Authors: Elisa Elliot
ROMANCE: Mason (Bad Boy Alpha Male Stepbrother Romance Boxset) (New Adult Contemporary Stepbrother Romance Collection) (28 page)
“The full moon’s making me a bit jittery” Jared said between trailing kisses up her inner thigh from her ankle. “Do you mind helping me release a bit of the energy?”
Elena gasped as Jared finished his trail of kisses at her neck, purring as he bit her earlobe teasingly, a gentle hand placed on her waist to hold her down as she attempted to arch up into the contact.
She wrapped her leg around his lower back, drawing him in closer as she turned his face towards him for another kiss. Jared’s hand was just making its way under her shirt when there came a sharp but firm knock on the bedroom door.
“Bella, are you two almost ready for dinner?”
Jared groaned, burying his face in Elena’s neck in frustration. He should have known that if he could count on anything, it would be Mr. Lucciani to be a grade-A cockblock.
“Yes papa” Elena yelled, kissing Jared’s shoulder in consolation before pushing him off of her gently.
“This is sabotage” Jared muttered, frowning at his wife’s light hearted laugh.
“Don’t be so dramatic” Elena admonished, standing up. “Now get dressed and come downstairs for dinner in ten. Take the time to cool off.”
With one final peck Elena vanished out the door leaving Jared with his thoughts and pent up energy.
-x-x-x-
It was the day before the full moon and Jared couldn’t sit still. He was nervous, and his nervousness as palpable to all members of the Lucciani family if Rosa’s concerned looks and Giovanni's scrutinizing ones were anything to go by.
Jared’s leg bounced up and down beneath the breakfast table and his shaky hands had caused his coffee to spill twice, burning his thigh.
They had still yet to determine where his change would be taking place and they were cutting it awfully close. Jared had no idea how they were going to pull this off without letting his secret slip to his parents-in-law.
Elena seemed to be just as concerned as he was, and her eyebrows had been furrowed all morning in deep thought as she went through all of the possibilities. Suddenly, her eyes lit up with that spark that Jared had come to recognize as her having come to a ‘genius’ idea, and he could only wait with bated breath to see what his wife had come up with.
“Mama, Papa, Jared and I have been talking” Elena began, giving Jared a quick look to ensure that he played along, “and while we’ve loved all the sightseeing, we thought on our last night we would do something different.”
“Oh?” Rosa asked, her curiosity peaked.
“Yes, now Mama, Papa, just hear me out alright.”
“Oh boy” Giovanni said, grinning at his daughter and leaning back in his chair, “sounds like we’re in for some trouble.”
“Don’t be silly” Elena waved, “now, you two have been living quietly in your domestic life out here, and while it is lovely, we want to take you out for a night of fun. Make you feel twenty years younger again.”
“And just how do you plan on doing that Bella?” Giovanni chuckled, eyes sparkling in interest.
“We’re going to take you out drinking. None of your respectable and slow sips of red wine. We’re talking about partying like you’re back in college. Shots after shots and no worrying about your little girl this time, I want you two to go all out.”
“I don’t know about this Bella” Rosa said skeptically, but from the cursory glance Jared took at Gio, he could tell that Mr. Lucciani was intrigued.
“Mama, just once, I want to have this one time. If we don’t, one day you may regret not doing this. So I need you to tell me, are you in? Are you ready to have the time of your life?”
-x-x-x-
Jared could not believe that his wife had actually managed to pull this off. He was buzzed, but his werewolf body was processing the alcohol fast, and he would be as sober as a judge in about thirty more minutes. Elena was electing to be the responsible one and was sipping on a Diet Coke quietly in the corner of her booth. Elena’s parents, however, were a different story.
Giovanni had already attempted to start two bar fights, and Rosa had hiked up her long skirt and was dancing with three very amused young men in the center of the dance floor. They were hilarious, and Jared only wished that he could take pictures for the posterity of the moment.
Elena had somehow convinced her parents to go hit the bars early so that they would be nice and hammered when it was time for the moon to come out.
Jared checked his watch; they had about an hour before the moon was high in the sky and it was nearing the time when they would have to collect Elena’s parents and wrestle them into bed before Elena took Jared outside into the small backyard to try and ‘supervise’ his transformation.
