by Maia Starr
“Why?” Tiffany said.
“It’s simple. I need a mate, and I want you. No other woman called out to me like you did. If shifters—”
“Wait, wait, wait!” Tiffany suddenly said, eyeing him incredulously. “Are you telling me that you bought me...to bear your children?”
The suggestion made his blood pressure skyrocket as his mind began to imagine their future. “Well, that’s one part of it.”
“That’s insane!”
Running a hand through his hair, Kyle sighed once again. “Look, let’s make a deal. I want you, badly, but I’m not like Dax. Really. I want to talk this through with you, but maybe when we’ve grown more comfortable with each other. If you still want nothing to do with me in a few days, then I’ll think about letting you go.” It was a lie, but he could see Tiffany saw it as the truth. Her eyes left him, and he could see the gears in her mind begin to turn. “I won’t manhandle you anymore either if you stop trying to run away. If you haven’t noticed, I might be faster than you.”
Tiffany scowled at him then, but all at once her body seemed to relax, the tension in her muscles residing as he leaned back on the couch. “All I have to do is stay for a few days, right?”
“Right.”
“There’ll be people who notice me gone, you know...I work at Herbert’s.”
“Just call in sick for the time being,” Kyle said, rising to his feet. He sauntered over to the front door. “I’ll be outside. You can sleep on the couch if you want…”
“Like I’ll be able to sleep tonight.”
“Fine, then.”
With that, Kyle closed the front door behind him and leaned against the door, staring up into the night sky. Tiffany was a hard nut to crack. Sooner or later he’d get through to her; it would just take one step at a time.
Chapter Fourteen
She had said she wouldn’t get any sleep that night, and she believed herself when she’d told Kyle, and yet she closed her eyes just after Kyle had gone outside and had woken up to daylight pouring through the windows in the living room.
The light hurt her eyes initially like it had the night before, and so she continued to rest on the couch, tossing and turning, until the realization that she was still in her captor’s home shocked her into sitting up. She stared around, remembering how Kyle had left her alone in the living room, and she’d foolishly let her guard down to sleep after he’d mentioned it. What if he had touched her during the night? As far as she knew, Tiffany could have been out cold the entire night, her exhaustion keeping her from waking as she was raped.
Throwing off a blanket that had been must have been cloaked over her the night before, Tiffany was surprised to find her body in the same state as when Kyle left. None of her clothes were gone, and she didn’t find any attempts at trying to get her naked. Guilt racked her while she stared dumbly at herself.
No! Don’t feel guilty, Tiff. Kyle isn’t a good guy. He still bought you and is probably just waiting for your guard to be let down again.
Again? It would have been so easy for him to screw her while she was still awake, and yet he hadn’t. Was that how normal people, or shifters as he had called himself, acted when they bought people?
Confused, not for the first time, Tiffany pulled the woolen blanket back over her body and hugged herself. Was Kyle really that bad of a guy? Despite how Tiffany had acted, not once had Kyle treated her like Dax of his men did, though he did manhandle her a dozen times the night before. In Tiffany’s mind, a shifter was supposed to be more aggressive, right? Not that she knew anything about shifters, but…
Kyle had said he was a bear shifter specifically...did that mean he shifted into a bear instead of a wolf? Was Kyle, then, a big fluffy bear that was more gentle than vicious? Hard on the outside, softer on the inside? Her thoughts circled those questions endlessly while she sat on the couch, looking out one of the windows into the woods beyond.
Padding softly down a set of stairs at the other end of the room, near the doorway to the kitchen, Kyle emerged from his sleep, yawning and accidentally kicking another beer can down the stairs. The can clattered and bounced and caused Tiffany to jerk in her seat, her head snapping around to spy Kyle cursing. At the base of the stairs, he crouched to pick up the can and tossed it into the kitchen, into some recycling bin that was beyond her sight. But Tiffany’s focus was drawn to Kyle’s body, her gaze mesmerized by his pecs and six-pack. With each stride he took over to her, her heart beat a dozen times faster, and soon her nerves overtook her body.
“Morning,” Kyle said, another beautiful smile filling out his lips. His pearly whites flashed in the sunlight.
“Morning,” Tiffany said quietly. Then she shook her head. “Wait, why am I saying good morning to you?”
Kyle shrugged and marched to the door. “Because you secretly like me?”
She heated up at that comment. “Like hell.”
“I’m heading outside for a bit,” Kyle said, throwing her a look. “I want to talk to you again, though. Soon. You can use my shower upstairs if you want, and if you need a change of clothes, I set out some pants and a top on my bed. They might be a little big for you…”
Tiffany simply nodded and watched as he blinked and walked outside, only to let out a deep breath. She clutched her chest, trying to slow the thumping heart inside her.
Glancing around, she noticed the floor had been picked clean of the beer cans. Kyle had picked them all up. Maybe...maybe Kyle wasn’t so bad after all. At the very least he left her intrigued. There was a growing desire within Tiffany to know him, even if there was a chance that she’d end up as another one of those kidnapping stories. If Kyle was going to give her a choice, then she was glad for that.
