by Helen Scott
Work dragged; it had ever since he had gone back. The excitement and curiosity he used to feel for his job had vanished, along with his naive perception that humans were the only intelligent beings on earth. Of course, there were some intelligent animals, but he had never expected shifters and mages and whatever else was out there. Now that he knew about the supernatural world, the normal everyday stuff had lost its shine, and he was just plodding through one day to the next.
He needed to find something more, to find his own pack, but he doubted there were any shifters out there who would follow an alpha who knew next to nothing about their world. The jaguar had mentioned a High Clan and that they had their own judicial system, but what did that mean to him? He didn’t know how to be a part of it, whether he was breaking any laws, or even how to find out what the laws were.
Valentina was supposed to help him with all that. The thought of her wrapped a cloak of sadness around him, sending chills straight to his heart. He had never expected to become so attached so quickly. Maybe it was the sex? She had been amazing in bed, and he craved her hands on his skin again more than he craved his next meal, but he knew it was more than that. He wanted to see her sassy walk, hear the sharply intelligent thoughts in her head, laugh with her. He just wanted to love her, dammit.
His coworkers had taken him out for drinks once since he’d been back, and not only could he not bring himself to actually drink anything, but none of the women at the bar even remotely appealed to him. Not the curvaceous blondes or the petite brunettes. All he wanted, all he thought about for the whole night, was Valentina. He even thought he caught her perfume, her scent, on the air, but when he took a deeper breath, he noticed the differences. It was similar, but it wasn’t her.
The first couple days after he’d left, he had been pissed off at the world, not wanting anything to do with shifters at all, but now, he had mellowed. His anger had faded, much like the scar on his face, and all he could think about was trying to get her back. Something had gone wrong between them, and they were both quick to anger, which was the problem. Instead of sitting down and working it out, there were challenges and demands thrown around, which was the opposite of what the situation needed.
What he needed was something that would get her attention, something she couldn’t ignore as easily as she would probably want to, something that would show that he knew her and cared for her. The only thing that popped into his mind was the animal shelter, Wardens of the Heart.
Without thinking, he picked up his phone and did a quick search for them. The first thing that popped up was their phone number and e-mail address, so he called. It wasn’t as if Valentina would answer the phone, but he might be able to talk Liana or Kinsley into helping him out.
It rang a few times, and a voice he didn’t recognize answered.
“Can I speak to Liana or Kinsley, please?”
“Uh, sure thing. One moment,” the woman said.
Some tinny hold music began playing, and he had to hold the phone away from his ear slightly because it was so grating on his newly sensitive hearing. A few moments later, a familiar voice came on. “This is Kinsley.”
“Kinsley, it’s Elijah. Please don’t hang up.”
“You have exactly two minutes, and then I’m putting the phone down.”
“Fair enough. Look, I want to apologize to Valentina, to make things right between us again. She won’t talk to me, and I was wondering if you had any ideas on how to win her back?”
“You want her back? Why did you leave in the first place, then?”
“She asked me to, and yes, I want her back. She’s all I can think about.” He took a deep breath and admitted something that he hadn’t had the courage to fully think yet, let alone speak. “I feel empty without her. It was like for the first time, I found someone who fit me, who seemed to be as interested in me as I was in them, someone who made my heart race, who made me feel things I had never felt before. The universe was right for just a little while, and now it’s all wrong again. God, that sounds pathetic.”
“No, it doesn’t. Quite frankly, I want this to be resolved just as much as you do.”
“Then tell me how to make it better.”
She was quiet for a while, and he could practically see the redhead tapping her hands on the desk. “Let me think about it and I’ll call you back later tonight.”
Elijah gave her his number, and they said their goodbyes. He didn’t want to wait, but he didn’t have any other choice, either. The only idea he’d had was to crash an event the shelter was hosting, but that not only made him look like a stalker but could go so very wrong that he decided against it. Plus, according to the calendar on the shelter’s website, the next event they were having wasn’t for a few months, and if he was honest with himself, he didn’t think he could wait that long.
When his phone rang a few hours later, his heart jumped in his chest.
“Hello?”
“Elijah, it’s Liana and Kinsley. You’re on speaker, sweetie.”
“Ladies, it’s good to hear from you. So, do you have any ideas about how to patch things up with Valentina?”
“I was thinking a sea of flowers. Just cover each and every surface in her office with them,” Liana said.
It didn’t feel right. While he was sure Valentina would like flowers, he wasn’t sure about the sea of roses. Something told him she’d think it was a waste of money.
“Or,” Kinsley chimed in, “we could help you surprise her with dinner. You can wine and dine your way back into her heart. Nothing says love like a homecooked meal.”
“That might work except that I’m a shit cook.”
“Oh.”
“What about a surprise weekend getaway?” Liana asked, her voice lifting with excitement.
“She won’t talk to me. I don’t think jumping into a vacation is a good idea.” Elijah chuckled. Something had been swirling in his mind, though, an idea that might or might not be too much. “What about a donation to the shelter? A big one? I could get one of those big cardboard checks and sign it or something.”
