“How big was your pack?”
“Eight of us.”
“Were any mated?”
“Yes, two of them were. So, there was seven shifters and one rock solid human.” He laughed lightly. “She took it all in stride. It was actually her remodeling company.”
“Was it Blood and Tears Remodeling?”
James laughed. “Yeah, it was! I miss it sometimes.”
“You lost a few from your pack in the war, didn’t you?”
“We lost two and we lost Megan. She was the human. Once they found out what happened to me, they booted me out. My buddy Rick became Alpha.”
“That must have been painful.”
James sobered. His face sad in the moonlight. “It was.”
“So, what did you do for money afterwards?”
“What every guy does when he’s down on his luck. I hit the bottle.”
“Can’t make money that way.”
“No, and I realized it pretty quickly. I started doing odd jobs for humans, and the occasional odd job for people like you.”
“Yes, I remember the first job I put you on. I thought you were the most arrogant and callous individual I had ever met.”
“I was still in my angry stage. Why did you call me for this job?”
Angela shrugged. “I don’t really know. I knew I needed the help, and you are a…gifted…tracker.”
“Tracker. That’s funny. Gifted killer is more like it.”
“Yes, that too.”
They sat together in silence, each enjoying the night.
“Why did you never look for a mate?”
James’s face became hard. “No one really wanted me after the war incident. Word went around the city that any offspring, if I could have offspring, would be tainted. I thought about a human, but once again we are back to the problem of children.” He looked at her sadly. “How could I ever tell my wife that our baby might come out with fur or fangs?”
“You know it doesn’t happen that way.”
“No, but eventually it would, and my case is different. Who knows what it might have been.” He looked at her, marveling at how beautiful in the silver night light, and how she just accepted the things he was saying to her.
“And you? Why is there no Mr. Angela and a gaggle of spell casting children?”
“Same reason I suppose. The biggest reason is that I didn’t want anyone to get close to me. I didn’t want the drama. I’m better on my own.”
“No. You’re lonely.”
Angela raised her eyes to his. The sting of tears was such an alien thing to her that at first she didn’t recognize what it was. Yet, she relished the sensation. It was a human feeling.
“Yes.” She whispered.
James ran a hand behind her neck and gently pulled her face towards his. James had always heard that a shifter would know their mate easily, that it would be like an epiphany, a revelation so earth shattering that once revealed there would be no turning back, and no reason to want to. He had thought it all hype and nonsense. As his lips touched Angela’s he finally understood.
Angela pulled her head back and looked at him with surprise. It was like an electric charge had been placed on her mouth, not unpleasant, rather tingly and warm. It spread across her face and into her scalp. She blinked, unsure of what had just happened.
“Show me your house.”
James stood, feeling a tremor in his limbs. She was composed and her usual self. Had she not felt it too?
The front door creaked as James unlocked it and pushed it open. Angela could smell the fresh scent of cedar and pine. He touched a switch on the wall and the room was bathed in white light. The floor was unfinished and dusty, and there were saw horses and wood laying everywhere. An electric saw laid still and silent on the floor, its cord still attached to the wall. She looked up to high ceilings, smiling at the decorative ceiling medallion. There was a chandelier hanging from the center.
“This will be a beautiful home when you’re done.”
“Thanks. The kitchen is finished.” He led her through the large room and into a room she assumed was the dining room. It was in the same shape as the room she had just left. He had attached barn style doors on a slider, and pushed them aside to reveal a quaint farm style kitchen. The cabinets were white and there was white shiplap on the walls. It wasn’t a modern looking kitchen, but everything was obviously new. She ran her fingertips over a table with four white and light wood chairs.
“It’s adorable.”
“Yeah, I was going for the old farmhouse look.”
“And out there?”
“I don’t know yet. I don’t want anything too fancy, but that damn chandelier is screwing it all up.”
Angela laughed. “You could take it down.”
“Nah. It’s from the 1930’s. I kind of like it anyway.”
