Reflections of the Wolf (16 page)

“The military? What branch?” she asked.

“Marines, of course,” he said with a wink.

“I should have known. My dad was a marine, and so was my brother Thomas. Just telling him you were, too, will earn you brownie points,” she said, shaking her head and laughing.

“Are you close to your family?” His other hand shifted over to brush back and forth over the bare skin of her thigh, and she clenched her legs together to ease the throb between them.

“Yeah, my mom and dad, Sarah and Charlie, live on the west edge of town, and Thomas has an apartment a few blocks away. He is a doctor, and he has been working with a mobile wound care unit for the last year or so. We’re a tight knit group.” She warmed at the thought of her family.

“I’d love to meet them sometime. Is your brother older or younger?” he said, watching her for her reaction.

“He’s two years older than me, but he thinks he is my personal protector. I haven’t called him since the incident the other night. I’m a little worried he will know immediately that something is off with me,” she said, frowning.

“You mean me? He will know that you are seeing someone?” She glanced up with surprise at his discomfort.

“
No
! No, you aren’t making me uncomfortable. Well, you were when you were so intense that first night, and even a little bit at the bar the other night…but not right now. The problem is that I’ve never kept secrets from him before, and I can’t share what happened with the attack. It was a major event in my life that seems to be having a huge impact on my future, and I can’t share it. It’s hard for me,” she explained, putting her hand on his chest as if to comfort him. He reached up and brushed his knuckles over her cheek.

“I’m sorry for that. I hate that our secret is now yours to carry, too. I wish it were different,” he said sweetly. She smiled and nodded.

“I know, me, too. I’ll manage I’m sure, but I’m not quite ready to pull off nonchalance around my family yet,” she said, laughing and settling back against the couch again. “Tell me about your family?”

“Well, you’ve met Rafe and Ryley, my brothers. My parents are Victoria and Henley, and they have been married for forty years this July fourth. I also have a younger sister, Whitney. She is five years younger than me.” While Liam spoke, he continued to just touch her with soft caresses. There was nothing sexual in the touches, and yet they made her ache with need. Her body seemed to become aroused just by being close to him.

“Are you all adopted?” she asked. “Sorry, that probably came out rude. I just meant that Rafe and Ryley look so different from you…”

He laughed. “No, just Rafe and Ry are adopted. Their family sought out our pack when I was nine. Rafe was eight, and Ryley was six. Whitney was only four, but she had them wrapped around her finger pretty quick. Anyways, their parents disappeared just a few weeks after they joined the pack. Mom and Dad took them in, and when we couldn’t track their parents, eventually there was no choice but to have them listed as deceased. That way the boys could be adopted. We were the obvious choice of a family because I was so close to them, and they were staying with us when their parents disappeared.”

“That’s awful! Did you ever find out what happened to their parents?” she exclaimed, her heart breaking for the small blond, blue-eyed boys who lost their only stability in a new place.

“Nope. I know that my dad and the pack leader, which was Devin and Damon’s dad Jim, went on a long trip to check out their old pack. They never found a trace of them. I live with my brothers obviously, and Whitney still lives with our parents. She is a nature photographer, and she is on the go a lot, so she hasn’t really found a reason to settle into her own place yet. Anyways, we’re a really close family, a really close pack actually.”

“Hmmm…well it’s nice to know we have that in common. I would hate to find myself with a man that didn’t like his family,” she said, shifting so that her head rested more comfortably against his chest, and his arm could drape over her shoulders. His hand rested on her hip, and she shivered when he gently stroked it. Because of her angle, she couldn’t see the huge grin that enveloped Liam’s face at her words.

* * * *

“Actually, Mom and Dad are having a barbecue tonight at their place. They asked me to bring you a long if you were willing. It’s just pack members, so it will be real casual. Are you up for it?” He held his breath waiting for her answer.

