It turned out he’d been right to think that being able to taste her and smell her would help him sleep, despite being without the comfort of his bed. Still, he’d woken up aching in several places and with a pounding headache. Needing to wash and change so that he could drive Shaya to work, he returned to the motor home and found everyone sitting at the dinette eating a huge breakfast that Amber had cooked. Declining his portion as he didn’t have time to eat, he retreated to his bathroom to wash, dress, and take some pills. Then he was striding through the motor home toward the front door, brushing off his mother’s attempts to speak to him and promising her he’d talk to her later. When he reached the front door, Amber appeared in front of him, blocking his path.
“Is everything okay?” she asked quietly, her expression one of concern.
“Fine.” When she reached out to touch him, he dodged her hand; he wasn’t touchy-feely, and Amber knew that. Besides, he knew better than to go to his mate with the scent of another female on his skin.
“You really don’t look good, Nick.”
“I said I’m fine.”
“Don’t insult my intelligence. I’m a healer. I can sense your pain.”
Seeing that the others were deep in conversation, he admitted, “It’s just a headache. It’s a pain I can deal with, so therefore I’m fine.”
“With pills?” she scoffed. “Let me take the pain away.”
He backed up. “No.” Because that would involve her touching him, and then Shaya would freak. He’d take the pain over that. Plus, the pills would kick in any second now.
Amber rolled her eyes. “Come on, Nick, you’re in pain. I’ll bet it’s not just the headache either. The mating urges must be painful too, since she won’t let you claim her—which I think is plain cruel. I know she was upset because you didn’t claim her in the beginning, but you’ve given up everything and—”
“Amber, that’s between me and Shaya,” he stated firmly.
She gave him a slight smile. “I’m your friend, Nick. I don’t want you to be hurting. I want you to be happy.”
“Shaya makes me happy.”
“It doesn’t look that way from where I’m standing.”
When Shaya had come outside to find no Nick in sight, she hadn’t been surprised since she was fifteen minutes early. She’d love to say it was because she was working on her punctuality, but the truth was that she’d known Nick would have to go inside the motor home at some point this morning to change clothes and clean up, and she didn’t like the idea of Amber around him. Yes, that should be inconsequential considering that Shaya didn’t want to mate with him, but it was consequential whether she liked it or not.
How could the idea of her mate with another female be anything but agonizing?
Her anxiety and restlessness had given her the jumpstart she’d needed and quickened her movements. Her wolf was eager to see him, to get him away from the other female, and was urging Shaya to go to him. But when Shaya came up close to the motor home, she froze at the sound of two voices talking.
“Shaya makes me happy.”
“It doesn’t look that way from where I’m standing.” Amber. Bitch.
Rather than barging in there and making her presence known, Shaya didn’t move a single muscle, intending to listen closely and hear how the conversation played out. It was the best way to find out more about Amber and her “friendship” with Nick. Her wolf didn’t agree—she wanted to barge in there and bare her teeth at the female, dominant wolf or not.
She heard Nick then; his voice was soft and gentle—too soft and gentle for Shaya’s liking. “What’re you doing awake so early? You were always a late sleeper.”
A quiet, tinkle-like laugh that had a hint of flirtatiousness to it. “That’s true. There’s just so much going on, and with the court hearing looming…it’s enough to disturb anyone’s sleep. Roni’s missed you so much. So have I.”
“Oh, you’ve missed me, huh? Good. I missed you too.”
Red-hot anger surged through Shaya and her wolf. It wasn’t just Nick’s words that hurt, it was the depth of emotion there. He clearly cared a great deal for Amber.
“I wish you’d come back home, Nick,”—oh, fucking did she now?—“Jon’s great as Alpha, but it’s not the same there without you. Everyone misses you. You know how much Roni would love it if you came home.”
A short pause. Then he spoke in that same soft, gentle voice again. “So you still like being stroked there.”
