Skylar's Devotion

Roxie's Protectors - 4

by

Marisa Chenery

To all the fans who have written me asking when the next Roxie’s Protectors book would be coming out.

Chapter One

Braelyn walked down the street of San Francisco’s Financial District where the fashionable clothing stores were located. She stopped in front of one of the storefronts and looked in the display window. The stores weren’t as ritzy as the ones found in Los Angeles—where she now lived—but clothes shopping was one of Braelyn’s favorite things to do. Being one of the top fashion models in the country didn’t help with her addiction much either.

She caught her reflection in the glass window and pushed her dark sunglasses higher up on her nose before she tightened the ponytail she’d created when scraped her hair back. So far, none of the people she’d passed on the street had recognized her, which suited her just fine. She was in San Francisco to visit her family. It had been almost a year since the last time she’d been back to see her parents. Her modeling schedule kept her busy since she was in such high demand, and some of her shoots had her traveling halfway around the world. At twenty-four, Braelyn had to ride her success for as long as it lasted. There would come a day when a younger, prettier girl would take her place.

Continuing on her way, Braelyn passed a couple walking arm in arm, so into each other they hardly noticed the people around them. She’d never fallen for a man that hard before, where he seemed entirely devoted to her, and she to him. Most of her relationships ended up being nothing more than a passing fancy. She’d dated a few male models, but she’d found some of them to be vainer then their female counterparts. And regular guys, well, they tended to only want to date her because of her model status. They also were the ones who tried to get her into bed halfway through a date. Just because she had to pose naked at times—with all the important body parts strategically hidden—it did not mean she would be an easy lay.

Reaching a crosswalk, Braelyn stopped at the curb and waited for the light to change. Once it did, she stepped out onto the street and headed for one of the other clothing stores on the other side.

At almost the halfway point, she noticed the black motorcycle stopped at the red light for the oncoming traffic and the man who rode it. The closer she got to him Braelyn noticed the way his dark blue jeans stretched across his thighs, outlining the heavy muscles there. He wore a black leather jacket, but she saw his shoulders were wide and looked just as heavily muscled. The only thing she couldn’t see was his face since he wore a helmet with the dark visor pulled down.

Just as she drew even with the motorcycle, the rider flipped open the visor on his helmet, drawing her attention. Braelyn’s steps faltered, and she sucked in a sharp breath when her gaze encountered a pair of light blue eyes staring at her with hunger. Her heart beat faster as she took in the gorgeous face that came with those eyes. The longer they stared at each other the more aware her body became of the man who had yet to pull his gaze from hers.

The sound of a horn blaring broke the spell around her. Abruptly yanking her gaze away, Braelyn saw the crossing light had started to flash. Quickly remembering what she was supposed to be doing, she crossed the rest of the distance to the other side of the street.

* * *

Skylar had taken his recently purchased Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 motorcycle out for a spin with no real destination in mind. It was a nice sunny day, and since he didn’t have protection duty until that night, he’d decided to take advantage of it.

The drive from his home in Marin County to San Francisco had given him the chance to open the bike up a bit. He hadn’t had much opportunity to make this trip just for the pleasure of it. As one of the Protectors who watched over Roxie—the foretold one who ruled over all the werewolf packs—he took his duty pretty seriously, which meant long rides on his motorcycle, just for himself, were few and far between.

In the heart of the Financial District, Skylar geared down his bike when the light up ahead changed to amber. He shifted into neutral when he came to a stop just as it turned red and sat up straight. He used his leg muscles to keep the bike balanced. Inside his head, he heard Leif’s voice knocking how low the handlebars were on his motorcycle. He smiled to himself. His brother-in-arms might think they were a back-breaker, but Skylar liked the speed of the racing bike and didn’t mind having to bend low to ride it.

With his next breath, a scent slammed into him like a sledgehammer over the head. Drawing in a deeper breath, he filtered out the smells of the numerous car exhausts around him, leaving only the one scent behind. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a leggy blonde using the crosswalk, coming toward him. Skylar turned his head as she looked in his direction. It was her scent that had his mating urge kicking in, making his body go haywire.

He flipped open his visor to more easily draw her scent into his lungs. Skylar couldn’t stop himself from staring at the woman who was to be his mate. He knew the mating urge showed in his eyes, but he was powerless to stop it. Their gazes met, and her steps slowed.

His cock had gone rock-hard the instant he’d caught a whiff of her scent, but locking his gaze to hers through the dark sunglasses she wore had it twitching inside his jeans. Shifting his gaze to take her all in, Skylar noted her slim curvy body encased in light blue skinny jeans and a sky blue scoop necked t-shirt that showed off her modest breasts. Long strawberry blonde hair had been pulled back into a high ponytail. He ran his gaze over her face. She was a beauty beyond compare. Werewolves were known for their supermodel good looks, and the woman before him rivaled any female of his kind.

The driver of the car next to him honked. Skylar barely resisted the urge to growl and snap his teeth at the driver as the woman startled, then continued to cross the street. Not about to let his mate get away, he watched her gain the curb on the other side of the street and walk toward the row of clothing stores there.

Once the light turned green, Skylar revved his motorcycle, and making sure there weren’t any cops around, did an illegal U-turn. He turned down the same street the woman had gone and parked his bike in the first empty spot at the curb just as she walked into a store a couple of doors down.

Skylar put on the kickstand and pulled off his helmet. He put it on the gas tank between his legs and reached up to smooth his hair. With a couple of tugs, he straightened the ponytail at his nape.

Picking up his helmet, he swung a leg over his bike and stepped onto the sidewalk. He easily followed the scent trail the woman had left in her wake. Skylar didn’t even bother to look at what type of store it was when he pulled open the door and walked inside. His gaze automatically searched for the woman and found her near the back of the store. Focused only on her, he headed in her direction.

A saleswoman stopped him before he got very far. “Can I help you find something, sir?”

He didn’t shift his gaze from the blonde woman. “No, I’ve already found what I came looking for.”

“Are you buying for a wife or a girlfriend?”

That question had Skylar turning his head to look at the saleswoman. She was young looking and wore a friendly expression on her face. It was also then he saw the racks of sexy looking bras and panties all around him. He blinked. He stood in the middle of a lingerie store and was the only male on the premises.

“Ah…ah…” he stammered.

His brain seemed to stop functioning when he spied a red, practically see-through, scrap of lace that would show more of a woman’s body than it would cover. The sight of it did nothing to cool his libido. If anything, it jacked it up several notches, causing his cock to strain uncomfortably against his jean’s zipper.

The saleswoman gave him a smile. “Are you sure you don’t need any help?”

Feeling slightly embarrassed about the situation he’d gotten himself into, Skylar took a few steps away determined to carry on with his plan to meet the woman who’d stirred his mating urge to life.

“I’m sure. I’ll call you if I need you,” he said quickly before continuing on his way to the back of the store.

As he closed in on the blonde, he drew in deeper gulps of her scent, burning it to his memory. That done, he’d now be able to recognize it and use it to find her. Skylar greedily drank in the back view of her body, watching as she looked through a rack of bras. When she pulled one off and held it up to look at, he had to stop the growl of need that threatened to rumble out of his chest. The bra was another see-through piece, only it was a pale shade of blush. As he pictured what she’d look like wearing it with only a pair of matching panties, his mating urge sank deeper claws into him. He must have made a small sound after all, because she turned to face him. She slowly lowered the bra she held as she stared at him.

Wanting nothing more than to pull the dark sunglasses off so he could see the color of her eyes, Skylar forced himself to stay where he stood. “Hi,” he said.

It was hard to form a coherent thought when all the blood in his body seemed to be rushing to his cock.

“Hi,” she said back slowly.

“I saw you outside.”

She glanced down at the helmet he still held in his hand. “You were on the motorcycle.”

“Yeah.”

A small smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. “Did you follow me in here, or do you just like to shop for woman’s lingerie?”

It was on the tip of his tongue to say he only liked to shop in a store like this if he could buy for her. But Skylar knew he’d more than likely get slapped for that if he said it out loud. She didn’t know him and had no idea what she would be to him.

“Believe me,” he said with a chuckle, “I don’t make it a habit of coming to shop in stores that carry women’s intimate apparel. Actually, this is my first time stepping foot in one.”

“Then you followed me,” she stated simply.

“You could say that. I found myself unable to let you just walk away without getting to know you.” He ran his gaze over her face, letting some of the arousal he felt show in his eyes.

She swallowed. “Really?” she said quietly. “So you decided to chase me down? What if I don’t want to get to know you?”

Skylar crowded her until her back hit the rack behind her. No longer able to stand the sunglasses blocking his view of her gaze, he plucked them off her face. He then stared into a pair of beautiful emerald green eyes. She didn’t wear any makeup, but that didn’t make her looks any less amazing. Now that he saw all her features, he found her face vaguely familiar, though he knew he hadn’t met her before. He’d have remembered that.

Leaning in a bit, Skylar dragged more of her scent into his lungs. There was the unmistakable tinge of arousal mixed in with it now. “Since you hadn’t run from me in the first place, I hardly could have chased you down. And I most definitely think you want to get to know me better.”

“You’re awfully sure of yourself,” she said in a voice that had dropped an octave to a sexy murmur. It seemed to wrap around his cock, stroking it.

He crowded closer so they stood toe-to-toe. “Sometimes you have to have enough confidence in yourself to succeed. How about we start with introductions? I’m Skylar.”

His soon-to-be mate opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, the saleswoman returned. “Oh my god,” the woman said excitedly. “I know who you are. You’re Braelyn Whitmore, the fashion model.”

“Yes, I am,” said the woman he wanted to claim as his own.

The saleswoman squealed, then shoved him out of the way so she stood in front of Braelyn. “I can’t believe you’re here. I watched you on TV last week on the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. I personally think you were the best model on it.”

That’s when it hit Skylar why Braelyn looked familiar. While taking his turn to guard Roxie one evening the other week, she’d insisted he watch the very show the saleswoman had mentioned. He’d spent most of broadcast trying to hide the erection he’d gotten when one particular model had walked down the runway in nothing but a bra and panties. It had been Braelyn. Since he hadn’t been able to smell her scent, he hadn’t known then why she’d affected him more than the other scantily clad models.

The sudden thought of how many viewers, how many male viewers, had watched that fashion show had Skylar gritting his teeth to hold back another growl. It didn’t sit well with him to think of what those males could have been thinking—let alone doing—while they’d watched Braelyn strut her stuff on the runway.

Obviously unaware of the tension inside him, Braelyn smiled at the saleswoman. “Thanks. I enjoyed doing it.”

“What are you doing in San Francisco? Are you working?”

“No. I’m on a bit of a break before my next assignment. I have family here.”

When it looked as if the saleswoman would continue to monopolize all of Braelyn’s attention, Skylar butted into the conversation. “Sorry to interrupt, but you were talking to me first.”

Braelyn turned to look at him and grinned. “Feeling neglected?”

“Would it help if I said just a little?”

She flashed him a smile. Had he been in wolf form it would have had him looking up at her with adoring eyes with his tongue hanging out while he panted for her attention. It also had Skylar fighting to maintain what little control the mating urge allowed him to have. If it slipped, he knew he’d be staring at her with his eyes glowing mutedly, something they did whenever he became very aroused or angry.

“Maybe a tiny bit,” she said. Braelyn turned to the saleswoman. “It was nice meeting you, but I really don’t want to draw too much attention to myself. Think of me as any other customer who walks through the door. I’m going to look around, and if I need any help, I’ll be sure to ask.”

The saleswoman nodded. “Sure. I understand.” She then glanced over at Skylar. “But I’m sure you already have more than enough help right now.” The woman walked toward the front of the store.

Skylar watched Braelyn turn back to the rack of bras and re-hang the one she’d been holding. She shifted through it, looking as if she really intended to continue shopping.

“You’re still going to shop?” he asked. “What about us getting to know each other better?”

Braelyn looked over shoulder at him. “We can still do that at the same time. There’s one thing you should know about me—when I’m on one of my shopping trips, it would take a herd of horses to pull me away from it.” She looked him up and down. “And from the looks of you, you’ll be more than capable of carrying all that I buy.”

“Ah…all right. I guess I’m okay with that, but can’t we at least go to another store that isn’t quite so…provocative?”

She gave him a sultry look, the same one she’d used on the TV when she’d reached the end of the runway and done her pose. It got his libido going every time he saw it. “I’m not finished here yet, and maybe I’d like your male opinion on which bra or panty you find sexier.” Braelyn turned back to the rack, pulled out another lacy bra before she swiveled in his direction again and held it up in front of her. “What do you think? Does this do anything for you?”

Skylar groaned. God, she was going to kill him, or make it so he had blue balls by the time they left the store. He’d just met his would-be mate and already she strung him along. And seeing the look of mischief in her eyes, he could tell she knew exactly what she did to him. At this rate, she’d have him a mess before he could claim her as his own.

Chapter Two

Braelyn loaded Skylar down with a few more bags that held her most recent purchases. He accepted them without complaint, juggling the others he already held so he wouldn’t drop anything. Once it looked as if he’d manage, she turned on her heel and headed for the store’s exit. She heard him fall into step behind her.

When they were back out on the sidewalk and walking side by side, Braelyn smiled to herself as she looked at Skylar from the corner of her eye. It wasn’t too hard to see he’d almost reached the point where he’d become fed up with all the shopping. She’d decided to take pity on him after they made one last stop at a shoe store.

“Where to now?” Skylar asked.

“The shoe store at the end of this block.”

He glanced down at her feet. “Is there something wrong with the ones you have on?”

She looked at the Jimmy Choo blush-colored suede clog sandals she wore. They had a one-inch platform and a four-inch heel that pushed her five-foot-nine height to almost six feet. Even with that lift, Skylar still had at least nine inches on her.

Braelyn met his gaze. “No, there isn’t anything wrong with my shoes.”

“Then why do you need to go look at more?”

She gave him a look that said he had to be kidding. “You can never have enough shoes.”

He rolled his eyes. “Are you at least going to buy something more practical than those ankle breakers you have on?”

“Hey, I happen to like theses shoes, a lot. They also make my legs look long and sexy. Don’t you think so?”

Skylar’s heated gaze ran down the length of her legs, leaving a trail of warmth behind. It also had her body standing up and begging for some attention. He really was gorgeous with his heavily muscled body, light blue eyes, and long, light brown hair he wore pulled back in a ponytail that hung between his shoulder blades. His chiseled good looks matched those of any male model, but unlike them, Skylar didn’t act as if his face would land him any woman he wanted.

If anything, he’d stayed completely focused on her, not really looking at another woman, for the hour they’d been shopping together. She was used to men making her the center of their attention, but Skylar’s was different. He didn’t just look at her with lust in his eyes—though he did do a fair amount of that. He looked at her as if he’d found some great treasure. The combination of those two types of looks left her feeling edgy with arousal. His heated stares made her pussy ache and her nipples tauten beneath her shirt. And when he happened to stand behind her, she felt the warmth of his body seep into hers. That sensation only increased the desire that built inside her.

Braelyn broke out of her thoughts when Skylar spoke in a husky voice. “Do you really want me to answer that? Because if you do, you’ll find yourself thrown up against the nearest wall and kissed senseless.”

Her heart beat a little faster, and she swallowed as they both stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, facing each other. She had to lick her suddenly dry lips. Skylar’s gaze locked onto her mouth. “Is that a threat or a promise?” she asked, her voice a bit breathless.

“It depends on what you want it to be.”

For a split second, Braelyn thought she saw Skylar’s eyes take on a strange, muted glow. But it disappeared so quickly she could only assume it was her eyes playing tricks on her.

“And if I took it as a promise?” She played with fire, but with the turn of their conversation, she’d become more turned-on.

He shifted as close as the bags he held allowed. “Skip the shoe store and let’s go someplace more private and I’ll show you.”

Tempting, so tempting, but she wasn’t ready to take him up on his offer just yet. She’d had too many men think she was easy in the past. If Skylar wanted to get to first base, he had to prove he was interested in her for more than a quick lay or because she had a pretty face. That being the case, he would have to jump through some hoops first. Some of her friends thought she was just being a bitch when she did this with the men she’d become attracted to, but it was no surprise to Braelyn how well it worked to weed out the ones who really weren’t interested in forming a relationship with her.

She took a step back. “Oh no, I’m not going to give up the shoe store.” Braelyn started walking again, and Skylar fell into step beside her.

“All right. You can do the shoe store, but I get a kiss for being so cooperative.”

Braelyn shook her head. “No kiss. Not until after you take me out for dinner tonight.”

“How about this? We go to the shoe store, you give me that kiss and then I’ll take you out to dinner.”

She felt herself weakening when Skylar’s arm brushed up against hers as he moved out of the way of a pedestrian coming toward him. Every time he accidently brushed up against or touched her, she felt a tingly sensation as if a low voltage of electricity had passed between them. This time, like all the others, she managed not to show any kind of reaction to his touch.

Braelyn cleared her throat, making sure any huskiness from the arousal she felt didn’t show, and said, “Shoe shopping, one kiss where you can touch me only with your lips and nothing else, then you take me out for dinner tonight.”

“Deal,” Skylar answered quickly.

At the shoe store, he rushed her inside.

“You know, it’s still early in the day. Since you won’t be taking me out for that meal for hours, we can take our time,” she said as he gave her an impatient stare.

“That may be so, but I get to claim that kiss as soon as you’re done in here.”

“I never said when you’d get your kiss.”

Skylar shook his head. “I think I deserve to get it when I want it, especially after you tortured me with all those bras and panties.”

She chuckled. “You didn’t appear to be suffering too much at the time.”

Actually, she’d known she’d put him through hell. She’d selected some of the slinkiest bras and panties the store had to offer and had Skylar tell her if they would suit her as she held them up against her body. Even though she really didn’t know him that well, she felt comfortable enough to play with him a bit. And not once had he lost his cool with her. In some ways, it almost felt as if they’d been made for each other. Their personalities seemed to be basically the same and seemed to mesh. Then there was the sexual attraction between them. She couldn’t deny that the thought of getting naked and having some mind-blowing sex with Skylar hadn’t crossed her mind. Braelyn would have to be dead not to be affected by him. The man practically oozed testosterone.

Skylar took a noticeably deep breath. “Can we just hurry it up? Talking about the lingerie store has made me want that kiss even more.”

Braelyn sighed dramatically. “If you insist.”

She turned from Skylar and walked to the section of the store that held the expensive designer shoes. Looking at the ones out on display, she stopped when she came to a light brown high-heeled ankle boot in suede. It had a lattice detail that would wrap around her ankle with a zipper up the back of it. The heel was almost four inches, just the way she liked her heels. The designer was Manolo Blahnik, and after looking at the price tag, she saw it was also on sale.

