Once Mated Twice Shy (7 page)

“
Mine
.”  He
snarled.  Jordan snarled back and launched himself at the man on the landing.  A
booted foot came down hard at Jordan’s snout but he ducked it.  Jordan was a
growling, snarling mass of teeth and fur when he sank his canines into the
man’s thigh.  Blood burst into his mouth filling it.  Lettie screamed inside
the apartment.  Jordan could only hope there wasn’t another inside of the
apartment with her.  The man pounded on Jordan but Jordan would not let go of
his thigh.  As long as he had his teeth buried in the leg, the man couldn’t
shift.  Jordan tore at the meat of the thigh.  It wasn’t a throat but it would
bleed out just as fast.  Jordan’s sharp teeth tore denim and flesh away from
the bone of the man’s leg.  The man collapsed and fell down the stairs.  Jordan
didn’t know if he was dead but he did know that he needed to get to Lettie.  He
raced back up the steps and shifted.  He shouldered the door open.  She was
cowering under the bed shaking and terrified. 

“It’s okay
sweetheart.  Come out.  Are you okay?”  Jordan helped her to her feet.  Lettie
jumped into his arms and wrapped herself tightly around him.  “It’s okay,
you’re okay.”  Jordan sank down on the bed with her in his lap.  She was
shaking violently, her teeth were chattering and she was crying
uncontrollably.  He pushed the long straight light brown hair out of her face
and kissed her forehead.  “It’s okay.”  He murmured against her temple.  “I’ve
got you.”  Jordan sat that way for nearly an hour calming her.  She eventually
stopped shaking and crying.

“I thought you
took care of them Jordan.”  It was an accusation.

“I did.  I told
you the truth.  The six that attacked you are dead.  One maybe two of them
today are dead.  The third showed me his throat.  He was only hungry and meant
you no harm.  The one outside of your door may heal but he’ll always limp if he
doesn’t bleed out first.”  Lettie nodded.

“Take me home
Jordan.  I don’t want to stay here anymore.  It’s not safe.”

“Thank God you’ve
come to your senses.”  He chuckled.  “Are your dishes packed?”  She shook her
head.  “We’ll come back tomorrow for them then.”  Jordan carried her down the
steps into the grocery store.  The man at the bottom was dead.  No one could
recover from that much blood loss.  Jordan stepped over him and held her head
tightly keeping her face buried in his neck.  His mate did not need to see
that.  Jordan took long easy strides past the service deli where the red wolf
was still eating.  He glanced up as they passed but didn’t move.  They all
looked hungry.  Perhaps he should have spoken to the first one.  He grimaced. 
The one on the stairs deserved what he got, he’d threatened Jordan’s mate but
the first was only eating.  Jordan regretted what he’d done but it was too late
to change things now.  He picked his cell phone up from the seat once he
buckled her into the passenger seat.  He dialed Thompson and explained what
happened.  He also told him that Lettie would not be living there anymore. 
Thompson heartily agreed.  He called his betas next to help with clean up.

Jordan drove to
the alpha house and turned the motor off.  “I’m glad that you decided to come
home Lettie.”  Jordan looked over at her.  “I know that we can work things
out.”

“I said that I
wanted to go home, this isn’t my home.  My home is down the street there.”  She
pointed.

“No.”  His eyes
flashed.  “You will stay here.  Whether it is in my bed or in a guest room, you
will stay here.  I’m tired Lettie.  I don’t want to argue, I won’t argue.  Get
your ass in the house.  That’s an order from your alpha.”  A growl rumbled in
his chest.  Lettie hurried out of the truck and up the steps.  She decided on a
guest room.  As far as she was concerned, she and Jordan were no more.  Sure,
he’d saved her but that was an alpha’s job, wasn’t it?”  Jordan opened her bedroom
door inside the house.  “I see.”  He took a deep breath.  “If this is how you
want it, then so be it.  You are a guest here, as one I expect you to behave. 
You will do your share, you will keep your room clean, and you will help with
chores.  As the only guest in this house, you will have plenty to do.”

“My share?”  Her
brows rose.  “What does that mean exactly?”

