Chapter Three
Declan
Declan stepped into the shop and his gaze was instantly drawn to the brunette behind the counter. He’d seen Lily’s photo; hell, he’d stared it at every damn day since Magnis had given it to him, if he was completely honest with himself, but the photo didn’t do her justice. His gaze traveled quickly over her and what he saw made his cock twitch. Chestnut hair pulled up in a twist gave full view of her heart-shaped face. Her hazel eyes were more green than brown, and he found himself wondering what color her wolf’s eyes were when she shifted. Her full breasts were pushed up enticingly in a crimson bustier that was designed to draw the eye to a woman’s cleavage. Luscious curves were encased in snug jeans that rode low on her hips and he was sure that, without the apron on, he would have gotten glimpses of her stomach. The woman was fucking gorgeous.
As he got close enough to catch her scent, he froze. His wolf, who rarely took notice of women, was suddenly alert. Her honey and vanilla scent made his body tighten and his wolf growled in his head. The attraction was intense, overwhelming, and immediate. It took several seconds for him to realize why his wolf was in a sudden frenzy over the woman. Son of a bitch. She was his mate. He wasn’t looking for a mate and he didn’t need this complication. He pushed his wolf down as he approached the counter. “You’re a hard woman to find, Lily Quinn.” His voice came out in a growl as he struggled to retain control over his wolf.
“I’m not Lily Quinn anymore.”
“So I hear. You’re going by Lily Harper now. Where’d you come up with that? Never mind. It doesn’t matter. You know why I’m here. Your father sent me to take you home.” Declan was a man who usually had tight control of his wolf, but one whiff of Lily’s scent and he was struggling to keep his wolf from trying to claim her right then and there. Fucking hell. Finding a mate was the last fucking thing on his list. He was a hard man—he’d lived a violent life—and that left its mark on a person. The woman in front of him didn’t look like she could handle someone like him. Not to mention the fact she was nearly fifteen years younger than him. This was a fucking disaster.
Lily
When the front door to the shop had opened, Lily’s eyes had been drawn to the man who stepped inside. The first thing she noticed was a pair of blue-gray eyes that reminded her of a winter storm. Her gaze took in the straight, aristocratic nose, high cheekbones, angular jaw, and sensual lips, and her mouth watered a little. It was both embarrassing and unsettling, considering her boyfriend of two years was sitting not all that far away from her. His black hair was pulled back in a ponytail but she could tell it was at least shoulder length. Broad shoulders were encased in a black T-shirt that clung to his upper body and showed off his tight abs. The shirt was tucked into snug-fitting jeans that did little to hide the fact he was not a small man. She had to force her gaze back up to his eyes as he approached the counter.
His scent hit her seconds before he opened his mouth to speak. When Emile had told her someone was looking for her, using her birth name and flashing a photo of her, she’d had the feeling Declan Monroe was a shifter. Now she knew she was right. The human part of her wanted to run but her wolf wanted to roll herself in his scent. It was beyond disconcerting, considering the circumstances. Her wolf’s reaction to him, to his scent, threw her off-kilter in a big way, and she wasn’t entirely sure how to get through this conversation without saying something she might later regret. Or doing something that would embarrass the hell out of her and do more harm than good.
“I think I know why you’re here but it doesn’t matter. You can just drive right back to Slatefall and tell my father he can kiss my ass. This is my home now and I have no intention of leaving New Orleans. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to finish up because it’s almost time for my shift to end, and my boyfriend and I have plans.” She moved away from him and felt his eyes on her the entire time she cleaned up, counted down the register, and removed her apron. “I’m out of here, Emile.” She waved to her boss before she headed to where Keith waited for her.
“Adyeu, cher, have fun now.” Emile waved her off.
“Oh, I plan to.” She slipped her arm through Keith’s and headed for the door, trying her best to ignore the pair of eyes she felt watching her the entire way there.
Declan
Declan watched her leave with some guy and had to force down the growl that threatened to escape him. His wolf didn’t like that his mate was out with another male. He finished his coffee quickly, set the cup on the counter, and headed out after them. If Lily thought she was going to get rid of him that easily she had a rude awakening coming.
