“Harkins took care of it. We can have a service whenever you're up for it,” I said, wishing she would look at me.
“No, no. You owe me his head,” she said, then turned and met my gaze with fiery eyes. Zaria sneered, “Crazy Eyes—it’s his head I want.”
I wanted to help ease her pain, to make things right. The sacred bond between mates was something I had recently come to appreciate on a personal level. If I was in Zaria’s place, I didn’t know what I would do—Hailey was my life. My mother deserved justice for Garret, but I hated seeing more bloodshed. And I wasn’t ready to storm into an unfamiliar enemy stronghold without more information.
“I’ll deal with him. Don't worry. You should work on getting yourself a shower, and something to eat,” I said, standing and checking the contents of the fridge. I pulled out some grapes and a block of Wensleydale cheese, then rinsed the grapes while she sat sipping vodka from the bottle.
“I liked the other one better,” she said, staring off into the distance. “Big ball of anger, fur, and strange questions.” I had no idea what she was talking about. It didn't sound like descriptions of my father or Garret.
“Who?” I asked.
“It's my fault,” she replied.
“Of course it's not,” I said, but she didn't seem to hear me.
“I thought he would drink the wine. He's supposed to be dead,” she said, staring at the window.
“Who?” I dried the grapes and set them on a fresh plate.
“He was supposed to drink the wine and it would be done. It's rude not to drink the wine gifted from an alpha.”
I snapped my head around to look at my mother. It all started to click into place. The gift Zaria had sent with Garret, the gift she told them was from me. It seemed she had missed her mark and only pissed him off, enough to kill her mate. Dashiell must have had taste testers or an unfortunate friend who happened to like wine more than him.
“Fuck, Zaria. What did you do?”
Zaria looked down at her hands on the table. Tears trailed down her cheeks. “I tried to protect the pack. I always try to protect this pack,” she answered.
“By sending poison to a psychopath?” I yelled.
Zaria met my eyes, but all of her fire had burnt out. She sagged in her seat; her haunted eyes revealed only her sorrow. “He was supposed to drink the wine and it would be done,” she said. “Garret was supposed to come home.”
I set the plate down in front of my mother and rushed out the door without another word. I couldn't believe all of this was her fault, that she was the one who’d caused Dashiell to kill Garret, to target me. She was still my mother, and nothing would ever change that. I didn't want any harm to come to her, so I would have Harkins send someone over to watch out for her, but I was done. Zaria was the reason my Hailey was in danger. I couldn't stand to look at her another minute. All of this was my mother's fault.
Chapter Fourteen
Hailey
The rumble of the Harley's engine grew louder before cutting out. Cole was home. I set down my brush and skipped down the stairs to see him, as giddy as a child at Christmas.
The door cracked open and my tall, sexy mate walked in. Beams of sunlight poured in from the sky behind him, sparkling as they touched his ebony locks. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to have this amazing man come home to me. Sadness showed through his saffron eyes as he stood in the doorway looking at me.
“Didn't go so well?” I asked, moving in to hold him close. I wanted to kiss his problems away. His coat was cold against my skin as I slid my hands under his arms and around his back.
“Dealing with that woman is draining,” he answered.
“Well you're home now.” I squeezed my arms tighter, glad to have him with me. Under the scent of leather, Cole smelled like cinnamon and the fall woods. His earthy scent was always comforting. “Let me show you something.”
I took his hand and led him up the stairs to my studio. We stopped in front of the canvas I had been working on. I looked up at Cole to watch his reaction.
His eyes widened as he looked over my work, and a smile spread across his face. “I love it,” he said.
“For a while, every time I came in here I tried to paint the landscape as I remembered it from the great room window,” I explained. “I didn't want to paint it as it was, but how I really saw it and felt it.”
“And you saw it like our walk home from the stream,” he said, golden eyes sparkling.
“Whenever I think about the woods, I see you as the giant, black wolf walking with me. So here you are,” I said pointing to the black shape in the center of the canvas.
“I can tell. Hailey, I love it.” Cole bent down and touched his lips to mine. His kiss was soft and full of love. I kissed him back, loving him even more for liking my painting. I had hoped he would, but it wasn't done or detailed yet and I didn't know how he would feel about me capturing his wolf side at all. “Do it again with me.”
“What?” I asked, confused. Did he want to make love? It wasn't the way he usually initiated. There was never a question about what he wanted when he wanted me.
He pulled his arms out of his jacket, and dropped it to the floor, then his shirt. I smiled at him, enjoying the sight. He unzipped his fly and said, “Run with me in the woods. I dream about that night. Play with me.” Cole smiled, and a popping sound filled the air. My mate dropped to his hands and knees; his face elongated as his hands and feet shortened. I watched in excitement as black fur sprouted across his skin, feeling so fortunate to be the person he shared his secret with.
I smiled back and answered, “Let me get my shoes.”
Chapter Fifteen
Cole
Brown waves of thick hair bounced as she ran. She kept her sparkling, cerulean eyes on me, as she smiled wide with her lush, peach lips. A rose blush colored her cheeks from the crisp air and the exertion, an adorable highlight on her fair skin.
