He sauntered down the street, ignoring the people who quickly got out of his way. He found what he was looking for a few blocks away. Pulling open the door, he stepped into the small thrift shop. An older woman with graying hair was manning the place. He nodded at her as he scanned the room.
“Can I help you find anything?” Her voice was raspy. Too many years of cigarettes if his nose was correct.
“T-shirts.” He nodded again when she pointed to a rack near the back. He kept one eye on the door as he flipped through the clothing on the rack. Pulling out a chocolate brown shirt in his size, he headed back to the front of the shop. He stopped by another rack long enough to grab a faded denim shirt. Depositing them both on the counter, he waited while she rang up the total. Digging into his pocket, he pulled out enough money to cover it. The whole transaction had taken about two minutes and he was back on the street again, bag in hand.
He resumed his stroll down the sidewalk, not walking too fast or too slow, but melding with the flow of foot traffic around him. His eyes were never still, always scanning. A smile touched his lips when he found exactly what he was looking for.
Stepping into a busy restaurant, James took a deep breath. Coffee. The half of a muffin he’d eaten this morning seemed like it was days ago. He was starving. First things first, though. He kept his head down as he headed toward the restrooms at the back.
Once inside, he took his new clothing out of the bag and laid it on the edge of the sink. He stripped off his ripped shirt and stuffed it deep into the garbage before shaking out his new T-shirt and pulling it on. Then he tugged the denim shirt on over it. He reached around to the small of his back and withdrew the gun he’d secreted there. Checking it, he returned it to its place. The metal was warm and reassuring. He was just grateful that his original shirt had been baggy enough to hide the slight bulge at his back. The denim shirt gave him better coverage.
He stuffed the bag into the garbage and left the restroom. Ambling back out to the dining area, he found a quiet table in the corner. He was barely seated when a waitress hurried up with a pot of coffee in one hand and a menu in the other. He scanned the menu and ordered while she filled his mug. When she left he allowed himself to close his eyes for a moment.
Alex. Where was she? He had no idea where his little girl was. He could only hope that her own skills combined with young Striker would be enough to get them both out of the city safe and alive. His job was to get out of the city undetected and meet them at Wolf Creek. He wanted to get there ahead of them so that he could be beside Alex when she met the rest of the pack.
But first he had to clean up the mess back at the garage and get some transportation. He opened the menu, scanned it and quickly made his choice. He’d have breakfast first. Hopefully by that time their pursuers would have abandoned the area, believing they’d all run.
If there were any of them left waiting. Well, that was too bad for them. He wasn’t feeling real tolerant this morning. They’d have to take their chances. He could feel his entire body start to vibrate and took a deep breath to calm himself, conjuring up what he hoped passed for a smile when the waitress returned to take his order.
Chapter Six
Joshua felt like driving his fist through the nearest wall. He still wasn’t quite certain where things had gone wrong. One minute Alex had been soft and warm in his arms, the scent of her release filling his nostrils and making his head spin, the next she’d been angry and, if he wasn’t mistaken, hurt. He normally didn’t care about other people’s feelings. His position as Striker didn’t allow for such things. But everything was different with Alex.
Her shoulders were rigid as she marched ahead of him. She pushed open the door of the restaurant and stepped out onto the sidewalk. He followed close behind. Just because she was upset with him didn’t mean he’d allow her to take chances with her safety. They couldn’t forget for even a second that they were being hunted. They’d gotten lucky the first time around. Next time their pursuers would probably be more skilled.
She didn’t even look back to see if he was following her. His lips twitched in spite of his worry. She certainly was a sight when she was worked up over something. Her silvery gray eyes had practically singed his skin when she’d glared at him back in the restroom. Right now he was admiring the sway of her lush bottom as she strode down the sidewalk. It was a perfect handful.
He shook his head, amazed by her sheer stubbornness. He didn’t have time to see how long she could go without acknowledging his presence. They had to get moving out of the city.
Quickening his pace until he was alongside her, he gave her a sidelong glance. She ignored him totally, even going so far as to look the other way, pretending great interest in the stores on the other side of the street.
“I know you’re angry with me, Alex, but there’s no time for that now.” He scanned the area ahead of them before looking over his shoulder, searching for anyone who seemed to be out of place. His preternatural senses weren’t much help in the crowded city. With so many sounds and smells bombarding him it was hard to distinguish any one in particular. Still, he tried. Alex’s safety might depend on that small advantage.
“You have no idea,” she muttered as she picked up her pace. People got out of her way as her long legs continued to eat up the sidewalk.
He let her go for two blocks and finally got tired of her ignoring him. Wrapping his hand around her upper arm, he tugged her into a narrow alleyway between two buildings. His senses told him that it was empty, if you didn’t count the dumpster at the end with several rats poking around.
She glared at him as she tried to pull her arm from his grasp. His fingers tightened. He wasn’t letting her go until she listened to him.
“Oh, right. If you can’t get your own way, you’ll manhandle me.” She dug in her feet as he practically dragged her halfway down the alleyway. Her coat fell from her hands as she ducked beneath his arm and twisted so he was forced to either release her or risk hurting her.
