Book 2 Not his Werewolf Page 9

  “They were terrified of you when we dragged you inside yesterday. Barking so loud I had to put them out in the yard just to calm them down.”

  He snorted. “Of course they were. I was in beast form.” He continued leashing the closest dogs. “Who wouldn't be?”

  She herded the last of the animals his way. “Your modesty is astounding.”

  “And my honesty. Don’t forget that.” He now held the handles to six leashed dogs, all of the smaller variety. Three leashes in each hand, as the animals tangled around him in chaotic loops. “Sit!” he shouted before they tied him in knots.

  They sat. Tails between their legs. All of them staring at him in earnest.

  Betty stopped mid-stride.

  “Beta.” He winked at her.

  “Don't think your trick will ever work on me.”

  He would be disappointed if it did.

  Someone knocked on the front door and Betty pushed past him to answer, leaving him with the canines.

  He knelt and scratched their ears. “If you guys keep making me look good, there will be treats later.” He noticed the bright yellow eviction note on her desk. That cursed thing. He wished he could burn that letter and be done with it, but Ryota had only managed the sale of the land. They didn’t own it. Other shifters in the pack did and depended on him so they could build their businesses once the project started.

  Where would Betty go? He wanted her to live with him but he couldn’t house all these dogs. He knew what it felt like to be orphaned. They needed homes of their own.

  Oh…he had an idea. He snatched the eviction note and stuffed it in his pocket.

  “I heard that.” She called from the other side of the door. So, she had shifter hearing too.

  He exited the kennel area and in the waiting room, came face to face with three mature women. Each of them holding a breakfast burrito.

  “So nice of you to provide breakfast for us, Betty,” the one with gray wiry hair spoke.

  “And who is this?” The shortest of the group squeezed his biceps. “Is he up for adoption?”

  Ken felt his eyes widen and he tossed a desperate look at Betty. He had cooked those burritos for her. So, she was going to play hard to get.

  She leaned against the counter, a huge grin on her face. “Nope, he's taken ladies.”

  “Are you the walking volunteers?” He handed over the leashes, two per walker.

  The dogs yipped in excitement.

  “Yes.” The women juggled dog leashes and burritos then they waved goodbye.

  Betty’s smile faded. “Do you have any plans for today?”

  All the good feelings warming his blood turned to lead and Ryota's ultimatum weighed heavy on his heart. “We need to talk.”

  “Sounds ominous.” She held up a burrito, catching his gaze before taking a deliberate bite.

  He grinned, his chest swelled as he watched her inhale the meal he’d provided.

  If heaven could manifest into something tangible, something she could hold in her hand, then Betty could claim she just put it into her mouth. Eggs, peppers, onions, bacon, sausage with gooey cheese. Her vision blurred as her taste buds exploded. “Where did you get this?”

  “I made them.” His predatory grin widened, showing all his pearly whites. He leaned his elbows on the other side of the counter and drew closer. “Do you like it?”

  “You cook? You need to stop impressing me. Your pedestal is growing higher and higher. If you fall, you might break something.”

  A blush coated his cheek in the most adorable shade of pink.

  She blew hot air on her fingernails and polished them on her shirt. Still had it. “What do we need to discuss, Mr. Ken?”

  “Maybe we should go for a walk.” He cast his gaze over the back wall behind her.

  “Now you're scaring me.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you want witnesses in case I try to kill you. Come on, I grew up in a pack. I know the rules of engagement.” Shifter children weren’t raised like humans. Their violent lives needed more monitoring and harder lessons. The rules of engagement being among many things they learned. They defined the circumstances, conditions, degree, and manner in which the use of force, or violence when confronting an adversary.

  Ken crossed his arms, brows furrowed, and loomed his full height over her.

  “Nice beta stance.” She finished the last bite of her burrito and offered him one.

  He rolled his eyes and snatched breakfast from her hand. “You must've been a handful as a teenager.”

