Fire wolf, p.9
Fire Wolf, page 9
“That’s not the point,” I argued, standing up and turning off the water.
Nothing motivated me like anger, and they were pissing me off. I couldn’t have Mitch. Period. Why beat a dead horse? I grabbed a robe and towel, wrapped it around my body then my head.
“But Marti, you are so lucky. You found your fated mate. I don’t think you should just quit,” Sybil said, and I growled my fury.
“Quit? You think I want to quit?”
“Well, it’s not like you’re fighting for him,” Nova pointed out, and I screamed again, walking out of the bathroom.
What happened to the comfort they were supposed to bring me? I shook my head, stomping towards our bedroom, both of my sisters hot on my heels. I turned around and snapped my jaws, and they slowed down, but continued to dog my steps.
This was not helping. I dressed angrily, shoving my feet into socks, and pulling on a pair of pajama pants and a tank top. I angry-brushed my hair, and yes, it fucking hurt.
“Maybe ease up before you tear it all out, Marti,” Nova murmured, and I snarled again.
At this rate, I was going to Wolf out again in no time. Fuck it. That was not important. Nothing was. The only thing that mattered was I could never have a mate. I was a total fucking hazard. A danger.
“Sweetie, you are not a hazard. Mitchell would be lucky to have you—”
“Mitchell can’t have me! No one can,” I yelled, and stomped my way through the house to the living room.
Sybil and Nova raced behind me, but I was so done with them. I didn’t want them talking to me about possibilities that were not possible at all! It was making me crazy. Couldn’t they see that it was gutting me to do this? It was killing me to admit that I was so fucked up, I had to leave my fated mate to save him.
“Did you even tell him the truth? Did you tell him what you are?” Nova asked.
“No. I didn’t.”
“So you’re telling me you decided you are this danger to him and therefore you know better than the Fates themselves?”
“Yes. No. What? Nova, I have the worst fucking headache in the world right now and my heart is literally broken. Fuck whoever set this thing in motion if it’s the Fates, then yes, fuck them. I do know better. How the fuck could I live with myself if I hurt him? It isn’t worth the risk.”
“So, you are drawing the conclusion that your Fated Mate is better off without you, and you aren’t worth the risk without even testing your hypothesis? That’s just sloppy work, Marti,” Nova said and tsked.
Fucking scientist.
“Marti, you should talk to him. At least give him the chance to decide what he wants,” Sybil argued.
My blood was boiling. I could feel my magic sparking inside of me, and while it was nice not to be dead inside anymore, to hear my Wolf and feel my powers, I was so not about to hurt either of them. Even if they were kind of asking for it. I spun on my heel, cracking my neck as I inhaled and tried to remember those breathing exercises I used to do when I was a kid.
Inhale. 1, 2, 3. Exhale. 1, 2, 3.
“Look, I know you want to help. But you can’t.”
“But you only just came home,” Sybil whispered, tears welling in her eyes.
Fuck. I hadn’t even considered that I would have to leave. That Harbor House could not be my home anymore. There was no way I could stay in Maccon City and risk running into Mitchell at every turn. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK.
“I’ll figure that out. You know I can’t stay here,” I replied, letting my own tears run down my cheeks.
“No. There has to be another way,” Nova yelled, and I knew she was mad.
Almost furious. Wind whipped around her, making her black hair fly this way and that. Sybil gasped, and I growled. Shit. We were about to have a full on magical fucking frenzy if I didn’t diffuse this shit.
“Stop,” I said.
But Nova was breathing too rapidly, and the air around her was crackling with energy. Sybil’s reaction was worse. Green scales started to pop out on her skin and if she shifted into her beast inside, well, the house would be fucking destroyed.
“STOP!” I roared, and power infused my command.
Both of my sisters covered their ears and bent their heads, averting their gazes while I tried to rein in whatever the fuck that was. They looked frozen in place, and that scared the shit out of me. The very air seemed to sizzle with power, and I was stunned and scared, but I thought maybe it was my emotions that were setting the scene.