But thinking back on the previous night’s conversation, Tiffany had noticed a slight desperation to his tone, a bitter sadness at her comments about his potential alcoholism. There was a larger story, it seemed, and now that she had a clear moment to think, it all began to sink in. If Kyle somehow succeeded in wooing her to become his mate, whatever that entailed, then that desperation and sadness had to be tied to it.
Tapping her finger along her arm, Tiffany’s mind ground to a standstill, her heart telling her to get up and go to Kyle and her mind telling her to leave while Kyle was busy. But he’d find her if she tried to leave, she had no doubt about that. The only way to answer her questions about who Kyle was, and why he bought her, was to go directly to him.
Sighing, Tiffany rose to her feet and trudged to the door. She still didn’t trust him completely, especially if he was an alcoholic...but she’d hear him out at least. Dammit, if only Tiffany had listened to Jack...
Chapter Fifteen
Tiffany
She found him waiting outside, sitting cross-legged just under a big oak tree that shrouded him a cool shade, with patches of light breaking through to spot his skin.
Tiffany took a few moments to study him, to look him over a couple of times before heading over. She needed to steady herself around him, to make sure her cheeks didn’t redden when she finally sauntered over to talk with him. From the angle she stood at, leaning against the doorframe, he sat with his back facing her, his arms crossed and his body hunched over a bit. He seemed to be deep in thought, an idea that made her heart race. A brute that broods...that isn’t too bad. Not at all. She imagined touching his shoulders and back, her hand mindlessly caressing the doorframe in her imagination. When she realized what she was doing, she shook her head and walked forward, meaning to get to the bottom of his nature right there and then.
Kyle’s gaze drifted over to her as she came up to his side and lowered herself to the ground. His eyes widened a bit at the sight of her drawing her knees up to her chest. “What’s up?” he asked. “I didn’t think you’d be coming to me so quickly.”
“Yeah, well, I wanted to talk to you.” She studied his eyes, her lips trembling as those gorgeous dark pools drew in her gaze. It was a moment before she broke the contact and glanced away into the f
orest. “Look, I’m still a little unclear on a few things…”
Suddenly Kyle threw his head back and chuckled. “So you’re saying you’re going to stay?”
“Like hell! I’m just curious,” Tiffany said. “Besides, we have a deal now. I’ll stick to it for the time being, as long as you hold up your end, yeah?”
Kyle’s wide grin dwindled to a small smile, his eyes never leaving her. “There’s never an end to the deals I make, I suppose...so many promises.”
“What does that mean?”
He was quiet, searching deep into her as the moment lengthened. Tiffany’s heart pounded as she waited for him to continue. Something was there on the tip of his tongue, but it wouldn’t come out so easily. What other promises were there? What exactly has this guy been living through recently?
Opening his mouth to speak, Kyle shut it just as he started to speak and grunted, bringing up a can of beer that he’d hidden at his side. Alarmed, Tiffany snatched his wrist before he could bring it to his lips. His skin was warm, like his blood pulsed just beneath the thick layer of skin. Her blood quickened at the thought of her hand gripping his. “Wait a minute! Don’t drink now! I need you sober, dammit.”
“It’s alright,” he said. “I have a high tolerance. Comes from my shifter blood I think...and the fact I drink every day.”
“That’s terrible! Just stop for today...before long, you’re going to have a problem.”
Kyle grimaced and growled. “And what if I already do?” he snapped.
Tiffany jerked at his reaction, her fingers accidentally slipping off of his wrist, leaving her hand to waver in the air. Kyle regarded her with a surprised expression, as if his outburst shocked him as well. She lowered her hand just as he lowered the beer can and set it on the ground, a heavy breath escaping his lips.
Rubbing his shoulders, he gazed at her with a bittersweet expression etched into the folds of his face, as if that look had been around for decades. “Sorry, I just...drinking has been the only thing keeping me sane recently. I’m the alpha in the Woodland Bear Clan now, meaning I’m bound to go feral sooner rather than later if I can’t find a mate.”
Gulping, Tiffany drew her knees tighter to her chest. “I don’t understand…”
“No, of course, you don’t. Why would you? You’re human, after all. Man, I wonder if this is how Emily was with Alexander…”
A sharp laugh escaped Tiffany’s lips by accident as her mind struggled to make sense of what he was saying. Her outburst drew a raised brow from him, and she smiled at him. “I come to you to get answers, and all I find are more questions. You’re great at confusing people.”
Kyle chuckled. “Alright, alright. I get it. There’s a lot you don’t know. Especially about shifters, it seems.”
“So then explain it all to me,” Tiffany said, pointing to the beer can. “And leave that can out of it, will you? I don’t like men with vices.”
Kyle flinched at her statement, his hand absentmindedly touching the can, his finger drawing around the top until he turned to face her completely. “Alright. So, shifters, you’ve got the basic gist, yeah? We shift into animals. There are all kinds, like wolf shifters, dragon shifters—”
“Dragons?” Tiffany nearly shouted.
