Book 2 Not his Werewolf Page 8

  He settled her inside the paddleboat and shoved it easily onto the lake with his shifter strength.

  She twisted in her seat. “Beta, huh?”

  He flexed his biceps. “Undefeated.”

  Shifters admired strength and prowess. To climb the ranks and keep their position, they had to fight. Being his soulmate would be bad news for Ken. It wouldn’t be long before someone tested her by picking a fight. The challenge ring would be the death of her since she couldn’t shift. Ken taking her place was the only way she’d survive. The others in his pack would see her as a weakness. If Ken ever wanted to be alpha, he needed a strong mate, not a half-breed shifter-wannabe.

  What was she getting herself into?

  Eviction, parents, pack politics, all of it wouldn't matter if she could change shape. All her problems would go away. She’d be pack and truly sense the soulmate bond. She could live with Ken and her parents would trust her judgment. Most importantly, Ken’s father would accept her into the pack where she could fight for her own place and not lean on Ken’s protection.

  She fiddled with the hem of her dress, staring at her lap as they paddled back to the dock. Her motivation to shift had dried up years ago.

  “Are you sure we’re soulmates?”

  Letting the paddleboat drift, Ken turned in his seat to face Betty. “I've never been more sure of anything in my life.” He'd heard all the stories of soulmate meetings. Everything they described was true. He’d known it the moment he’d gotten a good scent of her. “I wish you could be as sure as me.”

  “See, that's my point. Soulmates can only be shifters. If I was a shifter, I would be sure.”

  “So you feel nothing?” He didn’t believe that. Not after that moment on the beach.

  She dropped her head in her hands. “I'm a mess. Maybe I do sense something, but there's so much pressure and stress in my life right now that I can't be distracted.”

  He recalled Ryota's threats. Everyone in the pack knew he had found his soulmate so they expected her to be a shifter. She acted like one of them for the most part. She sure ate like one. “Let's take this a day at a time. I'm sure we'll figure things out eventually.”

  Stress—they had that in common. Not only did he need to explain a death threat, but that he had to kick her out of her home as well.

  He’d wanted one romantic night with her before he exposed her to the crazy that was his life. Yet he’d managed to mangle a well-planned date because that’s the way he rolled. He’d have to make this up to Betty.

  The dock drifted in sight and he refocused on returning to shore.

  “How was dinner?” asked the dock owner.

  “It was great.” Betty’s smile lifted the burden crushing Ken’s heart.

  “Really?” He couldn't resist brushing the back of his fingers over her cheek.

  She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. “Definitely. That fancy restaurant would have made me feel uncomfortable.” She waited, shoes in hand, as he climbed onto the dock.

  He lifted her out of the boat. “You were right.”

  “About what?” She clasped his hand as they strolled to the car.

  “The paddleboat was fun.” He didn't get enough joy in his life. Maybe that's why he was so fond of his dogs. They had low expectations and a delight for simple things. They played.

  Betty played with him. Something no other pack member dared.

  “You're smiling. What are you thinking about?” She tugged him closer.

  He ran his fingers through her windblown curls. She was more beautiful this way—wild and free. “That you remind me of my dogs.”

  She jerked away. “What?”

  “That sounded better in my head.” He pulled her into his arms. “I love my dogs.” What was he saying? Had he just compared her to his strays? Someone stop his mouth before he wrecked things forever.

  She melted along his body instead of decking him like he deserved. “I'll pretend that was a compliment.” She poked him in the chest. “On the condition that you'll practice new ones.”

  He breathed a sigh of relief and opened the car door for her. “You bet.”

  He drove her home. The neighborhood was dark. Every second streetlight seemed out and distant sirens hurt his ears. Metal shutters protected storefronts and the streets appeared deserted. He didn't want to leave her alone. Not in a place like this.

  He parked in front of the rescue. “You have a lot of trouble in the area.”

  She raised a perfect eyebrow. “How would you know?”

  “I’ve done some real estate analysis in this area. Crime rates are high and income low.”