So, I did my breathing thing again. My arms were already open, hands raised like Moses parting the Red Sea, and I lowered them, forcing myself to calm down. After a moment, both of my sisters were able to move. They looked at me, shocked but not angry.
“Wow, Marti. Did you just command us?” Nova whispered.
“She totally did. Oh, my God! You know what this means, right?” Sybil asked, and she seemed really fucking excited for some reason.
“What?” I asked, for some reason I was always late to the party.
“You’re the Alpha. We always figured you would be,” my petite sis added, and she was all but glowing.
“What?”
“Sybil is correct,” Nova said, brushing her hair back with her fingers. “You’re our Alpha. The leader. The one calling the shots.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Witch Shifter Clan!” Sybil shouted and clapped.
“What?”
“Witch. Shifter. Clan.” Nova enunciated like I was hard of hearing.
I’d heard her all right. I just didn’t believe it. My heart thundered inside my chest and the door opened and closed behind me. I couldn’t face Davian and Erryn just yet, so I continued to give them my back.
“You can’t leave us, Marti. You’re the Alpha of our Clan. We need you,” Sybil said, and something inside of me clicked.
“That’s right. We do. Besides, you and Mitch have to work this all out.”
“I-I, no, I mean, Alpha?” I whispered, shaking my head.
But it felt right. My Wolf growled and my power surged. Both sides of my being seemed to know this was the right place for us. I stared at the wall opposite where I was standing and flicked my gaze over the bookshelves and old pictures hanging up. Harbor House was my sanctuary, and it would be wonderful not to leave.
But what about Mitch? My heart hurt, the pain so bad I gasped as I placed my hand over my chest. Nova and Sybil stepped closer, and both put their arms around me. Any other time, I’d just shrug them off, but I needed them. The bickering and the arguments were nothing serious. Sometimes you had to shout to be heard in a gaggle full of girls. It was this, the comfort and support that my sisters gave me that I truly needed and loved them for.
We’d always been peas in a pod. The three Musketeers with Davian and Erryn cheering us on and helping us grow. God, I was so lucky. Even when I was in denial about who I was, they were there for me. Always having my back and letting me find my way.
How had I stayed away so long? New York was exciting at first, and different. There was no pack to hide from, and no one to call me on my bullshit. New York was easy. That was why I’d stayed. But look what I had missed? My heart was constricting so damn hard I could hardly breathe.
“Do you love him?” Sybil asked.
Love? I’d never thought I was the type of person to fall in love or have a mate. Fated mates were just fairytales, made up stories, they told little Shifters before bed. I never expected the Fates to pay any attention to me, and maybe they shouldn’t have. Maybe my heart wouldn’t be breaking if they had just left me alone.
My Wolf howled and the pain I felt from my powers hit me right in the gut. I gasped, but I could only nod. Nova squeezed my shoulder, and I knew she wanted to argue some more. But there was nothing to say. Alpha or not, I couldn’t hurt him.
“He might surprise you, you know,” she whispered.
“Even if he was fine with me being a Wolf and a Fire Witch, I couldn’t ask him to live like that. I mean, who would want a mate who could potentially burn the fucking house down every time she got angry, or happy, or horny?”
“That is a lot, but if the sex is good, could be worth it,” Sybil teased.
“Come on. Seriously, who the fuck would be crazy enough to want me in their life?”
“Me.”
The sound of a deep, masculine voice behind me brought all the hairs on the back of my neck standing straight up. I covered my mouth with my hand, body tensing, and tears pricking my eyes. Sybil and Nova released their hold on me, and I spun around.
When the front door had opened, I expected Erryn and Davian to be there, had even scented them. And they were there, standing in an embrace as they witnessed the entire drama that was my life unfold.
But I wasn’t expecting him to be there. Seeing him standing not ten feet away, looking better than anyone had the right to, Mitchell Truman simply stole my breath away. His hair was tousled, and he had on a t-shirt and jeans, his boots unlaced. It was freezing out, but he didn’t have a jacket.