“You will tend to
the book keeping, plus some cooking, cleaning and laundry.”  She nodded.  That
was fair.  She did it all when they lived together before.  I expect you to be
kind and generous, nothing more, and nothing less.  I understand that you don’t
want anything to do with me but I will keep you safe whether you like it or
not.”  She nodded and Jordan stepped out of the room closing the door quietly. 
He went to his room and she heard the lock snap.  She scoffed.  As if, he had
to worry about her climbing into his bed at night no matter how sexy he was.  She
crossed her arms over her chest and sighed.

Jordan woke to the
most intoxicating smells.  He scented coffee, eggs, bacon, sausage, and toast. 
“Thank God she’s back.”  If he had to eat a meal that he cooked this morning,
well he was going to puke.  She was the cook, he could manage, but it always
tasted better when she cooked it.  Jordan shimmied into his jeans and pulled a
tee shirt over his head as he padded down the hall.  His plate with a cup of caramel
colored coffee sat on the dining table.  He sat down and started to eat.  He
wondered briefly where she was, Lettie sitting across the table would’ve made
this perfect even if she weren’t happy with him right now.  She wasn’t around. 
He wondered if she’d eaten and decided she probably had.  He rinsed the dishes
and stowed them in the machine when he finished.  Pacing the length of the
house, she was nowhere.  Jordan closed his eyes and concentrated listening to
the house.  The computer keys were clicking.  His wide smile stretched over his
face.  She was doing the books.  Good.  Jordan found his boots and went outside
to the back yard to split wood.  His pile was getting low and winter would come
whether he could stay warm or not. 

“Holy crap
Jordan.”  She hissed.  Lettie entered figures and tapped the calculator keys
then entered her numbers on the computer.  “This is BS.”  Lettie was getting
more and more frustrated with Jordan’s book keeping.  He was right, he sucked
at this.  Lettie rolled her head to stretch her neck.  A few hours passed since
breakfast and she was getting hungry.  Tuna sounded good so she set out for the
kitchen.  Where was he?  She’d expected him to barge in and to try and take
over.  It amazed her that he’d left her to it.  Glancing outside she saw him. 
Jordan was splitting wood.  She watched him.  He was poetry in motion.  His
muscles bunched and writhed under his skin as he worked.  His shirt was off and
slung around his strong neck, he used it to wipe the sweat from his face.  He
glanced up and saw her watching him.  Lettie turned from the window to make
lunch.  She didn’t see the grin split his face. 

Jordan felt her
watching him.  He worked harder to show off his muscles.  Who was she trying to
fool?  They belonged together, they always would.  She wanted to be a guest. 
Fine.  Guest it was.  There was one tactic that he hadn’t tried yet, playing
hard to get.  His plan formed easily in his mind.  He knew his mate.  He’d been
inside her body, mind, and soul.  Lettie would be his again.  She wanted him. 
Her wolf wanted him.  He could scent her arousal all over the house.  She
wouldn’t last especially with him putting himself on display for her.

“Summerville Pack,
can I have your attention please?”  Jordan said from the front of the room. 
They quieted and watched him.  “I understand that there is an issue that
requires attention.  No one told me what the issue is so I will turn the floor
over to Mark.  Mark, what is the issue?”  Jordan asked.  Lettie was alone in
the back of the room by herself again.  One of these days, he was going to
force her to sit in the front.  Jordan sat down in the front row to let Mark
speak.

“Well.”  Mark held
his baseball cap in his hands bending the bill.  Mark was very nervous.  “They
pulled my name out of the hat, so don’t think that this was my idea.  I am just
the messenger.”  Jordan’s brow creased and he nodded then crossed his arms over
his chest.  He took a calming breath.  This was not sounding good.  He didn’t
know what the issue was before the meeting and now he was beginning to worry about
it.  “I speak for the pack, most of them and this has to be followed by an
official vote so anything I say is not law.”

“Get on with it
Mark, you have nothing to fear from me.”  Jordan said.

“Um…well…Sir…The
pack thinks that you are too distracted to be the alpha.  You are not marked
anymore but your mate is here.  We know that she’s rejected you twice but she’s
living in the house.  It’s very confusing Sir.  You spent most of the past
month prowling around the grocer to protect her then slept most of the day
ignoring your duties.  The pack wants you to rescind your position.  We will
let you stay on as a beta but we think that there should be a new alpha.” 
Jordan nodded.

