AlphainHiding (11 page)

“Let’s get our food to go.” Emily was still stroking Seth’s
arm and she could feel static shocks zinging between them. He needed to bleed
off the aggression and power before he put them all on the ground. “Seth. Look
at me. You need to calm. Look at my arms. You’re pushing out so much power
you’re charging the air around you.”

His beautiful wolf eyes stared back at her and she fought
the urge to whine and show her throat. He was throwing his Alpha mojo and it
beat against her will. Fuck. She grabbed his hand and pulled him from the seat.
There was a fast way to take care of this but it was going to leave her
embarrassed for a while. Everyone in the place would know in a few moments what
she was doing to bring him back under control. She yanked him toward the back
room, throwing Sal a knowing look over her shoulder as she shut the door and
locked it.

She flicked the light on and slowly turned to find Seth
staring at her with feral lust shining from his eyes. She reached for her
pants. She pushed them down her legs and stepped out of them as quickly as she
could without riling him. Soft growls were vibrating in his chest as he watched
her. She turned her back on him and bent over, resting her arms across a shelf
that held cans of mayonnaise and pickles. She tilted her head to the side and
rested it on her arms. Cool air moved over her heated pussy. She could smell
her arousal like a perfume in the air.

Seth was on her the minute she spread her feet. The sound of
a zipper being opened broke the silence. She felt his heat before she felt his
body. Strong thighs touched hers just before the head of his cock penetrated
her slick folds. He slammed into her, pulling a gasp from her lips and pleasure
from her core. His body covered hers as he wrapped an arm around her waist. The
heat and weight were intoxicating. There was nothing slow or soft about his
movements. He powered into her pussy over and over again, stroking into her,
strumming her flesh with his. Hard and fast were the words for this encounter.
He fucked her to brand her, to claim her the only way she would permit at the
moment.

The hand he had wrapped around her waist moved so he could
rub her clit in hard little circles. She was already close. Being taken by Seth
fed something primal inside her. She reacted to his power, his scent and his
lust. She could feel her orgasm building. She pushed back against his hips each
time he slammed into her body. His cock kissed her cervix with each stroke, giving
her a small taste of pain. She spiraled closer to her release and strained to
reach it.

He bent forward and took her neck in his teeth, biting down
but not hard enough to break the skin. The feel of his teeth on her was enough
to send her over the edge. She gasped out his name. He pumped into her a few
more times before locking them together. Hot streams of cum coated her channel,
sending a shiver and goose bumps over her skin.

They rested in that position, his cock still buried in her
pussy. The jars and cans on the shelves still rocked and clinked together while
their contents sloshed to the rhythm of their fucking. His tongue ran lazily
over her neck where he had gripped her. She wondered if he had broken the skin.
The fear that should have been present with that thought never materialized. It
was unlikely that they would create the bond just by him biting her, but it
could happen.

He pulled away from her and she shivered from the cold. She
turned slowly, unsure what she would find. What she found surprised her. Seth
stood, shoulders bowed, facing away from her. She could smell his pain and
wasn’t sure what had happened. She dressed quickly before taking a deep breath.
She had taken care of his anger and possessiveness, now she needed to take care
of his pain.

“Turn around and look at me before you berate yourself any
further.” She watched him face her. “You didn’t do a damn thing I didn’t want.
You felt how wet I was. There is no guilt in this.”

“Fuck, Em. I just took you in the storage room of a diner because
I couldn’t control myself.”

“Yep, and we can do it again if you’re up for it. Although
we might want to use a different shelf. This one seemed to be pretty loud.” She
grinned. There would be no regret between them, especially after both of them
getting off.

“You’re really okay with this?”

“Yes. I am perfectly okay with this.” She took his hand and
led him to the door. “Now can we please get our food to go? I’m tempted to get
you all worked up again so we can come running back in here, but I’m hungry.”

Chapter Fifteen

“Dad, I hate you right now.” Emily sat in her car about a
mile from Seth’s house. The tears had finally dried from her cheeks but she
still sounded stuffy.

The conversation when they’d pulled into Seth’s driveway
hadn’t been pretty. He’d been angry and upset when she’d refused to get out
with him. Her wolf had howled so loudly that she still felt it ringing in her
mind. Now the bitch was curled up, whimpering, in a corner of Emily’s head. She
understood. She didn’t want to leave him either, but it had to be done.

“What happened, hon?” Her father’s voice pulled her from her
thoughts.

“You know what happened, you manipulative bastard. Seth is
now a fully fledged Alpha male. Congratulations.”

“Good job, Em. Now that doesn’t explain the hatred you’re
shooting through the phone.”

