Racing Hard (Dirt Track Dogs Book 4) (7 page)

Chapter Eight

The living room was littered with tools and boxes that once housed baby accessories. The women had taken Grace to have infant photos done at some fancy schmancy studio downtown while the dogs finished their project.

The one they’d started a week and a half ago.

But to be fair, it was several projects. They were building a crib, changing table, and dresser. And they’d added a few stationary toys in the mix. Grace would have everything she needed by the time they were done.

“Wait,” Diz said, frowning at the directions he insisted on reading. “I don’t think that piece goes there.”

“Damn it, what do you mean it doesn’t go there?” Surge scowled. “Of course it does. Look, see? It fits right in. Lock and key, baby.”

“One, don’t ever call me baby. Two, according to the directions, it
doesn’t go there
.”

Surge rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t calling you baby. It was a rhetorical.”

“Well, I don’t know about you two, but me and Beast are fucking killing the furniture building. Call the changing table
done
.” Drake smiled and high-fived Beast.

Diz’s jaw hung open, echoing Surge’s unspoken thoughts. “Are you kidding me, alpha? You just trying to be funny now? That thing wouldn’t hold a pet rock, let alone a baby.” He tossed Drake a booklet. “Try reading the instructions.”

Drake caught it frowning. “I’ve never had to read instructions. I don’t plan on starting now.”

“You damn well should,” Surge agreed. “My baby’s not laying on that thing until you fix it. Come to think of it, Diz, let me see those.” He yanked the directions from Diz’s hand and scanned them, looking for the correct piece to finish off the damn crib.

“
Your
baby?” Blister murmured from his place behind the couch where he’d been working on one toy for entirely way too long.

“Yes. Mine.”

“Yours?” Beast asked, confused.

“Yes, damn it. She’s mine. For now anyways.”

No one said anything and Surge didn’t look up from his instructions.

“She’s not actually yours,” Drake said carefully. “You know that right? You know you can’t just claim her as your young. We have to find her clan and return her. Along with that wounded one. When she wakes, this Three Men And A Baby shit ends.”

Surge raised his head to glare at his alpha. He didn’t anger easily. Never had. But his wolf had been aching all fucking week, confused and hurting like it was years ago. On edge and floundering because something had changed. Something extraordinary and life-altering had happened.

There was a bond. Two of them.

He didn’t know what to do about it. There wasn’t a pretty answer for how to save the kitten from the brutal cats and win over Tana. But he wasn’t letting anything get between him and what was his. Not this time. And if anyone would be able to understand that, it should be his god
damn
mother
fucking
alpha.

“I don’t think so,” he rumbled. For once, his wolf was solid. On this, his animal was sure. The baby and Tana were his.

Drake cocked his head to the side, standing to face Surge. “What did you say to me?”

“The baby’s not going anywhere when that female wakes up. Her mother ran in front of a fucking truck. For god’s sake, what do you think they were running from?” His voice thundered, startling his packmates. “I’m not sending them back to it. And so help me, neither are you.”

Drake fumed at Surge’s defiance, but he didn’t say a word.

“Maybe Surge is right,” Diz said, but Drake hit him with a singeing glare. “I’m just saying, the female was scared when I found her. Terrified. And I don’t think it had anything to do with being hurt. Arkansas. She said it over and over, like it was her last hope.”

Beast frowned. “Arkansas? But we know they aren’t from around here. Could they be from the Ouachitas?”

“No,” Blister said. “There aren’t any bobcat clans out there. Besides if they were, Tana would know them.”

Drake sighed in frustration. “We can’t just keep them. This isn’t a fucking lost and found. The clan will want their young. We already might be in deep shit over the accident.”

Bullshit. As awful as it was that the mama was gone, Tana couldn’t be blamed for that. The bobcat was an adult shifter who knew better than to run into the road. Carrying her
baby
. Exposing her young in such a way. No, Surge wouldn’t let anyone take this out on Tana.

