“Sorry. Shit. He feels as though you’ve been forced on him? Are you sure he doesn’t want you? Is he g*y? If he doesn’t want you, he’s definitely into men.”
“No. Definitely not that last part. The first part, yeah. Big-time.”
“And he told you that he doesn’t want you and feels forced?”
“You know how phone calls go.”
“Phone call?”
“Yeah. His.”
“You overheard him making a phone call?”
“Yeah.”
“To who?”
“A woman.”
“Shit. He had someone lined up to spend mating season with, didn’t he? A lot of unmated males do that. They find some bitch who they know doesn’t want to settle down yet and kind of make an annual date with them. Is that what you overheard?”
“Yeah.”
“What an ass. Is he still planning on meeting her? I’ll have Omar kick his ass. He can’t be in your bed and another woman’s. Now that he’s marked you, you could probably detect her scent and it would drive you into a rage. It’s just damn rude too.
Not to mention, he marked you so if he screwed around it wouldn’t get him off. It would be like foreplay without the hope of a good ending, no matter what.”
“No. That got canceled.”
“He canceled? Well, that’s good.”
“Is it? Just listening to what you say is hard to do when you’re telling me what you want and you know I can’t give that to you.”
Millie was silent for a moment. “Shit. He got all “sex talk” with her? In detail? Let me guess. He wants to chase her tail through the woods and you sure as hell don’t have a tail.”
“Close enough.”
Minnie cursed. “What an ass. You should give it back to him by telling him how great human guys are so he knows how it feels. Tell him you hate sharp teeth and how you think growling is low class.”
“I don’t though.”
“But he doesn’t know that. When he mounts you, you tell him you like it the human-guy way. It’s different, right? I heard they are all romance and talk you half to death and touch you like you are made of glass. That would drive me crazy and our guys aren’t into that shit. They are into hot and hard sex. He’ll think he’s shit in bed since he can’t give you what you tell him you want.” Mika laughed. “Too late for that.”
“You let him know how good he was?”
“You’re the best,” Mika laughed.
Minnie laughed. “Oh, you so didn’t tell him that.”
“I so mean it too.”
Minnie chuckled. “Well, do it anyway. Try. I’ll think up something. Shit. Omar walked in so I have to go. Call me if you need some girl time with high calories.”
“I love you.” Mika hung up.
She knew she couldn’t hide out in her room all damn day. She finally stood up and walked to the bedroom door. She hesitated and then opened it. She saw Grady sitting on the couch, staring right back at her. He looked angry.
“Who called? Who was that on the phone? Who do you love?” She hesitated, frowning at him, wondering why he was pissed. “Minnie.” He visibly relaxed and the anger on his features melted away. “Why are you mad at me?”
“I don’t want to discuss it. I’m bored and want to go do something. I need to get out of the house for a little while.”
Grady shook his head. “I think we should stay here.”
“I don’t really give a damn what you think right now, to be honest.” His jaw clenched. “You overheard my phone conversation, didn’t you? Is that what has you so mad? I called to let my friend know I wouldn’t be joining her for the weekend. I didn’t break your rule. I broke my date with her.” Mika hesitated. “That’s not what upset me. I have had some time to think about it and I’m not mad anymore, Grady.”
“You look mad and you smell mad.”
“I smell mad? Anger has a scent?”
“Yes. Fear, arousal, and even pain give off scents.”
“That’s disturbing.”
“Why?” He stood up slowly.
“Well, feelings are private, that’s why. Now, please take me to the movies. I want out of here and you can watch me from the back of the theater while I sit in the front.” Far away from you.
“I’m not taking you anywhere until you tell me what made you mad.”
“Fine. You want to do this? I don’t point out all of your shortcomings because you’re just a werewolf. I heard you on the phone and I got it that you clearly have a low opinion of humans. Since you didn’t seem to mind that so much when you were inside me it tended to piss me off that it seems a big point with you that you can’t have sex with me with fur on.”
