One Last Kiss: A Second Chance Romance

by Lauren Wood

  I couldn’t let that happen.

  Silence surrounded me and screamed in my ears. Xam’s wailing had stopped. There were no longer inmates chanting in the cells. The conversation in the room behind the metal door had seized as well.

  Uneasily, I got to my feet and paced three steps across the hall toward the door. I pressed my palm against it. The metal was cold and smooth to the touch. I placed my swollen cheek against the surface. The iciness brought instant relief to the fire burning beneath my skin. I leaned in resting my weight on my cheek. I could have cried it felt so good.

  I heard the doorknob squeak, someone was about to open the door. Before I could step back I fell head first into the room right at the eyeless man’s feet. He looked down on me in pity and stepped over me.

  Scrambling to my feet, I locked my eyes on the man as he marched himself down the corridor back toward the circular room.

  Next out the door was Zed. I searched his face for an answer or a sign. Anything. But he was stone faced and illegible.

  The guards followed in pairs falling stride with the eyeless man toward the circular room.

  Zed watched after them but I kept my eyes fixed on him.

  When they had disappeared out of sight, Zed turned to look at me. I could have sworn I caught a twinkle in his eye but his expression wasn’t giving anything away.

  “Tell me Xam is safe.” Tears flooded my vision. My heart pained. I wanted this to end.

  Zed pulled me and hugged me tight. He rubbed my shoulder trying to calm me down.

  I could hear footsteps approaching us in the distance. I rubbed my eyes and looked up at Zed, hopeful.

  He winked.

  It was Xam.

  I pushed off and ran faster than I ever had before down the corridor toward the echoing footsteps. By the time Xam came into view, I was soaring. Seeing him set my heart free and I moved faster, faster until he was within my reach.

  Xam picked me up and twirled me around through the air. He ran his hand through my hair and pulled me into his lips. I wanted this kiss to last forever.

  “Are you ready to go home?” Xam offered me his battered hand.

  I smiled, I was going home.

  THE END

  DRAWN TO ONE MAN

  Chapter One

  Lydia leaned back and rolled her head from side to side to ease the ache in her shoulders. The letters were piled high on the desk, and she was making little progress. As the mastermind behind Hairy and Fluffy, a dating agency, she had the duty to create the perfect matches. The last meet and greet party turned into a high success. Most of her matches paired up together, and she’d managed to finally pair the elusive Cole Greyson with his mate. It had taken some extra effort to finally get Sasha at the party, but it was well worth the effort.

  Maxwell Torrent was now at the top of her list. The alpha lion shifter had refused to settle down, and the lion community was growing uneasy. If he didn’t find his mate soon, they would have to replace him with the second-in-command, and they weren’t keen on that idea. Maxwell was their favorite.

  They’d turned to her to find his mate, but it wasn’t easy. As she sifted through the letters of women who wanted to be matched, she hadn’t found anyone that stood out. None were strong enough to withstand the lion’s domineering personality. Most wouldn’t last a night with Maxwell.

  “Lydia Jones?”

  She looked up to see a brunette standing in the doorway She was tall and curvy with an irritated look on her face. Lydia blinked. She hadn’t heard the bell on the door.

  “That’s me. If you want to fill out an application, the paperwork is outside the door. We’re on a waiting list right now, but I might get you in at a fall party,” she said absently.

  The brunette laughed. “Oh, no I’m not here for that. My name is Cassie Branders. I’m a reporter for The Weekly Report. My editor would like a human-interest piece on your dating service. Would you be able to do an interview for me?”

  Lydia narrowed her eyes. She was keen on reading people, and the vibes coming off this woman were most interesting. “Cassie Branders from the Cassie Column?”

  The writer smiled. “So you have heard of me!”

  “Yes,” Lydia said slowly. “You tend to write rather strongly worded editorials. Why would you be slated for the human interest story?”