“Ohhhh.” Kinsley sighed. “That’s a good idea.”
“Valentina usually comes out personally to thank people who make large donations,” Liana added.
“How big of a donation are we talking here?”
“Anything over a thousand, I think.”
“Okay, so I bring in the check and what? Just talk to her? In front of everyone?”
“Yeah, ultimate declaration of your feelings is confessing them in front of strangers,” Liana said.
“I think you’ve been watching too many movies.” Kinsley chuckled.
“Says the girl who reads romance novels as if they are her own personal crack,” Liana shot back.
“Ladies,” Elijah interrupted before it got out of hand. “I think I would prefer to talk to Valentina in private. After all, there are things we need to say to each other that aren’t appropriate for the general public.”
“The man makes a good point.” Liana chuckled. “It’s not as if you can just chat about shifters in the middle of the shelter.”
“When do you think I should bring it in?”
“Personally, I would prefer as soon as possible,” Kinsley said quietly. It left him with the impression that she wanted Valentina’s attention to be captured by something else.
“Come in on Monday. It’ll probably take you a couple days to get that big cardboard check printed or whatever it is they do. Do you even know where to find one?” Liana added.
“I’ll figure it out, don’t you worry.”
“Man, I can’t wait to see her face. You know they will take a photo with the two of you for the quarterly newsletter? Oh, it’s going to be epic.” The glee in the blonde’s voice was a little worrying, but he was just glad they both thought it was a good idea. Now, he just had to find a giant check.
Chapter 25
A soft knock sounded on Valentina’s door. She had to stop herself from snapping at the receptionist who pe
eked around the wood panel. It was a close thing, but she was able to rein in her tongue at the last second. The poor girl didn’t do anything to get on her bad side.
“Ms. Cordoza? There’s a large donation that’s come in. I was told to notify you so you could thank them.”
“Thank you, April. Tell them I’ll be right out.”
“Of course, Ms. Cordoza,” April said before scurrying off.
She turned and peeked out through the slats of the blinds that she had drawn down but left open. The last few days, with her nerves being so frayed, she had needed that level of privacy. It wasn’t something she normally did, and she knew it had created some concern among the staff. A man was standing in the atrium, but he was mostly hidden by tall decorative plants and fake trees.
As she turned back to her computer, she locked it and used her reflection in the dark screen to reapply her lipstick. There would be a photo, after all, and appearances were important, especially since she ran the place. She stood and took a few deep breaths as she smoothed out her black skirt and straightened her chiffon blouse before heading out to the greeting area.
She could see a big cardboard check resting between the floor and a masculine hand, but she still couldn’t quite see its owner. Liana had turned up with the camera and was all smiles. Something about her excitement set alarm bells ringing in Valentina’s head. When she finally rounded the corner and got a clearer look at the man with the check, she immediately knew why.
Elijah.
Her heart stuttered in her chest before taking off at a gallop. Had he really brought in a donation big enough to bring her out of her office? When April gestured toward her, he turned, and her heart clenched painfully. Not only was he still ridiculously handsome but he was injured, or rather, had been. A long violent-looking scar now decorated his face from his temple to his mouth. If nothing else, she needed to find out what happened. Did the doctor who turned him track him down again somehow? Did he get in a fight with another alpha? Or worse, was he confronted by a Reaper? The questions swirled in her mind on repeat, leaving her mouth to run on autopilot.
“Elijah, how lovely to see you again,” she said while her brain still swam, a sea of emotions and questions.
“Valentina, I wanted to bring this by. You inspire me, and I was hoping to do something nice for you,” he said. His voice was sex on a stick. It practically crawled under her clothes and caressed her skin.
She caught the slight wince on his face as he finished talking, and she took a deep breath. “I’d love to get a photo with you for our newsletter if you’re okay with that?”
“Of course.”
She stepped closer to him, resting her hand on his lower back, right over the curve of what she knew from experience was a fabulous ass. He draped an arm over her shoulder, and the heat of it was almost too much. She hadn’t realized how cold she had been until the warmth radiating off him began to seep into her bones.
Liana handed them the check, and they both held one side with their free hand while her packmate took a photo. Valentina hoped that the panic she felt within didn’t show on her face or in the photo.
“Why don’t you take a couple more, Lee?” she asked. Did her voice sound breathy, or was that in her head? She wasn’t sure. All she knew at this point was that her body was reacting to Elijah in ways that surprised her. Sure, the sex they had was amazing, but it felt as if her body remembered and was ready to dive in all over again. Not that it worked out that well the first time around.
When the photos were done, Elijah handed the check over. “Could we talk for a moment?” he asked, his eyes barely meeting hers, as if he was nervous or something.
She knew she should say no, that this was a very nice gesture but she hadn’t changed her mind, but neither of those things came out of her mouth. Instead, she said, “This way,” before turning and leading him in the direction of her office. Each step seemed to ramp up her need for Elijah, and she was glad that this had occurred at work so she couldn’t act on her baser desires.