“I fell for him, Dad. Hard. I think I love him.” She
sniffled again. Fucking A. She wasn’t going to cry anymore. She’d already shed
more tears in the last hour than she had in years.

“Okay, so I still don’t understand the pain and anger.”

“Leaving him at his door was hard enough but knowing he’ll
be chasing other females on Saturday is just ripping me apart.”

A growl vibrated against her ear. “What do you mean he’ll be
chasing other females? Didn’t he show any interest in you?”

“Of course he did.”

“Emily. Start at the beginning, because I don’t understand.
If you love him and he likes you, why in the hell would he be running with the
singles this weekend?”

“Because I thought it best for him to scent other females.
He can’t decide I’m the one he wants if he’s never sniffed another female,
right?”

“You are so stupid sometimes, honey. Shit. Haven’t you ever
heard of love at first sight? Don’t you listen to people’s stories?”

“Stop calling me stupid. I feel bad enough as it is.” She
could feel anger burning through some of her pain. She stoked the fires,
letting it ripple through her body. Anger was easier to deal with and easier to
control. “Of course I listen to those stories. They’re romantic and all, but
those are from people who had spent years with shifter noses.”

“Okay, so what’s going to happen Saturday? You’re going to
run with the singles, right?” She could hear the confusion and irritation in
her father’s voice. What he could possibly have to be irritated about she wasn’t
sure.

“No, why would I run? I did this whole weekend thing to get
out of the run.”

Her father sighed, loud and long. “You are one of the most
stubborn, irritating and clueless females I have ever dealt with. I can’t talk
to you anymore. I’ll see you tomorrow at the council meeting.” He sighed. His
voice was softer when he spoke again. “Em, go back to him. Please. I want you
to be happy and this asinine plan of yours is just ludicrous.”

“I can’t, Dad. What if we aren’t meant to be together? I
can’t take years of hatred. I want my mate to love me for me.” She scrubbed the
last of the moisture from her eyes. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Was she wrong in her thinking?
Maybe.
Could she
accept that as a reasonable reason to go back and claim him?
No.
She
sighed as she started her Jeep and headed home. The week was going to suck.

* * * * *

“Emily. Call me back. You can’t keep ignoring me.” Seth’s
voice sounded tinny coming from her cell phone. It was the fourth message he’d
left for her in two days. With the click of a button she erased his message
before she could play it again just to hear his voice.

She was losing it. The last three days had slunk by, filled
with hours of nothing. She couldn’t concentrate, got angry at everyone and just
couldn’t get her mind off the male who repeatedly called her. Even her father
had had enough of her and sent her home. He’d told her she couldn’t come back
to work until she could control herself or until she gave in and stopped being
dense.

Three times she had found herself driving toward his house.
She kept telling herself it was to check on him. She knew she was lying to
herself. She wanted to catch a whiff of his scent, a glimpse of his body. It
was a sickness, an obsession. Even now she was driving around in his
neighborhood, trying to ignore the need to drive by his house. One quick pass
by the house, that was all she needed. Just to make sure he was safe. Every
excuse she could think of ran through her mind. Her wolf whined at her, which
was all it had seemed to do over the last couple of days. It wanted to go to
him, none of this cloak-and-dagger crap. Her beastie wanted to drive over there
and throw their collective body at Seth’s feet, preferably naked.

She pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store on
the back side of his block. She put her forehead on the steering wheel and
tried to get a grip on her actions and thoughts. There was no reason for her to
act this way. She wasn’t obsessive, or at least hadn’t been before now. The
little voice in the back of her mind reminded her that she was ignoring the
fact that he was her mate and this was just torturing both of them
unnecessarily.

The sound of her door being opened surprised her enough that
she squeaked, something she very rarely did. Her head whipped up just in time
to see a very large, very irritated Seth before he pulled her from the Jeep.
She didn’t have time to fight or even react before she was held against his
wide chest, steely arms banded around her waist and shoulders to keep her
against him. He buried his nose in her neck and the growl that reverberated
through his chest tightened her nipples.

“I know the sound of this Jeep better than the sound of my
own car. Were you going to drive by my house again?” Seth’s voice was deep. She
knew if she looked at him he’d be partially shifted. His emotions were so raw
and thick she almost choked on them. Pain, anger, arousal, regret. All of them
swirled around them, beating at her already frayed nerves. How could she cause
this strong male so much pain?

“I’m sorry,” she sniffled. Damn, tears again. What was she
turning into? A fucking girl? She melted into his embrace and closed her eyes.
His scent wrapped around her like a favorite blanket, warming her insides and
calming her nerves. Yes, he was hurting, but so was she. This wasn’t easy on
either of them. That stupid little voice reminded her that she could easily
stop all the nonsense and just go home with him.

