~
Keri’s shields had felt the closeness of the shifter behind her, but before she could react – that man was whispering in her ear with his deep, soothing tones, his hot breath caressing her skin, and making her body tell her more in a few seconds than just his proximity.
She spun in place and there he was. The man that she couldn’t help but ogle for the last however long, as he’d flaunted those muscles all around the area – the alpha – her mate.
“I could say the same for your wolf over there.”
Keri held her ground. She didn’t want to do it, oh no. What she actually wanted to do was to throw herself away from him and end the sexy tingles that ran over her skin; the ones that were making her nipples hard as they tried to reach out and touch his muscle clad chest.
“That’s Lucas, my brother, and the other one is Neal, and I’m…”
“Leaving…” Keri offered back, although, she couldn’t deny that there was a certain feminine curiosity within her to know the name of her supposed life mate.
“Not yet, I’m not. And neither are you,” Griffin’s smile was like sex on a stick.
His dark eyes held her gaze, and his body certainly had her attention, and all because of fate.
I curse fate.
I’m damned… I’m doomed… I’m lost in those stupid puppy dog eyes of his.
Save me from a fate worse than death.
“You need to know something,” Griffin needed to tell the woman that she was his mate, but from the mistrustful look in her eye – he wasn’t sure that she’d take it lightly.
What if she ran? That would be so much worse.
His beast would take matters into its own paws and hunt her down, try to claim her as theirs before she could get away again.
That would be his shame. His failing as a mate, as an alpha, and as a man.
His deep tones reeled her in like a fish on a line, and she was sure that she swooned, just a little, just enough to make her mentally slap herself silly and grab some semblance of pride back.
“You’re a…” She held up the fluffy dog between them, and Griffin’s eyes snapped downwards. She saw the muscles in his jaw clench and release, and the frown that took his dark eyebrows downwards over his eyes. “Ooh, hit a nerve?” she asked, trying to make her voice sound less breathless and more kick-ass witch.
Griffin’s eyes flicked back up to hers, and she was lost in them again. She didn’t want that – she wanted to be in full control of her body, mind, and soul, but when he looked at her – really – really looked at her like that, well, she knew that it was fate in control.
“Not exactly, no,” he said, sounding a little cheesed off.
“No, not a nerve, or no, not a dog?” Keri felt a little more in control.
Mr. Smooth had become Mr. Annoyed, and she could use that to her advantage – because that little edge to his voice was like an alarm bell ringing inside of her mind.
Oh, she might have been predisposed to him as a mate, but her little witchy senses were on high alert to him as a wolf shifter. If she could just tweak that response up a little more, she felt as if she could keep the rest at bay.
“Both,” Griffin offered back, twisting his head on his neck and narrowing his eyes on hers.
He liked that. He liked looking into her eyes and seeing that spark of fire and a whole lot of backbone that this woman – his woman – had.
She might have blindsided him the night before, got in a few good hits, but that only made the wooing sweeter.
He didn’t doubt that he’d make her his, but he would need to tame the wildling inside of her first.
He could live with that. He liked a challenge, and his little witch was certainly that – challenging.
“I’m Griffin, and you are my mate.” He put it out there and waited for the big black clouds to roll in with the storm that was sure to follow.
Nothing.
She didn’t even blink to show that she’d actually acknowledged what he’d said.
“Did you hear me?” Griffin frowned.
“No, I go deaf on occasion,” Keri tossed back, trying to sound both bored and sarcastic at the same time.
“Do you need me to repeat it?” Griffin twisted his head on his neck and regarded her with something close to disbelief. He couldn’t see how she was so calm about it.
Wasn’t there supposed to be witchy squeals and protests? He had to wonder why she didn’t look in shock.
Isn’t there supposed to be a rush to denial and all that entails?
She looks like I just offered her a menu.
“Maybe you could draw me a picture,” Keri tossed back.
“Maybe I shoul,…” Griffin took one solitary step towards her, and she didn’t move, didn’t flinch. That, he decided, wasn’t normal. “You already knew…”
“Ya think?” She offered back. She twisted her head on her neck and stared up at him. “Walls have ears…”
“Of course wolves have ears,” Griffin shot back.
“Not wolves – walls – I heard you talking last night.”
“And the others?” He dragged his gaze away from her and eyed the area, locating the other two witches in turn. Both were offering him the evil eye in defense of their friend.
“Oh, they know as well, well, one definitely does.”
“And yet…” he considered it for a long moment. “You tried to leave.”
“Again … ya think?” Keri tossed back, folding her arms across her chest and propping her breasts up with her arms with the stuffed dog sticking out from under her armpit. It wasn’t the ideal look for her, but she thought it established her point.
Griffin’s eyes dropped down to the swell of her breasts, and that was one growl that he could do absolutely nothing about.
“Bloody fascinating, aren’t they?” Keri bit out, and he snapped his eyes back up to hers.
“I was… thinking,” he lied … he was staring. there might have even been a little drooling going on, and one thing was for sure – his length felt so damn hard against the confines of his jeans that he was sure he could use it to hammer nails into the wooden frames.
“Little brain took over big brain’s work?” Keri babied him and got a scowl in return.
“You did offer them up…”
“Did not.” She snorted her contempt for his answer.
“Kind of did.”
“Don’t blame me for your lack of control and manners.”
“Don’t blame me for looking when you thrust them into my face…”
“Thrust?” She dropped her arms and planted her hands on her hips that toy dog still clutched in one hand.
“Push,” he offered, craning his head on his neck and meeting her steely stare that was as frosty as a hard winter.
“Backpedalling like a champ now.”
“Am not,” Griffin scoffed.
“Sure you are, Alpha,” she snorted right back.
“You’re a feisty little witch,” Griffin bit out.
“Boy, do you not know the half of it.”
“I think I got that message last night.”
“Ha! Not even close,” she said and folded her arms again. It was a natural defensive posture to her, but his eyes dropped back down once more, and she snorted her contempt for him. “Again, seriously?”
“Stop teasing me then.” he gave a small growl.
“Stop acting like a…” she swung the stuffed dog at his chest, and one thick, muscled arm came up as he grabbed it and held it against his chest.“Dog.”
“Don’t test my patience.” Griffin growled.
“Don’t you just look the cutest?” she teased, taking a step back from him and turning her back to dismiss his presence.
Not that his presence could be dismissed. She could still feel him there – his heat warmed her back like the summer sun, and her shields were still tingling with his proximity.
Griffin leaned his upper body in towards her. He wrapped one arm around her body, and in his large hand, he held that stuffed dog with the stupid look on its face that mocked her.
He could scent her so clearly, and he drank it in.
“Welcome to the pack,” he growled.
His deep tones and smooth words seeped straight into her very soul, and she wanted to groan in annoyance – but then she also wanted to jab her pointy little elbow back in his ribs to get her message across too – but she didn’t because, with an even deeper chuckle, he dropped the dog onto the counter in front of her and was gone.
That’s just… so not cool.
Keri flicked her eyes around and locked onto the amusement in Penny’s eyes. Her friend might have been hiding the grin on her lips with her hand, but it was written as clear as day in those shining eyes.
Oh, funny ha-bloody-ha!
Well, Miss Smarty Pants, let’s just see how much you like it.