“What else is finished?”
“One of the guest rooms, and…my bedroom.”
Angela nodded and walked the kitchen, touching things as she went. “Let’s make these phone calls, then maybe you can show me.”
James ran his tongue over his lips. “Alright.”
“HUNGRY!” Gabriel bounced on the bed between Niall and Sinclair, tugging at their clothes. Neither was under the covers, making it easier for Gabriel to get directly between them.
Sinclair rubbed the sleep from her eyes, cursing as her hand pulled away with smudges from her mascara and eyeliner.
“Hold on!” She said sternly.
“What time is it?” Niall grumbled sleepily.
“Just past four.”
“Ugh! Why does this kid want to eat at such odd times?”
“We forgot to eat dinner ourselves last night. All he had was that sweet bread stuff at Angela’s.” Sinclair slid from the bed and headed to the bathroom. She looked back to see Gabriel smacking Niall on his back. “Hey! Be nice to Niall and I’ll get you something to eat.”
“Ok.” He said, and laid down over Niall’s back.
Sinclair used the bathroom and washed her face. By the time she came back out of the bathroom, Gabriel and Niall were fast asleep. Niall had transferred Gabriel onto his back and was curled up beside him. Sinclair stared at the two of them with sadness. She didn’t know where the three of them would end up when this was over. She didn’t know where Gabriel in particular would be if she had to go to prison. She hoped Niall would just take him somewhere safe, but there was just no knowing. He was improving, there was no denying it. She hoped for Gabriel’s sake that perhaps in the worst case scenario he would simply grow up to be a shifter of some sort.
Sinclair moved from the darkened bedroom into the equally as dark sitting room. The French doors were open again, and she frowned at them. She was sure she had closed them before tucking Gabriel in on the couch and going to bed. She thought of Angela’s nosey ghost brothers and rolled her eyes, moving to close the French doors again.
“I don’t care if you’re here, Ghoulies! Be as nosey as you want! You don’t scare me anymore!”
“Do I scare you?”
Sinclair whirled around in time to see Enrique Arrays large manservant baring down on her. He clamped a rag over nose and mouth as she tried to scream. She fought uselessly against his strength, accomplishing nothing more than scratching at his hand and knocking over a lamp. Her final thought, as consciousness left her, was that she hoped it would be enough to awaken Niall.
Angela walked into James’s bedroom, her anger still seething. Marcus had gone back on his word and was only bringing himself and four other vampires to help in Bayou Beouf. She was equally angry that Claude had informed her that Joseph was going to desecrate his grandmother’s home with his wicked plans. Carla had meant nothing to him.
Her anger began to disappear as she walked through the door of James’s bedroom. She wasn’t sure what she expected of this rough shifters personal quarters, but it wasn’t the pale lavender walls with king sized bed covered in deep purple bedclothes. The bed was on a frame which
had a canopy and four tall pollsters with flimsy lavender and light gray material draped over it, reaching all the way to the floor of wood stained black. There were two bedside tables, a dresser, and armoire opened to revel a television. A chair sat near the floor to ceiling windows, also dressed in dark purple and pale gray. Several stacks of books were on the floor and one bedside table. Every piece of furniture was black with gray or silver accents. It was breathtaking.
“I’m impressed James.”
He seemed embarrassed. “I like it, but it is a little feminine.”
“No. Not with the black. I think it looks regal. It’s a room to be shared by both sexes.”
He moved behind her and laid his hands on her shoulders. “Maybe you would like to share this room?”
She stiffened slightly. He couldn’t possibly mean for more than a few hours! “Perhaps you move too quickly.”
“Perhaps not.” He said turning her to face him.
They stared into each other’s eyes, the moment to step away fading. Angela realized she was crossing a threshold. James found the zipper at the back of her dress and slowly brought it down her back. He wondered why she wore so many dresses, instead of jeans or other clothes. He supposed it had to do with the era she actually was born in.
