by W. H. Vega
She shook her head. It wasn’t easy. And she knew if she opened her mouth to speak, she might cry.
Really, now. She was an emotional train wreck!
“But I promise you, we’re a nice bunch. And there are plenty of men in this tribe who would be lucky to have you.”
Gabby studied Quentin, wondering if he would pursue her. He wasn’t wearing a wedding band, and his house had the empty feeling of a person who lived alone.
“Thanks,” Gabby said. “See you around.”
She left Quentin’s house and slowly began walking back to her temporary home.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Zane changed his clothes after coming home from work and took out a cold beer from the fridge. He headed out to his back patio, which faced the woods, and settled himself into a chair before twisting off the top.
It had been a long and strange week, and he was frustrated that he had made no progress with Gabby, though he didn’t know why he was still expecting her to forgive him. He had known from the moment he learned of this twist of fate that Gabby would not be able to ever look at him the same way again.
Michael had allowed Gabby to visit her sister two days ago, though Sam and Tommy had shadowed her for protection. Zane knew her sister, Lucy, was graduating from high school at the end of the week, and Michael had given Gabby permission to attend. He also had just lifted the ban on suitors, and now Gabby was considered an eligible female.
The thought of other shifters vying for her affection made his blood boil. He nearly crushed the bottle in his hands. His bear roared angrily and he felt the familiar ripple of his muscles begging for the release of the shift.
He took a deep breath, feeling the wave of hair wash across him and then recede. There was no reason to lose control out here on his back deck. What was done was done. He couldn’t change the past. He would just have to continue living with the biggest mistake he had ever made.
Frustrated, he took another swig of his beer. He leaned back in the chair, closed his eyes, and let his mind wander. Of course, his thoughts returned to Gabby, and he found it sickeningly ironic that she was now living under the same roof as his ex-fiancé. He knew Michael didn’t get caught up in petty matters, and that he had simply made a practical choice, but Zane couldn’t help but wonder if he could have picked a different place for Gabby to crash.
After a while, he wandered inside, finding some chicken and deciding to grill it, the only version of cooking that he did. He heard footsteps in the grass alongside his property, and he tensed; he wasn’t expecting anyone.
Michael came into view, looking tired. He hadn’t been at work today because he had been tying up the last loose ends of Liam’s death.
“Hey,” Zane said. “What are you doing out here?”
“Just thought I’d stop by.”
Michael wasn’t one to socialize.
“Really?”
“Well, I thought I’d stop by and discuss some work things since we didn’t catch up today.”
That’s what Zane had thought.
Zane nodded, flipping over a piece of chicken. “Want a beer? I’m grilling some chicken here, and I’ve got plenty.”
“Sure. I’ll take both.”
Zane went inside and came out with three more beers. He wanted another, and he figured that Michael might want two; he looked like hell.
Michael cracked one open, looking out into the woods. “This is a great backyard,” he commented.
Zane laughed. “Same view as everyone else.”
Michael smiled. “I guess so.”
“So what’s up?”
A long pause. “You know that the clan is free to pursue Gabby now?”
Zane narrowed his eyes. “How could I forget,” he growled.
“Sam was the first to approach her.”
Zane made an animalistic sound deep in his throat. His bear was ready to burst through. “He’s just a fucking kid!”
Michael shrugged. “He’s the same age as her,” he pointed out.
Zane found that hard to believe, but Michael was right. Gabby just seemed older.
Michael laughed. “She turned him down, though. Slammed the door right in his face. I believe her exact words were ‘I don’t date pricks that kidnapped me.’ ’’
Zane laughed in spite of himself; that sounded like her.
“Tommy isn’t even going to waste his time. Apparently, Gabby had some major issues with him since he was the one who had to restrain her in the van.”
Zane remembered as he flipped the chicken. He had been so angry at how Sam and Tommy had handled that situation, but now he smugly enjoyed how they had ruined their chances with her.
Good.
“And you?” Michael asked quietly. “Will you pursue her?”
Zane scoffed. “We’ve been through this. She made it perfectly clear that she wants nothing to do with me.”
Michael frowned. “But you two would be a good match.”
“Yeah, well in case you forgot, I killed her fucking father.”
“I didn’t forget,” Michael snapped. “In case you forgot, my father put his ass on the line for you.”
That immediately shut Zane up. He and Michael both knew that Michael’s father might have very well died because of his involvement in protecting Zane. “I’m sorry,” Zane apologized, “I’ll never forget what your father did for me.”
Michael nodded “It’s in the past. I just feel like you and Gabby would make a good match.”
“Yeah, well, those days are over.” Zane frowned. “I guess Mick is going to try, huh?”
Michael shook his head. “I told him not to even bother. I think he blew his chance last week.”
Zane smirked. Then another thought crossed his mind, and as much as he hated the thought, it seemed to be the best option, considering the choices.
“What about you?” Zane asked through gritted teeth. The thought of Michael and Gabby was nearly unbearable but at least he trusted and respected Michael.
Michael shook his head. “No,” he said firmly.
Zane was intrigued. “Why?”