Grabbing the boot off the shelf, Braelyn turned in search of a salesperson, catching the eye of the woman who stood behind the counter not too far away. When she came over, Braelyn asked for a pair of the boots in her size. The saleswoman nodded, then walked to the backroom to get them.

Skylar made a choking noise, drawing Braelyn’s attention. He stood in front of the display where she’d gotten the boot. “What?”

“Are you seriously thinking of buying those?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Did you look at the price?” he asked incredulously.

“Of course. That’s why I’m more than likely going to get them. They’re on sale.”

“Maybe so but they’re still over seven hundred dollars. What the hell would the price be if they weren’t discounted?”

She shook her head over his naiveté. “Over a thousand dollars. The boots are Manolo Blahniks.” When Skylar gave her a blank look, she sighed. “Manolo Blahnik is one of the top shoe designers.”

“That would have no bearing to me. I still wouldn’t pay that price.” He looked down and stuck out his foot, giving her a good view of the black shit-kicker boot he wore. “These are what I call boots, and they sure as hell didn’t cost as much as that heeled contraption you want to try on.”

Just then the saleswoman returned. She put the box she carried on the floor in front of one of the chairs against a nearby wall and opened the lid. Braelyn went and sat as the woman pulled the boots out. She slipped off her shoes and put on the boots. Standing, she walked back and forth before she stopped at the small mirror sitting on the floor. The angle of it gave her a perfect view of her feet and legs. Braelyn nodded. The boots looked really good with her skinny jeans, and they were comfortable to wear.

She walked back to the chair and slipped them off. “I’ll take these.”

The saleswoman took the boots, put them back in the box and headed for the register near the front of the store while Braelyn slipped her shoes back on. At the counter, she opened her purse and took out her credit card.

Skylar had followed her. “I just did the mental math, adding up what you bought today. Do you spend this kind of money every time you go shopping?”

Braelyn shrugged. “Sometimes. It’s not as if I spend beyond my means. And the business I’m in, it’s all about keeping up with the latest fashion. I think of it as a work expense.”

“A very expensive work expense,” Skylar grumbled.

With the boots rung in and the credit receipt signed, Braelyn took the bag from the saleswoman and headed out of the store with Skylar in her wake. “I guess that’s it.”

“Good. Let’s get all these bags put in your car. Where are you parked?”

“In one of the lots a couple blocks from where you parked your motorcycle.” She’d seen it at the curb when they’d left the lingerie store.

With a nod, Skylar got them moving in that direction. He also seemed to be in a hurry. Braelyn found herself having to almost trot in her heels just to keep up with his long strides. But that didn’t cause Skylar to slow any.

* * *

Skylar kept up the quick pace until he saw the lot where Braelyn had parked her car. A short glance around showed they were the only ones there, which suited his purposes. He intended to get his kiss from Braelyn as soon as they reached her car. His mating urge had been pushing him to kiss her, take her in his arms and show her exactly what she did to his body, and to his peace of mind.

And he knew it would only get worse until he finally claimed her as his own. His mating urge would continue to ride him until the mating bond formed between them. That would only happen when they made love for the first time. Once bonded, werewolf mates couldn’t stand to be away from each other for any length of time. One hour apart felt like months. Their minds would play tricks on them and make them think something had happened to the other. And, once they were together again, hot, intense sex followed shortly thereafter.

Never having been mated before, Skylar so far hadn’t experienced what mates went through when separated. But with his sister-in-arms, Saskia, his true brothers Roan and Jager, and his brother-in-arms, Leif, all mated, they’d done a pretty good job of describing it. Apparently it was a bitch to go through, and an experience that should be avoided at all costs, especially when it came to the newly mated. Over time, the separation would become easier to handle, but that took over a year at least.

As soon as they entered the parking lot, he asked, “Which one is your car?”

He would be more than happy to get rid of all the shopping bags he’d been toting around for the last hour and get Braelyn into his arms. She’d promised him a kiss, and he intended to get it.

She pointed to the end of the line of cars in the aisle where they walked. “Mine is the blue BMW.”

Skylar looked where Braelyn had indicated and spotted the dark blue BMW M3 coupe. The car was obviously a newer model, and something he totally expected his soon-to-be mate to drive. Braelyn liked the best things out of life, be it clothes, shoes or cars. It was a good thing he had more money than he knew what to do with—being alive for a little over a thousand years had allowed him to amass a fortune—and would be able to provide Braelyn with whatever her heart desired.

At her car, she reached into her purse and pulled out a ring of keys. She pushed a button on the remote, and the BMW’s trunk popped open. Braelyn lifted the lid all the way up and stepped aside for Skylar to put the bags inside. She put the single one she held next to the others and closed the trunk.

Before she could turn around, Skylar stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his body. He nuzzled the side of her neck with his nose. “Now about that kiss,” he said.

“Are you sure you don’t want to wait until after dinner to claim it?”

She leaned into him and put her hands on top of his arms. Skylar bit back a moan of need as a rush of intense arousal surged through him. Her scent wrapped around him, making him drunk on it. His cock, now fully erect, pressed against the small of her back. She had to be able to feel it. He wasn’t exactly small by any means.

“No,” he said, barely managing to keep a growl from his voice.

Braelyn spun in his arms and put her hands on his chest. She lifted her gaze to his. “One kiss only. For now.”

Skylar tightened his arms around her and did what he’d been dying to do since he’d first seen her crossing the street. He took her lips in a heated kiss, angling his mouth until he had a tighter fit. Her lips softened under his when he swept the seam of her mouth with his tongue, begging for entrance. Once she let him in, he groaned deep in his throat at his first real taste of her. Their tongues twined, tasting and stroking. Braelyn moaned softly as he rocked his hips into her, his cock throbbing in time with the surging of his blood through his veins.

The kiss seemed to go on and on. Skylar knew one taste of her would never be enough. It took a considerable amount of control not to take the kiss further, regardless of them being outside in a public place. And, when her hands balled into the front of his t-shirt as she deepened their kiss, he found himself hanging on by a mere thread. He’d finally found his mate, and having her in his arms, he wanted to claim her, make her irrevocably his.

If Braelyn had been a female of his kind and not a mortal, they’d have already been well on the way to becoming mates. Since she wasn’t, it meant he’d have to take things a little slower, no matter how hard his mating urge pushed him to make her his.

Finding the willpower to break the kiss, Skylar lifted his head. They were both breathing at a quick pace. With each deep breath Braelyn took, it brushed her taut nipples against his chest. Meeting her gaze, he saw a dazed look in her eyes. She might not be a werewolf and she might have been unable to sense his mating urge, but that didn’t mean she was any less affected by their kiss. The smell of her arousal wafted around them, giving proof to the fact she was as hungry for him as he was for her.

Skylar loosened his hold on Braelyn slightly, not yet ready to let go of her completely. “Where would you like to go for dinner?”

She blinked at him. “What…what?”

“I promised I’d take you out for dinner tonight. We need to decide where and what time. I have to work tonight so it can’t be too late.”

Braelyn released her hold on his shirt and leaned back into the circle of his embrace. “Right. Okay. How about you pick me up at seven? And why don’t we eat at the Supperclub? You know the restaurant where you get to recline on beds while you eat instead of sitting at tables?”

Skylar wasn’t sure if it would be such a good idea to be anywhere near a bed with Braelyn when they would be doing nothing more than eating. He’d be more tempted by her than the food.

At his hesitation, Braelyn asked, “Have you ever been there before?”

“No. I can say I have never eaten food on a bed in a restaurant.”

She smiled. “Then we should go.” Braelyn used a finger to draw circles on his chest. “It’ll be fun. We could take turns lying down and feeding each other.” Her eyes took on a sexy, slumberous look. “Wouldn’t you like me to hand feed you, Skylar?”

Could his cock get any harder? Her words, and seeing the look in her eyes, were enough to have his dick hard enough to leave a permanent mark of his zipper on it. And the idea of her feeding him while he lay on a bed next to her made him want to throw back his head in a long, loud howl.

“The Supperclub it is then,” he said.

“Great.” Braelyn rattled off her address. “I’ll see you at seven.”

As she stepped back, Skylar dropped his arms and followed her to the driver side of the BMW. Once Braelyn got in, he moved out of the way when she drove out of the parking lot. After the BMW disappeared from sight, he walked out to the sidewalk and headed in the direction where he’d parked his motorcycle. He had more than enough time to return to the Protectors’ mansion and get ready for his date. And, if he were lucky, leave again with his family being none the wiser about him finding his mate.

Chapter Three

When Skylar arrived at the mansion in Marin County, he groaned when he saw the black Mercedes-Benz parked in the drive near the large detached garage. The car belonged to Beowulf, Roxie’s mate, which more than likely meant the pair of them was there. With Roxie’s due date a week away, Beowulf accompanied his mate wherever she went.

Skylar parked his motorcycle in the garage and then headed for the front door. Roxie’s presence would make things a little more difficult for him to slip back out unnoticed. She’d see him dressed for his date and would start with the third degree. Actually, he’d be lucky if he could even make it to his room before she cornered him. With Braelyn’s scent all over him, the others would be able to smell it. Werewolf sense of smell was three times stronger than a mortal’s. His family might let him get away without questioning him about whom he’d been with, but the same couldn’t be said about Roxie.

If she realized his mating urge rode him, she’d try to lay down the law in regards to how he should act around his mate. Roxie had come up with a bunch of rules she expected the males in the house to follow when it came to claiming their mortal mates. If her rules weren’t followed, she tended to get pissed.

Skylar walked into the mansion and quietly shut the door behind him. No one was in the large open-concept foyer. He crossed the black and white checked marble floor and made a beeline line for the blond oak staircase that curved to the upper level. He’d just managed to put one foot on the bottom step when someone behind him loudly cleared their throat.

Recognizing that someone’s scent, Skylar stepped back down and turned to face the one person he’d hoped to avoid. “Hey, Roxie. Where’s Beowulf?”

She put a hand on her distended belly. “He’s with the others in the kitchen.”

In an attempt to shoo Roxie off before she started to ask questions he really didn’t want to answer, he said, “Then don’t let me stop you from going to him.”

Roxie narrowed her eyes. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“No. I’m just in a bit of a hurry is all. I have to go back out soon.”

“Really now. And does your soon-to-be quick departure have anything to do with the woman whose scent you’re wearing?”

Shit. Skylar didn’t think he’d be able to talk his way out of that one, but it didn’t mean he still wouldn’t try. “Maybe it does and maybe it doesn’t. I just have to go out for a while, but I’ll be back in time to take my shift over at your place.”

“Uh-huh. And why do I get the feeling you want to avoid the whole topic of the new scent I smell on you? Whoever she is, she’s not a werewolf. Is there something you’d like to tell me, Skylar?”

“Not particularly. If you must know, I have a date. Nothing more.”

“A date? With the mortal woman?”

“Yes. What of it?”

“So you’re telling me you just have a simple date with a mortal woman, and that there isn’t a chance of her being your mate?”

He nodded. “Yeah, that’s about it.”

Roxie closed some of the distance between them. “All right. Then prove it.”

“Excuse me?”

“Then prove to me you haven’t found your mate.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “And how would you want me to do that?”

“Easy. I want you to take the front of your shirt, hold it up to your nose and take a big old whiff of it. I have a feeling that’s where the woman’s scent is the strongest from you holding her against you.”

Double shit. “And what do you expect to happen if I do it?”

“If she’s your mate, you’re mating urge will be riding you. A good strong dose of her scent will be enough to get a reaction out of you. I’m betting it will make your eyes glow, and you won’t be able to control it.”

“I’m not going to smell my shirt.”

“Yes, you will, because if you don’t, I’m going to assume you’re too chicken. Come on. I dare you to do it.”

Skylar gritted his teeth. He was no chicken and daring him to do anything usually meant he’d do it just to prove to the person doing the daring he could. “Fine, I’ll do your silly test.”

Mentally bracing himself so he hopefully wouldn’t react to Braelyn’s scent, Skylar jerked up the front of his t-shirt and buried his nose in it. He took a deep breath. The smell of his mate’s scent mixed with his caused his control to slip. His eyes closed, and he drew in more and more of the mixture, filtering out his own scent until he fixated on Braelyn’s. Against his will, his body reacted. His cock filled with blood until the front of his jeans became uncomfortably tight.

“Open your eyes, Skylar,” Roxie said. “I need to see them, but as how other parts of you have suddenly gotten bigger, I’m pretty sure I know what I’ll find.”

He opened his eyes to find Roxie smiling while she gazed at him with an “I told you so” look. After one last whiff, he dropped his shirt and tugged it back down into place. “Not a word,” he said to her.

“You’re such a liar,” she said with a smirk. “Those glowing peepers of yours tell the truth. Not to mention certain other body parts.”

Skylar frowned and tried to turn the tables onto Roxie. “That’s twice now you’ve brought the subject of my manhood into the conversation. I wonder how Beowulf would feel about that.”

She laughed. “Manhood? Now you’re really showing your age. And keep Beowulf out of this. I know what you’re trying to do. You just want to steer me off the topic of your mate. And there is no use in denying it. The way you smelled your shirt, you looked like a starved man who’d just found a big juicy steak.”

“All right, you win. So I found my mate.”

“And you spent the day with her, obviously. Since you haven’t brought her home, you must not have claimed her yet, which is good. You know my rule about letting mortal mates have the chance to decide whether or not they want to be claimed. But I’m going to assume you’re well on your way to convincing her since your brothers did the same with their mates.”

Thinking it would at least put him in Roxie’s good graces, Skylar decided to tell her how he actually spent his time with Braelyn. “I’m working on it, yes, but not the way you think. I managed to get only one kiss out of her.”

“Then what exactly did you do with the rest of your time?”

“Clothes shopping,” he mumbled.

A smile tugged at Roxie’s mouth. “What was that? I don’t think I heard you right. Did you just say you went clothes shopping with your soon-to-be mate?”

“I know you heard me perfectly fine. And for your information, she considers it something she has to do to keep on top of her career.”

“Okay, now you have me interested. What exactly does she do that requires her to shop for her job?”

Skylar felt pretty certain Roxie would recognize Braelyn’s name. “I guess you could call her a famous fashion model. She’s Braelyn Whitmore.”

“Oh my god, your mate is Braelyn Whitmore,” Roxie shouted. “The Braelyn Whitmore, the Victoria’s Secret model?”

He winced. “Yes.”

Considering how loud Roxie had shouted, Skylar didn’t think it would be very long before everyone else present in the mansion came to investigate. Sure enough, the sound of more than one set of footsteps sounded in the hall that led to the kitchen. He groaned when every single person he lived with, accompanied by Beowulf, filed into the foyer.

Beowulf went to his mate’s side. “What’s the shouting about, Rox?”

“Skylar found his mate, and she’s Braelyn Whitmore.”

Roxie’s mate shook his head. “The name doesn’t mean much to me. Should it?”

Ansley, who was mated to Roan, spoke up. “She’s best known as a Victoria’s Secret model. She was also one of the models in their fashion show on TV the other night.”

Roan put his arm around his mate’s waist. “Ah, yes. I remember watching that, and picking out a number of bras and panties I thought would look incredibly sexy on you.”

Even though Roan was his true brother, and mated, the thought of him seeing his mate so scantily clad had Skylar’s hackles rising. It wasn’t as if he had to worry about Roan making moves on Braelyn, but the mating urge wasn’t letting him think too clearly. A low growl rumbled out of his chest before he could silence it.

Jager, his other true brother, loudly cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “I think Skylar isn’t exactly in the mood to hear how many of us watched that particular show at the moment. If you know what I mean?”

The conversation, which had centered on his mate being famous and the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, came to abrupt end. Skylar met Jager’s gaze and nodded in thanks.

Saskia, who was his sister-in-arms and the leader of the Protectors, said, “Jager’s right. I don’t think we need to torture Skylar like that.” She turned in his direction. “Though I am going to say I’m thrilled to hear another one of us has found their mate. At this rate, all of us will be matched up very soon.”

Kye, who stood at the back of the group, said, “Hey, I’m in no hurry. I’m quite happy just letting it happen when it happens.”

Deciding to make a break for it before things started to get out of hand, Skylar backed up the stairs. Seeing Roxie open her mouth to say something, he quickly said, “We can continue this conversation another time. I have a date with Braelyn this evening, and I don’t want to be late.”

Turning, not waiting for any of them to respond, he moved at preternatural speed the rest of the way up the stairs. It wasn’t until he was safely locked behind his bedroom door that he breathed a sigh of relief. He’d survived that close call. All he had to do was sneak out of the house before he became cornered again.

* * *

Braelyn managed to get all the shopping bags from her trunk into her parents’ modest two-story house in one trip. Her mom must have seen her pull into the driveway, because she opened the front door as soon as Braelyn stepped onto the porch.

“My, that’s quite a load,” her mother said after she shut the door behind her.

“You know me, shopping is one of my guilty pleasures.”

“At least you can afford to indulge.”

She headed up the stairs to what had been her bedroom while she’d been growing up. Her mom followed on her heels. Braelyn dumped the bags on the bed and looked through them for something in particular. Once she found the new dress she’d bought, she took it from the bag and shook it out. It was a black, sleeveless cocktail mini dress that had beading along the bust. The form-fitting garment only reached her mid-thigh and had had Skylar’s eyes almost popping out of his head when she’d come out of the change room to ask his opinion on it.

“That’s a lovely dress,” her mom said. “Are you planning on wearing it to have dinner with your father and me? I think you might be a tad overdressed if you are.”

Braelyn inwardly winced. She’d totally forgotten about her parents expecting her to eat with them. She’d only arrived back in San Francisco the evening before. “Um, I kind of have a date for dinner,” she said as she turned to face her mother. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“You’re back only one day, and you already have a date,” her mom said with a chuckle. “No, I don’t mind. So who is he?”

“His name is Skylar, and he’s from around here.”

“And how did you meet him?”

She smiled. “It’s kind of a funny story. He saw me crossing the street and followed me into a store—a lingerie store. Once he realized where we were, he got a little bit uncomfortable, especially when I started asking him which bras and panties he liked.”

Her mother shook her head. “You and your tests. Obviously, he passed or you wouldn’t be seeing him this evening.”

“He more than passed. Even though I dragged him to quite a few stores, not once did Skylar try to find a way to get out of it. I actually enjoyed having him with me.”

“Seeing the number of shopping bags here,” her mom waved her hand toward the bed, “you must have taken him on quite a shopping spree. You’re going to introduce him to your father and me before you leave, right?”

