“I like you. You have spunk. All the women here are razor-sharp. May the universe keep me from mating with a hellion like you creatures.” Asher made a motion over his chest that could have been a cross, but he wasn’t familiar with it, so the gesture became a mockery instead.
She kind of hoped that resulted in a curse.
“I thought you just said you liked me. Why wouldn’t you want to mate someone like me if you like me?”
“We can be neighbors and clanmates, but if I had to live with someone like you for the rest of my life, I would probably die inside.”
“I liked you a whole lot more when you were on television, getting your face pummeled.” Her voice fell flat, unamused.
“Yeah, everyone says that.” He hooked his pinky with hers. “I promise I will not tell Alec who you are.”
That wasn’t quite what she asked, but it was good enough for now. “What I don’t get is how you recognize me, but Alec doesn’t. Which one of you smacked him in the head? Does he have short term memory loss now?”
“If anyone gets smacked in the head around here, it’s me. You’ll have to ask Alec yourself.”
He knew she couldn’t do that. If she did, it would ruin her plans. Charlie would never commit herself to any clan without knowing beyond a doubt that she belonged there. Newly changed and confused, Charlie had been pressed into the nearest clan by her parents. They hadn’t known what to do with a teenage shifter and hoped that an established clan could help. They’d ended up handing her over to Norman.
Her parents thought that her youthful acts of rebellion had to do with them. They were only partially right. Charlie hadn’t been able to escape anyone’s scrutiny at that time. She’d been under her parents’ nervous gazes and Norman’s watchful eye. It’d been clear that he wanted her to be a specific kind of woman. Charlie did everything in her power to fight his plans for her.
Norman particularly hated it when she dyed her hair pink. From sixteen to twenty-five, she’d kept short pink hair just to drive him crazy. Once she tired of constantly dying her hair, exhausted by Norman’s constant pressuring, she kept one streak.
“You look…feisty. It’s a good style for you.” Asher got to his feet. “while you’re here, keep Alec on his toes. He hasn’t been quite himself since he got back.”
“Got back?”
Asher seemed to hesitate. It was like he wanted to say something but didn’t know his place in the clan. She watched as he decided to throw caution to the wind. The change that crossed over his face, from caution to fuck-it, was easy to see.
“Ten years ago, almost all of us up and left. Some things went down that left us all messed up in our own way. I don’t think Alec really processed any of it. Coming back…has reminded him of what happened.”
Charlie swallowed. “Does this have to do with the monster in the lake? I saw it last night. I’m not losing my mind. Right?”
“You saw him? And he didn’t lure you in?”
Charlie leaned back, confused. “Huh?”
Asher waved it off and turned to leave. “Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing.”
There was a monster in the lake she grew up next to and Asher was telling her not to worry about it? That made no damn sense to her. Charlie felt like she’d stumbled into a mess, like wading through water filled with tangling kelp. She wanted to stay and figure it out, but hands were already reaching to take her back to Washington.
The rumble of Alec’s truck preceded the vehicle itself. She thought he needed to spend more time on his mode of transportation than hers, but Alec wasn’t trying to escape this place. She watched him get out of the truck, dead eyes on the lake. When they grazed over her, a light flashed in them, as if there was a spark of him left. It just had nothing to burn.
She jumped down the steps. In the back of his truck were planks of wood, tools, and drywall. Beneath that were car parts. A twinge of guilt danced in her gut. She wanted to tell him to return them, that her car didn’t need them, but her lips were sealed.
There was no escaping Norman if her plan failed.
“Mind giving me a hand?” Alec asked. He unlatched the back of the truck and reached for the drywall.
Charlie jumped to help, grabbing one end of the drywall panel. Alec led the way toward the cabin she was staying in. Her brow furrowed, but she shrugged it off. Together, they set down the drywall and then went back for the other things he’d bought.
“Isn’t this Jude’s cabin? The female dragon that said I could stay here. If it’s yours and she made the decision without your permission…”
“No, it belongs to Jude.” Alec wiped at the sweat beading on his forehead. The sun had kissed his skin and was turning it a glorious shade of tan. “I don’t like that the bedroom wall is busted. So, I’m fixing it.”
“Oh, alright.”
“While I pull the plywood off the back, check the passenger seat of the truck. I grabbed breakfast for you again.”
Charlie didn’t know why Alec was being so kind to her. Was he like this to every woman he ran into? Or, did some part of him remember her? She wished he would just tell her. It would alleviate the worry that crackled in her chest. The feeling never quite went away, leaving her with a restless night and a manic morning.
When she opened the truck door, it wafted that familiar smell over her. First, it was Alec, warm and sultry. Then, she caught the scent of blueberries and syrup. Could it be that the daily special was now blueberry pancakes every day? She doubted it.
Charlie climbed into the seat and flipped open the container. Just as she was about to dive in, her phone buzzed. She thought she’d left it in the nightstand drawer. Instead, it was in her pocket, buzzing to get her attention.
She let her plastic fork drop. Her lungs tightened and cut off her air. At the cabin, Alec was busying himself, getting prepared to fix the wall in the back. All the while, panic was throttling Charlie. She knew that if she didn’t answer the phone, Norman would send someone. She couldn’t have gotten away with leaving it in the nightstand drawer anyway.
