Sentinel: Reckless Desires (Wolf Shifter Romance) (Alpha Protectors Book 2) (3 page)

I
twiddled
the straw between my fingers, eventually sucking back some of the overly sweet concoction in an attempt to blot out my surroundings in a haze of alcohol.

Sugar coated my tongue with a fuzzy tingling, as if mocking my attempt. I checked my watch, silently pleading the minute hand to defy the law of time and speed up.

“You got somewhere you need to be?” a deep voice drawled from behind me.

The corner of my mouth lifted at the blatant pick-up line. I took another sip, deliberately ignoring the wolf shifter who thought he’d try his luck.

Silence.

Well, that was a disappointment. Not that I was in the market for a hook-up, but for him to give up so easily—

“Try this instead.” A bottle was thrust over my shoulder and waved in front of my face.

Momentarily speechless, I caught the ice-cold bottle before it clonked me in the face. It was a foreign brand, the kind that had Cyrillic writing winding around its long neck.

“Try it. You never know, it might be just what you’ve been waiting for,” the deep voice suggested, dripping with attitude.

I spun around and shoved my nearly empty cocktail glass into his hand while swinging the beer between my fingers. I looked up, past a navy-blue T-shirt that hugged an obviously rock-hard chest, then up some more, eyes skipping over a square jaw, past wide, full lips and a slightly crooked nose. Bright blue eyes stared back at me, narrowed in challenge.

He took a sniff of my abandoned glass, then set in down with barely concealed disgust.

“Thanks for the drink,” I murmured, pushing away from the wall and heading off into the crowd.

A hand grabbed my arm, the pressure insistent but not forceful. “Hey, at least try it.”

“Why? I don’t like beer.”

He took a step forward, his lips brushing against my ear. “You’ve never tried this brand.” He wasn’t even trying to be subtle.

Oh, but he was wrong there.
I avoided men like him. Wolf shifters with too much power and not enough sense to keep a lid on it, entitled, arrogant alphas the lot of them. Though at least this guy was making me laugh. And he was hot enough to deserve a second glance.

Okay, that was a lie. My hormones were dancing a jig just standing this close to him, my breasts aching and a slow burn building between my thighs.

Shame he’s an asshole.

I took a swig of the beer, just to shut him up.

He arched an eyebrow.

The liquid was cold and refreshing rolling down my throat, light and malty—it didn’t have the bitter aftertaste I’d always associated with the drink.

“Okay, it’s good,” I eventually admitted.

“Maybe you should be more open to trying new things?”

I heard his invitation loud and clear.

Obvious. Just like it was obvious that if I said no, he’d just move onto the next girl.

As if sensing my hesitation, he nabbed the beer out of my hand and set it down. Taking my hand, he pulled it around his waist and gently tugged me to him.

I could have resisted, could have shoved him away, but it was as if I was transfixed, my body out of control.

His lips hovered above mine, giving me all the time in the world to say no.

I shouldn’t. Nothing good could come of this.
But for the first time in what felt like forever, I didn’t care. I was sick of being in control all the time, of pushing everyone away because I was scared of what might happen. It didn’t mean anything. I didn’t know him, he didn’t know me. I could indulge without fear.

I closed the gap, sealing my lips to his. My kiss was clumsy and inexperienced, a fumbling defiance against a life bound by rules.

It didn’t matter that I’d been the one to set those rules.

Hesitance melted into insistence, then into urgency as I breathed him in, his scent surrounding me and washing away any lingering doubts.

In the dim light of the club, he pressed me back against the wall, his body a hard sheet of muscle pinning me in place as his hands smoothed over my curves, molding and squeezing in almost reverent appreciation.

I moaned against his lips, my tongue tangling with his in a frantic dance, sucking and tasting, my hands threading into his golden hair and tangling at the nape of his neck. I dragged him closer, as if trying to breathe him in.

With a groan, he pulled away, his chest heaving and neck flushed. He was staring at me with wonder in his eyes, a soft smile playing on his lips.

I blinked up at him.

“Gabriel.” At my blank look, he chuckled, a low husky sound. “My name.”

Ah.
“Kate.” It was the first one that came to mind, the lie tripping from my tongue.

He smiled, and my heart lurched.

“I don’t live far from here…” he murmured.