“I suppose so, though you know I’m no longer a teenager and can go out without my parents having to check out my date first.”

“I know. I’m just being nosy. And I know you have good taste in men.”

“Well, in that case, I’ll be sure to do the quick introductions and then usher Skylar out the door. That should satisfy your curiosity.”

“Oh, and talking about curiosity, something came for you while you were out.” Her mom left the bedroom and returned a minute later carrying a courier envelope.

Braelyn looked at who sent it and smiled. “It’s from my modeling agency.” She ripped open the envelope and pulled out a stack of smaller regular envelopes. “These must be fan letters. My agent had said she’d forward any that arrived while I was out here. She doesn’t like to be burdened with taking care of them and gets her models to deal with their own fan mail however we see fit.”

“I see. So I can expect more of these to arrive?”

“More than likely. I tend to see a bit of an influx after doing the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. And most of them seem to come from teenage males.”

Her mom laughed. “I guess I’ll leave you to your fan mail and let you get ready for your date. I’ll be downstairs getting dinner organized if you need me.”

“All right.”

After her mother left her alone, Braelyn pushed some of the bags aside and sat on the bed. Even though she mostly just sent out autographed pictures of herself to every person who wrote to her, she read every letter.

The first two letters turned out to be what she’d expected—teenage males writing to say how much they loved her. Braelyn put those aside to send a photo. The next envelope didn’t have any return address on it. She ripped it open and pulled out the single folded sheet of paper. Unfolded, she scanned the words printed in a large font.

Braelyn swallowed when she re-read the letter. It wasn’t exactly a fan letter, and it wasn’t the first of this type she’d received, either. Only a few short sentences, it said she was nothing but a slut who would one day get what she deserved. It also said that whoever had sent the letter would be the one to give it to her, and that she’d beg for more while it happened.

Even though there weren’t any identifying marks to give any clues as to who had sent it, Braelyn felt sure this letter had been from the same person who’d sent her the two other similar ones the month before. The large font used was the same, and the subject of the letter almost identical.

She wanted nothing more than to rip the letter up into shreds and burn it, but Braelyn refolded it instead and put it back in the envelope. The other two letters were back in her apartment in LA, and she’d save this one as well. So far, all she’d gotten were the letters, but in case it turned out she had a stalker and things got progressively worse, she needed to keep them as evidence.

Feeling a bit spooked, Braelyn finished reading the rest of her fan mail. The offending one, she stuck in the very bottom of her suitcase. She didn’t need one of her parents to find it. For now, she’d keep them to herself.

Chapter Four

By the time Skylar was ready to head back to San Francisco to pick up Braelyn, Roxie and Beowulf had already left the mansion. Dirk and Kye had gone with them. Later that night, Skylar would take Kye’s place and stay the night along with Dirk. Until Roxie gave birth, Saskia had decided two Protectors needed to spend the night with the couple to be on hand in case their former brother-in-arms made a power play during that time.

Miles, who was Saskia’s true brother and at one time a Protector, had gone to the dark side when he’d made the decision to make the switch five hundred years before. Instead of protecting the one they’d all sworn to do so with their lives, Miles wanted to gain control of the foretold one and use that person as a figurehead to rule the werewolf packs himself.

So far they’d managed to keep Roxie’s identity a secret from him. And, with the events that had occurred after Miles had taken Leif hostage, as far as Miles knew, his own daughter was the foretold one. It had been Jaden’s idea to pose as Roxie when her father had demanded the foretold one in exchange for Leif, her mate. At the time none of them, not even Jaden, had known Miles was her father. But when Roxie had turned Jaden before making the exchange her scent had changed, bringing out some of Miles’ recognizable scent that declared him her father.

As Skylar slipped out of the mansion and went to the garage, he pushed thoughts of Roxie, Miles and Jaden from his head. He got into his charcoal grey Infiniti G37 sport coupe and backed out onto the drive. Once he hit the street, he drove in the direction that would take him to the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco.

Thoughts of Braelyn surfaced while he made the drive. He’d done a lot of thinking about her during the hours he’d had to wait to see her again. It also hadn’t helped when he’d come out of the shower to find someone—more than likely Leif—had shoved a copy of the latest Victoria’s Secret catalogue under his door. Skylar had looked through it a half dozen times at least, staring at every page Braelyn appeared on. It was bad enough he’d have erotic dreams of her when he slept that night—thanks to the mating urge—but the catalogue only added fuel to the fire of burning need that hadn’t really left him since he’d met her.

Finally across the bridge and in the city, Skylar drove to the address Braelyn had given him. When he arrived, he pulled over to the curb and parked in front of the house. It was situated in a modest neighborhood. He saw Braelyn’s BWM parked in the drive along with a Buick Regal. She’d said she had come to San Francisco to visit family, and from the look of the house, Skylar bet this was where Braelyn’s parents lived. It only made sense she would stay with them while here.

Skylar got out of the car and took a moment to straighten his clothes. He wore black jeans, a dark grey button-down shirt and his shit-kickers. When he’d dressed, he’d thought he would be dressed up enough for the Supperclub, but he hadn’t thought about the chance of having to meet Braelyn’s parents on their first date. He knew he would have to at some point since she was his mate and he had no intention of walking away, but he’d figured it would be sometime down the road after he’d claimed her.

After he shut the car door and used the remote on his key ring to lock it, Skylar walked toward the house. On the porch, he smoothed his hand along his hair to make sure all of it was still inside the ponytail at his nape, then rang the doorbell.

The door opened, and Skylar met the gaze of a smiling woman who appeared to be close to fifty. She had the same emerald green eyes as Braelyn and shared some of her looks. This obviously had to be his mate’s mother.

“I’m here to pick up Braelyn,” he said.

“You must be Skylar,” she replied. “Come on in.” Once he had, she closed the door behind him and held out her hand. “I’m Braelyn’s mom, Bev.”

Skylar took her hand and gave it a shake before he released it. “Yes, I’m Skylar. And it’s nice to meet you.”

“Braelyn will just be a few minutes longer. Why don’t you come and take a seat in the living room while you wait?”

He nodded and followed Bev into the room just off the front entranceway. The living room was done in light colors and had a loveseat, couch and armchair. He chose to sit on the couch. Braelyn’s mom sat in the armchair kitty-corner to the couch.

“My husband is working late tonight, something spur of the moment, or you’d be meeting him as well,” Bev said. “I’m sure you didn’t count on having to meet Braelyn’s parents when you asked her out.”

Skylar smiled. “I can honestly say the thought hadn’t crossed my mind.”

“Well, don’t worry too much about it. Neither my husband nor I are the type of parents who have to know everything our grown-up daughter is doing. So you won’t be getting grilled this evening.”

He felt himself relax. Bev reminded him a lot of Braelyn personality wise. They both were down to earth and a bit on the laidback side. Skylar could see himself having no problem getting to know his mate’s parents—at least her mother—better and grow to like them.

Just then, he heard the sound of someone walking down stairs. A few seconds later, Braelyn stepped into the room. It took everything he had not to jump up, take her in his arms and kiss her senseless in front of her mother. She wore the same short, black dress she’d bought that afternoon. He remembered it well since she’d modeled it in front of him. The dress showed off her long legs. He wanted them wrapped around his waist as he sank his cock into her pussy over and over again.

Desperately trying to pull his mind away from anything dealing with Braelyn and sex, Skylar swept his gaze up her body, starting with the black, strappy high heels she wore all the way to her face. She wore makeup, which she hadn’t had on during the day, giving her a sexier look. A small smile played across her lips as if she knew exactly what he’d been thinking seconds before.

He stood and closed the distance between them. “Are you ready to go?”

Braelyn nodded. “Yes.” She then turned to look at her mother. “Sorry to leave you alone, Mom.”

Bev waved her daughter’s apology away with a flick of her hand. “I’ll be fine. I’m used to being alone when your father has to work late. Go enjoy your date.” She stood and walked over to them. “It was nice meeting you, Skylar. If I were single and my daughter’s age, I’d be making a play for you.”

“Mom!” Braelyn said with a laugh. She then turned back to Skylar. “Never mind her. She isn’t serious. She’s been head over heels in love with my father since they first met, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“So true,” Bev said. “But there is no harm in me admiring a good-looking younger man like Skylar.”

“All right, I think it’s time we leave before my mom gets out of hand,” Braelyn said as she shook her head.

He chuckled at the banter between his mate and her mother. They were obviously very close. If only they knew he was way older than they thought. They had no idea he’d celebrated his thousand and sixth birthday four months before.

With a goodbye to Braelyn’s mom, Skylar guided Braelyn out of the house and to his car. He held the passenger door open for her and closed it once she got in. He walked around the front and climbed into the driver’s side.

Skylar started the car and pulled away from the curb. He took a quick glance over at Braelyn. “Are you hungry?” He knew he was, and not just for food.

She turned her head in his direction. “Yeah, I’m starved.”

“Now don’t take this the wrong way, but you are going to order something more than a salad, right? I know most models tend not to eat enough to keep a bird alive.”

Braelyn shook her head. “I’m not like that. I do have to watch I don’t overindulge too often, but I’ve been blessed with a fast metabolism. I eat pretty much what I want so long as I do it responsibly.”

“Good, because it takes a hell of a lot more than a small salad to fill me up.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Skylar watched Braelyn look him up and down. “Seeing you, I never would have guessed,” she said with a grin. “I would imagine you have the opposite problem from me—not getting enough food.”

“More than you know. With five brothers who are as tall and as muscular as I am, and a brother-in-law who weight lifts, it’s hard to keep food in the house. My sister and my sisters-in-law are always complaining about the number of trips to the grocery store they have to make.”

“You all still live together? That’s a big family. My parents only had me so I can’t picture what it would be like with that many siblings around.”

“We’ve lived in the same place for quite a while now. I’m used to it. We all have our own separate rooms. If it gets to be too much, I can go up to mine and lock myself in.”

“You’re house must be huge. Where do you live?”

“In one of the mansions in Marin County.”

“I’m impressed.”

“I’ll take you there sometime and you can see it for yourself. Just be forewarned that it will also mean I’ll have to introduce you to my entire family. And it won’t be the same experience I just had with your mom.”

Braelyn laughed. “I’m sure it won’t be that bad.”

“You have no idea,” he said drolly. “I have one brother, Jager, who basically says whatever crap is on his mind and doesn’t care who he offends. Then, until recently, my other brother, Leif, used to consider himself a ladies’ man and would flirt with anything female. Now that he’s married, he no longer does it. The others will just be nosy.”

“I think I can handle your family.”

They fell silent as Skylar turned into the parking lot of the Supperclub. It looked on the full side, and he wondered if they’d be able to get in when he pulled into one of the few empty spaces. He hadn’t thought about calling to make reservations.

Once he helped Braelyn out of the car, he said, “I don’t know if we’ll get a place to eat. It looks busy. I didn’t think to get a reservation.”

She wrapped her arm around his and started them walking toward the restaurant. “Don’t worry about that. I took care of it. They were booked, but once I said who I was, they had a sudden opening.”

Skylar chuckled. “I guess dating a famous model has its advantages.”

“Yes, it does,” Braelyn replied with a smile.

Inside the restaurant, he let her do the talking when they stood in front of the hostess. The woman put on a big show of greeting Braelyn and then taking them to the bed reserved for them. Once they took a seat on the mattress, the hostess smiled, and with one last gushing welcome and the assurance their server would be with them shortly, she left them alone.

Skylar shifted closer to the center of the bed. “This should be an experience.” He looked around, noticing how some of the other diners sat up like he did while still others reclined on their sides.

Braelyn folded her legs to the side and moved closer to him. “You’re going to enjoy this. You don’t get to order food. The menu is picked by their chef and served throughout the night in small portions. As you can hear, they have a DJ playing music. They also have live performances.”

He wasn’t exactly sure if he liked the idea of the food coming at such a slow rate. He’d planned to get through a leisurely dinner, but not too leisurely, and then take Braelyn someplace for the rest of their date to get to know her even better. But if it would take most of the night just to eat, he didn’t think there would be time for it.

Looking at Braelyn, he found her watching him expectantly as if she waited for his reaction. This wasn’t the first time he’d seen her do it, either. While shopping, he’d gotten the feeling she used some of the things she did or said to test him in some way. He had no problem with it. The only thing that bothered him was the fact she felt she had to do it in the first place. Something must have happened in her past that had her putting a new man through a series of tests. Who and what she was seemed his best guess for the root of it. A lot of men could be dumb fucks when it came to beautiful women.

“It sounds different,” he said. “And should make for an enjoyable evening.” Skylar watched the expectant expression on Braelyn’s face turn into a bright smile.

“It will be. And the meal is basically all finger food.” She leaned closer. “We’ll also have to share from the same plates.”

“I guess that means I can’t make a pig of myself and eat everything off the plate before you get your share,” he said jokingly.

“If there’s a chance of that, I guess I’ll have to hand feed you. That way I’ll be sure to get my portion of it.”

Skylar’s cock twitched inside his jeans at the thought of Braelyn feeding him. He knew he wouldn’t be able to resist licking off every last bit of food from her fingers while she did it. He’d then have to feed her, of course. He could almost feel the warm wetness of her mouth closing over his fingers.

Horny as hell from his thoughts, Skylar cupped the back of Braelyn’s head and brought her lips to his. He kissed her thoroughly, sweeping the inside with his tongue before he released her. “You can feed me so long as I get to feed you in return,” he said huskily.

“I’d like that,” Braelyn said, her voice just above a whisper.

At that moment, their server arrived at their bed. She asked what they wanted to drink. After she took their orders, she left to get them and returned a short while later with his beer and Braelyn’s glass of red wine.

Soon after that, their food started to arrive. Skylar only recognized half of what was on the plate for the first course. It figured the food would be just as trendy as the restaurant itself. Having never been a picky eater, he didn’t care one way or the other. As long as it tasted good, he’d eat it, especially if the food came from the hand of his mate.

Braelyn reached into the square dish that sat on the mattress between them and picked up a shrimp that had been cooked in some kind of citrus-type sauce. The smell of lemon and lime filled his nose when she lifted it to his mouth. He opened it only wide enough for her to place the morsel inside. As soon as she did, he closed his lips around her finger and gave it a gentle suck when she pulled it free.

Skylar chewed and swallowed the food without really tasting it. He became completely focused on Braelyn when he detected the faint smell of her arousal. Encouraged, he reached into the dish and plucked out a shrimp. His gaze focused on her mouth, he fed it to her. Just as he’d done, Braelyn closed her lips around his finger, only she pushed the bite of food to the side of her mouth and swirled her tongue around the tip of his index finger.

A low, almost silent growl rumbled out of his chest. His cock ached to have her tongue on it while Braelyn pleasured him with her mouth. Now fully engorged, he lifted a leg to hide his erection. He had to keep his arousal under control or he’d have to explain to a roomful of mortals why his eyes were glowing mutedly. Not something he wanted or needed to happen.

Her mouthful finished, Braelyn chose something from the other dish the server had brought. “Let’s see if you like this,” she said.

Her voice had taken on a sexy timbre that seemed to hit him in the gut. “Feed it to me then.”

She popped the piece of herb encrusted vegetable into his mouth. This time he nipped the very tip of her finger. Braelyn sucked in a breath as she worried her bottom lip with her teeth.

They continued to feed each other in that manner for an hour. With each new dish of food they were given, the sexual tension between them grew greater. Skylar didn’t know how much more he could take. He was coiled tighter than a spring, and he’d long since given up trying to hide the erection that caused a noticeable bulge in the front of his jeans. It didn’t help that the scent of Braelyn’s arousal had become strong enough to overshadow the smell of the food they ate. If he didn’t get to really touch her, kiss her, he’d go insane.

Hoping to push the game they played to the point where Braelyn would be more than ready to leave, Skylar put a bite of food between his lips, then leaned toward her. He pushed it into her mouth with his tongue, keeping it there long enough to stroke hers before he pulled back. She chewed and swallowed while her heavy-lidded gaze stayed focused on his mouth.

“I’ve had my fill of food,” he said. “How about you?”

“So have I.”

“Then let’s get out of here.”

At Braelyn’s nod, Skylar caught the eye of their server and motioned her over. Once he’d paid their bill, he ushered Braelyn outside and into his car. Now he just had to figure out where he could take her so they could be alone together. Someplace where he wouldn’t be tempted to make love to her and claim her as his without her knowing what he truly was, and what it meant to be a werewolf’s mate.

Chapter Five

Braelyn had become so turned-on inside the restaurant that now she had a hard time not squirming in her seat as Skylar got into the driver’s side and started the car. She’d never expected to become this aroused just by hand feeding him. Every time he’d sucked or nipped at her finger when she had it inside his mouth, the sensation had gone straight to her pussy, causing it to clench with need. And unable to miss the large bulge in his pants, wetness had pooled and leaked into her panties. When Skylar had suggested they leave, she’d been more than ready to do so.

She barely heard Skylar say, “Where to go?”

“Start driving and I’ll give you directions to a place where we won’t be disturbed. It’s partway to my parents’ house.”

A lot of years had gone by since the last time Braelyn had been there with a member of the opposite sex, but it was the first thing that had popped into her head. She felt desperate to get her hands on Skylar, to touch and taste him. The other men she’d dated hadn’t made her body feel this needy. She’d experienced arousal and had slept with more than a couple of men, but none of them had made her feel as if she’d not survive another minute if she didn’t have his hands and lips on her.

Once they hit the street, Braelyn gave the directions to the spot she had in mind. It wasn’t a long drive, but given the condition she was in, it felt as though it took twice as long to arrive at their destination.

When they reached the high school, Skylar pulled to a stop in front of it and turned his head to look at her. “A high school?” he asked with skepticism.

“It’s either here or a hotel room, and honestly, I’m not ready to go that far yet, if you know what I mean? Not on the first date.”

“Neither am I.”

Skylar had just scored another point in his favor. “Then here it is. Drive around to the parking lot at the back of the school. When I was a teenager, that’s where I used to go to make out with my boyfriends. A lot of us kids used it for that purpose.”

“I’ve been reduced to using a teenager make out spot.”

Undoing her seatbelt, Braelyn shifted as close as she could get to Skylar and gave him a quick, hard kiss. “The longer we sit here trying to figure out another place to go, the less time we’ll have to be together before you have to go to your job.”

That seemed to do the trick. Skylar hit the gas and drove around to the back of the school. Braelyn barely had a chance to notice they were the only ones there before the car came to a park and Skylar had her in his arms.

A breathy sigh escaped her lips as his mouth closed over hers. Unlike the other kisses they’d shared, this one was hot and demanding. He reached between them and undid his seatbelt. Once free of it, he hauled her onto his lap. Her short dress rode up as she straddled Skylar’s thighs. She then let out a small squeak of surprise when his seat suddenly went back and she wound up lying on top of him.

