Chapter Two
It wasn’t fine. It was terrifying!
“Brake! Brake! No, not the accelerator. Brake!” Jay stomped his foot down on an imaginary brake as his truck headed straight for a fence. Fuck!
At the last moment, Cassie slammed on the brakes. Jay slammed against his seatbelt, his breath whooshing out of him as his neck snapped back. He sat there for a moment, fighting for breath, his body trembling. But he recovered quickly. Turning, he looked over at Cassie.
“Cassie? You all right?” He undid his seatbelt.
She turned to him, her face pale, her breathing coming rapidly.
“T-t-think so.”
“Jesus. Stay still, I’m coming around to check on you.”
He raced around, pulling at the truck door. Reaching in, he turned the truck off and undid her seatbelt, pulling her out gently. Her scent surrounded him, and he had to take a moment to clear his head, to push the image of pressing her up against the truck and smashing his lips against hers from his mind.
What was wrong with him? This was not the time or place.
Or person.
“Can you stand? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No. No, I’m fine.”
He ran his hands over her anyway, as she rested back against the truck, catching her breath. She didn’t appear to be injured, but he still didn’t like how pale she was.
“Here. Sit down. I’ll get some water.”
He made sure she was sitting before he rummaged around in the back for a bottle of water.
“Why are you being so nice?” she asked as she took the water. Her hands shook as she attempted to undo the cap and he grabbed it back, undoing it for her. “I nearly crashed your truck.”
“Nearly. And I don’t care about the damn truck. I’m worried about you. I think you’re in shock.”
“Yeah, shock from nearly crashing into a fence.” She drew her knees up to her chest and rested her forehead on her knees. “I’m such an idiot.”
He frowned. He didn’t like hearing her talk about herself that way.
“What kind of fool can’t tell an accelerator from the brake?”
“Stop being so hard on yourself. Everyone has hiccups when they’re learning to drive.”
“Yeah, well, no more hiccups for me. Obviously, I was not meant to drive.”
“Cassie. You’ll be fine. I don’t think you’re going to mix up your accelerator and brake again, right?”
She looked up at him. “Nope, I’ll probably mix up the accelerator and clutch next time. I’m just going to wait until those driverless cars come out. It’s far safer. I’m a menace.”
He grinned. “Yep. Next, you’ll be doing burn outs and holding drag races. Cassie, it was one mistake.”
“I could have killed you,” she whispered.
“I’m a werewolf. We don’t die easily. That fence was no match for me.” He was far more worried about her safety. “On second thought, maybe you’re right. You shouldn’t drive.”
Now he was consumed by the idea of her crashing, of her hurting herself.
She sighed. “I knew you’d see it my way. The roads will be a much safer place without me on them.”
He was at war with himself. His protective instincts didn’t want her putting herself at risk, but he’d seen the flash of disappointment in her gaze. And he didn’t like her putting herself down.
“What we need is a wide-open area. And a helmet. A motorbike helmet. Maybe one of those cars that have a brake on the passenger’s side as well.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You’re not serious.”
Oh, he was.
“I can’t drive with a motorbike helmet on.”
Why not? Seemed like the perfect solution to him.
“You are serious.” She just laughed and shook her head.
“We need to go.” He held out a hand, helping her up. Her hand felt tiny in his. Small and fragile. He ran his thumb over the back of her hand, watching as her eyes flared with arousal. Her scent, sweet and clean, reached him. She wanted him.
This wasn’t the first time he’d scented her arousal, but he’d tried to be polite and ignore her reaction to him. However, the more time they spent together, the more difficult it was to ignore her reaction to him.
Oh, he was in so much trouble.
* * * * *
“What are you doing sitting over here alone?” Laney sat on the seat beside Cassie and took a sip of her beer.
Cassie smiled a little as she stared over at the werewolves currently charring meat on the grill. Jay and his brother Marcus were standing shoulder–to-shoulder in front of the grill while Cain, Dusty, and some other pack members stood around them drinking.
“Just thinking,” she answered. “How was Cooper?”
Laney sighed. “He was calling to say he won’t be home until tomorrow, he’s run into a few problems with some of the other council members.”