  Betty snorted. “Someone should clean up this place. Make it better.” She sounded sarcastic.

  “You wouldn’t want that?”

  “Some developer is already buying the land and buildings. Once he’s done renovating, the rents will be raised. Then where will most of these people live?” She shrugged. “Like you said, income is low in this area.”

  “I understand your concerns but upgrading the area will bring in new jobs. Probably better paying jobs. More customers to these already existing businesses. Change isn’t a bad thing.” He needed her to understand the pack’s vision for this neighborhood. Eventually the truth would get out. Just not tonight. One small step at a time.

  He peered down the dark street. Could she fight off intruders? What if they had guns? “Maybe I should spend the night?”

  “Is this another thing that sounded better in your head?” She crossed her arms.

  Ken snapped his mouth shut. It had. Not so much now. “I'm worried about your safety.”

  She patted his cheek. “I have two Great Danes patrolling the shelter. An intruder would have to be nuts to step onto their territory. Not to mention I’ve managed to take care of myself up until now. Another night won’t make a difference. Been doing it alone for years now.”

  He leaned closer, drawing in her scent. “Not anymore.”

  Her lips parted as their gazes locked. “No?” she whispered, her voice shaking.

  “I’ll be there for you.” Unable to resist anymore, he brushed the loose strands of her hair away from her face. Touching her was like a drug. Each time the pleasure grew more addictive and he craved more.

  She gave him a sardonic smile and ran her thumb along his bottom lip. “That’s what all the good boys say. They’re always the most dangerous.”

  He gave a slow blink. “How?”

  “A girl can spot a bad boy easy. You know what to expect when you date one so you guard your heart. And when things go south, we eat a pint of ice cream. A couple of chick flicks later, things are back to normal.” She pinched his chin gently between her thumb and index finger, drawing him so close they shared air. “The good ones…they tend to slip past a girl’s defenses. They promise things we want to hear and the next thing we know our hearts are shattered in pieces. No amount of ice cream can fix that. They’re more dangerous than any bad boy.”

  “You sound like you’re talking from experience.”

  She shrugged. “Maybe I am. Just makes what I’m about to tell you even more important.”

  He could barely breathe. They were so close her lips brushed his as she spoke. It wouldn’t take much to close the gap, but he wasn’t that big of a fool. She was baring her fears. Something almost as difficult as revealing her heart.

  “You, Mr. Birch, are very dangerous.”

  He lowered his eyelids as the knot strangling his chest vanished. “I should take compliment lessons from you.”

  “Maybe, but first you should kiss me.”

  Ken pressed a tender kiss to her mouth, wanting to savor the moment. She might think him good but when it came to Betty, his thoughts were not chaste.

  She combed her fingers through his hair, tugging him tighter against her.

  He scarcely dared to breathe as she relaxed against him. It took every bit of his inner strength not to pull her onto his lap and explore her tempting curves. Having her he
re, clutched against him, felt like the greatest gift. He had spent so many years searching. Others in the pack had called him a dreamer at best, crazy at worst, to be so sure he would find her.

  His Betty. His soulmate.

  More than anything he ached to claim her, to take her as his own. But he wouldn’t. Not yet, not while she still doubted their bond. She was so tough, yet a moment ago he’d glimpsed her vulnerability. He would take the small joys she offered freely. Her kiss was a gift. He slid his hand behind her neck.

  After a moment’s hesitation, she parted her lips. He slid his tongue into the warmth of her mouth, trying to ignore the rising scent of her arousal. It was killing him. To his surprise, her tongue immediately tangled with his and began to rub in an erotic motion. He couldn’t control the growl of pleasure that purred in his throat, shocked at how quick his body responded to hers.

  He pulled away just long enough to brush his lips over hers in the gentlest of kisses. “Betty,” he murmured. Her name tasted like a promise on his tongue. If they didn’t part ways now, she would be coming home with him and he’d never let her leave.

