Sanibel Fire

by Talyn Scott

  Every night, Jenny hungered.

  “Can I get you anything else?” She asked the Pack males at table six, while handing out a round of exclusive, homemade agave brew staffers kept away from humans.

  “An evening with me and any other Pack males of your choice,” a werewolf dared to suggest, his eyes thirsty with unquenchable lust. “Afterwards, you’ll never again waste your time shagging those who can’t satisfy you.” When his friends growled at him in warning, he asked innocently, “What? We’re all — ”

  “Shut it. Now.” Archer Jordan cut him off, his teeth flashing white as he lifted his chin in warning. The Pack male cowered under the Alpha’s chastisement and mumbled a barely coherent apology.

  Jenny tried to keep smiling, but her jaws ached from the effort. She knew unmated Pack males were fuming over what she’d done, understood exactly what they were thinking: How dare she give herself to a human, instead of any of them? Well, with the exception of this group, Jenny was wondering the same damn thing.

  “Do you accept his apology, Jenny?” Archer asked, his jaw set in a disapproving line. “Or shall I take further action on your behalf?”

  Because she was unmated, she stood under the Alpha’s bloodline protection, which also covered simple offenses. Alpha Jordan did not tolerate anyone offending his females. Not that long ago, she’d personally witnessed the Alpha himself doling out physical punishment for the way assoholic males had teased a Pack female.

  “Oh, I can let this go,” she said to Archer, “as long as they drop the subject. Forever.” When she looked away from Archer, she took her time glaring at each of them one by one. “It’s none of your business who I fuck.” Or don’t fuck, as the case was. “And I won’t have any of you now, so stop circling me.”

  Archer smiled tightly. “Consider it done, female. And we need nothing else tonight.” He slipped her a hundred for a single round of drinks.

  She nodded, curled her fingers around the bill, and lifted her tray. Archer knew she was hurting, the same as everyone else here. Poor, pitiful Jenny, the lovelorn female who pined over the unattainable Ail Ruyter. If only she could have found it in her to move on all those years ago, she wouldn’t be facing this newest round of humiliation.

  She slid the empty tray under her arm and stopped at a table by the largest window. “What can I get you?”

  “A beer and an explanation for starters,” a familiar voice whispered. “You haven’t returned any of my calls.”

  Her eyes lifted as her heart sank. “Jed?”

  Eyes the color of onyx stared back at her. “Don’t look so scared, Jenny.” He swung an ebony lock of hair from his forehead, searching her face. “Wait, I didn’t hurt you in any way, did I?”

  She clenched her fingers, balling her hands into fists. “Well…” Jenny didn’t know how to handle this, had never been in this sort of position, since she didn’t jump into beds or marshes with a casualness that came easy to others. But Jed had tempted her, had offered her a way to fill the void created by her unreturned love for Ail Ruyter. Problem was - As a human, Jed couldn’t stay where werewolves circled, not if he wanted to live. Because mortals shortened their lifespans when they involved themselves, inadvertently or not, in the immortal world, and Jenny would never be the reason for Jed getting hurt or killed. “I thought that, um, we were…”

  “Finished?” he asked incredulously, his eyes narrowing. “After we’ve barely started?”

  Jenny dropped her eyes from him, couldn’t give in to his commanding beauty again. How any human could sit so proud like royalty and look so roughly male while doing so, she’d never know. But it turned her on. “Listen, my boss is here tonight.” She gestured to the bar, though she was truly concerned with what Searlas or Archer would do if this human didn’t give up.

  “Okay,” Jed said as he reached out and gripped her wrist, rubbing his thumb over her hand until she released her fist. The firm gentleness tugged at her heart. “I’ll wait outside until your shift is over.”

  She was startled to see the longing in his eyes. That he’d come back after the disastrous one-nighter they’d agreed on. And even though she couldn’t let this continue, how could she tell Jed that he wouldn’t last through the dangers of her world enough even to date her? “I can’t meet you after work tonight or any other night,” she whispered, her eyes flicking to the left. Great, Archer Jordan was sliding out of the booth, and it looked like he was headed her way. She gratefully accepted his help with the Pack males, but Jed didn’t need to be intimidated by a true Alpha male.

