Irresistible

by Annie Nicholas

  A blush bloomed on her cheeks, and she tugged at her hand.

  Marie must have thought she only wanted his body and nothing else, but his wolf spirit’s instincts knew better than either of them.

  “I’m done, Max. Can you take me home?”

  “Sure, anything you want.” He released her hand and followed her to his truck.

  On the road, returning to her house on the lake, Marie wouldn’t meet his glances. “Is it the sex?” she whispered.

  “What?”

  “If it’s the sex, then we can make some kind of arrangement that can skip all the awkwardness.”

  Her statement hit him like a punch to the gut. A few days ago, from any other woman, such an offer would have been a dream come true but not from her, not now. He pulled over and parked along the road. “How many other arrangements do you have?” The steering wheel creaked under his tightening grip.

  “None!” She twisted in her seat. “It’s just after the way you left me in the club, I assumed…” She met his glare. “I assumed that’s what all this is about.”

  He gathered her in his arms and brushed his lips over hers. A tremble flitted through her body while he traced his tongue over her mouth, asking to enter.

  The self-assured seductress appeared lost to his touch and opened her mouth slightly as if not knowing what she wanted.

  Deciding for her, he slipped inside and kissed her, not with heated passion but slow, deep affection. He retreated and gazed into her eyes. “It’s about so much more, Marie.”

  She quivered in his arms, and he kept her close as he drove her home.

  Once at her door, he took her hand. “I want to see you again.”

  “You’re not coming in?”

  “Not tonight.” The silken touch of her skin under his hands almost made him change his mind. She still bore his scent all over her, like she’d never showered him off. Taking a deep shaky breath, he shuddered. “Not tonight.” He gripped her hand. “I’m going to have a barbeque tomorrow, and I want you to come.”

  “I don’t know--”

  He gave her a quick peck. “Great, I’ll pick you up at five o’clock. Dress casual.”

  Chapter 7

  A rumble rolled in Max’s chest at the sight of storm clouds gathering over the lake.

  Tim and his family, including their youngest son with a fresh cast on his wrist, had come to the barbeque, along with most of the pack. Marie made small talk with everyone, but the social barriers between their races were apparent to Max now. His packmates treated her like an outsider. It would take time and a lot of work to get them to trust her, yet he’d make it happen. If she were human would it have been easier? Maybe.

  Faint thunder answered his growl. “Tim, you better call Chad on his cell and tell him to head the boat to shore, a storm’s coming.” They stood on the pier facing the water. He’d hoped if he left Marie by herself with Tim’s wife that maybe she’d come out of her shell.

  Tim closed his phone and stuck it in his pocket. “He said he’s already on his way, and we should be seeing the sails soon.” He crossed his thick arms over his chest. “Did you have to seduce my boss? All I asked for were the keys.”

  Chuckling, Max set his hand on his best friend’s shoulder. “She’s the one who jumped me in the woods. I’d say she seduced me first. The one I told you about at the burger joint.”

  “What the fuck?” Tim shifted his feet as if someone had shoved him. The pier shook with his weight. “You’re only telling me this now? The ice queen is your soul mate?”

  “Hey.” He grabbed Tim by the shirt. “Take it easy on the name calling. She’s shy and doesn’t realize that we’re mates yet.”

  “What a cluster fuck.” Tim laughed. “You can’t do anything the regular way. Is she the reason you threw this barbeque together at the last minute? So we could meet her?” Tim raised an eyebrow.

  Max nodded.

  “Did you find out what she is?”

  “She’s a mermaid, and I want you to be nice to her. She’ll be pack soon.”

  “Max, man. You’re like my brother and I’d give you my right kidney, but she can’t be pack. She’s not a shifter.”

  Shoving the alpha away, he glared. “Those rules are ancient and stupid.”

  Tim raised his hands to ward Max off. “I didn’t say we’d be mean to her, but she doesn’t even have the instincts to sense she’s your mate. How can she have an animal spirit if she can’t hear it? She’s not a shifter.”