Michael turned to look at him. “Because I can see how you feel about her. I wouldn’t do that to you.”
“Yeah, well, I’d rather you were with her than some other shithead,” Zane mumbled. He didn’t want Michael to go get all sappy on him—that was not their style.
Michael looked out over the grass. “I’m not sure if a mate is in the cards for me.”
“And why not?” Zane demanded. That was just plain stupid. Michael was the alpha, after all.
Michael shrugged. “No one has ever interested me. And I’m not crazy about going human.”
And by going human, he meant dating outside of the clan. Zane understood. It was best to date in the clan; to help strengthen their population, but Zane also knew it was slim pickings. The eligible shifters were going to be all over Gabby like flies on shit.
Zane thought he had it all figured out with Alicia. She was one of the clan, their babies would have been shifters – life seemed to be going great. And then, BAM. Grayson came out of nowhere and swept her off her fucking feet.
“Don’t think about that,” Michael said, and Zane rolled his eyes. Of course Michael could read his thoughts—they had been so damn strong. “You’re better off without her,” he added.
Zane shrugged. He went in and got two plates for the chicken. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.
“Thanks,” Michael said as they dug in.
“What about Quentin?” Zane asked. He didn’t like that either, but after Michael, Quentin was the next clan member he could probably tolerate the best.
“I thought about him too,” Michael explained, “but I think Quentin’s mind is elsewhere,” he said slowly.
“Huh? Who?”
“I don’t know if I should say, and it’s just what I’ve picked up. He hasn’t said anything.”
Zane knew Michael never talked about others, so he was surprise
d that Michael was even mentioning it at all.
“I think he’s interested in Gabby’s sister.”
“What? Lucy? She’s just a kid!”
“Well, she’s an adult, technically. And like I said, it’s just a feeling I picked up on.” He shot Zane a deadly look. “Don’t say a damn thing.”
“Sure, sure. Alright, got it.” He tried to imagine Quentin and Lucy. It was too damn weird.
He sighed. He wasn’t going to enjoy watching Gabby be pursued by the clan. Sometimes life just fucking sucked.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Gabby cracked one eye open and sighed. The sun was up, which meant another day in her new life. She yawned and sat up, heaving her legs over the side of the bed.
The funny thing was that she was the most upset about her job. Of course, she hadn’t wanted that job forever, but it had been a good job, and Paul had been a decent boss, and she relished being able to support herself.
She craved the privacy of her own place and the responsibility and empowerment of taking care of herself. She didn’t want anyone’s handouts; she could pay her own bills just fine, thank you very much.
And as great and accommodating as Alicia was, living in her house was getting old. So, what? She was just supposed to hurry up and pick some shifter to marry and start a life with? The whole thing made her blood boil until she remembered that she had an X on her back and that a bunch of bears were just waiting to rip her into shreds.
She shrank back on the bed and moaned.
Her life was out of control.
At least she was still able to see Lucy. Otherwise, she might truly lose her mind. Things had happened so quickly that she had whiplash. And yet, something about the Virtus clan gave her a sense of community that she had never known. Thanks to her mother’s drinking problem, she had been used to being ostracized and on the fringe of Russet Falls. Now, she was starting to feel like a real member of a group.
Though she would never admit that. She still was pissed beyond belief.
Her stomach growled and she made her way to the kitchen to find some breakfast. She wasn’t sure what Alicia did exactly, but she knew it involved some kind of finance management for the clan. She usually worked out of a small office just off the kitchen, but some days she went into the park office, which Gabby had learned was actually the main hub for the Virtus clan. That alone probably pissed off the other bear clans. They were all scraping by in little cabins and then the Virtus had this sprawling mansion.
It seemed that Alicia was gone, so Gabby took her time, enjoying having the house to herself even though she felt lazy as hell not having a job. In a week’s time she had already spent countless hours walking the clan lands. She had learned where lots of people lived, and many went out of their way to introduce themselves to her. It was bizarre how much respect they treated her with.
After breakfast she showered and dressed and decided she would see if she could find a way to get to the park office to talk to Michael. She was not just going to sit on her ass day after day while idiots came over to introduce themselves. And that was the other thing—what if she didn’t meet anyone? Then what happened?
She was just about to leave when there was a knock at the door. She pulled it open to find herself face to face with a man she had never seen before. He had the large, broad build that the shifters had, but there was something slightly feral about him.
It made Gabby uneasy.
“Hi,” she said slowly, “Can I help you?”
“You must be Gabby,” he said in a deep drawl. “I’m Drake.”
Gabby stared at him, her hand still on the doorknob. “Okay. Can I help you?”
He chuckled, yet it was off. “I’m a suitor,” he explained.
Gabby shifted from one foot to the other. According to Michael, the men weren’t supposed to drop by unless it was the afternoon or evening. And didn’t they all work during the day?
“Oh, okay,” she said, trying to keep her voice bright, though she wanted to slam the door in his face. His eyes were an inky black and his slicked back hair was nearly as dark. Something about him reminded Gabby of a slimy car salesman. “I believe you aren’t supposed to drop by until the afternoon or evening.” She gave him a small smile and tried to shrug. “Michael’s rules.”
