Scent of a Mate (6 page)

She sat on the edge of a branch, gasping for air. The two wolves came into view. They glanced up and growled. Fucking great. The wood was hard and uncompromising under her ass. She rifled through her bag, searching for her cell.

Finally, she pulled it out and dialed Ellie. Nothing. She then dialed all her other female friends. Nothing. She cursed. The one time she needed them, no one answered. She wiggled to adjust her balance. The branch wobbled under her ass. She braced herself against the trunk and took a peek down. At least twenty feet of air dangled below her feet. Shit.

There was only one other option. One choice. One solution. Frickin’ hell. The last person she wanted to call was
him
. But seeing as the two animals at the edge of the tree didn’t look like they were going anywhere, she dialed Aric’s number.

He answered on the first ring. “Jordan?”

“I need you,” she whispered, glancing down at the two growling beasts. If it were one, she’d go up against the animal or at least try to outrun it. Against the two of them, heroics were out of the question.

“Is this some kind of joke?” He sounded surprised. And why wouldn’t he be? She left him just the night before after he’d asked her to stay. “I’ve been calling you non-stop, but my calls have been going straight to voice mail.”

Uh-oh. Maybe it hadn’t been a good idea to ignore the sexy Alpha.

She was still freaking out over having had sex, really amazing mind-blowing sex, with Aric. The moment he’d told her in that no-nonsense, growly voice to wait for him, she almost came on the spot…again. It was a bit much to take in. So she’d packed up her equipment and done what any sane woman in her position would do. She rushed home, locked her doors, threw herself on her bed, and thought about everything he’d done for the rest of the night.

Loud growls brought her out of her daydream.

“I am so serious, Aric. Get your furry ass over here.” She hugged the tree trunk and gasped. For a second she wobbled on the branch.

A soft snort whispered against her ear. “Where is ‘over here?’”

Was he laughing at her? She was in a maul or death situation here. “The…er, clearing where you guys had the scenting ceremony.”

“What are you doing there?”

“Just get here already.” She raised her voice, watching the two white wolves run circles around the tree and suddenly stop. “I have two flea-ridden mutts trying to take a bite out of me! I may be a big girl, but I would like to keep all my body parts intact.”

One of the wolves snarled. The other jumped, scratching the tree bark on its way down. Jordan jerked her feet up instinctively, almost falling backward in her haste.

“On my way. Don’t go anywhere.”

The line went dead.

As if she could. She watched the smaller of the two wolves stare at her with unblinking, cold eyes. Jordan wasn’t one to scare easy, but the way the beast watched her, she knew if she got down on the ground she would have to fight for her life. Swallowing at the dryness in her throat, she attempted to push down the fear winding its way around her chest.

“I want to see how tough you are when Aric gets here,” she hissed at the two beasts.

She wasn’t sure if it was the mention of Aric’s name or something else, but within moments the two wolves darted off. Temptation to get off the hard branch and go home turned her antsy. After what felt like forever, she saw Aric running toward her.

He stopped at the base of the tree and glanced up.

“Jump.”

“You must be high,” she muttered.

He chuckled. “No, baby, you’re the one high up on that tree. Jump and I’ll catch you.”

She squiggled on to her stomach and grappled with the first stump to work her way down. “I will get down on my own thank you very m—”

She slipped off the branch. Her stomach plummeted on her descent. Without a doubt, she was going to break something or land like a ginormous pancake in front of Aric. A scream lodged in her throat. She clenched her eyes shut. Everything flew past and then just stopped.

“I’ve got you.”

She jerked her eyes open and met his bright grey ones. Her gaze darted down to his mouth. Nervous tension slithered down her spine.

She licked her lips. “Thank you.”

His muscled arms held her tight to him. A shiver racked her. “You’re okay.”

She couldn’t stop her eyes from feasting on his face. They were as close as last night, and the light of day lent her the ability to see his sexy features with clarity.

“I know.”

His nostrils flared. With deliberate care, he placed her on to the ground, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he cupped her face and kissed her. The combination of passion, fear, and adrenaline sent her arousal skyrocketing. She curled her hands around his neck, digging her nails into the back of his skull. Instant heat exploded in her core. Her pussy went slick with need.