  With a shake of his tense shoulders, Max stepped away from his friend before he did something he’d regret. It tore at his heart that Marie couldn’t be part of all his life. That pack secrets would be kept from her.

  “Why does she need to be part of us? If you’re soul mates, things will all work out. Don’t stress about it.”

  The clouds rolled over each other, a heat storm brewed, and it looked like it would be a doozey. “Better get the kids in the house. I’ll wait for Chad.” Max couldn’t look Tim in the eye. Nothing could be easy, not even his pack’s support.

  Wind kicked up and so did the waves. Max could see the outline of a sailboat approaching, but it was coming in way too fast. Chad knew how to sail, but Max never would have let him out on the lake by himself if there’d been storm warnings.

  His heart seized when he watched the waves crash against the boat. The rain fell in big, slow drops as the clouds arrived and engulfed what could have been a great day. Marie’s day.

  While the boat got closer, Max could see Chad working the ropes, trying to drop some sails, but he struggled with the unsteady toss of the waves.

  The boat wouldn’t make it. He’d better get Tim. However, as he stepped toward his cabin, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the boat make a sharp turn. Oh shit, no. The mainsail swung and an unsuspecting Chad received its full force from behind. He fell in the stormy waters.

  Adrenaline pumped into Max’s blood, his beast howled and terror sucked at his feet while he ran to the pier’s edge. Scanning the turbulent water, Max searched for Chad to surface. His lungs burned for air, but the cub never surfaced. “Chad!” Desperation made his voice crack.

  Kicking off his shoes, he allowed the transformation into beast to explode from his body. It hurt like a son-of-a-bitch to change that fast, nevertheless his beast form had more stamina and strength to fight the waves. If he lost Chad, pain would be his last concern. He dove into the water.

  * * * *

  Marie stared at the waves crashing onto the shoreline. Her full plate remained untouched in her hand as her tea cooled on the living room side table. She couldn’t bear to live far from the water. Normally, the sounds eased her soul, not tonight.

  A storm brewed in her heart, and its name was Maxwell Cox.

  What a spaz she’d been yesterday at dinner. Heat rose to her cheeks at the memory. She set her plate down on the table and watched Max on the pier as the storm rolled in. The wind grew stronger and blew in through the screen door from the patio facing the lake. Cool enough not to turn on the air conditioner.

  Going to that stupid party was the worst decision she’d ever made, but hunger drove predators to do crazy things. It sounded like a great idea then, glean some energy from the surrounding activities, except she had to boink the resident stud. Now, she was falling in love with him. When he found out the truth she would suffer, however at present, she clung to her lies and pretended that she could afford love.

  Blowing a sharp breath out her nose, she resisted the urge to slap herself. She’d become a sorry sap. Even now her hunger stirred. The stress of her club and Max’s pursuits had drained her. How many days did she have left before needing to feed?

  Dark clouds rolled toward the beach and the waves impacted on the sand. Heavy spray dispersed in an explosion of white foam. It suited her mood. A steady wind blew and tugged at her thin sundress. She released her hair from its ponytail and let it fly free in the wind.

  This bay held plenty of fish. She enjoyed hunting the wate
rs, fishing helped divert her mind from the prey she truly wanted. It was how she’d discovered Max’s cabin so many months ago. She closed her eyes and inhaled the crisp air. The hunger peeked its vile head from slumber this morning. Tim had told her the renovations would take three more weeks at least before she could open.

  She’d be stark raving mad by then. Maybe… She shook her head. No, not him. She liked Max too much to risk accidently killing him.

  A sailboat came into view, and she sensed Max’s tension as he paced the pier. She knew nothing of boats, but she understood storms and this one wanted blood. Sliding the screen door open, she stepped out as the rain fell in slow, fat drops.

  Max’s guests streamed into his home, and Tim joined her in observing the lake. “My oldest son is sailing that boat. I hope he knows what he’s doing. It’s pretty choppy out there.”

