Six

That was my very first kiss. It couldn’t be true could it? Why did everything out of Drake’s mouth seem so unbelievable?

Ella’s mind raced as she poured another round for her customers. Punk and Annie had been giving her the side-eye since she returned. But that wasn’t what bothered her the most. It was this strange stirring inside of her. She couldn’t calm it down. It was familiar. It’d always been there, but now it seemed worse. It seemed unstoppable. Like she’d lose control of herself and break all to pieces.

After she buried her daddy, she’d felt it so strongly some days she’d been afraid to leave the house. She learned to tame the feeling by keeping herself busy. But now… now, here she was again, feeling like a rope unraveling.

Dear god, was Blister really her uncle? Did coincidences like that actually happen?

She wiped the counter and checked the ice.

No. Coincidences like that didn’t exist. Daddy would’ve called it fate. He would’ve said, “Your path always leads you to where you need to be, even if you can’t see where you’re going.”

Somehow, she’d ended up in Cedar Valley, seeking out the very club where her only living family member resides. In a freaking tent.

No… not somehow. She was there, ultimately, because of her daddy. Because of a lifetime of racing stories. Because of his near obsession with Drake Folsom and the Dirt Track Dogs. Because he always mentioned how much he loved the forest surrounding Cedar Valley. And because he’d told her fairytales when she was little, about the angel wolves that lived in the mountains.

She’d wanted to be closer to her father. To find some connection even though he wasn’t here anymore. She’d wanted to find…

Home.

But DTD wasn’t her home. Not really. And just because her uncle lived there didn’t mean it was where she belonged.

For now though, it was enough.

“You can head out early.” Punk slid up beside her, leaning against the bar. “As long as you promise you’re not going to see that arf arf.”

Ella squeezed her eyes closed at the reminder of the man who had her all twisted up, but it only brought the memory of Drake’s kiss into better focus. It had been so long since she’d been with a man, but that short sensual kiss was better than anything she could remember. It made her feel crazy inside. Wild. It made the stirring worse.

“It’s not what you think.” Ella met Punk’s gaze. She needed to make her understand.

“Oh yeah? Because what I think is that you’ve found yourself a Grade A asshole.”

Ella shook her head. “He knows my family.”

Punk’s eyebrows shot up. “For serious?”

“It’s… it’s crazy really. He sort of knew my dad, and apparently… I have an uncle.”

Punk frowned. “No shit? Who?”

“One of the Dogs. Blister. According to Drake, he was my mom’s brother.”

“But you never knew your mom.”

Ella shook her head. “I didn’t think there was anyone alive on her side. I didn’t think there was anyone alive on either side. I just… I don’t know how to process this.”

“Shit,” Punk muttered, staring at the floor.

“Yeah.”

They were silent until Annie pushed through the kitchen door carrying a burger and beer cheese. “You heading out?” she asked over her shoulder.

Ella waited until she’d served the plate before she answered. “Yeah.”

“You okay? Things seemed hairy earlier.”

Ella nodded. “Punk can fill you in.”

Annie frowned. “Aw, mannn. She always leaves out the details and then I look like a dweeb when I don’t know what’s going on.”

“No,” Punk disagreed. “You look like a dweeb because you use words like ‘dweeb.’”

Annie rolled her eyes and gave Ella’s arm a squeeze. “Alright, you go on. We’ll chat later. I have to make some more burgers.”

Ella found herself rushing through the parking lot, in a hurry to get back to the club. She was anxious to see Drake even though she wasn’t sure what she would say to him. She needed more details, that was for sure. And she needed to talk to Blister.  Geez, she could hardly believe this was happening.  She wasn’t alone anymore. Blister was obviously not the most open person, but he’d been kind to her. She felt confident they could have some sort of relationship in the future.

She parked her car in front of the shop and took several deep breaths to steady her nerves. Closing her eyes, she recalled the way Drake held her. His arms had felt like an impenetrable shield. Like nothing bad could get to her as long as he was there, protecting her. Guarding her. Like a guardian angel—

Ella’s eyes snapped open.

It was silly, but she couldn’t help but think of her daddy’s stories. Drake wasn’t an angel, but she couldn’t deny the bond she felt with him. It was enough to make her shiver.

Come to think of it, she’d had a chill the entire drive over. She felt hot and then cold. Fire and ice.

Her forehead broke out in a cold sweat and pressure built behind her eyelids. She wrapped an arm around her stomach to calm the churning there.

What was happening to her?

She weaved across the gravel strewn parking lot, growing dizzier each step. Stumbling through the door and into the brightly lit shop, she squinted against the glare of the florescent lighting. The place was empty. Maybe Drake had decided not to wait for her after all.

Sinking disappointment had her clutching at her middle again. She swayed on her feet, her vision threatening to go black.

What the hell? It’d been a few hours since she’d eaten but this had never happened before.

Ella shook her head, hoping to clear her vision, but ended up running into an empty steel barrel. The lid clattered to the floor and the resulting noise was mind shattering. A piercing ricochet that felt like it was breaking her head open. Ella’s hands flew to her ears to dull the sound of rattling metal against concrete.

When it was quiet again, she braced herself against the counter and dragged in several slow, deep breaths. In then out. Steady, steady…

“Ella? Shit.” Drake’s voice sounded like it was rolling through a tunnel, and footsteps rushed forward.

His arms came around her from behind, gentle but sturdy. The instant he made contact, something inside of her snapped. A warm, tingling sensation started from the center of her chest and moved down, down, past her belly… until she felt it between her legs.