One of the many advantages to being a shifter was their heightened sense of smell. Wherever Lily and her boyfriend were headed, they’d opted to walk, and Declan had no trouble following her scent. It tantalized him, aroused him, damn near drove him crazy with lust. He wanted to strip her down and get her beneath him. He doubted she’d ever been with another shifter. If she had, there is no way she would have settled for a human male. They just couldn’t compare to shifter males.
Declan caught up to them outside one of the clubs in the French Quarter. He watched from a distance as Lily touched up her makeup, let her hair down and ran her fingers through it, then removed the lace vest and put it in the bag slung over her shoulder. His cock stiffened at the bit of skin exposed between the bottom of her bustier and the top of her jeans. He wanted to lick every inch of her creamy skin. He wanted to wrap her hair around his fist and guide her mouth to his cock and watch her swallow him down before he buried himself in her wet heat. Fuck, he really didn’t need this distraction. He was there for a reason: to take her home. His Alpha gave him a job to do and he was a man of his word. He told his Alpha he would bring his wayward daughter home; he needed to keep his mind on that and forget about his attraction to her.
Lily
“You find us a table; I’ll go grab our drinks,” Keith yelled over the noise of the club. He kissed Lily’s cheek and headed toward the bar. The bodies were five deep so it would be a little wait to place their orders.
Lily moved through the crowd until she found a small table tucked into a corner. She slid into one of the seats before anyone else could and turned her attention to the music. It pounded through her and made her pulse race. Or maybe that was the memory of Declan’s winter-storm eyes and heady scent. No. No way in hell was she letting her mind go there. It was the music. Nothing else. Just the music. If she kept telling herself that, maybe she would convince herself it was the truth.
Her focus was on the dance floor when she realized she was no longer alone. She didn’t need her nose to tell her who it was; Keith would have spoken up as he set her drink in front of her. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” She turned her attention away from the dance floor and her eyes narrowed at the shifter who’d sat across from her.
“Sitting down, what’s it look like? We have unfinished business, Lily.”
“No, we don’t. I said all I needed to say to you back at Gathering Grounds. I’m here to celebrate my two-year anniversary with my boyfriend, whom I care very deeply for, and you’re not welcome.”
Declan looked at her. “You can’t possibly think I’d believe you’re really happy with him. He’s human, you’re a shifter. You can’t be happy having to hide so much of yourself from him. And I know the sex can’t be as good as it is between shifters. Human males don’t have the stamina we do.” He flashed her a wicked grin.
Lily glared at him. “I don’t really care what you believe. I’m very happy with him, thank you very much.” A growl trickled from between her lips. “I’m sure you know all about what sex is like with non-shifters. I can just imagine the number of humans you’ve fucked.” She wasn’t going to even consider giving thought to why the idea of him fucking a bunch of women bothered her. No way in hell was she going to let her mind go there.
“A man has needs.”
“Well then, Declan Monroe, take a look around. There are plenty of sluts here who would get on their knees to suck your cock. Go find one of them because I’m not interested.”
Declan leaned closer to her, and his eyes flashed silver for just a moment before returning to their usual blue-gray color. “You and I both know you’re lying through your teeth right now, doll. I can smell your arousal. I’ll bet you’re wondering what my cock would taste like, how it would feel filling your wet pussy.”
Before Lily could reply, Keith reached the table. “Are you stalking my girlfriend, buddy? I saw you harassing her at the coffee shop, and now here. Do I need to call the cops on your ass?”
Lily took the drink Keith had gotten her and sipped from it before she stood. “Go fuck yourself,” she said to Declan and threw the rest of her drink in his face. Then she gripped Keith’s hand and headed to the dance floor. Here was hoping Declan finally got the message and left her the hell alone.
They were slow dancing—Lily’s head was resting on Keith’s shoulder, but her mind kept going to Declan. He’d infuriated her with the things he’d said but on some level he’d also turned her on. What was wrong with her? She was content with her life the way it was. She had a good man who made her happy, and she wasn’t the kind of woman to think about another man while in a relationship. Yet here she was doing exactly that.
“It’s getting late.”
Keith’s voice pulled her from her thoughts and she sighed softly. “Yeah, I guess it is.”
“Let’s get out of here.” Keith slipped his arm around her waist and headed for the door.
