Thank goodness Laney had helped her arrange everything. Cassie had a place to stay in the old apartment building where Laney had lived when she’d been here. Her old neighbor had even agreed to collect Cassie from the bus stop and drive her there.
“Need some help?”
“Eek,” Cassie cried out, dropping the suitcase right on her toes. Jumping, tears welled in her eyes as she glowered at the man who had scared the living daylights out of her.
And was struck by the absolute beauty of him. Thick, blond hair rested around his head in waves of sparkling gold and creamy white. His hair was a shocking contrast to his eyes, which were a dark blue, almost bordering on black. His face was simply perfect, with high cheekbones, an aristocratic nose and a firm, strong jaw.
It almost hurt to look at him. There was something unworldly about him, his looks almost too perfect to be real.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Even his voice was striking—silken and scary.
“N-not a problem,” she stuttered, stepping away from him a little as he bent and picked up her suitcase.
“Where are you heading?”
“Umm, please give me my bag.” She grasped for the case only to have the bag move up out of her reach. A small gesture that fired her temper, enabling her to break free of the spell he’d woven over her.
“Listen, mister—”
“Please, call me Brynn.”
“I don’t need any help.”
“I would be happy to escort you wherever you need to go.”
Old-fashioned was the word that came to mind. Old manners, old charm…infinite danger. The look in his eyes said it all. He was smiling, but his eyes were sharp, hard. They moved constantly, searching, as though he were expecting trouble.
He took her hand and she jolted back, staring up at him in shock. His skin was freezing. He touched her as though he expected her to go with him, to trust him. There was something strange in the way he looked at her, almost as though he knew her.
She wasn’t about to go anywhere with this man.
She glanced over her shoulder as a Jeep turned into the parking lot, watching as a man waved at her from within.
“Cassie! It is Cassie, right? I’m Josh.”
“Josh, hi.” Cassie let out a relieved breath. She moved toward him and shook the hand he held out, never happier to see anyone in her life. Turning back, she opened her mouth to dismiss Brynn and was startled to see he’d already left.
“Josh, did you see where that guy went?”
Josh frowned, looking around, his serious look at odds with his almost boyishly enthusiastic face. “What guy?”
Cassie looked at him in confusion. “He was just standing here. You didn’t see him?”
“I didn’t see him. Was he hassling you?” Josh seemed ready to take off after the mystery man.
“No, he wasn’t hassling me. He was…well…different. Said his name was Brynn. He was tall, blond, do you know him?” she asked.
Josh shook his head. “No, probably a visitor passing through. I grew up here. It’s a small town, so I pretty much know everyone. I’ll ask around, though. You let me know if you see him again, you hear?”
She nodded, smiling, yet she knew she wouldn’t call him. Something told her Brynn could easily take him and she didn’t wish any harm on Josh. As he drove her to her new apartment and helped her settle in, she wondered why she couldn’t fall for a man like him—a nice guy, cute, thoughtful, with a steady, normal job. Normal would be kind of nice. She sighed… Except she wasn’t after nice. She wanted hot, riveting, mind-blowing.
A shiver rocked her body as she thought about Brynn. Now there was a man who she definitely shouldn’t go near. He had trouble written all over him.
* * * * *
“Where the hell is she?” Nearly a week after the explosion, Jay paced the living room of his sister’s house, fury rolling through his body.
She’d run from him. Part of him understood why—she thought he’d chosen Dusty. He’d tried calling her to explain, but she never answered or returned his calls.
“She left a few days ago, Jay. She needed a break and frankly I think she’s safer away from us right now. At least until we find out who set that bomb,” Laney replied.
Jay cursed himself for not coming home earlier. He’d fully intended to, but fate had worked against him. First Dusty had taken a turn for the worse. Then once she’d stabilized, Cooper had decided to return home with him, causing more delays.
“It’s got to be HAW,” Ryan theorized. Marcus nodded.
