Freakn' Shifters Bundle (3-in-1) (11 page)

A choking sound escaped her. “Mom, I never said I wanted a pansy.”

“Says you. If you ask me, you don’t know what you want, or worse, you do, but you’re scared to admit it. Javier and Ethan are good looking, polite, and smart. Three items on your list.”

“They’re also jocks in a pair of violent sports.”

“So they have a place to let off some steam. Cut them some slack. You can fight it, baby girl, but in the end, you’ll just fall harder.”

“Says you.”

“Says someone who’s seen it before. What? Did you think you’re the first one to fight fate? Guess what darling, it never works. Add to that the low divorce rate in mated couples and I don’t see the big deal.”

“The deal is I like my life and I like my things and I’m not going to let anybody, not even my wolf, tell me what I have to do.”

Her mother cackled. “Oh. You always were my favorite.”

“You say to that to all of us, mom.”

“And I mean it. See you at dinner on Sunday?”

“Of course. Love you.”

They said goodbye and hung up, but her mother’s accusations and reminders sat heavily on her mind.
Am I making mountains out of molehills?
Maybe. However, it wasn’t in her nature to give into anything easily, not even love.

Banging her head on her desk a few times, she tried to reassure herself that her Freudian slip of the word love was really meant to be lust. Nevertheless, once spoken, even if only in her mind, it hovered there taunting her. She buried herself in her work in an attempt to forget it.

The rest of the afternoon proved a write-off because she just couldn’t stay focused. How stupid of her to assume they would make lunch with her a daily habit, or at least pop by and say hello. It was even dumber of her to experience disappointment when they didn’t.
I don’t want them in my life, so why am I on pins and needles wondering when I’ll see them again?
Horniness or not, she’d never felt like this for anyone else, and this out of control sensation pissed her off.

Much too distracted to work, she decided to call it a day. She grabbed her bag and locked up her office on the sixth floor. She took the elevator down to the basement parking garage where she paid a hefty premium to reserve a spot for her baby.

Heels clicking loudly on the pavement, she strutted to her car, eager to get out of here and into the sunshine. There she could open up the top, slam the pedal to the metal and let the wind rush through her hair. Addicted to speed, her brothers joked she should have chosen a career as an Indy car driver.

The section she’d parked in loomed ahead of her, darkly shadowed as the fluorescent lighting in the area appeared broken. She made a note to call maintenance in the morning if they didn’t repair it overnight. While she didn’t fear for her safety, the human women in the building needed all the security they could get.

Even with the gloom, though, she noticed the wrong looking aspect of her car. Her confident steps stuttered to a halt.

“Oh, no. No. No!” Her baby, her precious car she’d scrimped and gone without for, that she’d lovingly hand-washed for years and maintained like the pickiest of mother’s, was ruined. Killed. Demolished in a heinous crime of violence.

Naomi let out a wail and rushed to the crumpled hood, her shaking hands running in disbelief over the dents and scratches. The windshield gaped toothily at her with its pointed glass shards. The honeycombed chunks, smashed free, adorned the torn leather seats. And the convertible top? Slashed to tatters.

Clenching her fists to her sides, she strove for calm—and failed miserably.
How could someone do this?
Theft she could understand, but to destroy an innocent car so completely?

A fragment of white on her steering column caught her attention and she reached in to grab it, the block letters mocking her with their anonymity. 

Back off. They don’t need you messing up their life. Consider this a warning.

Naomi’s lips peeled back from her teeth and she growled, her bitch perilously close to the surface, eager to hunt the malefactor down. She flipped the sheet over and peered for identifying marks, but in the dark, even with her enhanced eyesight, she couldn’t make out any fine details, if any, the threatening note contained. It also lacked a signature.

Coward. Why couldn’t you leave me your name so I’d know who to kill?

But she had a good idea—one certain uncle who’d gotten caught with his hand in the money jar.