  She nodded while they watched a young man get thrown into the water. A roar split the air, and at first Marie thought it came from Tim but watched as Max exploded into his beast form and dived into the water. Her heart seized in her chest with the knowledge that she could lose him before ever really getting to know him.

  Without another thought, she slipped the dress off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Her underwear and bra joined it. Then she ran for the crashing waves, not caring about the pack watching, and dove into her natural habitat.

  Chapter 8

  With the power born of terror, Max battled the stormy waters. As a human, he would never have survived. Where did that leave an unconscious Chad?

  Underwater.

  Max dove. Visibility poor due to the silt stirred by the storm, he couldn’t see crap and his eyes stung. He surfaced and gasped for air. Rain pelted the lake, and a distant rumble rolled over the sky.

  A large wave rose above his head and he stared, dumbstruck by the size. It swallowed him, pushing him to the bottom, and dragged him like a toy doll. Something big swam past his face. Shark was the first thing that sprung to mind, but they didn’t live in lakes. He couldn’t fight something that big in its own turf while Mother Nature tried to drown him. He kicked away, always keeping an eye open for Chad. The fish circled around again, but the water cleared for a miraculous moment and he faced a hauntingly beautiful creature made from nightmares.

  Long, needle like teeth protruded from its mouth. A cloud of pale hair surrounded a narrow, gaunt face. It reached for him with delicate clawed hands.

  Max kicked away from the creature, trying to reach the surface for air, but in his scramble to escape he became disoriented in the cloudy water. The burning need for air consumed him. He swam in what he prayed was the right direction. Something gripped his ankle. Spinning around, he faced the pale creature and gasped a lungful of water.

  An uncontrolled spasm wracked his body and tore his ankle loose from its hold. Had it already killed Chad? If it had, he’d hunt it down if it was the last thing he ever did.

  With fading strength, he broke the surface and coughed the inhaled water out. Waves thrashed him to and fro. The shore looked far away. He didn’t recall swimming out this distance. Lightning laced across the dark clouds as Max got bombarded by the rain.

  In a geyser of water, the creature leaped over his head. “I’m trying to save your stupid, pig-headed ass, not eat you,” it shouted at him.

  Up close, the thing resembled a mermaid gone bad. “Marie?”

  “Search above water for him. I’ll look below.”

  Stunned and exhausted, he nodded and watched her disappear. Treading water, Max circled around looking for Chad. He cried out his name with every spare breath until Marie emerged not far from him with the boy in her arms.

  “He’s not breathing!” She cut through the waves toward him, dragging Chad by the shoulders. “What do I do?”

  “Hold him still.” Max changed back into his human form, not the easiest trick he’d ever attempted, while keeping afloat. Clinging to Marie, he began to blow breath into the twenty-year-old cub’s lungs like he’d been taught in his CPR classes. Why had he let the boy take the boat out alone?

  Glancing at the shore, he noticed it was closer. His wonderful Marie was swimming for the three of them. Between his breaths he could hear her labored breathing, and trembles ran through her arms as she supported them.

  The lake bottom dragged along his feet, and he took Chad into his arms only to be met by a stricken Tim. “Take him to the pier. I need to help my mate.” He slipped an arm under hers.

  “Go help the boy. I’m fine. This is where I belong.” She splashed some water as she shoved him to the shore.

  “You’re amazing.” He gave her a quick peck. Fighting the waves, he called over his shoulder. “Stay close.”

  God, he prayed Chad would pull through this. Dragging his spent body onto the pier, he heard the glorious sounds of coughing and gasping. The faint sounds of an ambulance announced help would arrive soon.

  Tanya wrapped a blanket around her son and offered Max a large beach towel. “Thank you.” She hugged him until his bones creaked.

  “Marie is the one who rescued him.” He pointed to his mate as she tried to ride the waves to the beach, her sleek, dark gray tail thrashing the water to keep her steady.

  Fine muscle moved under her skin, her clawed hands clung to the rocks as she dragged herself ashore. She met his gaze and smiled with sharp, predatory teeth.

  God, she was beautiful. Dangerous, sleek, and strong. He couldn’t have been more proud.