Growling, he let go of her arm and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “What do you want from me? Whatever I did, I never intended to make you angry or hurt you.” The city still marched on around them, everyone going about their business. Horns blew and the murmur of the crowd was thick in the distance. But here in the alley there was only the two of them.
“That’s what makes it worse.” Crossing her arms across her chest, she rubbed the spot where he’d gripped her. “It obviously didn’t mean anything to you at all.”
Not mean anything to him! Not mean anything to him! Did she have any idea just how hard it was for him to even suggest that she meet the other eligible males of the pack when every instinct he possessed was screaming at him to strip her naked, mount her from behind and mark her as his?
His woman. His mate.
“Maybe I will meet those other males and pick someone else,” she muttered as she turned away from him.
It was the last straw.
Pouncing, he grabbed her by the shoulders and jerked her around. Whatever she was about to say died on her lips as she got a good look at his face. He moved forward, backing her up against the concrete wall. Capturing her hands in one of his, he raised them over her head. She started to struggle so he shifted his larger body closer to her, using his full weight to trap her.
“Don’t you dare say that it didn’t mean anything to me.” His voice was low and guttural, a mixture of anger and arousal. “What you gave me was a gift. To watch you come, to smell the sweet scent of your cream, to see the ecstasy on your face was a present beyond price. Don’t you dare say that it didn’t mean anything.”
She blinked slowly, her long brown lashes fanning across her cheeks, making her eyes disappear for the briefest of seconds. Damn, she was beautiful, her skin pale and smooth. He reached up with his free hand and traced his fingers over her cheek. The color of her eyes seemed to deepen. Her eyes fascinated him. They were so expressive, so alive.
“I don’t unders
tand.” She had ceased to fight him, instead staring at him in obvious confusion.
“I know you don’t, Alex. I know this is all new to you. That you don’t understand our ways.” Joshua lowered his head until their foreheads were touching. “First and foremost, my job is to protect you. Nothing else is more important than that. I can’t relax my guard unless I know we’re safe. To do anything else would be a dereliction of duty.
“I gave my oath to my alpha that I would bring you back safely. Anything less is unacceptable.” He paused and lifted his head. “Besides which, I promised your father I’d look after you. I don’t think it’s wise to break a pledge to James LeVeau. He’d make a steadfast friend but a relentless enemy.”
Alex made a small sound of agreement, but said nothing. The mounds of her breasts were pressed against his chest and he could feel their hard nubs through both their layers of clothing. She shifted slightly, her thighs rubbing against his. His shaft swelled and he leaned inward, pressing his pelvis against hers.
“See, this is what I’m talking about, Alex. All I have to do is touch you. Smell you. Hell, all I have to do is see you and I’m hard. But it’s not safe here. Nor is it fair to you.”
Joshua let out a long, low breath and prayed that what he was about to say didn’t get her all worked up and angry with him again. He liked her this way, all soft and supple as she tried to wiggle even closer to him.
He tried not to read too much into her actions, knowing that it might just be the flood of unfamiliar hormones surging through her body, coupled with the adrenaline rush from the danger and their proximity. She had no idea just how potent those hormones and instincts were. But he did. And right now they were urging her to mate with a male of her species and, at this moment, he was the only one available.
“Alex,” he began, softening his voice. “You’re experiencing emotions and urges you’ve never felt before and unfortunately you don’t have the luxury of time to deal with them. I don’t want you to end up doing something you might regret.” Not to mention that an alleyway where anyone could walk in on them at any second was not the place to be doing anything. The restroom was bad enough.
He swallowed back a groan as she rubbed her mound against the front of his jeans. Even through the thick fabric, he could feel her heat. He tried to remember what it was he’d been saying. He searched his mind and found the lost thread of the conversation.
“You might feel differently when you meet some of the other males.” The last came out on a growl. Just the thought of another male touching her, feeling her heat, made him want to lash out. But he had to be fair to her. He was a tough, unfeeling bastard. A sanctioned killer. She deserved better.
“And you don’t like that idea at all, do you?” She traced her tongue along her bottom lip, teasing him.
“Fuck no, I don’t like it. But it’s what I have to do. It’s fair to you and it’s fair to the other unmated males of the pack.” He didn’t even mention that if he claimed her before he brought her to the Wolf Creek pack that he’d have to fight to keep her.
Going up on her tiptoes, she kissed his chin. Her lips were soft and he knew just how damned good they tasted. He lowered his head just a fraction and she took advantage of it, melding her mouth to his.
Who knew? Alex was reeling from Joshua’s confession. She didn’t think he had any idea just how much he’d revealed to her. Or maybe he did. He refused her, not because he didn’t want her, but because he was being honorable.
She’d never met another man who would turn away from a woman who offered sex out of a sense of honor. Most men would take what was offered and then run. But not Joshua. She suspected this wasn’t necessarily a code among werewolves either. She had a feeling that this was the core of the man in front of her.
It made her want him even more.
Deep in her heart, she knew it didn’t matter how many other males she met. She’d never meet another one she wanted the way she did Joshua Striker. There was something about him that drew her, made her want to be with him. Only him.