“I know,” his voice was muffled by her neck. “I talked to
your dad and we both get why you’re being stubborn but it doesn’t make anything
better.”

She pushed back from his chest, anger spiking as she dealt
with his last statement. “You talked to my dad? Why?”

“I needed to get your number somehow and you aren’t listed.
He’s been most helpful.” He burrowed back into her neck and hummed. She went
boneless. How was she supposed to fight him off when he could do that to her?
His whisper skated across her neck, raising goose bumps. “Come home with me,
please?”

She wanted to. Oh, how she wanted to. She could feel the moisture
coating her pussy just from being in his arms. Her body ached for his. Her wolf
was howling again in agony. She had made a plan, though, and she was sticking
to it. They had to be sure that she was who he really wanted. She had to be
able to trust his decision and right now she didn’t trust his reaction to her.

“I can’t,” she whispered in response.

“You can. Just get back in the Jeep and drive around the
block. I’ll even drive. We can have some lunch, maybe watch some TV. Please,
Em. I’m going nuts without you. I can’t sleep, I can’t work—I’m falling apart.”

“Two days. That’s all I’m asking. Give yourself two days,
come to the run and meet others, then we can talk. I can’t have this on my
conscience if it turns out badly. What happens if you mark me today and in two
days or two years you find someone you really want to be with? I can’t take
that kind of hatred, because you
would
hate me, Seth.”

He sighed and the blank mask she so dreaded descended on his
face. “Fine. Two days is all I’m giving you. Saturday night you are mine, do
you hear me? You can’t hide from me after that. I’m claiming you and you’re
claiming me and then I’m going to bring you home and make love to you for days
straight.”

She wanted to smile at that, wanted to make light of the
threat, but she knew he was stretched to his limits. She just nodded, accepting
his statements and agreeing to them. She quickly climbed into her vehicle and
drove off before she could change her mind. Her wolf whined pitifully in the
back of her mind.

Chapter Sixteen

The wall was cool against her heated skin. How much longer
was she going to have to wait? When would he get there? Emily stood at the back
of the barn watching the pack mingle. Every time the door opened her heart
would race until she saw it wasn’t him, then she’d slump against the wall again
in dejection. Her disappointment was almost comical. She knew she wasn’t hiding
the emotions well. Her walls weren’t holding everything in. She could smell the
anticipation and periodic distress on her own skin.

“So what do you think?” Her father leaned on the wall next
to her, facing the crowd of single shifters, affecting a casual pose.

“What do you mean?” She wasn’t playing his game, not this
time. “I think lots of things, most of them you don’t want to hear right now.”

“Em, don’t lie to me. I can smell it rolling off you in
waves. Why don’t you run tonight and let him catch you? Put an end to this
nonsense and claim your mate.”

“Dad, it’s not that easy.” She turned so she could see his
face. “What if you and Mom had claimed each other and then she’d found someone
else she wanted? It would have killed you. I can’t go through that. I have to
know, without a shadow of a doubt, that he wants only me.”

He sighed. “I understand the argument, honey, but if you
both feel the connection this strongly then it’s plain ol’ destiny. He told me
that your heartbeats synch when you touch. That is powerful magic. Not all
mated pairs claim to have that happen. You and Seth are meant to be together,
and all this pain you are causing the two of you is just ridiculous.”

She sort of wanted to agree, but it didn’t matter. Seth
wasn’t here. They’d all start toward the field in another few minutes. Maybe he
wasn’t coming. Maybe he’d decided that she wasn’t worth the crap she was putting
them through. Her heart clenched. What if he found another female? She fought
the tears that threatened to escape and took a few deep breaths to get herself
under control. She couldn’t give in now. If he really didn’t show up she could
cry at home, without everyone seeing her weakness.

She was saved from doing the unthinkable—asking her dad if
he’d heard from Seth—when the door opened again. She held her breath and almost
crossed her fingers. The breath she had sucked in left in a whoosh. In walked
Seth in all his glory. His clothes hugged his new form as though they’d been
painted on. Muscles bulged and rippled when he moved. He was grade-A eye candy
with an attitude. She closed her eyes when his powers swept over her skin. Her
body’s reaction was instantaneous. Nipples tightened, pussy creamed and her
heart rate shot through the roof.

She listened to his approach. Unerringly he swept through
the room, stalking her. His scent reached her before he did and she sucked it
into her lungs, holding her breath, savoring the taste of him on the air. The
heat from his body touched her a moment before his hands did. She shivered with
the simple caress of his palms sliding up her arms. She refused to open her
eyes and see what lay in his.