  “You caught me,” Cassie said with a frown. “The last column I wrote hinted about the inequality of dating services, and the advertisers were not pleased. I didn’t mean for it to have such a negative response, so I offered to do an in-depth study on one dating service. You have a high success rate of couples meeting at your parties and sticking it out long after the wedding. I’d like to discuss your process.”

  Lydia cocked her head. Cassie was known for her independence, her witty words, her talent, and her beauty. An idea started to form in her head. “Are you married or seeing anyone, Cassie?”

  Cassie shook her head. “Married to the job, I’m afraid.”

  “And have you ever been to one of my parties?”

  Again, the lovely brunette shook her head. “It’s by invitation only, correct? I don’t do much dating.”

  “I’m putting a party together for Friday evening. Why don’t you come to the party, and then we’ll do there?”

  Cassie smiled. “That sounds great.” She offered her card. “Here is all my contact information. Would it be okay if I talked to the guests at the party? I’d like to know what they’re looking for.”

  She was making it too easy for Lydia. She took the card and nodded. “I think that would be perfect.”

  Cassie nodded and existed the office. Lydia pulled out the invitation and a blank envelope. With an air of satisfaction, she addressed the envelope to Maxwell Torrent. It was time to knock another big name off her list.

  Cassie Branders was going to make the perfect lioness.

  Chapter Two

  Max’s stomach rumbled. He’d been forced to skip out on lunch when his assistant hadn’t showed up, and now that the workday was over, his stomach was demanding some attention.

  The breeze rippled through his gold hair as he rolled the window down to grab his mail, and he was torn. Work had been hell, and he really wanted to put on his tennis shoes and do a few miles around the neighborhood, but running on an empty stomach tended to make him even more temperamental.

  And Max was not a stand-up guy when his temper got the best of him.

  So his shoved a frozen lasagna in the microwave and flipped through his mail while he waited. A black envelope with gold lettering caught his eye, and he frowned.

  Hairy and Fluffy Dating Agency

  What the hell? Max tossed it aside without bothering to open it. He’d heard of the agency of course. It was big in the shifter community, and rumor had it that they were good. But Max was far too busy to search for a mate. He had his own business to run not to mention a pride to oversee. Even though the pride was demanding that he finally settle down, there simply wasn’t enough time in the day.

  In the past, he’d been interested. His former days were filled with women and dreams of a mate and a family, but eventually, all of his flings ended the same. None of them could handle him at his worse, and sometimes, his worse was all he had to offer.

  The microwaved beeped, and Max devoured the cardboard tasting meal. Something tugged at his peripheral, and his eyes slid over to the counter.

  With a low grown, he snagged the envelope and ripped it open with far more aggression than was necessary.

  You are cordially invited to a meet and greet Friday evening. Shifters and carefully sifted human applicants will be there in hopes of finding their true love. Eighty percent of shifters find their mates. Are you ready for yours?

  He rolled his eyes. Nonsense. He certainly did not need to find his mate in a room of pumped up testosterone and alphas or alpha wannabees. That’s just a recipe for disaster.

  As he tossed the card aside, he flipped over, and he noticed a message on the back. />
  Maxwell, your pride encourages you to attend.

  His eyes widened. The barstool hit the floor as he lunged to his phone. It only took two seconds for his father to pick up. “Before you say anything,” Charles said mildly.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Max hissed. “Is this a threat?”

  His father had obviously been waiting for the phone call. “Maxwell, the stipulations for being an alpha are clear. You have to mate. You’re pushing thirty-five and the pride is getting nervous. If you don’t take a wife soon, they’re going to be forced to place Jerome as alpha, and nobody wants that.”

  Max gripped the phone. His father wasn’t wrong. The Torrent family had been the alphas of the local tribe for several generations, and it would continue as long as the pride was happy and the alpha took a mate and continued the line. If an alpha died without an heir, the strongest male took over, and while Jerome was the strongest, he was also the most temperamental and unpredictable. It was a recipe for disaster.