Angela kept her eyes on his face as her dress fell to the floor and she passively stepped out of the fabric. A shiver ran up her spine as he freed her small breasts from the confines of her bra. How long had it been since she stood before a man like this, exposed and on the brink of giving her flesh? Far too long. She half expected him to comment in his usual snarky or joking way, but his face was serious and intent on her.
Angela removed his shirt, fingering the silver and pale pink scars which crisscrossed his chest. There were two scars which looked like puncture marks on his right shoulder. She could see the small imprint of teeth barely below them.
James laid her hand over the marks. “It was my curse. Now I see it as something different.”
“What do you see it as now?”
“As the thing that eventually led me to you.”
Angela raised her head, her mouth parted to taste him as his tongue entered her mouth with deep force and intense need. She felt like fire was being poured down her throat. No man had ever been able to kiss her like that. She felt the moisture spilling from her body as he picked her up, his hands grabbing each butt cheek firmly as she wrapped her legs around his waist, her hands moving through his long hair, freeing the mane from the rubber band that held them.
James lowered her to the bed, taking time to remove the rest of his clothes before lowering his body slowly on top of hers. He touched her everywhere, wanting to feel every inch of her flesh at once. Her flimsy underwear was removed with one swift swipe of his hand. They both smiled as the fabric tore into pieces.
Angela opened her legs beneath him, arching her back as he touched the opening she had made. He moved his fingers in and out of her, and a strangled cry escaped her as his fingers were replaced by his lips. He kissed her gently before using his tongue in a more aggressive manner on her soft flesh. When she was near to her climax, he moved his body over hers and plunged into her with a strong hard thrust. Her climax came immediately and she called his name, her body matching his movement’s stroke for stroke. Sweat ran from his forehead onto her face. He smelled like the outdoors, and as he shuddered his finale she knew she had somehow allowed herself to be mated to a werewolf.
Niall awoke as the first signs of dawn were lighting the sky. Gabriel was asleep beside him sucking his thumb. He smiled lightly and grabbed the comforter on the opposite side to flip it over the boy. He was precious when he was asleep. Awake was a whole other story.
He glanced in the darkened bathroom before heading to the sitting room. He froze as the scent of another shifter hit him. He looked around the room, but didn’t see Sinclair. He stared at the lamp for a only a moment before racing back to the bedroom to retrieve his cell phone. He dialed Sinclair’s number, his heart falling into his stomach as it began to ring from her purse.
“Mommy?” Gabriel said sleepily sitting up on the bed. “Hungry.” He said quietly.
Niall grabbed both sides of his head. When did he start calling her that? He emptied her purse onto the bed looking for the card Angela had originally given to Sinclair. He found it and waited while the phone rang on the other end. Gabriel watched him intently, picking up on his desperate vibe.
“Mommy?” He said barely above a whisper.
“We’ll find her, Gabriel. Don’t worry.”
The phone went to voice mail.
Niall shook his head and tried to think. James had the car. Why doesn’t he have his own car? He yelled an expletive which Gabriel promptly imitated, and called Angela’s number again.
Angela traced a line down James’s side hoping her cell phone would stop ringing.
“Are you going to answer that?”
“Nope.”
He laughed softly and grabbed the phone. “It might be Sinclair or Niall.” The phone stopped ringing again.
“Problem solved.”
James frowned. The number for the missed call was out of state. “I think it was them. Call the number back.”
Angela sighed, pulling the sheet around her chest. James pulled it away with a wicked grin and handed her the phone. Niall answered on the second ring.
“Angela?”
“Yes. What can I do for you?” She leaned back against the pillows, beckoning for James to join her.
“She’s gone! Someone took her! There was a lamp turned over and I was asleep and…”
Angela sat up. “Hold on, Niall. Slow down.”
“Sinclair…she got up because Gabriel was hungry. Gabriel and I fell back asleep. When I woke up she was gone! A lamp was turned over in the sitting room.”
