Changed: 2 (Wolf's Den) (7 page)

Not unless she wanted to be.

He wanted her to come to him. He’d made that obvious. If
he’d wanted to take advantage he could have in the bedroom. She’d been keyed up
enough to allow it, like a lust-crazed nympho. But instead he’d pulled away and
given her space, respecting her in a manner she’d never known from another man.

“Declan…” She moved closer, their mouths almost touching.
The world was a scary place but oddly enough she wasn’t afraid. Not right then.
Not with him. “Will you kiss me?”

“Of course I will.” Declan wrapped an arm under her ass,
scooping his female from the ground. His other hand went to her nape, his long
fingers twining in her sleek hair. He saw her need for reassurance and swore
he’d give it to her. “Put those pretty little arms around my neck. Come here
sweet, beautiful girl.”

He didn’t close his eyes as he kissed her, wanting to look
at her face. To his ultimate satisfaction, she didn’t shut hers either. Their gazes
locked, lips pressed together. He waited for her to take things further,
digging his fingers into her hip. Her mouth opened and he felt the wet flick of
her tongue against his lips. With a groan he followed her lead, letting her
guide the dance. Her irises had changed color again, bright near her pupils. He
felt the pull of her wolf, the beast inside her growing stronger.

Only one thing could have possibly made him close his
eyes—the memory of her question, her fear that she might die. He didn’t want her
to see his own anxiety, the notion she could be lost something he couldn’t
bear. So he let his lids drift closed. Even in death he’d follow her. She was
too important to him now. Perhaps if he’d never touched her—learning firsthand
how lost he’d feel without her in his life—he could have moved on if she died.

But not now.

She thought her life would never be the same. What she
hadn’t thought about was how much she had changed his. He’d often wondered how
mated pairs placed their male or female above everything including their
children. Now he got it, crystal fucking clear. He might be able to exist
without her but it wouldn’t be a life. The world would lose color, the foods he
loved lose flavor.

Nothing will ever mean as much to me. Not even close.

He’d known others were watching, feeling the weight of their
stares. Personally he didn’t give a shit. He wanted them to know he’d found his
mate, sending out a threat far and wide to stay the fuck away from the female
meant for him. But he knew Rachel probably didn’t feel the same. To be safe he
carried her to his vehicle, stopping once he was hidden behind the opened
passenger door and length of the SUV.

Pulling away, she rasped, “Are we leaving?”

“Not yet,” he answered, leaning back in.

Their mouths met again, eager tongues touching and darting
away. He loved her like this—eager and responsive, wanting him as much as he
wanted her. Through his shirt he felt the sharpness of her nails. They’d
obviously grown—a small sign of her impending change. If he got lucky he’d get
to feel those hands on his bare shoulders, finally experiencing the contact of
her fingers against his uncovered skin. He knew for a fact she needed guidance,
having little experience. It might have made him an egotistical asshole but he
loved knowing that he’d be the man to introduce her to so many wonderful
things.

Dimly he recognized the hum of a motor in the distance. He
didn’t think too much about it, deepening the kiss, thrusting his hips against
Rachel’s. Then he heard the crunch of gravel behind him. His wolf had already
come up for air, scenting its mate, feeling her call. Man and beast merged,
coming together. Every instinct told him to protect his female and make sure
she was safe. He couldn’t do that with his back turned.

“One minute, baby.” Tearing his mouth away and depositing
Rachel in the seat, he growled, “Hold that thought.”

Whoever had pulled up behind them was stupid as fuck. He had
a raging hard-on—his cock tenting his jeans—and his mate was equally geared up.
Only a moron would interrupt a werewolf couple locked in a heated embrace.
Whipping around, he faced the unwelcome interruption. His fury intensified, the
fucking bitch walking over to him someone he was not in the mood to deal with.

“What the fuck do you want?” he snarled at Simone, hating
the sight of her.

As usual she was dressed in skintight clothing, leaving
little or nothing to the imagination. Thankfully she’d covered her tits today,
sparing him the visual. Compared to Rachel, Simone looked like a cheap whore
who’d been ridden hard and put up wet one too many times. If the pack’s
suspicions were true the bitch was the reason Chloe had been attacked and
Rachel had been bitten. That only made his wolf more deadly, wanting revenge
for its mate.