“You mean they’re not immediately jumping to do what he wants?” Cassie was only half-joking. The Shadowpeak Alpha exuded power and authority. Cassie wouldn’t want to get on his bad side.
Laney snorted. “I know. It’ll do him good. Knock down his ego a peg or two. But unfortunately for me, it means I get some housemates again tonight.”
“The enforcers still haven’t found out who sent you that hate mail and slashed your tires?” Cassie asked.
Laney shook her head. “Reed’s certain HAW is to blame, though.”
“Oh no, really?” Humans Against Werewolves was a vocal, sometimes violent group who believed werewolves shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near humans. Many of the extremists longed to annihilate every werewolf on the planet. Cassie felt sick at the thought of them targeting Laney.
Laney continued, “I can understand them sending the hate mail, but the slashed tires and the rattlesnake—”
“Whoa, hold on,” Cassie interrupted her. “Rattlesnake? What rattlesnake?”
“Oh,” Laney replied, looking a little sick. “Didn’t I tell you about that?
“You most certainly did not.”
Laney sighed. “A couple of weeks ago, I was getting into my car when I heard this noise. I peered beneath the driver’s seat and, well, I was lucky the snake was under the seat and couldn’t strike out.”
“Laney.”
“I know, I know. I thought Cooper was going to lock me in the house until he’d found whoever was doing this. After what happened with Justin, these latest incidents have put him into overprotective mode.” She shook her head, but her voice was full of obvious love for her mate. Cassie knew Laney still struggled over the fact that a few months ago her half-brother, whom she’d had no idea even existed, had tried to kill her.
“And Reed thinks HAW is behind everything? They don’t have a group here, do they?” Cassie was alarmed. Laney could have been seriously hurt, or worse, by a cornered rattlesnake. This was a big step up from hate mail.
Laney shrugged. “Cooper has been working hard to build up good relations with the residents in town, and it’s happening, slowly. He believes integration is the only way forward for the pack. Most people tolerate us, some even like us, but not everyone. There are always going to be those who detest or fear us.” She spoke matter-of-factly.
“Is that why you decided to open the bookstore? To help foster ties between the pack and the residents of Landon?”
Laney snorted and shook her head. “Cooper was totally against the store when I first brought the idea up. Oh, he’s all for the pack owning more businesses. But he was not impressed by the idea of me working in town. If Cooper had his way, I’d never leave the house. I had to fight hard and long to get him to agree, and then I had to compromise by promising to always have two enforcers with me. Until they find who’s behind these threats, that is. I’m hoping he’ll ease up after that.”
“Can’t blame him. Seems like someone’s always trying to kill you. They don’t know something I don’t, do they? You’re not a tiny tyrant, are you?”
Cassie grinned as Laney gave her the finger.
“I am not a tyrant. As far as we know, there’s no HAW group here in town, but they wouldn’t necessarily live around here. Reed’s got some of the pack keeping an eye out for strangers, anyone who looks suspicious or anyone known to be associated with HAW.”
“Sounds a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
“Yeah, so, for the foreseeable future, I’m stuck with my guards. Cooper thinks that it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“He really loves you.” A pang of envy hit her as she gazed over at Jay, who was chatting with Dusty as he flipped meat on the grill.
“You know she’s just teasing you, don’t you? About your name.”
“My name, my clothes, my hair, my job… Yep, she’s having real fun with me. Can’t you find her another job, get another bodyguard?” Cassie complained. “I mean, she obviously dislikes me. Why make her spend time with me?”
“Actually, Dusty keeps volunteering. I think she likes you.”
“Get real, Laney. She’s bored, and picking on me gives her something to do.”
Laney shook her head. “I'm serious, she likes you. If she didn’t, she’d either ignore you or be outright nasty. This is just her having fun.”
“Having fun? It’s as though she’s a cat playing with her favorite toy, and her claws aren’t sheathed.”
Laney winced. “Not a good analogy. Wolves don’t like being called cats.”
“I still feel like she’s eyeing me up as a tasty snack.”
“So, bite back.”