“Still too far,” I whispered, tugging him down for another kiss. He was like a drug, something I couldn’t get enough of. I didn’t understand, but I wasn’t going to fight it.

“Agreed,” he groaned, then grabbed my hand and tugged me through the club and up a flight of stairs. We flew along a narrow corridor and burst through an official-looking set of doors into what seemed like a control room.

I glanced around at the rows of monitors, taking in the fact that we were alone.

He didn’t offer an explanation, and I didn’t ask.

We slammed against the wall, hands tugging at clothes. His hand thrust up my skirt and my back arched as he tugged my panties aside, his finger sliding through my already wet heat.

I yanked his jeans open.

He growled against my throat, thrusting his finger deep inside me.

My head fell back. I slid a hand around his cock, freeing him. He was thick and hard and ready.

In seconds I was braced against the wall, his fingers digging into my hips as he entered me in one powerful stroke.

A cry echoed around the room, punctuated by a low growl. He pivoted his hips, then slammed back inside, knocking the breath from my lungs.

I hooked my ankles tight and held on as he worked my body into a frenzy, his mouth nipping and teasing every bit of naked skin he could find as his shaft worked in and out, the friction building and building until I was a mass of throbbing nerves, crying out for release.

“Gabriel!” His name left my lips in a scream as I erupted, the room dimming as my head rocked back, slamming into the wall.

His eyes flashed gunmetal gray, his jaw gritted in what almost looked like pain.

Then he struck, his teeth slicing into the base of my neck.

Where the mating mark would go…

The world stopped, everything grinding to a halt as clarity hit me like a ten-ton truck.
This man is my true mate!

He licked the wound with his tongue, pressing a gentle kiss as if to take away the sting.

His cock twitched inside of me, a loud groan echoing in my ear as he came.

No! I can’t let this happen!

He would smother me, control me. An alpha like this guy would never stand for his woman being anything more than a mate and mother, I’d seen it happen—
knew
how it would go.

And he hadn’t even asked—he’d just claimed me. Like it was his right as a man...

Mom had been right. Not that I’d ever doubted her. She was the reason I had my rules, the cautionary tale I kept in mind in case I ever got tempted.

“No!” I screamed, hiding the panic behind blind fury. I shoved him off me, sliding down the wall and landing with a knee-jarring thud on the floor.

“What—?” He looked shell-shocked. Then he tried to gather me in his arms.

Big mistake.
I lashed out at him, survival instinct kicking in. I had to get away from him, had to warn him off, make sure he never tried to find me. “I have a mate. And a child,” I added, just in case being unfaithful wasn’t enough to make him despise me.

Hurt flashed in his eyes, striking a direct hit to my heart.

A chill settled over me as I closed myself off to the pain. To
his
pain. It was for the best. We’d just end up hating each other anyway. At least this way he could still find comfort in another’s arms.

I nearly threw up, bile pooling in my mouth at the thought of my true mate with another woman.

My wolf howled inside of me, her claws scraping my skin as she tried to get to her mate.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

And then I ran.

T
his was
the woman I was meant to protect? The room around us faded, everything disappearing as memories surged forward. Five years ago I had walked into a club, searching for answers at the bottom of a bottle. Within seconds of entering I had known she was my fate. I had watched her for a short while, headily drunk on the possibilities. Her flame-red hair had trailed down her back, stroking porcelain skin dusted with freckles. Her body had oozed with voluptuous curves that had my tongue watering.

That night was burned into my memory, every detail seared into my heart.

My wolf had howled, my soul singing as everything in the world had suddenly made sense. I had found her, my mate, my other half.

Or at least I’d thought I had.

My attention snapped back to the present, to where she was staring at me, her green eyes cloudy with unexplained emotion.

I took another step back, wanting to put as much distance between us as possible. This was my woman, my mate. I had marked her that night so very long ago. We hadn’t been able to keep our hands off each other, tearing each other’s clothes off in a frantic combustion of heat and passion. I still remembered thrusting inside her, the feeling of coming home, the feeling of completeness almost overwhelming. When my teeth had pierced her neck, the claiming words on the tip of my tongue, I knew it had all been worth waiting for. That my life was just beginning.

Pulling on the shreds of my willpower, I slammed the door shut on the past.

Her hair was shorter now, the long tangle of tresses lopped off to just below her shoulders. It suited her, not that I would ever admit it.