He delved his tongue into her mouth. Hot damn the man was a fantastic kisser. He was aggressive. He took. He owned. He branded. And she loved it.

Desire swamped her in a wave of lust. She moaned. He slid his hands down her torso and lightly grazed her aching nipples. He caressed around her waist, over her back, and grabbed her ass. On her tiptoes, she plastered herself to him.

The kiss turned scorching. Her hormones yelled with urgency to have him. Sex with him became her sole focus. The bar of his cock pressed against her belly. He was thick and hard, and the weight of his cock alone was a nagging tease to her pussy.

Someone cleared his throat. “Aric? You ready to go?”

She snapped her eyes open and almost got whiplash shifting sideways to see his brother, Mason, smiling at them. The twinkle in his eyes and the tiny dimple near his mouth made the man heart-stopping gorgeous, but he was no Aric.

“Hate to interrupt, but we should go.”

She could still feel Aric’s very erect cock poking her. The raw lust in his eyes almost made her say to hell with Mason. Almost.

“Let’s get you home,” he said in the growly voice that made her melt.

With a very dry throat and her tongue attached to the roof of her mouth, she allowed him to hold her hand and lead her to his truck. At the door, he turned her over, pressing her back on the door and pushing his erection against her belly. All her thoughts shot down to the gutter. He rubbed his crotch on her at the same time his lips brushed over her lips.

“I’ve missed you,” he whispered.

Heat crowded her belly. Only one thing filled her mind. Getting him naked. Bad, bad Jordan! She opened her mouth to suck in air. Nothing had ever felt as good as he did rubbing on her.

Mason cleared his throat. “We really should go.”

The lust brightening Aric’s eyes made her nipples ache. She was a slut. And she didn’t even care.

“Let’s go.”

Yes, please. Home or bed, it didn’t matter. Hell, she’d let him fuck her behind a tree if Mason didn’t look. She slid into the seat with her mind muddled with erotic images of Aric fucking her again.

“So what happened?” Mason started the truck.

Guessing by the time of day it was, she figured they must have been at the bar when she contacted him. The Wolfe family owned different businesses in the area. Aric had his own bar, Wolfe’s Den. At this time of the afternoon, he was usually taking care of business and she’d called him away.

“Sorry to have interrupted your work.” She ran a hand through her hair. “But I came here to look around for a project I’m doing for Ellie.” She wasn’t sure if she should give the full details so she kept things vague.

Mason glanced at her and smiled. “Right, the book thing.”

“Yes. So when I got here, these two white wolves—”

Aric frowned. “White?”

“Yes. One was bigger than the other, but they both seemed pretty pissed.” She cocked her head and watched him. “Why do you ask?”

“We don’t have pure whites in our pack.” Mason explained, his large hands gripping the wheel.

They drove down the hill until they reached the main road.

“I forgot my car!”

“I would too if I were as busy as you two were.” Mason chuckled.

Aric slapped his brother behind his head. “Now is not the time.”

“Well, we have to go back for my car,” she huffed.

“Don’t worry sweetheart, we’ll have one of the guys drop it off at your house.” He twined his fingers with hers and pulled her closer.

It was weird to be near him and have him show this much affection. She didn’t know what to make of it. For years she’d been somewhat subdued at his little taunts and innuendos. He’d flirted with her a multitude of times, but she’d never openly flirted back. She knew he’d be able to tell she was turned-on, so she’d tried to rein in her hormones. There had been some close calls. A time or two they’d danced together at a family function and she’d become so aroused she was sure he knew, but this was way past flirting.

After a few moments of being entranced by his finger drawing circles on her palm, she realized they were not headed to her house.

“Where are we going?”

His sinful lips split into a wicked grin.

Oh god, if he continued to smile at her with so much concern, she was going to rip off  her clothes and rape him. Yep. She’d tear off his T-shirt and reveal the sexy tattooed upper body. The same body she’d been brain fucking and mind licking for the past fifteen minutes and would then rape him in the back of his truck. All that while his brother drove.

