Craving Eden

by Tianna Xander

  A growl rumbled deep in his throat. Jake turned to look at her, the side of his mouth turned up in a self-mocking grin. “I apologize if I've frightened you. The monster in me doesn't like the idea of some sick bastard selling any female into a sex slavery ring. Let alone my child.”

  A muscle ticked in his jaw. It was the only other indication that he was the least bit angry—it was one reason Eden knew Jake would make a good father.

  Once she'd come to terms with what he was, she had been able to see that. Only by then, it had been too late. She was already married to Edward.

  It might have taken a while, but she had finally seen just which one of them was the real beast, and it wasn't Jake.

  Reaching out, Eden rested her hand on his forearm, pain squeezing her heart like a vise when he pulled away and stood.

  “I don't think you're a monster.” She bit her lip, knowing she had called him that in the past. “Not anymore.” Sighing, she reached up to wipe away the tears that spilled from her eyes. She hated crying, hated the way it made her appear so weak, so vulnerable when she needed to be strong.

  “I've seen real monsters, Jake. Real monsters make you trust them, then hurt you for it. They make the world believe they're wonderful philanthropists, while the real reasons they visit and give money to orphanages is so they can case them and find those corrupt enough to turn a blind eye when they steal the beautiful children and sell them to the highest bidder.” She shook her head, reached into her pocket for one of the napkins she always carried for Harper and blew her nose. “I may have called you and your people monsters years ago when I didn't know the difference, but I know better now.”

  Out of habit, Eden scanned the area for danger. Satisfied no one lurked around them watching, Eden turned her attention to the playground. She waved back at Harper, who sat ready at the top of another slide, then continued, “I brought her here because she deserves to know her father just as much as her father deserves to know her.”

  “And there's nothing in it for you?” He raised an incredibly perfect brow.

  The expression on his face told her he didn't believe the only reason she returned was for them. He was right. She did want something. She wanted to know that he would protect their daughter above all else. It was what she wanted. It was all she ever wanted.

  “You want something from me. What is it—money?”

  The look on his face, so heavy with disdain, nearly brought Eden to her knees. If only things were so easy.

  She didn't blame him for expecting the worse of her. It was obvious to anyone who cared to look that they were broke. No, they were more than broke now. The word destitute came to mind.

  Even if she managed to find a job and a place to stay, they would be stuck here for a long, long time, unless she left her daughter here in the safe presence of her father.

  “No,” she said, shaking her head as she gathered the courage to glance at him again.

  She wasn't sure she could take the look of disgust in his eyes. It was one thing to tell herself she could do it, but something totally different to look into those beautiful, sexy eyes, knowing the revulsion in them was aimed solely at her.

  “I didn't come here to ask you for money.”

  “What then?” He turned his penetrating gaze on her. “It's obvious you're near the end of your proverbial rope.” He turned away to watch their daughter. “Your clothes are threadbare, and if Harper didn’t have shifter blood running through her veins, she would be freezing right now.”

  Eden glanced at their daughter and smiled, though she was crying inside.

  Harper was having fun, real fun, for the first time in weeks.

  Dull pain radiated from the center of Eden's chest, a fist closing around her heart. How would she ever leave Harper? Even knowing Jake would protect their daughter with his life didn't help with the horrible ache and sense of loneliness already settling in her middle.

  She’d already lost Jake. Eden knew that. Nothing would change the fact that she'd run from him ten years ago, taking his only child with her. The thought of losing her daughter was almost too much to bear. Though she knew, for Harper's safety, she must find a way to leave her with her father and not look back.

  “I—” Swallowing, Eden took a deep breath and tried to tell him the truth of why she'd finally brought her daughter home. “I brought Harper here for your love and guidance, but mostly, I brought her here for your protection.” Eden stared down at her worn shoes and licked her lips.

  No one could protect their daughter the way he and his people could. They weren't human, not fully. They lived their lives by a different set of rules—rules that stated they protect their own above all others. Harper needed that.

  She needed that for her daughter.

  “It's only a matter of time before Edward catches up to us now that the money is gone.” Reaching out, Eden grasped his arm with desperation, her grip tight in case he decided to pull away again.

  Eden willed him to look at her, to see the desperation, the determination in her eyes. “I'll leave if that's what you want.” Her voice caught as she held back a sob. “I wouldn't blame you a bit if you do want me to go. You only have to promise me you will love and protect your daughter.”

  Chapter Four

  Jake stared down at the only woman he had ever loved and cursed the genes that made him what he was—that made them what they were to each other.

  He longed to pull her against him and hold her tight, but he also wanted to take his daughter and tell Eden to get the hell out of his town, but he couldn't. It was the anger he still felt at finding out he'd been a father as well as a mate for the last years he'd spent alone making him feel so much damned frustration.

  As much as his injured pride might prod him to do so, he could never tell Eden to leave their daughter with him and get the hell out of town.

