Nikolai's Wolf (9 page)

“Nice try, little bit. I’ll sleep in the basement.” Just then, Mary Elizabeth returned to the table, a triumphant expression on her face.

Hugh, lagging behind her, had the fatalistic yet determined look of a man who had lost the battle but still hadn’t given up the war.

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Glancing around the diner, Mary Elizabeth said, “The lunch crowd is starting to come in. Are we staying here, or should we head over to the store?”

“Let’s go,” Kiesha said. “I can show Rory what’s been already been done and give him an idea of what still needs to be completed.”

* * * * *

As the five of them walked back to Kiesha’s store, Sheriff Rome Barrio drove by in his police cruiser. They all lifted their hands in greeting as he beeped the horn.

Seconds after the sheriff passed, Shannon felt the hairs on her neck rise. Someone was watching her. She tried to look around without drawing attention to herself. The last thing she wanted was Rory or one of the others to notice. She didn’t feel threatened. Quite the contrary, in fact. Her nipples puckered, and her vagina moistened. She knew it was a male.

But who was it, where was he hiding, and why?

Rory noticed the tension she was trying not to show. “What’s wrong with you? What are you searching for?” he asked her under his breath. The man had eyes like a hawk. He didn’t miss a thing.

She really didn’t want to tell him what she was sensing, but Rory would press until he knew, and he wouldn’t be quiet about it. He’d probably scare off whomever it was before she had a chance to identify him.

“I feel like I’m being watched,” she whispered. “I’m trying to figure out who’s doing it.

Don’t do anything to alert him.”

“Him? Do you feel threatened?”

“It’s definitely a male. And no, I don’t. It’s just a really intense, focused stare. This is not the first time I’ve felt him.” She paused. “I can never locate the source. I don’t hear anyone, and there’s no scent. It’s really starting to spook me.” As she continued her search, she noticed a large black raven sitting on the roof of the diner. Though it was hard to tell from this distance, it appeared to be looking straight at her.

She’d seen that bird before. It usually coincided with the feeling of being watched, but that was just coincidence. It had to be. As far as she knew, there were no bird-shifters in the area.

She asked Rory, “Do you sense anything?”

He was still scanning the area, making no attempt to be subtle about it. “No, I can’t sense a thing. Are you sure it’s a male, and can you still sense him?” he asked, keeping his voice low.

“Yes, he hasn’t left, whoever he is, but the feeling’s not as intense.” It was like he’d gotten distracted.

“How often does this occur? Is there any pattern to it? Maybe it’s a male that’s attracted to you and too afraid to come forward.” Rory actually stopped and turned in a circle, looking in all directions.

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Shannon grabbed him by the arm and tugged, hissing, “Keep moving. You’ll scare him away.”

Rory scowled at her but obeyed her directive. “I don’t like this. While I want you mated, I don’t like the idea of you being stalked.”

“Off and on for the last month or so,” she admitted. “At first, I thought it was my imagination. It was happening rather frequently and then suddenly it stopped. This is the first time it’s occurred in over a week.” She fought the urge to squeeze her legs together, hoping Rory wouldn’t smell her growing arousal.

She’d never been this stirred by a male. Her shadowy dream lover didn’t count. If she had, maybe she wouldn’t still be a virgin, then this whole heat-moon thing would be a nonissue.

Nikolai sat within the body of the raven and watched his mate walk down the street with a male who closely resembled her enough to be her brother. It was a blustery, overcast day, and the wind brought the scent of his mate’s budding arousal to his nose. Good, she was aware of his presence. He took note as she glanced around, trying to locate him. She looked directly at him, although he knew she had no idea that it was he she was seeking.

She said something to the male. Judging by the way he suddenly went on alert, that’s exactly what she had done. From his manner, Nikolai could tell that it was going to be a real test to get past her protector. Excellent! He hadn’t had a decent challenge in years. It would increase his pleasure exponentially to steal his mate right out from under her guardian’s nose.

Spreading his wings, he flew off and headed for home. He had a she-wolf to capture and claim for his own.

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Chapter Six

Shayla Morgan hummed to herself as she set up the computers in her cousin’s store.