“Who is your
candidate for alpha?”  Jordan asked then stood.  “Who challenges me?” 

“No one is
challenging you Sir.  There will not be a fight.  We have the right as a pack
to ask this of a new alpha if we feel that he is not working out.  We feel like
your personal matters are taking precedence and we would like for Terry to take
the position.”  Terry growled.  In the short time that he’d been Jordan’s beta,
he’d grown to respect him and he nodded in acceptance.  Lettie raised her hand
in the back.  They ignored her.  She put her hand down and chewed on her lip. 

“I don’t want the
job.”  Terry spat.  “Jordan is your alpha.  He won it fair and square.  He’s
been doing it less than a month and you’re ready to toss him out because he’s
fighting with his mate.  She’s not his mate though is she?  She’s not marked so
they aren’t mates.  She is a pack member.  He does this all while he tries the
rest of us?  Did it ever occur to you all that Jordan would’ve patrolled that
grocer’s if it were any of your mates?  You should give him more time.”

“I’m sorry Terry
but we’ve decided.  If you don’t want it, we will find someone who does.” 
Terry nodded.  Lettie clambered to her feet and walked forward to the front of
the room.  Her knees felt like rubber and her throat was closing up.  She hated
speaking in front of a group.  This was her worst fear and she had to confront
it, for him.  There were gasps and murmurs from all around her and she nearly
turned and bolted.

“I’m sorry if I
caused you all any trouble.  I will pack my things and leave if it will make all
of this go away.  Jordan is a good alpha, no matter how much I didn’t want him
to be.  He wanted to do this for me you see.  He thinks that I need all of this
but I don’t and it’s been the cause of our separations.  Did you all know that
he’s spent most of his days in the office trying to straighten out a mess
that’s been building for nearly twenty years?  Probably not.  You all just want
your lives undisturbed and to go along without any problems or troubles.  Yes,
he protected me.  Yes, he should’ve been here.  I am the one that you should be
mad at.  I took up too much of the alpha’s time.  I was a selfish wolf.  I
haven’t felt like a part of this pack for a long time so I’ll go.  You have his
total dedication.  He gave up his mate for all of you.  At one time, I thought
he would be mine forever, all mine but he’s not.  This pack is his mate, it’s
more important than anything or anyone else.  You should give him six months
and see what he can do.  He’s already saved twenty homes in here, and you’ll
have power all winter, which you wouldn’t have had.  I never thought that the
members of this pack were this selfish.”

“You can’t
leave.”  Mark said.  “You belong here.”  Lettie’s tears fell over her cheeks
and she shook her head.  She wolves surrounded her, trying to comfort her.

“Colette.  I’m
rescinding.  I’m yours.  We’ll go somewhere else and start over.”  Jordan came
to her breaking through the group of wolves to get to his mate.

“No one wants you
to leave Jordan.”  Mark stepped forward.

“My mate feels
unwanted because of the mentality of this pack and my stupidity.  We can’t stay
where she feels that way.  I know that our relationship is confusing to all of
you but here’s the thing, it’s none of your damned business.  The only people
who need to understand our relationship is us.”

Lettie looked up
at Jordan with wide eyes.  He’d just defended her to the pack after she’d
rejected him.  He rescinded his position.  He was going to take her away from
here and start over.  Jordan Giroux really did love her!

“Jordan, I think
that the pack wants another vote.”  Many members were murmuring and getting
antsy in their seats.  “Can you excuse us for a few minutes?”  Jordan gave him
a curt nod and left the room.  Lettie followed him out.  “Lettie, you are
entitled to a vote.”  Mark called after her.

“Do what you
want.”  Jordan went upstairs to the living room and poured himself a shot of
whiskey.  Lettie watched him but he ignored her.  “Jordan?”  His eyes flashed. 
“Did you mean all of that?  That we would go somewhere else and start over?  You
would rescind your position as alpha?”  He nodded and threw the whiskey back. 
Lettie bit her lip while he poured another.

“I just hope that
I didn’t waste all that money on an unappreciative pack.  It would be a shame
after all of the scrimping and saving you did.  When I think about all of those
peanut butter sandwiches that you ate just to save some money for a bunch of
people who…”

“It’s okay.  Pack
comes first.  We both know that.”  Lettie said quietly.

