The Mane Squeeze
Page 3
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Lock watched her closely, barely aware that another ShelionHow many did Jess know and invite to her damn wedding anyway?had come out of the reception in time to see the male go flying.
Brendon! he heard the Shelion gasp as she ran after the cat. Oh, my God! Are you okay? Her voice was high and weak-sounding because of her fear for the male, making the predator in Lock want to follow and finish the job. To finish both cats and carry this feline off for that fresh salmon meal. But when his gaze followed the sound coming from the woods, the feline pressed harder against his chest to get his focus back.
As it is, she went on, her cool but tough Philly exterior disappearing in a flurry of panic and fear,
because of other peoples stupidity, weve been banned from three Catholic churches, two Protestant, and one of the Lutherans. And there are several reception halls where weve been added to the Do not allow list.
Lock closed his eyes, more angry at himself than anyone else. He startled me. And he winced at the growl of his voice, sounding more pissed-off grizzly than rational human.
Everybody knows you dont grab a bear from behind. Not if you like having your face attached to your head. She rubbed her hands against his chest and Locks eyes nearly crossed. She had painted nails that, although not ridiculously long, were longer than any hed seen on predator females, with each nail painted dark red and elaborately decorated with flowers and other designs in black. It must have taken her hours to get those done, and the feel of them through his clothes was making him crazy. He should hate those nails. He normally considered that sort of thing tacky or gaudy, but damn if that look didnt work on her. And because it worked on herit was really working on him.
This is all my fault, she went on, oblivious to the effect she was having on him. Its a domino effect that only my mother can cause, and Im sorry. I was trying to keep an eye on her, but she got away from me.
Mother? What did her mother have to do with this? Neither Shelion whod been about to fight looked old enough to be her mother.
Swallowing, trying to keep his desire to maul in control, Lock motioned toward the woods. Thats your brother.
Him? She laughed. No. He just wants to be. Hes the half-brother of my half-brother. And the female who went in after him is his twin, who I really hate, but thats another story. Which makes her the half-sister of my half-brother, but neither of them have a blood connection to me. Lock was busy trying to place all that in some semblance of a family tree in his head when she tossed in, Life in the Pride. Its not for everybody.
I have one set of parents and one sister, he admitted, and Ive never been more grateful.
Im sorry about all this. She pulled her hands away and he almost made a grab for them so he could put themback where shed had them. Why dont you go before someone comes out here wondering what the latest drama is? Ill take care of this.
One side of him yelled at him to stay, to spend more time with the Philly feline, but his more rational side told him to get the hell out while he still could.
Because really, what was he going to do with a woman like her? Like most bears, he liked things calm and quiet, and something told him that even a moment with this woman would never be that.
Thanks, he said, taking that first step back from her.
No problem.
He told himself he didnt see regret in her eyes as he turned to walk away. He told himself, as he waited for his SUV at the valet station, a hot but clearly high-maintenance feline like her would never be interested in an average grizzly like him. He told himself, as he got into his SUV and drove away, that she would have only tolerated his quirky nature for as long as he could give her things or buy her things or pay off her debt for her.
And by the time hed made it to Long Islands Southern State Parkway, hed nearly convinced himself that all that was the truth.
CHAPTER 1
Now this was living. A warm breakfast that eventually stopped moving, a lovely swim in a big, empty lake, and now a chance to relax in the tall grass under the last of the summer sun.
Yeah. Gwen ONeill could so easily get used to this.
Like most Philly and Jersey shifters, this wasnt Gwens first time at Macon River Falls Park, where the deer were plentiful and the land full-human free, but it was definitely her first time in the rich part. The section of Macon River Falls owned by some of the richest Prides, Packs, and Clans in the Tri-State area. When she and her best friend, Blayne, had pulled up in Gwens work truck two days before, the guards at the gate leading to the private properties wouldnt let them pass until theyd spoken to Brendon Shaw himself and hed vouched for them. Then the guards had acted like Gwen and Blayne were hookers hired for the weekend.
Whatever. Gwen didnt let a strangers bullshit get in her way of a good time. Family, however, was a different story.
Some days she was convinced that her family made sure their bullshit got in the way of Gwens good time. She believed that so much, she had almost turned down Brendons offer. He was the half-brother of her big brother Mitch, but with Mitch in Japan until the Christmas holidays and her mother off to some expensive spa with Gwens aunts and cousins for this Labor Day weekend, Gwen knew shed be without any go-between to help her deal with Brens constant need to prove they were all family. Then last week sometime, it hit herif she came to Macon River this weekend that would mean no Mitch, no Ma, and according to Brendon, no Brendon twin, Marissa Im a pissy slash Shaw. And that meant, for Gwen at least, no bullshit to deal withfor once.