“That’s what she’s after.” Besides, Cassie had spent so long teaching herself not to bite back she wasn’t sure she’d know how.
“Maybe. I still think you should do it. You’ll feel better, and I think she’ll back off a bit.”
Cassie sighed, watching Jay laugh and give Dusty a high five.
“Do werewolves ever take humans as mates?”
Laney was quiet for a long moment. “Ahh, yes they do.”
“Are there any living here on the estate?”
“No, Zachary banned all humans from Shadowpeak. But Cooper’s lifted that ban now.”
“Oh.”
“She’s no good for him, you know. Plus, she’s not interested,” Laney murmured.
“Hmm?”
“Dusty. Even if she were attracted to Jay, she’s not right for him.”
Cassie gazed at the others joking and laughing behind her. They all belonged together. A unit. She was the outsider.
“He thinks she is.”
Laney snorted. “Does he? He’s an idiot. He’s convinced himself that he needs a werewolf as a mate and he’s blinded himself to everyone else around him.”
Cassie forced herself to smile through her pain. “She’s gorgeous.”
“Yes, she is,” Laney agreed. “She’s also argumentative, bitchy, provocative, and scrappy. She requires someone a lot calmer and a lot more stubborn than Jay is. Hell, I don’t think one man would even be enough to catch Dusty.”
Cassie frowned. “Jay seems pretty calm to me.”
“Most of the time he is. But still, he and Dusty would be fighting within a week—no doubt about it. Jay would try to smother her, pamper her. Dusty would end up trying to kick his ass, and I’m not sure who would come out on top. Jay needs someone he can take care of, he always has. He’s a good listener. You can open up with him, trust him.”
Cassie frowned over at her friend suspiciously. “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”
“Come on, who are you trying to fool, Cass? You’re into him. Hell, you can barely speak when he comes near you, you’re so tongue-tied. And the way you look at him… well, it’s as if he’s a stallion and you’re in—”
“Laney,” Cassie whispered, blushing. She dropped her forehead onto her upturned palm. “Oh God, does everyone know?”
“Well, it’s kind of hard to miss,” Laney remarked, throwing a log on the fire.
Shame held Cassie frozen until her lungs screamed for air. She forced herself to take a shuddering breath, then another. For a few endless moments, she sat there and absorbed the humiliation of knowing she’d put her desire on display for the whole pack to see. She should have realized. She knew they could hear and smell things humans couldn’t. But she’d never thought about them sensing her arousal. Blinking back tears, she finally found the courage to speak.
“I’ve got to go.” She jumped from the log, prepared to flee. But Laney grabbed her arm firmly, and Cassie knew she wasn’t going anywhere. She might be bigger than the small blonde, but Laney was a lot stronger.
“Don’t be a fool, Cassie, you’re perfect for him. Go for it.”
“He doesn’t want me, he wants Dusty. Obviously, he already knows how I feel about him, so if he was attracted to me, he would have made a move. Let me go, please, I’m embarrassed enough. I can’t believe you all know that…that…” She took a deep breath, willing herself not to cry.
“I’m sorry, Cassie, I handled this badly. I didn’t tell you to embarrass you. It’s not what you think—”
“What?” she interrupted angrily. “You weren’t all talking about me, laughing at the foolish little human lusting after the sexy, gorgeous werewolf?”
Laney let her go when she began to struggle. Once free, Cassie ran past the house to the track leading to the road. She’d have to hitch home.
Her spurt of temper didn’t last long. She slowed down, upset with herself. She’d given them something else to talk about. They’d all known. They’d all talked about her behind her back. For someone who avoided attention at all costs, it was mortifying.
“Cassie! Cassie, wait up!” She groaned at the sound of Jay calling out.
“Go away,” she called back. She needed to be by herself to lick her wounds. He moved up beside her, his stride immediately matching hers. Damn man wasn’t even winded, while she sounded like she’d run a marathon.
“What’s wrong?” His sounded concerned, but Cassie had decided she was ignoring him. If she didn’t acknowledge him, he’d go away.
“Cassie.” He grabbed her arm, turning her to face him, easily holding her struggling body still. “Did something happen?” He peered down into her face, swearing at whatever he saw there.