He frowned. “I didn’t say that and I didn’t insult you in any way. I didn’t even mention you.”
She arched her eyebrow. “Okay. How would you feel if you overheard me talking to a guy I was supposed to spend the weekend with and heard me tell him how much I wished I was with him doing things to him that I know damn well you can’t do to me.” His mouth tensed and his eye color turned black. “I can do anything to you that a human can do.” He took a step and then another. “I can do it better.”
“Then swear to me that you can have sex with me without a condom on and not be tempted to bite me. Can you f**k me without having your teeth grow out, or your eyes turning black? With human guys I don’t have to deal with any of that shit.” Anger tightened his face.
Mika studied him, realizing she was trying to piss him off and knew it was dangerous. Werewolves weren’t known for control when they were angry. “I don’t want to fight with you. You’ve already made it clear that the only reason you want to have sex with me is because you were forced into it by protecting me.” Grady inched closer to her. “You think I don’t want you? Look at me. Hell, feel me.
I’m hard because I want you.”
“If you hadn’t been ordered to guard me you wouldn’t be here. I wanted you but you wouldn’t touch me until you were forced to bite me. If my uncle told you today he was pulling you from guarding me, you’d be out that door in a snap if you hadn’t bitten me. You sure wouldn’t be cancelling your weekend plans. You’d be chasing tail in the woods.”
His jaw clenched but he didn’t say a word. His dark eyes looked away from Mika, guilt crossing his features, and pain hit her hard.
“That’s what I thought. The token denial would have been nice though. Let’s go.
I’m leaving with or without you.”
Chapter Seven
Grady’s bar wasn’t packed during the day. The female bartender was in her early thirties, had black short hair, startling green eyes, and four face piercings. Her nose, lips, and eyebrow sported metal. She watched Mika curiously as Grady introduced them.
“Watch her, Tina. She’s Omar’s human niece and she’s aware of what we are.” Tina’s nose twitched and she arched an eyebrow at Grady. “I see how the wind blows. I thought you were seeing”
“That will be all,” Grady cut her off. “I’ll be in my office for a few minutes and then I’ll be back.” Grady glared at Mika. “Your ass doesn’t leave that seat. I don’t want a repeat of the other night. If you want to dance, wait for me and I’ll dance with you. I just need to take care of a few things while we’re in town.” He walked away leaving Mika with the bartender who was still eyeing her carefully and thoughtfully. The woman leaned closer, meeting Mika’s gaze.
“He doesn’t do humans. You must be something in bed since he marked you.” Mika ignored the comment. “May I please have a rum and coke on ice?” The woman moved away and a minute later she placed a drink in front of Mika.
“You can’t hold him.” Tina gave her a cold look. “You can’t handle him for long. He’ll get tired real fast of a fragile human. He likes it rough. He likes to partially change because he doesn’t have to hold back or keep in control.” Tina smirked at her. “He’d break your bones just gripping you if he didn’t tear you up inside going at you that hard.”
Mika took a sip of her drink and studied the bartender, trying to hide her anger and how hurtful the words were. “I’m thinking your eyes aren’t just green from what you were born with. I know it’s mating season. Were you hopeful he’d nail you? I bet it burns that he’s in my bed instead.”
A growl tore from Tina’s throat and sharp teeth showed. Mika leaned back.
“Temper, temper, Tina. I’m Omar’s niece. He’d really be pissed if you laid a…paw on me. He’s very protective of me since we both know you’re a lot stronger and a fight wouldn’t be fair between us.”
Snarling, the other woman spun away and stomped to the other end of the bar.
Mika knew she’d been a bitch but she was angry. It was bad enough she had to face that she wasn’t what Grady wanted but to have it pointed out to her in graphic detail by the rude bartender had just pushed her “bitch button”.
Feeling watched, Mika turned and glanced around the bar. She saw about fifteen men in the room but, other than her and Tina, there were no other women. One of the men stood, gripping his beer, and started to walk toward her. When he was about five feet away she saw him inhale, sniff at her. He froze. He sniffed again and then frowned.