My Hailey giggled as I ran around her, paws pounding the frigid, dry earth. I led her to the burnt-orange and silver boulders I liked to jump on. She sat on the edge of a rock and watched me. In my element, I leaped over gaps and weaved through trees. I looked back at Hailey, who was staring up at the sky, hands above her head. White flecks landed on her chestnut hair and her heart-shaped face, the first snowflakes of the season. Snowflakes adorned my fur coat, but the cold didn’t reach my skin. I returned to Hailey’s side to share the magic of the moment with my mate. A cool breeze carried the scent of winter through the air, while I sat by Hailey’s feet, as tall as my mate while she sat on the boulder. She reached her arms around my neck, hugging me against her coat.
“This was a great idea,” she said with a wide smile. If I could have spoken in words that she could understand, while staying in wolf form, I would have. But I didn’t need words to show her how much I enjoyed this time with her.
I nudged her elbow with my nose, and led her away. We ran through the trees as flurries decorated the world around us. Leaving tracks in the freshly fallen snow, we played until Hailey's hands and nose started to turn red. I led her back to the house and to the fireplace in the great room. After she settled on the sofa, I shifted back to human form.
“Were we out too long? You look cold,” I said, then put two logs in the fireplace.
“Are you kidding me? I had a great time,” she answered.
“Me too,” I replied, lighting the fire. Hailey looked at me from the sofa with a sweet smile across her face. It hadn’t even occurred to me that I was still naked. “I should probably put some clothes on, huh?”
“Don't cover yourself for my benefit,” she said. “I like you just like that, exposed for me so I can admire the definition of each perfect muscle.”
I smiled back at her. “You wouldn't be thinking of taking advantage, would you?”
“Maybe,” she answered, looking up at me through her thick eyelashes. Then her stomach growled, a reminder of the time.
“Sounds like you'll have to wait. I think i
t's time for lunch.” She shrugged and smiled. I loved her insatiable appetite for me, but I couldn't let her go without eating. It was my job to provide for her, and it was a job I loved.
I went up to Hailey's studio for my clothes, and I admired her painting as I dressed. It had a realistic yet dream-like feel. Dark blue sky peeked from behind avocado-colored tree tops. The scenery curved around the focal point—a massive, black beast. In the painting I was larger than life, dwarfing the world around me. Yellow diamonds glittered from the center of my face. My fur was long and wispy, like the detail of a magical fantasy creature. She saw me in such a beautiful way, and I loved it. I wanted to live up to her vision of me, to be the man that she deserved.
I started by going downstairs to make lunch. Hailey stood waiting for me in the kitchen with two plates on the counter. Each held a sandwich and a banana. “Well hey there. I was going to make lunch for you,” I said.
“I figured I'd take a turn,” she answered.
“What kind of sandwiches did you make?” I asked, then took a seat and watched my mate.
“Turkey. I found some turkey and provolone in the bottom drawer of the fridge. I hope that's okay,” she said, leaning her hip on the counter by the fridge.
“It's great, thank you,” I answered, then watched her walk over to join me. Her full hips swayed sensually with each step. She was effortlessly sexy and all mine.
“So how about a dinner tomorrow night? We could invite Lance and Eric. Hopefully Liv will be home and she could come. What do you think?” she asked, looking up at me with her sparkling eyes.
I took her hands in mine and kissed her warm, pink cheek. “If it's important to you, then we should do it,” I answered.
“Thank you,” she said.
With my eyes locked on my mate, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed. I watched Hailey glow with excitement as I held the phone to my ear.
After two rings, Lance answered. “Hey. Did you find something?”
“This is a social call. We can talk about that later,” I answered.
“Oh. What's up?” he asked.
“Would you come to dinner tomorrow at my place? Hailey wants to...”
“I'd love to,” he cut in.
“Great,” I said. I wanted to give Hailey the dinner she wanted, the normal social life that people our age had when they weren’t living in the shifter world. She deserved everything she wanted, and I would give her everything I could.
“Can I bring someone?” he asked.
“Sure.” I hoped that was a good idea, that Lance would pick someone Hailey would be comfortable with. “Not Amy,” I clarified.
“Uhhh, okay,” he said. He’d definitely ask me why later.
“What time?” he asked.
I looked to Hailey and mouthed, Time?
She held up seven fingers.
“Seven o’clock,” I said to Lance.
“See you then.”
After I ended the call, Hailey said, “Yay! This is going to be fun.”
I wasn't sure that I agreed, but I was glad to see her so happy.
Chapter Sixteen
Hailey
After lunch I convinced Cole to take me to Greenville to shop for a dining room table and a TV. My argument, that you couldn't have a dinner party without a table, was quite compelling. Shopping for a table was easy, because Cole knew exactly what he wanted. He picked a long, heavy, dark-stained wooden table. I was happy that it fit in the truck and had leaves that extended its length to fit twelve people. Cole insisted that we didn't need to buy chairs, and assured me that he would take care of it. Not going home with chairs worried me a little, but I knew if he said he would do something then he would. I chose the TV. Cole didn't seem to care much about which we took home, so I picked a flatscreen that would go well over the hearth in the great room.