  “There’s a big difference between can’t and won’t.” He brought Jenny’s hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles one by one.

  “Can’t or won’t, it doesn’t make a difference.” She reminded gently as an infusion of celestial power shimmered over her back. “At the time, we agreed that whatever we shared was a one night thing, and nothing’s changed on my end.”

  Jed closed his eyes briefly while releasing her hand. “You have — ”

  “Hey, Jenny.”

  Jenny turned on her heel, putting her body between Jed and Searlas. How had the halfling moved so quickly, catching her unaware? She glanced to the left. Archer stood to the side, his arms crossed over his chest, but he was waiting for her signal. She shook her head no at Archer, then faced Searlas again. “Evening, Sear, how’s it going?”

  “I can’t complain.” His blade-sharp voice sliced through the air, his raw possessiveness tightening her skin. He glanced between Jenny and Jed, his eyes a denim blue of cool calculation. “Hey, Jed.”

  Jed lifted his chin. “Sear.”

  Jenny was taken aback. “The two of you know each other?” Then it struck her, Searlas was half human, probably still ran in certain human circles. Jenny waved a dismissive hand as she started to head to the bar. “Sorry, your business isn’t mine.” Glancing over her shoulder, she added, “It’s good seeing you both again.”

  “Jenny,” Searlas called after her, but she kept walking to the bar. When he caught up to her, he asked, “I was wondering when your shift was over.” He shrugged with a forced casualness, his shoulders straining the seams of his shirt. Jenny knew that he didn’t get those wide shoulders from his human side. “Thought we could grab some sandwiches and beer from the kitchen, then hang our feet in the water while we eat.” He glanced at a watch that was worth more than her car. “I have an hour or so to kill before I head back to work. I’d love to spend it with you.”

  “That sounds nice.” Too nice, she thought. Ail used to take her for picnics off the pier, but he’d always packed fried chicken, had only taken her in the daytime, and had kept the whole deal platonic. Platonic! Even now, the word sat on her tongue like the vilest poison. “But I still have half of my shift ahead of me. How about a raincheck for the next time you’re in from Miami?”

  He shoved his hands in his pockets. “It’ll be a while, but sure.”

  Jenny set her tray on the bar. “Hey, Leo, this one,” she said to the bartender with a nod towards Jed, “needs a beer on my tab.”

  “Not a problem,” Leo replied, obviously meeting Searlas’ eyes from behind her. “Why don’t you go ahead and take off for the night?”

  In other words, Jenny had stirred up too much trouble tonight. “Sure.” Jenny removed her apron, quietly cursing her loss of revenue. Maybe she should apply for work at a human-owned establishment instead, one Pack males would abhor. Like that new vegetarian pita place down the road, she mused, “Should I bother showing up tomorrow night?” she asked quietly.

  Leo met her eyes, winking conspiratorially. “It’s all good, female.”

  Searlas rubbed his hands together. “Then, I guess we don’t need a raincheck after all.”

  Twenty minutes later, Eagan Ruyter followed Jenny and Searlas from the kitchen while giving her a sidelong look filled with pity. “Why are you staring at me?” She stepped ahead of them, thinking Eagan resembled Ail too much, as her heels clicked on the deck’s wooden planks.

>   “You can’t let what happened or what didn’t happen between you and my brother dictate the rest of your life.” Eagan stopped and handed the takeout bag to Searlas.

  She stopped, fighting the heat crawling up her throat. Jenny remembered that Eagan wasn’t like the other Pack males. “Thanks for the advice. But don’t worry, I’ve moved on.”

  “Physically, yeah.” Eagan ran a hand through his hair as he backed away. “But forever’s a long damn time to keep your heart out of reach, just saying.” He backed away. “I’m heading to the compound.”

  “Later, Eagan,” Searlas said, stepping up to Jenny’s side.