“Was the room door open or unlocked?”
“Not open, but the French doors were. I could have sworn she closed them before we laid down.” He walked to the room door and tried to open it. It swung open easily. “Dammit! The door to the room is unlocked! I always lock it!”
Angela was out of the bed grabbing her clothes. “Just stay where you are, Niall. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”
“We?”
Angela looked at James and swiped a loose piece of hair from her face. “Yes. James and I.”
“Oh. Well, tell that jack ass to bring my car back! He doesn’t have a damn car?”
“I’ll tell him.” Angela ended the call and began hurriedly dressing.
“Someone came into the room and took Sinclair.”
“Crap.” He breathed and began dressing too.
“Niall said he wanted his car back, and wants to know why you don’t have one.”
“I do. I just really wanted to drive the Mustang.”
Angela shook her head, but smiled. “You’re a bad man.”
“Let’s go find Sinclair, and I’ll show you just how bad I really can be.”
Sinclair’s head rolled on her shoulders. Pain beat a steady rhythm across her forehead and at the base of her skull. Her mouth tasted like blood and vomit. She tried to move her arms and legs but all it accomplished was a scraping noise.
What is that?
She opened her eyes slowly and looked around a dingy bedroom. Her vision was slightly doubled, but she could make out a messy bed with an old fashioned pink chenille bedspread bunched in the center. The morning light was muted and bled orange into the tiny room as it attempted to get past a yellowed drawn blind. She looked down and sucked in her breath. She was tied with her arms behind her back to a chair. She tried to move her feet, but they were tied as well at the ankles. She wanted to scream, but realized it wasn’t the smartest thing to do. She had no idea who was on the other side of that dirty peach colored door. Tears welled in her eyes. She knew who wasn’t on the other side: Niall Amrit.
Niall called room service and ordered Gabriel pancakes and coffee for himself. The thought of food made him n
auseous, but he needed the caffeine. His skin tingled and burned. His anger and worry were putting the tiger hidden within him on high alert. The tiger wanted out. The tiger wanted blood.
Gabriel ate his pancakes, humming along with a song on some weird children’s show. He watched Niall from time to time with a wary kind of worry. Niall hoped the kid could just trust him long enough to get Sinclair back. When a knock sounded at the door, he looked up hopefully, and mouthed “mommy”.
Niall opened the door for Angela and James. James dropped the car keys into his hand, and he clutched them tightly enough for them to dig into his skin.
“Have you heard anything?” Angela asked.
“No. Don’t you think I would have called you?”
“No need to snap, Niall.” James chided him quietly. He went to Gabriel and sat beside him. “What are you eating?”
“Pancake.” Gabriel looked up at James worriedly, a drop of syrup dripped from the corner of his mouth. “Mommy gone.”
Angela looked at Niall with wide eyes. “He’s talking very well! When did he start calling Sinclair Mommy?”
“As far as I know, today.”
“That’s interesting.” Angela said.
“Interesting?” Niall took a napkin and wiped at Gabriel’s face. “Finding Sinclair would be interesting!”
James glanced at Angela with a frown on his lips. Neither of them had seen him quite like that. He had a temper for sure, but he normally was calm, a cool hand so to speak.
“There’s only one reasonable explanation as to where she’s at. Joseph or Enrique have her. They are most likely together anyway.”
“I have no idea where Joseph is!”
“Neither do we, but I do know where he will be. The gathering is taking place at Carla’s old house.”
Niall placed his hands on his hips. “Do you think she’s already there?”
“Doubtful. I don’t think he would take her there first.”
“Why not?”
“Because he will know that he’s the first suspect, and he also knows that Claude is a blabber mouth. I’m actually worried about Claude in all of this.” Angela said and looked out of the balcony doors.
BAD BOY ROMANCE: DIESEL: Contemporary Bad Boy Biker MC Romance (Box Set) (New Adult Sports Romance Short Stories Boxset) Page 34