Lily glanced toward the table she’d been sitting at earlier but Declan wasn’t there. She didn’t see him nearby in the crowd so she assumed he’d finally left. At least she wouldn’t have to deal with him anymore that night, but she knew he wasn’t going to leave town that easily. She couldn’t get that lucky.
Once outside she shifted closer to Keith and slid her arm around his waist when Keith draped his arm over her shoulder. She snuggled into his side with a smile. “I’m really glad we went out tonight even if it is a work night for both of us. I think we needed it. Especially you. You’ve been working too hard.”
Keith tightened his hold on her. “I know, babe. Things have been really crazy at the office lately. This new acquisition in Baton Rouge has everyone running around like chickens with their heads cut off.”
“Well, maybe I can help ease some of the stress for you.” Once they reached her apartment building, she headed toward the door but stopped because Keith wasn’t moving with her. “Aren’t you coming up, honey?”
Keith gave her a pained look. “I can’t, sweetheart. I have to be at the office at the crack of dawn tomorrow and it wouldn’t be fair to you to disturb your sleep.” He lifted a hand to her cheek. “I’m sorry. I know we had plans to spend the entire night together, but I was told as I was leaving work this evening that I needed to be there at six tomorrow morning. Rain check until this weekend?”
Lily sighed softly and tried to hide her disappointment. She wouldn’t have minded being awakened in the morning if it meant spending the night with him, but at the same time it was sweet that he was thinking about her comfort. “I understand, honey. I wouldn’t have minded but I know you would feel bad about waking me up so early, and it’s sweet of you to be so concerned. I will definitely hold you to that rain check, mister.” She leaned up and kissed him tenderly. “Happy anniversary.”
Keith groaned and returned the kiss. “I knew you’d understand. Happy anniversary.” He waited until she went inside to leave.
Declan
After having Lily’s drink thrown at him, Declan had wiped his face and watched her with a hooded gaze when she’d stalked off to the dance floor. He’d smirked when he thought about her fiery temper. He’d wondered if she was just as fiery between the sheets. Sitting there, he’d imagined what it would be like between them. Given the intensity of their mutual attraction, the sex would be beyond wild. He wanted to see her on her back, her hands bound and held above her head so she was completely at his mercy. He’d drive her insane with need, make her beg him, before he finally buried his cock in her and gave them both the release they ached for. “Get a fucking grip.” He was so hard, it was almost painful, and thinking like that was just making it worse.
He watched as the human pawed at her while they danced and he gripped the table he sat at to keep from snapping. He wanted to pull the guy away from her and throw him through the wall. He needed to get his shit together if he was going to finish the job he was sent to do. The more they danced, the more he had to bite back the growl that threatened to escape him. His hands gripped the table hard enough to crack the wood. Every fucking time that human pawed at Lily, he wanted to go up to him and rip his fingers off.
Declan had a feeling she would look for him at the table so he’d moved to a different area of the club and smirked when she glanced at the table she’d been sitting at. Watching her hips sway on that dance floor and not being able to touch her had been pure torture for both him and his wolf. He needed to make the stubborn she-wolf realize where she belonged—with him, and soon, before he did something he might regret. Like rip the fucking human to shreds.
He watched them head to the door of the club and waited until they were through it before he followed. As luck would have it, the wind was in his favor; he was downwind of the pair so his scent didn’t carry to the she-wolf.
He followed the pair at a safe distance, keeping to the shadows in case Lily looked around. She seemed focused on the man at her side but he wasn’t fooled. She was a shifter; she wasn’t going to let herself be taken by surprise by anyone, not even him. When they stopped outside an apartment building several blocks over from the club, he got as close as he could so he could overhear their conversation without being seen. “I can’t, sweetheart.”
Declan tuned him out after those three words. What the fuck? Lily asked him to stay and he turned her down? He was a fucking fool and she deserved better. If she’d made the offer to him, he’d have picked her up and carried her up to her apartment. He wouldn’t have left her bed until she was so sated she was exhausted and unable to move.
He watched the human leave after Lily headed inside. He waited until he was sure she wasn’t in the lobby of the building before he slipped inside himself. There was no security for the place, as far as he could tell, and that pissed him off. Anyone could waltz into the building, commit all sorts of evil, and no one would be any the wiser. What was she doing living in a place like that?
