by Lila Rose
“Are you two done?” I asked, unamused.
“I think so.”
“Good.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I don’t know what…. Okay, there could have been something with that man, but I won’t let it go anywhere. You know I’ve sworn off men. We’ll go and have one drink tonight. Stay for maybe half an hour, but then we’re out of there, because I didn’t get a chance to look for a job today, so I’ll be doing it tomorrow.”
“Sure.” She smiled. She agreed a little too quickly, and I wasn’t happy about the speed. In fact, her smile seemed a little too crazy for my liking.
“Half an hour, Mom,” I said again.
She gave me a thumbs-up. “You got it.”
I had a feeling the night was going to be a weird one.
Slipping through the door, I nodded and offered a smile to the bouncers, even when I was pissed way the hell off. Mom couldn’t make it. Behind her locked door, she told me she wasn’t feeling well and that it wouldn’t look good if neither of us showed up. I was there to show my face and run back to the house to get into my pajamas and hop into bed to read a good book.
The bouncer’s nostrils flared as he took in a breath. He nodded down at me and moved back a little. Strange.
I walked toward the bar. I wouldn’t drink, since I drove, but I could use a Coke.
My skin prickled from the feeling of a lot of people watching me. Ignoring them, I stopped at the bar and took a subtle glance around the room. The place was crowded, surprising for such a small town. It must have been a popular place to hang out in.
“Hey, can I get you a drink?” was asked from beside me.
Glancing in the direction of the voice, I offered a small smile to the man, saying, “Thank you for the offer—”
“She’s mine” got growled from the other side of me. The man blanched when he looked over my shoulder.
My brows dropped in confusion when the man stretched his neck back a little before mumbling, “Right, sorry.” He was gone in the next second.
Sighing, I turned toward the man who I was sure had said, “She’s fine,” and not, “She’s mine.” That was what I was sticking with in my mind, anyway.
“Hi, Havoc,” I said.
“Jackson,” he replied, his gaze burning down at me, but I would only look at his chin.
“Who’s Jackson? That guy who just left?”
“No. I’m Jackson, to you.”
Oh.
“Um, okay.” I wasn’t sure if I should have been upset that he wanted me to call him something different to everyone else or happy he’d asked me. Not that it mattered. It didn’t. “I guess your full name is Jackson Havoc?”
“Yes.”
Since he was a man of few words, our connection… this chemistry was definitely physical attraction. I couldn’t base it on anything else when we couldn’t even have a proper conversation.
“Your mom?” he asked.
The heat in my cheeks pushed forward quickly. “She wasn’t feeling well. I just wanted to drop in to say hi and thanks for the invite before leaving.”
He shuffled closer, and even over the music, I could hear his intake of breath. “Have a drink with me?”
My heart felt like it swung forward, wanting out of my body to meet the man in front of me.
“Okay,” I whispered, and I wasn’t even sure he would hear it, but in the next moment, he was ordering two Cokes. How did he know I wasn’t going to get something else?
“You’re driving, right?”
Of course. “Yes.” I smiled, glad he’d come to the conclusion and didn’t pressure me into one alcoholic drink. Then again, we weren’t in high school or college where classmates pressured others.
The drinks arrived, and I thanked him again for mine before taking it off the bar and having a sip. The coolness helped my cheeks. Only a little. Why was my body humming? Why did I want to reach out to him? Why were my nipples perking up to say hello?
Who was this man?
“Cora.” His voice was low and right near my ear.
“Hmm?”
“Why don’t you look at me?”
Holy shitstick. I couldn’t tell him I didn’t want to meet his gaze as I was worried I’d get lost in it because my body reacted more profoundly when he looked at me like he wanted me.
Unless it was all in my imagination.
Smiling, I tipped my head back and stared at him.
The smile dropped from my face, knowing then I hadn’t imagined that look. Heat blazed in his dark gaze. I reached for the bar for something to hold on to.
“Cora, great to see you.”
I jolted and faced Alton as he stopped beside Jackson. His smile was infectious. I returned it and then looked at the woman, who was also grinning, under his arm. He curled her in tighter and said, “This is my wife, Kathy. Kathy, meet Cora.”
“Hi, Cora, it’s lovely to meet you.”
“You too, Kathy.”
Someone else joined our group, a man in his early twenties with long blond hair. “Alph—” He let out a wheeze when Kathy jammed her elbow into his gut.
“Kenny, this is Cora. Cora, this is my annoying younger brother. And, Kenny, you know my husband, Alton, and Havoc, right?”
He glanced at all of us and straightened. “Yes, I remember.”
I was right. This night just started to get weird. Of course Kenny would know Alton and Havoc. Why would she introduce them again?
Kathy laughed as she ruffled Kenny’s hair. “Kenny forgets things all the time. One day he’ll get his throat ripped out if he keeps it up.”
Kenny laughed hesitantly. “Yeah, silly me. I’ll remember from now on. Got to go. Nice to meet you, Cora.”
My eyes widened when he bowed to me before he practically ran from the area.
Had we moved into the Twilight Zone? Were we near Roswell?