  She ran her hands over his rough cheeks. “I had a really nice time tonight, Ken.”

  “Me too.”

  “I’ll be fine. No one’s dumb enough to break into a dog rescue.” She kissed the tip of his nose. “But thank you for worrying. It felt nice.”

  Before she escaped his vehicle, he grabbed her hand and raised it to his lips for a kiss. He caught her gaze, glimpsing the spark of wolf shifter responding to his dominant nature. “See you in the morning.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Ken wrapped the last breakfast burrito and packed it with the other nine in a plastic container. After watching Betty eat last night, he wondered if ten would be enough to feed them both. Then again, she might not touch a single one. He eyed the breakfast warily. This was the first meal he’d cooked for her and he was presenting it in clear wrap. If Betty were more like Beth, he knew she’d toss it in his face, but his mate was not prissy like the omega nor was she snappish like Angie. He hung his head. That was the extent of his knowledge of women. Two oddball shifters who scratched backs for a living.

  Sure, he’d had lovers, but everyone put on a fake façade with him so he never got to know them personally. As beta and the alpha’s son, most shifters didn’t treat him like an average person. Most tiptoed around him. It hadn’t bothered him. Not until he wanted to settle down to start a family, then the reality of it had hit him. Every woman he’d been with had been false. Now he understood why most alphas remained single, or those who did have mates, cherished them above all others.

  Betty hadn’t even known he was beta of the pack until they’d been eating. He took his position for granted and assumed everyone in New Port knew. It wasn’t something he flaunted. He could only hope it didn’t change things between them.

  He liked her. She was honest and kind and fun. She’d had more than enough reason to complain about their disastrous date, yet she’d turned it all around and they’d had a great time. He wouldn’t change a minute of it.

  He eyed the meal he had cooked one more time. If she didn’t like it then he’d just cook her something else and another thing and another thing until she accepted a meal from him. The mating ritual was considered archaic by humans but it made perfect sense to Ken.

  A shifter male wanted to provide for his female. Food was top priority. Fine. He didn’t hunt chickens or steal their eggs, or kill pigs to get the bacon. That wasn’t the point, which the humans didn’t comprehend. He could provide Betty with food that she would like. Once she accepted his meal, he would work on her other needs, like shelter and safety and sex. Not in that order if he had his way. He would prove to her that he would make an excellent mate for life.

  That was instinct. When had humans lost theirs? He scratched his chin. Betty was half-human. What if she didn’t respond? What if she wanted to be courted like a human woman? He shook his head. No, she was shifter. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be his soulmate. He would proceed with his plan.

  Even though he hadn't slept all night, he still felt like he needed to run and burn off some energy. He had to explain their dire situation to Betty today. That if she didn’t prove she was a shifter by changing shape, Ryota would be forced to take her out of the equation before the other packs took things into their own hands.

  Ken wiped his sweaty hands on his pants and paced the kitchen, stretching the tense knots out of his shoulders.

  Hey, Betty. I made you breakfast. Hope you like eggs. By the way, the alpha has threatened to kill you since you’re technically not a shifter so maybe we can practice changing shape today?

  Every scenario he played in his head ended badly. From Betty slapping him, to her walking out of his life forever, to her trying to kill Ryota. There was no nice way to explain a death threat.

  Ken’s phone rang. He checked the screen then closed his eyes. He recognized the number and hesitated to answer. Ignoring his father would make things worse but he wasn’t in the right head space to fight with Ryota. Not after yesterday’s breakfast table flip out.

  Maybe Ryota had changed his mind and would accept Betty as pack?

  Ken checked the clear blue sky. Yeah, no pigs flying.

  He knew his father. If he didn’t answer, he’d spend the day hunting him down. “Good morning, Ryota.”

  “Explain why you've canceled all your meetings today.”

  “And tomorrow.”

  A snarl crackled over the phone. “This will delay the pack’s expansion project.”

  “I know.” That had been part of his plan. It would give him time to figure out what to do with Betty and the eviction notice he’d found in his file. “But the welfare of my mate comes first. Unless you've changed your mind about her being pack.”