“You know what the cats do to their mates?”

Drake frowned.

“Do you?”

“What are you talking about,” Diz asked impatiently.

“Forced claiming,” Surge spat. “The cats don’t give their females an option.”

Diz’s face turned hard, his nostrils flaring with rage. “Bullshit.”

“It’s true.” Owyn’s monotone voice came from the doorway. No one had seen the cat enter. “But it’s even worse than that. They mate to procreate, and once their female is with young, they find others to bed. As many as they want.”

Beast looked ill. “They aren’t monogamous?”

Owyn shook his head.

“What the hell are you saying ‘they’ for?” Blister ground out, his gaze burning a hole through Owyn. “Ain’t you a cat?”

“Because, asshole, my clan doesn’t do that shit. Figured you knew that, since you know Renner.”

“Magic’s people don’t mate like this?” Drake asked, still reeling from the revelation.

Owyn shrugged. “Our people don’t mate at all. Easy.”

“
Easy
?” Diz said skeptically.

“The alternative is rather fucked up, so yeah, it’s easy.”

“But… Renner?” Blister mumbled.

“He’s different. He’s the only mated panther in our clan and he’s absolutely dedicated to his female.” Owyn put his hands up. “Enough, okay. Surge is right. The baby’s future won’t be a happy one if you send her back to her clan. Just… think about it.”

With that, he left.

There was a moment of silence, fraught with tension before Drake spoke.

“I don’t know. What if the female doesn’t want to be here? We can’t make her stay. And shouldn’t the baby be raised by her kind? Maybe she’d be better off going home with Tana.”

Home? Tana?

Tana fucking
was
home. She just didn’t know it yet. And the guys didn’t either. No one suspected Surge’s feelings.

“We’re shifters. We are her kind,” Surge argued. “And that’s another thing… Tana, she’s mine too.”

Drake’s mouth became a thin line. His shoulders lost all fight. The look in his eyes spoke volumes. He thought Surge had finally gone off the deep end. Fallen right off the cliff of insanity and into straightjacket land.

Diz smacked Surge on the back and he turned to find his friend’s face cracked with a smile the size of the Grand-fucking Canyon. “No shit, man. Really? Tana. Your intended is a cat?”

“I didn’t know that was possible,” Beast murmured in awe.

Blister piped up. “Better watch the claws. That’s my piece of mated advice.”

Surge shook his head. Shit.

“It’s not like that. Not quite.” Surge’s gaze went to his alpha, and Drake threw his palms in the air.

“This is all you, Surgie boy.”

Of course it was. Damn it.

“What’s going on?” Diz asked, frowning.

“She’s not my intended. My…” Surge swallowed the words stuck in his throat, making room for new ones. Harder ones. His laugh struggled past the barrier, sounding sick. “My intended died in the fucking fire before I even knew what I was.”

There was silence while his confession sank in.

“Oh… fuck.” Diz ran one hand through his short hair. “Shit, Surge. I’ve been talking about you meeting yours for almost a year now. Why didn’t you fucking say something?” The apology was in his tone, and Surge didn’t want it. He didn’t want any of his boys feeling sorry for him. Diz looked at Drake. “Did you know about this?”

“Of course I knew,” their alpha said calmly.

Surge spoke up. “Look, it’s not like we sit around and shoot shit about our feelings. I didn’t tell you guys because it didn’t matter. Not in the grand scheme of things. What was done couldn’t be undone.”

“It matters,” Blister argued. “It matters a fucking lot. Losing your intended, Surge? Of course it matters. She’s the reason you laugh.”

“Yeah, well I have a new reason now. It’s Tana. It’s Grace. And this time I’m laughing for real. Not because I’m fucked inside.” Surge dropped the screwdriver he’d been gripping so hard he was sure he had a permanent Stanley imprint on his palm. “Look, I supported all of you when crazy ass shit went down with your mates. If you can’t do the same for me, then what the hell is this? It isn’t a pack, that’s for damn sure.”