  Jenny ground her teeth until her jaw cracked. Eagan meant well, but she hated hearing the hard truth. And she’d had enough of it from her parents lately. Maybe she should move to Scotland. Her mother wanted her there, and she could speak to Alpha Ciaran about conducting a Rites to Mate ceremony, since she hadn’t found her mates here.

  He stepped to Jenny’s side. “You okay?”

  “Stop worrying about me.”

  “Anything you need, at any time, just tell me and I’m there.”

  “I know you are.” She started walking out on the dock, gathering the moonbeams on her skin. “I’m fortunate to have so many males I can count on.”

  “I’d like to be at the top of that list, Jenny.” With his free hand, he touched her forearm, sliding his fingers up and down her skin before taking her hand in his. And although she was a werewolf, larger than human females, his hand easily swallowed hers.

  “How’s this spot?” she asked when they reached a clearing between two boat slips, one containing Bren Walker’s yacht.

  “Looks good.” His eyes were on her, though, as he helped her to sitting with those big hands. “Beautiful night above and a beautiful female by my side, life is good.”

  A sultry, Florida breeze slid over her neck, pebbling her nipples beneath the abrading lace of her bra. “Life is good,” Jenny agreed as she studied the delicious curve of his mouth, “tonight, anyway.”

  Searlas sucked his bottom lip between sharp, white teeth, locking eyes with Jenny. Then, his voice dropped to pure sin. “If you’re going to look at me that way, make sure you are ready.”

  Her pulse pounded when he slid his hands from her waist, understanding the sincere warning from a werewolf to an unmated female. “Sorry, I didn’t expect a halfling to feel the same intensity — ”

  “Hungry?” Searlas cut her off, dangling the bag from his fingers.

  “I didn’t realize how much until I smelled the roast beef.” The tide was too low to dip her toes in the water, but she kicked off her shoes anyway.

  “Good, we’ve plenty here.” Searlas squatted on his haunches and rifled through their to-go bag. Producing a sparkling water, he opened it and handed if over. He glanced at her discarded heels. “Feet hurt?”

  “Not too bad,” she said, accepting the icy bottle. “Then again, I only worked half a shift.” Jenny took a sip, then another. “This is great, thanks.”

  “Welcome.” Sliding next to her, he sat on the dock and wrapped his arm over her shoulders. He lifted a water to his lips, his biceps straining. “This is nice.”

  It felt good, too damn good. If only it were this simple, she thought as she studied a sleeping pelican, to allow another male to touch her, whispering words in her ear she wanted to hear while his body was loving hers.

  The attempt with Jed lingered through her mind, particularly Jed’s giving touch. “I guess you heard all about it from Eagan.”

  “It, huh?” Searlas shifted, reaching between them to grab their sandwiches. “You know he can’t keep a secret, especially about things concerning it.”

  Searlas answered without censure, though she knew he would never judge her. After all, he and other unmated Pack males released a lot of steam into the female population. However, Jenny heard that underlying thread of possessiveness still there, had heard it enough times lacing the voices of mated males while they were speaking to their females.

  She felt a knot tighten deep in her stomach when she said, “I wanted to feel someone’s touch.”

  “I understand.” He unwrapped a sandwich and handed it to her, waiting until she took a bite before starting on his own. “You’re a grown female, Jenny. If you’d continued your self-imposed celibacy, then I’d be troubled.”

  “The Pack males are pissed.”

  Searlas regarded her with those denim blue eyes, a dimple forming in his cheek as a half smile stretched those sexy lips. “Not all of them.”

  With his teasing, she sensed that knot in her stomach slowly dissolving. Searlas was a good listener. And for the first time, Jenny felt an unfamiliar though wholly comfortable connection, as though a string tethered him to her. So she went on, just short of pouring out her savaged heart. “Mom wanted me to demand Rites to Mate on the heels of Ail finding Molly.” Her eyes burned with unshed tears. “Do you know how humiliating that is?”

  He raised a disapproving eyebrow, but his words surprised her. “I’m sure your mom meant well.”

  “Yeah, she did. Nevertheless, the more I mulled it over, the more I feared that afterwards I would be back where I started.”

  “How so?”

