by Joyce,T. S.
“Oh my gosh, you are ridiculous.”
Dustin stood there, hands on his hips, surveying his work. With a satisfied nod, he grabbed his clothes and the food and said magnanimously, “You may eat in my car, with the heat on full-blast. I’m probably going to melt, but fuck it. You let me put my dick in your—”
“Okay, that’s good. Let’s not suck out all the romance from our night, shall we?”
“Right.” He led her in the direction of the parking lot. “You hump very nicely and diligently. Compliment jar, you owe me a blow job.”
“That’s not how it is supposed to work, and furthermore, that’s one of the pros of being a future vampire. No blow jobs.”
“Oh, because of your future fangs?” Dustin scrunched up his face. “Okay point for that one. Con, no reflection in the mirror, so how are you supposed to put on make-up or trim your pubes?”
Emma laughed so loud her abs hurt. “Why are you using a mirror for that? Just look down, dumbass. And they have vampire mirrors now. You just flip a little switch, and it casts this special light so vampires can see themselves. They even invented some vampire app for phones so we can take selfies. Hiss, hiss.”
“Also con, you won’t have a soul anymore.”
“Says who?”
“Says everyone.”
Emma rolled her eyes. Her parents were the nicest people she knew. They definitely had souls. “Pro, I’ll be able to fly, shift into this crazy powerful ball of bats, and get really strong. Also pro, my boobs will stay perky for thousands of years.”
But Dustin had stopped and was looking behind them now with narrowed eyes, so she halted her penguin waddle. “What’s wrong?”
Dustin’s nostril’s flared slightly as he inhaled, and now his eyes were glowing so brightly they were hard to look at. He stood frozen like a stone, his attention on the woods behind them, but when Emma looked, she didn’t see or sense anything.
Dustin said something too low for her to understand, so she frowned at his lips and waited. He didn’t repeat it, though. Instead, he pressed his hand on her lower back and guided her in front of him, hurrying her toward the parking lot, his attention never wavering from something behind them.
Now she had real chilly bumps. If his wolf senses were all riled up, then something was wrong. She opened the front of the blanket so she could walk faster, but her high heels still kept her from sprinting. And anyway, when she tried, Dustin pulled her back and told her, “Slow. Don’t run.”
“Are we being hunted?” That was the only thing that made sense right now. Why else wasn’t she allowed to give into her instincts to flee and bolt from this place?
“I don’t know.” His voice sounded odd. A lie?
“By an animal or shifter.”
He didn’t answer.
“Dustin!”
“I don’t know!” but his voice still sounded weird. Off, just a little.
By the time they reached the car, she was panting in fear. As he helped her inside, there was this awful feeling that something bad would happen to Dustin while he was running around the back of the car to get in. She shoved his door open to save him a precious millisecond.
Dustin jammed the key into the ignition and turned over the engine, shifted into reverse, and peeled out of the spot. And before he was even stopped, he had it shifted into first and was gunning it out of the dark and empty parking lot. The clouds had covered the moon and all the stars so it was dark outside the window.
“Everything is fine,” Dustin said loudly over the roar of the engine as he switched to second gear. “I was just being careful.”
“Bullshit,” she called him out.
His teeth were clenched tightly, and he kept checking the rearview mirror. Another secret Dustin wanted to keep. Add it to the pile.
She huffed a breath and ripped her gaze away from him to stare out the window.
But as she watched the dark woods blurring by, she could’ve sworn she saw something massive running parallel to the road, way off in the trees. Something monstrous.
And then she heard it—the long call of a wolf.
Only there were no wild wolves here.
Dustin was panting hard, exposing his neck. To her? She was human and no threat to him. Another long wolf howl filled the air.
“Fuck,” Dustin gritted out as though in pain.
And because she was desperate to end whatever was happening to him, she leaned over and pressed a kiss against his bicep. “It’s okay. I’m here. Everything is fine. We just need to get out of hearing range. Foot on the gas, one mile at a time. It’s me and you.”
