no complaints. I can't ever imagine living anywhere else, but, back to the scar. I've been scared of wolves my entire life, even before the attack."
I couldn't even comprehend what she was saying. How could a wolf shifter be afraid of wolves? I had once wondered if maybe she just had never made her first change, but I knew now, after having run with her, that that was not the case. How scared must she have been facing her first change all alone.
"Kyle, you're doing it again."
"I'm sorry. Please continue."
"Anyway, the scars were really ugly and a constant reminder of that terrible day. So, I decided to do something about it. It's taken a few weeks, but it's finally complete. It's not exactly something I had planned on showing anyone, but since you were freaked out about the blood, I thought I should tell you. I really am fine, though."
"Can I see it?" I asked with true curiosity over what picture Kelsey chose to erase those awful memories.
She nodded and slowly peeled back the fresh bandage covering most of her leg. I couldn't stop the gasp when I saw it. My heart nearly jumped to my throat staring at the vivid picture of myself in wolf form covering her beautiful leg. She had marked herself with me, and she didn't even seem to know it.
"Do you like it?" she asked hesitantly.
"Like it? It's beautiful, Kels," I said quietly, unable to stop staring. "Did Cole design this?"
"No, I drew it myself. I've actually done several designs for his shop already as he was so impressed with this one. Of course, he tried to convince me that the wolf would look better black, but this is my wolf and I wouldn't have had it any other way."
I almost chuckled, thinking of Cole's formidable black wolf. I'd punch him for it the next time I saw him.
"Why this one? Tell me why you chose this wolf and this pose."
She went quiet. Of course, I knew that night depicted on her body. The small creek in the background, the full moon in the night sky. I could even smell the pine on the breeze looking at it. It was the night we had run together, but something told me she would never confess that to me. I suddenly realized that I was going to have to present myself to her and explain some things before she truly understood anything. All this time I had thought she was ignoring things, but hearing her story, I realized she had no pack or anyone to show her what to do or explain our ways. I finally realized she honestly just didn't know she was living in wolf shifter territory, and so much seemed to become crystal clear with that realization.
"It's going to sound silly really, but I see this wolf almost every evening by my house. I've grown comfortable with him and like to imagine he's keeping watch over me. It makes me feel safe and secure knowing he's out there. He's truly as big as the tattoo depicts too, so by all rights, I should be terrified of him, but I'm not. By using his picture, I feel like I'm conquering my fears, facing the past, and ready to move forward, leaving all the ugly scars behind."
"Babe that's beautiful," I told her honestly, even knowing I slipped up again and she'd probably call me out on being inappropriate at work. I was thankful when she didn't.
"Thank you for not thinking I'm a freak. There's more I want to share with you, but I'm not sure how. I have secrets, Kyle. Secrets I've never confessed to anyone. Secrets that could hurt me and those I care about. Do you understand?"
Her confession was frightening me.
"I know you think you have feelings for me. But you can't. It's not safe for you. I'm not good enough for you no matter how much I wish I were."
She had tears in her eyes and was trying to make a quick exit. I grabbed her and pulled her onto my lap before she could escape and without thinking I kissed her.
Kelsey
Chapter 7
A part of me knew I shouldn't be kissing him back. I had tried to tell him, tried to warn him to stay away from me. I'm not even sure how we got to this point, but I had never felt such love.
At first his kiss was possessive, like he was consuming me and couldn't get enough. Then he softened and took his time, coaxing my mouth open. I was a little shocked at the invasion when his tongue slowly slipped past my lips, but the taste of him, combined with his scent surrounding me, was like pure ecstasy. It didn't take long for me to meet him stroke for stroke. I selfishly kissed him back with a wild abandon.
When I let out a soft moan against his mouth, he finally pulled back to stare into my eyes. I was entirely breathless. I had never felt something so exquisite and right.
My first kiss. I knew enough to know that was no ordinary first kiss. My entire body was tingling all over. He kissed like a man who knew his way around a woman, and the mere thought made my wolf surge to take control. I had to fight to reign it in and knew I had to put some distance quickly between me and Kyle Westin.
"I'm sorry," I said, knowing the tears were only seconds from falling again and I would be unable to stop them. "I can't do this."