Swallowing, she held the phone to her ear.
“Where are you?” Norman’s voice was abrasive. He didn’t ask how she was or if she needed anything. All he cared was that one of his female dragon shifters wasn’t where he could see her.
Charlie’s lip curled. Her beast growled.
“What was that?” Norman’s voice dropped low, menacing.
But her growl didn’t fade. She tried to fight it down, to push her beast back, but nothing worked.
“Tell me where you are, Charlotte. I’m sending someone to bring you home. It’s time for your stunt to come to an end.”
“You said I had until Wednesday!”
Alec didn’t mean to overhear. He had been about to head to the back of the cabin when Charlie shouted. The distress in her voice twisted his heart. It dragged his beast to the surface. The creature was out for blood. It searched for someone to hurt, because someone needed to pay for Charlie’s state.
He should have minded his own business, but he made it seem like he was still busy at the front of the cabin so he could hear Charlie’s conversation. What did she have until Wednesday for? Who was cutting the deadline short?
Her voice lowered, becoming submissive. Charlie had never been submissive in her life. She was a wild spirit who could take on the world. But the woman he heard talking on the phone wasn’t the same. The woman was broken, like her spirit had been stolen from her.
Alec gripped the hammer in his hand and fought back the urge to hunt down whoever was on the other end of that phone call. When he looked back and found that she had hung up, he wondered if she was seeing someone. Was Charlie here because she was running away from a lover? It was a thought he didn’t like.
For a brief moment, he considered letting her stay as long as she needed. Two things stood in the way. On one side was Zane, an ever-present threat. On the other side was whoever had given Charlie until Wednesday. Was it a demand for her to come hom
e? Or was there something else this person was asking of her?
Alec had a feeling that it was both. Charlie had until Wednesday to return to the caller, then she would face consequences for the delay. No one was allowed to touch her. Alec would follow her to the ends of the earth to make sure she stayed safe. If anyone tried to lay a hand on Charlie, they would have to answer to him.
The instinct to protect her was fierce. It brought a growl from his beast, a creature that rose to sit beneath his skin and fill his eyes with unnatural color. Alec tried to blink it away, but he couldn’t. The beast wouldn’t move. It refused to go anywhere. Not as long as Charlie was in danger.
He stood and swayed on his feet, the power of his beast heady as it swam beneath his skin. The creature gnashed its teeth and begged for blood, but there was no blood nearby to be spilt. Only a sad Charlie.
Her pout was heartbreaking. She sat on the passenger seat of the truck, with her legs dangling out the open door and the container of pancakes open on her lap. Closer, he saw that the food was untouched. She stared down at it mournfully.
He couldn’t take her in his arms and kiss away the sadness straining her features. Not like he wanted to. If he did, then he would never be able to let her go. He wouldn’t be able to get her away from Zane.
The least he could do was make the few moments she had here happy. Then, when she left, Alec would follow her. He would track her to wherever she went and deal with the man on the other end of that phone call. He made a promise to his beast and the creature slowly slunk back, giving Alec control again.
“Not hungry? That’s alright. We have enough work ahead of us. You’ll be starving by the time we’re done.”
Charlie barely raised her head. Alec stepped closer, close enough that her knees brushed his lower chest. Just the barest brush made his breath catch. It was like breathing for the first time. And now he wanted more. She was so close. All he had to do was reach out and pull her into him. She would let him, too. He could smell the want wafting off her.
But Alec shoved his desires back and offered his hand to her. She took it, and he helped her jump down from the truck seat. He should have let go, but he kept his grip on her hand because he couldn’t bear to part with her skin. Not just yet. Not when he knew he couldn’t keep her.
This was a moment Alec could savor. He would hold onto it for the rest of his life, keeping it close in case their paths never crossed again. Perhaps it would in the future, but it would not go the way he wanted right now.
Like the night before, the two of them spent the early morning hours working together. It was mostly Charlie chatting while she handed him tools, but Alec was okay with that. He could pretend that they were something more. So long as the world stayed away, he could let his fingers slide along hers when she passed him screws. He could laugh at her jokes and enjoy the sparkle it brought to her eyes.
Not once did he ask her name. Nor did he address her by her name. So long as he didn’t hear the word from her mouth, the lie stayed in place. Nor did he bring up anything that happened here, on the lake shore. But when they looked at one another, when their guard was down and it felt like they’d never left one another, it was obvious that there was no lie between them anymore.
“Fixed a few broken walls in your day?” Charlie teased.
Alec dipped his head. “Yeah, but not here. I work for a construction crew out east.”
“You say you work out east, but you’re here now. Are you on vacation?”
“I wish it was a vacation. I know I need one. But this is a family visit. Kind of like a reunion, but because there’s a problem that they need help fixing.” He dropped the hammer onto the bed of the truck.
When he turned to face her, she came to a halt too close. Her eyes were wide, like she didn’t realize how close she’d come. There was a flicker of color across her eyes. Her beast. It was there and then gone, like the creature had whispered something to her. Alec heard the way her breath hitched.