A hand settled to my lower back, and suddenly, I felt better. More centered. From the heat radiating from his body, I knew it was Jackson. I blinked at how easy it had been for me to start to call him Jackson instead of Havoc. Although, it felt more natural, like I’d been supposed to call him that.
Jesus, maybe Mom and I had somehow traveled through the Bermuda Triangle and crossed over to a different dimension where Jackson was made for me? I started laughing, my brain throwing me for a loop, and I was sure making me seem hysterical.
“What’s so funny?” Kathy asked with a smile, and both men stopped their quiet conversation to look down at me.
I waved a hand around. “Nothing. Just a random thought.”
“How about we grab a booth?” Kathy suggested.
“Um, sure, for a little while. I’m planning on looking for a job tomorrow so can’t be out late.”
Kathy glanced at the man close beside me and then back before smiling. She turned and led the way toward a corner. The people in the booth saw us coming and quickly moved. My brows dipped. Maybe they didn’t like the group I was with? Jackson could be intimidating. Shaking yet another thing off, I slid into the booth opposite Kathy and Alton. Jackson sat beside me.
“You were saying you’re looking for a job, Cora?”
“Yes. I’m good at bookkeeping or sales. If you know of anything, I’d love to hear it.”
She glanced at Jackson.
Turning to him, I asked, “Do you know of something?”
He nodded. A small smile played on his lips, and I liked it there. It was better than the scowl. I liked the way his lips moved too.
“Cora?” Kathy called.
Shaking my head slightly, I faced her. She was grinning, her eyes alight with humor. “Yes?”
“Havoc was saying he has an assistant job open.”
My head jerked back in shock. “He did?”
She giggled. “Yes.”
The man beside me was dangerous. So very, very dangerous. He called to me in too many ways, making it impossible to think straight. I wanted to know everything there was to know about him, and it filled me with fear.
>
Chapter Four
Havoc
Her scent kept changing, arousal being at the forefront. And there was a lot of the sweet, alluring scent when she looked at me, even when she didn’t meet my eyes. But fuck, when she did, the arousal was at its peak. It meant she was into me, even if it was just physical attraction. Whatever the reason, I didn’t care. My wolf didn’t care. We just damn loved she was interested. My dick had never been so fucking hard. But when her scent changed to uncertainty, frustration clawed through me, not liking how uncertain she was about this situation. That emotion had hit hard with Kenny, that fucking bow, and then when I’d mentioned the job.
I hated she was in the dark. I hated keeping this from her, but I had to until I was sure she could accept me as a shifter.
Cora cleared her throat. “You need an assistant?”
“Yes,” I answered, pulling my thoughts back together. “I run… a few things and need help with calls and emails.”
“Oh” was her only reply.
Was she interested in the job? I wanted her interested. If I got to see her every day, that’d be fucking perfect, and I wouldn’t be on edge when she wasn’t near me. Until a shifter bonded with their mate, they would always worry and want to be near them. We became very protective. But hell, the protective streak stayed around even after the bond was in place.
“Would you be interested?” Kathy asked, and hell, I could have hugged her.
The silence told me Cora was at least thinking about it, but I wasn’t good at waiting.
“Sure?” she said, the word sounding more like a question.
“What about you meet Havoc tomorrow at the cabin? He’ll show you what will be needed in the job, and you can see if it’s what you’re after?” Alton suggested, and shit, I could have hugged him as well.
She smiled at him, and my gratitude shifted. I wanted to punch him. A growl rumbled up and out of me.
Cora froze at my side. She went to turn my way until Kathy yelled, “Cora!” Cora’s gaze swept back to Kathy, and she continued, “I-I heard, well, Alton told me your mom fed him pot cookies.”
Cora’s cheeks flushed as she groaned and palmed her face. Thank fuck, or she would have seen my wolf gazing out. She shook her head. “I’m so sorry about that,” she mumbled behind her hands. She might not think we could hear, but we all did.
Kathy laughed. “It’s fine. He’s never been one to sit around, but this afternoon he did.”
“Think we did more than that,” Alton teased his wife, causing Kathy to blush.
“Um, yeah, so my mom is a little unique.”
“She’s cool,” Alton offered.
Cora smiled. “Thank you.”
Did Alton want me to rip his throat out? Those smiles were mine. Fuck, I was being ridiculous, but I couldn’t help it. Sitting so close to my mate without touching her was harder than I thought it would be.
I needed her attention back on me. “Alton, Kathy, why don’t you go order some food?”
Cora stilled, glancing at me out the corner of her eyes. “I’m not hungry.”
“That’s okay. We’ll get something to share for all of us, and if you see something you like, you can try it.” Kathy smiled. She moved out of the booth after Alton, and they made their way to the bar.
“Where did you move from?” I asked, picking up my drink and taking a sip to give myself something to do.
“Far away from here. I’ve been to a few places in the last few months.” Her body jerked, seeming surprised she’d told me that piece of information.
“How come?” I pressed.
She shrugged. “Just wanted to see different places.”
“Do you think Badlands is a place you could settle in?”
She stared out at the people around us, a soft grin slipping onto her lips. “There’s something about here that makes me want to stay.”
Fuck yes.