“Em, why are you standing here with your eyes closed?” His
whispered words were another caress across her heated body. His voice was
gravelly and filled with so much need that it almost was tangible.

“I can’t look at your eyes yet. I’m not strong enough.”

He pulled her into his embrace and just held her. She
listened to his heartbeat slow and mimic hers. Her father’s words replayed
through her mind. If they were fated to be together, then it was stupid to push
her plan. Could she trust that assessment, though? Could she put her life and
her heart on the line based on a mythical connection without testing it first?

“Emily, introduce us to this tantalizing hunk o’ man you’re
hoggin’.” The silky, feminine voice that intruded on Emily’s thoughts pulled a
growl from the depths of her guts. She hadn’t heard the approach of “the three
witches” but she was sure all three of them stood there if Amanda was talking.
Amanda was blonde, well-endowed and exactly what many males craved—easy and
superficial. Her two comrades were Liz and Barb, both brunette, stacked and
obnoxious. All three had perfect bodies and they were not known for their
modesty. They shopped for men like Emily shopped for soda, by the six-pack.
Their appetites for men were well-known and bragged about by both males and
females.

Emily took a deep breath and pushed back from Seth’s chest.
He didn’t release her easily but a quick scowl bought her a few inches. She
turned in his arms and almost grinned as he settled his hands on her hips. She
looked over the three women, barely keeping her lip from curling. “Hi, Amanda.
This is Seth. Seth, meet Amanda, Liz and Barb.”

“Ladies.” His voice rumbled against her back.

Emily watched the threesome with interest. They obviously
wanted to chat with him. He obviously didn’t want to reciprocate, judging from
the firm hold he kept on her hips. She wanted to grin at the three, rub it in
that this absolutely magnificent he-wolf wanted her instead of them. She
realized that there was no way she could let him out of her sights. Screw the
test. She knew he was her mate and there was no fucking way another female was
getting anywhere near him. She swallowed the growl that was building in her
chest.

“Seth. Nice to meet you. Are you running tonight?” Amanda
flipped her hair and tilted her head slightly. Wolf speak was blatant in her
movements—
come and get me, I’m submissive to anything with a cock
. Emily
snorted at her own thoughts.

“Yep,” he answered. He bent forward and whispered in Emily’s
ear. “But I don’t want to. I’m holding what I came to this shindig for.”

A shiver worked its way down Emily’s spine. He knew everyone
around them could hear his statement, yet he made it anyway. Physically and
verbally he was claiming her before they could even get outside. She wiggled
her ass against his cock in agreement with his words. She grinned at the
answering chuckle against her back.

“Oh, um, well, I guess that’s good. See you guys outside.”
Amanda and her entourage quickly walked away, glancing over their shoulders a
few times.

Emily turned in Seth’s arms again and took a moment to
really look at him. His jaw was clenched. Strong waves of power rolled from
him. His shoulders and arms were built differently than the first time she’d
seen him. She wondered where her geeky, weak male had gone. Had he changed as
much inside as he had on the outside?

His face softened before he bent forward and touched his
lips to hers. “I’m still me, Em. I’m just hotter-looking now.”

She finally gave in and laughed. The entire scene was
absurd, or maybe surreal. She wrapped her arms around his waist and plastered
her body against his chest. She rubbed her face against his shirt, savoring his
heat and scent. “You are definitely hot. I don’t know if you’re hotter
now—buffer, maybe, but you were hot even when you were wearing glasses and snuffling
in my Jeep.”

“You aren’t going to make me run in this thing tonight,
right? I can smell your arousal and I’d much rather take you home than run
around with a bunch of strangers that I don’t want to be with.”

“
Au contraire, mon frère.
You are most definitely
running with the singles tonight. You’re going to be so tired after tonight you
won’t be able to even lift your head tomorrow morning.” She grinned at him with
a devilish smirk. She had finally figured out what she was doing for the night
and it looked as though she’d be running with the singles as well. If he wanted
to claim her today then he would do it the traditional way, and she wasn’t
going to make it easy.

His scowl changed to a grin. “I see. So does that mean
you’re going to make me chase you?”

“Yep. You’ll have to catch me and make me submit. It’s all
part of the fun.” She patted him on the arm before stepping out of his embrace.
“I need to let my dad know that I won’t be refereeing.”

Would howling his triumph inside a packed building be bad
form? Seth almost didn’t care, but he held in the vocalization for Emily’s
benefit. If it was a no-no in the shifter manual he didn’t want to embarrass
her. He wanted to shout to the rafters that his mate had finally given in and
was going to claim him. Everything in his life had changed the moment Emily had
walked through his door a week before, but he wouldn’t take a single second of
it back. He finally felt complete. His wolf was an integral part of him—his
body reflected his heritage, his father’s blood flowed through his veins.