After a couple of tense moments of silence she responded, “I would like to meet more of your pack members. I worry about Caroline now that she is part of the pack, but, Liam, if I go, it doesn’t change anything.” She tipped her head, and Liam found himself staring into her luminous chocolate eyes. He could get lost in their depths if he wasn’t careful.

“No worries, Sweet Tina. It’s just a family barbecue, burgers and steaks on the grill with potato salad and lots of pie,” he said, trying to soothe her anxiety. It meant so much more than that to him, but he couldn’t take the chance of scaring her away. Not when he finally had her in arm’s reach.

“Sounds like fun. I’ll have to shower though. What time are we leaving?” she asked.

“Not for a little while. We won’t eat until closer to sunset. Most of the pack will go for a run together afterward,” he said, pulling her back against his chest again.

“Oh, good! Maybe I will get to see you in your fur again. I didn’t get a very good look before, what with the tears, blood, guts, and all,” she said, laughing.

Her desire to see him in his wolf form pleased him immensely, and it took all of his strength not to take her right there on the couch. Without even knowing it, she had just accepted him as he was, and that meant more to him than anything else in the world.

“So why is Devin called the Alpha? What does that mean?” she said, with another wiggle deeper into his side. He bent and kissed the top of her head before answering her. If she shifted her arm another inch, she would be able to feel how turned on he was. He was tempted to rub against her, but he restrained his urge.

“The Alpha is the most dominant role in a wolf pack. Devin and Damon were both born Alpha—Dominant—as were several of their cousins, but they were born to the Alpha that was leading the pack at the time. Devin was the first twin born, so he was groomed from the start to become the leader. Damon was groomed as well, just in case something were to ever happen to Dev. They even had to attend a special school in Tennessee, The Eastern US Pack School. I’m glad they had to go and not me. I was able to attend regular public school with everyone else.” His arm had slipped down onto her shoulders, and he held her against his side, enjoying the closeness.

“Pack School? Really? Wow! I had no idea there was such a werewolf subculture!” she teased.

“Wait until I take you to meet my family at the den. Our pack numbers almost one hundred wolves now, but like I said, we’re a fairly close bunch. It won’t be long before you know everyone’s name,” he said.

“Are there other werewolves in the world? I know that someone said that Barton Diego came from another pack.”

“There are seven packs in the United States, but numerous others all over the world. The Diego Pack has their den up by Chicago. Our pack—The Gray Pack—is average size now, but we’ve grown a lot since Devin took over about ten years ago. The other packs are in Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, Maine, and Alaska. Outside of those seven, there are various other rogue wolves that don’t really have a pack and just wander where they may. They can be more dangerous though, and usually aren’t associated with a Pack because they got kicked out of one. Then there are two Pack schools: the Eastern School in Memphis, Tennessee, and then the Western US Pack School in Portland, Oregon.” She laced her fingers through his hand as he spoke. Resting against him the way she was, he could feel her heart beating against his ribs and the warmth of her body. She felt perfect in his arms, like she belonged there. His wolf howled in agreement.

“I guess I have a lot to learn about you,” she said quietly.

“Do you want to?” he asked, giving her a curious look.

“Want to?” she questioned, but he could see in her eyes she knew what he meant.

“Do you really want to learn about me personally, or is it just the werewolf pack you are interested in?” he asked quietly, holding his breath for her answer.

A flash of hurt in her eyes made him grimace. “Of course I want to know about you. I consider you a good friend, and I care about you.”

“Tina, you know that I want you for my mate. I’m talking about forever. The good kind of forever with a happy marriage, lots of babies, and lazy days in matching rocking chairs when we’re old and gray. I don’t want to just be a good friend.” His voice was firmer than he meant, but her skirting the issue was frustrating.

She laughed nervously and pulled away from his grasp before she responded. “Okay, that’s enough of that kind of talk. I need to go take a quick shower to get the potting soil and sweat off of me before I go meet the pack. Make yourself comfortable. I should only be a few minutes.” She nearly ran for the bedroom to escape the conversation.

