The Alpha’s Tempting Mate

I shrug like his nearness has no effect on me. “You work out for those?”

“Naw. This is all genetics, baby.” He flexes, showing off his giant biceps. I wonder how many girls at Eclipse throw themselves at his feet every night. The thought makes me want to strangle all of them.

“Run the club? Manage your properties?” I continue pressing.

“Nope, I have pack members and employees to do that, now. I manage them.”

Pack members. He has a pack of shifters. I don’t know why, but I love that idea. The men who seemed so intimidating and rough in the elevator that first day, the tough bouncers at the club, they’re not motorcycle club members. Or maybe they are, but they’re also pack members. Wolf pack members.

I suddenly wonder if every motorcycle club is actually made up of werewolves. I’m too embarrassed of my ignorance to ask.

I wonder if they dress like punks on purpose. To warn humans off or something. Not that I’m complaining, today. His massive body is drool worthy in his signature ripped jeans and faded T-shirt that reads Dark Side of the Moon.

Moon. Heh. I wonder how much moon paraphernalia he collects.

“Eat your taco, Counselor.” Garrett has polished off the remaining two and points at my second, half-eaten one.

“I’m full.”

“Then come with me.” He tugs me up, his huge hand swallowing mine. Strong fingers, powerful enough to crush metal, but so gentle with me.

He leads me up the mountain, away from the motorcycle. We’re off the beaten path, and when it proves too tricky for my tennis shoes, he lifts and carries me easily over the rocky terrain, to the very top of A Mountain then sets me down on a small boulder. The view is even more spectacular.

“Is this what you wanted to show me?” I ask.

“I just wanted to change things up.” He fingers a lock of my hair. “What you told me on the picnic table-about being in foster care-do you tell many people that?”

I swallow. “No.”

“Are you close with your foster parents?”

“The last ones? The ones who tried to medicate me? Not really. I think I went to law school just to prove I didn’t need their help or anyone else’s.”

“Do you have any close friends? Anyone who knows you’re psychic?”

“Just Foxfire. At least, she’s the only one who believes me when I tell her what I’ve seen.”

“Anyone else?”

I shake my head. My chest hurts a little. “Why are you asking me these questions?”

“Now I know why you’re wound so tight, baby. Your gift makes you isolate from others. You have no one to watch your back.”

“It’s not a gift.” My throat clogs.

“And you don’t have anyone to share your secret with. No family. No pack,” he murmurs as if talking to himself.

The pain under my breastbone expands until I blink back tears.

He catches my expression. “Fuck. I didn’t mean to upset you.” He pulls me to stand and wraps me in his arms.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

I resist, hating weakness.

He ignores my attempts to push him away, his strength making me seem like a toddler. “I just want to know what makes you tick. I don’t want to hurt you, Amber.”

“You can’t hurt me,” I declare, but it’s an old assertion. The cousin to I don’t need anyone, and I know it’s not true. I give up resistance and sag against him, resting my cheek on his massive chest. I wipe my eyes.

“I won’t let anyone hurt you again.”

I want to call bullshit on that. But I like the way it sounds. And I like the way it feels to lean into his warm strength and soak it up.

I’ve never opened up to anyone the way I did to Garrett. I’m not even sure how he got me to. But I trust him. More than I’ve ever trusted anyone in my life. “Well.” My voice sounds shaky. “I guess we both know each other’s secrets now.”

“Yep.” He sets his chin on the top of my head. We fit perfectly. “Your secret’s safe with me, princess.”

For a moment, we stay like that, molded together, looking down on Tucson. Garrett inhales through his nose, and his hands tighten on me. One wanders down to my ass, squeezing my buns through my skin-tight yoga pants.

“You had to be wearing these.” Both hands grip my ass now, squeezing and releasing, circling and caressing. I remember the way he stroked my ass after he lit it on fire last night, and a dark hunger burns in my lower belly.

He lifts me to straddle his waist. His mouth falls on my shoulder, half bite, half kiss. He lifts and lowers my ass, rubbing my core over the massive bulge of his cock. “I can feel your hot little pussy, baby. Are you even wearing panties?”

“No,” I manage to say through panting breaths. I’ve never wanted a man so badly in my life. I’ve never surrendered like this-just let a guy lead and do whatever he wants.

A rumble sounds in Garrett’s chest.

I draw back and see his eyes are silver. “Your wolf is showing,” I murmur.

“Fuck.” He drops me to the ground and stares at me, fingers balling into fists at his sides.

“What’s wrong? You okay?”

He doesn’t answer. A muscle in his jaw jumps. He mutters a curse and pulls off his shirt.

Dayum. His arms-the muscles are almost as big as my head. The sight of his eight pack makes me want to howl at the moon. He has a wolf paw tattoo on his shoulder.

“What are you doing?” I cross my arms in front of me to hide my tight nipples. His fingers go to his belt next. I throw out my hand. “Hold up, big guy. What are you doing?” Does he think we’re having sex, right here, right now?

“I need to shift.”

“Here? Now?” I glance around. “Garrett, no.” The sound of a car below reaches us. “It’s broad daylight, and anyone could come up.”

He steps close, his scent washing over me. “I can’t help it. You bring the change on. If I don’t let the wolf out, I’m going to put you on your hands and knees and”-he cuts himself off with a dog-like a shake of his head-“do those terrible things.”

Please-do them.

His skin ripples in terrifying motion.

“No.” I put my palms on his chest, as if I can stop the wolf from coming out. “Stop, please.” I know what it’s like to be a kid, and to see things I’m not supposed to see. “Don’t do this. Not like this.”

“Can’t stop.” His voice comes out choked. He’s going to shift in front of me, right now.

“Stay with me, Garrett,” I do the only thing I can think of. Surging up to tiptoe, I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him.

Heat blasts through me as soon as our lips touch. He lifts me, fists a hand in my hair, and tugs my head back. The swell of his hardened cock presses against my belly. The kiss ignites my body, sensation blasting through me. Everything in me comes alive.

“The things I want to do to you.” The raw hunger in his expression is unnerving.

“You can,” I promise, and I mean it. I want it. “Just not here. Take me home. You don’t have to shift.” I don’t know if it’s my intuition or fear speaking, but there’s an urgency to keeping him sane, preventing whatever he’s wrestling with from happening.

He licks up my throat, my head still immobilized in his iron grasp. His lips drag across my jaw; he nips my mouth. My body responds, hips pushing up against him, the heat of my core seeking something to grind on.

He bites my shoulder so hard, I cry out in pain. It seems to jerk him out of his lust-filled stupor, and he releases me, jumping back as if I’d burned him.

“Fuck, Amber.” His eyes are still silver. He drags a hand through his blond hair, breathing hard. “Fuck. Did I hurt you? Fuck!”

“No. No, you didn’t.” It’s a partial truth. I lean forward, missing him already. My hands want to stay molded to that incredible chest. “It’s okay-” I reach for him. I know what it’s like to feel out of control.

“No.” Fury mars his handsome face. “It can’t happen again. This was a bad idea.” He’s breathing heavily. “I need to stay away.”

“Garrett-”

“I can’t be near you.” He passes a hand over his face. His shoulders hunch. A large pop sounds. “Too close to a full moon. I’ve got to go.” He whirls, striding down the other side of the mountain. Away from the road. Away from me.

“Wait!” Is he just going to leave me here? I can’t drive a freakin’ motorcycle. I scramble after him. “What happens during the full moon?”

His growl echoes off the boulders as he disappears, stopping me in my tracks. “I go hunting.”