He smelled like fur and the elements, and that smoky, spicy scent that I loved that was all his and his alone. Had he run out in the cold after me? My gaze ran over him from head to foot, but I’d been avoiding his face. When I finally found my courage to look at him, I gasped.
Mitchell’s eyes were red and his frown deep as he stared at me with such longing and tenderness on his face. He held his hand out and for one second, I was completely frozen. Then I was running and jumping towards him, leaping into his arms. He caught me, of course, hands on my ass as he slammed his mouth to mine and claimed my lips in a kiss that rocked my entire world.
I barely heard the cheers and wolf whistles of my family as Mitch spun me around and around, kissing me until I forgot all my worries, all my cares, everything, and anything except him. Only him. My him.
Mate.
CHAPTER TEN MITCHELL
The monster inside me was about to rip right through my skin if I didn’t make myself known. But I couldn’t. Not yet. Martina was in the middle of something huge, a moment of complete self-awareness, and there was no way I was going to interrupt her. Yeah, my heart had cracked a little when she’d run. Leaving me alone after a second and even better encounter that left my dick aching for her and my brain so fucked up, I couldn’t even think straight.
Fuck. She ran. Again.
The monster demanded my skin, and I gave it. Tracking her through the woods like a homing pigeon. But this was no ordinary hunt. Martina wasn’t some fluffy bunny I was chasing down, intending to gobble her up for a midnight snack. Not that I wouldn’t mind eating the woman.
Grrr.
But baser instincts aside, she was my mate. My woman. And I already gave her my bite. She belonged to me. Forever and always. I just had to prove I was the right man for her. The only man who could handle everything she could dish out, and from the sound of things, that was a whole fucking lot. My woman packed a powerful punch, and it was my favorite fucking kind. Fire.
Fire Witch. Wolf. Fire Wolf. Mine.
Davian and Erryn stood silently beside me, wrapped in an embrace I was so fucking jealous of I couldn’t even look at them. Martina had just showered, her hair was still wet, and the sweats and tank top she wore hugged her curves in ways I only dreamed about being able to do. Her back was towards me and I almost laughed at the joke the universe was playing on me.
If there was one surefire way to catch my attention, it was with that ass. Seriously, all that female had to do was flash her backside in my direction. Fuck yeah. She had the perfect ass. Perfect face. Perfect brain. Perfect heart. And I didn’t mean in the sense that she was better than everyone else. Martina was just perfect for me.
She was my mate. My everything. And the only thing I needed. Martina Harbor was without a doubt the one soul in the universe that matched mine. And after hearing her deepest, darkest fears and secrets, I knew we were a match in every single way.
My Wolf cried out for me to go to her, but a hand on my arm stilled my progress. I glanced down at Erryn who shook her head, beckoning me to wait. Good thing it was her who’d touched me. The female had always struck me as someone not to fuck with.
She nodded towards where Martina was in deep discussion with her sisters, and my gaze snapped back to my mate. I watched her shoulders slump and my heart pounded hard beneath my ribs. This was killing me. Watching her suffer was like the worst kind of torture. I wanted to go to her to soothe her and reassure her. I’d never expected to meet my mate, but now that I had, I never wanted to let her go.
Patience. Be patient.
I waited a beat longer, my fingers itching to have her in my arms once more. I wasn’t cut out for this waiting shit. I wanted her here, now. I needed to tell her she was wrong. That we could make it if she’d just give us a chance. Then she asked her sisters the one question guaranteed to make me break my silence.
“Come on. Seriously, who the fuck would be crazy enough to want me in their life?” she asked and fuck, my pulse started racing.
“Me,” I said without hesitation.
Me. I was crazy enough to want her in my life. Her and any magic or mischief she brought with her. I held out my hand, and she looked at me with her gorgeous violet eyes filling with tears. Was I too late? Did I stay quiet too long?
Then her nose twitched, and she moved, ran actually, till she was right in front of me. And did my girl pause for even a second? Fuck no. My badass mate jumped right for me, knowing I’d catch her, and yeah, I fucking did. I would always catch her. Slamming my lips to hers, I kissed her, desperate to devour as much of her cinnamon apple flavor as I could with that one meeting of mouths.