His gaze locked with hers and it was obvious he was confused.
“You’re sniffing right, Joey,” Tina called out. “He marked her. She knows what we are.”
Joey’s stunned gaze shot to Tina. “But…she’s…what the hell?” Mika sighed and turned to face the bar to take a sip of her drink. The man was shocked that Grady had marked her. It was just one more reminder that Grady would never accept her as a mate since his friends were reacting with shock that she carried his scent. Tina snorted.
“Who knows, but he did it.”
Mika was surprised the entire pack hadn’t heard of how Grady was left with no choice but to mark her. Maybe Uncle Omar had silenced that rumor because, if anyone could do it, he could. Knowing her uncle, he didn’t want people talking about her. She was actually grateful for that secret at the moment. She had a good idea that if Tina knew that Grady had been left with no choice, she would have said much worse to Mika.
“What’s going on?” Grady growled.
“Nothing,” Joey said. “I just got close enough to scent you on her.” Mika glanced at Grady. He looked grim as he frowned at Joey. “And?”
“Nothing. I just didn’t think, well…she’s not your type. It’s one thing to f**k one of them but to mark one?”
Grady growled low. “Respect her. She’s marked by me.” A man chuckled. “Ah. Someone went after your little girlfriend so you had to mark her to keep them away, didn’t you? I’d have done the same in mating season. Now we all know she belongs to you. I guess this one is pretty good for you to want to not share her. When you get tired of her, mind if I give her my number?” Grady’s jaw clenched and he growled at the man.
“I take it that means I’ll just wait until you’ve moved on to the next one to give her my number. I enjoy variety sometimes too.” Joey nodded and walked back to his table.
Grady’s dark gaze moved to Mika. He looked angry. “Let’s go.”
“I’m not done with my drink.”
Grady grabbed her drink off the bar and downed it in a few swallows. He slammed the empty glass on the bar and glared at her with black eyes.
“It’s gone now.”
“No. Definitely not that last part. The first part, yeah. Big-time.”
“And he told you that he doesn’t want you and feels forced?”
“You know how phone calls go.”
“Phone call?”
“Yeah. His.”
“You overheard him making a phone call?”
“Yeah.”
“To who?”
“A woman.”
“Shit. He had someone lined up to spend mating season with, didn’t he? A lot of unmated males do that. They find some bitch who they know doesn’t want to settle down yet and kind of make an annual date with them. Is that what you overheard?”
“Yeah.”
“What an ass. Is he still planning on meeting her? I’ll have Omar kick his ass. He can’t be in your bed and another woman’s. Now that he’s marked you, you could probably detect her scent and it would drive you into a rage. It’s just damn rude too.
Not to mention, he marked you so if he screwed around it wouldn’t get him off. It would be like foreplay without the hope of a good ending, no matter what.”
“No. That got canceled.”
“He canceled? Well, that’s good.”
“Is it? Just listening to what you say is hard to do when you’re telling me what you want and you know I can’t give that to you.”
Millie was silent for a moment. “Shit. He got all “sex talk” with her? In detail? Let me guess. He wants to chase her tail through the woods and you sure as hell don’t have a tail.”
“Close enough.”
Minnie cursed. “What an ass. You should give it back to him by telling him how great human guys are so he knows how it feels. Tell him you hate sharp teeth and how you think growling is low class.”
“I don’t though.”
“But he doesn’t know that. When he mounts you, you tell him you like it the human-guy way. It’s different, right? I heard they are all romance and talk you half to death and touch you like you are made of glass. That would drive me crazy and our guys aren’t into that shit. They are into hot and hard sex. He’ll think he’s shit in bed since he can’t give you what you tell him you want.” Mika laughed. “Too late for that.”
“You let him know how good he was?”
“You’re the best,” Mika laughed.
