Nine

You’re perfect, he’d said. Last night it made her stomach curl with excitement. But this morning, his words grated on her nerves.

If she was so dang perfect in his eyes then why was he avoiding her like the plague? She’d made herself very clear last night. Told him exactly what she wanted from him even though it had left her vulnerable.

He’d missed breakfast, and as far as she could tell, he wasn’t coming around for lunch either. If history was any clue, he’d show up just before bedtime, make cryptic statements and confusing gestures and then bolt.

To make matters worse, Ella and Punk were on their way over. They needed to talk to her, they’d said. Well fine. Whatever they had to say came at the perfect time because she needed to talk to them too.

As if she’d conjured them, a quick knock on the back door followed by Punk’s deep voice announced their arrival.

Annie continued furiously shredding cheese on a handheld grater.

“Whoa,” Punk murmured. “She’s in full on cook-the-hell-out-of-life mode. What’s up, Annie Banannie?”

Annie shrugged. “You called. What’s up with you?”

Punk crossed her arms while Ella let out a sharp laugh.

“Huh. That’s an interesting attitude you have going on right now. Someone make you mad? I’m available to kick some ass if you want.”

Annie set the cheese aside. “No. It’s fine.” She faced her friends, determined not to take her troubles out on them. “What did you guys need to talk to me about?”

Punk slid her gaze to Ella, clearly rethinking whatever decision the two of them had come to. Ella returned it with a wide eyed stare.

“Oh, knock it off, you two. Tell me what’s going on.”

Punk shrugged. “Okay, fine. We have something to tell you. Something that might be a little hard to believe, but just… you know, stay calm, okay.”

Annie rolled her eyes.

“So, you know the dogs, they’re… different,” Ella said. The look on her face was so serious. Like what she was about to say was a matter of life or death. “They’re not quite um, human.”

Annie blinked at her.

“Well, they’re human sometimes. Most of the time,” Ella rushed on, “but they’re also sort of… animalistic. As in they um, um, turn into wolves.”

Punk shifted from foot to foot, clearly uncomfortable. “Yeah, but they’re totally safe. You shouldn’t be worried or anything like that. They would never hurt any of us. In fact, they’re very protective.”

Ella nodded so hard, Annie wondered if her head would come off her neck. “Yeah, they’re not like, going to bite you or anything. They’re good guys, Annie. We wanted to tell you sooner but then the storm came and it just…”

“Didn’t seem like the right time,” Punk finished.

“And there’s more,” Ella added. “I…” She looked to Punk and Punk gave an encouraging nod. “I’m like them. I’m a wolf shifter too.”

“She didn’t know until she met Drake. Just like he didn’t know Blister was her uncle.”

Ella nodded. “Yeah, this is all pretty new to me too.”

Finally their words dried up.

Annie looked back and forth between her two friends, minutes passing with the tension. “That’s what you needed to tell me?”

Punk frowned.

“The wolf thing?” Annie cried. “That’s the all important thing that brought you over for a visit. Not to make sure I was okay, or I dunno, see how the repairs are coming? Or hey, help with the clean up?”

Ella’s head snapped back at her tone. “But… we knew the cats were taking care of you. And hasn’t Blister been helping?”

Cats? There were cats? Hammer wielding cats. Sure. Why not?

“Yeah, of course. But what about my actual friends? I’ve needed you guys. I have… things I need to talk about, and you guys are off on your happily-ever-afters like I’m not even here.”

“Annie… I’m so sorry,” Ella murmured, glancing at Punk. “We didn’t know. Shit, I’m sorry.”

“Wait,” Punk said. “The ‘wolf thing’? You already knew?”

Annie rolled her eyes. “Of course I knew. Just because I haven’t been laid doesn’t mean I’m stupid.”

“How long have you known?”

“Since…” Crap. They weren’t going to like this. “Since before Ella tried out for Dirt Track Dogs.”

Punk’s eyes went wide, sending her brow jewelry into her forehead. “No fucking way.”