“Why did you do it?” I hated the fact that my voice came out hoarse, husky with need, but that’s what she did to me. I couldn’t even bear being this close to her, the urge to complete the mating riding me. Over the years I had clung to sanity by losing myself in different women, always one-night stands, and never a commitment. I’d give my body the release it needed, the release my mate would not give me. But in doing so, I was pretty sure I’d committed my soul to hell. Not that I cared. I was already there.

“Why did I do what?” She was dodging the question; she knew exactly what I was asking.

“Why did you let me fuck you when you had a mate and child at home?” My words were crude, but they fit how I felt.

She flinched imperceptibly, one hand reaching up to hug around her waist. “It was a mistake, one that won’t happen again. When will you be leaving?”

Even now she couldn’t look me in the eye, couldn’t tell me she didn’t want me. I’d marked her and the bond was alive, not complete, but I could feel her. I knew she wasn’t being truthful with me. I knew she wanted me. I could feel her need crawling over my skin, plucking at my nerves, and tugging at my cock. I fixed her with a pointed glare. “Don’t fucking lie to me, Chloe. You want me. You always have. Well, you’ve got your wish—I’m done with you.”

And right at that moment I’d have given anything for it to be true.
Anything.

I turned on my heel and strode out of the bar.

H
ow dare
he just turn up here and expect everything to be okay? Expect
me
to be okay. My hands curled into fists, my nails digging crescents into my palms. What did he think was going to happen? How did he think I was going to react at seeing him?

He should have been fine. With his looks and arrogant charm and sense of self-importance he should have forgotten me, gotten over me no problem. Should have picked another woman who was happy to submit to him in a way I couldn’t.

But he hadn’t.

And he was so angry. Bitter.
Hurt.

Before I knew it, I was racing after him, shoving the door open and rushing out into the warm summer evening. I glanced around, eventually spying him halfway across the courtyard. “Angel!”

He didn’t stop, but he did pause for a second, his shoulders stiffening and his hands clenching at his sides.

“Let it go, Chloe,” he called over his shoulder, his voice not full of anger anymore, but sounding miserably hollow.

I jogged to catch up with him, some masochistic part of me unable to just let him walk away. I needed him to understand… Understand what, though? I couldn’t tell him the truth, so what exactly was I expecting to achieve? I didn’t know, but I couldn’t leave it like this. Reaching out, I grabbed him by the shoulder.

His face snapped around, a snarl dancing on his lips. “You really don’t want to push me,” he growled.

“I... I just wanted to say I’m sorry.” There.

“You’re sorry?” His words were incredulous, his expression matching his tone. He advanced toward me, his hips rolling with agile grace, his chest swelling and biceps flexing as he towered over me. “You’re sorry?” This time there was no mistaking his emotion. He was pissed.

“I am,” I offered, already regretting having followed him out. I refused to take a step back, refused to back down from him. This was my pack, and no matter what I’d done, who the hell did he think he was turning up and throwing his weight around?

I was getting whiplash, yo-yoing between feeling sorry for him and feeling guilty for wanting to throttle the life out of him.

“So, are you sorry you fucked me? Or are you sorry you fucked me and told me you had a mate and child? Or are you sorry that I’m here? Which is it, Chloe?” Each word rang in my ears like a shot fired from a gun, slamming into me and tearing through my chest.

Okay, throttling it was.
I snarled at him, wishing he wasn’t so damn tall so I could stare him down, eye to eye. “All of the above. Hell, you’ve got to understand that it’s best if you just go.”

“Best for you?” He sneered. He advanced forward another step, and despite myself I stumbled backward. “Who… do…you…think…you…are? Thinking you can tell
me
what to do? You gave up that right the second you lied to me and ran away. Like a coward. You’re nobody to me, you saw to that. And if I want to join this pack there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it.”

Now he was just pissing me off.
Squaring up to him, I poked him in the chest. “I think you’re forgetting who my dad is—”

“Oh, don’t worry sweetheart, I’m not in any danger of forgetting exactly who your father is.”

Now what the hell did he mean by that?

He took another step forward, crowding me. Rough brick brushed against my back, then his arms came down around me, caging me.

He leaned in, his breath hot on my cheek, his eyes flashing with his wolf.