It might sound corny, but she wanted to be the one he came to for comfort at the end of a long, hard day. She was under no misconceptions of what his position in the pack forced him to do. She wanted to be able to share his burdens with him, ease them.
She also knew he wasn’t ready to hear that yet, wouldn’t accept it no matter what she did.
He’d explain it away as hormones or adrenaline or some other foolishness. Alex knew better. She’d always known her own mind and right now both her heart and mind were screaming that he belonged to her.
The anger in his voice when he talked about her meeting other males actually reassured her. Now that she knew he was as emotionally involved, that he did care, all her previous anger melted away.
In a way it was even kind of sweet. He’d given her great pleasure, not taking any for himself, because that was his way of protecting her against himself, against her raging hormones. And because he’d pledged to protect her, he would at all costs, even if that meant protecting her from him.
She’d just have to convince him differently. And she’d already made a good start. When she’d touched her lips to his he’d responded immediately.
She savored the low groan that rose from deep in his chest as she slid her tongue into his mouth. His pelvis was hard against hers, his cock pressed snug against her sex. Her breasts ached, their tips swollen. God, she couldn’t believe she was so hot and primed for orgasm again. Logically, she knew that part of it was hormones, but she knew that just as much had to do with the man in front of her.
He held her hands high above her head, keeping them pinned to the rough brick wall with one hand. His strength was incredible. It was also a complete turn-on, which surprised her. She’d never been the type to be impressed with muscles. She wasn’t exactly weak herself and it was hard for any guy to live up to the standard set by her father. But Joshua oozed power even when he was standing still. It was an incredible aphrodisiac.
His tongue twined with hers. It was a slow, unhurried dance that made her entire body hum with pleasure. The man certainly did know how to kiss. He angled his head, deepening the pressure, taking his time as if there was nothing else he’d rather do but spend all day just kissing her.
Come to think of it, she wouldn’t mind that at all. She could probably come with him doing nothing else but touching his mouth to hers, his tongue to hers. Her inner core pulsed and she could feel herself creaming her panties. Again.
Joshua eased back, the motion pushing his hips tighter against hers. They both groaned and he gave a muffled laugh. “See what I mean. It’s too dangerous for me to touch you, Alex.” His fingers flexed around her wrists before he reluctantly released her.
She lowered her arms, slipping them around his shoulders, feeling him tense as she stroked the back of his neck. “You live for danger,” she teased.
“Ah, Alex. What am I going to do with you?” His eyes were so dark and soft they appeared almost liquid. His lashes were long and thick. On any other man they might have looked feminine. With Joshua, they only accentuated his masculinity, making the harsh angles of his face appear even sharper.
She could lose herself in those eyes. She could also think of a few things she’d like him to do, but she knew now wasn’t the time. Already, she sensed his retreat from her. She was beginning to understand the man beneath the hard exterior, beginning to see what drove him, what motivated him. Even as it frustrated her, it made him even more desirable. She not only understood, but also admired his commitment to duty, his loyalty to his pack.
He took a step back, all softness fading from his expression, his face returning to its normal harsh lines. “We have to keep moving. We have less than two days to meet your father at Wolf Creek and we’ll probably need every moment of it.”
So much had happened this morning. It was too easy to just want to lose herself in Joshua, to forget the danger they were in, the danger her father was in. That wouldn’t do any of
them any good.
From now on she’d focus on the journey ahead, doing whatever she could to help them get to their destination alive and in one piece. Once they were there, all bets were off. In the meantime, she’d use the opportunity to learn everything she could about Joshua, his family and the Wolf Creek pack.
Her stomach churned. She still wasn’t quite ready to face the whole werewolf thing. It was easy to accept it in Joshua, as she’d never known him as anything else. It was difficult to wrap her head around the fact that not only was her father one too, but she was as well. Or rather she was a half-breed.
He was watching her, gauging her reaction. She straightened her shoulders and offered him a tight smile. Reality had just descended again with a huge thud. It was time to go. “I’m ready.”
He hesitated as if he wanted to say something further. Alex waited, but he said nothing, just continued to search her face. She wasn’t quite sure what he was looking for or if he even found it, but he finally looked away, glancing toward the top of the alleyway. “I’ve got a vehicle stashed on the edge of town. All we’ve got to do is get there without anyone finding us first.”
“Okay.” She finger-combed her hair and straightened her sweatshirt before leaning down to snag her leather jacket from the ground. Thankfully it hadn’t fallen into anything disgusting and she was able to just brush off the dirt before slinging it back over her shoulder. It was only now that she began to notice the questionable smells permeating the alley. She wrinkled her nose and tried not to breathe too deeply.
Joshua was still watching her as if he wasn’t quite certain of her mood. He’d have to live with it. She couldn’t exactly explain it to him. She wasn’t quite sure of everything she was feeling at the moment. They’d have time to talk later. At some point they’d have to stop and rest.
“Stay close,” he ordered as he led the way back to the top of the alley. With a quick glance in both directions, he turned, stepped out and headed down the sidewalk.
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