As she waved him into the office, she said, “Please, have a seat,” while she shut the door behind them. A few more steps, and she passed by him and the wall of desire that seemed to surround him. His scent reached her, and she wanted to roll around in the delicious masculinity of it, and then she was behind her desk and sitting.
Valentina tried to focus on everything except the man in front of her, but it was no use. He had come in to talk, so talk they would. She would just need to go home afterward. “So, you wanted to talk?” she asked as he continued to stare at her.
“I wanted to say that I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you like that when we found the lab. I was just so set on catching the doctor that I had blinders on to everything else. You did the right thing by helping the other prisoners first. It’s what I should have done, but I was being selfish, and that behavior led to you getting shot. If you had died, I never would have forgiven myself.”
Her stomach was officially full of knots. “I didn’t die, and I do owe you thanks for saving my life. Elijah.” She sighed his name. Today was the first time she had said it aloud since he’d left, and if she was honest with herself, it felt as if she were coming home. “I . . . I owe you an apology as well. I knew what your primary goal was, but I let my own desires take over, and if we are being honest with each other, it had no small part in splitting us up.”
“I miss you,” he said so quietly, she wondered if he had intended for her to hear the words or not. He cleared his throat again and looked her directly in the eyes, which sent a jolt of electricity through her. “I miss you. I haven’t been able to think about anything but you since I left, and I wish I never had. Valentina, you are everything I never knew I wanted in a woman. You’re smart, funny, generous, kind, selfless, and so damn brave. You’re also sexy as hell, which is just the cherry on top. I want to give what was starting between us another shot. If you allow me to be with you, I promise that I will do everything I can to defer to you on anything outside the bedroom, but in the bedroom, I’m alpha.”
That last sentence made her press her thighs together as her insides twisted and clenched with need. “Elijah”—she couldn’t seem to stop saying his name—“I would love to give us another try if you are truly willing to let me be alpha of Midnight. And not just you, but your panther as well. I need both of you to be on the same page with this, because I don’t think I could take kicking you out again.” Her voice had trailed off to a whisper at the end, and her gaze was focused on the orchid that sat on the corner of her desk. The sound of movement drew her gaze, and all of a sudden, Elijah was next to her, kneeling on the floor by her side. She turned and stared down into his beautiful eyes and strikingly handsome face, even if it was now marked by a scar.
“Valentina, I only want to be with you. I want it so badly that I would try anything, do anything. I have never felt about anyone the way I feel about you. Love at first sight was always a myth to me, but I swear that’s what happened with us, at least for me. My panther doesn’t want anything to do with me if you’re not around, and I have to say I feel similarly toward him. We love you.”
Her heart stopped beating. She couldn’t breathe. No one had ever said those words to her in a romantic way before. None of her past lovers or boyfriends had ever declared that kind of feeling for her. The strangest thing was that she had never felt the need to declare it before now, either, but with Elijah saying it first, it was as if someone unlocked the door in her heart, and now she just wanted to scream it from the rooftop.
“I love you, too. We love you,” she said, adding the second part due to the purring jaguar within her.
“Can I kiss you?” he asked, his voice so achingly unsure that she wanted to grab him and plant the mother of all kisses on his lips, but this was a negotiation between their alpha halves. She didn’t feel the need to assert her dominance, so she was happy to let things progress as they would, which meant that she simply nodded at him.
Slowly, in
ch by inch, he pushed up toward her face. His strong warm hand cupped her head on one side, while the other hand sat on her knee. He hovered in front of her for just a moment before he brushed his lips against hers. She wanted to moan with relief at his kiss. The soft, sensual movements of his lips combined with his tongue sweeping into her mouth had her completely at his mercy. As their mouths moved against one another, his hand began to slide up her knee, and the urge to spread her legs for him was so strong that she had to stop kissing him so she could get herself under control.
“What happened?” The question was out of her mouth before she could stop it as her fingers ran down the line of the scar on his face.
“I was trying to track the doctor, and instead of finding him, I found some of his employees, all of whom were equipped with a silver blade coated in wolfsbane. One of them got a lucky shot in.”
“You couldn’t shift?” she asked, knowing that it would be healed by now if he had been treated properly or at least had shifted a few times.
“No. Shifting has been difficult for me recently, as if my animal didn’t want to come out.”
They both fell silent, taking in what he had just said. After a moment, Valentina asked quietly, “Do you want to go home?”
“To Woodhaven?”
Valentina nodded, biting her lower lip in anticipation.
“Only if I get to be alpha for a bit.”
She looked at him questioningly, unsure of his meaning, afraid that he was trying to do something she wouldn’t be okay with.
“I mean, I want to take you to bed.”
A smile broke over her face at that. “I would like that very much, but there is something we will need to take care of first.”
“Oh?” His brows drew together in confusion.
“We need to have a pack meeting and make sure everyone is okay with this. As much as I love you, I am duty bound to them, and I love them just as much. If they aren’t okay with us being together, then we will have to rethink things.
He sat back on his heels and took a deep breath. “Do you think they’ll say no?”