I didn’t care about our audience or the fact her family was losing their minds, cheering, and whistling at us. They were great, but all that extra needed to wait. All I cared about was how right it felt to have her in my arms. And I had important business to tend to.
Now. Right now.
“Come with me,” I growled, carrying her outside to my truck.
“Wait,” she said, but I was not about to let her go for anything.
“No,” I grunted, stomping through the icy slush that had fallen after my arrival.
But my monster was riled, and I was feeling like the motherfucking post office. Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, hail, or a motherfucking supernatural disaster was going to blow us off course this time. My sexy little Fire Wolf had run out on me twice now, and now that I knew her little secret, I was jumping up and down inside.
A Wolf and a Fire Witch? Holy fucking shit. No wonder she drove me wild. Sexy little badass. Woman of my heart. God, I fucking loved her.
“Mitch? Mitch? Where are we going?” Martina asked, her violet eyes wide as I sped down the back roads to my place.
“I got something to show you,” I growled, my voice deeper than usual.
My beast was riding me hard. The monster inside me had gone completely fucking ballistic when Martina took off like that. I hoped it was the last time, but you never could tell.
Eventually, I found her at her house, and when I knew she was safe, I went back for my truck. My plan was to kidnap her ass and keep her coming on my dick till she was too damn exhausted to run away. I know, I know, kidnapping isn’t okay, but I was desperate at the time and not thinking very clearly. Anyway, I didn’t do it.
After hearing her confess to her sisters what she thought was an impediment to our mating, I wanted to jump for joy. Then she said she loved me, and my heart fucking exploded. I loved this woman so damn much. She had no idea. But I was going to show her. If it took the rest of my life, I was going to show Martina Harbor exactly what she meant to me.
I pulled into the gravel driveway of the single-family home I bought a few years ago and renovated. It wasn’t a bad house, pretty nice actually. But I would sell it in a fucking heartbeat and move wherever the hell she wanted if it meant I got to live with Martina. Besides, it wasn’t the house I wanted to show her.
“This your place?”
“Yes,” I growled, jumping out of my seat and running for her door before she had time to open it herself.
“Thanks,” she whispered, ducking her head.
Sweet, sexy woman was acting shy and nervous, and that made me one protective motherfucker. Because I couldn’t help myself, I backed her against the truck and lifted her till she was eye level, then I kissed her again. Deeply, slowly, and thoroughly, I kissed her until both of us were breathing like we’d just climbed a fucking mountain. That’s what it felt like to me. But I would do more than that to win this woman. I would do anything.
“You have a nice house,” she said.
I relished the feeling of her pressed against me. Every soft curve seemed to mold to my body as I let her slide down until her feet hit the ground. She smelled delicious. Spicy cinnamon apples mixed in with my smokier musk, and fuck, I loved the heady combination.
“Thank you.”
“Um, where are we going?” she asked when I grabbed her hand and practically dragged her behind the house.
“Shed.”
Fuck. I was speaking in one-word answers. The woman had me so damn crazy I couldn’t think long enough to form a complete sentence. My dick thumped inside my jeans, and I growled.
“What’s in the shed? Mitch? Oh, my—”
She gasped and stared in wide-eyed wonder as I revealed my secret place to her. Martina was not the only one keeping things under wraps. I had one whopper of a secret myself. And it was time I showed her.
“Mitch, look, I am happy you came back for me, but I have to tell you. I’m messed up. You don't understand why I left, but I was scared I’d hurt you. I don't know whether I'm coming or going. I thought I was sick, maybe dying. I know it was silly, but my Wolf and Witch powers were gone, and I really felt like I was lost, but then you came into my life and both of them are back, and raring to go. I’m torn between being happy and scared. I could hurt you—”
It hurt me to see her so upset. She was trying so hard to tell me everything, but she needed to hear my truth first. I needed her to listen.