The mind-numbing beat of techno music pumped into her ears via the headphones attached to the MP3 player she had tucked into the waistband of her pants. Bending at the waist, she twisted and turned, hooking connections and putting everything in its proper place, then dropped to her knees and crawled under the desk to plug the equipment in.

While she worked, she thought back to the night before. It had been late when she’d arrived, much later than anticipated. Her flight into Fort Knox had been delayed by the freaky weather hitting the northeastern seaboard. A late-spring cold front was the forerunner of a northeaster that had dumped snow and rain across the country.

She’d had no problems getting from Jacksonville to Atlanta. It was her connecting flight out of Atlanta that was the problem. By the time her flight landed and she’d secured a rental, it was past midnight. She’d arrived at Kiesha’s an hour later and collapsed into the offered bed. Tonight, she’d be bunking with Kiesha’s friend Shannon.

When Kiesha had first asked her to come, she’d told her cousin she’d book a room at one of the local hotels, only to be informed there weren’t any. The closest hotel was in Colbyville, a forty-five-minute drive from Refuge.

Her cousin had stated she should stay with them until Shay had bluntly informed her she had no intention of lying in bed listening to her and Alex humping and bumping their way through the night. She often teased Kiesha about her stuff drying up for lack of use, but now it was her own stuff she was worried about.

She spent more time on the road than at home and still had several more trips lined up.

While she didn’t mind getting her freak on, she wasn’t a big fan of one-night stands. A girl couldn’t be too careful nowadays, and she was as safety conscious as the next person. Besides, 48 Zena Wynn

she was too smart to lay up with a stranger simply because she was feeling a little horny.

That was a good way for your picture to land on a milk carton.

If things kept going this way, she’d have to invest in a little self-gratification. Not that she believed anything store-bought could compare with the feel of a big, thick cock. Until she settled down long enough to find her a boy toy to play with, she’d just have to make do with the next best thing.

Her musings were interrupted when she backed into something solid as she maneuvered from under the desk. She glanced to see what obstacle was blocking the way. A pair of large, man-sized construction boots attached to thick, denim-covered legs standing way too close caught her eye. She hated being loomed over. Since it wasn’t Kiesha behind her, she wouldn’t feel guilty for what she was about to do.

Casually pulling her knee forward, she suddenly kicked up and back, aiming for his kneecap. That ought to bring him down to her level.

He twisted away at the last second, but the force of the kick was enough to throw him off balance, allowing her room to come out from under the desk. She did so swiftly, turning to face whoever was stupid enough to get in her way. She ripped the headphones off her ears and verbally blasted him. “Dude! You ever hear of personal space?” She blocked the area off around herself with her fingers. “Three feet. Any closer, and you’re a target. Got it?” Rory stared in shock at the demented little woman standing before him with her hands on her hips. She’d actually kicked him! Him, one of the most feared and respected shifters in the region. He watched in growing anger as she slipped her headphones back onto her head, then walked out of the office, effectively dismissing him as though he were no more than an annoying fly.

He stormed after her, ready to take her down a peg or two. A few seconds later, he clamped a heavy hand on her shoulder, halting her departure. “Wait a minute, you little she-devil! What the hell is your --”

Seconds later, he was clutching air as she suddenly dropped low, twisted out of reach, and spun around to face him with her hands raised in a boxer’s fighting stance, murder in her eyes.

“Hands off.”

“Oh, good, you found her.” Kiesha’s cheery voice grated like fingernails on a chalkboard, doing nothing to alleviate the rising tension.

Shay quickly lowered her fists when she heard Kiesha’s voice, but continued to glare at him.

They sized each other up like prizefighters confronting each other for the first time in the ring. It was a wonder that Kiesha couldn’t see the sparks flying between them. Or maybe she knew the evil troll was crazy, and was ignoring it. Her next words seemed to confirm his Nikolai’s Wolf

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theory. “Shay, this is Rory, the contractor I hired to finish the rest of the work. He has questions about what you’ll need to set everything up.”

“What I need is for wolf-boy to mind the personal zone and keep his hands to himself,” Shay said, her tone harsh. She watched him warily, as though expecting him to spring at her any second.

Only sheer will kept him from going for Shayla’s throat.