  No matter how much he might hate to admit it, he was comparable to a dry sponge when it came to his mate. Every pore welcomed her scent, soaking her in as she stood next to him. The wolf inside him embraced her natural bouquet. It was all Jake could do to fight the urge to pull her into his arms and rub against her.

  His mate smelled as sweet and intoxicating as she had all those years ago. It was a bit different now that she had a child. A female's scent always changed once she'd had a cub. Legend said a mother's scent was sweeter to her mate. For him, at least, the legends were true.

  Jake took a deep breath, his body wanting to move closer, to wallow in her body’s unique fragrance. Every cell of his being felt the urge to grab Eden, strip her bare, and bathe her with his tongue.

  He craved Eden more than he ever thought possible. His wolf urged him to give in to the need to feel her pressed close.

  The animal part of him wanted to cover every inch of Eden with his scent, and then mount her, mark her, and take her as his mate, once and for all.

  Perhaps he shouldn’t warn her this time, or give her the chance to run. Maybe this time around, he should merely take what was his and damn the consequences because the alternative was too horrible for him to bear.

  Nearly every waking thought over the last nine-plus years had been for her. Once Jake had gotten over the initial grief and anger, he spent most of his time and over sixty-thousand dollars on private detectives searching for her.

  Now, she was within arm’s reach, and he basked in the scent and light of his one true mate.

  Every cell in his body rejoiced that Eden had finally returned, and wailed at the injustice of their separation. He glanced at Harper, and his heart stuttered.

  He had a daughter!

  “Of course, I will love and care for my child. I’m both hurt and surprised that you’d think I would answer that question any other way.”

  Reaching up, he rubbed the center of his chest, where his heart had been before she'd ripped it out, stomped on it, and ground it into the dirt all those years ago.

  He had hoped Eden had returned to replace it, but now he realized she didn't
plan to stay in Haven. Instead, she intended to rip out what was left of his heart and leave. Not again, damn it. He was ready for it this time.

  “How long will it be before you run again?” Jake knew he guessed right when remorse filled her expression.

  “I’m going to stay just long enough for you two to get to know each other.” She shrugged. “I don’t have the heart to leave her until I know she’s comfortable with you.”

  That wouldn’t take long, according to his estimation. Eden had done a wonderful job making their daughter think he was some kind of paragon she should hero-worship. He supposed he should be grateful for that.

  “Then what?” Did she just plan to leave in the dead of night again? Over his fucking dead body!

  “Then I'll go. I don't want to draw any more danger to Harper or you. If I leave her here, maybe Edward won't know where I left her and will leave her alone.”

  Leave? She couldn't disappear on him again. He couldn't allow her to vanish, to run off and abandon their daughter, leaving her without a mother the way she'd deserted him ten years ago.

  Eden had left him without a mate. He’d be damned if he let her force their child to grow up without a mother, even if it wasn’t obvious that Harper loved her mother very much.

  Inside, his wolf sat up and snarled at the idea. It just wasn't going to happen. “You can't just leave her here with a man she doesn't know, even if he is her birth-father, Eden.”

  Jake wasn’t above guilt-tripping her into staying if he must. After spending so much time alone, he would do anything to keep Eden with him. They belonged with each other—to each other.

  “She knows you.” Eden shrugged. “I made sure of that. At least she knows of you. That's almost as good. And Harper knows what you are. I never kept that a secret from her, so she won't run from you as I did.” Eden gave him a wan smile. “She thinks it's cool that she’s part wolf, and she can't wait until you show her how to shapeshift.”

  Agitated, Jake ran his fingers through his hair. He didn't believe for a moment that the only reason Eden planned to leave was for their daughter's safety. She was still running scared. He could smell it. The question was, who was she afraid of, her ex-husband as she claimed, or did Jake still terrify her?

  “So you're just going to keep running? Why not stay here and face your fears head-on? How do you expect our daughter to accept me as I am if you can't?”

  He refused to go easy on her. There was no easy for him when she left. There was only waking to an empty house with no trace of the woman he loved.

  A note on the stove told him not to search for her because she couldn't bear to live with a monster. That's what had hurt the most. The woman he loved above all others thought him a fucking monster.

  Jake's gut clenched as tears filled his mate's eyes. Ten years ago, he would have done almost anything—said anything—to keep her tears at bay.

  He sighed, knowing not much had changed. Even now, he knew he would move the heavens to keep his woman from the pain he saw mirrored in her eyes.

  Sadly, no matter how much Jake longed to help, he knew there was nothing he could do to hold her fear of him at bay. Eden's anxiety over his heritage was something she must overcome on her own.

  Every muscle in his body tensed when Eden moved closer. He could feel the warmth of her body, smell the intoxicating mixture of fear and arousal that surrounded her.

  If she moved any closer, he would never be able to stop himself from pulling her into his arms and holding her against his side, where she belonged.

  Stopping just short of invading his personal space, Eden looked up at him with tearful remorse.

  “I'm not afraid of you, Jake.” She hid her hands behind her back as though afraid to reach out and touch him.

  Eden might say he no longer frightened her, but her actions and her scent spoke louder than words.