Jared looked up as he heard a crash from the front of the bar and burst out laughing when he saw that Giovanni had climbed up onto the bar and had begun shouting that he was the only true man in the facility and challenged anyone in the area to prove him wrong.
Elena hit Jared on the shoulder, gesturing for him to collect her father. They were out of time; they had to get the Luccianis home fast and hope for the best.
-x-x-x-
Jared was haggard, and Elena surprisingly looked even more so. Jared had begun transforming as soon as they had crossed over the house’s threshold, leaving Elena to prop her parents up against the doorway and shuffle her husband out into the backyard.
Jared couldn’t remember all the details, but from the state of the backyard Jared was sure that Elena hadn’t had an easy time containing him.
And now, the family sat around the kitchen table, Rosa shocked at the state of her yard and Giovanni demanding to know what monster he had seen running by his window the night before.
Elena had explained that his father had taken the worm with the half bottle of tequila he had drank and that he was getting confused with the old movies Elena had had him watch in order to get him to sleep.
Rosa had seemed to buy the story but now everyone was watching Giovanni apprehensively as they waited for him to render a final decision on what he believed happened the night before.
After a long moment and a heavy sigh, Giovanni put his chin in his hand and met the eyes of all the room’s occupants. “Fine, I’ll accept your story Bella but, I still don’t like him.”
“It’s the hair dear, I’m sure you’ll like him after he’s shaved.” Rosa added.
Jared met Elena’s eyes briefly and they managed to hold it in for a second before they both burst out laughing, doubling over with their amusement. Rosa and Giovanni looked at them both perplexed, obviously concerned with their mental health but the couple didn’t care. Jared grabbed his wife’s hand, kissing it exuberantly as they both smiled. They had actually pulled it off. And they knew, despite Giovanni's continued suspicion and Rosa’s insistence that Jared needed a haircut that everything was going to be just fine.
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Blaine was a simple man by human standards, but as a wolf, he was complicated and hard to deal with. He was positive that very thought was running through many heads as his entire pack sat in a semicircle around him.
Blaine lowered his head to one hand and sat on his “throne” chair looking down at all eight of them. He hated the chair. It was beautiful; dark stained wood with a hunter green cushion, but it carried an air of pretense that he despised. Why did he need a chair for their meetings? He could sit on the ground or the floor just as well as they could! No, they insisted on pack meetings happening at his house, and the chair, the damned chair, was toted wherever he decided the meeting would take place. He once had requested they meet deep in the woods, at the back of his property, and sure enough they had lugged the stupid throne to the base of the mountains.
Blaine’s dark eyes looked at them lazily. “What do you want me to say?”
Gerard spoke up first. As second in command, he almost always spoke up first.
“You need a mate, Blaine.”
Of course it’s this again.
“No, I really don’t.”
Gerard looked around the semicircle, a faint nod affirming what they wanted him to say.
“Look, there are only two couples here. They rest of us haven’t found anyone…we need another blood line. We need the
Alpha
bloodline.”
Blaine raised his head, his eyes dancing in an amused manner. “What are you going to do? Pray for girls to be born, and wait for them to come of age?”
“If we have to.”
Blaine threw his head back and laughed heartily. “You’re no better than a bunch of pedophiles!”
Gerard puffed his chest out. The rest of the pack squirmed uneasily.
“We aren’t! You know our kind lives a long time!”
Blaine waved his indignation off. “Yes, as you keep reminding me.”
“We want you to go to another pack and look for someone.”
“It’s just going to be that easy, huh?”
“Maybe.”
Blaine leaned forward with one elbow on a knee. “Why don’t you lusty wolves go to another pack?” The softness of his words should have been interpreted as a threat to the pack, but Gerard pushed on.
“You know other packs are only willing to intermarry if it’s Alpha blood.”
Blaine leaned back in his chair. He was tired. He was tired of this being an issue. He liked his life! He liked living alone! His pack was around, but they weren’t in his house trying to feminize it!
“I’ll consider it.”
Gerard’s face split into a grin. “That’s good news!” He looked around at the others. “We were thinking you should go into the valley area, or maybe even go to one of the smaller cities.”