A blast of rage exploded in Shaya’s mind and zoomed through her body. Oh, she’d slaughter them both! Amber for being a slut, and Nick for betraying every promise he’d made since he arrived. In seconds, she was up the steps and opening the front door. Stunned, she stopped dead and frowned. Nick looked up at her from his spot on the gray vinyl floor where he was crouched, petting Roni, who was still in her wolf form. And that was when it fell into place. He hadn’t been talking to Amber, he’d been talking to Roni while Amber looked on, chatting away. Relief washed over Shaya, making the rage subside. Her wolf wasn’t totally relaxed—her focus was on Amber, the interfering bitch.
Sensing Shaya’s anger, Nick frowned. “Everything okay, baby?”
Shaya forced a smile, still recovering from her brief attack of panic. “You weren’t outside waiting. I just came to see if something was wrong.” She could tell he didn’t believe her, and maybe Roni didn’t either, because she came to Shaya and rubbed against her leg in a move that felt supportive. She then sat in front of Shaya almost protectively, staring at Amber, as if making it clear exactly where her loyalty lay. Appreciating that, Shaya reached down and stroked the she-wolf’s neck. Sensing eyes on her, Shaya raised her gaze to Kathy and Derren, shooting them both an awkward smile. Had she not been feeling so off-kilter right then, she may have commented on how the motor home was a lot more luxurious than she would have ever expected.
Nick’s eyes danced from Shaya to Roni to Amber and back to Shaya. If Shaya felt slightly threatened by Amber as an unmated female, he wouldn’t be surprised; it was only natural for her possessive streak to trigger a jealous reaction. But he didn’t want Shaya to ever be under the impression that he wanted anyone but her. So, getting to his feet, he immediately went to her. “Come on, baby, I’ll give you a ride to work.” Shaya nodded once but didn’t move, as if to ensure that he didn’t intend to linger.
After nuzzling his hand slightly, Roni then trotted over to the TV, bumping Bruce out of the way. Without a backward glance at Amber, Nick ushered Shaya outside the motor home. It wasn’t until they were in the privacy of the car that he spoke. “You don’t ever have to feel insecure about us. I don’t want anyone but you.”
She almost snapped, “There is no us,” but instead she found herself confessing, “I heard you both talking. I thought you were saying those things to Amber, not Roni.”
Confirming his suspicion and pleased that she’d been honest with him, Nick reached out and kneaded her nape. “There never has been, and never will be, anything at all between me and Amber.”
“She wants you.” Her expression dared him to deny it. To her surprise, he looked genuinely confused.
“I know she’s a little…overaffectionate, but that’s all it is. She’s like that with everyone.”
Shaya snorted. “Trust me, she wants you.”
That made no sense to Nick since dominant females weren’t at all subtle when they wanted a male. “I don’t think so, baby. Amber’s never given me even the slightest indication that she’s interested; dominant females are pretty forward.”
Okay, Shaya could concede that. “If you can think of any other reason why she’s jealous, let me know.”
Nick still wasn’t convinced, but he had no interest in arguing with Shaya. “In any case, they’re leaving today. Unfortunately, they won’t be far. My mother wants to stay in the local shifter motel for a while, but don’t worry, she’ll leave you alone.”
Shaya was actually kind of surprised that he wasn’t encouraging his mo
ther to give him some kind of character reference in the hope of softening Shaya’s response to him. When he suddenly stopped the car after only a minute of driving, she frowned in confusion. Then she realized they were outside Starbucks.
“Wait here while I go get us some coffee. You didn’t get your caramel macchiato from me this morning, and that’s unacceptable.”
She rolled her eyes, though she was touched. “I think I can cope without coffee for one morning.”
“But you don’t want to and you don’t need to, so why should you have to?”
With that, he got out of the car and went inside, leaving Shaya feeling a contradictory mix of happy, confused, and angry. Happy because he made her that way with these little things he did. Confused because although she told herself she didn’t want to be with him, she wasn’t so sure of that anymore. And angry because she didn’t want him to make her happy…or did she?