  “I'm not afraid of you.” Her voice was stronger, as though repeating it made it true. “I'm more afraid of drawing danger to you both. If I leave, the threat will likely go with me.”

  “And if I won't let you go?” Jake saw a flicker of what looked like hope flare in her eyes before the light left them again.

  “You must. If you don’t, Edward will likely try to kill us all.”

  Chapter Five

  Jake couldn’t help himself. He gave in to his need. He surrendered to every want, every desire he felt since he saw her sitting in the diner, her head bowed as she leaned across the table, saying something to Harper.

  Eden had turned his life upside down yet again. But this time, it was a good thing. She came back knowing, trusting, that he would protect her and their child.

  She might say she planned to leave, but if Eden really did leave them here, she wasn't the woman he thought she was. She had left him ten years ago, but even then, as she said, she'd been thinking about her child, protecting her child. Nothing would stop her from doing the same now—even if it meant staying with the man who frightened her away all those years ago.

  “I won't let you go,” he growled the words into her ear, and then giving in to his need, he grabbed the edges of his coat and pulled her close. “You've come back to me, trusted me to protect our daughter. Have enough faith in me to protect you as well.”

  He slid his hands under his jacket and around her waist, reveling in her intoxicating scent, and the sensation of Eden’s body pressed tight against his.

  How many times had he dreamed of this moment? How many times had he hoped she would return to Haven and give him the chance to make her his? Giving into overwhelming temptation, he covered her lips in a searing kiss.

  Jake pulled her closer, pressing his body against hers. She fit against him perfectly, as though made for him, for his touch. It would have been easy to forget they stood in the park, but it wasn't easy to dismiss the sound of his daughter giggling and chanting.

  “Mommy and Daddy sittin' in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”

  Jake reeled both from her kiss and the fact that Harper had called him daddy for the first time. It was amazing how that one little word could rock his world the way it had.

  Eden pulled away. Her hands in his jacket pockets, she held her head down, her attention on her feet.

  What happened over the last score of years that turned his once spunky mate into someone so afraid of him, of everything? Even when she’d feared him, Eden had possessed the courage to strike out on her own. Life couldn’t have been easy for a nineteen-year-old who was broke, pregnant, and alone.

  ”That's enough, Harper.” Eden glanced toward her daughter, never lifting her head to meet his gaze.

  “Sorry.” The girl grinned up at them, not in the least repentant. “Does that mean we get to live with you, Daddy?”

  “No. It doesn't,” Eden answered for him. “He was just happy to see us and to find out he has such a beautiful daughter.” She glared up at him as though daring him to contradict her words.

  “Of course, you can live with me.” Jake grinned down at Eden, a reminder that no matter how ferocious she seemed, he’d never once been intimidated by one of her glares.

  “No, Jake, we can’t.”

  “Where will you stay then? The boarding house is full, and the only bed and breakfast in town closed for renovations last week in preparation for the summer season. It's my house or nothing, honey.” He glanced toward her car. “I suppose you could stay in your car, such as it is.”

  Torn between laughter and anger, Jake opted for humor. His mother had always said it was better to fight an argument with humor than ire. So far, he’d found that to be true.

  He didn't want to scare his instant family off. Not again. Fate had decided to give him a second chance. The last thing he wanted to do was fuck it up.

  Jake could tell by the look on his mate's face that she wasn't happy with her two options. She had to know that no one else in this town would take her in after she’d left him so abruptly all those years ago.

  Hell, half of his family and friends wanted to
help him search for her and drag her back, kicking and screaming if that was what it took. But he wouldn't have it. After two years, he resigned himself to a solitary life, living with the quiet hope that she would return to him one day.

  She’d managed to vanish without a trace, and they both had to live with her choice. Not that living with it would have been difficult for her. Not in the same way that it was for him at any rate. Another woman would never arouse him. He would have lived the rest of his considerably long life without a mate if Eden had never returned.

  Jake took a deep breath, drawing her scent into his lungs. Providence had given him a second chance, and he was determined to convince Eden that staying with him was her best option.

  If declaring his love couldn’t keep her from leaving Haven, Jake might choose to rescind his alpha status, pack up and go with her.

  Thinking of life on the run with his mate was infinitely better than the half-life he lived without her at his side.

  Gazing down at the child, Jake looked deep into perfect replicas of his eyes. No wonder the child had seemed so familiar to him. He saw those eyes in the mirror every day. Gently, he patted her head and smiled.

  “You can both stay with me. I have a large house with enough rooms for you to have one of your own.”

  “Can we, Mom? I've never had a bedroom all to myself. Can we?”

  Jake wasn't sure when Eden changed her mind. One minute he was certain she would break her daughter's heart, the next, she sighed and nodded.

  “I suppose. If there really isn't anywhere else we can stay.” She knelt and took her daughter's chin in her hand. “But we need to try the other places before we decide for sure.” Standing, Eden leaned closer, her eyes narrowed, and whispered, “You'd better be telling me the truth.”