When we returned to our house in the woods, Harkins helped Cole mount the TV and carry the giant table to the empty formal dining room. After Harkins left, I said, “So, it's time to tell me about the chairs. If you put it off till tomorrow I might go a little crazy.”
“Fair enough,” he said, then took my hand and led me out to a cellar door on the back of the house that I hadn't noticed before. Cole lifted the doors open and walked down into the darkness. He probably didn't need a light with his keen wolf senses, but I knew I would fall right down the steps in the dark. I waited outside until he turned on a light, then followed him into the cellar.
The walls of the huge basement were made of the same stones that made up the house above. The dirt floor was cut into the earth. Wooden beams crossed the space overhead, supporting the house. Along one wall was a corkboard covered in tools of varying sizes—hammers, screwdrivers, saws, and carving tools. Wooden boards and plywood sheets were stacked in an organized fashion by type and size. A waist-high wooden table held larger machines, including a table saw and other power tools I didn't recognize.
“See?” Cole asked, pointing to a wall with completed wooden pieces stacked neatly. There was a stack of picture frames, decoratively carved, a stack of kitchen cabinets that looked ready to be installed, and two stacks of chairs, darkly-stained and ready to go.
“Yep. You were right,” I said. “These look much nicer than the ones at the store.” Cole's craftsmanship was impressive. I was excited to have the furniture he had made himself upstairs where it should be, being used in our house.
“Want to eat dinner at our new table?” he asked, smiling at me.
“Absolutely,” I answered.
We went back up into the house, and I started chopping salad while Cole carried up the chairs. He left the leaves out of the table, and set up eight chairs to fit the space.
“Do you have any more candles?” I asked.
Cole went upstairs and came back with an armful of white pillar candles of different heights. I helped him place them on the center of the table, where he lit all of them. We went back to the kitchen together and made dinner. Cole handmade meatballs and tomato sauce, while I plated the salad and boiled the noodles.
We shared spaghetti and meatballs at our new table, lit by soft bulbs in the chandelier and the mountain of candles. As I sipped my wine, I couldn't believe how normal everything felt. I had finally gotten what I had wanted, an extraordinary day with my mate. If only everyday could be so perfect—running through the woods, playing in the snow, shopping and sharing meals like any regular couple. It was even better than normal, since most women couldn’t find a man that could play as a wolf, carve chairs, or cook like a master chef. I fell asleep content in our bed, cuddled close to Cole.
Chapter Seventeen
Hailey
Sunday flew by in a flash. I completed my painting of Cole in the woods while he worked in the cellar. We shared meals together and ran around outside in the freshly fallen snow. I even made him watch a cheesy old black-and-white monster movie with me. Before I knew it, it was time to get ready for dinner.
While Cole worked in the kitchen, I went upstairs and got dressed. I chose the orange dress that he had bought for me. I hadn't thanked him for it yet, or told him how much I appreciated how thoughtful and sentimental he was. It seemed like a good way to end the weekend—dinner with friends and family, and a reminder of our history as a couple. Feeling the silk on my skin and seeing the way the orange dress hugged my breasts and hips, I knew it was going to be hard for Cole to go all evening without touching me…which would lead to an extraordinary night after our guests left. I put on some tall, brown boots to help keep my legs warm, and a cream sweater for my shoulders. I used the mirror and applied foundation over the small scar on my cheek, some strawberry lip gloss to my lips, and a thick coat of mascara to my lashes.
Feeling confident and playful, I went down to the kitchen and tried to sneak up behind Cole without him noticing, to wrap my arms around him before he knew I was there. I wanted him nice and worked up for later that night. He was leaning over the open oven stirring the vegetables and roast. His tigh
t ass stuck up in the air, begging me to touch it. The scent of the cooking dinner was divine; my mouth watered when I stepped into the room. One foot on the kitchen floor and Cole perked his head up.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said, then stood to face me. I should have known I couldn't sneak up on him.
“The food smells great,” I replied.
“So do you. Strawberry lip gloss?” he asked.
“Yep. Do you like it?” I asked, with my hands behind my back, and pouting my lips out for Cole to see.
“Let me taste it, and I'll tell you for sure.” He was pressed against me in a moment, only a blur of movement to my eyes.
He licked my lips, teasing me and making me hate the game that I had started. It would be as hard for me to resist him as it was for him to resist me. I put my hands on the tight, black t-shirt that hugged every muscle of his fit chest.
“I think I like it even more than peach.” Cole smiled at me, and set down the giant meat fork he held. “And the dress looks great on you.”
“You like it?” I teased, sticking my breasts forward and twirling my hair with one finger.
Cole growled in response.
“I'll take that as a yes. It's a little shorter than the old one, but it's so soft and silky.” I ran my hands over the soft fabric, starting at my breasts and ending on my ass.
“If you keep that up, I’ll take you right here on the counter. Now,” he said, with golden fire in his eyes.
“Tempting. But I want you to wait. I want you so fucking horny that when our guests leave, you ravish me all night long.”
“Done,” he answered.
Werewolves & Whiskers: Sawtooth Peaks Wolf Shifter Romance Box Set Page 19