Dustin’s abs flexed like he wanted to retch, but he was nodding now. Emma turned up the volume of the radio until he hunched against the sound. Stroking his hair back so she could see more of his face, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his neck, right over his tripping pulse. She sucked gently, then grazed his skin with her teeth. His body began to relax, and his breath came easier.
And as the howls faded behind them, she rested her cheek against his shoulder and asked, “Is that your old pack?”
Dustin shook his head and ran a hand down his facial scruff. “No, Emma. That’s my current pack.”
Chapter Seven
His current pack? That was a weird way of putting it, but when she’d asked him, Dustin had shut down on her. He’d stared out the front window the entire way to the bar, never once casting a single glance her way on the twenty-minute drive.
Clearly, Dustin was freaking out by whatever dynamics were in his pack, so as he coasted along the winding road, Emma pulled a cold burger out of the bag and began eating it. She fed him a bite every time she took one, and little by little, he softened his grip on the steering wheel.
“This car looks hella expensive,” she said around a bite.
“It was.”
“Are you a millionaire?”
“Ha!” He still looked white as a sheet, but at least he was smiling again. “Typical. Interested in my money.”
“Please, I don’t need your money. I have money invested and in savings.”
“Then why were you going on about how you need to get a job so you can afford your motel room, hmmm?”
“Because I’m not touching my investments or savings! I want to be a rich vampire. I invest almost all of my song-writing money and pay for my living with regular jobs. Was that your brother back there?”
“Yes.”
“Why was he calling you?”
“I don’t know. Do you want to go back and ask him?”
“Hell no, that was scary. There’s Logan’s truck,” she said, pointing to the parking lot in front of Drat’s Boozehouse. “French fry?” She flopped a soft one beside his cheek and waited for him to turn and bite it out of her hand. “So, what do we tell the D-Team?”
“About what?”
“About us.”
“Nothing, it’s none of their damn business.”
“Fine, but you have to be nice to me in there.”
“I’m always nice.” He said that with a wicked smile. “If you want me to eat you out in the bathroom, give me a signal.”
She cracked a grin and played along. “What kind of signal?”
“I don’t know. Do some of that sign language stuff.” He made a hole with one hand and stuck his other finger in the middle a few times. “Do that if you get horny. It’ll be my bat signal.”
“You’re exhausting.”
He turned the music down, then said, “Thank you,” and gave her a megawatt grin that would’ve buckled her knees if she were standing. Dustin was trouble in a pretty package, for sure and for certain.
Whatever he was feeling back there with his old pack was dissipating by the second. And really, a part of her was relieved to be this close to the D-Team again. They were a mixed bag of nuts, but they had built some strange thread of loyalty to each other during this crew interview process. She was at least fifty-four percent certain they would have his back if Dustin’s old pac
k moseyed on in here. Geez, no wonder he wanted to pledge to Kane’s Crew. His brother was a grade-A asshole, and the way he talked about the others always putting him in his place, she was pretty sure she hated every douchebag in his old pack. And that was saying something because she hated very little in her life.
“I like your sex hair,” Dustin said through a cheeky grin as she got out.
Emma looked at her reflection in the window and nearly choked on air. She looked like a lion on a bad hair day. And was that…? Was that a leaf? She plucked a twig out of her hair and laughed.
“Wait, I want to keep that.” He snatched it from her hand before she could throw it on the ground.
“Why?” she asked as she pulled her crazy hair into a high ponytail.
“Memories. That was our first bang, Shortcake. That’s a pretty big fuckin’ deal.”
“Please, like you haven’t been with a hundred other women.”
“Yeah, but none of them got twigs stuck in their hair.” Laughing like he was God’s gift to humor, Dustin ducked away from her swat.
She thought he was joking, but he really shoved the little limb into his back pocket and then crooked his elbow out gallantly. “For the show,” he announced.
“Oh, so we are a pretend couple tonight?”