A feral grin stretched across her face and her teeth sharpened into points as her wolf pushed at the surface of her psyche.
Oh, you little bastard. You messed with the wrong bitch. Before, I might have given you an inch, now I’m going to make your life a living monetary hell.

First though, she’d arrange a tow for her car and request an estimate on repairs, probably an astronomical sum considering the work needed to bring her baby back to life. Of course, the screaming she’d do when she got that bill would pale in comparison to that of her family when they heard of the threat. Naomi sighed as she dialed her parent’s house for a ride.

I guess there’s no way of avoiding a little chaos and violence this time. Actually, this is one occasion where it’s completely justified.

*

Javier cursed as he hung up his phone. “No fucking way.”

Ethan, riding their home exercise bike, glanced over at him. “Are you swearing? Must be bad. What’s up?”

“Somebody trashed Naomi’s car at work.”

Quicker than a blink, Ethan’s bear took over and a roar echoed from his mouth as his teeth elongated, his body reshaped and fur sprouted. In seconds, a pissed Kodiak, wearing only shreds of clothing, lumbered toward the apartment door and Javier sprinted to throw himself in front of Ethan.

“Stop! You can’t go out there like that. Are you out of your fucking mind?”

A growl was the reply as Ethan butted Javier with his big shaggy head, tossing him aside. Javier landed on his hands and flipped to a standing position. “If you get shot or picked up by animal control, you won’t be able to protect her, dumbass.”

Javier’s cool logic stopped Ethan from clawing the door off. It didn’t save it, though. The inch deep gouges would probably never sand out, but at least it remained on its hinges. A heavy thump sounded as the bear sat, somehow managing to appear disgruntled. Javier let out a breath.

He couldn’t blame his friend for his reaction. Knowing that someone had destroyed something of Naomi’s, something she loved, made his jaguar yowl and his claws come out. But, he knew violence and rushing off without thinking wouldn’t solve anything.
Calm and methodical stalking is always the better recourse.

“Listen. You’re obviously going to be stuck here for a little bit while your bear calms down and you regain enough energy for a shift. We both don’t need to go get her. According to her dad, she’s fine, but extremely pissed. She’s waiting for a ride in the front lobby with the building security guard.”

Ethan chuffed, sounding amused even in animal form.

Javier gave him a wry grin. “I know. She’s probably tougher than a half dozen human security guards, but at least she’s in a public place with cameras. She’s obviously pretty upset. We both heard how much she loves that car from her mom.”

Ethan shook his head and made some grumbling noises.

“If you’re saying we should just buy her a new one, then the answer is no. She wouldn’t accept it; although, we can talk to the mechanic and toss some money his way to make sure his quote isn’t too much for her. Now, as I was saying, we’re not both needed to grab her, and given your current indisposition, why don’t I go fetch her? You can meet us back at her place. Maybe get some food and something to cheer her up on the way? And bring the overnight bags.”

A nod of his shaggy head and Javier’s grin faded. “Don’t worry, Ethan. Once we’ve made arrangements for her safety, we will find out who did this. They will not get away with it.” The fangs Ethan flashed him made Javier smile back just as viciously. “And they will regret it.”

Javier thanked his lucky stars he’d left Ethan at home when he reached Naomi’s work because she’d not only left the main lobby, she’d gone back down to the parking lot and her car. Javier located her crouched with her face almost pressed to the ground, inhaling.

“What the hell are you doing?” he spat, his words tight and controlled as he tried to keep his cat caged, an almost impossible feat when he saw the damage done to her car.
What if she’d come upon them while they wreaked havoc?
This type of destruction went beyond vandalism and reeked of intentional threat.

She ignored him—no surprise—and continued to sniff the pavement.

“Naomi,” he growled through gritted teeth, his formidable patience wearing thin.

Sighing, she stopped her sleuthing and straightened. Turning, she placed her hands on her hips, her expression ripe with annoyance. “What are you doing here? I called my dad to come get me, not you.”