She moaned, and in the back of her mind, she knew she should be embarrassed, but she wasn’t. All she could think of was satisfying the hot throbbing between her legs. Drake’s scent wrapped all around, cocooning her in the most delicious and seductive essence she’d ever encountered.

Mine.

She frowned. Hers? What the hell was she thinking? Why did she feel this way?

Squeezing her thighs together, she tried to find an ounce of relief for the tingling. She ground her ass against Drake’s front, but it did nothing for it. She was… god, she was horny as all hell.

A whimper escaped as she lifted the hair off the back of her neck in an effort to cool down.

“Ella?” Drake sounded baffled but all she could manage as a response was another moan. Thank god, he couldn’t see her face. She’d be ashamed later.

Drake’s hands tightened on her waist, and that’s when she realized just how vigorously she’d been grinding on him. It was worse than a dance club move and without the electronic music to accompany it.

Drake’s hand slipped under the front of her shirt to caress the skin of her belly. Yessss. Yes, she needed more of that. More touching. More rubbing. More skin against skin. More of him. He was hers and she needed him now.

The warmth of his breath skated across her cheek and neck causing the fire inside her to flare hotter. He drew in a deep hungry breath that had her groaning loud. Why the hell was it so hot when he sniffed her? What were they, animals?

Drake went rigid against her back. “Oh… shiiiit. Oh, shit. Baby, we need to get you up to your room. Now.”

Ella turned in his arms, pressing her willing body against his. She didn’t want to go anywhere. She wanted… dear god, she wanted him to take her right here in this dusty shop. She wanted to feel his body pulsing deep inside her.

She leaned closer, drawing in a deep breath. He smelled so damn good. Someone should bottle that up so she could rub it all over her body. It’d be her new favorite perfume.

“Let’s stay here,” she purred. It didn’t sound like her, but she liked it. That deep, throaty voice was sexy. And it was coming from her. Win! “I want you,” she said, boldly meeting his gaze.

His eyes flared and he licked his lips.

Hmm. His lips.

“Oh, baby,” he rasped. “I want you too. More than you know. But if we don’t get you out of here fast, we’re going to have trouble.”

She ran her palm up his torso feeling the strength of his muscles beneath the soft cotton of his shirt. “It’s ok—”

“Listen to me, Ella. You’re not yourself right now. You’re feeling strange, right? There’s a reason for it.”

She frowned. She was feeling strange, but she was fine. Really, really turned on, that was all.

“Let me get you upstairs so we can talk… in private.”

Upstairs had an air conditioner. Some cool air would do her some good.

Before she could agree, the door to the shop burst open and Beast stalked in looking bewildered and angry all at the same time. Diz and Surge were right behind him. She expected a friendly wink from Surge but instead, his eyes were wide with… fear?

Like a switch was flipped, the air changed in the room. Instead of sultry, it became tense.

Drake moved to stand in front of her, shielding her from the others.

“Stay back,” he warned them. The harsh tone of his voice sent a shiver down her spine. Right now, in this moment, she wouldn’t want to cross him.

Apparently the others agreed since they didn’t take another step.

Beast glared at Drake. “She hasn’t been claimed.”

“I don’t give a fuck,” Drake barked. “If any of you touch her, I’ll gut you.”

A growl pealed through the room making Ella flinch. It came from Beast.

“I think what Beast is trying to say is…” Surge drew in a deep, shaking breath, and a glazed look fell across his face. “Our animals have scented her heat and they don’t give a flying fuck that she’s yours.”

Diz nodded, his hands clenching to fists.

Shit. What was happening here? Ella grabbed a handful of the back of Drake’s t-shirt and he reached behind, his hand landing on her hip to keep her back.

Diz gripped the door jamb, shuffling from foot to foot. Beast took a step closer.

“Back the fuck off. That’s an order.”

At that moment, Blister strolled through the back door, frowning at his cell phone, seemingly oblivious to the conflict around him. “Alright, I’m here. What’s the meeting about?”

He pocketed his phone, but froze, staring hard at Ella. He took in a long breath and his frown deepened. He glanced at the three by the door and then back to Ella.

“Fuck,” he muttered, inching closer to her and Drake. But Drake didn’t bark at him to stay away like he had with the others. Blister stood next to Drake with his back toward her, hands out in front of him. “You called me here for this? How’d you know I wouldn’t fight you for her?”

Drake shook his head. “I didn’t call you here for this. But we’ll deal with that later.”

Blister gave a glare that could melt the polar ice caps. “You idiots going to leave? Or do I need to smack you around a little.”

Surge nodded gravely before dropping his head to look at his pants. Ella gasped when she realized his erection stood at full attention, tenting the front. “Yeah, I’m going to need to be smacked around,” he grumbled.

“Fucking hell, me too,” Diz moaned.

Beast hadn’t taken his eyes off Ella since this all started. Strangely she wasn’t afraid of him though.

“Take her out of here,” he rasped through gritted teeth. “Before we kill a twenty year friendship over her.” The rumble in his chest grew louder. He was sweating and red-faced, and shuddering. Fighting some invisible source Ella couldn’t see.

Drake edged Ella backward toward the door.

“I can’t fight it…” Beast groaned. “For fuck’s sake, Blister. Will you hit me already?”

“My pleasure, friend.”

The last thing Ella heard before she was whisked out of the shop was fists flying and the crash of bodies hitting metal.