“Let me go, leave me alone.” So her plan to ignore him was going really well.
“I don’t think so, not until you tell me what’s going on.”
“I said let me go, y-you son of a gun!” She yanked her way free before running off again. She sprinted into the forest, but she didn’t get far. Jay grabbed her from behind. Locking his arms around her waist, he lifted her from the ground as she kicked and squirmed, infuriated.
“Son of a gun? You need to learn some better insults.”
“Fine!” she screamed, trying to kick back at him, attempting to wiggle free. But his hold never slipped. “You bastard. Jerk, wanker, asshole!”
She fought for as long as she could before sheer exhaustion overwhelmed her, forcing her to stop.
“Done now?” He turned her in his arms before pushing her back against a tree. Looming over her, his eyes had a golden glow, and she swallowed heavily.
“Don’t ever run from me, Cassie. I like to chase, but you might not like what happens when I catch you.” The threat stunned her.
“If you hurt me, Laney will be really unhappy,” she blurted out. Jeez, as a threat that was pretty crap. Pretty much like threatening to tell your mom on someone. But it was the best she had.
He jolted back, looking at her in surprise. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Too late.”
He frowned. “I bruised you? You were fighting pretty hard.” He reached for the bottom of her sweater, pulling it up. She slapped at him to no avail.
“I wasn’t talking about bruises. Put my sweater down.”
She took a deep breath, attempting to calm her raging heartbeat as he let her top drop and then raised his hands, placing them on the tree behind her head. Leaning down, he stopped when his lips were a mere breath from hers.
She moved her head to the side, thinking to avoid his kiss. But he merely licked along her jaw, blowing lightly in her ear. Her knees weakened and, to her horror, she actually whimpered.
“I can hear your heart racing.” He rested his large, rough hand against her chest. “Don’t be frightened.”
Frightened? Try confused, aroused, nervous. If not for the tree behind her, she may well have collapsed from the fire racing through her veins.
“I won’t bite. Much.”
Oh. Dear. Lord.
He grasped her chin, turning her head so his lips could brush hers, licking his tongue across her lips. He was coaxing her, wooing her, a direct contrast to his intimidating stance.
No part of him touched her except his mouth and fingers, yet his heat surrounded her, creating a staggering swirl of sizzling sparks across her skin. He nipped at her mouth, making her groan. He tugged her bottom lip down and swept his tongue inside, exploring, stroking. Shit. This was not her. She was shy. Reserved.
“No!” She pushed at his chest. “Y-you can’t win me over with a kiss.” A damn amazing, mind-blowing kiss. “Not after you all laughed at me behind my back.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Don’t pretend to be innocent. Own up, Jay. I know. Laney told me.”
“Laney told you what?” He frowned in obvious confusion. She faltered a little at that look, but she wasn’t going to stop now.
“How everyone knew I was attracted to you. How they could smell my-my interest in you.”
“Ahh.”
“Ahh, that’s all you have to say?”
He grasped her shoulders as she tried to move away, easily controlling her as she struggled to free herself. Grabbing her flailing arms, he tugged them above her head, clasping them tightly while he pressed his body against hers, effectively trapping her.
“I knew you were attracted to me, yes.” He ran a finger down her cheek, making her skin tingle.
“Did they talk about it? Laugh at me?”
“Shh,” he kissed her gently, “don’t cry, baby. Please, you’re killing me here. And no one was laughing or talking about you. If they had been, I would’ve kicked their ass.” She felt a foolish little thrill at those words. She could almost believe he cared about her. But then they were just words, she couldn’t let herself believe them.
He began kissing down her neck. Her head rolled to the side, allowing him greater access. She wiggled a hand free of his hold and tugged at his t-shirt, wanting to see him, touch him.
Releasing her other wrist, he helped her pull his shirt up over his head. Her breath caught in her throat as she ran her hands over his hard chest. Hot, firm…yum.
“What about Dusty?”
“Would I be here, kissing you, if I wanted Dusty?”
Not unless he was a total douchebag and if he was then she wanted nothing to do with him.
