Mr. Red Riding Hoode: Poconos Pack, Book 2 (2 page)

“Shit.”

“Aw, c’mon, Ben. Don’t you trust me with your sister?”

The look on Ben’s face was priceless. It was worth freezing his balls off just to see that.

Chela stole another look at the man laughing with Ben Malone, the Pack’s Marshal. “Who’s that?”

Belle tapped her cane on the floor. “Done lecturing me already?”

“You know you’re not supposed to scare people—”

“
Chela.
”

The whine was cute, but it wasn’t going to stop Graciela Mendoza from doing her duty to the Pack. “—in front of the straights.”

“Man. You guys take away all my fun.”

Chela tried desperately not to laugh. She was so glad Rick had mated Belle, making their Pack the first one with a Puma Luna. The woman was insane, tireless and utterly devoted to the well-being of Rick and the Pack, in that order.

Which was exactly the way Chela thought it should be. Your mate and children should come first, then your Pack. Too bad Rick’s grandfather hadn’t seen it that way. When his son and daughter-in-law died, he’d put the Pack first, choosing to isolate them from the outside world rather than live in a place that had stolen his son from him.

It had broken him, losing his child, but Rick had kept the man from completely losing his mind. While they’d been isolated, they hadn’t become some weird, furry cult, either. Richard Lowell was the best thing that had ever happened to the Poconos Pack, and she hoped he lived for a very long time.

She shivered as a warm laugh sounded, drawing her attention back to the blond man in the red coat standing so close to Ben that Dave would be jealous.

There wouldn’t be a need. Chela could sense that the man was fond of Ben, but in that “you’re my bro” sort of way, not the “I want to bend you over the nearest piece of furniture” way. She’d gotten a
lot
of experience recently with those particular emotions, thanks to the passion between not only the Alpha pair but also Ben and Dave.

“That’s Steven Hoode, Ben’s childhood friend. He’s Ben’s best man.”

That
was Steve? The blond god with the bright eyes and sparkling laugh was the well-to-do architect Ben always bragged about?

She’d heard a lot about Ben’s friend, but no one had said he looked like
that
. His tousled hair was almost golden, his blue eyes bright with laughter. His shoulders were almost as broad as Ben’s. He wore a bright red, hooded coat that wasn’t anywhere near enough to keep him warm in the Poconos in winter. She’d have to direct him to the ski shop, where he could pick up something that wouldn’t cause that fine ass to freeze to death. He’d obviously dressed for the warmer winters they’d been having around this time of year, but the temperature had dropped in the last couple of days. He wasn’t the only guest who’d come with lighter gear than needed.

He was the hottest thing she’d ever seen walk through the lodge’s front doors, and that was saying something. She’d heard he’d grown up in the area, but she would have remembered someone that studlicious, wouldn’t she?

Then again, he was the same age as Ben, making him about five years older than her. He would have run around in a different crowd than she had. Add in the way the old Alpha had isolated them all and…

Whoa. The back view was just as good as the front.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Belle grinning. How someone so evil could look so innocent was beyond her. Chela held up her hands. “Oh, no. No, you don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

“Do whatever it is that put that look on your face.” Chela shuddered. She could only imagine what Belle might do knowing that Chela had finally shown an interest in someone. Chela had no real interest in any of the Pack men, and she’d been so busy since she’d become Omega that she hadn’t even looked at the opposite sex.

Ben’s friend might be seriously hot, but Belle was seriously crazy. Chela had more than enough crazy in her life, thank you very much. She didn’t need her Luna deciding she was going to help Chela get laid or something.

“So you
don’t
want me to introduce you?”

Her gaze drifted over to Steve and found he was watching her as well. Damn it. She did want to meet Mr. Hunky. “I didn’t say that.” But when Belle looked like that, trouble was sure to follow. She shrugged, hoping she didn’t look nearly as frightened as she was. “He has a nice laugh.”

Belle’s brows rose as she threaded her arm through Chela’s. As much as Belle denied it, the cold weather bothered her hip more than she wanted known. The inner circle had taken it upon themselves to always make sure their Luna appeared strong, even on days when she wasn’t. “Okay. C’mon, Ms. Mendoza. Let’s go meet Ben’s friend Steve.”

She swallowed hard, her heart suddenly racing. There was something wickedly decadent about him that had her wolf panting in expectation of what he’d do, how he’d move next. She needed to hear if his voice was as rich as his laugh, see if his hair was as soft as it seemed. His cheeks were still rosy from the cold, and his mouth was full, the lines around it more from laughter than frowns. This was a man you wanted to walk up to and lean on, one you hoped lived up to the promise of his appearance.

She allowed Belle to tug her toward Ben and Steve, wondering why she had such a fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was so nervous she thought she might throw up. She fought to keep her eyes from changing the closer she and Belle came to the man in the hooded red jacket.

Come on. He’s hot, but he’s not
that
hot
.

A couple came in from the cold, laughing and shaking snow from their hair. The breeze that followed them blew past Ben and Steve, causing the blond to shiver dramatically.

The most delicious scent assaulted her senses, causing her wolf to whine in need. The scent was warm, musky and male, with a touch of cold and sunshine. She wanted to roll in that scent, be covered in it until she couldn’t tell where she began and he ended.

Sapphire-blue eyes locked on her, warming her from the inside out.

Chela came to a dead halt, stumbling only when Belle continued forward. She swallowed, hoping no one could tell how dizzy she’d suddenly become. “Belle?”

“Yes?”

She knew what this meant, what her future now held. She only hoped he’d be able to accept who she was and everything that went with it. “He’s my mate.”

Belle’s answering grin would have made the devil run and hide in fear. “I thought he might be.”

She shot Belle a look, part horrified, part resigned. “He’s human.”