Hell, she really needed to get her shit together. Needed to remind herself just why she was refusing him. In fact, she spent most of her morning at work trying to do just that, but he blew that out of the water when another gift arrived from him. Not anything romantic or expensive or corny. No. It was a Dead Fred pen holder. If you stabbed the red chunk of silicone rubber that was shaped like a dead body, it would hold the pen right there just like that.
Clearly he’d remembered her little quirk of always losing pens, and she knew this would sit nicely near her hallway phone at home. Nick’s note had suggested that she could pretend the rubber body was him and get out all her anger by stabbing the pen holder over and over. She did. It was pretty therapeutic. Kent also had a go at it, pretending it was his boyfriend’s mother. Again, Nick had made her laugh. Idiot. She had then received a text message from him while on her break:
Missing me?
Though she had promised herself she would never, ever, ever reply to his texts and encourage what she should consider annoying behavior, she had found herself responding:
Sadly, yes, my aim seems to be off lately—either that or I need a new rifle.
Then she had waited in anticipation for a response—irritated about the whole “anticipation” part but unable to help it. She’d soon received one:
I’d ask how you’re doing and if you’ve been busy today, but these new binoculars work great—a “must-have” for all intense investigators.
And, once again, she was fighting a smile. Once again, she failed. What further irritated her was that when he turned up at the salon at lunchtime, she was pleased to see him.
Apparently, so was Paisley, because she was immediately at his side, trailing along as he made his way to Shaya. “Are you here to book an appointment, sir, or were you hoping to—”
Nick looked at Paisley. “I’m not here to get my hair done. I’m Shaya’s—”
“Boyfriend,” blurted Shaya before Nick could use the term “mate” and, in turn, reveal that she wasn’t totally human. After her grumbling last night about him not stating that she was his mate, he would undoubtedly have been clear this time.
Paisley’s surprised gaze shot to Shaya. “Boyfriend?”
If she had said friend, it would have pissed Nick off. “Boyfriend” would placate him and prevent him from saying more. Forcing a casual smile, she nodded. “Nick, what are you doing here?”
Picking up that Shaya was hiding her shifter blood from her colleague, Nick dropped the issue. He came close and began toying with her hair. “Have lunch with me.”
It hadn’t been a request or an invitation—it had been a soft command. “I can’t, I have a client coming in now.”
“I’ll wait. I can be very patient when it comes to getting what I want.”
She knew he was talking about more than just lunch. Agitated that both she and her wolf found his persistence and determination attractive, Shaya almost growled. It was one thing for him to give her a ride to work, or to cook her a meal, or to buy her gifts. It was completely different to go somewhere with him—this might not be a date, but it was close enough to count. “Nick, I don’t think—”
Nick placed a finger against her mouth. He’d anticipated that she would resist, and he understood why. But he couldn’t win her trust if he didn’t get opportunities to prove that he was trustworthy. That meant them spending time together. “Shay, you need to eat. I need to eat. Eating together makes perfect sense.”
The tricky asshole made it sound so simple and innocent. This was the thing about Nick: he wasn’t overbearing, oppressive, and tyrannical like a lot of alphas. He mostly expressed and exercised his dominance in a subtle, smooth way. He led with words and influences, projecting a calm assurance that he would get his own way and didn’t need to raise his voice or browbeat anyone in order to get it. The power radiating from him also warned that he was indeed capable of taking care of anyone who refused to do as he’d asked.
She wished she could say that his power and his subtle dominance wasn’t a turn-on, but it damn well was. It promised safety, security, and sexual satisfaction she’d never before experienced. His tone might have been reassuring, but his mischievous expression was anything but. “Kent might not like it if I—”
Her friend and boss waved a hand dismissively. “I’m totally fine with it. No need to worry.” Traitor.
Satisfied, Nick nodded at Kent and then turned back to Shaya. “I’ll be waiting on the chair over by the reception desk. When you’re done, we can leave.”