The pain in his eyes nearly broke me, but I forced myself to get up and run.
"Kelsey!" I heard him yell after me.
I didn't stop or turn around, and I ran out of the office leaving everything behind. When Lily called to me from the lobby, I ignored her and kept running. I ran past the parking lot, cursing and kicking off my heels, and ran down the street. I needed to get home. I needed my den. I couldn't deal with the emotions that kiss had stirred within me. I had never wanted anything or anyone in my entire life, but I wanted Kyle Westin, and I knew I could never do that to him. I couldn't drag him into the living nightmare of my life.
I just kept running, not even noticing two men walking out of the woods next to the road until they were blocking the path in front of me. As my wolf went on full alarm I slowed up in my approach of them.
"What do we have here, Ted?" the larger man asked the shorter, stockier one. They both sniffed the air. I didn't think I imagined it this time. My wolf growled in my head, escaping from my mouth, but that only seemed to make them smile.
"Looks like we got a little lone wolf out here. Now, little she-wolf, what are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere? No car. No protector." He snarled back and barred his teeth.
I gasped! It couldn't be. I briefly wondered if these were the two werewolves that had killed my parents, even though the odds of it were insane. How many things like me actually exist? I had never stopped to think about it.
"Mike, don't. You know what the Alpha said. She's off limits."
"I heard 'em, but no one ever need know. This little bitch needs to learn a lesson or two on respecting the pack."
The man called Ted just shook his head.
"Pack Council's got their reasons for letting this bitch stay here in our territory. I ain't going against them, Mike. You know I'm already on suspension. What the hell am I gonna do if they find out and exile me from the pack? I can't chance it. Please don't do this."
Mike snarled back at him calling him a few choice words before he changed right in the middle of the road. His clothes flying off in all directions. I was facing down a real live werewolf. A small part of me rejoiced in the idea I was not alone. Mostly I feared for my life. I turned and took off running back towards the office.
The wolf was fast, but even in human form, I was faster. I felt certain I could outrun them and get back to safety, until I saw him up ahead, still yelling my name. Oh no, I had to get him away from here.
"Kelsey!" I heard Kyle yell.
"Go back, Kyle," I screamed as loud as I could. "Run!"
He did run. He ran straight for me. I could barely keep back the hysterics as my wolf threatened to change me at any second as we ran for our lives.
"No, Kyle, run. Kyle run!" I yelled over and over as he continued toward me.
When I was almos
t within arm’s reach of him, I tried to grab for his hand, but it was too late. His eyes were already fixed on the wolf chasing me. A loud growl ripped through him, and I watched in stunned silence as he leaped and shifted in mid-air. His clothes lay in tattered shreds across the road in front of me.
I stopped and turned back to look. I expected a fight, but the wolf named Mike cowered quickly and whimpered in his presence. A shiver went through him and he was suddenly standing naked in the middle of the street. I was so shocked I couldn't stop staring.
"Aw, calm down man, we were just giving her a little fright. All in good fun." His smile as he looked my way made my whole body shudder, but it was nowhere as shocking as seeing my large brown wolf staring him down and knowing he was Kyle Westin.
Kyle was still growling at Mike and snapping his jaws as the man called Ted approached.
"I ain't had nothing to do with this, Kyle, I swear it!"
While they seemed distracted, I turned and ran.
Kyle's a werewolf. Kyle's a werewolf. Kyle's a werewolf. The verbiage was on instant replay in my head as I tried to make it sound real. Even seeing him change with my own eyes didn't stop the disbelief.
I had left my keys in the office, that's why I hadn't gotten into my car to begin with, and I ran straight there, grabbing my purse. On my exit, I literally plowed over Lily, knocking her to the ground.
"Kelsey, what's wrong?"
I needed to warn her. "Werewolves! Lily hide, quick, they're coming."
She was yelling at me to come back, but I couldn't listen. I was in full survival mode as I jumped in the car and nearly ran over Kyle and the two men as I tore out of the parking lot. I heard Kyle howl. It didn't sound as reassuring as usual, though it didn't really sound scary either, more sad, very very sad, and that sadness called to my wolf like never before.
One True Mate (Westin Pack Book 1) Page 5