Braelyn moaned and sucked on Skylar’s tongue when her panty-clad pussy came in direct contact with his erection. He felt thick and long against her. More of the wetness that had pooled in her core leaked into her panties as she rubbed herself against his hard cock. Skylar ground against her, matching her movement.

Shoving a hand down the front of her dress, Skylar fondled her breast. “You aren’t wearing a bra,” he said against her lips.

“The straps would have shown,” she said in reply. “And I can get away without one.”

He made a sound that sounded between a groan and a very animalistic growl. “If I had known that during dinner, it would have driven me crazy.”

She sat up a little and worked to undo the buttons on his shirt. “Enough talking and more touching.”

Once she reached the top of his pants, she pulled the shirt out from the waistband and continued to undo the buttons until she’d opened the last one. Braelyn parted the material and sucked in a breath. She’d known Skylar was built, but the sight of his well-defined chest and abs made her want to lick and kiss every inch of them. She ran her fingertips across his hairless chest and down his six-pack abs. He was a work of art. She’d never touched a man as heavily built as Skylar before. The male models she’d gone out with had muscle tone, but were more on the skinny side, without Skylar’s mass. Braelyn found Skylar’s body more to her taste.

Bending, she kissed a trail across his upper chest. She ran her hands up his smooth skin and held onto the tops of his shoulders. The thought of exploring every inch of him while naked had her heart beating faster. Braelyn promised herself she’d do just that the next time they were together. This was neither the place nor the time to act out that particular fantasy.

It was her turn to let out a loud groan when Skylar lifted her higher on his body and pushed his face between her breasts. He found the hidden zipper concealed in the side of her dress and pulled it down. Once the material loosened, he yanked down the front enough to bare her breasts. He made that strange half groan/half growl sound again as he circled a nipple with the tip of his tongue before he sucked it between his lips.

Braelyn pushed herself closer and let the pleasurable sensations coursing through her body take over. She ground against Skylar’s jean-covered cock, wanting the release that slowly built inside her pussy. It had been a while since she’d last been with a man, and it wouldn’t take much to send her into an orgasm.

Skylar switched to give her other breast equal attention. His hands ran up the top of her thighs, pushing her dress up to her waist. Urging her lower body off his, he traced the top of her panties with his fingers before he shoved a hand down the front.

At the first brush of a finger against the slick opening of her body, Braelyn gasped as it circled her clit. She shifted her hips, trying to show Skylar where she wanted him to touch her next.

He released her nipple and said, “You’re so wet, Braelyn. You make me ache to have you, but I’ll settle for making you come.”

She looked down at Skylar and saw in the dim light he had his eyes partially closed. “Do it,” she said, breathless. “Then it will be your turn.”

A whimpered moan escaped her when he pushed a finger inside her pussy. He pumped it in and out a few times before a second joined the first. Braelyn panted, squeezing her inner walls to increase her pleasure. It wasn’t until Skylar used a stroking motion inside her, caressing a spot that made her cry out, that her climax took her over. Closing her eyes, riding the fingers that continued to pleasure her, Braelyn moaned.

After the last wave hit her, Skylar pulled his fingers out of her pussy. The sight of him bringing them to his mouth and licking her juices from each one caused an aftershock deep inside her core.

“Next time,” he said in a voice rough with arousal, “I’m going to make you come with my mouth. You taste just as good as you smell.”

Braelyn knew there would be a next time. And it wouldn’t be inside Skylar’s car. Shifting off his lap to the passenger seat, she righted her dress and did up the zipper. “Now I get to see what you have hidden inside those jeans of yours.”

When Skylar would have reached to bring his seat up, she stopped him. “You stay just where you are.”

Once he settled back down, she undid the button on his pants and slowly tugged down the zipper. Skylar’s cock sprang free when she parted the material. She took her bottom lip between her teeth. He was as large and thick as she’d thought he’d be. Her pussy clenched at the thought of how good it would be to have his cock buried deep inside her. And given the way he’d just made her come, there was no question about him not knowing how to use it.

Gently, she trailed her fingers along his shaft from base to tip. It jerked, and a bead of pre-cum appeared. Braelyn collected the bit of moisture on a fingertip and rubbed it into the satiny skin. Skylar moaned.

Normally she didn’t give blowjobs until she felt more comfortable around a man, but with Skylar, she wanted to feel his cock inside her mouth while she sucked on him. She needed to hear the sounds of pleasure he’d make while she brought him to completion.

Taking hold of the bottom of his shaft, she lifted it off Skylar’s stomach. Leaning over him, she licked the same trail her fingers had taken. At the flared head, she circled it with her tongue, flicking the very tip across the slit. The sound of his harsh breathing filled her ears as she opened her mouth and sucked him inside.

Skylar’s hips lifted off the seat as he matched her in and out movements. Continuing to suck, she glanced up at him. It had to be a trick of the dim light surrounding them, but she could have sworn his eyes were glowing mutedly before he closed them completely.

His cock grew harder, and his groans of pleasure came more frequently. “Braelyn,” he panted. “I’m close, so close.” When she sucked harder and took him almost to the back of her throat, he said harshly, “Ah, fuck, I can’t hold back. Feels too good.”

Skylar cried out—the sound almost sounding like a wolf’s howl—as his cock pulsed while he came. Braelyn took everything and didn’t stop pleasuring him until he had no more to give. Once it was over, to her surprise, Skylar stayed hard as if he’d never come.

Releasing her hold on the base of his cock, she met his gaze. “You came, yet you’re still—”

He cut her off by sitting up and taking her mouth in a kiss that had her toes curling. Once he pulled away, he said, “I’m fine. It was more than nice.”

She watched him stuff his still hard cock back inside his jeans and zip it up. Braelyn gave him a dubious look. “Are you sure? It looks as if that will be painful if it doesn’t go down soon.”

Skylar chuckled and cupped the back of her head while he kissed her again. “Stop worrying. Let’s call my not losing an erection a little talent of mine, all right? And when I take you to bed, I’ll show you just how long I can keep it.”

Braelyn’s mouth went dry. If Skylar could stay hard, even after coming, sex would never be the same for her again. What woman wouldn’t want a man who could keep it up, and then make her come over and over again? She sure as hell wanted that experience.

With one last brush of his lips across hers, Skylar released her. “It’s getting late, and I have to go to work soon. I want to see you tomorrow.”

She settled back into her seat and put her seatbelt on. “I don’t have anything else planned. What time are you thinking about?”

He put on his seatbelt and turned to her with a smile. “If I had my way, I’d be knocking on your door very early in the morning, but I doubt your parents will like that. How about around lunch time? We can go grab something to eat, then decide after that what to do next. So long as it doesn’t involve torturing me at a lingerie store, I’m open to anything.”

Braelyn laughed. “I promise I’ll spare you that, but if you’re working all night, don’t you have to sleep most of the day?”

“I get to sleep where I work.”

As Skylar started the car and drove around the school, she asked, “What exactly do you do if you can work and sleep at the same time?”

“I guess the best way to describe it is bodyguard. Actually, it’s kind of the family business.”

The unsettling fan letter she’d received that day rose to the forefront of Braelyn’s mind. If Skylar was a bodyguard, and if the letters increased in number, it would be good to have a boyfriend in his line of work. It also had her seriously considering showing him the letter. She’d have to play it by ear.

“Sounds like an interesting job. Have you been doing it for very long?”

“Sometimes it feels like forever, but I’d never give it up. It’s something I vowed to do.”

Vowed to do? That statement made it sound as if Skylar’s job were very serious indeed. “Once in a while I feel the same way about modeling, as if I’ve done it forever. I enjoy it, but I know I won’t be able to do it until I’m old and grey.”

“I imagine the competition can get pretty stiff.”

“It can, but now that I’ve made it, it isn’t as hard as when I was trying to break into the business.”

They arrived at her parents’ house, and Skylar pulled over to the curb. Braelyn glanced toward the driveway and saw her dad’s older model Ford Taurus parked behind her BMW.

Turning to Skylar, she said, “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow around lunch time.” She took off her seatbelt and reached across to pull Skylar toward her. She then proceeded to kiss him until she was out of breath. Braelyn pulled away and smiled. “Something to make you dream about me tonight.”

Skylar ran the back of his fingers caressingly across her cheek. “Don’t worry, I will, guaranteed.”

Giving him one last look, Braelyn opened the car door and got out. She waited until Skylar drove away to wave before she walked to the house. A smile spread across her face as she thought about how the night had gone.

Just before she reached the front door, she suddenly had the overwhelming feeling someone watched her. She stopped in the middle of the front lawn and turned in a circle, but didn’t see anyone. Thinking it could be one of the neighbors being nosy, Braelyn shrugged to herself and went inside.

* * *

He watched Braelyn walk toward the front door of her parents’ house. Hidden in the dark shadows, she hadn’t seen him. But from where he stood, he’d seen everything. The whore had been putting on quite a display in the fancy car of the asshole she’d gone out with. Seeing them kiss like they couldn’t get enough of each other had made him want to teach her how sluts like her should be treated.

Once Braelyn disappeared inside, he slowly slipped away. Her time would come. She had to have gotten his letters. And now that she’d taken up with a man—more than likely already had spread her legs for him—it was time to act. The only good whore was a dead whore.

Chapter Six

After getting buzzed through the gated entrance to Roxie and Beowulf’s mansion, Skylar drove up the long drive. When he arrived at the house, he saw Kye waiting outside for him. He parked his car in front of the large garage and headed for his brother-in-arms.

“Itching to leave?” he asked Kye.

“The boredom is what’s killing me. And the inactivity. I’ll be glad when Roxie has her baby and we can relax a bit.”

Skylar shook his head. Out of all of them, Kye was the one who hated having nothing to do. He always had to be doing something, be it sword practice or running errands. The man didn’t like to sit still. That being the case, Skylar couldn’t understand why Kye had insisted he watch over Roxie during the day. As a web designer, Roxie spent a lot of time sitting behind a computer working. Kye usually ended up falling asleep.

“Dirk still inside?” Skylar asked.

Dirk, who was into computers as much as Roxie, usually took on a lot of the shifts, mostly because he and Roxie got along so well. The two computer nerds did a lot of brainstorming, not that any of them dared called Roxie nerd to her face. Being the only werewolf who could shift into a half human/half wolf form, making her bigger than even he, she could pretty much whip their butts if she had a mind to.

“Yeah. He’s with Roxie. They started talking all things computer and then went up to her office so she could show him some type of code, not that I understood anything of what they’d said. Beowulf is at Wulf’s Den and should be home in an hour or so.”

Wulf’s Den was the nightclub Beowulf owned. He’d cut way back on the number of hours he spent at the club to be closer to Roxie. Carl, the onetime bouncer, had shifted into the position of managing the place when Beowulf wasn’t there. The very large werewolf had the distinction of being mated to Candice, Roxie’s best friend. Once mortal like her friend, Candice had finally allowed Roxie to turn her six months before.

“Sounds as if everything is under control,” Skylar said.

“I don’t expect you’ll run into any problems, so I’m out of here.” Kye gave him a wave and headed to where he’d parked his car.

Skylar went inside the mansion and shut the door behind him in time to watch Roxie and Dirk walk down the stairs from the upper floor, deep in conversation. From the sound of it, they were still on the topic of computers and the internet. Dirk had been working on some kind of web design project for a few months, keeping the particulars to himself, though Skylar had a feeling Roxie knew all about it.

“Don’t the two of you ever get sick of talking about computers?” he asked when they reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Of course not,” Roxie replied. “Do you ever get sick of playing with your sword?”

He rolled his eyes. “It’s not the same thing. Being a warrior is a part of who I am.”

“Yes, it is. I can’t ever see myself not wanting to work with computers or the internet in some way.”

“That’s because you’re an internet junkie.” Skylar nodded toward Dirk. “And it doesn’t help when you have someone just as addicted as you hanging around all the time.”

Dirk shrugged. “What can I say? It keeps me out of trouble.”

Roxie stepped closer to Skylar. “So? How did your date with your mate go? Are you still being a good boy and holding off claiming her?”

“Yes, though I’m not sure how long that is going to last. It’s not exactly a walk in the park to resist what my mating urge is screaming at me to do. If I’m not careful, I’ll end up in the same condition as Leif just before he claimed Jaden.”

Leif had fought to the bitter end before he finally took Jaden as his mate. On the last day, he basically had agitatedly paced the entire day up in his room, driving the rest of them nuts. Roan, Jager and he had been forced to put Leif in his car and send him on his way. With his mating urge riding him hard, Leif hadn’t been able to stop himself from going to Jaden.

Roxie snorted. “That was just Leif being a dumbass. The man had delusions of grandeur thinking he could cheat fate by ignoring his mating urge, hoping it would go away.”

“That might be true, but not claiming a mate as soon as she’s found makes a mess of us males,” Skylar said.

“Then I suggest you don’t wait too long to explain what you are to Braelyn and give her a chance to decide whether or not she’ll accept you as her mate.”

Needing to change the subject of Braelyn and what she meant to him, he said, “I’m going to get a beer. I have a feeling I’m going to be in store for a long, hard, sleepless night.”

Skylar left Roxie and Dirk and went to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and took out a bottle of beer. He twisted off the cap and took a long swallow. When Braelyn had said her last kiss goodbye had been to make sure he dreamed of her that night, it hadn’t been necessary. Well into the throes of the mating urge, she’d dominate his dreams if he managed to get any sleep. Having her shatter in his arms made him ache to complete the mating bond. And the release she’d given him wouldn’t help much to take the edge off, either. Until he made love to her, he pretty much wouldn’t be good for anything else. If it took more than a few days for him to explain everything to Braelyn and get her to accept him, he could easily see himself having to take himself out of the rotation of watching over Roxie. God forbid if anything happened to her because his mating urge wouldn’t let him think straight.

* * *

It was close to three in the morning before Skylar finally fell into bed. Being alone in the room he used when he stayed over at Roxie’s hadn’t helped him keep his thoughts from Braelyn. If she could have seen them, she’d think he was some kind of obsessed stalker.

He rolled over onto his side and punched the pillow a few times to get it into the shape he wanted. Skylar closed his eyes and forced himself to relax. He tried to clear his mind. Slowly, by degrees, sleep reached up to claim him.

The dream took him shortly thereafter. Skylar found himself sitting in a chair facing a long runway, like the kind models walked down during a fashion show. There were other chairs on either side of him, but he was the only one sitting in the audience.

The lights dimmed, and music played in the background. He turned his attention to the entrance of the runway when a bright spotlight focused on it. From one side, Braelyn walked out. Flashes of light, like those from a camera, went off. Skylar looked around, but couldn’t see where the photographers were. When Braelyn headed down the runway, using the same walk she’d used when he’d watched her on TV, he gave up on his search and focused entirely on her.

She wore one of the Victoria’s Secret bra and panty sets she’d worn in the show, as well as the wings on her back. Braelyn strutted down toward the end, not once looking his way. When she reached it, she put her hand on her hip and held a pose for a few seconds before she turned back the way she’d come.

Skylar thought she’d keep going on her return trip since Braelyn hadn’t noticed him before, but that wasn’t the case. When she drew even with where he sat, she stopped and turned on the runway to face him. A set of stairs magically appeared, and she stepped down them. With a sultry look, she walked to him.

His cock grew painfully hard when she stopped directly in front of his chair and reached up to the middle of her chest. She undid the front clasp of her bra and cupped her breasts, lifting them in offering. He took hold of her hips and guided Braelyn to sit on his lap, straddling his thighs. Burying his face between her breasts, he dragged in her scent, taking it deep into his lungs, before he took what she offered.

Braelyn’s head fell back as he sucked a taut nipple into his mouth. She moaned and sank her fingers into his hair, holding him to her. He released her breast when she gently pushed him away. She cupped his face and bent her head to kiss him, nipping at his bottom lip before she sucked on his tongue. Not breaking contact with his lips, she dropped her hands to the waistband of his jeans, going even lower. She caressed him through them, wringing a growl of pleasure from him.

In the next second, they were both naked. Skylar remained seated on the hard straight backed chair with Braelyn straddling his lap. Still wearing her high heels, her feet were able to reach the floor. Her gaze locked with his, and he saw his eyes mutedly glowing in the reflection of hers. Braelyn didn’t react in any way. Using her feet, she pushed herself slightly off his lap and positioned her pussy over his cock, which stuck out straight from his body. With her bottom lip between her teeth, she slowly lowered herself onto his shaft until she’d taken every bit of his length inside. When she started to ride him, Skylar held onto her hips and thrust up to meet each of her strokes. The feel of her body taking his was the best feeling in the world.

Her pace becoming faster, Braelyn moaned then said, “Skylar, wake up, damn you.”

The incongruity of her words to the atmosphere of the erotic dream jerked Skylar awake. He opened his eyes to find Roxie standing over him, shaking his shoulder. It had been her voice he’d heard in the dream instead of Braelyn’s. “Rox? What’s the matter?”

She straightened. “The problem is you.”

“Me?” Since he slept naked, Skylar checked to make sure the sheet still covered him. It was also then he noticed the raging hard-on he had. He quickly sat up and put his hands in his lap to cover it.

“Yes, you. Being a very pregnant woman who now finds it hard to get comfortable enough to sleep, the sound of you moaning in pleasure isn’t conductive to sleep. God, I heard you through the whole house. In this instance, I wish werewolf hearing wasn’t quite so sensitive.”

Hearing that Roxie, and more than likely Beowulf and Dirk as well, had heard him moaning while he’d had dream sex with Braelyn, caused Skylar to do something he probably hadn’t done since he was an untried youth—he blushed. His face grew warm with the heat of it. He shook his head, letting his loose hair hang down a bit in an attempt to hide his reaction. He wasn’t an exhibitionist and didn’t like the idea of anyone overhearing what his mating urge caused him to go through.

Roxie sighed and took his chin in her hand to force him to look up at her. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. I’m just a bit on the touchy side when I can’t sleep. I know you don’t have any control over your dreams, especially now. If it makes you feel any better, I’m the only one who heard you. Both Beowulf and Dirk are out like lights. I checked.”

Or they had just ignored him and gone back to sleep. Dirk in particular would have awakened. All of the Protectors could come fully awake at the slightest noise like all well-trained warriors.

“I’m sorry if I woke you up,” he said.

“You didn’t. I was already awake. I’d gone down to the kitchen for some water.” Roxie stared at him closely for a few seconds. “I think you need to be pulled off the rotation until you’ve claimed Braelyn.”