“No.  Pack comes
second.  Mates come first.  I get it now.”  He tossed the third shot back and put
the whiskey away.  “You should get ready for bed, you’re exhausted.”  Lettie
nodded and went to her room.  Jordan went back to the meeting and she curled on
her side watching the hall.  When he finally came back, he went straight to his
room and locked the door.  Was he still the alpha?  Did they vote him in or
out?  Curiosity was killing her.  Lettie went to his door and knocked.  Jordan
did not answer.  She knocked again but he ignored her.  Her brows furrowed and
she went back to bed.

Lettie woke to the
smell of coffee.  She got up and showered then found her breakfast waiting on
the table.  He was already gone.  She found him splitting wood again.  How much
did he need?  His muscles bunched and flexed as he swung the axe.  She watched
while she ate but he never looked up.  He was amazing.  The toned muscles in
his legs worked when he bent to pick up a new log to split.  She cleaned her
dished then went outside.  “Jordan?” 

“Yeah.”  He
answered without looking at her. 

“What did they
decide?”  She watched him hoping for a conversation but he didn’t seem to be in
a chatty mood.

“They put me on
six months probation.  If I can’t get my priorities straight then I will have
to leave.”  He swung the axe, thwack!  The two pieces of wood fell off of the
stump.  “Anything else?”  She shook her head.  “Good, there’s laundry and the
bathroom then.”  Jordan turned for another piece of wood to split. 

“Are you mad at
me?”  Lettie asked.

“Nope.  Just got
stuff to do.”  Jordan swung the axe.  Thwack!  He picked up a few of them and
stacked them on the long row behind him.  Lettie went inside.  Jordan was ignoring
her.  He ignored her the night that he’d rejected her.  He’d been so attentive
since the night at the store.  Lettie’s lip trembled.  It seemed as though
things were going back to the way they were before he left.  Well he couldn’t
reject her now because he didn’t carry his mark.  Lettie decided to give him
the benefit of the doubt.  She decided instead that he had a lot on his mind
and went about her duties.  She made sandwiches then went to the patio door to
call him to lunch.  She sat and ate her sandwich watching him through the
door.  He kept working until she finished her meal.  He was doing this on
purpose!  He was purposely avoiding her just when he’d become interesting. 

***

Lettie put her
favorite short red dress on for dinner then came to the kitchen where he was
cooking.  “Good evening Jordan.”  She said perching up on a barstool.

“Lettie.”  He
turned the steak over on the indoor grill and went into the pantry.  The smile
split his face.  His plan was working.  She’d pulled out the big guns.  She
knew that he loved that dress on her.  He got hard every time she wore it. 
Jordan talked his midsection down and drew his face into a serious one.  He
salted the food and put it on plates.  She was giving him her most pleasant and
most attentive look.  Once he’d set her plate in front of her he carried his to
the office and shut the door.  Her chest felt like it had a hole in it.  He
really wasn’t interested in her anymore after all.  She’d demanded too much. 
He’d almost lost alpha because of her, her selfishness, after he’d worked so
hard at it.  This was it.  There was nothing left.  She was his guest and may
as well be a stranger to him.  Well that would not do.  Where had the man that
proclaimed his love at the meeting gone?  He was willing to move away with her
but he couldn’t sit across the dinner table?  This was not right.  Lettie
pushed her plate away, went to her bedroom, and slammed the door.  Jordan came
back to the kitchen with his plate to sit at the dinner table.  Her food sat
untouched and that disturbed him, not because it was a waste but because she
didn’t eat.  The last thing he wanted was for her to go hungry.  Jordan huffed
out a breath.  Maybe this wasn’t the best tactic after all.  “Lettie!”  He
heard her mumbled ‘what’ from the bedroom.  “Come and eat your dinner.”  She
came back in her shorts and tank tee.  They were her bedclothes.  “Tired?  It’s
early for bed but you should eat, regardless.”  She nodded and sat.  Taking small
bites and chewing thoroughly, her eyes stayed on her plate.  He heard her
sniffle a second before she got up and went back to her room.  Okay, this
was
the wrong tactic.  Jordan followed her and knocked softly on her door, no
answer.  He opened it to look inside.  She was packing.  Definitely the wrong
tactic.  “Where are you going?”

“Somewhere that
you’re not.”  His growl grumbled through his chest. 

