I headed back out to find Harkins sitting on a bar stool next to the wall. He was within reach of Amy, but out of the way and view of most patrons entering the bar. I stood beside him for a moment, speaking in barely a whisper. “Zaria sent Garret down to the valley. He’ll need three for back-up. Scouts, enforcers.”
He nodded once, then took a sip of his drink. It was as good as done.
With that handled, I went back to my office and dealt with paperwork for as long as I could stand. It was a quiet and uneventful day stuck in the horrible office. A few hours later, I checked in at the bar before I left. Amy was cheerfully chatting with some out-of-towners, earning her tips. The evening rush was well on its way. Human and wolf customers alike danced, drank, and played pool. Callie and Shea carried drinks to tables; Harkins rested his back against the wall. His arms were crossed, his chin hung down. All was well, time to go.
Cool air filed my lungs, a refreshing break from the suffocating confines of the building. Vanilla, lavender, and something sweet mingled in the air. The almost familiar scent stirred a longing inside of me. I wondered a moment if I had imagined it. I glanced around, curious.
Then I froze, paralyzed, looking to the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street. The most beautiful woman I had ever seen stood across from me in tattered jeans, black boots, and a grey, zippered sweater. Her chestnut waves blew with the breeze as she stared at me with deep, blue eyes that saw straight through to the real me.
It was too good to be true. I held my eyes open, terrified that if I blinked she would be gone. I had to see her closer. I had to touch her. Without thinking, I moved faster than I should, out where anyone could see me, a blur to the human eye, desperate to be close.
In no time I was face to face with the woman of my dreams. The one I could never forget, the one I could never get over. I squeezed her in my arms, running my fingers through her silky hair as she rested her head against my chest. Her ample breasts pressed against my chest, wonderfully giving to the firmness they met. She rested her arms gently on my back, her touch sending electricity through my body. Every hair stood on end, affected by her presence. My inner wolf stirred inside me, as excited as my human half. I wondered how this woman could have such an effect on me. How could one touch feel so good, mean so much? I exhaled, realizing I'd been holding my breath, my body unwilling to do anything until I knew she was really here. I took in her scent, so sweet and familiar, though changed while we'd been apart. I towered over her, pressing her body against mine. So small and fragile in my arms, but still soft and warm like I remembered.
“Cole,” she let out, barely a whisper.
“God, Hailey, I missed you.” I'd never meant anything more in my life.
“I...” she started.
My shirt dampened against her cheek. Was she crying? I pulled her gently away from me to see, just a step back, still in my reach. Fuck, she wasn't happy to see me. How could she be? Tears rolled down her cheeks, and her sad eyes were sunken and hollow. Too many bones showed through her milky white skin. She had lost too much weight, too much of her beautiful feminine curve. I hadn’t been there to take care of her. Black and blue marred one of her eyes, and her lip was split.
“Who did this to you?” I snapped, angry at whoever hurt her, angry at myself for not being there for her.
She took a step back, distancing herself from me, taking the warmth and electricity of her touch. Her hands trembled.
“This was a bad idea. I shouldn't have come.” Her voice shook and more tears rolled down her face. She lowered her chin, hiding her eyes from mine as she backed away. Just out of reach, Hailey ran down the sidewalk away from me, leaving me broken and hollow.
I’d scared her away. I was such a monster.
Chapter Six
Hailey
I was hoping it would have been easier. I knew I should have gone straight to my sister first, settle in before dealing with my feelings and our past. I couldn't resist, though, I was so desperate to catch a glimpse of Cole. He was even more beautiful than I remembered, larger even, if that's possible. The most gorgeous, masculine creature I've ever seen, a giant sex god built of solid muscle. His eyes glittered like gold in the last bits of sunlight, his strong jaw coated with rough stubble. He had let his hair grow longer since I'd been gone, to almost chin length. A length that showed he still knew how to have fun, even in that sexy business suit.