Minnie laughed. “Oh, you so didn’t tell him that.”
“I so mean it too.”
Minnie chuckled. “Well, do it anyway. Try. I’ll think up something. Shit. Omar walked in so I have to go. Call me if you need some girl time with high calories.”
“I love you.” Mika hung up.
She knew she couldn’t hide out in her room all damn day. She finally stood up and walked to the bedroom door. She hesitated and then opened it. She saw Grady sitting on the couch, staring right back at her. He looked angry.
“Who called? Who was that on the phone? Who do you love?” She hesitated, frowning at him, wondering why he was pissed. “Minnie.” He visibly relaxed and the anger on his features melted away. “Why are you mad at me?”
“I don’t want to discuss it. I’m bored and want to go do something. I need to get out of the house for a little while.”
Grady shook his head. “I think we should stay here.”
“I don’t really give a damn what you think right now, to be honest.” His jaw clenched. “You overheard my phone conversation, didn’t you? Is that what has you so mad? I called to let my friend know I wouldn’t be joining her for the weekend. I didn’t break your rule. I broke my date with her.” Mika hesitated. “That’s not what upset me. I have had some time to think about it and I’m not mad anymore, Grady.”
“You look mad and you smell mad.”
“I smell mad? Anger has a scent?”
“Yes. Fear, arousal, and even pain give off scents.”
“That’s disturbing.”
“Why?” He stood up slowly.
“Well, feelings are private, that’s why. Now, please take me to the movies. I want out of here and you can watch me from the back of the theater while I sit in the front.” Far away from you.
“I’m not taking you anywhere until you tell me what made you mad.”
“Fine. You want to do this? I don’t point out all of your shortcomings because you’re just a werewolf. I heard you on the phone and I got it that you clearly have a low opinion of humans. Since you didn’t seem to mind that so much when you were inside me it tended to piss me off that it seems a big point with you that you can’t have sex with me with fur on.”
He frowned. “I didn’t say that and I didn’t insult you in any way. I didn’t even mention you.”
She arched her eyebrow. “Okay. How would you feel if you overheard me talking to a guy I was supposed to spend the weekend with and heard me tell him how much I wished I was with him doing things to him that I know damn well you can’t do to me.” His mouth tensed and his eye color turned black. “I can do anything to you that a human can do.” He took a step and then another. “I can do it better.”
“Then swear to me that you can have sex with me without a condom on and not be tempted to bite me. Can you f**k me without having your teeth grow out, or your eyes turning black? With human guys I don’t have to deal with any of that shit.” Anger tightened his face.
Mika studied him, realizing she was trying to piss him off and knew it was dangerous. Werewolves weren’t known for control when they were angry. “I don’t want to fight with you. You’ve already made it clear that the only reason you want to have sex with me is because you were forced into it by protecting me.” Grady inched closer to her. “You think I don’t want you? Look at me. Hell, feel me.
I’m hard because I want you.”
“If you hadn’t been ordered to guard me you wouldn’t be here. I wanted you but you wouldn’t touch me until you were forced to bite me. If my uncle told you today he was pulling you from guarding me, you’d be out that door in a snap if you hadn’t bitten me. You sure wouldn’t be cancelling your weekend plans. You’d be chasing tail in the woods.”
His jaw clenched but he didn’t say a word. His dark eyes looked away from Mika, guilt crossing his features, and pain hit her hard.
“That’s what I thought. The token denial would have been nice though. Let’s go.
I’m leaving with or without you.”
Chapter Seven
Grady’s bar wasn’t packed during the day. The female bartender was in her early thirties, had black short hair, startling green eyes, and four face piercings. Her nose, lips, and eyebrow sported metal. She watched Mika curiously as Grady introduced them.