Ella’s jaw dropped.

“How?” Punk demanded.

Annie pursed her lips. Well, everything was going to come out now. Whatever. It was time.

“Look, okay. I’ve been doing life on my own for a while, and making it just fine. Maybe even been kicking… you know, ass. But it’s not easy. I don’t like being alone all the time.” It might seem obvious, but her friends didn’t know. She’d never let on that she was anything other than happy. “I want… more. Someone special. You get what I’m saying?”

They nodded.

“So, one day at the track, I saw Blister. He was working on a car. A DTD car, and he was in his own little world, not paying attention to any of those race chick posers that strut around. He was just… there. Taking care of business. And I don’t know why exactly, but I was attracted to him.”

“You never said anything,” Ella murmured.

Annie shook her head. “Why would I? He felt so far out of reach, and he never looked my direction. So… so I decided to make him look. You mentioned Drake and wanting to be part of the club, so I encouraged you. I figured if you were in, you could like, I dunno, introduce us or something. But then everything just went haywire. I realized what Blister was, and what you were, and…” Annie ended with a shrug.

“But how?” Punk pushed. “How did you know?”

Annie felt her face flame. “I… well, I followed him one day. I just wanted to see what he liked to do so I could find a way to talk to him. But… I might’ve, um, followed him into the woods. I saw him change. I saw everything.”

Both her friends stared at her like they didn’t even know her. She fidgeted under their shocked gazes. But then Punk busted out a disbelieving laugh. In fact, she doubled over laughing harder than Annie had ever seen.

“You… you stalked him?” She could barely get the question out between knee-slapping giggles.

“I did not.” Annie’s hand flew to her hips. “I didn’t mean to see it. I told you, I was trying to figure out how to get to know him.”

Ella grinned. “Aw, I think it’s sweet. Does he know how you feel?”

“Aw, hell no, Ella,” Punk said, sobering. “She used you. To get her foot in DTD. You gonna let that go unpunished.”

Ella waved her hand. “Who cares. I ended up with Drake. And you, with Beast. We kind of owe her, right?”

“Yeah, well it doesn’t really matter,” Annie said. “My diabolical plan didn’t work.”

Punk frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Yeah, Blister’s spending all his time here. What do you mean it didn’t work?”

Annie threw her hands up. “He doesn’t… you know… I don’t know. I’ve made it clear I’m interested, but he’s just… not, I guess.”

Something like realization flashed through Ella’s gaze and she gave Punk a sad look.

“What?”

“It’s his animal,” Ella explained. “No matter what Blister might think of you, if you aren’t his animal’s intended, he won’t be interested in a relationship.”

Annie shook her head. “Intended?”

“His intended mate,” Punk said solemnly. “Shifters have one true match. They seek them out and when they find them, they mate for life.”

“For life?”

Ella nodded.

Hope mixed with fear in Annie’s chest. She tried to smile. “Well, maybe… maybe I’m his,” she said quietly. It sounded wonderful. To have Blister’s devotion for the rest of their lives.

But the expression on Ella’s face crushed that dream soundly. Her smile was full of sadness. “When a male finds their mate, they pursue them. Aggressively. If you were his, he wouldn’t leave you alone. He’d want to claim you. Be by your side all the time.”

Annie went cold, her stomach clenching with despair. That wasn’t Blister at all. In fact, he was usually trying to get away from her.

She drew in a deep shaking breath, but it burned her lungs like acid.

“Okay.” Somehow she smiled, but she wasn’t fooling anyone.

“Ah no, Annie,” Punk groaned. “Don’t cry for him. Goddamn it.”

Annie shook her head. “I’m not, I’m not. I swear.”

It was a downright lie. She could feel the tears filling her eyelids no matter how much she silently cursed them to hell.

“Annie,” Ella cooed, holding her arms out.

Annie let Ella wrap her in a hug even though all she wanted was to cry it out in solitude. She was humiliated that she’d confessed everything only to come out looking like a fool. They must think she was crazy.