“That’s good.” Christ, I hadn’t spoken casually like this in a long time. Usually it was about pack business.
“Have you lived here your whole life?” she asked, glancing at me and then away.
“Born and raised.”
She smiled. My chest expanded. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was. She was stunning. Reaching out, I tucked a strand of her soft hair behind her ear. I didn’t miss her breath catching or the shiver.
My wolf wanted to howl with how happy he was. So did I.
“What do you like doing?” I asked.
Her head cocked my way. When her eyes moved to mine, it felt unreal that she was finally relaxing enough to look at me. Earlier, I spoke to a fellow pack member who had a human mate and asked if the human could feel the bond beforehand. He had explained that Cora would feel a certain type of connection toward me, but it would also make her uneasy because she wouldn’t be able to understand the intensity of it. So, while she was being cautious of the connection, her courage to meet my gaze made me damn happy.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“When you’re not working, in your free time?”
“Oh. Um…” She shrugged. “I love swimming.”
“The ocean ain’t far from here. Badlands borders it. I’ll have to take you some time.”
“I didn’t know it was so close. That would be great.” Surprise flickered in her eyes following her words.
I nodded. “It’s set.”
Her nose screwed up. “But… I mean, if I get the job, wouldn’t doing things out of work be bad?”
Hell no.
“I won’t tell the boss if you don’t.”
Jesus motherfucking Christ. Her laugh was like balm to my cuts, Viagra to my dick, and food for my wolf.
“How about we see how things go?” she asked, then blushed. “I mean if I get the job and… nothing.” God, she was cute.
“The help around the business would be great,” I told her. I wasn’t sure if it’d be enough of a hint to tell her she had the job.
“What is it you actually do?”
Shit, how did I explain I was an alpha in charge of five hundred wolves? I’d have to stick with the other side of the business. “The family owns a few places around here. We also have a couple of gas stations.”
“That must keep you busy.”
Besides the businesses, the pack was what kept me the busiest.
“Yeah, it does, but I think it’s time for me to take a moment to myself every now and then. Like tonight.”
She took a sip of her drink. “You don’t usually come here?”
“No.”
Her brows dipped. “How come?”
It was my turn to shrug. I couldn’t exactly say I dealt with enough people in all the other hours that I didn’t want my downtime to involve more. I’d sound like a bastard.
“Are bars usually your scene?” I asked. If it was, I’d deal with it because I’d want to make sure my mate was safe.
Her cute nose screwed up again. “Not really.” She laughed. “I’m more about having friends over for dinner and drinks. Small gatherings without so much noise.”
Perfect.
She was damn perfect.
“That sounds good.”
She rewarded me with another smile. I had an urge to count the ones I got. It also made me return it with my own. She sucked in a breath. Her heated eyes were on my mouth, and I wanted a damn taste of her lips. I needed a taste.
Slowly, I leaned in. The sound around us lessened when I focused just on Cora Smith. Nothing else mattered except for her. Her nostrils flared. I was close, just a fraction away from sealing my mouth to hers.
“Havoc!”
We stilled. Cora blinked out of her daze and jerked away from me. I was going to kill the person who interrupted us.
Looking up, I saw Brea standing at the edge of the booth glaring down at my mate. A growl erupted in the back of my throat.
“We’re back,” Kathy announced. I stopped the rumble when I noticed Cora staring at me with wide eyes. Kathy moved into the booth, saying, �
�Sorry it took so long. We saw some people we knew and got lost chatting.”
“Brea, leave,” Alton clipped when he sat beside his wife.
“Havoc, can I have a word?” Brea asked.
“No,” I bit out.
“Please. It’s about… business.”
Cora cleared her throat. “It’s okay. You can have my seat. I really should get going.”
“Probably best,” Brea sneered.
I clenched my hands so I didn’t punch the bitch standing there. Then again, I’d never hit a woman, so I’d sic Kathy onto her. She had no fucking right to approach us. Business was during the day. Brea knew this, yet she was causing my mate to leave.
Cora shifted to get out of the booth. I dropped my hand to her arm. She gasped and looked back. “Stay. The food’s coming.”
“But I need to speak with you, Havoc,” Brea whined.
“Jesus, Brea, get a clue,” Kathy muttered.
“Shut it, Kathy.”
Alton stood. Fuck, this was about to get messy. He leaned into Brea and asked low, “What the fuck did you just say to my mate?”
Brea’s chin came up. The fool wasn’t scared, but she needed to be. “She needs to mind her own business.”
“You need to get lost, bitch. The alpha wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole.”
“Alton,” Kathy tried.
Alton smirked down at Brea. “Actually, no one in the pack would touch you. Whatever business you think you have, take it to your parents and then he’ll listen to them. Not you.”
Brea sniffed. Her eyes dropped to me. “Havoc?”
“Listen to your beta,” I ordered.
“Guys,” Kathy snapped.
We all looked to her, and she nodded toward Cora.
She breathed erratically, her eyes wide, and I scented fear.
My heart fractured.
The words we’d said ran through my mind. Alpha. Beta. Pack.
Fuck.
I opened my mouth, closed it, but her name slipped out seconds later. “Cora.”