He marched for the door, needing a good run. If his goddamn wolf could accept the cats, why couldn’t his brothers. Who knew he’d ever prefer the company of his eccentric animal to them.

“Surge, wait,” Beast called after him.

“No,” he growled, yanking the door open. “The cats are mine. Deal with it.”

He pushed through the entrance, into the blaring sunlight, shifting without bothering to remove his clothes. His wolf let out a chortle and shook out his black and brindled fur. He bounded down the steps toward the woods, intent on working off some steam. He’d prefer to work it out with Tana, but running would have to make do until he could convince his kitty he was what she needed.

And he would.

She belonged with him after all.

Chapter Nine

By the time Surge had run out his frustrations, the sun was setting, its golden fingers combing the trees as it said goodbye for the night. He watched it go as he walked back home, still on all fours.

The wind blew and he raised his nose to scent it, expecting small game or fowl. What he got was something infinitely more delicious. Dangerous. Lethal.

He doubled back, following the scent of danger. Hunting it. But danger was crafty. Behind him and then in front. Turning him in circles.

Surge growled, bounding forward in the direction of his prey. The scent stopped just underneath a sturdy oak. He went nose to the ground again, searching the area near the tree.

A loud snarl brought his attention upward.

There she was. His kitty. Crouched high up on a branch, looking sleek and sexy in her shifter body. Her black fur shone in the fading light of day, and her eyes were the same bronze that stole his breath in human form.

She was majestic.

She hissed in warning before flexing her powerful legs and leaping to the ground. But she didn’t land on the forest floor. Instead, she pounced directly on Surge, rolling with him until he ended up on top.

His throat rumbled with a satisfied growl as he pressed his snout against her neck, inhaling her slightly altered scent. He nipped her shoulder with his fangs and licked her face, ignoring the claws digging into his flank. Moving his tongue to her neck, he kept licking, calming her, showing her he was in control.

She erupted in a purr, her throat rumbling deliciously against his tongue. The air around them changed slightly, and Tana shifted beneath him, coming back to her human body, but all Surge wanted was to keep smelling and tasting and
feeling
her. His mate. She had to be his.
Soon
.

She gripped his fur. “Turn,” she rasped. “
Turn
.”

He pushed his animal back, shivering until his body was human again. Human and naked, pressed against her bare body, his length hardening between them.

Oh damn, her skin was soft. Her breasts were firm and round, dark nipples grazing his chest.

“What are you doing out here, kitty cat?”

She shrugged one strong shoulder. “My animal needed some down time.” She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, eyeing him. “I came home to see all of the baby stuff assembled and sitting pretty in Grace’s room, but you were nowhere to be found.”

Huh. Those crazy bastards had finished the job without him. He’d check it all when he got back. Make sure it was safe.

“They said I should come find you.”

Surge stared at her lips while she spoke. “They did huh?”

Tana nodded, her thick curly hair catching a leaf from the ground. He reached up and pulled it free.

“What happened?” she asked carefully.

Surge sighed. “Maybe we shouldn’t have this conversation naked.”

He pulled back, and Tana leaned up, resting on her elbows. “Well, I don’t see any clothes lying around, and I’d like to know what’s up. So?”

He shook his head, still raw from the incident earlier. “Later.”

But her hand landed gently on his chest and stopped him from retreating further. Her touch made his wolf go completely still. As if in wonder. It wasn’t the first time she’d touched him. Wasn’t the first time he’d been amazed by the power. He wondered if every touch would affect him this way.

Dear Lord, let it be so
.

“Surge, please. Talk to me.”

Damn it. The timing was all wrong. He’d let too much out the last time they’d talked about the future. Told her his desires before she was willing to hear them.

A calculating grin curved her lips. “I know. How about we make a deal?”

“I’m listening.”

“One kiss for every secret you reveal.”

His jaw went slack. A kiss. They hadn’t had their first kiss yet. Not erm, on the lips anyway. Not uh, on the mouth lips.