“It’s odd, though. Why bomb the shop? Why make such a declaration of war against us? They have to know we’ll retaliate when we find proof that they’re behind this.” Marcus was frowning.
“I want that proof, and soon,” Cooper demanded. “They tried to kill my mate, and it isn’t the first time they’ve struck at her. They’re probably behind the rattlesnake in Laney’s car, the hate letters.”
“Why me?” Laney asked.
“Because they’re using you to get to me,” Cooper stated. “They kill you, they hurt me and it weakens the pack.”
Josiah leaned back against his seat. “If only everything hadn’t burned to ashes.”
Jay tried to concentrate on the conversation around him, but found it difficult to focus. His mind was too full with thoughts of Cassie.
He stalked over to where Laney sat. “Where. Is. She?” he snarled, looming over her. Immediately, he was dragged back and slammed into a wall. Laney’s yell of protest barely registered as his Alpha’s face appeared before him, Cooper’s power forcing Jay to back down.
“Do not talk to her that way.” Cooper’s fury was a tangible, living beast in the room. Jay nodded, hardly able to breathe with Cooper’s arm slammed against his neck. Cooper let him go, backing up, turning to Laney, who was tugging on his arm.
“Jay! Are you okay?” Laney peered around Cooper’s body, staring at him in concern. She attempted to get past her mate, who obviously didn’t want her anywhere near Jay.
“I’m fine, squirt.” He was stunned by his behavior.
“God damn it, Cooper, let me past. There was no reason to go all Alpha on him. He’s my brother.”
“Stay where you are,” Cooper ordered her. “And brother or no, no one talks to you that way.”
“He’s right,” Jay admitted, ashamed of himself.
“This so isn’t like you.” Laney was still staring at him in concern.
“I must find her, Laney. I need make sure she’s safe, to explain.”
Laney frowned, glancing up at Cooper, who stared down at her. Jay knew they were communicating through their mate bond.
Then Laney sighed. “She’s in Addison. She’s staying in my old apartment. Last time I talked to her, Ella had gotten her a job at Fat Eddy’s.”
Jay stared at Cooper who nodded, his face still stern. “Go.”
It was all the prompting Jay required.
Chapter Five
Snip. Snip.
Cassie squeezed her eyes tight, afraid to look.
Snip. Snip. Snip.
“Oh hell. Oh hell. Oh hell.”
“Stop your mumbling. If you’re going to swear, just swear out loud like everyone else.”
Cassie squeezed her lips shut, unaware she’d been speaking aloud. She’d made a pact with herself to be braver, bolder, to step out of her comfort zone. This was the first step. She couldn’t back out now, even if she wanted to.
“Anyway, you’ll be swearing for joy when you see what I’ve done,” Ella promised.
Cassie wasn’t so sure.
Snip. Snip. Snip.
“There, all done, time to look. You ready?”
For the past hour, Ella had been dying, plucking and cutting bits of hair off Cassie. She hadn’t peeked once, too scared of the end result.
It didn’t matter what crazy hairdo Ella gave herself—and at the moment her hair was a lavender-gray color styled into a Marilyn Monroe hairdo—she always lo
oked fantastic. With those cheekbones, her startling emerald eyes, sleek body and innate grace, she could have worn sackcloth and shaved off all her hair and she still would have been beautiful.
And Cassie sooo wasn’t ready to look.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, awed when she saw the woman sitting before her. The change wasn’t a transformation from beast to beauty. Ella wasn’t a magician. But what she had done was as close to a miracle as Cassie was ever going to get.
Eyebrows arched and finely plucked framed her eyes, making them appear larger and more dramatic. Her lashes had gone from lackluster and short to long and decadent. Some lightly applied makeup had brightened her eyes and made her lips appear plump and darker.
But her hair was the true delight. The cut was short, extremely short. She’d always hidden herself behind long hair and baggy clothes. Now her hair was about an inch and a half long, her bangs choppy. Blonde highlights glistened in the light.