“Yes, he is. Did I mention the Halle Curana, Emma, was human before she was mated by Max? Don’t worry. It will all work out just fine.”

For someone in pain, her Luna sure was strong. Belle literally dragged Chela across the lobby to where Ben stood with Steve, watching their progress. Ben looked ready to bolt, but Steve’s expression was full of mischief and a touch of heat that sent a wave of flame to her cheeks.

Belle smiled, waving vaguely between Steve and Chela. “Steve, let me introduce Graciela Mendoza to you. Chela, this is Ben’s friend Steven Hoode.”

Chela looked into the eyes of her mate and felt the world around her come to a halt. “Hi.”

When he lifted her hand to his lips she thought she might melt on the spot. “Hello to you too, Graciela.”

That roguish grin of his should have been registered as a lethal weapon. “You can call me Chela. Everyone does.”

One golden eyebrow flew upward. “I’m not everyone.”

She shook her head, taking in his scent. She wanted to purr like one of the cats did, curl up in his lap and let him pet her all over. She bet those big hands of his would feel absolutely marvelous. “No. You’re not.”

From the way he held her hand, maybe he knew it too.

Chapter Two

“Steve?”

She opened the door of their cabin, his scent filling her senses with its warmth. He was in her home, his scent mingling with hers, his shoes resting by the front door. She shivered, hard, at the knowledge that her mate was finally hers.

She could hardly wait to pounce on him.

The snap of wood in the fireplace distracted her for a moment. It was night outside, the fire a welcome warmth as the snow fell in the darkness. She took off her jacket, hanging it in the closet before toeing off her own boots.

She tiptoed toward the bedroom, where her mate’s scent was strongest. If he was asleep she didn’t want to disturb him.

He lifted his gaze from the book he’d been reading. He held out his arms, his expression warm, welcoming. “Graciela.”

She smiled, fully aware that if Belle could see her expression, Chela would never hear the end of it. She loved that Steve called her Graciela. Only her family called her that, and even if her parents didn’t get along, she knew deep in her bones that all three of them adored her. A rare mating even among wolves, her father had two female mates. Neither woman was mated to the other, however, and when they’d tried living together it had been a disaster. After much discussion, some of it at volume, her father had chosen to live with his second mate and visit his first, Chela’s mother, on a monthly basis. It was an arrangement that surprisingly suited everyone involved, including Chela.

She could hear that adoration in his voice, knew he felt the same toward her as her father felt toward his mates. She’d craved that more than she’d realized, that neediness to be near her one special person. It thrilled her to know that Steve felt the same pull.

She crawled onto the bed and into his arms, snuggling as close as she could. She didn’t even realize how cold she’d been until his arms were wrapped around her. “Hi.”

He buried his face in her hair, inhaling deeply. “Hi.”

“Belle’s been keeping me busy.” And wasn’t that the truth. Belle was insane when it came to running Lowell’s, the restaurant she managed at the Lodge. While Chela adored working for her, there were times when she wished Belle had a full-time assistant instead of one very tired Omega. They’d discussed hiring someone Dave and Belle could share, and rumor had it Dave even had a friend who was willing to take the position.

The fact that the Beta laughed like a lunatic whenever he said it, however, had Chela worried. Apparently Charlie and Belle were a lot alike, a thought that both intrigued and terrified the Omega.

“Not too busy for me, I hope.”

She turned her attention back to her mate and cupped his cheek. “Never too busy for you,
amorcito
.”

He shivered. “No?”

She kissed him, eager for the taste of her mate. “Nope.”

He rolled them until he was over her, cradled between her thighs. “Want to show me how much you missed me?”

Chela grinned and pulled him down for another kiss. And another. God, she could kiss this man all day and consider it time well spent.

She shifted, arching her back so that he could raise her shirt over her head, tossing it somewhere on the floor. His own shirt soon joined it as he continued to kiss her. He was touching her all over, long strokes that left her skin sensitized. If she were a cat she’d be purring as he petted her sides before burying his hands in her hair.

The kiss turned more heated, more passionate as the heat between them erupted. Slow, lazy kisses turned devouring. He sat them both up, pulling her into his lap, her legs wrapped around him. Her bra joined their shirts, her hard nipples dragging through the soft hair on his chest.

She’d always liked her men smooth before, but Steve’s chest, with its light pelt of golden hair, mesmerized her. She dragged her fingers through it, using her nails on his nipples, smiling through the kiss when he hissed in pleasure.

She rubbed against him, the hard length of him tempting her even through both their jeans. She wanted them naked, needed him inside her in the worst way.

He pulled on her hair until she arched and bared her neck to him. He bit down, his human teeth dull, vaguely unsatisfying. She almost demanded the mating bite, wanting to feel his teeth slide beneath her skin, claiming her, but this wasn’t the time.

When he fucked her, she’d demand it. Only then.

He pushed her back down on the mattress, her skin mourning the loss of his, but not for long. Steve began massaging her breasts, paying special attention to her nipples. He tugged and pulled, rubbing his palms over the tips until she was squirming beneath him.

He watched her with the same ferocity a tiger showed its prey. “Fuck, you’re so beautiful.”

She arched a brow at him, smiling when he laughed.

He pulled back and began yanking off her jeans, licking his lips as her pussy was exposed to his view. “Oh, sweetheart. You know I love it when you go commando.”

She grinned. “I was hoping to be a late lunch.”

“Good thing, because I’m starving.”

Chela shivered as Steve ran his hand down her chest and over her stomach, petting her once more.

His thumb brushed against her clit, driving her insane with butterfly soft touches. “I guess it’s a good thing I skipped lunch.”

“Mm-hm.” Chela moaned as he kissed her inner thigh. The slight sting of teeth surprised her as he sucked up a mark, his blue eyes darkening as he watched her.