Not fucking good.

“I’m warning you,” he threatened, growling, “I’m not feeling
very social right now.”

“That’s obviously not true,” Simone countered, arching a
brow at Rachel. With a glance down at Declan’s crotch—her eyes hovering over
his erection—she added, “You seem to be
very
social right now.”

“Who the fuck are you?” Rachel, love her, apparently didn’t
give a shit about her attire. She slid out of the seat, her livid gaze homed on
Simone.

“The better question would be,” Simone inhaled, nostrils
flaring as she scented the air, “who the fuck are you?”

“My mate,” Declan answered, snaking an arm around Rachel’s
waist. “And as you can see we’re busy. So piss off.”

Simone paused, staring openly at Rachel. Declan knew when
the werebitch smelled the change, identifying the burgeoning wolf within his
female. Taking her attention from Rachel, Simone studied him, shaking her head.

“Really?” she said, laughing. “You’re mating a mutt?”

Rachel froze when the insult struck home. Declan wanted to
knock the hell out of the female. True, Rachel wasn’t a full-blooded werewolf
or Halfling but she belonged to his pack. That gave her value. A respectful
member of any pack didn’t sling mud at others. Simone knew better. The bitch
simply didn’t care. He’d never struck a female before in his life but he found
himself sorely tempted.

“Better a mutt than a slut,” Rachel snapped hotly, trying to
wriggle from his arm, “A man will always take a bitch to bed but that doesn’t
mean she’s suitable material when it’s time to meet Momma.”

Shit.

Rachel hadn’t shifted yet but he still felt the strength of
her beast. And no wonder. Rachel was all iron will, ready to engage in battle
and throw the fuck down. He felt the hum from her, the way her muscles
collected as she prepared to pounce. As an added precaution he wrapped his
other arm around her midsection, creating an unbreakable hold. She might be
able to hold her own against a human but she had to shift before she could take
down a werewolf bitch.

“Simone,” he hissed, baring his fangs, “I’ll let Jackson
know how you feel about the newest member of the pack. I’m sure he’ll want to
let everyone know how you welcomed her to our family.”

“Simone?” Rachel asked, going eerily still at his side.

Glancing down, he asked softly, “You know her?”

“I want to go back to the car,” she whispered, lowering her
gaze. “Please let me go.”

Had Chloe told her about Simone? Had his Lupa had a chance
to share the pack’s suspicions about the female before he’d burst into his
bedroom earlier that morning?

He tried to get a read on Rachel’s scent but Simone
interrupted them—again.

“By all means,” the haughty female retorted, hands on her
hips, her red lacquered nails bright and shiny. “Tell him. I’ll be sure to show
you the same courtesy. I have a feeling I’m not the only one who hasn’t gotten
the wonderful news regarding your mating. It seems Jackson’s keeping a lot of
secrets nowadays.”

His mating—while not vital to the pack hierarchy,
necessarily—was something the other packs would want to know about as soon as
possible. As a Beta they trusted him to be up front in all matters just as they
were. As soon as Simone got home and opened her mouth Jackson would find more
shit steaming up his already full plate. They’d want to know how long Jackson
had known about Declan’s mating and why he hadn’t spoken up about the matter.
If they found out Rachel had been human and that Jackson had given Declan
permission to change her without consulting the Alphas in the area things might
turn sour.

“Let go,” Rachel whispered, squirming away from him.

He almost didn’t. Something told him it was best to keep her
close. But she seemed calm, almost strangely so. He let go and she walked back
to the door and climbed into the SUV. He tore his eyes from his mate and
attuned himself to Simone. He’d never liked the woman but he’d never truly
hated her.

Until now.

“Word around the packs is you left town.” Simone smiled,
cherry-red lips parting into a wide smile. “The newest addition to your pack
didn’t have anything to do with your absence, did it?”

“I have five words for you,” he replied, getting ready to
close Rachel’s door and leave, “None of your fucking business.”