“You do, huh?” Blaine said dryly.
“Yes. A bloodline that’s not local. A
fresh
line.”
Blaine felt heat rising past his collar. He flicked his fingertips at the group. “Get out of here. Go find something productive to do,
besides
running my life.”
Most of the pack stood immediately, and began making their way to other parts of the property. Every pack member lived within a ten mile radius of Blaine, in case of emergency. Gerard lived in a cabin
on
the property.
Blaine gave Gerard a level look as the rest of the pack vanished. He addressed him with a sigh. “What is it?”
Gerard gestured towards the chair. “I just wanted to take that back inside.”
Blaine stood with a frown.
Damn chair!
Blaine looked over the cow field with dismay. It was August 12
th
. He needed to be here for the fall harvest, and to ensure that the cows were properly wintered. Some in the pack had jobs…sort of. Troy and Tina were one of the two married couples and they owned a bakery in the valley. He only saw them in case of an emergency, or in case of a called meeting. Nick and Lucy ran some kind of Internet Company, how they got such good signal in the back woods they all lived in, he really didn’t know, but he suspected some king of hacking.
Then there were the singles. Travis, Kenny, and Lucas were the youngest, and they simply helped Blaine on the property. Gerard was a different story. He was a man with many talents. Animal husbandry, carpentry, and electrical wiring. He picked up odd jobs like a magnet. The strangest thing was that Gerard was the oldest. At thirty-five, Blaine understood his obsession with a mate. Thirty five was young by Werewolf standards, but the biological clock doesn’t always understand such things. Blaine was thirty himself and could care less what was ticking in his body!
The only stipulation Blaine had for the pack was that everyone contribute something to the pack’s well-being. He didn’t care if it was monetary, canned vegetables, or a knitted sweater. The married couples tended to just give a bi-annual monetary gift.
Blaine had for all intents and purposes a small farm. He grew many vegetables during the summer months, and slaughtered at least two cows every fall. With those things and his avid love of the hunt during winter, the pack never worried where their next meal was coming from.
He came down from the hillside and sought out Gerard. He found him planing wood on saw horses, obviously building yet another item.
“If I don’t return by the time fall is over, you will need to slaughter two of the cows.” He said this casually as he walked by. “And don’t forget to get the smoke houses ready in time.”
Gerard watched as his leader mounted the wooden steps of his home and grinned from under hooded eyes.
It’s about time!
“Do you have your cell phone?” Gerard asked as Blaine shoved a duffle bag into the crew cab part of his pickup.
“Yes.”
“Do you have cash money?”
Blaine stared straight ahead, his eyes purposefully vacant. “Yes, mother dear, I have everything I need.”
Gerard shook his head and playfully punched Blaine in the arm.
“Just call me when you can.”
“Right.” Blaine climbed into the cab of the truck. He turned the key and the truck rumbled to life. He looked at Gerard and rolled the window down. “You’re in charge. Don’t let me down.”
“I won’t.” Gerard promised soberly. “
You
don’t let
us
down.”
Blain shook his head and drove away, a long arm thrown out of the window.
Blaine had no real idea where he was going. He drove out of the mountains, through Madison and Orange, and finally set his truck onto Rt. 20. He figured Fredericksburg would be as good a place as any to start. Plus it was already late in the day, and he didn’t want to be on the road too long after dark.
He arrived in Fredericksburg at twilight, driving past the monumental amount of commercial shopping offered, while cursing the heavy traffic. He glanced at the slow stream of cars heading out of the city and thanked his good fortune he wasn’t going in
that
direction. He gripped the steering wheel tightly at the next traffic light. He didn’t feel like this was going to be the place. He cruised through the next two lights and was about to roll past the southbound exit ramp for I95, but swung the truck hard to the right in a moment’s snap decision, earning him several angry horns blows behind him. He threw up a hand to offer his apology, gunning the engine to accelerate onto the busy interstate. He would be on the road an extra hour and a half, but his instincts were pulling him to Williamsburg.