I’d thought seeing him would be a comfort, knowing he was nearby. I didn't plan for him to be close enough to touch me, to send the pang of aching need though me, making me desperate for more. I didn't even know what kind of man he was, certainly not the boy I fell in love with, or the one who pulled away from me. The one I left behind.
I certainly wasn't the girl he used to care for. I was broken and lost.
I wiped my eyes as I walked up the wooden steps and onto the porch of a beautiful Victorian home. It was blue this time, not the yellow I remembered. The dull green grass smelled freshly cut. More bushes decorated the front than there used to be. I missed the flowers that used to stand in their place. The pacific yew we planted as a memorial after Mom and Dad died was still growing strong, beautiful with its purplish red and brown bark. Olivia was taking good care of it.
Stopping at the front door, I rang the bell.
Moments later, my sister answered the door. Tall, thin, and bubbly, she was more striking than I remembered, even relaxed in her black yoga pants and white long-sleeved tee. The sight of her was a reminder of all of the good things about home.
Her eyes widened when she saw me. She grabbed me and pulled me in for a big hug, squeezing the breath out of me. The affectionate welcome from my sister told me that this was exactly where I should be. Her embrace held as much warmth as the hug from Cole, but without the confused feelings of longing and regret in my gut.
“Hailey!” Her voice lifted in excitement, two pitches higher than her natural tone. “I'm so glad you're here.”
“Yeah, it's good to see you too, Liv.”
“How've you been? How's school? Come in, come in, I want to hear everything.” She pulled me by the elbow into our childhood home, leaving no chance for objection. Not that I was going to say no, but her excitement was a whirlwind. I didn't know if I could keep up but it was refreshing, and I smiled for the first time in years.
I stopped just inside the foyer and Olivia shuffled around me to close the door. I took note of the walls, so different than they had been, so much whiter. The house had a more modern feel with less wood and creams and more metals and minimalist lines. A vase of flowers sat on the table, just like Mom always kept. Short and silver, it was Mom's vase. A different home than I remembered, but it suited Olivia: strong, modern, feminine. The small touches that remained of our family life here showed that she wanted to keep a sense of our childhood as a part of the house, too. I was so glad that she had used some of the settlement money to keep the house. We hadn’t gotten a fortune from the car accident, but preserving our home was well worth the cost.
Olivia ushered me to the living room. The walls were white instead of the sand color Mom had painted years ago. The worn blue and white plaid sofa-bed had been replaced by a tall wooden sofa with thin, gray microfiber cushions. I expected it to be uncomfortable, but when we sat down side by side, I was pleasantly surprised. I stared at my hands, not sure what I should tell her.
She spoke first. “Okay, so tell me what happened to your face. And don't tell me you fell down the steps.”
“Would you buy that I walked into a wall?”
Liv gave me a look that told me she didn’t appreciate my joke. I should have expected her to beat me to starting this conversation. My sister was naturally protective, naturally direct.
“I know I should have called. I'm sorry to just show up like this,” I started, trying to figure out exactly what to say.
“You know you are always welcome here. So, tell me what happened.”
I took a deep breath and continued staring at my
hands, knowing if I looked her in the eye I wouldn't be able to hold back the tears. “You know that guy I was seeing?”
“Doctor control freak? Yeah, I remember.” Her deep tone told me exactly what she thought of him.
“Things got really bad. I tried to break it off.” My voice began to shake. It wasn't until Olivia put her hand on mine that I realized my whole body was shaking. “He wouldn't listen.”
Tears streamed down my face. Olivia pulled me in for a hug, holding me while I cried on her shoulder.
“It's okay, you're home now.”
As I cried out all I had in me, I felt my body slump. Every muscle ached and I could barely hold my eyes open. The tension of the day and the past weeks was weighing on me, and I couldn't go anymore.
“Can we call it a day?” My voice trailed off in tired breaths.
“Of course. I'll go make your bed.”