“To my parents’ place. It’s probably best to speak to them about what white wolves might be the ones you saw. I didn’t recognize their scent.” He hugged her to his side. The heat of his body wrapped around her like a comforting blanket. She’d swear there was some kind of connection growing between them. Her body urged her closer to him.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” The last thing she wanted was to involve his family in whatever that white wolf had against her.

“Stop the truck,” Aric ordered.

Mason pulled over and left the truck.

She turned to him with surprise. “Where did he go?”

“He’ll be back shortly. He’s giving us a few minutes.”

“Why?”

“I need to explain some things to you.”

She licked her lips. He lifted a hand to her face, sliding a finger down her cheek. “You’re important to me. Very important.”

She gasped. “I am?”

“You are.” His tone brooked no argument.

“Since when? And if you say last night, I’m going to hurt you. Good sex does not make us a couple.” While it had been really amazing sex, the kind that left her breathless and panting, that wasn’t enough to create something lasting between them.

“First of all, it wasn’t just good sex, it was the best sex of your life, and don’t bother denying it. Second of all, it’s not about sex. You and I have a connection. You know it, and I know it.”

Sure, things between them had always been extra hot and with enough sizzle to start a forest fire, but that was chemistry. “We’re not the first couple to be in lust.”

“This isn’t about lust. This is about us. You. Me. The future.”

“Are you crazy? There is no us. There is no future. There was sex. I’ll admit it was fan-freaking-tastic sex, but sex nonetheless. You don’t even know me.”

He cupped her face, giving her with a deep penetrating gaze. “I know all I need to know about you, love.”

This was crazy. “In order to even consider a relationship with you, I’d need to be able to trust that you understand I am an individual. I’m not some little woman to stay barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen while the big sexy man takes care of business.”

He grinned. “You think I’m sexy?”

“Argh!” Frustration flourished at light speed. She curled her nails into her palms and counted to ten. She didn’t want to fight with him, not when she was still brain fucking him. “See what I mean? You’re not listening to me.”

“I am listening, but you don’t seem to understand that shifters are possessive and aggressive.”

“Life is more than just being possessive and telling your significant other what to do.”

The vein on the side of his cheek throbbed and he clenched his jaw. “It is. It’s about protecting our family. That includes our women.”

She sighed. “That’s all fine and good, but I need a man who can accept me for who I am.” She pursed her lips. “I wouldn’t expect you to change who you are for me, and I need you to do the same for me or this idea of
more
will never work.”

“We’ll make it work.” He sounded so sure it scared her a little.

“How?” She had enough doubts to build a bridge to never-never land.

“I believe in you, Jordan. I know you’re the one for me. There will be no other woman in my life as important as you.” He nuzzled his lips over hers. “Trust me.”

Mason opened the door and got back in the truck. With a final soft look from Aric, the conversation returned to the white wolves.

“I didn’t recognize the scent of the wolves either. There were a lot of out-of-towners at the scenting ceremony.” Mason commented and turned onto a dirt road off the main street.

Great. Neither of them knew who the white wolves were or what it was they had against humans.

They arrived at the Wolfe household. Only Aric’s parents and his brother Nathan were home. Tension filled the living room where the group sat.

Aric glanced at his parents “What’s wrong?”

He drew her into the house, but wouldn’t let go of her hand. She tried to tug out of his hold, but nobody seemed to notice how close he was holding her.

“One of the women from Caleb’s pack is missing,” his mother said.

“Who?”

“A teen. One of the enforcers wanted her, but when she refused him and sought Caleb’s back up, things turned difficult.”

Jordan wiped her sweaty palm on the side of her shorts. There was enough going on without adding the problem she’d had to the mix.

“I think I should go home,” she whispered to Aric’s side. “You have enough to discuss without me being in the way.”

“Oh, don’t be silly.” Mrs. Wolfe smiled warmly. “Stay for dinner.”

For a person who’d grown up around the Wolfe’s, it was still hard for Jordan to understand that they wanted her around. Hell, she’d lived surrounded by people who never wanted her as a child.