  She showed him her painted arms. “My mom swears her premature grays are all my fault.” She loved her mom to death, but she was human, and tried to push their ways on Betty. Deep in her heart, Betty believed she was shifter. Finding Ken only proved it. Being pack had been so natural. She had to act to be human, watch her every move and word.

  “And your dad?”

  “Who do you think helped pay for these tats?” What could she say? She was a daddy's girl. Shifters, tattoos, and motorcycles.

  “This is my favorite so far.” He traced the flowing script around her biceps.

  “So far?” Most of her ink had been done by pack artists except that one. She had befriended a dhampir at a tattoo convention in Riverbend. Betty had let the artist talk her into being a model for her work. From an old book, Betty had picked this design.

  “Well, I haven’t had a chance to see the rest of your skin.”

  Wow, that actually made her blush. She pressed her hands to her cheeks and changed the subject. “My parents are the classic opposites attract couple. She prevents him from pulling stunts that might kill him and he pushes her to try stuff she is afraid of.”

  “They sound…interesting.” His voice carried a wistful note and she recalled he had been orphaned.

  She cleared her throat. “How did you lose your parents?” It was the elephant in the room and she wasn’t the type to ignore the obvious. Better to ask right out than to speculate.

  He shrugged. “I don't know anything. They might have died. They might not have wanted me. I was found as a baby in the woods outside New Port. That's how I ended up in the orphanage.”

  She couldn't imagine not having her parents. She had accused him last night of not understanding how it felt to not belong, but she had been wrong. If anyone knew, it was Ken.

  She rose on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his. Quick and possessive.

  He stood so still. “What was that for?”

  “For just being you.” She loved how he reacted to her every touch, like he savored each one.

  “The orphanage is having a fundraiser event this weekend. I'm one of the organizers and I was wondering if you would come with me?”

  “I'd love to.” She’d have to borrow more clothes from her friends.

  “I also happened to notice this.” He pulled her eviction notice out of his pocket.

  Heat blazed across her cheeks so fast she was surprised to see there wasn't smoke. “It's not what you think. I'm on time with my rent.” It was the only bill she kept up to date. Like that helped her situation. How many meals had she skipped for rent only to be kicked out on her ass? Regret was a fine teacher. She plucked the paper from his hand, balled it up, and tossed it in the trash. “Those developer assholes are buying out the neighborhood. They want to upgrade everything.”

  “That doesn't sound so bad.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “You're not the one who will be homeless in a few weeks.”

  “You'll never be homeless as long as I'm around, Betty.” He clasped her hands within his. “I just assumed you would move in with me.”

  A bucket of cold water being dumped on her head wouldn't have made her gasp any louder. “We just met like five minutes ago.” Holy crap, he better not have a ring in his pocket. “I like you, a lot, but you just need to cool off your jet engine. Can we date a bit more before you pack my bags?”

  He threw back his head and laughed. “We’re soulmates. This—” he gestu
red to the breakfast and the shelter waiting room “—is me being so patient. Normally, you'd already be packed.”

  She pressed her lips together. “I know, I've heard the stories. Never believed in them though.” Soulmates were supposed to fall in love instantly. Tear their clothes off and make puppies. “We're not textbook.”

  He cupped her chin, lifting her gaze to meet his. “Believe it or not, I'm here to stay. So, let me help.”

  She gave a sarcastic laugh. “You willing to buy the place?”

  “I would, but seriously, the building is falling apart. It's a poor investment. We can do better.”

  For the first time in what seemed like forever, she'd been given hope. She wanted time to slow and bask in this feeling. She'd been in survival mode for so long that she’d forgotten how this felt.

  “Our first move should be finding homes for the animals you have.”

  “What do you think I've been doing? Most people in this area could barely feed themselves, let alone a pet. My volunteer dog walkers come here because their apartment building wouldn't allow pets.”

  “Wait, don't get defensive yet. Listen to my idea. Why don't you open a venue at the orphanage event—an adopt a pet tent?”