“I love it.”
“Of course, I am a genius after all.”
Cassie smiled. There was nothing modest about Ella. “You definitely are.”
“Ready to party?”
Cassie took a deep breath and stood. “You bet.”
* * * * *
Someone was watching her and it wasn’t just the guys at the table in the corner—although they were doing plenty of gawking. Cassie figured they were mainly staring at Ella, who was dressed to catch attention with a formfitting little blue dress and four-inch heels. Cassie had chosen to wear tight jeans, high boots and a small top that fit tightly over her breasts then fell loosely about her stomach.
Just standing next to Ella meant she was getting plenty of looks. After years of keeping herself hidden away, it felt odd and a little frightening to put herself on display like this. But she was going to embrace her new life. She was going to put herself out there, even if that meant risking rejection.
She’d had the eerie feeling off and on all week that someone was watching her, following her. Sighing, she peered around but couldn’t see anyone looking her way. Shrugging, she decided she was probably being silly.
“Come on, Cass, let’s boogie.” Cassie barely managed to set her glass down before Ella had her on the dance floor. Determined not to worry about her two left feet or what people thought of her, she forced herself to relax and sway to the music. No one knew her. She could be whoever she made herself into.
She was tired of being reserved, quiet Cassie. She had a new home and new friends, as well as a new job waitressing at Fat Eddy’s. This was a new life and she was determined to enjoy it.
Someone bumped into her from behind, causing her to jump. She attempted to relax as she recognized one of the guys from the corner table. They were cute in a rough sort of way, the four of them gathering around the two girls, dancing to the beat of the music.
Cassie tried to lose herself in the moment, but with the men surrounding her, she felt hemmed in, suffocated. Each time the man behind her touched her, her skin crawled. She didn’t like having strangers touching her, wasn’t used to such attention from the opposite sex and soon found herself overwhelmed.
“I think I’ll go sit down,” she yelled over at Ella, trying to move away. But the guy behind her grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back against his chest.
He watched her dance. She’d changed her hair. Thankfully she’d chosen a less radical style than her companion. She’d also ditched the baggy clothes for something more fitting and flattering.
He’d been following her secretly for days. He shouldn’t have spoken to her on her first day here. That had been foolish, had put her on edge. But he’d been eager to meet her. He’d longed to introduce himself, to tell her everything. But he couldn’t, not yet, not until he was sure she could handle his secrets. Their secrets.
Drawing the shadows around him, he made certain he was well hidden as he felt the werewolf enter. This one was banked fire and simmering, possessive ire—and all of that emotion was focused on her.
But there was no violence aimed her way. Not that he would let the wolf hurt her, anyway. He hadn’t spent weeks tracking her down to let anything happen to her now. He’d watch, he’d wait, and if she needed his protection, then he’d make himself known.
Fury overtook him—a thin, red curtain of rage filming across his eyes. He’d never felt so volatile. The only thing stopping his rage from erupting was the fact that she was slowly edging away from the other man’s touch, trying to avoid him.
His leash on the wolf was wearing away and the beast had no doubts about what they should do.
Take her. Claim her. She was theirs.
Mate, the wolf growled, our mate.
She was sweet, sinful temptation. He could understand why the men flocked to her. The short hairdo gave her a pixie-like look. With her hair off her face, everyone had a clear view of her smooth, lightly tanned skin. Without the baggy, ill-fitting clothes they could stare at and lust after the lush, full curves of his woman.
Growling softly, he strode onto the dance floor, prepared to take back what was his.
She never heard him, didn’t even feel him until the man behind her let out a loud grunt and was suddenly replaced by an entirely different, hard, swaying body. When he dragged her up against him, his hips moving in time to the beat, his strong body sheltering hers, she didn’t protest. She couldn’t. The feel of him stole her breath, chasing away every thought, replacing them with throbbing, liquid desire.