  “What is she?”

  He glanced at Tanya. “She’s all mine.”

  The ambulance parked and the paramedics ran over with their equipment. Chad was able to speak with them and a huge weight lifted off Max’s shoulders at the sound of his voice. Leaving the pack to tend to the boy, Max scooted off the pier and approached Marie.

  She covered her breasts with her hands and stared out over the water. “Do you hate me?”

  The question startled him enough to make him slip on the stones and land on his ass next to her. “No, why?” He draped his towel over her shoulders.

  “Because of what I am. The way I look.”

  The ominous statement heralded the return of tension in his shoulders, and he shut his eyes. “What do you mean?”

  Thunder crashed around them and the sound of the ambulance retreated.

  “Max, we’re heading to the hospital. They think he’ll be fine.” Tim knelt and wrapped his arms around them with a hug fit for an alpha. He planted a kiss on Marie’s forehead. “Thank you, and welcome to the pack.” He punched Max in the shoulder. “You said she was a mermaid, not a siren.”

  With a drowning heart, Max watched Tim and the pack leave. He spun to face her. “A siren?” A peal of thunder followed the flash of lightening. “We should get inside. Do you need me to carry you?”

  “No, I’ll walk.” Her body melted as she changed shape like a shifter to form the woman he considered his.

  He stood and brushed the sand off his ass then helped Marie to her feet. “Is that why you keep trying to push me away, because you’re a siren?” He didn’t have any prejudice against her kind. Hell, he hadn’t even known they existed until two minutes ago.

  Her downcast expression answered his question.

  Hugging Marie to his chest, Max buried his face in her wet hair. “I don’t even know the difference. Let’s go home.” His chest burned, not from exertion, but the emotional turmoil the storm brought with it. The dark lake reflected his heart.

  They entered the house. Plates of half-eaten food and drinks lay scattered throughout his small kitchen, but he didn’t care. He stripped as he entered the bathroom and got some fresh towels. Wrapping one around his waist, he returned to Marie with the other.

  She dried her waist-length hair and refused to meet his gaze. “I wanted to tell you, but a lifetime of lies can make telling the truth difficult.” Plopping onto his sofa, she slouched as if her bones had turned to jelly. “I hate what I am.”

  Such a frank confession deser
ved an answer. The worry it caused stole his words though. He sat next to her and touched her hand.

  * * * *

  A hole grew in Marie’s gut and her heart dropped into it. “My people kill sirens that develop among them. They consider us dangerous, and they’re right. We’re predators by nature, needing to feed off sexual energy, and the process usually kills our prey.” She tried to breathe with lungs that wouldn’t work. All her daydreams, all the wishing these past years, all for nothing. “My parents couldn’t kill me, I was their only child. Instead, they left me on the shores of France with strict instructions to never enter the ocean again.” Tears burned in her eyes, and she squeezed them shut so they wouldn’t spill. Damn him for making her feel, she had been fine in a numb existence. “I didn’t have anyone to teach me right from wrong and just followed my instincts. Many have died to feed me. Then I figured out another way to feed without killing. That’s why the club is so important, Max.”

  “Have you fed from me?”

  And it only got worse. “Yes.” She gathered the towel around her and went to the doorway where her sundress lay on the floor. Dressing quickly, she wanted to leave before he told her to go. It would hurt less this way.

  “Marie?”

  She glanced at him.

  “Where are you going?” He ran his fingers through his wet curls.

  “Home. I-I’ve got work to do.” Terrible excuse, but nothing else sounded right. She’d go to the lake, swim as deep as she could, and find a hole to hide in for a while. The cold water should reach her heart and stop the burning ache.

  He wrapped his arms around her. “No. You stay here.”

  She didn’t struggle when he led her back to the sofa and set her on his lap. The tender brush of Max’s lips on hers tore down the barriers Marie had built around her dreams of ever falling in love. His presence scrambled her priorities. One moment she was determined to kick him out of her life and the next, allowing him to lay her on the love seat.