  She paused, letting the idea sink in. “This will cost money.” Something she didn't have.

  “Sponsor.” He pointed to himself. “I’ll give one spot.”

  She was almost afraid to breathe. “You sure about this? There's no takebacks once you say yes.”

  “Yes.” He bit into his breakfast burrito. “Now, let's talk about spreading the word of your adoption day through a campaign, and then how I'm going to teach you to shift.”

  The smile vanished from her face so fast her teeth had whiplash. “Fuck you, Ken.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Not the smoothest thing Ken had ever said, but there wasn't any good way to approach the subject of shifting. Tearing it off like a Band-Aid had seemed like a good idea at the time, except now there was murder in Betty's glare.

  He held up his hands in surrender to ward off a pending attack. He didn't want to hurt her. It was the last thing he wanted. If Ken had it his way, they would tell the packs to fuck off and live their lives as they wanted.

  But where? Werewolves lived everywhere, even in some places that humans refused to permanently settle, like the Antarctic. The threat on Betty’s life would be present no matter what they did unless she either shifted or he left her.

  The latter would not happen. Not unless he had no other choice. What he had to explain to Betty would most likely end up with him missing some teeth though.

  “I warned you. This is part of the discussion that you're not going to like.”

  “The part where you wanted witnesses so I don't kill you.”

  “You really can't kill me.” He was a beta for a reason—he'd been studying martial arts since the day Ryota had signed his adoption papers, but he needed to make that clear to his mate before she tried.

  She narrowed her eyes. “If I’m your soulmate, then you’ll never lay a hand on me.”

  She had him there. Damn, she was good.

  “That’s supposed to go both ways, where you can’t hurt me either.” The way she fisted her hands didn't have him convinced though.

  “Speak, now. Fast.” She spat out the words as if they tasted bad.

  He guided her to the chairs she had set out in the waiting room and they sat facing each other.

  “I made a huge, huge mistake.” He hung his head and closed his eyes. “I told the pack you’re my soulmate without thinking of the consequences.”

  Would she understand the error of his ways?

  “Oh, Ken.” She covered her mouth with her hands.

  “I was so excited.” He lifted his gaze to hers. “I’ve been searching for you for years. Here you were, right under my nose the whole time. My pack knew about my quest. Some even dared to make fun of me, so when I found you I told the biggest gossip in the pack.”

  Betty slowly shook her head. “I bet everyone thinks I can shift because I'm your soulmate.” She slid her hands over her cheeks, her eyes wide with fear. “I can't fake this. What will your alpha do if he finds out?”

  Ken sank deeper in his chair.

  She sat up straighter. “Oh my God, he already knows?”

  “Your old pack’s alpha had asked Ryota to keep an eye on you. My father has been keeping quiet tabs.”

  “Which alpha? The old one or new one?”

  “Uh, does it matter?”

  She jumped up and paced the room. “Yes it does. If it's the old alpha, then no problem. But if the new one…”

  “The young one who won the challenge at eighteen?”

  “Same year I was banished at eighteen.” She looked at him as if expecting some reaction, but his mind was a blank. “We were an item in high school,” she continued with exasperation. “We dated. A lot.”

  “The present alpha of Riverbend Pack is your ex-boyfriend?” He growled at the thought of anyone else touching her. That her ex was an alpha made Ken grind his teeth. “Did you love him?”

  It was the only thing he couldn’t bear. Her loving another man.

  She rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “He was a thing. A rebellion against the pack. I was the one girl he shouldn't date so I pursued him. A few months later, I was banished as a human. My parents told me that he petitioned to have me returned. When our old alpha denied him, Chris lost his shit and attacked. That’s how he inherited the pack.”

  “And he's been keeping tabs on you.” Ken liked this less and less. “Has he ever tried to contact you?”

  “No! It was never a serious thing.”

  “He defeated an alpha over you. I think that’s pretty serious.” Ken had been having similar thoughts. He would fight everyone to keep Betty.