“Who then called me, like you should have!” Javier met her, glare for glare.

Her lips pursed. “One, you don’t own me, so why the hell would I call you? And two, while you were busy sticking your tongue down my throat, groping my tits and sticking your hands up my skirt, neither of you ever bothered to give me your number. Which, I might add, is not a request for them, and brings me back to my first point of you don’t own me. Now go away while I deal with this. I’ll just grab a cab after I see my car to the garage.”

“You are out of your fucking mind if you think I’m leaving, sweetheart. I’ll stay with you until we get your car settled. But make no mistake, I will be taking you home.”

Narrowed eyes and tight lips warned him that Naomi was about to explode. “I am not a little human weakling in need of protection. I can handle myself.”

“I never said you couldn’t. However, I, on the other hand, am just a Neanderthal male with a weak heart who needs to assure myself of your safety so I can sleep better tonight.”

Her full lips quirked in amusement before she caught herself. “You are so pigheaded. Don’t you get it yet that I’m not interested? Does the word no mean nothing to you? Do us both a favor and leave.”

Javier crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against a concrete pillar. A ghost of a smile hovered on his lips. “Make me.”

Annoyance glinted in her gaze—and if he wasn’t mistaken, smoldering interest and her jaw tightened. “Don’t tempt me.”

Javier goaded her, needing distraction from the mess behind her, from the obvious violence directed at his mate. “Oh, I forgot. You’re Miss Peace and Serenity. A little girl who can’t hold her own against a real male, which is why you play with puny humans.” Javier held himself ready for the fireworks.

A husky chuckle burst from her instead of rage. Smiling at him, a sensual curve bowing her lips, Naomi sashayed toward him, the sway of her hips hypnotic. A part of him warned to stay on guard, to not trust her seemingly benign appearance as she approached.

“Are you trying to make me angry? Because it’s working,” she said softly, stepping right up to him, so close he could feel the heat from her body.

Then he felt cold, hard concrete as she swept his feet out from under him, sending him down in a single, fluid movement. Before he could recover, or yell his shock, she straddled him. Her skirt rode up around her waist while her bare thighs gripped his head. Provocative as the pose proved, the true distraction resided further south where a cruel grasp squeezed his balls most painfully.

Flashing eyes, belonging to one triumphant and glorious woman, met his. “I really hate the fact that you all drive me to cave into my baser side. I abhor violence. How many times do I have to say it? I am a delicate. Freakn’. Flower!” She punctuated her claim with a twist of his nuts that made his breath whoosh out.

“I get it. I won’t piss you off again,” Javier gasped, partially in pain, partially in titillation because this close to her cleft, he could smell her. And, oh, did he want a taste. On second thought, why not?

He flicked his tongue out—the long, raspy tongue of a feline—and swiped it across her inner thigh.

“Oh.” Her soft exclamation of surprise also came with her thighs tightening reflexively.
Oh, to feel that squeeze around my waist as I plow her.
Javier licked again and the grip on his sac eased, but she didn’t remove her hand. It rested on his groin which expanded, straining at the confines of his pants.

Javier tilted his head as best he could towards her sex, her musk surrounding him and driving him wild. He longed to taste her. To plunge his tongue into her sex and stroke her with it until she came screaming his name. He could smell how she wanted it too. Even better, he could also see it in the way her eyes—heavy lidded and smoky—gazed down at him with her lips parted on a soft sigh.

The damned tow truck driver, though, had a lousy sense of timing. At the first rumble of the diesel engine, she bounced up and smoothed down her skirt, hiding the evidence of her arousal, but unable to do anything about her flushed cheeks and bright eyes, a good look for his feisty she-wolf.

Javier stood up more slowly, his aching nuts alternating with his throbbing, hard cock.
Hot damn, she’s like a volcano ready to explode.
He couldn’t wait to feel the burn.