“Why not?” he said recklessly.
Oh, that man had the devil in his smile. Emma loved it when he was like this, easy with her, eyes only on her, a real smile on his lips. Perfect hair tumbling down his cheeks, that skin-tight sweater all stuck to his muscles like he was walking the stage in some wet T-shirt contest, and his jeans sitting low on his hips. And his eyes…one green and one blue, and a part of her hoped that was genetic because if she ever had a baby, she would love one with bi-colored eyes, just like Dustin.
Babies? That had come out of nowhere. She needed to rein it in. This was just pretend, and she was getting lost in fantasies of playing house. Dustin had about a hundred too many secrets for her head to be on future babies. Besides, she would be a vampire within the next couple of years, and she’d seen the children of vampire/shifter couples—terrifying little critters with little control.
Dustin held open the door to Drat’s for her, waited for her to pass, and followed shortly, fingertips on her lower back. “D-Team!” he called across the dark-wood bar with the old, rusty street signs decorating most of the walls.
Beast, Logan, and Winter turned around from where they sat at the bar. Aaand so did Kane and Rowan.
“Shit, abort mission,” Dustin said, turning her toward the door.
“Bad dog,” Emma said as she kept turning them in a full circle until they were facing the bar again. “You need to hang out with Kane and make amends, or we’ll never get in the crew. Buy him a drink and kiss his butt.”
“I don’t know what dragons drink. Arsenic and people’s souls?”
“I can hear you,” Kane called in a bland voice. He still looked at Dustin like he wanted to burn him to ashes and eat him.
“He hates me,” Dustin muttered as they walked toward the bar.
Emma patted his arm. “No, he doesn’t.”
“Yes, I do,” Kane called.
Tonight was going to be awesome.
“If he tries to kill me, do that signature move of yours,” Dustin said.
“What move?”
“You know, the one where you knee grown men in the ball sacks.”
Emma giggled and shook her head. She had done that once to Dustin. She felt bad about it now, but at the time she thought he was trying to hurt her instead of help her. “I’ll protect you.”
“Good.” Dustin growled at Beast and lunged at him.
The titan didn’t move, but only arched one blond brow and looked bored. “You smell like sex.”
“Beast!” Emma reprimanded him.
“What?” Beast asked with a deep frown. “Did you do it by the river?”
“Oh, my gosh, were you there?” Emma asked loudly as heat blasted into her cheeks.
“No. That’s where Dustin always goes when he’s pissed or confused.”
“Wait, what?” Dustin asked.
Dustin was talking too quietly, and the noises from the busy bar were confusing her, so Emma diverted to reading lips.
“How do you know where I go?” Dustin asked, shifting his weight from side to side and looking decidedly uncomfortable. His eyes were glowing again.
“I like to stalk things,” Beast said nonchalantly, then downed a shot of amber liquor neatly. “You’re fun to follow. You don’t pay attention, get lost in your head. Gonna get yourself killed.”
“Newsflash, psycho, it’s not supposed to be fun to stalk people. Stop following me.”
“Don’t worry, dog.” Beast’s bright blue eyes narrowed to slits. “I’ll keep your secrets on one condition.”
“What secrets?” Winter asked.
“Yeah, what secrets,” Kane growled out.
Dustin crossed his arms over his chest. “What condition?”
Beast jerked his chin to Emma. “Don’t hurt the human.” Beast’s eyes blazed gold, and his voice dipped to a snarl. “Hurt Emma—”
“Yeah, yeah, and you’ll kill me. Take a number.” Dustin pointed at Kane. “He wants to kill me.” He dragged his finger to Logan. “Also threatens to kill me every day.” Dustin snarled at Beast. “You aren’t the first or the last to make the threat, werepussy, and I’m still breathing. Emma isn’t your concern. And I’m serious, Beast, stop fucking following me.” Dustin brushed past Emma without meeting her gaze. “I’m going to take a piss.”