He made his way to the row of mailboxes and scanned them until he found her apartment number. Apartment 204. A ground floor apartment would have made it too easy for someone to break in while a second floor apartment still allowed her to escape if she had to without causing too much damage to herself. Smart girl.
Lily
Lily looked around her apartment and sighed. She’d planned such a romantic night with Keith after they went out. She had candles ready to go and a bottle of wine was in the fridge. She had romantic music ready to play on the stereo and she had on sexy lingerie under her clothes. It was all for nothing.
Sighing again she moved around the living room, collecting the candles to put them away. So much for her romantic plans. This anniversary sucked, big time. It was her own fault. If she’d told Keith about her romantic plans, he might have stayed, but she’d kept it to herself and just let him walk away.
A knock at the door stopped her and she went to it, a smile on her face, assuming Keith had changed his mind and come back. “Did you change your mind?” The smile faltered and fled when she saw who was standing on the other side of the door. “What in the hell are you doing here?”
Declan stood in front of her door with a faint smirk on his face. “Change my mind about what? You’ve been away from your own kind for too long, babe, your senses are getting dulled. You should have smelled me through the door before you even opened it.”
“Answer the question, Declan. What are you doing here?” Lily ignored his taunt even if it was true. She should have smelled him through the door but she’d been too distracted by her emotions.
“Our conversation from earlier isn’t over. Since you refused to listen to reason while your human was there, I decided to give you a second chance now that he’s gone home.”
Her eyes narrowed. “How do you even know where I live?”
He shrugged. “I followed you. How else?”
Lily stared at him. “You followed us? I looked for you before we left the club, I didn’t see you. I thought you were already gone.”
“You thought wrong, doll. Are you going to invite me in or not? Do you really want to have this conversation with me in the hallway where any of your neighbors could walk by?”
Lily glared at him before she relented. “Fine. Come in.” She stepped back so he could do so, then closed the door behind him.
Declan stepped inside when she moved out of the doorway. “Nice place.”
The apartment had an open floor plan that allowed visitors to see the entire front of it without effort. There were two doors, one that led to the bathroom and the other was her bedroom. Her furniture was old but in good condition and it looked comfortable. There were splashes of color throughout the space, from the blue and gold throw pillows on the sofa to the butter-yellow cabinet doors in the kitchen. Wood floors stretched from one end to the other, and small area rugs added warmth and color to them, as well. “Thank you. Can I get you something to drink?” She might be irritated with him showing up at her door but she wouldn’t be rude.
“What have you got?”
“Coffee, tea, beer?”
“Beer. Woman after my own heart.” He winked at her and chuckled.
She rolled her eyes and grabbed two bottles from the fridge. She would much rather be drinking the wine but she wasn’t going to drink that with Declan there. Maybe she’d have a few glasses after he left. “I know you think our conversation isn’t over but you’re wrong about that.” She handed him one of the bottles before taking a drink of her own.
“Babe. I am never wrong, about anything.” He smirked and took a swig of his beer. “I also always get what I want so you might as well just give up now.”
“You’re an arrogant bastard, aren’t you?” She sat in the comfortable chair she had and motioned him to the sofa. “You might as well sit.”
He chuckled. “Yes, I am, with good reason.” He didn’t seem the least bit fazed by her words. He sat and watched her a moment. “He’s a fucking idiot.”
“Who?” Lily frowned at his comment.
“That human you’re dating. Only a fucking idiot would walk away from an offer to spend the night in your bed.”
“You were eavesdropping on our conversation?” A growl slipped from her and her eyes narrowed at him.
“Of course I was. I needed to know what you were saying.”
“That was a private conversation. You had no right to listen to it.”
“Listen, doll, the sooner you realize I don’t give a shit if something I do pisses you off, the better. I’m here for a reason. Your father sent me after you. I made him a promise and I am a man of my word. I’m not leaving until I finish the job.”
Her eyes narrowed at him. “Did my father tell you why I left?”
“He said he gave you some kind of ultimatum you didn’t like and you took off in the middle of the night.”