I couldn’t help myself, I sucked in deep greedy breaths, dragging him into my lungs. His scent was wicked, like liquid heroin coursing through my veins and jumpstarting my heart. And I was aching for a fix.
I had been craving him for five long years.

“Like I said, sweetheart, you want me.” His head dipped, his breath tracing a path from my collarbone up and onto my jaw then trailing along my cheek. He groaned, the sound seeming to be wrenched from deep inside him, an honest sound. “Dammit!” He hissed, then leaned his forehead against my cheek. “This is fucking wrong. You belong to someone else.”

My hands had somehow found their way around his waist, and it took every bit of willpower I possessed not to tug him toward me, to feel his body hard and heavy against mine. I nearly cried out loud when he lurched back, his lips twisted in a grimace.

“I’ll see you around, sweetheart,” he muttered. “You can count on it.” And with a soft curse, he spun and sprinted off into the forest, his bright hair quickly swallowed by the shadows.

I sagged back against the wall, my heart threatening to drill its way out of my chest. I’d had a lucky escape. Because I was pretty sure if he had kissed me, I wouldn’t be able to run away again.

* * *

I
didn’t go back
to the rec room, couldn’t face the questions and I definitely wasn’t in the mood for Mark’s challenge. Though it grated on me that he’d think I’d bailed because I was scared.

I shrugged it off. I didn’t care what he thought.

Okay, I did.
But only because in my world male shifters were dominating assholes, and if you showed even the slightest hint of fear they’d eat you for breakfast. Or at least, never let you live it down.

At least thinking about Mark was keeping my mind off Gabriel. Or
Angel
as he was now called. I was halfway to my room and in a world of my own when I heard my name.

“Chloe?” From the volume and obvious concern, it didn’t sound like it was the first time I’d been called.

I swung around, not really in the mood for chitchat but ingrained manners forcing me to reply. “Esme! How are you? I didn’t see you at the rec room. Just not feeling it tonight?”

The shorter woman was dressed in tight jeans and a low-cut top that had her ample curves spilling out in all directions. With cropped dark hair and a pixie look to her face, she was the darling of the pack, and the one all the men fought over. From what I knew she hadn’t given any of them the time of day, but it didn’t stop them from trying.

“I was there, but from the looks of things you were a little preoccupied to notice.” Her cherry-red lips curved up in a grin as she wriggled her eyebrows at me. “You going to spill the deets? Who’s the new hottie?”

I leaned back against the wall, trying for a nonchalant look. “Oh, him? Just someone from the past.”

“Really?” She drawled the word, mischief sparking in her eyes. “Someone close?”

I fought the urge to tense up and shrugged. “Not really.”

“Because you sure looked close to me.” She fanned herself, her eyes rolling comically. “Well, if you’re not interested then you wouldn’t mind if I got to know him, would you?”

The snarl was nearly out of my mouth before I knew what I was doing. I clamped my lips shut and shoved my wolf back down. Esme was my friend, something I didn’t have a lot of around here. “Sure, why not?”

She peered at me and I widened my smile. “Are you sure, honey?”

I pushed away from the wall. My jaw was starting to hurt from smiling. All I wanted was to collapse into bed and fall into a deep, dreamless sleep. Everything would look better in the morning. With any luck I might have scared
him
away. “I’m sure.”

“Okay, then.” She brushed past me, her tangy scent saturating the air. Pausing, she gripped my arm. “You look tired. Are you okay? Is anyone bothering you?”

I squeezed her hand, wishing I could blurt everything out. But I knew that if I had any chance of making it through this unscathed I had to keep quiet. Some secrets were too big to share. “Just Mark, but you know what he’s like.”

She laughed, a wry sound. “I know exactly what Mark’s like. How about I distract him tomorrow for you? But you’d owe me,” she added with an air of seriousness.

A day without Mark needling and mocking me? “Esme, you’d be a lifesaver!”

She squeezed my arm in sympathy. “Consider it done. What’s his name, by the way?”

Her question threw me for a loop. “Who?”

“Your mystery guy.”

“He’s not my—” I gave up. What was the point. “Angel.”

She gave a dreamy sigh. “Oh yes, he definitely is,” she murmured, then strolled away.

I was inside my room and collapsed on my bed in seconds. I didn’t even bother to undress. I squeezed my eyes shut and tugged a blanket over myself, willing sleep to come.

But it didn’t. Angel wouldn’t let it.