“I haven’t gotten that bad yet. I can still do my duty.”

“I never said you were or that you couldn’t. When the others went through this, they were pulled off rotation as well. Saskia might not be here to make the final decision, but I want you to do it anyway. It’ll also give you more time to be with Braelyn.”

Skylar had to agree with that last part. If he didn’t have to worry about taking his shift watching over Roxie, he could use the extra free time to get to know Braelyn better, and her him.

“All right, I’ll do it. But only if you promise to help me break what I am to Braelyn. You apparently had a calming effect on Ansley when Roan told her and she freaked.”

Roxie smiled. “It’s a deal. Why don’t you get up and go home? I’m sure you want to get a fresh set of clothes before you see your mate again. It’s almost five now. I’ll be fine with just Beowulf and Dirk to watch over me before Jager and Daylen arrive later this morning.”

He obviously wouldn’t be getting any more sleep, not when he knew Roxie would more than likely be awake to hear him have another erotic dream. “Fine, I’ll go home.”

“I’ll leave you to get dressed then. And whenever you’re ready to have me talk to Braelyn, just give me a call.”

Skylar watched Roxie leave the room and blew out a breath. He hoped today would bring him one step closer to making Braelyn his.

* * *

After Skylar arrived back at the Protectors’ mansion, he went directly to his room and took a long shower. It did nothing for his semi-aroused state, but it helped to loosen some of the tension he had in his shoulders and back.

He turned off the taps with the thought of leaving the other people in the house some hot water and stepped out of the glass surround shower stall. Skylar dried himself and then used his hand to clear some of the steam fogging up the mirror over the sink. He combed out his hair and decided to let it dry naturally.

Naked, he walked back into his room and pulled on a clean pair of blue jeans along with a black t-shirt. After donning those, he sat on his bed and turned on the TV. It was still a bit early for anyone else to be up and around. If he stayed in his room long enough and was lucky, one of the others would have started cooking some breakfast once he went downstairs.

At around eight, he heard the sound of a phone ringing and then multiple sets of footsteps heading down to the lower level. Skylar waited another fifteen minutes before he too left his room.

Thinking he’d timed it perfectly, he walked into the kitchen expecting to see one of his family members slaving over a hot stove. That wasn’t exactly what he saw. Not only did the stove sit cold from lack of use, but all the members of the household, minus Dirk, sat at the table with grim looks on their faces.

“Did someone die?” he asked when he reached the group.

Saskia spoke first. “No, but the news could be just as bad. Miles phoned me on my cell this morning. He wants to see Jaden, tomorrow.”

“Are you going to let him?” Skylar easily read the concern Saskia had for her niece when she glanced over at Jaden.

“Jaden will have the final decision.”

“Do you think that’s wise?”

“That’s what we were discussing before you came down. I think it should be Jaden’s decision. As long as Miles still thinks she is the foretold one, I don’t see him being much of a threat. He might have turned to the wrong side, but he wouldn’t harm his own child.”

“I don’t know,” Leif said. “I don’t like the idea of Jaden around the bastard.”

Jaden gave her mate an exasperated stare. “He’s still my father. I think Aunt Saskia is right. I don’t think my dad would harm me. You didn’t see the look on his face when he first saw me and called me by my mom’s name. He might be a bastard, but he truly cared for my mother. And since I’m the last living connection to her, he won’t do something stupid like try to attack me.”

“And,” Saskia said, “it isn’t as if we’d let you see him alone. Since you are supposed to be the foretold one, we have to act the role of your Protectors. Most, if not all, of us should be there.”

“What about Roxie?” Roan asked. “We can’t leave her totally unprotected. She is the real foretold one, after all.”

“I’ll watch her,” Skylar quickly said. “Roxie pulled me off rotation this morning, but I don’t think she’ll mind spending some time with me and my mate.”

Saskia nodded. “Then it’s settled.” She looked at Jaden. “That is if you still want to see Miles.”

“I do,” Jaden said. “If anything I want to learn how he and my mom met and what caused them to break up before I was born.”

Saskia stood. “All right. I’ll call Miles back and arrange a time and place of my choosing. Once I get off the phone with him we can make further plans.”

Skylar wasn’t sure if this was a good idea or not, but it wasn’t his place to deny Jaden the chance of getting to know her father. He just hoped it wouldn’t blow up in their faces.

Chapter Seven

Braelyn made it back to her parents’ house from setting her plans into motion with only twenty minutes to spare before Skylar was to arrive. She raced inside the house and yelled a quick hello to her mother. Before she reached the stairs to the upper level, her mom stopped her.

“Wait a second, Braelyn.”

“I’m in a bit of a hurry, Mom. Skylar will be here soon.”

“This won’t take long.” She held out a plain white envelope. “I found it in the mailbox this morning while you were out doing your running around. It has our address on it but no stamp.”

A sense of unease washed through Braelyn when she took the envelope from her mother. On the outside, she tried not to let it show. “I guess the person thought it would be faster to drop it by the house instead of putting it in the mail. I’ll look at it upstairs.”

With the letter clutched tightly, she ran up the stairs and into her room. Braelyn shut the door behind her and crossed the room to her bed. She sat and tore open the envelope, hoping it wasn’t what she thought it was.

Her hands shook when she unfolded the single piece of paper and read the message printed out in a large font. It was from the same person who’d sent the other letters. She read the similar threats, but this time they’d escalated by calling her a whore and saying her sickening public displays with a man needed to stop, permanently. And that her type of woman needed to be cleansed from the face of the Earth.

Braelyn forced herself to take deep, steady breaths and not to hyperventilate. Not only had the person who sent this letter more than likely watched her with Skylar, he or she also knew where her parents lived, and that she was there. She picked up the discarded envelope, and as her mother had said, there wasn’t a stamp on it. The letter had indeed been hand delivered.

After shoving the letter back into the envelope, Braelyn put it inside her purse. She couldn’t ignore these threats any longer. She needed protection, and who better to provide it than Skylar? At some point during their date, she’d show him the latest letter. Given the business he was in, surely he’d know what she should do to handle this situation discreetly. Making this public knowledge would only give the sender notoriety he or she didn’t deserve.

That decided, Braelyn changed into a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and a tan short-sleeved silk blouse. She pulled on the new ankle boots she’d bought the day before. She’d just finished putting on a bit of makeup when she heard her mom call up the stairs to her.

Giving herself one last look in the dresser mirror, and satisfied she didn’t look white as a ghost, Braelyn snatched up her purse and walked out of her room. Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, she ran her gaze over the man who waited for her just inside the front door. Skylar’s gaze found hers, and he smiled.

The mere sight of him caused her body to react. For the rest of last night and then all this morning, he hadn’t been very far from her thoughts. If she didn’t know any better, she’d say she had become obsessed with him, something she’d never done over a man before. It was also during the small hours of the morning—not able to sleep because he dominated her thoughts so much—she had come up with the plan of how she wanted her day with Skylar to go.

“All set?” he asked when she’d walked over to him.

“Yes.”

With a shouted goodbye to her mom, Braelyn let Skylar guide her out of the house with his hand on the small of her back. Being near him, the last of the unease she felt because of the letter drained away. When she was with him, she felt as if she were safe, protected. Maybe it had something to do with Skylar’s large size. All Braelyn knew was she felt more comfortable with him at her side.

Once they were inside Skylar’s Infiniti, he put the key in the ignition and said, “So have you had a chance to think about where you want to go out to eat?”

She put on her seatbelt and turned her head to look at him. “Actually, I did better than that. I already have a reservation at the Roots restaurant at the Orchard Garden Hotel. It’s for twelve-thirty, so we have plenty of time to get there.”

Skylar smiled. “It would seem you were more on the ball this morning than I was.”

“I figured it would save some time if I went ahead and made the reservations.”

“Sounds good. And since you said we don’t have to hurry,” he said as he leaned toward her, “I can take the time to do this.”

He kissed her, taking her lips in a gentle exploration. When she returned it, moaning into his mouth, Skylar became more demanding. In a matter of seconds, the passion between them raged into a conflagration. The rest of the world seemed to disappear, leaving only the two of them in it. They were more than good together. The desire Skylar’s touch caused inside her just reaffirmed she’d made the right choice with the plans she’d made for them after lunch.

Then in the middle of the heated kiss, Braelyn remembered what the letter had said about public displays. She stiffened and put her hand on Skylar’s chest to push him away. Once he broke contact with her mouth, she scooted away as far as her seatbelt would allow.

Skylar gave her a confused look. “Is everything all right, Braelyn? I didn’t do anything wrong, did I?”

She shook her head. “I’m fine, and no, you didn’t do anything wrong.” She put on what she hoped was a sexy smile. “If we don’t stop now, I doubt I’ll be able to get through lunch without mentally undressing you.”

His eyes took on a heavy-lidded appearance. “We’ll have to see about continuing this after we eat then.”

“I’m game for that.”

When they arrived and parked in the hotel’s parking lot, Braelyn got out of the car and met Skylar at the front of it. They walked into the hotel and headed for the restaurant situated off the lobby. Since she’d been here earlier to make the reservation in person, the host smiled brightly when he saw them.

Before she could say her name, he said, “Right this way, Miss Whitmore. Your table is ready.”

After they were seated with menus in front of them, Skylar said, “I guess I’m going to have to get used to strange men recognizing my ma…girlfriend.”

She caught the slight stumble in words when he’d spoken. “Are you the jealous type, Skylar?”

“When it comes to you, I’m afraid I will be a little. I’ve never taken out a woman who was famous before. I’ll try not to make an ass of myself in front of you.”

Braelyn chuckled. “Nothing wrong with a little jealousy. You might not be famous, but you do tend to draw a lot of female attention.”

Skylar pinned her with a stare that would have caused her knees to give out on her if she hadn’t already been seated. “They can look, but I belong only to you.”

Hearing him say he was hers sent a thrill through her. They had only known each other for such a short period of time, but Braelyn had already had thoughts of how their relationship would work once she returned to LA. She didn’t want to give Skylar up. Even though she’d really had no idea what her ideal man would be like, he seemed to be everything she’d unknowingly been looking for. And any man who would happily follow her around on one of her shopping trips without uttering a single complaint was a man she needed to hang on to.

Letting some of how she felt about him show in her eyes, she said softly, “Then I’ll hold on tight and won’t let go.”

Their server came and took their orders and returned with the food in good time. They had just finished their meals when he brought up the subject of what they would do with the rest of the day.

“Do you have any plans up your sleeve I should know about? I also forgot to mention I have a few days off from work, starting tonight.”

With the knowledge they could spend the night together as well, a shot of excitement went through her. Skylar’s time off couldn’t have worked out any better. She picked up her purse and put it on the table next to her empty plate. She opened it. The first thing she spotted was the letter, but decided now wasn’t the time to bring it up. Reaching past the envelope, she plucked out the keycard she’d put in there earlier.

Braelyn held it out for Skylar to see. “Since you didn’t seem ready to take me to your place, and we can’t very well be together at my parents’ house, when I made the reservation this morning I also booked a room at the hotel for one night.”

For a split second she thought she saw Skylar’s eyes glimmer with a shimmering light, dim, faint but there nonetheless. She stared for a moment, but he closed his eyes briefly. Once he opened them again whatever it was had gone. He stared at her with hunger. “You booked us a room here in the hotel?”

“Yes.”

“You do realize what will happen once we go there?”

Her body went up in flames, knowing full well what he implied. She’d counted on it. “Last night in your car was a taste. I now want all of it.”

Barely louder than a whisper, so soft she had to strain to hear it, Skylar said under his breath, “I’m not that strong.” He then signaled their server over to their table.

* * *

Skylar kept telling himself he would be breaking one of Roxie’s rules the whole time he ushered Braelyn out of the restaurant and to the other side of the lobby where the bank of elevators were. He knew what would happen as soon as he got her inside the room. And with the mating urge riding him hard, and his wolf demanding he claim his mate, he didn’t think he could stop from taking the final step that would bind their souls together. It would be too much to ask of him not to make love to Braelyn.

When the elevator car arrived, they stepped inside and silently rode it to the floor where their room was located. Skylar clenched his hands into tight fists to stop himself from dragging Braelyn into his arms and ravishing her right there and then as the scent of her arousal filled the small space. His cock strained against his zipper. No, he definitely wasn’t strong enough to resist the pull his mate had over him. And he didn’t think oral sex would satisfy him enough to avoid completing the act this time. After the dream he’d had of making love to her early that morning, his body was too primed.

The elevator dinged when it reached their floor, and they stepped out. Since Braelyn had the keycard, he allowed her to get ahead of him as they walked down the long hall. He skimmed his gaze down the length of her body, staying a few extra seconds on her shapely ass encased in her tight jeans. He also had to admit the exorbitant price she’d paid for the boots she wore had been well worth the money. The ankle boots made her long legs look even sexier.

At the room, Braelyn stopped in front of it and swiped the keycard in the lock. The little light turned from red to green, and she pushed open the door. As soon as they were inside and it closed behind them, she turned and put her arms around his neck. With a couple of tugs, she pulled the hair elastic out and threw it aside as his hair fell around his shoulders.

Braelyn went up on tiptoe and brushed her lips against his. “I’ve been dying to see what you would look like with your hair out of the ponytail.”

“And?” he asked, voice lowered to a husky level.

“I think you look even better with it down.”

She accentuated her words by placing a kiss on each of his cheeks and nipping his chin, nibbling a path down along his jaw to the side of his neck. His libido increased the lower she went. There was no bigger turn-on for a male werewolf than to be bitten where the shoulder and neck met. One bite there and he’d be all over Braelyn before she knew what hit her.

“Ah…ah, I’ll have to wear it down more often.” Even lower she went, using a hand to tug away the collar of his t-shirt and drag her tongue across the exact spot that would guarantee a complete slip of his control. “Oh god, Braelyn.” He sank his fingers into her hair at the back of her head to hold her to him. “Do that again, but use your teeth as well.”

“You like it a little kinky, do you?” She gently nipped his skin.

“Christ.” His chest rapidly rose and fell as he began to pant. “Harder. Do it harder.”

At the sensation of Braelyn, his mate, biting him hard enough for him to really feel it, Skylar’s eyes just about rolled back inside his head. A wolf-like growl rumbled out of him, and their fates became set.

Lifting her off her feet with an arm wrapped around her waist, and guiding her lips to his with the other, Skylar carried her to the king-sized bed in the middle of the room. All the reasons why he should slow things down rushed out of his head as he kissed her deeply, not holding anything back. He wanted, he needed, to claim her as his. Now that he’d found her, there would never be another to take her place. He wanted to bind her to him, to make sure she would always be his. The instinct to bind his soul to his mate’s had become too strong to resist.

Skylar only took the time to roughly yank the covers back before he lowered Braelyn onto the bed. She lifted her arms, draping them around his neck and pulled him down on top of her as she shoved her tongue into his mouth. Her legs lifted and encircled his waist when he settled between them. When his erection came in contact with her jean-clad pussy, she ground against him.

More growls he couldn’t hold back pushed out of him. Braelyn might be mortal, but at the moment, she was as aggressive as any female werewolf intent on making love to her mate. Her whimpered moans filled his ears while she shoved her hands up the back of his shirt and dug her nails into his skin.

Feeling almost crazed with lust and the mating urge, Skylar tore his mouth away from hers and quickly worked on unbuttoning her blouse. He shifted to kneel on the bed. Braelyn’s legs dropped from around his waist, and he helped her sit up.

No longer pinned beneath him, he made short work of taking off her blouse. His gaze landed on the sheer white bra Braelyn wore. The material shimmered in the light of the room. The bra was so see-through he easily saw each of her taut, pale pink nipples through it. He bent his head and placed a kiss on one and then the other before he reached behind her and undid the hooks. He pushed the straps down her arms and tossed the bra away.

Skylar cover her breasts with his hands and kneaded them. “So beautiful, and so mine,” he said, lifting one and laving a nipple with the flat of his tongue.

Braelyn moaned. “We need to get out of our clothes. I want to run my hands all over your naked body.”

By now, he knew his eyes had to be mutedly glowing. Keeping them averted, he released her and yanked his t-shirt over his head. “I took off something. It’s your turn.”

Bending each leg toward her, Braelyn took off her boots and threw them to the floor. Next she shifted so he no longer knelt between her legs and stripped off her jeans, leaving her panties on. They were a match for the bra. She leaned over to drop her pants over the side of the bed, and he noticed the panties were a thong.

When she would have shifted back, Skylar put his hands on her hips and rolled her to her stomach. He straddled the back of her thighs. “Not so fast. I get to enjoy the sight of you in a thong before I remove them, with my teeth.”

“It’s your turn to take off your pants.” She turned her head to look at him.

He ducked his head and pressed his lips to the back of her neck. “If I take them off now, that will be the last article of clothing I’m wearing. I get the thong first.”

Braelyn squirmed beneath him. “Do you always go commando?”

“Yes.”

“I’m going to have to remember that.”

She then sucked in a sharp breath when he kissed a path down her spine. He shifted lower down her legs and nipped each globe of her ass. His cock aching to be inside her moist heat, he hooked his fingers into the top of her thong and pulled it down her legs.

Free of it, he used one of his legs to spread hers apart enough for him to kneel between them once more. His hands skimmed down her back to her ass. Continuing lower, he dipped his fingers between her thighs, encountering the wetness leaking from her pussy.

“I have to taste,” he said, his voice hoarse. “Roll over for me.”

“Not until you lose the pants.”

Skylar slid off the end of the bed and toed off his boots. Braelyn rolled to her back and propped herself up on her elbows to watch him. Allowing his eyes to close to mere slits, he dropped his hands to the top of his jeans and undid them. He pushed them down past his hips and let them drop to pool at his ankles. He kicked out of them and shoved them aside with his foot.

Braelyn’s gaze appeared locked on his cock. She licked her lips, and it jerked in response. “God, Skylar. Your body is perfect. Big in all the right places.”

He got up on the bed and crawled his way over to her. “And you have the body of a goddess. I intend to worship every inch of it before we leave this room.”

Skylar took Braelyn’s lips in a demanding kiss until he had her whimpering. He then shifted down her body, taking the time to lavish attention on her breasts on the way. At her flat belly, he circled the tip of his tongue into her bellybutton before moving closer to the prize he sought.

With his shoulders wedged between her thighs, Skylar spread Braelyn’s folds and licked her pussy from bottom to top. The scent of her arousal and taste went straight to his head, almost making him drunk on it. He used his finger to stimulate her clit as he continued to lick the opening to her body. Her heavy breathing and whimpered cries for more filled his ears.