He watched her walk through the crowd. She was beautiful as
she waded through the riffraff. They parted for her as she moved forward,
pushed by her power and her reputation. He took great pleasure in watching the
males move quickly out of her path. He growled low when Luke, the asshole from
the diner, approached her. Seth knew she would get pissed if he intervened, but
that pup was pushing the wrong buttons tonight. He had every right to challenge
Luke to a fight for dominance, and Seth would if he needed to.

He listened to the conversation between Emily and Luke,
fighting the urge to run over and take the male to the ground. She rebuffed the
loser quickly and efficiently. When she turned to look over her shoulder and
smile at Seth, he thought he’d combust right there. That smile held nothing but
sensual promise. He quickly shifted his cock from its uncomfortably twisted
position. He was hard and ready. He also took note of the venom being shot his
way by the other male. Looked as if Luke didn’t like being brushed off by a
female.

Seth continued watching her wind through the throng of
people. She stopped and spoke to a few, hugged a couple of older shifters and
finally made it to her father. Seth leaned back against the wall and watched
the conversation unfold. He knew her father would be thrilled. They had spoken
a few times on the phone since the weekend before and Emily’s father had been
more than supportive. Her father had actually suggested Seth show up at her
house, tie her to the bed and “take care of business”. As shocked as he’d been
by that particular piece of advice, he was glad her father approved of their
mating.

As he watched, Emily and her father turned as one to look at
him. He swallowed his nervousness and gave a smile and nod toward them. The nod
and grin her father gave him was enough to let him know their pairing was
sanctioned. Not that anyone could stop them, but he wanted their union to be
approved by her father. As he watched her walk through the groups of people, he
finally understood the undercurrent of loneliness he had sensed within her. She
had been waiting for him with her father at the back of the room. No friends
milled around her, none approached her as she walked proudly through the room.
The only people she responded to were older, mated couples, and Luke. No wonder
she kept talking about needing a partner in life. His promise to her would be
for a lifelong partner in crime. He was used to being the lone wolf,
figuratively and literally, but had longed for someone to share it with. Now he
saw that she felt the same way.

While he had been pondering weightier things a group of
single bitches had approached. He didn’t notice until a wave of female arousal
tickled his nose. He tore his gaze from Emily to find ten women standing near
him, ogling him from head to toe with blatant lust. Their combined scents hung
heavy in the air. He wanted to cover his nose with his shirt or something to
help to filter out the odors.

“Ladies.” He blanked his face and voice. He didn’t want to
make a scene but with the number of males migrating their way he wasn’t sure he
would get away without some sort of commotion.

One of the women stepped forward, nominating herself the
speaker of the group. She was pretty and her smile was warm but her eyes shone
with determination. “Hi. You’re Seth, right?”

“That’s me.”

“Um. We know you’ve been seen around the last week with
Emily, but seeing as she never actually gets involved with the males we figured
we’d come introduce ourselves. All of us are single and will be running
tonight. Most of us are…well, open to some group fun, so if you’re interested…”
She left the invitation open but he understood her meaning. They were looking
for some fun and didn’t mind sharing a male or two at these types of functions.

Seth tried not to curl his lip in disgust. Maybe this was
the normal way the females chatted with the males before a run. Maybe, but that
didn’t mean he was interested. To be so flippant about sex was sort of
shocking. He was trying to find a way to gently explain that he wasn’t
interested when a growl sounded behind the group of females.

“What the fuck?” A deep male voice carried over the women.
The hairs on Seth’s arms raised. Luke. It had to be. His wolf growled in
response.

The one who had spoken turned and smiled widely at the
asshole. “Luke. Hi, baby.”

“Lyndsey, I thought you and I were gonna run tonight. What
the hell you doin’ around this one?”

“Hey, you and I can do our thing. I was just going to make
plans for later tonight. You know how a mess of us like to get together for
some partying, right?”

“So you were going to fuck me and then run off to meet him?”
Luke’s anger was building and Seth watched in rapt fascination as the other
male’s canines lengthened and his eyes changed shape. Even Luke’s face started
to lengthen and transform.

A whimper escaped Lyndsey’s lips and she tilted her head,
baring her throat to the angry he-wolf. “No, baby. I was going to play with you
and then I figured we’d go together to party with the group. We don’t have to
do that, though, if you don’t want to.”

Luke lunged forward and grabbed her arm, yanking her into
his chest hard enough to snap her head back. “I don’t share. Get that through
your fucking blonde mind. You are
mine
tonight.”