  Apparently, Betty had that kind of effect on men.

  “Chris is kind of intense.”

  “Most alphas are.” He massaged his temples.

  “So what did your father say when you told him your soulmate was a half-breed who couldn’t shift?” She sat next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. She seemed so tiny and delicate next to him, yet so fierce and beautiful in spirit, his heart wanted to burst.

  He rested his arm over her shoulder. “He'd like you to give shifting another try with new teachers.” He kissed her forehead as he twisted Ryota's threats into something sweeter. “You're my soulmate and only shifters can trigger that response. There's more werewolf in you than you think.”

  She met his stare, something most shifters couldn't do. “I know there's more. I always have, but nothing I try works. Don't get me wrong, I would do anything to shift.” She almost growled out that last part. “I'm not sure my heart can take it. Being cast out almost killed me the first time. If we do this and fail I might not survive.”

  He squeezed her against him, her scent filling his nose, and her words a dagger in his chest.

  Betty buried her nose against Ken’s exposed neck. His scent was a drug in her system.

  Was this the soulmate smell he kept referring to? She traced the tip of her tongue along his throat. He tasted nice, like earth and salt.

  His arms tensed around her. His protective instincts toward her were a reminder of what she’d lost with her pack. She missed this, knowing someone had her back twenty-four seven. There was no pushing away or not now. In the short time, they’d known each other, he hadn’t said no to any of her demands. Though, he had negotiated quite a lot. Those skills probably made him a great financial officer.

  She crawled onto his lap, arms caging him in. “I smelled this scent last night too.” Moving her nose to the other side of his throat, she inhaled deeper. Spicier than cinnamon with a hint of citrus and sunshine. It spread through her, burning away the dark shadows of her past.

  She closed her eyes. Her aching heart drumming in her chest. “It's true. The soulmate scent is true. How is that possible?”

  “What do you smell?”
>
  “Hope.” She didn't want to move, afraid she'd lose this moment. Proof that she truly was shifter like she had always believed. All those times her father had told her to just believe and trust in her instincts. She’d thought they were lies after the crushing truth of not shifting. It made no sense. She fisted Ken’s T-shirt in her hands. “What the fuck?”

  “We'll figure it out. What matters is that you believe me now.” He lifted her face so their gazes clashed, his scent still fresh in her nose with sunlight pouring through the window behind him. A halo framed his golden head and his amber eyes glowed with an inner light as their souls connected. His lips parted. “Betty…”

  With one sharp tug, she pulled his T-shirt over his head and tossed it across the floor.

  His intense gaze narrowed with a predator’s focus, a feral growl rolled in his chest. Oh dear, what had she unleashed? She gasped as he tackled her. One hand cradling her head so it wouldn't knock on the floor.

  Hard muscle slid under sun kissed skin. She'd seen Ken in all his glorious nakedness, but having it pressed against her, between her thighs, she suddenly realized how much power his body held.

  Gathering the hem of her shirt, he dragged it slowly along her torso while trailing his nose along her abdomen. He groaned as he reached her bra and paused to lick over the lace. His gaze darted to hers as if assessing her reaction, all predatory and feral.

  Her nipples perked at his attention.

  He twirled the tip of his tongue around her hard bud. So moist and hot.

  She dug her nails into his shoulders, arching her back.

  His teeth grazed over the material just before he nipped the sensitive area.

  She cried out. Pain and pleasure playing off each other.

  Sensing her need, he pressed his mouth to Betty’s, taking her in a deep, sweet kiss. She loved it—he tasted like heat and spice and all the things missing in her life. Things she’d been craving with each passing hour. She moaned into his mouth as he caressed her face. Touching her cheeks, her forehead, the shells of her ears with delicate brushes of his fingertips. She couldn’t think about evictions, or pack, or anything else other than the feel of this beautiful and powerful wolf shifter claiming her—the banished, the half-breed.