Switching to take her clit with his mouth as he pushed one, and then a second, finger inside her pussy, Skylar pumped them in and out. Braelyn’s cries increased in volume. Her hips lifted, and her hands sank into his hair to hold him to her. He pleasured her for a minute more before he pulled away. She was close to coming, and he wanted to be deep inside her when she did that.

Rising between her legs, he covered her with his body. His cock came to rest against her pussy, the head of it just at the entrance. He had a split second of conscience where he knew he would be taking Braelyn’s choice from her. But that soon ended as she took matters into her own hands and pushed down on him, taking the entire tip of his shaft into her pussy.

With a loud groan, he thrust forward until she’d taken his full length. The feel of her pussy closing around his cock had him fighting not to come. Propping himself on his bent elbows, he pumped his hips. He speared in and out of her with hard strokes. Braelyn clutched his shoulders as she lifted her hips to match the pace he set. She felt so good. It wouldn’t take much more to send him into his first orgasm.

As it inched closer, Skylar felt a piece of his soul reach out for Braelyn’s. He moaned, plunging faster and harder into her pussy. A quiet howl of triumph punched out of him when he felt a part of Braelyn’s soul brush against his, then wrap around it.

Now truly mates, the mating bond in place, knowing Braelyn was now his, Skylar took her faster. With a keening cry, she started to come just as he reached the point of no return. Her inner walls clutched the length of his shaft, and his orgasm tore through him. His groans mixed with her cries of pleasure as he filled her with his cum.

Skylar collapsed on top of Braelyn, but he was still hard inside her. Far from finished, he’d wait until they caught their breath then he’d take her again, this time in the way his wolf demanded.

Chapter Eight

That had been incredible. Actually, it had gone way beyond incredible. Braelyn lay beneath Skylar, stroking his back as her breathing slowly returned to normal. Making love to him had been the best sex of her life. And as he’d promised, his cock was still hard, buried deep inside her after climax.

Besides being the best she’d ever had, she also hadn’t missed the something that had passed between them just before they’d reached orgasm. It almost felt as if a part of her had touched a part of Skylar, and then wouldn’t let go. Whatever had happened, it made Braelyn feel even closer to him. The word love rose inside her head, but she quickly pushed that away. It was too soon, and it had to be the great sex they’d shared that would have brought those thoughts to her.

Skylar kissed her forehead and pumped his hips in shallow strokes. She moaned when a wave of pleasure shot through her. “More?” She shivered when he buried his face into the crook of her neck and gently nipped her.

“More.”

Braelyn gasped when he pulled out of her and flipped her onto her stomach. His hands placed on her hips, he urged her onto her hands and knees. Still at her side, he reached under and fondled her breasts. Just like that, she because fully aroused.

She moaned when he shifted to kneel behind her and stroked his cock against the outside of her pussy. Braelyn lifted her hips, wanting to feel the length of him slide inside her. When he pushed against her, she rubbed herself along the head of his cock. Skylar made another one of the growling sounds he’d done the first time they’d made love. The animalistic noise did nothing to kill her libido. If anything, it increased it.

When he continued to tease her, she moaned, “Skylar, no more. I want you inside me. Now.”

“Yes.”

Holding her in place, he positioned his cock at her entrance and pushed forward with one hard thrust. She let her head hang down as he rocked behind her, the position allowing her to take even more of him. In and out he stroked. Braelyn felt another climax quickly build. Unlike the first time, she didn’t feel the sensation of another part of them joining, but that didn’t mean she felt any less connected to Skylar.

His cock grew even harder inside her pussy as he thrust faster. The grip he had on her hips held her in place while he just about pulled all the way out of her body only to slam back in.

Braelyn cried out at the first flutter of her orgasm. She moaned, pushing back to meet Skylar’s strokes as she came, her pussy clutching at his cock, milking him to his release. With a loud groan, he stiffened and pushed into her one final time, his shaft pulsing deep inside her.

Skylar put an arm around her waist and rolled them both to their sides with him spooned around her. His cock hadn’t softened a bit. She pressed deeper into his embrace. “You might be able to keep going, but I need a breather.”

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head. “Rest. I don’t want to wear you out yet.”

Braelyn closed her eyes and relaxed against him. She’d take a little nap, then she’d be able to keep up with Skylar.

* * *

They made love, slept, and made love again. During the early evening, they broke that routine by ordering room service. But once the food was gone, Braelyn found herself back in Skylar’s arms again while he made her come. The man was insatiable. She lost count of how many times he reached climax without losing his erection. He could go for hours before it finally subsided. At the amount of calories she had to be burning, Braelyn didn’t think she’d have to watch her food intake with Skylar around. A good romp in bed would be all she’d need.

After the last time he’d made love to her, Braelyn had collapsed on the bed feeling as though she’d never move again. He’d taken her in every position imaginable. Her muscles felt like jelly, and she’d more than likely be walking funny the next day. Not that she regretted what she’d done to get in that condition.

Skylar must have sensed she no longer had the energy to make love one more time when he suggested they watch a pay-for-view movie offered through the hotel. Braelyn quickly agreed. The movie she chose was one that had vampires and werewolves in it. It was one she’d seen before, but Skylar hadn’t. Since she’d enjoyed it, Skylar had been pretty quick to agree with her choice.

Sitting naked in bed, propped up against Skylar while they watched TV, Braelyn couldn’t help noticing how critical he was of the werewolves in the movie. He made more than a few comments of “Yeah, right” and “That’s just plain stupid.”

After he did it for the fifth time, she turned her head to look at him. “I have to say I’ve noticed you’re quite critical when it comes to the werewolves, and yet you have nothing to say about the vampires. Is there a reason you’re so harsh when it comes to the shifters?”

Skylar’s gaze snapped to hers. “No reason. Why would I have one?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me? Do you have something against werewolves?”

“No. I actually like them.”

“So you’re just overly critical about this particular portrayal of them.”

“Well, some of the things are a bit farfetched, don’t you think? And why do they have to make them dumb beasts, hungering for the flesh of humans once they’ve shifted? And you can’t tell me all of them instantly become killers after being turned. Being a werewolf does not mean you end up having a personality adjustment and go crazy.”

Braelyn bit back a smile at Skylar’s rant. He had such a serious look on his face. “Listening to you, I would have to say you sound like some kind of werewolf expert.”

“I guess you could say that.”

“Oh, really now. And just where did you learn all things werewolf? Books, movies, or did you happen across a real werewolf and pick his brain?” Skylar opened and closed his mouth a few times as if he weren’t sure how to respond to her questions. Taking pity on him, she laughed. “The last part, about you meeting a real werewolf, was a joke. I know there isn’t such a thing as a werewolf.”

His face grew serious. “Since you’re the one that brought the subject up, let’s say werewolves were real. What would you think of them?”

She chuckled. “But they aren’t. It being a hypothetical question, I truly don’t know how I would react if I happened to come across one.”

“Okay, how about this? What if I were a werewolf and I kept it hidden from you? And say after you’ve gotten to know me better, I then reveal that secret. Would your feelings for me change because of what I turned out to be?”

“All right, I’ll play along.” She took a few seconds to think it over as she gazed at Skylar. He wore an expectant look on his face, as if how she answered would have some great meaning to him. “Okay, if you turned out to be a werewolf and could shift into some kind of half human/half wolf bloodthirsty beast, it more than likely would freak me out.”

“What if my type of werewolf isn’t like the ones in the movie? What if I could control when I shifted, and when I did, I only shifted into a wolf?”

“Like the wolves in the wild?”

“Exactly.”

“Then I would have to say I’d more than likely be able to handle that better. It would be closer to you being a dog.”

Skylar looked at her indignantly. “A dog? My wolf does not compare to a mangy dog.”

She laughed again. “For a hypothetical werewolf, you sure are touchy.”

“Being referred to as a dog is a great insult to werewolves everywhere.”

“I’ll have to remember that. I wouldn’t want to insult the wrong werewolf and have him bite, thus turning me into one of his kind.”

With a frown, Skylar said, “A bite from a werewolf doesn’t turn a mortal. You have to be born a werewolf to be one. Or in some cases, know someone special that has more magic than the average werewolf and uses a spell. Then the mortal would be turned into a werewolf.”

It was Braelyn’s turn to frown. “Okay, now you have me a little worried here. You sound like one of the geeks from my high school that were really into role-playing games. That’s all they ever talked about, and listening to them, you would swear they thought it was real. They sounded like you, talking about their make-believe world as if it were true life.”

A panicked look crossed his face. “I…ah…” Right then, Braelyn heard the muffled sound of a cell phone ringing. Skylar quickly jumped out of bed and reached for his discarded jeans. “That’s mine.” Once he fished it out the front pocket and looked at the call display, he said, “I’ll take this in the bathroom so I won’t interrupt the movie. It’s my sister, Saskia.”

Braelyn watched Skylar walk into the bathroom, her gaze lingering on his muscled ass. Once he shut the door behind him, she heard the sound of his voice as he spoke to his sister.

She turned back to the TV, not really paying much attention to the movie. Skylar’s reaction hadn’t been what she’d expected. She’d thought he’d bluster a bit and try to prove in some way he wasn’t a geek. Panic. Not something she thought she’d ever see on his face. He was so sure of himself in an alpha male sort of way. And considering the topic of their conversation had centered on something that didn’t exist, she felt he might have overacted just a tad.

About ten minutes later, Skylar came out of the bathroom. He put his cell phone on the small table on his side of the bed and then climbed in next to her. When he saw her looking at him, he said, “As I said, that was my sister. She called to give me more details about a job I have to do tomorrow. Even though it’s a family business, she’s what you would call our boss.”

“I thought you said you have the next few days off.”

“I do, but since everyone else will be busy taking care of a sensitive matter, that only leaves me to pick up the slack. Actually, it’s a job both of us will be doing.”

“You want me to go with you when you do whatever you do while you’re protecting someone?”

“Yes. If I don’t…Let’s just say I’d be too distracted to do my job. I’d only want to get back to you.”

Braelyn couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face, or the warm feeling she got inside when Skylar said that. She turned toward him and put her hand on his chest as she kissed him on the cheek. “In that case, I’d be more than happy to go with you. When do we have to do this job?”

He put his arm around her waist and held her close. “Late tomorrow morning. Roxie—the woman we have to watch over—lives not too far from the hotel. So I figure after we check out, we’ll pick her up and then go back to your parents’ place. You can change your clothes, then all three of us will go to my place.”

“Has Roxie been using your family’s protection services for very long? You must be pretty friendly with her if you would take her to your house.” Braelyn didn’t miss the jealous tone in her voice. Not normally someone prone to that emotion, she found when it came to Skylar she felt a small twinge of it.

Skylar chuckled and kissed her forehead. “We’ve been with Roxie for over a year now. And you have nothing to worry about. I’m all yours, babe. After what we’ve done inside this room, you’re my one and only. If it makes you feel any better, Roxie is married and is nine months pregnant with her first child. She’s due anytime now.” She pinched his nipple, hard. “Ouch. What was that for?” he asked as he rubbed the offended area.

“That’s for laughing at me,” she said. “So I’m jealous. I can’t help it.” Braelyn met his gaze. “This is probably too soon, but I do have to go back to LA in a week.” She took a deep breath and forged on. “I don’t want this to be over after I leave San Francisco. I have feelings for you, Skylar. Strong feelings. Making love to you just seemed to reinforce them. The thought that once I go back home you could end up being with another woman upsets me.”

Before she could blink, Skylar had her on her back with him stretched out on top of her. He kissed her long and deep, stoking the flames of her desire once more. When he broke contact with her lips, he ran his gaze over her face. “There will never be another woman, Braelyn. Ever. You have no idea what you mean to me. And as for you going back to LA alone, it won’t happen. You’re stuck with me from here on out.”

She looked him straight in the eyes and saw he meant every word he’d said. “What are you saying? It sounds as if you already have us as good as married.”

“Would that be such a bad thing?”

Braelyn ran her gaze over Skylar’s handsome face and knew she’d find it no hardship to make that kind of commitment with him. It scared her a bit to realize it since she really hadn’t known him for very long, but she was never one to try to ignore how she truly felt about something or someone.

“No,” she said, feeling a bit breathless with the wild emotions flitting through her. “It wouldn’t be a bad thing at all. I take this to mean you’ll be booking a seat on the same flight as me back to LA?”

Skylar used his thigh to spread her legs a little farther apart and settled between them. “Or we could take a later flight.”

The tip of his cock brushed against her pussy. Skylar was hard again. “I have photo shoots to do, ones that can’t be rescheduled. I won’t give up my modeling career.”

“I never asked you to.” He lowered his head until his lips were a breath away from hers. “We’ll talk further about this tomorrow when we have another type of discussion with Roxie. After we talk with her, it’ll put things into a different perspective for you.”

Braelyn was about to ask him what they had to discuss with Roxie when Skylar closed the space between their mouths and took her lips in a heated kiss. After that, she pretty much lost the ability to think properly as he made love to her once again.

Chapter Nine

The next morning, Braelyn woke up feeling sore in places she didn’t know could ache. She stretched, and some of her muscles protested the movement. She turned her head and found the spot where Skylar had slept next to her empty. Lifting her head, she looked around and saw the closed bathroom door. She also heard the sound of the shower running.

Throwing back the covers, Braelyn sat up then got out of bed. She walked over to the bathroom door and tested the doorknob. It turned in her hand. With a smile, she stepped into the steam-filled room. She kept her gaze on the opaque closed shower curtain as she tried to cross stealthily over to the bathtub.

About halfway there, Skylar said, “You have to do better than that, Braelyn, if you’re going to sneak up on me. I heard you open the door, and I can smell your scent.”

Braelyn froze in place. How could he have known she was there? The shower curtain was still drawn across the tub, and as for smelling her scent, he had to be exaggerating. The only scent she smelled was the fragrance of the hotel shampoo he’d used to wash his hair.

No longer trying to be quiet, she crossed to the end of the tub and pulled back the curtain. Her mouth went dry, and she had to swallow at the sight of Skylar gloriously naked. His water-slicked body called to her, making her want to run the bar of soap he held over every inch of him. During the night, she’d touched, licked and kissed all those enticing muscles now on display for her. She didn’t think she’d ever get sick of exploring Skylar’s body.

Holding onto the shower curtain, she stepped into the bathtub and closed it behind her. Braelyn shifted closer to Skylar and put her hands on his chest. “I think you made that up.”

He put the soap down in the soap dish attached to the wall and put his arms around her waist. “What exactly do you think I made up?”

“You being able to smell me before you saw me.”

Skylar gave her a crooked grin. “I’m supposed to be a hypothetical werewolf so hypothetically that means my sense of smell is a lot better than a mere mortal’s.”

“Mortal, huh? So your werewolf is immortal?”

“No, not immortal. Just able to live for a very, very long time. And also very, very hard to kill.”

“And how long would my supposed werewolf live?”

“Three thousand years.”

At least this time, Skylar didn’t seem panicky when they talked about him being a hypothetical werewolf. There was more of a playful sound to his voice. “That is really ancient. Wouldn’t my werewolf be old and decrepit once he reached his thousandth year?” She went on tiptoe and licked some water out of the hollow of his throat.

Skylar sucked in a breath. “No, he’s at his prime at that age.”

“So I wouldn’t have to worry about my werewolf being too old to keep me satisfied in bed? If, by some chance, I actually lived to be that old.” She skimmed her hands from his chest to his sides and dropped kisses down his pec to one of his nipples. She laved it with the flat of her tongue.

“Ah…ah, there would be nothing to worry about in that department.” Skylar groaned as she gave the same attention to his other nipple. “God, Braelyn, you’re making me horny again. I took a shower before you woke up thinking to avoid this very thing. You, wet in a shower with me, I’m going to want you.”

“It’s still early. We have another hour before we have to check out. That gives us plenty of time to put this shower to good use.”

As she slowly went lower on his body, Skylar’s hold on her waist slipped away. Dropping her hands to his hips, she went down on her knees in front of him. She ended up eye level with his fully erect cock. Braelyn didn’t think she’d ever get enough of it. Thick and long, it filled her pussy to capacity. And Skylar knew how to use it to wring the most pleasure out of her.

Braelyn licked off a few beads of water from the tip of his cock as she cupped his balls. He moaned and thrust his hips forward. She started at the base of his shaft and dragged her tongue up toward the head. It twitched, and a bit of pre-cum leaked from the slit. Her pussy clenched as an ache built deep inside it.

With a firm grasp on him, she opened her mouth and took as much as she could handle inside. As if he were still pretending to be a werewolf, Skylar let loose with a loud wolf-like growl. The sound went straight to her pussy, causing it to grow even wetter.

She bobbed her head as he slid in and out of her mouth. The salty taste, musky scent of him, and the sounds he made had her blood heating. He grew even harder. With a strangled moan, Skylar pulled her away and yanked her to her feet. He then lifted her, urging her to put her legs around his waist. He cupped her ass in his hands, held her in position and surged up into her pussy with one stroke.

Braelyn put her arms around his neck as he spread his feet to better brace himself and then moved her up and down his shaft. In a show of just how strong he actually was, Skylar thrust up into her as he continued to lift her. Her eyes drifted shut as wave after wave of pleasure washed through her, pushing her release closer to the surface.

“Keep going,” she said with a moan. “Just a little bit more.”

“Come for me, babe. I’m right there with you.”

A few more strokes and they both came at the same time. Her pussy clutched at his cock as it pulsed deep inside her. Lost in the moment, drowning in the pleasurable sensations taking her over, Braelyn cried out, “Oh god, I love you, Skylar.”

After her body settled, she realized what she’d said. Embarrassed, thinking she might have jumped the gun a bit, she tried to put her head on Skylar’s shoulder to hide her face. But he didn’t let her get away with that.

“Look at me, Braelyn,” he said in a low voice. When she reluctantly did, he ran his gaze over her face, his eyes shining with what she could only guess was the same emotion she felt. “You didn’t say anything wrong. I love you too.”

“But it’s too soon. I don’t want you to think I only said it because you gave me an incredible night of sex.”

He smiled. “It was that good, huh?” His face then grew serious. “I’m a firm believer in when you’ve met the right person you know you want to spend the rest of your life with them. I want that with you, Braelyn, and knew the instant I saw you crossing that street. I’m not ever letting you go.”

Not usually a crier, she felt herself choke up. “I’m good with that, because I doubt I could ever let you leave me. I’d end up being one of those women who stalks the man who dumped her and can’t let go.”

“There’s no chance of that happening.” Even though he was still hard, Skylar pulled out of her and let her down on her feet. She sighed in disappointment. “None of that now. There will be plenty of time for making love after we’ve taken care of business with Roxie.” He turned them and angled her under the spray of the shower. “But that doesn’t mean I have to give up the pleasure of washing every inch of you.”