He cleared his throat at the memory.

He wanted their first kiss to be special. Not an obligation she owed him for acquiring information.

“I have a counteroffer.”

She frowned. “I’m listening.”

He squeezed his eyes closed, praying he wasn’t rushing this. Oh, hell. He was definitely rushing this, but that was his way. Fly by the seat of his pants, down and dirty, no beating around the bush. It was all he knew.

When this was all said and done, Tana would either accept him or she wouldn’t. And if she didn’t, he’d keep trying. Keep proving himself. Keep showing her love.

He found her eyes, holding on to them like they could somehow keep him from falling harder.

“How about I tell you everything and if you agree…” Shit, shit, shit.
Here goes fucking nothing
. “You mate me.”

Her claws came out slightly, pressing into his chest before she could stop them. It gave her away. Told him that whether Tana liked the idea or not, her panther was on board. It gave him hope.

“Okay,” she whispered, looking unsure. “Tell me.”

“I told the guys I can’t let Grace go back to her clan. I can’t let her be raised in a way that could put her in more danger later. I just can’t. It’s been almost two weeks and her clanmate is almost healed. She’ll wake soon, and maybe she’ll want to go home, but Tana, I think they were running from something.”

Her honey eyes turned sad. “I do too. We can’t make them go back. If Drake won’t take them in, I’ll talk to Magic and they can go back with me.”

Her words punched him in the gut. “No, baby. I told them something else.”

“What?”

“That I can’t let you go either. I can’t, Tana. I’ve watched you these last two weeks, taking care of a baby that wasn’t yours—”

“She
is
mine,” Tana snapped, and then her eyes grew wide and tear-soaked. “Shit, I’m sorry. I’ve… Surge, I think my cat has bonded with her. What the hell am I going to do?”

He brushed a thumb across her cheek. “I know you have. Just like I have. And it’s okay. Stay here. With me. We’ll raise her as our own. I know this isn’t the usual way families begin, but I for one am especially unusual so...”

“You mean, we could adopt her?” Her expression was as hopeful as he felt inside. She needed Grace as much as he did.

Damn it, please let this happen
.

Surge nodded.

“But what if the female is family? What if she claims her? Or takes her from us?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. We won’t have answers until she wakes.”

“I don’t want to lose her.”

“Me neither. And we’d fight for her, Tana. But if worst came to worst, we’d still have each other. We could try for others. We could—”

He stopped when she started shaking her head. “I can’t.”

Surge went cold. “Can’t?”

She shook her head, looking miserable.

“But… why? Do you need more time? Maybe I’m coming on too strong. I told you, I’m patient. I’ll wait for you—”

“No. Stop.” Her tone was pure agony as her hand slid down to her belly, covering her claw marks. “I
can’t
. The attack shredded my uterus. It’s too scarred up to allow a pregnancy.”

And the hits kept coming. Goddamn it.

“You can’t have young?” he whispered, feeling despair for her. For
them
. Because he was in her future. He refused to believe otherwise.

She blinked a volley of tears away and stared at some spot over his shoulder pretending to be strong.

In one move, he pulled her off the ground, wrapping her in his arms so he could hold her tight while she let it all go. “S’all right. It’s going to be okay. I’ve got you.”

Pressing her face to his neck, she sobbed quietly.

“We’re in this together, baby girl.” His lips brushed the shell of her ear as he breathed the truth into her. “Me and you, until the sun goes down on the Surge show. Nothing could take me away from you.”

She shook her head, her hair brushing his cheek. “But that’s what I’m saying. If… if we do this, me and you… we might never have a family. I’ve seen you with Grace. You were meant to be a father.”

“Yes. And you were meant to be a mother. You’re a natural, the way you’ve tended to our little one. We’ll either find a way, or we’ll learn to be satisfied being a family of two.”

She pulled back to look at him. Even with tear streaked cheeks and a Rudolph nose, she was so damn beautiful. “Surge…” Her voice was full of despair.