  “But a Hairy and Fluffy party?” he said as his anger escaped him. He leaned against the counter and dropped his head. “That’s degrading.”

  “It’s hardly degrading. That agency has the best reputation in the shifter community. I know you’re busy. They do all the work for you. Just give it a shot.”

  Charles had been a great leader, and had he not fallen ill several years ago, he would still be alpha. But the community feared he would not make it, so Max, as the oldest son, took over. Charles recovered, and he had no issues with his son taking over. Max wanted to earn the pride’s respect like his father had earned it.

  He wanted his father to proud of him as well.

  “Fine,” he muttered. “I’ll go. But we’re going to have some words about personal space at the next meeting,” he snapped.

  “Good luck with that,” Charles snorted.

  Max hung up the phone and sighed. Shrugging his shoulders to ease the tension, he stripped out of his business clothes and put on his jogging gear. He had quite a bit of frustrations to burn before he tried to take on the dating agency.

  Even the pounding of his heels hitting the ground didn’t do anything to release the anxiety he had about potentially meeting his mate. It made him anxious to think that he was meant to be with one person. What if he got it wrong and he picked the wrong woman? What if his woman didn’t like him?

  So he ran harder and farther, but before he could completely escape the situation, he turned back around to take a shower and get ready for the damn party.

  Chapter Three

  Cassie checked everything in her bag. She had her recorder for longer interviews, her notebook, a couple of pens, and her camera. She stepped into her strappy sandals and hung her press badge around her neck. She didn’t want any of the shifters to get any ideas.

  “Why are you taking the badge?” her friend asked with a mouth full of ice cream. In her third trimester, Sara was usually found munching on something.

  “Because I’m writing an article,” Cassie said as she rolled her eyes.

  “But you’re single,” Sara said.

  “Uh huh.”

  “And you haven’t gotten laid in over a year.”

  Cassie narrowed her eyes. “Your point?”

  “My point is that there are going to be many hunky men at that party. So ditch the press badge and relax. Even if you don’t find Mr. Right, you can still enjoy Mr. Incredible One Night Stand.”

  “I didn’t pick the assignment, Sara. You did,” Cassie pointed out.

  Her friend and editor smiled. “You were the one who said dating agencies set women back to an age where looks and profits were all that mattered in a marriage. I’m just trying to save your column. But more than that, I also wanted you to see how wrong you are. Dale and I met through a dating agency. Just because you’re not getting any doesn’t mean you have to hate on the people that are.”

  “I’m not hating on you. I’m hating on the agencies that profit from people’s ridiculous desire to find love. What are you doing in my house anyways?” Cassie said irritably.

  “I wanted cookies and cream, and you always have at least two gallons in your freezer. And I also wanted to make sure you didn’t leave this house dressed in armor.” She pointed to Cassie’s outfit. “Ditch the blazer.”

  “It’s work, Sara. It’s work for you. Shouldn’t you want me to keep it professional?”

  “You’re my friend as well as my reporter. Besides, how can you truly get the feel for the party if you’re only there as an observer? Go undercover. Find out what the men and women are really like.”

  Cassie snorted. “Nice try. The badge and the blazer stay. Don’t eat all my ice cream,” she said as she shouldered her bag.

  “Cassie!’ The warning tone in Sara’s voice made Cassie wince. “I’ve known you for a long time. You have to let someone in at some point,” she said softly.

  Cassie closed her eyes as she thought back to her past relationships. Men cheated, lied, and abused the power of having a woman’s heart. Cassie wasn’t single because she worked too much or because she couldn’t find men who were attracted to her. She was single because it was just easier.

  “Lock up when you leave,” she said without turning around. She could feel the disappointment in Sara without facing her.