It ended up being the best shower Braelyn had ever had.

* * *

Skylar couldn’t stop sneaking looks at Braelyn as he drove them to Roxie’s place to pick her up. Braelyn was his, all his. He hadn’t expected to claim her as his mate quite so soon, or without her at least knowing what he truly was, but he couldn’t complain about the end result. She loved him, had even said so out loud. And even though it had been sort of a game between them, she played along with him being a werewolf. Not that she had any inkling there was nothing hypothetical about him being one. He had high hopes she’d be able to accept him for what he was without any freaking out, especially since she’d said she would be able to handle seeing him in his wolf form. Even if she had compared him to a dog.

At the gated entrance to Beowulf and Roxie’s property, Skylar buzzed up to the house. He heard Roxie’s voice over the intercom telling him to come on up as the gate slowly swung open.

“Roxie has a nice place,” Braelyn said when they drove up the long drive.

“This was her husband, Beowulf’s, family home. His parents left it to him. He used to live here with only his younger brother, Wade. Now that Wade is married as well, he lives in Napa Valley on the vineyard his wife, Taryn, runs. So now it’s just Beowulf and Roxie, and the soon-to-be addition to their family.”

“Sounds as if you know them pretty well.”

“I do. So do the rest of my family. If we’re not here, Beowulf and Roxie are over at our place.” Skylar parked the car in the circular part of the drive, close to the front door, and turned off the engine. “A word of warning. Roxie is probably going to be a little pissed off with me. Just ignore her. She’ll settle down once all three of us have had that talk I told you about last night. I think it would be better if we held off doing that until we go to my house.”

He saw Braelyn didn’t really understand what he meant by everything he’d said from the unsure expression she wore. “This chat you want to have with Roxie, it isn’t anything bad, is it?” she asked.

“No,” he said quickly to reassure her. “Not at all. It will just be easier on me to have Roxie with us when we have this particular discussion.”

“All right.”

They both got out of the car, and Skylar linked his hand with Braelyn’s as they walked to the front door. He knocked once and opened the door. “Roxie?” he called.

“I’m in the kitchen.”

Skylar guided Braelyn through the house to the kitchen. Roxie was there drinking from a bottle of water. She smiled when she saw him, but it slipped a bit when her gaze landed on Braelyn.

“Skylar,” she said slowly, “is there a reason why you didn’t come alone?”

He steeled himself for what would come next. “Yes, a very good one.” At Roxie’s glare, he rushed ahead with the introductions. “Braelyn, this is Roxie. Roxie, this is Braelyn.”

Roxie turned her gaze onto Braelyn. “It’s nice to meet you. I’d recognize you anywhere. You’re even prettier in person.”

“Thanks,” Braelyn said. “It’s nice to meet you as well. Skylar told me you have used his family’s protection services for a while now.”

Roxie’s gaze flitted over to him briefly to give him another glare, then returned to Braelyn. “It’s true, though I was reluctant to have them around in the beginning. Now I’m used to it.” She looked at him again. “So, Skylar, did you have that chat you were supposed to have with Braelyn first, or did you take a page from your brothers’ book and went ahead and did it anyway?”

“I didn’t, and I wasn’t the only party involved. A man can only take so much before he loses his head and gives his woman what she wants.”

Roxie rolled her eyes. “How convenient. I suppose we’ll be having that chat with Braelyn later?”

“That’s what’s I planned on.” Skylar saw Braelyn looking between him and Roxie, more than likely a bit lost in the conversation going on around her. He decided it would be best to change the subject. “Well, Roxie, are you almost ready to go? We have to stop by Braelyn’s parents’ house first so she can change, then we’ll head out to Marin County.”

“I just have to grab my purse from the living room.”

“Beowulf went with the others?” Saskia had told him when she’d phone the night before that Beowulf and a few of his pack members were going to go to the meeting with Miles, but would stay out of sight unless things turned ugly and they were needed.

“Yeah. I should be okay for a few hours. I made him promise. I’m not in any condition to be going through that right now. I have enough going on.”

The “that” Roxie spoke of was the separation anxiety she’d have to go through if Beowulf didn’t show up on time. He didn’t blame her for wanting to avoid it. Now that he was mated to Braelyn, he wanted to make damn sure they didn’t have to go through it.

“Then I suggest we don’t waste any more time,” he said.

Roxie turned and put the bottle of water she held onto the counter. When she turned back to face him and Braelyn, she put a hand on her stomach and sucked in a breath.

“Are you okay, Rox?”

She waved his question away. “I’m fine. I just turned too quickly and got a cramp. I’ve been getting them lately, especially today.” She walked past him and out of the kitchen.

He and Braelyn followed her to the living room and then they went outside. Braelyn insisted Roxie sit in the front seat and she’d take the back. For her thoughtfulness, Skylar gave her a kiss, which turned into something longer than a simple meeting of lips.

The sound of his car horn blaring broke them apart. Skylar looked at Roxie who had yet to shut her door. “That wasn’t necessary.”

“Yes, it was. Either I did that or I’d sit here for god knows how long before the pair of you came up for air. I remember what it was like for Beowulf and me in the beginning. We couldn’t keep our hands off each other. Actually, we still can’t.”

Skylar gave a disgusted snort. “As if I didn’t already know that. I’ve been around both of you long enough to have witnessed firsthand. Not that I really needed to see it.”

Braelyn laughed. “The two of you sound more like brother and sister than mere friends.”

Roxie chuckled. “What do you think, Skylar? Would you like to have me as your sister?”

“Not particularly. You’d have too much fun trying to make my life a living hell.”

He shut Roxie’s door and held open the back door for Braelyn. Once she was settled, he shut that door and walked around to the driver’s side. All three of them made idle chitchat as he drove to Braelyn’s parents’ house. Roxie asked about the different fashion shoots and shows Braelyn had done. Listening to them, Skylar realized his mate had been to a lot of major cities all over the world for her career. He was just glad it wasn’t something she could do for a long period of time. Once Roxie turned her, she’d stop aging at the normal mortal rate. Braelyn would have another ten years or so and then she’d have to drop out of the spotlight.

When they arrived, Skylar pulled into the driveway behind Braelyn’s BMW, which was parked beside the Buick Regal he’d seen when he’d dropped her off after their shopping trip. After shutting off the car, he came around to help Roxie out. Braelyn led the way to the front door.

“It looks as if my mom is still home since her car is here,” she said.

“You didn’t think she would be?” he asked.

“No. It’s Wednesday, and my mom usually goes grocery shopping around this time.”

“Maybe she waited for you to get home first.”

“Maybe.”

Braelyn opened the door and walked in. Skylar and Roxie followed her inside. He closed the door behind them. “Mom?” she called. When there wasn’t any response, she said a little louder. “I’m home, Mom. Where are you?” They were still met with silence. “She doesn’t seem to be here,” Braelyn said. “But with her car in the driveway, I don’t know where she would be. Our neighbors aren’t the type to invite her over for coffee.”

Skylar sniffed the air. “She’s here, Braelyn.” He met Roxie’s gaze. “And she isn’t alone.”

Roxie nodded. “One female and one male. Both mortals.”

He looked over at Braelyn to find her looking at him strangely. “It wouldn’t be my dad; he’d be at work. And how would you two know there are a woman and man here? And mortals? That’s what you called people who are not a werewolf in our little game, Skylar. How would Roxie know that?”

“A werewolf game?” Roxie asked.

“Yes,” he said. “A game where I was a hypothetical werewolf, and we were trying to decide whether or not Braelyn could handle finding out I was one.”

Roxie smiled. “Smart.”

Braelyn shook her head. “I get the feeling you two know something I don’t.”

Skylar took both women by the elbow and led them farther into the house. “Why don’t we go look for your mother, then we’ll get to your questions.”

A quick glance into the living room showed it was empty. The fresh scent of the mortal male and the recognizable one that was Braelyn’s mother were there. Following a scent trail that headed in the direction of the flight of stairs to the upper level, he urged Roxie and Braelyn on.

Just as they reached the bottom of the staircase, Skylar felt something hard crack into the back of his head. He stumbled as Braelyn screamed. Before he could recover, he was struck again. This time it was enough to send him tumbling into darkness.

Chapter Ten

Braelyn screamed again as the strange man who’d come up behind them whacked Skylar in the back of the head a second time with the metal pipe he held. Helplessly, she watched Skylar collapse on the floor. She didn’t even have time to see if he still breathed before the intruder dropped the pipe and lunged for her.

She tried to run up the stairs, but he managed to grab a fistful of her hair and painfully pulled her toward him. A loud growl, similar to the ones Skylar made, sounded, and Braelyn’s gaze shot to Roxie. Her upper lip curled back in a snarl as she growled once again. Her eyes seemed to softly glow.

Not taken aback by the strangeness of it all, the intruder pulled out a gun and aimed it at Roxie’s distended belly. “I don’t know how you’re doing that shit,” he told her, “but if you want your unborn brat to keep living, you’ll knock it off.” When she did, he said, “Move. Into the living room.”

With his grip tightening in her hair, he dragged Braelyn into the room while he kept the gun trained on Roxie. Once they reached the couch, he motioned for Roxie to sit on the floor and shoved Braelyn down next to her. “Turn around, both of you.” he barked. “And don’t try anything funny. I still have the gun on you.”

As they turned their back toward them, Braelyn saw him pull out some large tie wraps. He jerked first Roxie’s arms behind her, cinching the tie wraps tight around her wrists, then repeated the process with Braelyn.

“Turn back around and lean against the couch.”

They both did as ordered. He put another tie wrap around their ankles, effectively binding their legs together. Roxie sucked in a breath as if in pain. When Braelyn caught her gaze, she shook her head.

Finished with them, the intruder stood and looked down at Braelyn. “I’m going to get your boyfriend, whore. Don’t move if you want your friend here to remain alive long enough to give birth.”

He left the room and returned a few seconds later, dragging Skylar while he held him under his arms. The intruder had an average build and height. He grunted as he manhandled the much larger Skylar toward them and dropped him once he reached them, not caring that the back of Skylar’s head hit the floor, hard.

Using his foot, he pushed Skylar over onto his stomach and used the same tie wraps to bind his wrists and ankles. With Skylar’s face turned toward her, Braelyn searched it, looking for any sign of him waking up. There wasn’t any.

When the intruder came to stand in front of her once more, she asked shakily, “Where’s my mother?”

“She’s tucked away safe upstairs. I’ll bring her down in a few minutes.”

“Why…why are you doing this? If you want to rob the place, take whatever you want and leave.”

He squatted down, bringing him to eye level with her. “Didn’t you get my letters, Braelyn? Didn’t I warn you what happens to whores like you?”

Braelyn felt all the blood drain out of her face. This was the person who’d been sending her the hate letters. God, why hadn’t she shown Skylar the letter yesterday? Too caught up in their lovemaking, she hadn’t remembered until they were on the road to Roxie’s place. If she’d shown it to him earlier maybe they would have been more on guard when they walked into the house and her mother hadn’t answered their calls.

“I can see by your face that you did get my letters,” he said with an ugly smile. “I do like to leave a lasting impression.” He straightened to his full height. “I’ll get your mother, and then I have preparations to make for the little party you and I are going to have before I rid the world of another whore.” He laughed as if what he’d said were a big joke and walked out of the room.

Roxie, who was closest to Skylar, nudged him with her feet. “Skylar, wake up.” He didn’t as much as groan. But Roxie did.

The intruder returned with her mother in tow. He forced her down beside Braelyn and tore off the piece of duct tape across her mouth. “The three of you will sit here, and don’t even think of trying anything. I’ll just be in the next room and will be able to see you.”

Since there wasn’t any dining room, the living room was attached directly to the kitchen. A pair of French doors separated the two rooms. The intruder walked through them and shut them behind him. Braelyn watched him as he paced back and forth in front of the glass doors, loudly talking to himself, waving the gun he held around. Not only was he a stalker and potential killer, he also appeared to be psychotic.

“Mom, are you all right?” she asked in a low voice.

“Yes. I’m more concerned about what he’ll do to you. He kept asking if you’d gotten the letters he’d sent.”

“This is all my fault,” she said, her voice choked with emotion. “I should have gone to the police when I received the first threatening letter. I just thought it was some harmless nutcase and that getting hate mail was something I’d have to put up with.”

“The police might not have done anything,” Roxie said. “They more than likely would have taken note of it, but what else could they have done? I betting there isn’t a return address on any of those letters.”

“There wasn’t.”

“See? There would have been no way for the police to track down who sent them.” Roxie suddenly stiffened. “Oh, crap.”

“What’s the matter?”

Roxie sucked in a sharp breath. “Crap, crap, crap. My water just broke. I guess what I thought were just cramps were early labor pains.”

Braelyn looked at Roxie’s lap and saw a large patch of wetness had darkened the material of the pants she wore. “We have to tell him you’re in labor. Maybe he’ll let you go.”

“I wouldn’t,” her mother said. “There’s no telling what that man will do. He’s crazy. And I don’t think he’ll care about your friend going into labor.”

“Roxie?” she asked as the other woman breathed a little faster.

“I’m okay. Just another pain.” Once it seemed to pass, she said, “We just need Skylar to wake up and then the asshole in the other room will get something he never expected.”

Braelyn ran her gaze over Skylar. “He hit him pretty hard with that pipe. Skylar might not wake up, ever.”

Roxie chuckled. “Skylar has a hard head. Plus it takes a lot more than that to permanently incapacitate one of my kind.”

“One of your kind?”

“This was the talk Skylar wanted the three of us to have. Skylar and I aren’t like you. We’re werewolves.”

“What did you just say you were, dear?” her mom asked.

“Werewolves.”

“Um, Rox, are you sure your labor pains aren’t messing with your head?”

“They aren’t that bad, yet. I’d shift to prove it to you both, but at this stage in my pregnancy, there is a chance it could harm the baby. And now that I’m in labor, I wouldn’t be able to focus enough to tap into the magic inside me to make the shift. Crap, here comes another pain.” Roxie took deep breaths until it passed.

Braelyn quickly glanced over to the kitchen and saw their captor continued his mad pacing. “Do you know how farfetched that sounds? Werewolves can’t exist.”

“Why not? Just because the majority of the population doesn’t think they can be real doesn’t mean they aren’t. Skylar said you and he played a game where he was hypothetically a werewolf. Whatever he told you about what his werewolf would be like, I’m sure he told you the truth.” She sucked in a breath. “Another one.”

Braelyn waited until Roxie breathed normally again. “The truth? Are you saying werewolves can live to be three thousand years old, can only shift into wolf form, and they can’t be turned unless someone special who has more magic than the average werewolf uses a spell?”

Roxie smiled. “He told you the truth. And that someone special would be me. Only I can use the spell that can turn a mortal. Now that you’re mated to Skylar, you’ll have to decide whether you want me to use it on you or not.”

If she hadn’t been in the middle of a hostage situation with a crazy man preparing to do god knows what to her, Braelyn would have laughed off what Roxie had said and told her she had to be kidding. Or delusional. “Mated to Skylar?”

“Yes. I’m sure your mom isn’t going to like hearing about her daughter’s sex life, so I’m going to apologize ahead of time. The first time you slept with Skylar, you had to have felt something out of the ordinary pass between you, and not just amazing sex.”

Her mother groaned. “No, I definitely don’t need to hear this.”

“Sorry, Mom. And, yes, I felt something that first time.”

Roxie nodded. “That sensation is the mating bond being formed. A piece of your soul joined with a piece of Skylar’s. Once mated, there is no going back.” She gasped, breathing with deep breaths.

“Ah, I hate to say this,” her mom said. “But your labor pains are coming only two minutes apart. I don’t think it’s going to take hours before you deliver.”

“I’m not going to have this baby while being held hostage by a man who needs to be locked up in a nut house.” Roxie nudged Skylar with her feet again, hard enough to make his head move. “Come on, big guy. Wake up. You’re supposed to be one of my Protectors. Right now, you’re not doing your job.” Skylar groaned. “That’s it. You can do it.”

Skylar blinked open his eyes and quickly shut them again with a groan. “The room is spinning, and I feel as if I’m going to throw up if I move.”

“Just lie still,” Roxie said. “Oh god, here comes another one.”

“Another what?” Skylar asked.

Braelyn answered for Roxie as she breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth. “She’s in labor.”

“Shit.” Skylar’s eyes snapped open, and he tried to move his arms. He froze when his bindings kept them in place. “What the hell is going on? All I remember is something slamming into the back of my head.”

Able to talk once again, Roxie said, “It would seem your mate has a stalker. He has sent her threatening letters and followed her here. He thinks she’s a whore and wants to kill her. You need to shift to free yourself and take care of the asshole before he hurts her, or before I end up delivering this baby, which will be kind of hard to do with my legs tied together and my pants on.”

Skylar’s gaze shifted to Braelyn. “I guess now I should be telling you about me being—”

“No need to,” Roxie interrupted. “I told both her and her mom what we are, but I don’t think either one believes me.” She started to breathe deeply again. “Another one. They’re coming closer together now.”

“Don’t you dare have this baby now,” Skylar said to Roxie as he moved his gaze to her.

“Like I have any choice,” she said with a loud growl.

Braelyn’s gaze shot to the French doors. As she feared, their captor had heard the growl. He stopped pacing and yanked the doors open. “Keep it down in here,” he barked and stalked over to her. “Unless you are anxious to start our party now. I’m almost done setting everything up.”

She quickly shook her head. “No, I can wait.” Since he’d done nothing but pace and talk to himself, she had no idea what he was “setting up” in the first place.

“Good. It’ll be better if I’m fully prepared.” He bent and lifted his pant leg to show the large hunting knife strapped to his calf. He pulled it free and showed it to her while he kept the gun aimed in her direction. “I’m going to have fun cutting up all that pretty skin of yours.”

Braelyn shivered when he squatted and ran the flat of the knife across her cheek. She bit her tongue to stop herself from whimpering in fear. The blade skimmed along her skin a second time before he stood and went back into the kitchen.

She started to shake so much her teeth chattered. They weren’t going to be able to get out of this. The deranged man in the kitchen would kill her, and there wouldn’t be anyone who could stop him.

“Braelyn,” Skylar said. “Calm down. I’m going to take care of him before he ever lays a finger on you. Do you understand?”

“How? You’re tied up like the rest of us.”

“Not for long. I’m going to shift.”

She fought the urge to laugh hysterically. “You can drop the act now, Skylar. It isn’t fun anymore. You’re not a werewolf, and neither is Roxie.”