“Watch her, Tina. She’s Omar’s human niece and she’s aware of what we are.” Tina’s nose twitched and she arched an eyebrow at Grady. “I see how the wind blows. I thought you were seeing”
“That will be all,” Grady cut her off. “I’ll be in my office for a few minutes and then I’ll be back.” Grady glared at Mika. “Your ass doesn’t leave that seat. I don’t want a repeat of the other night. If you want to dance, wait for me and I’ll dance with you. I just need to take care of a few things while we’re in town.” He walked away leaving Mika with the bartender who was still eyeing her carefully and thoughtfully. The woman leaned closer, meeting Mika’s gaze.
“He doesn’t do humans. You must be something in bed since he marked you.” Mika ignored the comment. “May I please have a rum and coke on ice?” The woman moved away and a minute later she placed a drink in front of Mika.
“You can’t hold him.” Tina gave her a cold look. “You can’t handle him for long. He’ll get tired real fast of a fragile human. He likes it rough. He likes to partially change because he doesn’t have to hold back or keep in control.” Tina smirked at her. “He’d break your bones just gripping you if he didn’t tear you up inside going at you that hard.”
Mika took a sip of her drink and studied the bartender, trying to hide her anger and how hurtful the words were. “I’m thinking your eyes aren’t just green from what you were born with. I know it’s mating season. Were you hopeful he’d nail you? I bet it burns that he’s in my bed instead.”
A growl tore from Tina’s throat and sharp teeth showed. Mika leaned back.
“Temper, temper, Tina. I’m Omar’s niece. He’d really be pissed if you laid a…paw on me. He’s very protective of me since we both know you’re a lot stronger and a fight wouldn’t be fair between us.”
Snarling, the other woman spun away and stomped to the other end of the bar.
Mika knew she’d been a bitch but she was angry. It was bad enough she had to face that she wasn’t what Grady wanted but to have it pointed out to her in graphic detail by the rude bartender had just pushed her “bitch button”.
Feeling watched, Mika turned and glanced around the bar. She saw about fifteen men in the room but, other than her and Tina, there were no other women. One of the men stood, gripping his beer, and started to walk toward her. When he was about five feet away she saw him inhale, sniff at her. He froze. He sniffed again and then frowned.
His gaze locked with hers and it was obvious he was confused.
“You’re sniffing right, Joey,” Tina called out. “He marked her. She knows what we are.”
Joey’s stunned gaze shot to Tina. “But…she’s…what the hell?” Mika sighed and turned to face the bar to take a sip of her drink. The man was shocked that Grady had marked her. It was just one more reminder that Grady would never accept her as a mate since his friends were reacting with shock that she carried his scent. Tina snorted.
“Who knows, but he did it.”
Mika was surprised the entire pack hadn’t heard of how Grady was left with no choice but to mark her. Maybe Uncle Omar had silenced that rumor because, if anyone could do it, he could. Knowing her uncle, he didn’t want people talking about her. She was actually grateful for that secret at the moment. She had a good idea that if Tina knew that Grady had been left with no choice, she would have said much worse to Mika.
“What’s going on?” Grady growled.
“Nothing,” Joey said. “I just got close enough to scent you on her.” Mika glanced at Grady. He looked grim as he frowned at Joey. “And?”
“Nothing. I just didn’t think, well…she’s not your type. It’s one thing to f**k one of them but to mark one?”
Grady growled low. “Respect her. She’s marked by me.” A man chuckled. “Ah. Someone went after your little girlfriend so you had to mark her to keep them away, didn’t you? I’d have done the same in mating season. Now we all know she belongs to you. I guess this one is pretty good for you to want to not share her. When you get tired of her, mind if I give her my number?” Grady’s jaw clenched and he growled at the man.
“I take it that means I’ll just wait until you’ve moved on to the next one to give her my number. I enjoy variety sometimes too.” Joey nodded and walked back to his table.
Grady’s dark gaze moved to Mika. He looked angry. “Let’s go.”
“I’m not done with my drink.”
Grady grabbed her drink off the bar and downed it in a few swallows. He slammed the empty glass on the bar and glared at her with black eyes.
“It’s gone now.”