“Leave it to my father to only give part of the information,” she said with a soft growl. “See, here’s the deal. My father is the Alpha and I am his only child. Several months before he pushed me to the point I chose to leave, he decided that, as the only child of the pack’s Alpha, it was my duty to settle down with a fellow shifter and have lots of babies with the hopes of me having at least one male child so he would have an heir. Normally that might not be such a big deal, right? Well, it is when you are given no say in who you are to take to your bed. My father chose two of the dominant males in the pack, the two he felt were worthy of me, and told me to choose between them. One is someone I don’t get along well with, and the other is someone I have no romantic interests in. He refused to listen to reason, and when I continued to refuse to choose, he forced my hand. He told me I had until the full moon to make my choice or he would do it for me. I chose to leave instead.”
“He fucking tried to force a bond between you and another pack member?”
Lily was startled by his snarl. It was a bit over the top but at the same time it made her feel warm. She pushed that feeling down and tried to ignore it. “Yes, he tried to force a bond. I will not go back there just to have him try to force me to choose someone I am not drawn to.”
“I wouldn’t let that happen.”
“How, pray tell, would you stop it? Challenge him for Alpha?”
“If need be.”
Lily stared at him. Why would he even say such a thing? “You’re crazy. Go home, Declan. Tell my father whatever you want to tell him, but just go. New Orleans is my home now.” She was struggling with her attraction to him, and the longer he stayed in New Orleans, the harder it would be to fight it.
“I already told you, Lily, I’m not leaving without you. I know you feel it—the attraction between us. It’s not just because we’re both shifters and you know it. So why fight it?” He moved off the sofa and was suddenly in front of her. He leaned down, invading her personal space, and breathed her in. “Fuck, you smell so damn good.”
Lily’s eyes closed at the growl that escaped him, and she felt a small shiver work it’s way down her back. “I’m with someone I care very much about, someone who makes me happy and doesn’t expect me to live up to the standards society has for women. That’s why.” She tried to push conviction into her tone but she wasn’t sure if she succeeded. Her fingers itched to trace his jaw, and she curled her hands into fists in her lap to keep from reaching out to touch him.
“A relationship that can’t fulfill all your needs, because you can’t share a core part of yourself with him, one with an idiot who went home when he could have you under him right this very minute. That’s really what you’re going to cling to?”
“What I do or don’t do in my personal life is none of your damn business, Declan. I think you should go. Please. Just go.” What she really wanted to do was strip and beg him to fuck her, but she refused to betray Keith’s trust in such a way. She refused to hurt him like that. She refused to give in to animal instincts.
“Not yet,” he said before he gripped her face in his hands and crashed his mouth down on hers.
Lily was startled by the kiss and a soft groan escaped her. She gave in to it for several seconds before reason kicked in and she tore her mouth away from his. “What in the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Proving a fucking point. You want me just as much as I want you. You can lie and tell yourself you don’t all you want, but your reaction to my kiss proves it.” He smirked at her. “It’s only a matter of time, doll, before you drop the human and accept that you’re mine.” He stood and headed to the door. “Sleep well, Lily.” He gave her one last heated look, and left.
Lily sat there, staring at the door. Her hand lifted to her lips and she shuddered. She’d never had such an intense reaction to a kiss before, not even from another shifter, so why did his kisses move her so deeply?
Declan
Declan wasn’t sure how long he stood there on the other side of Lily’s door once he’d walked out of the apartment. That kiss shook him, his cock was hard as a rock, and his wolf raged in his head. He needed to get out of the city and let his beast run. He needed to do something to take his mind off the need burning through him. The fiery-tempered brunette was going to be the death of him if he didn’t get his reaction to her under control.
He left her building and made his way to the hotel. Once there he hopped in his car and headed out of New Orleans. He didn’t want to risk shifting in the city and being seen. That would create a fuck-load of problems he didn’t want to deal with. He would find some place away from the city where he could pull off and park so he could go for a run. If that didn’t work, he was fucked because he couldn’t go back to her apartment. If he pushed too hard, too fast, he knew she would fight it just for spite.
Half an hour outside the city he pulled his car off the side of the road, parked, and got out. He made his way into a wooded area, stripped, folded his clothes, then shifted. He was tempted to howl his frustration, but wolves weren’t indigenous to Louisiana and he didn’t want to raise any questions.
The sun was lightening the sky when he finally made his way back to his hotel. His body was exhausted from the run but his mind was still on the kiss and the way it had affected him. The run had done nothing to decrease his arousal and his craving for the stubborn she-wolf.