“Yes, well, I do recall that now, but I didn’t think it would be a big deal. I mean, we’re technically supposed to just chat on the porch.”
Gabby glanced uneasily out at the porch. Damn Alicia! Of all the stupid mornings she wasn’t home. What was Gabby supposed to say?
“You know, I’m new to all of this and really don’t know how it all works, so I think I’ll just stick to the rules.” She started to close the door. “Thanks for coming back later.’’
But Drake reached out caught the door before she closed it. “Really now,” he drawled, “You can’t give me five minutes of your time on the porch?”
Gabby wanted to snap that he wouldn’t get beyond the porch talk—no way in hell would she accept a date from him. But instead she sighed exasperatedly. “Fine. Five minutes. And then I need to be somewhere.”
Which wasn’t entirely true.
“Excellent.” He strode across the porch and sat down in one of Alicia’s rocking chairs and Gabby sat next to him.
“I know this must seem very strange to you,” Drake began.
“Oh, you have no idea.” She already didn’t like the way Drake was looking at her, and she was angry with herself for not sticking to her guns and closing the door on him.
“Alright,” he said slowly when he saw that Gabby wasn’t going to offer any more information. “I’ll tell you a little bit about myself. I come from a long line of shifters. I do some odds and ends jobs for the clan. And I should probably add that Michael, Sam and Tommy are my cousins.”
This, Gabby found interesting. She couldn’t quite picture Drake being related to the others.
He leaned in close, a little too close. “Tell me about yourself?”
“Well,” she began, leaning back and away from him. “I think pretty much everyone knows my story. I was just your regular, average girl until I found out my father had lied to my family and was a shifter. And the other clans want to kill me for my blood, so I’m pretty much stuck here for the rest of my life.”
“So, so sad,” Drake whispered, reaching out to stroke her thigh.
Gabby jumped up. “And we’re finished!” she exclaimed, turning bright red. “I’m not sure which part of this you don’t understand—whether it’s showing up when you’re supposed to, or keeping your damn hands to yourself, but we’re finished.”
Drake stood up slowly, his eyes darkening. “I take it you aren’t inviting me back a second time?”
“You are correct,’’ she snapped. “Now if you’ll excuse me.” She hurried back towards the door, but she felt an arm on her shoulder, and Drake spun her around.
“Don’t touch me!” she cried, whirling around. If this was what the tribe had to offer her, then she was going to be screwed!
Suddenly she heard pounding footsteps and she looked up to see Zane rushing up the porch.
Oh, holy Hell.
“What is going on here?” Zane demanded, jumping between Gabby and Drake, and starting to push Drake back.
“Whoa, second,” Drake snarled, saying “second” as if it was a piece of dirt stuck to the bottom of his shoe. “I don’t think your services are needed here.”
Gabby took a step back, despising Zane, but also secretly grateful that he had shown up.
“Do you want him here?” Zane asked, turning back to Gabby. Oh, his eyes! They were filled with so much yearning, regret and lust.
Gabby couldn’t speak; she simply shook her head.
“Alright, Drake, I think she’s made it pretty clear. Time for you to leave.”
“You are nothing but Michael’s lap dog!” he spat. “A pathetic puppy, following Michael around and jumping whenever he calls your name!”
“Fuc
k you. You’re just pissed off that you aren’t involved.”
“I could care less,” Drake hissed.
“Whatever you say. You’re a damn parasite. Now get lost,” Zane growled. Drake stepped menacingly towards him, but then turned around and left. Gabby watched him head down the front lawn and then start down the street.
“He’s nothing but power hungry,” Zane said. “We always have to watch him. I knew he’d be here sooner or later wanting a piece of you.”
“Well, I appreciate your help,” Gabby said tightly, though she felt shaken, “but I’m fine now.”
“Wait. I need to speak to Alicia,” he said, those his eyes implied that he wanted to speak to her, too.
“She’s not home. I’ll tell her you stopped by.” She moved inside, going to shut the door. If she didn’t close the door soon, she might get sucked back into the vortex that was Zane.
“Gabby, wait,” he said, stopping the door.
What the hell was going on? He was the second man this morning to block her from shutting the door.
“What?” she demanded, “I thought I made it perfectly clear how I felt about you.” And though her voice was strong, her pulse quickened, and her heart beat erratically. Damn her hormones! She did not want to feel this way about him!
“Yes, you made it perfectly clear! But tell me—have you found a suitable mate?”
“That’s none of your business.” She was not giving him the satisfaction of knowing that every idiot imaginable had come calling.
She went to close the door again, but Zane was too strong. He pushed it open, swooping in and pulling her into his arms before kissing her hard.
“No, Zane!” She tried to push back, but he was too powerful for her. His tantalizing scent washed over her as his strong muscles wrapped around her, and she knew she was fighting a losing battle. While her heart and mind screamed no, her body was panting YES, YES, YES.
She pushed feebly against his chest one more time and then gave up, telling herself that she could make out with him and it would mean nothing. She would think of nothing else but his warm tongue sliding into her desperate mouth.