Kyle smiled. “Yep. Crazy, isn’t it? Point is, as we’ve already established, I’m one of them. But not just any old shifter: I’m the alpha of my clan, the leader. My will extends over my kin...though if the previous alpha were still alive, I’d still be a drunk idiot just trying to live happily right now.” Frowning, Tiffany made to question him again, but he threw up his hand. “Let me finish. All shifters need a mate at some point, a partner for life to satiate their hunger, and to eventually have offspring. It’s in our natures. But if a shifter can’t find a mate, eventually he goes insane, or feral, if you want to call it that. And alphas, well, we have it the worst. Our minds go feral much quicker. Right now, I’m on the verge myself, but you’ve staved off some of that growing insanity. That’s why I need you...no, why I want you so badly, Tiffany.”
Oh dear. Tiffany’s head was spinning. Clutching at the side of her head, she tried to calm herself, but with her chest thumping like crazy and her mind beginning to understand why she was kidnapped in the first place, Tiffany’s trust in him was beginning to grow. “Seriously? If you hadn’t ordered me kidnapped, I might have been yours already…”
Kyle shrugged after a moment. “I didn’t order you kidnapped, just accepted the deal to buy you. Besides, I’d rather have you in good hands whether I wanted you as my mate or not...not that I those good hands just yet.”
“Oh, god, there you go again!” Tiffany squealed, her trust hitting a wall. “What are you keeping from me? What is it that you’re so afraid of telling me?” He was silent as he glanced away. “No, look me in the eyes, Kyle. What is it you want from me? To just accept you without knowing the full picture? Are you kidding me? Tell me everything!” He made to bring up the beer can to his lips once again, but, in her frustration, she swatted it out of his hand, the can rolling on the ground and the beer flowing out.
Kyle scowled and turned on her, only to find her already risen to her feet and marching away.
“Like hell I need any of this right now,” Tiffany called over her shoulder. “If you can’t tell me, then this deal is off, Kyle. I’m leaving.” Without waiting for him to charge after her, she set off into the woods, not knowing which direction she needed to head in.
Chapter Sixteen
Kyle
Kyle couldn’t believe it. He didn’t think it was possible to fall so hard for someone, especially a human woman who was so bold.
Tiffany hadn’t just blown him off; she’d blown him off, decided to break off their little deal, and stalked off. Sauntering off into the woods, she’d given him a single look before disappearing. Kyle didn’t immediately go after her. Instead he stared after her, his mind reeling after he watched the sway of her hips. Not just anyone would stand up to him like that. Even before he was alpha, Kyle held a certain presence among the Woodland Bear Clan. The only people who might have told Kyle off were Alexander and Emily, the alpha and mate of the alpha. But he was used to them, used to their outbursts.
But there was something different about Tiffany’s look of annoyance. The way she walked, arms crossed, beautiful, her brows furrowed adorably. It all made his inner bear rage inside, made his blood pump like there was no tomorrow.
If you can’t tell me, then this deal is off, Kyle.
No, not yet.
Rising to his feet in a surge of adrenaline, Kyle jogged off after Tiffany, his mind razor-focused on her and her alone. The can of beer she had slapped out of his hand remained on the ground, forgotten.
Is this how Alexander felt when he’d gone after Emily? When he finally claimed her? If Kyle thought he wanted her before, then he burned for her now. Tiffany had stood up to him because she was curious about him, because she was willing to work with him. It all hinged on her growing trust in him. He could sense her trust was slow and deliberate, taking cautious steps around him.
So how could Kyle get around that slow falling barrier of hers? He couldn’t wait forever, and neither did he want to. The more he was around Tiffany, the more he wanted to make love to every second he was with her, and without her, he struggled to keep himself sane. During the night he’d been restless, forcing himself to stay away from her until she’d had a good night’s rest. But now? Now his inner bear was about to break down its cage, and unless Tiffany was there to stop that from happening, it was all over for Kyle. He needed her more than she knew at the moment.
Following quickly in her footsteps, Kyle caught up to her in no time, stopping in front of her and grabbing onto her arms. “Wait! You can’t walk away.”
“And why can’t I? Are you going to force me to be here after not being able to come clean? I’m not just going to be your sex slave, Kyle.”
“That was never the plan,” he said, staring her down. He made a consc
ious effort not to grip her thinner arms too hard as he accidentally pushed her back.
“Hey!” Tiffany said as she unclasped herself from Kyle. He was breathing hard now, panting in and out like the grizzly inside of him, his eyes never leaving her. “What do you want me to say, Kyle? This isn’t why I came to Salem. Not to be kidnapped, and not to be placed in the hands of a man, or shifter, that refuses to talk about himself. That’s not what I want in a partner...in a mate.” Her hazel eyes drifted up to stare directly into him. “Whatever it is your hiding...I want to know. Hell, my last boyfriend didn’t have a secret like this. At least, I don’t think he did.”
Kyle stopped breathing. He didn’t just want to love this woman; he wanted to impress her. It was an overwhelming feeling, something Kyle hadn’t felt before, not truly. His skin bristled, sensitive to everything going on around him. If she were to touch him right now, Kyle wasn’t sure he’d be able to hold back.