Kiesha’s smile disappeared as at last she appeared to realize something was amiss. “Uh, Shay? Why did you call Rory ‘wolf-boy’?”

Shayla gave a “duh” look. “It’s obvious the man’s not human,” she said as though even a simpleton should be able to figure it out.

“Why do you say that?” Kiesha laid a hand on the witch’s arm while casting worried glances in his direction.

“I have a nose. I can smell. He smells the same way that Alex does, human with an underlying hint of something…wild.” She stared at him, her hands twitching like she wished she had something in them. A weapon, maybe?

Rory felt his eyes narrow. His fists clenched as he fought for control of his temper, unable to believe he’d allowed this…this…thing…to get under his skin. “You can smell what I am? That isn’t possible. Humans don’t have noses that sensitive. Only another shifter should be able to recognize what I am by scent alone.”

“Yes,” Shayla answered slowly, as though speaking to someone incredibly simpleminded. “I can smell what you are, and it’s not pleasant, let me tell you.” Rory growled low in his throat and took a step forward. This woman was beyond annoying. Look at her, with her strange hair and clothes. Who color-coordinates their hair with their outfit? She wore short navy blue leggings that clung to her shapely thighs and firm, tight ass. The top half of her body was covered by a skintight dusty blue T-shirt. He could see perfectly the shape of her braless breasts. Suddenly he realized her nipples were hard. Was the little she-devil cold…or aroused?

Taking a closer look, he silently acknowledged that while Kiesha was a biracial beauty, with her mocha-colored skin and curly golden brown hair, Shayla was a perfect blending of East meets West. She had the height, round face, deep brown eyes, and silky black hair of an Asian woman. Although it was a little hard to tell about the hair because of the short punk cut and blue spikes. Her complexion reminded him of butter toffee, making him hungry for a taste. He caught the faintest hint of her arousal and felt his cock tighten in response.

Rory closed his eyes and prayed for mercy. This little troll doll could not be his mate.

He wouldn’t accept it. He knew true mates were a gift from the Creator, but if she was his, this was one gift He could keep. He’d happily pay the postage to send this little package back.

“Shay, I’ve always known your sense of smell was strong, but how can you smell what he is?”

50 Zena Wynn

“Maybe she’s not as human as you think. She certainly acts like a bitch,” Rory told Kiesha, smiling grimly as he got revenge for Shayla’s crack about how he smelled. Maybe if he was nasty enough, she’d keep her distance. If she was his mate, he wouldn’t stand a hope in hell of staying away from her. He already wanted to touch her despite, or maybe because of, her attitude. Other than Shannon, no woman had ever stood up to him the way this one did.

Oooo! He’s going to pay for calling me a bitch!

With a hiss, Shayla opened her mouth, choice words on the tip of her tongue when Shannon walked up.

“Morning, Kiesha. Shay, finally we meet, face-to-face.” She held out her hand and Shay shook it. “Rory, spreading love and sunshine around as usual, I see.” Shannon’s voice was laced with laughter. She must have heard them as she was coming up the stairs.

Shayla looked at Shannon, then back at Rory, noting the strong resemblance between the two. No one had to tell her they were siblings. Pasting a sorrowful expression on her face, she said in her most solemn voice, “You must be Shannon. I am so sorry.”

“Shay….” Shayla ignored Kiesha’s warning tone, determined to get even.

Shannon’s amused countenance changed to confusion. Rory looked suspicious. “Sorry about what?”

Kiesha groaned and covered her face with her hand. “Don’t encourage her,” she wailed.

“Sorry you had to be stuck with this Neanderthal as a brother. It must be very painful for you.” Gotcha! She shot a triumphant look at Rory.

Shannon nodded in agreement, a very sincere expression on her face. “It is. So few people actually understand just how much I suffer,” she said as she wiped imaginary tears from her eyes. Then she gave a subtle sniff, just for effect.

“Oh, for the love of…” Rory muttered, glaring at the two of them.

Out the corner of her eye, she saw Kiesha roll her eyes to the ceiling, mouth moving in a silent prayer for divine help.

“You just hang in there,” Shay told Shannon and patted her on the arm. “It will get better. After all, nobody lives forever.”