Cassie swayed against him as the scent of amberwood surrounded her. Closing her eyes, she felt his right arm rise, clasping her beneath her breasts, the sensitive undersides brushing against his muscular forearm. His free hand covered the front of her mound. She had to bite her lip to hold in a whimper as her clit throbbed in reaction.
Firm lips brushed her neck and her head rolled to the side of its own accord, allowing him more access. Her body was no longer her own as he surrounded her in his erotic, sensual power.
Fire.
Tingling awareness.
Pain.
She gasped as he bit down on her neck, the very spot he’d been licking. Not even her breath was hers as she tried to protest, to cry out—he’d stolen it all. A quiet whimper was all she managed as her knees weakened. The only thing now holding her upright was his arm—an unmovable, unbreakable bond.
The throbbing from his bite eased and sweet bliss melted through her bones. She fought to find herself once again, for control over her body. Pushing at his arms, she attempted to turn.
But he wouldn’t let her go.
Glancing back into his face, she saw he wasn’t paying her any attention. Instead, he was glaring at every other man in the bar, daring them to challenge him.
Like a man possessed.
Or a man in possession.
The sliver of sanity she still retained urged her to protest. But the feminine, aching part simply craved him. Now. He was here, and by the feel of the hard cock nestled against her lower back, he wanted her. Why shouldn’t she take what she wanted? Use him to ease the throbbing ache?
Eyes slumberous, she gazed at the other dancers, seeing them creep back steadily, intimidated by the sheer power and menace of the man behind her.
Then she saw no one else as he picked her up and carried her from the dance floor. She dug her face into his chest, her arms resting around his shoulders.
“I told you not to run from me.”
She shivered at the soft growl.
Suddenly he came to a stop, stiffening. She stirred, intending to tell him to let her walk.
But the words never quite got past her lips. Which could have been because they were too busy kissing his solid, sleek chest.
“Let me talk to her,” Ella demanded.
“Get out of my way.” Anyone else would have scrambled away from that quiet menace. Not Ella.
“No. That’s my friend you’re holding there. I don’t know you, but you look like you’re one scary motherfucker. I have to talk to her.�
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“Does it look like I’m hurting her? Stealing her away against her will?” The slight snarl she heard in his voice threw her back into a state of semi-awareness.
“Jay, she’s my friend,” she protested.
“Shh, Cassie.” He laid a light kiss on her forehead. “You must be Ella. I’m Jay, Laney’s brother.”
“I need to hear from Cassie that she wants to leave with you.”
“It’s admirable of you to try to protect her, but I would die before hurting her.”
“It’s true, Ella, he wouldn’t hurt me.”
“Not physically,” Ella remarked. “But I know he’s already hurt you emotionally.”
“I can assure you, I feel every bit of her hurt and I’m going to make damn sure that I never hurt her again.”
Cassie reached her hand out and touched Ella. “Everything’s okay, Ella, I promise.”
Ella sniffed. “Well, just so you know, I won’t pick up the pieces if he hurts you.”
Cassie smiled. “Yeah, you will.”
Ella turned away with a disgruntled grunt, but Cassie still heard her as she strode away.
“Yeah, I will.”
* * * * *
“I won’t hurt you, Cassie. I meant what I said.”
“Hmm?” Cassie was too busy stripping to pay much attention to his words. Keeping her hands off Jay during the car ride home had been nearly impossible. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed his touch, his smell… Yumm, his taste.
Now she was eager to get them both naked and rub herself all over his strength and heat—to bathe herself in his scent until she didn’t know where he started and she finished.
“How’d you find me?” she asked as she reached around and undid her bra. She felt a flash of embarrassment but squashed it down. She was going to take charge of her life. It had started with the makeover, now it was time she took control in the bedroom. Besides, she’d probably never see Jay after tonight. She wasn’t sure why he was here, maybe Laney sent him to check up on her. Didn’t matter, she desired him, wanted a night of hot, uncomplicated sex.
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