Blaine pulled into the parking lot of a Days Inn off of Richmond road, and tried to contain the ravenous hunger that was threatening to gnaw his insides out. He wanted his room first, and a shower before going to eat. Williamsburg was in the height of its tourist season. He doubted he would have much trouble finding a place open.
Thirty minutes late, he was showered, and felt his spirits lift as he climbed back into the truck and began hunting for a place to eat. He didn’t want something typical like Ruby Tuesday’s or Outback. He wanted something quaint and small, preferably with a bar.
He drove north on the road until he came to a small building with brown exterior, and a large bear on the outside. The neon sign read
Papa’s
, and judging from the half full parking lot, he had found just the spot.
No one met him at the door to offer him a table, which was fine with Blaine. He just wanted to blend in. Several tables were scattered over the hard wood floor, and the distinctive crack of pool balls wafted from somewhere in the back. He took a seat at the end of the bar where it turned forming an L shape. With a sweep of the eye he could see most of the restaurant.
A bearded man that looked like he might have fought in the civil war, came to the end of the bar, nodding his greeting to Blaine.
“What can I get you?”
“Bottle of Heineken. Is the grill still open?”
“Will be for another hour.” The man reached under the bar and pulled out a menu.
Blaine scanned it quickly, the fare typical of this type of establishment. There were lots of fried things to choose from, and an array of burgers and sandwiches.
“Where you from?”
“Near the West Virginia border.”
“Which grand attraction are you here for?”
Blaine looked at him and smiled. “Not sure yet.”
The bartender rubbed his hairy jaw and nodded.
“I’ll take your Harley burger and fries.”
“Good choice. I came up with that one myself.” The man walked away, leaving Blaine to sip his beer, and watch the restaurant. The bar was only half full, but that was still impressive considering that it was after ten on a Wednesday night.
A waitress with dark hair meandered her way around the tables, her serving tray hugged tightly to her as she flirted with various men.
Blaine watched the bartender place his hands in front of him on the back of the bar and leaned stiff armed as he watched the young woman’s progression.
“Jeanette!” He bellowed, eyes steely and mean.
Blaine watched as Jeanette rolled her eyes and let the tray drop beside her with one hand. She walked to the bar and hissed a reply.
“
What?
”
“Just what in the hell are you doing?”
“All my tables are taken care of, Dad!”
“I’m not talking about that!” He leaned in closer. “Leave the men
alone
!”
The girl sashayed away, heading for the back room where the pool tables were. Blaine looked at the older man as he shook his head, an angry yet sad look on his face. The older man made his way back to Blaine.
“Can you believe that crap?”
Blaine shook his head, pretending he didn’t know what the man was talking about.
“My daughter! She’s a harlot! Thank God, my other one seems to be doing alright.”
“Does she work here too?”
“Yeah, she’s probably making your burger right now.” He gave Blaine a hard look. “I should have let
her
wait tables tonight!” Another man straddled a stool at the bar. “Oh this night is just getting better and better.”
Blaine sipped his beer as the older man approached the younger one; a sandy haired youth who looked barely old enough to drink. The bartender, which Blaine now suspected as the owner, gave the new arrival the same stare and body language that he had just given his daughter.
“What do you want?”
The boy shrugged and grinned. “A beer.”
“Your usual?”
“You know it.”
The older man opened a Budweiser and set it before the man. Wisps of foam materialized for a split second above the lip of the bottle, before dissipating like smoke.
“Jeanette working?”
“She is.”
“Can I talk to her?”
The owner shrugged as if it didn’t matter at all to him, but Blaine noticed his eyes shifted to the young man, and took on an even harder look.
“Free country.”
The boy slid off of the stool and began prowling the restaurant in search of Jeanette. Blaine was about to ask for another beer when a blonde haired woman who looked to be about twenty five came out of the swinging kitchen doors just beyond the other end of the bar, and headed towards Blaine with his burger and fries. She slid the plate in front of him unceremoniously and handed him a rolled set of silverware.
Blaine thanked her, looking into her blue eyes, and watched with disappointment as she simply nodded and walked away. The owner grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her two feet backward, closer to Blaine. He tried to look busy shaking ketchup over his fries and mustard over his burger as he listened to the hissing conversation between the two.
“Carl’s here.”
“So?”