Chapter 13

Liam was kicking himself for pushing her again, but he couldn’t help it. Just the fact that she said she wanted to know more about his life as a wolf made his heart skip a beat. He was definitely making headway with her, and his wolf yipped inside of him with excitement. He had to learn some restraint, though, so that she would quit running away from him.

Studying her small home, he took in the warmth and hominess that surrounded him. There was an embroidered pillow on the rocking chair by the window that said, “Family First, Last, and Always.” There were family pictures dotting the shelves surrounding the TV. Photo albums lined the bottom shelf of the entertainment stand where usually a video game console would sit. It appeared that Ms. Tina Jameson was a sentimental soul. He ran his hand over the knitted afghan that draped the back of the rocking chair and smiled wide when his eyes settled on the painting of him. She hung it over the sofa, on the main wall of the living room directly across from the front door. She put it on display so that anyone walking into her home would see it.

His mental struggle over having a mate broke into a million little pieces, and his heart dropped through his stomach. His woman hung a picture of him on her wall where she would see it every day. It was in a place of honor in her home. He couldn’t even begin to explain how that changed everything. The last couple of weeks he had denied his desire for a mate, and he had even placed barriers between them to a certain extent. Only giving her the pieces of him that he could afford to lose if this whole thing fell apart. Now, he knew there was no turning back. He had to help her understand and hopefully fall in love with him. That way they could live together and start their own family.

He groaned when he heard the shower start in the bathroom. He could just picture her sexy, lean body under the steamy spray of water. He wondered if she had ever considered waxing her pussy. He might have to suggest that in the future. He loved the idea of kissing her bare, pink mound without anything impeding his touch.

He was pacing the room trying to control his now-raging libido when someone knocked on the front door. Anxiety went through him about whether or not to answer it, but he couldn’t resist his own curiosity.

The small man on the other side of the door caught him off guard. He was skinny, and he just looked uncomfortable in his own skin. Liam frowned and a low growl slipped from his throat. The man grew even paler and took a step backward, almost tumbling off of the porch.

“I…Is…T–Tina here?” he stuttered.

“Who are you?” Liam snarled.

“Uh…I’m Carter Lawrence. I work with her. Who are you?” the now trembling man spoke, and his glance darted over Liam’s shoulder, trying to see around him.

“I’m Liam Gray, her boyfriend. What do you want with her?” Liam crossed his arms in a clearly aggressive gesture.

“I just wanted to talk with her. We’re really good
friends
,” Carter said. Liam could tell that Carter was caught off guard that Tina had a boyfriend, and Liam wanted the point to be hammered home clearly.

“Well, she’s unavailable right now, so talk to her at work. Better yet, just leave her be,” Liam said sharply.

“Do you always tell her who she can be friends with?” Carter asked, and Liam had to admire the temerity of the man. At least he didn’t give up easily.

“When necessary. You can give me the message, and I will relay it,” Liam said stubbornly.

“Just tell her I came by. I will see her at work. We work very closely together.” Carter backed up off of the front porch, still watching Liam apprehensively.

“I will tell her,” Liam said, and he pushed the door shut without even bothering to watch the man leave the property.

He was fuming inside. Who was this man that he felt comfortable enough with Tina to visit her home on her day off? Carter Lawrence certainly wasn’t the type that Liam would have pictured for one of her friends, but apparently he had more to learn about his mate.

He was much calmer a few minutes later when Tina stepped out of the bedroom. In fact he almost swallowed his tongue when he saw her. She had redressed in a pair of tight blue jeans and a low cut V-neck T-shirt that clearly outlined her full breasts. Her feet were bare, and he could see her pink-tipped toes peeking out from under the hem of her jeans. Her hair was still damp, and the lingering water left it a smoky ebony color. She smelled even better than she looked, and his dick was immediately rock hard again. After more than a week of not touching her, he was aching with need, and his wolf was ready to go bat-shit crazy.