“Why?”  Jordan
leaned against the door jamb.

“Because, you
obviously don’t want me to stay here.  You’re cold and indifferent.  You ignore
me and you can’t even sit down to a meal with me.  I can’t live like this.” 
She stuffed the bag as full as it would go.

“I was respecting
your wishes.  You said that you…”

“I know what I
said Jordan.  Did you ever consider that maybe I don’t know everything?  Maybe
I need you to be my alpha, not the pack alpha, but mine?  Maybe I need you to
be in charge.  Maybe I don’t know what I want but I know it’s not this.  I
can’t do this.  I can’t live with a man that looks through me anymore.”  A
smile played about his face.  “What?”

“I was playing
hard to get.”  Her eyes narrowed and Jordan’s mouth was crushing her lips a
second later.  Lettie melted into him.  “I love you Lettie and I want to be
with you.”  He murmured against her mouth.  She moaned.  “I just needed for you
to realize that you want it too.”

“You’re an ass
Jordan Giroux.”  Lettie smacked him when the kiss ended. 

“I want you to be
my mate Lettie, don’t ever doubt that.”  Jordan lifted her and carried her to
his bed.  “You sleep here from now on.”  She nodded.  “I need you to forgive me
and I need for you to mean it.  Don’t just say the words.  You have to let it
all go.  Every muddy boot print, the rape, the teasing, the bad feelings,
everything that I did or caused that has poked holes in your soul Colette, I
need you to forgive them.”  She was sitting on the side o the bed and he was
leaning over her with his hands braced on each side of her hips.  “We need to
be together because neither of us is safe or whole without the other and we
both know it.”  Lettie bit her lip.  “This will go no further until you forgive
me.”  Jordan’s eyes were amber and intent on hers.  She drew a ragged breath
and nibbled her lip.  “You have to say the words Lettie and then you have to
let me mark you.  We are not going to move forward until that happens too.  I
am sick and tired of being mated while I’m not mated.  You are worth more than
your weight in gold but not if you are available for other men.  I want us to
be a team, two halves of a whole and I want pups.  I’m tired of playing house. 
I know we were young when we mated and maybe that was a mistake.  Maybe we
should have waited until we were old enough to act like grownups.  I am a
grownup now Lettie and I’ve decided on what I want.  If you don’t want those
things too then we will part ways.  This is it.  You choose.  Will it be
forever with me or forever without me?”  She gulped.  He was serious.  His eyes
were more intense than she’d ever seen them.  Jordan was all-alpha right then
and it was intoxicating.  There was nothing in the world that she wanted more
than to be his forever but could she let go of everything, of all of the pain. 
To belong to this Jordan, the one that was not a kid playing with his new toy,
but the one that was ready to take on the responsibility of a mate.  This was
so hard.  She wanted him, and she wanted to let it go but it was damned hard.  She
nodded.  “I said you have to say the words Lettie!”  His voice boomed in her
ears and she trembled closing her eyes.  Being with him was so important to her
heart’s survival.  He was right when he said that he was soulless and heartless
without her, she was too.  She’d felt nothing but emptiness since he’d walked
out all of those nights ago.  Lettie wanted so much to feel complete again, to
feel loved again, and to look into this man’s eyes every day.  This man was her
other half.  He was her soul mate.  It sounded corny but he was and her soul
knew it.  Way back when he was fifty pounds lighter with half of the muscle
that he had now.  Way back when he was still trying to grow a mustache and
trying to get into her pants.  Her soul knew him, her wolf knew him, it wanted
him, and it needed him.  Her wolf needed Jordan.  It was why they were
inseparable when they were so young, why their hormones were crazy for each
other, and why their parents gave in so quickly.  Everyone knew it.  It didn’t
matter that they’d had a rough patch, the fights, the bad feelings, the tears,
and the hate, none of it mattered.  What mattered was that they would spend the
rest of their lives together.  They’d loved intensely, fought intensely, and
made up just as intensely.  She and Jordan did everything in epic proportions. 
Lettie took a long deep breath and let it all go.  As misguided as it was,
everything that Jordan did, he did for her, his mate.  They say that the road
to hell is paved with good intentions.  They’d certainly walked that road and
they’d been to hell, it was time to step back into what could be heaven.