His fingers curled into fists as he fought against the urge to grab ahold of her. When her scent washed over him, he began to lose the fight. He stepped closer. He could feel the heat radiating off her. Reaching for her chin, he tilted it up. She didn’t stop him. She made no noise whatsoever.
Her lips were ever so slightly parted. It was an invitation. He could take her mouth if he wanted. And he wanted to more than anything else in the world. When he looked into her eyes, all thoughts of his mistakes vanished. She made him feel like king of the world. He didn’t know what it was or how she did it.
All he knew was that he would crave that feeling for the rest of his life.
“Take care of yourself. Okay?”
Alec let go of her chin and pushed past her. His beast did everything in its power to drag him back, making his feet heavy and clawing at him from the inside, but Alec was determined. Alec had ruined her life once. Charlie wouldn’t be in the position she was in if he hadn’t changed her.
He used to think that his beast had changed her because they were meant to be. He’d held onto that dream for years, until Alistair turned on them. Even while they battled Alistair and fought to lock him away, Alec held onto the dream that he would return to Charlie. It was part of what had gotten him through.
When he left Michigan and couldn’t find her, he realized it was a foolish thought. He wanted to be her Prince Charming, but he was just the one to curse her. Alec would get her out of her current situation, return to free Zane, and get on with his life back east.
Not that he wanted to go back. There wasn’t much there for him. He’d had some girlfriends. Some of them even wanted him back, but none of them had been the one. He couldn’t just tell a woman who was in love with him that she wasn’t his destined mate and therefore he couldn’t stay with her.
Not even his job was fulfilling. He got up, did his work, and went home. His coworkers knew his name, but nothing else about him. He hid his past behind his high spirits. He was certain that in six months, they would forget all about him.
Here, Alec was home again. He fell asleep to the sound of the waves on the shore and got excited when he saw the clanmates he thought had forgotten him. Part of Alec was tempted to stay. He wanted to see his asshole friends every day but was so scared that he would ruin their lives.
Alec didn’t know how to make things right anymore. He’d been so confident that he was good at fixing everything. From light fixtures to friendships, Alec could fix it. How could he fix what he’d done to Zane, though? How could he take back what he’d done to Charlie?
“Hold on a second!” Charlie shouted. There was a rush of footsteps behind him.
She grabbed him, spun him around, and planted a kiss on his lips. He nearly groaned in delight and raised one hand to her lower back. Before he could pull her in, Charlie slipped away. A red flush covered her cheeks. She looked to the ground, her demeanor suddenly bashful.
“That was a thank you. For fixing the wall, I mean. So, uh. Thanks.”
6
Charlie held her fingers over her lips, trying to capture the warmth left there by Alec’s lips. She’d ran away from him right after saying thanks, leaving him stunned. At the cabin door, she stopped and looked back at him. He was still right where she’d left him.
After ducking inside, she spun in a circle. Euphoria lifted her high. She had hope. It was only a little mote, but it was hope, nonetheless. There was a chance that Alec remembered her after all. The way he’d slipped into conversation with her had been seamless. It’d felt like picking up right where they left off.
She didn’t know if that was their history or their natural chemistry, but either way, Charlie savored it. If she could get Alec to lay a claiming mark on her in the next twenty hours, then she could tell Norman to eat a boot. And she would. Charlie would tell Norman every little thing that made him an unlovable asshole.
If she couldn’t get the claiming mark though…she would have to pretend to love that man. Norman was already sending someone out
to get her. She didn’t know when his dragon would arrive, only that she wasn’t ready to leave.
If only there was something she could do to intercept the dragon coming for her. Then she would have the last few moments of time with Alec. She would have the time to make him remember her. Or, at least, convince him to say it because the words seemed blocked.
Charlie had a moment of vivid inspiration. She let out a cry of victory. Asher remembered her. He knew that she was up to something and needed to buy time. The man also liked the give and take of fighting. If she could get him to intercept the dragon coming for her, then she could have the rest of the night to herself.
All she needed to do was find Asher.
Charlie bounded out the door. Alec had moved back to his truck but was only pilfering through the mess in front of him and muttering to himself. Charlie watched him for a minute before shaking her head. Had she rattled him that much?
“Hey!”
Alec jumped. Charlie had to stifle her laugh behind her hand.
“Do you know where Asher is?” she asked.
Alec’s responding growl tightened her core. It pulled her toward him. She dug in her heels and told the beast inside her that she couldn’t ease Alec’s jealousy. Not yet. But she was glad to see it. That meant he cared about her. He cared that she was looking for another man.
Setting her hand on his shoulder, she tried to reassure him. “I need to ask him a favor. Have you seen him anywhere?”
“What kind of favor are you going to get from Asher?”
She shrugged. “If you can’t help me, then I’ll go find him on my own.”
This time, Alec snarled. He snatched her wrist and gently pulled her back as she tried to leave. His grip on her was loose, but assertive enough for her to know that he was close to losing control. Charlie wanted to push his buttons a while longer. That would only end in disaster, though. Messing with a dominant dragon wouldn’t end well.
They would likely need to replace that back wall again.
Alec (Keepers Of The Lake Book 3) Page 4