He was gone before Shaya could say anything else. The entire time she worked, he watched her. Watched her with eyes that missed absolutely nothing—eyes that hid nothing of his need for her. For once, Paisley wasn’t hovering over her while she worked. That would have been a good thing if Paisley wasn’t instead spending her time flirting with Nick. But Shaya wasn’t surprised by the blonde’s behavior. Nick’s quiet confidence, total self-assuredness, raw magnetism, and calm assertiveness tangled together to create a package that would appeal to any female.
In the past, Shaya had been with dominant male wolves, but their dominance didn’t even come near to equaling Nick’s level. Also, they had been nothing like him. Whenever there had been a problem, it had never been their fault—oh no, it had always been someone else’s fault. Dominant wolves could be like that, too proud and egotistical to ever admit to any weakness. But apologizing wasn’t really weak, was it? It took strength to admit to having been wrong, to admit to having made a mistake. And Nick was strong enough, man enough, and adult enough to be responsible for his own actions, to accept blame and to apologize. And he had.
Similarly, her past partners had tried to bully her into giving them their own way. Shaya might be a submissive wolf, but she wasn’t weak-minded, and she had a backbone as steely as—or even steelier than—any dominant wolf. Rather than respecting that and treating her as their equal, those partners had felt that her being submissive meant that she shouldn’t have her own mind, and they had tried to domineer her.
Nick, on the other hand, was totally different. Sure he expected things to go his own way and he expected to be obeyed, but he didn’t become angry with her when she resisted. Instead, he coaxed her and subtly exercised his will—accepting her wishes while still working to get his own way, not being put off whatsoever by her resistance. He gave her the space to be her own person. She hadn’t expected that.
The second she was done with her client, Nick was on his feet. Then, of course, her sixty-two-year-old client noticed him. “Is this your man?” Vivien chuckled and gave Shaya a knowing smile. “I didn’t think they made them like that anymore. Someone that masculine will make any woman feel feminine. Look at those broad shoulders and that devilishly handsome face. You’re lucky. But then, so is he. I hope you intend to treat her right,” Vivien said to him as she went to the reception desk to pay. “She’s a special girl.” Nick’s smile had the woman blushing.
“I couldn’t agree more. That’s why I have to have her. I won’t stop hounding her until she’s all mine.”
Vivien tu
rned to Shaya, smiling, and forced a tip into her hand. “Oh, I like him. If I was forty years younger…” She sighed dreamily as she walked out, making Nick grin.
“I mean it, you know,” Nick said to Shaya quietly when she came close. “I won’t stop all this until I have you.”
Her voice was low and strained. “You can’t make up for what you did. You can’t fix it.” She was surprised when his grin didn’t falter.
“Prove it.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t fight me on trying to fix it. Show me it makes no difference.” He held out his hand, but whereas with anyone else it might have been an invitation, with Nick it was a challenge. Shaya had never been one to back down from a challenge. Besides, what harm could it do to have lunch with the guy she wanted with every fiber of her being and who could get her horny with just his very presence? She was so fucked.
You wish you were being fucked, teased that daring part of her.
Now’s not the time for your shit, she responded sharply.
Hesitantly she placed her hand in his, and she received a smile filled with approval and pride as he interlaced their fingers. She would bet he could get people to do anything just to receive that rewarding smile. After Kent handed her purse to her, Nick led her to his Mercedes and opened the passenger door. Just then she hesitated, wondering if allowing him to make them spend time together was really worth her pride at not turning down a challenge. She was effectively helping him with his cause to wriggle his way into her life.
The sensation of a thumb brushing over her chin snapped her out of her thoughts. Nick’s expression was gentle, but there was no room for compromise when he spoke.
“In the car, baby.”
A shiver wracked her body at the natural dominance in his tone. Making it worse, he skimmed his nose along the curve of her neck, inhaling deeply, and followed it up with a lick that almost had her knees buckling. But she had to make him believe his efforts were making no difference, she reminded herself. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t true—she had to make him think that so he would leave sooner rather than later, because he would leave. Knowing her legs weren’t going to hold her up much longer, she slid onto the passenger seat. He gave her another of those rewarding smiles.
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