Chapter Seven
Cole
My massive paws splashed down into puddles as the mud beneath my feet formed to their shape. Cold water fell from the sky, pelting me, but not hard enough to distract me from my thoughts. My inner wolf pushed me to find her, to follow Hailey. To not let her go. The animal inside screamed at me to take her, mate her. The rational part of me wanted to listen, to go to her, kiss her, show her how much she meant to me. Never let her go again.
But I couldn't do those things. I couldn't hurt her. She deserved so much better than me and my fucked-up shifter life.
I ran harder along the outskirts of our territory, hoping the rain would cool the heat boiling inside of me, cool the emotion that threatened to burst my control.
I caught a familiar scent up ahead. Not one that I wanted to deal with. Why was my mother at my stream? She must have been waiting for me. At least it was a distraction. She sat at the side of my favorite place in the forest. Zaria was a beautiful, petite wolf, with fur the same black as mine. In an area where gray and white fur was predominant, my mother stood out from the crowd. She’d weeded through a number of suitors before and after my father, before she was mated to Garret.
Beside her sat Amy, similar in size to my mother, but with fur as fair as snow. Under a large tree they waited, shielded from the rain.
“You have to stop ambushing me up here.” I addressed my mother, clearly the one in charge of whatever this was.
“Ambush? We were just having a nice chat.” One side of her mouth curved up slightly.
“We need to talk. Alone. Excuse us, Amy.” I was in no mood to deal with my mother's games. She followed me into the rain, away from Amy.
“You should not have sent Garret alone. You should have discussed your plans with me first.” I directed the conversation to what we actually needed to discuss.
“Garret will be fine. He carries gifts from the alpha of the more powerful pack.” Her voice was a purr as she shifted the conversation back to her agenda.
“I’m not alpha.”
“You would be if you would just take a mate.” She glanced back at Amy, who sat quietly under the large pine by the water bank.
“I’m in no mood to do this again.”
“Amy would make a fine...”
“She is not my mate.” I cut her off. “Leave her alone.”
“She would be happy to have your cubs. She loves you. Don't you see it?”
I looked at Amy waiting for us. She was a kind and lovely wolf. My heart twisted.
“She is not my mate,” I repeated.
“You need to pick one, sooner rather than later. It's only a matter of time before Crazy Eyes or some other wolf full of ambition comes in and ruins what your father and I built. That's why I sent Garret. I'm buying you time. There is only so much I can do. I'm just a small she-wolf.”
“Are you done?”
“Consider what I've said. Amy would make a good mate.”
I turned toward Amy, who sat waiting under the tree. I raised my voice so she could hear me. “Bye, Amy.”
I needed to leave this place that had been tainted by my mother's presence.
Chapter Eight
Hailey
I screamed at the top of my lungs. “Help me, please! No!”
Little sound escaped as his large hand sealed my mouth.
“Don't fight. You know you want it.” That voice was the worst sound I'd ever heard. My heart raced. Please, no. I tried to scream, to kick, to hit, but my arms were held down in his hand and my flailing feet couldn't reach their target.
A silhouette above me came into focus as my eyes strained to adjust in the blackness. Tears streamed down my face. No. Get off me! Only a muffle escaped. His other hand pulled at my panties. The pressure containing my wrists released, and I realized he had released my arms. I scraped frantically at his face with my nails. My assailant recoiled, releasing my mouth just enough. I bit his hand with all my might, tasting a hint of blood. Frank shifted his weight to the side as he loomed over me in the dark.
“Stupid bitch.” A furious whisper only inches away.
I hit his nose with the palm of my hand, then ran for the door. With no regard for the fact that I was wearing only a t-shirt and panties, I rushed into the hall and down the stairs. How did that fucker get into my apartment? My breathing was ragged, and my heart threatened to pound its way out of my chest. I heard his voice in my head. You know you want it.