“Tana…”

“Why do you want me? I’m broken.”

“Because, baby. There’s nothing more beautiful than two fucked up people fitting their broken pieces together to make something whole. Can’t you see it? The way our broken pieces match?”

“I do see it,” she whispered, curving her palm around his cheek.

“Mate me, Tana. Complete me. Be mine.” His heart was on the ledge. If she said yes, it’d leap into the abyss and never come back. He’d be hers for the long haul and love every fucking minute of it.

Her watery gaze transformed into a tiny smile. “I want this. I want everything. With you, Surge.”

Relieved, he pressed his forehead to hers. “Is that a yes?”

“Yes,” she breathed.

Surge inhaled deep, pushing back his own tears. With her uttered word, his wolf felt stronger, like he had a purpose. To protect and provide. To make her and their little girl happy.

There was only one thing left to do.

“I’m going to kiss you now,” he rasped. “And I’m not going to stop until you’re claimed. Until you carry my mark on your body. Until my scent is so mixed up with yours, people know we belong to each other. Understand?”

“Oh god,” she moaned. “This is happening.”

“Fuck yes, this is happening, Tana. Are you ready?”

She caressed his cheek, staring into his eyes, loving him with her gaze. “Take me now.”

A growl rumbled in his chest, and he couldn’t hold back anymore. He dove for her mouth, her lush lips meeting his in a clash of fury. For a first kiss, it wasn’t gentle. He didn’t softly explore her. He
devoured
her. And she came at him with equal force, betraying her desperation and all she’d been holding back for the past few weeks.

He broke their kiss long enough to pull her to a stand, and then found her lips again, prying them open to taste the seductive heat of her mouth. Her tongue was soft but desperate, needing him like he needed her.

Sliding his hands past her ribs, down to the dip of her waist, he lifted her to wrap her legs around his body. His knees went weak when her center brushed against the tip of his hardened cock.

He wouldn’t take her on the ground, though the wolf in him found the idea to be hot as fuck. Gritty and real, totally turned him on. But they’d have other opportunities to get dirty. So many opportunities. A lifetime full.

He knew of the perfect place for this first time.

Kissing her jaw as he walked, he found the nearby creek blindly. He set Tana on a smooth boulder a few feet back from the bank that dropped off to the water. In the fading light, he took note of every one of her curves. The slope of her shoulders. The muscles of her biceps. Her full breasts. The way her hips flared wide from her much narrower waist.

“You’re beautiful,” he said, his voice hoarse with lust and emotion.

Her gaze fell to his erection, her eyes combing over him and widening. “You’re…”

Surge chuckled, gripping his cock and stroking slowly while his mate perused his body.

When her hot gaze met his, she breathed words that had him gritting his teeth against an orgasm. “I want it in my mouth.”

Fuuuuuck
.

Surge cleared his throat. “Hot damn, I want that too. But if those pouty little lips get anywhere near this cock, it’ll be game over. It’s been too long. I need to mark you first. I need to make you mine first or I’ll go crazy. You dig?”

Tana smiled. “You’re already crazy. My crazy wild wolf.”

He palmed one breast, squeezing gently and thumbing her nipple, watching intently as her body reacted to his touch with tiny chill bumps. “I’ll go crazier. Bomb-ass crazy. So crazy the only cure will be your sweet, sweet—”

She reached out and wrapped her hand around his length, stopping his words from forming with one smooth stroke.

“My god,” she grated. “I
need
this.”

“I know, kitty cat. I
know
. Now lie back and open your legs so I can see you.”

She obeyed, spreading her knees to give him a glimpse of her wetness.

“Wider.”

He slipped a finger between her folds, causing her to squirm and moan. Bending his head to her heaving breasts, he traced a circle around one tight nipple using his tongue while his fingers worked her clit. After teasing her to the point of gasping, Surge pulled the tight bud between his lips and sucked hard.