A door slammed and then she heard Punk’s angry voice. “Oh, you!”

Thwack, thwack.

“The hell?” Blister’s muttered curse brought Annie’s gaze up.

Punk smacked his arm over and over because he had it up to guard his face.

“Punk!” Ella yelled, and Punk finally stopped and took up pacing the small kitchen.

Blister looked around in confusion, and before Annie could hide her face, his gaze found her.

Fury and concern mixed into an odd expression as he stalked forward. “Angel?” he murmured.

“Angel?” Punk spat, but he ignored her.

“Tell me what’s wrong,” he demanded, somehow managing to untangle her from Ella’s grasp.

His thumbs tenderly brushed away her tears, but his gentleness just made more come.

“We should go,” Ella said, frowning.

“Go? Are you fucking serious?” Punk snapped.

“Yes. We should go. Right now.” Ella dragged Punk toward the door.

Annie squeezed her eyes shut. If they left, he would keep asking questions. She’d have to tell him the whole embarrassing thing.

She heard her friends speaking in hushed tones and then the door close. She was alone with him.

“Please.” There was no mistaking the barely contained edge in his voice. “Tell me what is wrong, Annie. So I can fix it. Seeing you like this… hurts.”

She pulled away, wiping her eyes and drawing deep breaths. Time to come clean. Dang, this was going to suck.

“I know what you are,” she began. “About your wolf. I’ve known for a while. But even before I knew, I wanted you. I didn’t know about mates though. Ella told me how you’ll only desire your intended. And I’m just… Blister, I’m really sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Confusion saturated his tone.

“That I didn’t realize you were waiting for your mate. That I wasn’t her. I’m embarrassed. That’s what these tears are.”

That and the fact that she’d totally fallen for a man that eventually would belong to someone else. It was official. She was the worst at love.

“I’m… I’m not waiting on my mate.” Blister pushed off the counter, walking away from her with both hands tangled in his hair.

Annie brushed her tears away, trying to focus on his words and their meaning, but she was baffled.

He spun, his gaze hard on her. “I’m going to fuck this up, do you understand that?”

She shook her head because no, she didn’t understand anything.

Blister took two strides toward her and stopped short, his fists clenched. He practically vibrated with tension. Like he was fighting himself and losing. “I have tried. So fucking hard. To keep you safe. To make sure I didn’t bring anything bad to your life. But how… how am I supposed to do that when you cry for me?” His voice broke at the end, hooking her heart like an ignorant fish merely wanting a worm. “No one’s ever done that,” he breathed. “No one’s ever cried for me. Why do you make this so hard? Why can’t you just ignore me like everyone else? Act like I don’t exist?”

Annie straightened her shoulders, pushing her chin out. “Because you do exist. But if that’s what you want—”

“It’s not what I want,” he snapped. And his control broke as well. He closed the distance between them, bracing his arms on either side of her, trapping her against the counter. “I want to be perfect for you. My mate. I want to be everything you need. I want to make you happy. I want to claim you, make you mine. But I can’t do any of those things, Annie.”

Her heart thundered at his declaration, at his nearness. At the way his breath skated across her cheek and sent chill bumps up her neck.

“You could,” she said, with certainty. “You could do all those things and more if you wanted to bad enough.”

His gaze fell to her lips, and he murmured, “Is that what you think?”

Annie shook her head. “It’s what I know.”

“I want to kiss you. Could I do that?”

She nearly whimpered. “How bad?”

“Very bad.”

Raising an eyebrow, she dared him to prove it. She stared at his mouth. Watched his tongue as it slid along his lips, lingering in the corner where the scars from his cheek twisted his mouth.

With his hands still on the counter, he leaned down, slowly eviscerating the space between them until their lips touched. His kiss was soft. Careful. Sweet. Lingering. And beautiful, just like he was.

There was only one problem.

It wasn’t nearly enough.