Rachel took him off guard, slamming her feet into his chest
when he made it to her. He hit the ground in a blink, using all the speed
within him to get back on his feet. In that time his feisty little mate had
crossed over to Simone, wielding the tire iron he kept beneath his passenger
seat for emergencies. Simone was old and quick enough to avoid the blows,
granting him enough time to reach Rachel. He wasn’t easy or timid as he caught
her, wrapping his arms around her middle.

She screamed in fury, kicking and waving the length of metal
in her hand. “You don’t know who you’re fucking with,” she roared, her voice
deeper than normal.

“Calm down.”

He called on his strength as a Beta, trying to quiet the
wolf inside Rachel that was new to the world and therefore confused. It needed
more time to develop. Unstable emotions were all Rachel had given it thus far.
Since she couldn’t shift the rage would only intensify, creating fury that had
no outlet.

Not yet.

“Listen to me, Rachel.
Calm down
.”

Realizing she wasn’t going to get free, Rachel threw the
tire iron at Simone’s face. Simone moved but the sharp edge caught her cheek,
breaking the skin. Simone brought her hand up, eyes saucered as she assessed
the injury. Blood seeped past her fingers, matching the color of her nails, her
skin healing but not quickly enough.

“That’s only a sample of what’s coming to you,” Rachel
snarled, fighting him for all she was worth. “Next time there won’t be anyone
holding me back. I’ll kick your ass good and proper. You’d better pack a lunch.
It’s going to be an all-day fucking affair!”

Son of bitch! Has she always been this brutal?

“That’s enough,” he thundered, walking to the passenger side
door to close it. Since he didn’t trust Rachel he stormed to the driver’s side.
Even if it meant driving for a couple of miles with her in her arms, traveling
with his door open, he had to leave.

He couldn’t keep Rachel in line like this.

He’d only seen a similar fury once before, after a rowdy pup
playing football had flown into the spectator area of a park and injured Gage.
One tiny cry—the unbearable echo of his sister’s pain—and his dad had gone
batshit. Declan hadn’t been there to witness the event but he’d heard about it.
Pops hadn’t taken it easy on the young male, unleashing his fury with his
fists. His mother had been the only person who could pull his old man off the
whimpering pup, pleading with him to listen.

If it hadn’t been for her, his father could have been tried
for murder.

He’d nearly killed the fucker.

He felt for the poor bastard who mated with Gage. He
wouldn’t have it easy. In fact, he’d have it pretty damn hard.

Dad will fucking kill him.

“You don’t have to worry about me.” Rachel squirmed against
him, gaining his full attention. “I can take care of myself, you know. I’ve
been doing it for years.”

“I’ll always worry about you. And you don’t need to take
care of yourself anymore. Since you haven’t taken the hint let me spell it
out—that’s my job.” He tried to remain cool and composed but it wasn’t easy.
She itched like a rash under his skin, finding just the right places to poke
and prod. “But you shouldn’t go starting shit with strangers. It’s not smart.”

“She’s not a stranger,” Rachel retorted caustically.

“You know her?”

Simone had returned to her car and pulled away. Jackson had
to know what had happened. Until Declan was on the road he couldn’t make the
call. Rachel had to come first, meaning he had to get the fuck out of here. How
did this keep happening? One minute it seemed like he’d turned a corner. The
next minute something appeared to knock him off track.

“She’s the woman who tried to kill Chloe.” Rachel stopped
struggling, the fight draining from her. Feeling the change—hearing the defeat
in her tone—made him wish he’d let her take a shot at Simone. “She’s the one
who’s responsible for everything that’s happened.”

So Chloe
had
found time to tell Rachel what the pack
suspected. Not only had Rachel faced the woman who’d tried to harm her best
friend, she’d also faced the woman who’d likely caused the bite that had
changed her. If the roles were reversed he’d have unleashed his temper too.
Simone was lucky to get off with a scratch on the side of the face.

No wonder she lost it.

“Don’t worry. You can let go now.” As soon as he did she
started climbing over the console to her seat, telling him softly, “I’ll
behave.”

“Rachel.” He stopped her midway to her destination, grasping
her by the arm. She looked at him and he saw how much the confrontation had
taken from her. “I don’t want you to behave. I like you just the way you are.
But I have to call Jackson. Simone loves to stir shit. If I didn’t know better
I’d say she’s got snitches in town. People saw us pull up and then boom, she
appears.”