Chapter Eight
Dustin rinsed the soap off his hands and yanked a paper towel from the dispenser. Fuck! Beast had seen him with the pack, heard God knew what, and now he had something to hold over his head. He was too deep into this. Any second this could all blow up in his face, and it wasn’t just him who would be hurt now. Emma was right in the line of fire because of his stupid suggestion to pretend to pair up. This was supposed to be make-believe, but today it had felt like the most real part of his life.
Being with her made him happy.
Jesus. Happy? What did that word even mean? It sure as hell didn’t exist for werewolves, and especially not one like him.
But still…today had been incredible. She’d kept his mind off Axton and the pack, kept his mind off everything but her, really. Dangerous little creature, that Emma. He needed to keep it together because he was walking a very fine line. Death by the Valdoro Pack or death by the Blackwing Crew. Wolf or Dragon, either death would hurt. And now he would be leaving Emma behind. Something about that thought made his wolf revolt inside of him. Dustin growled and slammed his back against the tile bathroom wall, then slid down to a crouching position and gripped the back of his head. He had to stay human. No more running from the reality of the position he was in by Changing into the wolf. He’d done that tonight with Emma. Got mad, Changed, left her alone in the damn woods where Axton and Jace were. And what could he have done if they’d decided to attack her then? He was bottom rank and submissive. Could he have defended her? Shit, he didn’t even know that answer.
She would be on their radar now unless he convinced them it was all a ploy to get into the crew like they’d planned. Maybe if they thought Emma didn’t mean anything to him and she was just his ticket into the crew, they would leave her alone.
What was he doing?
He was in way over his head, getting pulled under crashing waves, and what had he done? Grabbed onto Emma’s ankle so he could drag her down into the darkness with him. Selfish. Typical werewolf shit, and he hated that he’d put her in danger.
But…
He’d never felt like this. Like maybe everything would be okay somehow. It was nice to have her at his back, finishing his sentences, thinking along the same winding lines he did, smiling at the same stuff he found funny. So beautiful. She would make pretty pups. Girl pups. Ones that looked like her with long curls and big green eyes. He could be a good dad if he had
someone like Emma keeping him from fucking everything up. Ours.
That felt right.
The door swung open and in walked trouble. Petite Emma, with those sexy curves shoved into tight jeans and that little spaghetti-strap silk shirt. Make-up on point, fresh lip gloss, hair pulled back in a ponytail that gave him a boner on account of it being a beautiful mess, just like his Emma. He’d gotten her hair all ratted like that. She’d let him inside of her. Not like with the other girls she’d mentioned. They were all fucks he needed when pack life got too hard or his wolf became unmanageable.
Sex with Emma was different. It was better.
“Why are you staring at my vagina?” she asked. Her voice was thick and a little slurred, but he’d meant it when he’d told Emma her voice was perfect. No other girl he’d ever met sounded like her. He would recognize the tone of her voice from across a busy street.
Dustin cleared his throat and ripped his gaze away from the zipper of her jeans. “Are you here to blow me?”
Emma snorted and knelt down in front of him. “No. You didn’t do the bat signal.” She shoved her finger a couple of times into a hole she made with her other hand.
Dustin wanted to hold onto his worry for a little while longer, but it was impossible with his dainty little human making lewd gestures like that.
The smile dipped from her lips. “You okay?”
“Fine. Why?”
“You’re on the floor like your world just ended.”
Dustin took stock of his body. Crap, she was seeing him in a really vulnerable position. “Just dealing with some wolf shit. I’m good.”
Emma canted her head, and her delicate eyebrows went into the cutest fucking frown he’d ever seen, right before she scooted between his legs and hugged his waist. She rested her head against his shoulder and sighed. “I bought you a drink. It’s something called a Pink Panty Dropper, and it has extra maraschino cherries and a purple umbrella.”
Dustin snorted a laugh. “You better not have.”
“I roofied it so I can seduce you easier,” she murmured, but there was a smile in her voice.