  She thought about how Ail had taken Molly in the cabana alongside the pool — where everyone in the compound, including Jenny, overheard them. “I realized that even for the ceremony I still couldn’t risk giving myself to a Pack male who might not be mine, and then I’d have to watch him find his true mate later on.”

  “Ah, Jenny, that sounds terrible.” He crumpled his empty sandwich wrapper and tossed it in the bag.

  “This is why I thought, ‘why not’ when Jed had approached me after work. That night, Jed said he was looking for a physical release and nothing more. I agreed I didn’t want anything to come of it.” She took another bite of her sandwich, then practically ate her fingers off with the next couple of bites. “I mean - I couldn’t remember when I’d last accepted a male’s simple touch. It was almost as though I’d forgotten what it feels like to feel.”

  Searlas tensed ever so slightly. “No one should forget what touch is like.”

  Her thigh brushed his. “So I kept him outside of our miasma border by taking a room at The Blue Pelican.”

  Searlas reached around and cupped her face a moment, brushing crumbs off her bottom lip with a sweep of his thumb. “That way, you never broke Pack law.”

  Jenny nodded. “More than two-hundred males circled the island that night, way more than required for an official Rites to Mate ceremony, so I figured if any male present scented that I was his by my climax… ”

  “You were trying to be practical.”

  They ate in companionable silence for a while, listening to the rustle of a lazy ocean. She thought that nothing had felt practical with Jed. More than that, Jenny’s heart had shifted somehow when the hotel door clicked shut, and when he brought his hands and his mouth to her, stirring the dormant woman within… The next thing she knew, Jenny had run from those feelings, right out of the hotel door.

  Without apologies.

  “Was I wrong, trying to be practical?”

  “That depends.” Irises filled with ghosts of his lycanthrope ancestors probed hers. “Were you practical for your sake, or for your mother’s?”

  Jenny’s appetite took a sharp plunge. “I…” She turned away and grabbed a napkin, wiping her mouth before shoving the remaining half of her sandwich into the bag.

  “Jenny, no one should ever settle for practical sex.” She closed her eyes to hide, wishing she’d never started this conversation. Searlas fisted his hand at her nape gently when she meant to turn away. “Talk to me,” he demanded. “Don't even think of shutting me out now.”

  Chapter 3

  “My parents are asking me to move with them to Scotland.” Jenny kept her eyes closed, sensing her irises fueling with her rising emotions. “Especially since no males claimed me here.”

  “If you don’t wan
t to move to Scotland, and I hope like hell that you don’t, then tell your parents you’re staying right here.” A growl left his chest. “Dammit, Jenny, look at me. ”

  When she opened her eyes, a burst of cerulean illuminated his face, casting Searlas in sharp angles. “Satisfied?”

  His canines lowered a fraction, the left one catching on his lip and bringing forth blood. He dropped his grip on her hair finger by finger. “I’ve longed to see you this way, celestial magic beaming from your eyes.”

  If she’d been standing, her knees would have buckled. “You never told me that.” Though he’d told her many things, never that.

  Searlas propped one leg on the dock, leaving the other to dangle. “You wouldn’t let go long enough to listen.” When he leaned closer on one arm — just a smidgen from her mouth, his shirt stretched wide in the center, exposing a smooth expanse of golden skin.

  Jenny brought her eyes up his chiseled chest, past a strong jaw raspy with a day’s worth of flaxen whiskers. Much in the way of his uncle, Gage MacGelton, Searlas exuded a powerhouse of raw sexuality from his formable lineage, his aura of danger no less potent due to his human half. Easily, she sensed Searlas’ strength greatly exceeded hers, which stoked her inherent urge to find the top male as much as his exotic scent ripened her core. “I’m listening right now.”

  “Oh, yeah?” His warm breath tickled the corner of her mouth, his voice dropping to a husky promise of midnight secrets. “I heard a pureblood female can shimmer everywhere, when she takes another werewolf male within her.”

  She couldn’t form a response, but Jenny couldn’t look away, either. Beads of sweat formed on her temples, her heart pounding wildly. Every gasp of breath laced with his scent that she drew into her lungs ignited dormant flames.