Brendon! he heard the Shelion gasp as she ran after the cat. Oh, my God! Are you okay? Her voice was high and weak-sounding because of her fear for the male, making the predator in Lock want to follow and finish the job. To finish both cats and carry this feline off for that fresh salmon meal. But when his gaze followed the sound coming from the woods, the feline pressed harder against his chest to get his focus back.
As it is, she went on, her cool but tough Philly exterior disappearing in a flurry of panic and fear,
because of other peoples stupidity, weve been banned from three Catholic churches, two Protestant, and one of the Lutherans. And there are several reception halls where weve been added to the Do not allow list.
Lock closed his eyes, more angry at himself than anyone else. He startled me. And he winced at the growl of his voice, sounding more pissed-off grizzly than rational human.
Everybody knows you dont grab a bear from behind. Not if you like having your face attached to your head. She rubbed her hands against his chest and Locks eyes nearly crossed. She had painted nails that, although not ridiculously long, were longer than any hed seen on predator females, with each nail painted dark red and elaborately decorated with flowers and other designs in black. It must have taken her hours to get those done, and the feel of them through his clothes was making him crazy. He should hate those nails. He normally considered that sort of thing tacky or gaudy, but damn if that look didnt work on her. And because it worked on herit was really working on him.
This is all my fault, she went on, oblivious to the effect she was having on him. Its a domino effect that only my mother can cause, and Im sorry. I was trying to keep an eye on her, but she got away from me.
Mother? What did her mother have to do with this? Neither Shelion whod been about to fight looked old enough to be her mother.
Swallowing, trying to keep his desire to maul in control, Lock motioned toward the woods. Thats your brother.
Him? She laughed. No. He just wants to be. Hes the half-brother of my half-brother. And the female who went in after him is his twin, who I really hate, but thats another story. Which makes her the half-sister of my half-brother, but neither of them have a blood connection to me. Lock was busy trying to place all that in some semblance of a family tree in his head when she tossed in, Life in the Pride. Its not for everybody.
I have one set of parents and one sister, he admitted, and Ive never been more grateful.
Im sorry about all this. She pulled her hands away and he almost made a grab for them so he could put themback where shed had them. Why dont you go before someone comes out here wondering what the latest drama is? Ill take care of this.
One side of him yelled at him to stay, to spend more time with the Philly feline, but his more rational side told him to get the hell out while he still could.
Because really, what was he going to do with a woman like her? Like most bears, he liked things calm and quiet, and something told him that even a moment with this woman would never be that.
Thanks, he said, taking that first step back from her.
No problem.
He told himself he didnt see regret in her eyes as he turned to walk away. He told himself, as he waited for his SUV at the valet station, a hot but clearly high-maintenance feline like her would never be interested in an average grizzly like him. He told himself, as he got into his SUV and drove away, that she would have only tolerated his quirky nature for as long as he could give her things or buy her things or pay off her debt for her.
And by the time hed made it to Long Islands Southern State Parkway, hed nearly convinced himself that all that was the truth.
CHAPTER 1
Now this was living. A warm breakfast that eventually stopped moving, a lovely swim in a big, empty lake, and now a chance to relax in the tall grass under the last of the summer sun.
Yeah. Gwen ONeill could so easily get used to this.
Like most Philly and Jersey shifters, this wasnt Gwens first time at Macon River Falls Park, where the deer were plentiful and the land full-human free, but it was definitely her first time in the rich part. The section of Macon River Falls owned by some of the richest Prides, Packs, and Clans in the Tri-State area. When she and her best friend, Blayne, had pulled up in Gwens work truck two days before, the guards at the gate leading to the private properties wouldnt let them pass until theyd spoken to Brendon Shaw himself and hed vouched for them. Then the guards had acted like Gwen and Blayne were hookers hired for the weekend.
Whatever. Gwen didnt let a strangers bullshit get in her way of a good time. Family, however, was a different story.
Some days she was convinced that her family made sure their bullshit got in the way of Gwens good time. She believed that so much, she had almost turned down Brendons offer. He was the half-brother of her big brother Mitch, but with Mitch in Japan until the Christmas holidays and her mother off to some expensive spa with Gwens aunts and cousins for this Labor Day weekend, Gwen knew shed be without any go-between to help her deal with Brens constant need to prove they were all family. Then last week sometime, it hit herif she came to Macon River this weekend that would mean no Mitch, no Ma, and according to Brendon, no Brendon twin, Marissa Im a pissy slash Shaw. And that meant, for Gwen at least, no bullshit to deal withfor once.