  Silence was his answer but he could hear Ryota breathing. “I can't,” he finally whispered. “I contacted her old pack and spoke with the alpha. He emailed her file. They gave her all the training, Ken. The alpha prior to this one even tried to force a shift.”

  Ken flinched. A forced shift hurt. It was when the alpha used pack magic to command a shape change. A pack member couldn’t fight that kind of power. An alpha had to be confident in his pack to make such demands. Ken had never witnessed such a barbaric ritual and he hoped he never would. No wonder Betty had left Riverbend. With those kinds of memories, he would have as well. “And?”

  “Nothing happened. Not even a partial change. She's human.” Ryota cleared his throat. “If I could ensure our pack’s safety, you know I would take her in.”

  “Are you expecting me to stand back and let you kill her? Without a fight?” It went against every ounce of his nature, shifter and man.

  “No, and I regret my words yesterday. The last thing I want is to hurt my only son. Can't you understand what you've done though? The situation you’ve placed me and the pack in?”

  The terrible thing was Ken did understand but didn’t care. Betty was his. Period. None of the other packs would allow his and Betty’s union if Betty couldn't change shape. Not after claiming she was his soulmate. That would break too many laws.

  “I spoke with other pack alphas and we have an alternative. Disavow your claim. Leave her and never see her again.”

  He gritted his teeth. He wanted to hate Ryota. He really, really did. But he also knew the position he'd placed his alpha in. Ryota had been grooming him to be alpha since the day he’d adopted him.

  “Ken, she would live. That’s all I can offer.”

  In his way, Ryota was giving him an option to save the one woman he was meant to spend his life with. Ken disconnected the line before he said things he might later regret. To save Betty, he needed to give her up. However, not without a fight. They needed to talk, perhaps yell on her part.

  He grabbed breakfast and drove to her home. The eviction discussion would happen another day. One disaster at time; he wasn’t much of a multi-tasker.

  She answered the door
on the first knock, long, dark hair a tumbled mess. A white tank top covered her red bra, which exposed the intricate tattoos on her arms, and she wore a pair of Daisy Duke jean shorts.

  Lord have mercy.

  “Oh good, it's just you.” She grabbed him by the waistband and pulled him inside. “I thought you were the dog walking ladies.” She set the breakfast he’d made on the rescue’s waiting room service desk. “Help me leash some of the dogs. The walkers will be here any second and I’m not ready.” She vanished into the kennel room.

  He followed, unable to tear his gaze off her shorts as she bent to unlock a dog door. “What's going on?” She’d been speaking English, he knew this for sure, but his brain had locked down when his eyes had soaked her in. He hadn’t thought she could possibly look any more beautiful than last night, but he was wrong.

  “I woke up late. Every morning a group of volunteers walk some of the dogs. The animals need it.” She released certain canines from their kennels. “Leashes are on the desk.” She moved from dogs to food dishes and watering bowls.

  Frantic tails wagged and a few of the bigger dogs dared lick his hands. He stroked their heads and tried to attach leashes as the licks grew bolder and covered his face. He finally leashed the first dog that had approached him. Most dogs instinctively were frightened by shifters. They needed to get used to their scent first and figure out they weren’t on the menu before trusting a shifter to touch them. But Betty smelled like shifter, so these animals weren't shy—just wary due to dominance he naturally radiated.

  Most animals picked that up right away, including other shifters. Not his Betty. She just went ahead and commanded him like she had a natural right. He smirked. In a way, she did. Maybe she sensed their bond after all on a subconscious level.

  She tossed him a heart stopping smile. “They're not afraid of you today.”

  He released the breath he’d been subconsciously holding. “What do you mean?” He could stare at her all day. The dogs milled around her like a furry hurricane of joy and love. Absolute trust that she cared for them. It was a thing of beauty that he, as a beta, admired. He worked hard to earn his pack’s devotion. Betty did it without effort.