“She’s a friend, nothing more. I was wrong about her. I want you.”
He rolled his body against hers, pressing his hard cock against her mound. Bending down, he kissed her, his wicked tongue eliciting reactions, feelings she hadn’t known she was capable of. Fire arced through her veins, seared her skin, swept over her pussy.
“What about…ohh…” Her protest died as he cupped her breast with his hand, his fingers lightly playing with her nipple. There were other reasons she should object. She should deny him. She would have—if she’d really wanted to.
Her legs gave way beneath her as she lost her way in the pleasure. He caught her before she could fall at his feet. One hand held her steady against the tree as he ripped off her t-shirt and bra.
“Jay!” she gasped, shocked and crazily aroused.
“Hush, Cassie, I won’t hurt you.” She gazed at him in astonishment. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her, well, not physically anyway. She watched in a lust-filled daze as her jeans received the same rough treatment. She realized then that his hands had turned into partial claws, sharp enough, strong enough, to tear through skin and muscle easily. Her clothing was no match for his strength.
Just as quickly, the claws disappeared, and both hands surrounded her waist, raising her up as he slowly perused her body. A heated flush of embarrassment penetrated her lust, and she squirmed.
“Jay, let me down,” she protested, pushing uselessly at his hands.
“Be still,” he commanded. There was no strain in his arms, he wasn’t breathless, wasn’t shaking, wasn’t sweating. Damn him, because she was sure doing enough for them both.
“You are gorgeous. I cannot wait to fuck you, lick you—yummm—taste you.”
He hauled her up higher. “Put your legs over my shoulders, babe.”
She shook her head. No way, nuh-uh, not gonna happen.
Cassie let out a small whimper as his tongue licked her folds. She glanced down in wonder to find her legs were lying over his shoulders, her back resting against the tree as he held her up.
“Ohh,” she moaned, her hands coming to rest on his head with the full intention of pushing him away from her lower lips, a place no one had ever dared to taste. But somehow her hands ended up entangled in his hair, her lifeline in the sensual storm.
“That’s right. Let me hear you cry, hear you scream, hear you beg.”
She wouldn’t. She couldn’t. Could she?
He raised his hands to cup her breasts, his shoulders and the tree at her back all that supported her now, but she knew he wouldn’t let her fall. Thumbs and forefingers pinched her sensitive nipples as he circled her entrance with the tip of his tongue before slipping it slightly inside her sheath.
“Jay, please,” she begged, wriggling her hips. He leaned back, his face ravenous, his gaze devouring.
“Do you like having my tongue inside you?” His voice was almost unintelligible, and she let out a sob as he slowly licked her cream from his lush lips. His eyes closed, a look of rapturous ecstasy crossing his face. Without a doubt, it was the most arousing, most incredibly hot thing she had ever seen.
“You know I do.” He must be able to see, to feel how wet she was for him “Please, don’t stop now. If you stop, I’ll die,” she panted, certain she was near death anyway. She couldn’t be this hot without organs melting, blood boiling. He chuckled and blew on her clit, making her convulse in shocked delight.
“Wait,” she demanded. He stilled, looking up at her.
“Let me down? Please.”
“Why?” He sounded only mildly curious as his gaze returned to her pussy.
“Because I’m…oh God…too heavy.”
She screeched as a hand landed on her bare bottom with a sharp, stinging slap.
“What?” she yelled, feeling a little incensed and a lot aroused.
“You are not too heavy, and since you can obviously talk, I’m not doing this well enough.”
Well enough? My God, he was killing her. If he got any better, she would explode.
His hands left her breasts and clasped under her thighs, raising her up farther. She was wide open, totally bare to his gaze as he thrust his tongue inside her passage. He took complete control of her. Gentle, yet in command, indulgent but demanding.
“Jay!” Intense, sharp pricks of arousal raced over her, ecstasy on the cusp of being pain. She was slowly being tortured by need. “Jay, please.”
“Come for me.”
He tapped her swollen clit with his thumb. Then she was crashing, throbbing, clenching. Her orgasm overwhelmed her as waves of sensation slammed through her body until she shook with the overflow.