The smell of coffee stirred me from my nightmare. Heated, rich, earthy scents drifted up from the kitchen. I turned on my side and squeezed the pillow against my face. It smelled so familiar; it smelled like home. I lay on my back and looked around the room. Olivia had left this room exactly the way it had been painted, my favorite shade of robin's egg blue. She had left the wooden furniture exactly where it had been, my furniture. The single bed was the same one that I used to sleep in as a little girl. The down comforter was white and soft. Across the room from the bed was my dresser, filled with my clothes. The same lamp sat on the corner of the dresser. The same circular mirror decorated the wall by the door. My room.
The hardwood floor was cold on my bare feet as I climbed out of bed and pulled the covers back up to the pillows. I unzipped the bag sitting on the floor by the closed door and pulled two framed pictures from inside. One picture was of me and Cole by the river, the other of my family from before the accident. I placed my two favorite pictures where they belonged on top of the dresser, the same place they used to sit.
Digging through my bag, I picked some fresh clothes out. I slipped the t-shirt off over my head, and dropped it with my panties on the floor next to my bag. I threw on a clean bra and boyshorts and looked in the mirror. The bruises on my side and stomach still looked terrible. At least the circles under my eyes had started to fade. I twisted my tousled hair into a messy bun and pulled on dark-washed skinny jeans and a soft, white t-shirt.
Beckoned by the amazing smell of the freshly brewed coffee, I headed toward the kitchen. Halfway down the stairs I realized I never even asked Liv how she’d been doing while I was away. We had talked on the phone at least once a week while I was gone, but I should have thought to ask her in person last night. Here she was giving me a place to stay, worrying about my problems, and I didn't even bother to ask how she was. I added getting Liv a thank-you gift to my mental to-do list, something that said “sorry I've been selfish” and “you really are the best.”
“Feeling a little better this morning?” Olivia looked up at me over the edge of her oversized coffee cup as she took a sip. Her hair was shiny and flawlessly straightened, the kind of banged bob you’d see on a model in a magazine. Impeccable light makeup adorned her face, the effortless looking kind that made it hard to tell if she was wearing any at all. Liv was Hollywood gorgeous, even in her work scrubs. She could wear a paper sack and make it look like it was worthy to walk down the runway. She was fortunate enough to get her frame from our dad, and still capture all of mom's beauty.
“Yeah, kind of. Please tell me you have enough for two.” I stared at her coffee cup, trying not to drool.
“Help yourself, I made a big batch.” Setting her coffee cup down on the table, Liv smiled at me. My sister knew me well.
“Thank god, I don't know if I could survive the day without some caffeine.” I poked at the puffy dark circles under my eyes.
“Good thing I share your addiction. If I knew you were coming I would have picked up some food.”
“I'm sorry, I should have told you. I should’ve asked if I could come.” I was really doing a good job of acting like an ass lately.
“That's not what I mean. Of course you can come anytime. I just mean the receptionist at the office always brings donuts or bagels or something, so all I have to eat is that box of granola bars on top of the fridge, and some grapes in the fruit drawer.”
“Maybe we can get groceries together later. I'm not hungry anyway.” I grabbed a cup from the cabinet, settling on a giant pink mug with the words ‘Girls Rule’ in a glittery script, hoping the magic of coffee could make the words at least partially true. I'd settle for feeling like myself.
I poured myself some of the medium roast from the large pot and looked in the fridge. Liv was right, not much more than grapes and some left-over Chinese take-out containers. Fortunately she had creamer. I added a generous helping to my coffee, and joined my sister at the table. We always got along, but after our parents died we really relied on each other. It just made us closer, best friends that shared a course through life, and as I looked at her sipping her coffee I was filled with gratitude. “So what's new with you?”
“Well, I'm really liking my new job. The pay is decent, and the people are really nice. I'm glad I went with a small practice; it’s way more pleasant than my internship was at the hospital.”
Werewolves & Whiskers: Sawtooth Peaks Wolf Shifter Romance Box Set Page 3