“Do it, Skylar,” Roxie said with a groan. “Now. This baby is in a bit of a hurry.”

He met Braelyn’s gaze, then did what she thought was only stuff of Hollywood movies—he shifted. His eyes started to glow, then his body gradually began to shimmer, blurring just before a wolf with the same colored fur as Skylar’s light brown hair took his place.

Unable to truly believe what she’d just seen, Braelyn hurriedly looked over at her mother who had to be wearing the same shocked expression she wore. “He’s a wolf,” her mom said weakly.

Now free since the tie wraps had fallen away during the shift, the wolf walked over to her and put his head on her shoulder for a few seconds before he pulled away to look her directly in her face. Intelligence shone in the wolf’s eyes.

“Don’t be afraid,” Roxie said. “It’s still Skylar in there. He understands everything you say.” She then turned her attention on the wolf. “Time to finish this, Skylar.”

The wolf bobbed his lupine head up and down, then trotted closer to the French doors. He sat, threw back his head and let out a long howl. Their captor rushed out of the kitchen and stared at the wolf.

“How the hell did that thing get in here? And where is your boyfriend?” He waved his gun around as his gaze darted around the room.

Much quicker than when he had shifted into a wolf, Skylar shifted to his human form. “I’m right here, asshole.”

Moving almost faster than her eyes could follow, Skylar grabbed the gun out of their captor’s hand. The hunting knife held in his other was quickly taken away as well. Now that the man was no longer armed, Skylar put him out of commission. His fist slammed into the other man’s face, and the sound of crunching bone as his nose broke followed. He took punch after punch until he stood weaving on his feet.

Skylar pulled back his fist one last time. “Come near my mate again and I’ll show you how well I can use my teeth and claws while I’m in my wolf form.”

When he threw the punch, it landed on their captor’s chin. His head flew back with the force, and his eyes rolled back up into his head as he crumpled to the floor. Skylar sank to his knees next to him and searched his pockets until he found more tie wraps. He used them to bind the other man as he’d bound them.

With the knife, Skylar cut first Roxie’s bindings before he set her mom free. Once he cut her free, Braelyn met his worried gaze. “Say something, Braelyn. Anything.”

She opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to sort out the jumble of emotions inside her. But before she could organize her thoughts, Roxie let out a pained cry. All three of them rushed over to her.

“Ah, god, I need to push,” Roxie ground out as she started to tear at her pants.

Braelyn knelt next to Roxie as her mother took control of the situation. All business, she turned to Skylar first. “Go upstairs and, in the hall linen closet, grab a bed sheet and a couple of towels.” Once he took off at a run, moving unbelievably fast, her mom looked to her. “Braelyn, help me with Roxie’s pants.”

They’d managed to strip Roxie from the waist down when Skylar returned. Her mom snatched the bed sheet from him and draped it over Roxie’s waist. She then shoved the towels at Braelyn.

“It’s coming,” Roxie shouted. “Skylar, call Beowulf and tell him to get his butt over here, now.”

“I’m on it,” he quickly said and pulled out his cell phone. He was only on it a minute before he hung up. “He’s on his way. He’ll call the midwife.”

“This will be all over before either one of them arrive,” her mom said as she knelt between Roxie’s spread legs and looked under the sheet. “She’s crowning already.”

“You sound as if you’ve done this before.”

Her mother smiled. “I have many times. I used to be a labor/delivery nurse for a number of years until Braelyn talked me into quitting. She didn’t like the long hours I had to put in at the hospital.” Roxie groaned as she started to push. “That’s a girl. A few more of those and you’ll be holding your baby in your arms.”

Five minutes later, after giving six good pushes, a baby’s high-pitched cries echoed in the room. Braelyn watched her mom put the baby on Roxie’s stomach. “It’s a girl,” she said.

“A nice, healthy little girl. Braelyn, go to the kitchen and get the spool of string out of the junk drawer along with one of the knives from the butcher block. And the open bottle of white wine I have in the fridge.”

Going to get what her mother asked for, Braelyn had to walk past her stalker. He groaned when she drew near. She looked back at Skylar to find him already on his way toward her. He gave her stalker a punch to the back of his head, knocking him unconscious once again. She hurried by him and went into the kitchen.

It took her only a few seconds to collect what she needed and returned to the living room. Her mom used the string and the knife—that she sterilized with the wine—to cut the cord. She’d just finished when the doorbell rang. Skylar went to answer it and came back with a large, dark-haired man who rushed straight to Roxie when he saw her.

Roxie pulled back the towel from around the baby she held in her arms. “We have a girl, Beowulf.”

He gently touched the baby’s cheek and then kissed Roxie on the forehead. “She’s beautiful. And of course you couldn’t do this the easy way, Rox, could you?”

“I do like to keep you on your toes.”

“The midwife should be here any minute.”

Now with all the excitement over, Braelyn looked over at Skylar to find him intently watching her. He more than likely was worried about how she had taken the news about him being a werewolf, and that they were mates. But she wasn’t ready to face any of that right now. She turned away from him and went to stand beside her mom.

Chapter Eleven

It wasn’t until after everything had been taken care of that Skylar tried to get Braelyn all to himself. The midwife had arrived and taken over, declaring Roxie and her newborn daughter had managed to get through the birth with no complications. Both mother and baby had then been bundled up in another one of Bev’s cleans sheets, and Beowulf took his wife and child home with the midwife accompanying them.

As for Braelyn’s stalker, after a phone call to Saskia explaining what had happened, Jager and Daylen had been sent over. Being an ex-cop, Daylen had put a call in to one of her friends at her old station. He’d come with another police officer who took the stalker away in handcuffs. Daylen’s friend then questioned Braelyn. Skylar didn’t know whether he wanted to shake her or hold her tight when he heard how many threatening letters she’d been sent and hadn’t gone to the police about.

Her statement given—minus the part where he’d shape-shifted into his wolf form—the police officer had left. Jager and Daylen followed shortly behind him. That was when Skylar decided he needed to get Braelyn alone to talk to her. She had to be having a hard time accepting what he was. Every time he caught her watching him, she quickly pulled her gaze away. At least she didn’t have fear in her eyes when she did it, but her reaction didn’t reassure him too much.

Skylar went to the kitchen where Braelyn and her mother sat at the table. That was where Braelyn had given the officer her statement. His head still hurt like a mother fucker from the blows he’d received, but he pushed the pain aside. He went to stand beside Braelyn’s chair and held out his hand. “Will you come and talk with me?”

She shook her head. “Whatever you have to say you can do so in front of my mom.”

Bev cleared her throat. “Braelyn, I think Skylar would be more comfortable if it was just you.”

“But I wouldn’t be, Mom. You know what he is. It’s no longer a secret.”

Skylar dropped his hand to his side and sat in the chair beside hers. “All right. We’ll do it your way. So now you know the truth. I’m a werewolf, and I’m over a thousand years old. And we are mated.”

Braelyn swallowed. “Roxie said that our being mated means a part of our souls joined, and that there’s no going back.”

“That’s true. And it’s true I knew you were the one meant for me when I first saw you crossing that street. When a male werewolf encounters the scent of his would-be mate, it jump-starts his mating urge. It’ll ride him until the mating bond is in place. And once it is, mated couples literally can’t be apart from each other unless they want to suffer separation anxiety. An hour away from your mate feels like months. Your mind will play tricks on you, making you believe something bad has happened to the other. All you’ll be able to think about is getting back to your mate.”

“That’s why you wanted me to come with you when you had to watch over Roxie,” Braelyn said softly.

“Yes.”

“If that’s the case, why didn’t Roxie go through it? She wasn’t with Beowulf for at least an hour and didn’t seem to suffer for it.”

“That’s because they’ve been mated for a little while. After a year or so, it isn’t as bad as it is for newly mated couples. Roxie and Beowulf can be away from each other for a couple hours before it starts to set in.”

“Roxie also said she’s the special someone you know who can use the spell to turn me.”

“It will be your choice to make. And Roxie is special. She is the foretold one and rules over all the werewolf packs. My family has trained for hundreds of years to be her Protectors.”

Braelyn’s mother, who had remained quiet, spoke up. “That is a big decision you’ve put on my daughter’s shoulders, Skylar. I know you said you knew she was your mate when you first saw her, but I have ask, do you love her?”

Skylar locked gazes with Braelyn. “I’ve already told her that I do, but I’ll say it again. I love her with every fiber in my being. I started to fall for her the instant I saw her. If that hadn’t been possible, my mating urge never would have kicked in. And I will continue to love her for the rest of my very long life. I’m utterly devoted to her and would do everything in my power to keep her happy.”

“That’s all I needed to hear.” Bev pushed back her chair and stood. She kissed her daughter on top of her head. “Braelyn, hold onto this one and don’t ever let go. He’s a keeper.”

Braelyn looked up at her mom with a shocked expression on her face. “You have no problem with Skylar being a werewolf?”

“Honey, if it weren’t for him being a werewolf, you would more than likely be dead at the hands of that sick stalker. And the way he looks at you is the same way your father looks at me. He truly loves you. Also considering this mating bond he talked about is more permanent than a marriage license, you’ll never have to worry about him only being with you for your fame.”

“And what about me being turned into a werewolf? Can you accept that as well, Mom?”

“Yes, I can. To be honest, I’m all for it. What mother wouldn’t want their child to live for a few thousand years? Heck, if it were possible, I’d be getting in line right behind you for the spell. After I convinced your father to go through with it, of course.”

Skylar cleared his throat. “Ah, that could probably be arranged. My sister-in-arms, Saskia, her mate, Eli, was a mortal like you and comes from a big family. His twin and his sister, Billie, also took werewolves for their mates and decided to be turned. They have two older brothers and a father who have remained mortal, but Roxie offered to turn them to keep the family together. They’re all thinking about it.”

“You would do that, Mom?” Braelyn asked. “You’d become a werewolf if I decided to go through with it?”

“I’m not going to say I don’t find the long life aspect of it unappealing. Who wouldn’t like such a long life? We’d have to convince your father to do it, though. But that is something we can talk about later. Right now, I think it’s more important you and Skylar talk. Alone. I’m going to go clean up the mess in the living room.” Before she left them, she added, “And if you want to take him up to your bedroom to have more privacy, I won’t stop you.”

Skylar was tempted to follow Bev out to the living room and give her a big kiss. Agreeing to the turn would hopefully make it easier for his mate to make the same decision as well. After what had happened here today, the thought of Braelyn not being a werewolf scared him. If she’d been turned, she would have been faster and stronger than the sicko who had wanted to kill her.

He met Braelyn’s gaze. “Will you go upstairs with me? If you’re not comfortable with that, I can take you to my place.”

She shook her head. “That would just delay things. We’ll finish our talk in my room.”

Skylar followed her out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Inside her bedroom, Braelyn shut the door behind them. He made a point of not sitting on the bed. He stayed in the middle of the room and waited for her to make the next move. He ached to hold her, to make love to her, but since she’d made no move to touch him since the truth about what he was had come out, he wouldn’t push her until she was ready.

Braelyn shoved away from the back of the door she’d been leaning against and slowly walked toward him. She stopped when she stood in front of him. “So much has happened today—the stalker, you being a werewolf, and Roxie having her baby. I feel as though I should be sitting in a dark corner with my legs drawn to my chest while I rock myself, mumbling incoherently as tears run down my cheeks. But one thing is stopping me from doing it.”

“What would that be?”

“You. Any time I start to feel panic setting in, I look at you and remember how safe I feel in your arms. How protected. And that you’ll do anything to keep me that way. Knowing you’re a werewolf just adds to that feeling.” He went to reach for her, but Braelyn stopped him by holding up her hands. “Wait, I’m not finished yet. I know you love me, and that I love you, but I’m not exactly thrilled you mated us without telling me beforehand.”

He blew out a breath. “I had the best intentions in the beginning, I swear. Roxie has a set of rules she tries to impose on male werewolves who have found their mortal mates. One of them is we have to tell them what we are and what it means to be mated to us before we claim them. Unfortunately, it’s a counterproductive rule when it comes to the mating urge. Being female, Roxie doesn’t really have a clue how bad it can get. And then you booked the hotel room and I was lost, especially after you bit me on the neck.”

“Why does my biting you have anything to do with it? And you were the one who told me to do it, I might add.”

“A bite where the shoulder meets the neck during foreplay is the biggest turn-on for a male werewolf. And if the female bites hard enough to leave a mark behind, we like to proudly show it off so other females know we’re taken.” Skylar watched Braelyn’s gaze land on the exact spot on his neck he’d been talking about.

She stepped a little closer until they were toe-to-toe. “You mean like this?”

Braelyn went on tiptoe, tugged the collar of his shirt away and bit him where his shoulder and neck met, hard enough that there was no question of whether she’d marked his skin. He shuddered and wrapped his arms around her as his cock went instantly rock-hard.

“Braelyn. God, I have to be inside you.” She bit him again, and he clutched her tighter, his cock jerking inside his pants.

When she lifted her head, he took her lips in a bone-melting kiss. He poured all his need and love he had for her into it. She returned it with the same heat. With teeth and tongue, he deepened the contact. After coming so close to losing her, he needed the earthly affirmation of lovemaking to show him he hadn’t. He wanted to hear his mate’s cries of passion echoing in his ears as he took her over and over again.

Breaking the connection with his mouth, Braelyn grabbed the bottom of his shirt and yanked it up. “Naked. Now.”

With little finesse, they both managed to strip all their clothes off. Naked, they fell on her double bed in a tangle of limbs, their lips meeting once again. Braelyn pushed him on his back and then straddled his hips.

She looked down at him. “Your eyes are glowing.”

“It means I’m aroused.”

“Then I’d better do something about it.”

She reached down, took hold of his cock and held it in position as she slowly lowered herself on it. Once she’d taken him to the hilt inside her pussy, she started to ride him. Low growls of pleasure rumbled out of him as she arched her hips to take him deeper. He reached up to cover her breasts, kneading them when she put her hands on top of his.

Faster she rode him, her inner muscles gripping his shaft tightly until he couldn’t hold back any longer. At the first flutter of her orgasm, he let out a howl and surged up one final time as his cock emptied deep inside her pussy.

Braelyn collapsed on top of him. He put his arms around her and stroked her back when she started to shake. “Braelyn? Talk to me.” When she didn’t say anything and he felt wetness against his chest, he shifted them until he sat with his back against the headboard. He cupped her face and forced her to look at him. “Don’t cry.”

“I was so scared,” she whispered. “My mom was right. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be alive now.”

He kissed her forehead. “It’s over now, and I won’t let anything like that happen again. I am a Protector, after all.”

She gave him a watery smile. “You might be one of Roxie’s Protectors, but you belong to me now and I’m not giving you back.”

“I’ll make sure she knows that.”

Braelyn wiped her eyes with her hand. “Good. Now kiss me and show me just how devoted you are to me again.”

Skylar did just that and then some.

Epilogue

Skylar sat a table away from the three people he watched at a small coffee shop. Miles and Jaden were deep in conversation while Leif sat next to his mate, his stern gaze never leaving Miles. Both father and daughter ignored him.

It had been a month since Miles had first contacted Saskia about seeing Jaden. Since then, they’d met up at least once a week in places like this coffee shop. There was no question about Miles ever being allowed near their home in Marin County. They didn’t need the risk of him seeing Roxie there and somehow figuring out she and not Jaden was the true foretold one. So far it hadn’t been a problem. Miles seemed more interested in being with his daughter than what she was supposed to be.

Skylar pulled his gaze away from the other table when Braelyn sat next to him and put one of the coffees she carried in front of him. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. He still found it hard to believe she was actually his.

In this past month, a lot had changed for her, besides becoming his mate. They’d both flown back to LA for her to do the couple of photo shoots she couldn’t cancel. After that, they’d come home and begun to settle into their life together. She’d allowed Roxie to turn her, as did both of her parents. It turned out Braelyn and her mother hadn’t had to do much convincing to get her father to go through with it. Once Skylar had explained everything werewolf to him and what it all meant, he’d been quick to agree since the women of his family were for it.

“I still find it kind of surreal that I can hear Jaden and Miles’ conversation as if I were sitting at their table,” Braelyn said.

He gave a quick shake of his head and lowered his voice. “Remember, the same can be said about them being able to hear us.” Miles didn’t know much of anything about the spell, and they wanted to keep it that way.

“Oops, sorry.” She quickly glanced over at the others. “Do you think Leif will ever unbend when it comes to Jaden seeing her father?”

Skylar chuckled. “I can’t see that happening any time soon. To be honest, I don’t blame him. We all know what Miles is capable of. We’d be stupid to let our guards down now that he’d decided to play nice.”

“For Jaden’s sake, I hope he stays that way. And before I forget, you know who called and said she wants us and my parents to come over for dinner tonight.”

The “you know who” was Roxie. She’d grown quite close to Braelyn and her mom. “All right. I just hope this time she doesn’t make me change any messy diapers.”

Somehow, whoever was on protection duty ended up getting roped into diaper duty at some point. Not that Skylar minded all that much since he loved little Jessie as if she were his own daughter. Holding her made him want one of his own. But that would have to wait for a little while yet. Braelyn wasn’t ready and wanted a few more years of her career before they started a family and she retired to become a full-time mom.

Braelyn laughed. “You never know. I do have to say I love watching you with Jessie.”

Skylar turned his attention back to the other table when Leif, Jaden and Miles stood. “Time to go, it would seem. At least Leif behaved himself again.”

There had been a few close calls during the first couple of meetings, which was understandable since Miles had taken Leif hostage not all that long ago. Skylar and Braelyn followed behind them as they left the coffee shop.

Outside on the sidewalk, Miles hugged Jaden. From where he stood, Skylar easily saw the love Miles had for his daughter showing in his eyes. Saskia was right. Leif didn’t have to worry about her father ever trying to harm Jaden. Miles might have chosen to walk the dark side, but there was still a good part to him that seemed to come out only with his daughter. If only that could mean Miles wasn’t a total lost cause.

Putting his arm around Braelyn’s shoulders, Skylar kissed the top of her head as they waited for Leif and Jaden to join them. When the other couple did, he started them walking toward the parking lot where they had parked. He sent up a silent pray, grateful he never had to worry about Braelyn’s father ever turning into one of the bad guys. He was just happy to have found his mate and been given the chance to share his very long life with her.

The End

About the Author:

Marisa Chenery was always a lover of books, but after reading her first historical romance novel she found herself hooked. Having inherited a love for the written word, she soon started writing her own novels.

After trying her hand at writing historicals, she now also writes paranormals.

Marisa lives in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and four children. Check out Marisa's website at www.marisachenery.com. She would love to hear from you, so drop her an email while you're there.