  When Cassie joined the newspaper, she and Sara were instant friends. That was nearly fifteen years ago. Now Sara was an editor, and Cassie wrote a successful column. They both had achieved what they wanted, but Sara was moving on with her life. She had a husband and a baby on the way. Cassie was still struggling with what to do now that she’d achieved her career goals.

  Safely away from Sara’s pointed observations, Cassie sighed and started the car. She didn’t need a man to be happy. She just wasn’t the one to melt after a single touch or get drawn into long romantic stares. She was happy being single.

  As the backed the car down the driveway, she swallowed hard.

  The lie was exhausting even when she was simply saying it to her reflection.

  Chapter Four

  Everything was in full swing by the time she got to the party. She stood in the corner for a moment to observe and doodle some notes. Some of the women were dressed in animal print, and Cassie cocked her head. Wasn’t that just tacky?

  She could feel the tension in the room. It was clear that some of the shifters were very much in tuned to their animal side, and everyone was silently fighting for dominance. The women seemed to lap it up, but it made Cassie uneasy.

  “There you are!”

  Cassie turned to see Lydia making her way over to her. The stunningly beautiful woman was dressed in a sleek black dress and four inch stilettos. Cassie took a moment to appreciate the affect the shoes had on the woman’s legs. “What do you think so far?”

  “It’s classy,” Cassie admitted. She’d thought there’d be awkward music, prom balloons, and glittery streamers, but instead quiet upbeat tempo music was coming out of the speakers, and the decorations were at a minimum. Food and drinks were plenty, and while some couples were dancing, others opted to sit at the tables and get to know each other.

  “Thanks! It was tough in the beginning to come up with a party that shifters of all shapes and sizes might like. We’ve got groups that prefer water, others that prefer land, and some that are odd about concrete and hardwood floors. The key is variety. I try to have a little bit of space for everyone,” she said beaming.

  “How do you keep the alphas from fighting? I can see the uneasiness in some of the men.”

  “There are very strict rules at these parties for the shifters. No fighting is at the very top. I have lavender scented sprays in the corners to help calm everyone, but just in case, there are several undercover operatives with tranquilizer guns. In all the years that I’ve been doing this, we’ve never needed to use them, but safety is the number on priority.”

  Cassie jotted the quote in her notebook. “Why shifters? Aren’t they destined to be with just one pe
rson? How can do you have such a high success rate when the odds are stacked against you?”

  Lydia gave her sly smile. “That, my dear, is a trade secret.”

  Out of the corner of her eye, Cassie saw some people moving quickly. Curious, she followed the movement and saw that the crowd was parting for one man. Her jaw dropped.

  “Damn,” she whispered. He was gorgeous. Thick blonde hair framed his square face and amber eyes. She watched his smooth jaw clench, and immediately, she wanted to run her fingers down those high cheekbones and over those lips. He was tall and built with muscles that rippled under the tight shirt.

  “See something you like?” Lydia asked softly.

  Cassie blinked and blushed. “You have some gorgeous men here,” she muttered.

  “That’s Maxwell Torrent. He’s the alpha for the local lion shifter pride. I guarantee at least half of the women here would kill for just one night in that man’s bed.”

  She felt the pull of sexual attraction and waved it off. She was not here to pick up men. She was here to work.

  As she tried to focus and ask Lydia a few more question, she found herself getting aroused. Looking up, she saw the lion staring at her.

  “My, my,” Lydia purred. “He seems to be interested in you. Why don’t you go talk to him?”

  Cassie tried to shrug nonchalantly. “In a minute. It will be interesting to get the perspective of an alpha shifter at a scene like this. I just have a few more questions before I start talking to the crowd.”

  She looked up from her notebook and saw the irritated look on Lydia’s face. “Did I say something wrong?”

  “No. It’s fine,” the woman said hurriedly. “You know, we can always talk tomorrow after the party. Why don’t you get a feel for the crowd before they get too entangled with each other?” She pointed to the corner where one shifter and a woman were getting a quick taste of each other. “Some of them will be looking for more private places soon.”