Goldie [Pyrate's Treasure 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) (2 page)

The children had been staying at Goldie and Emerald’s house during the weekend with several sitters keeping watch over them. Their grandfather had arrived the day after the accident with what seemed like an army of helpers. After a public memorial service later that week, the helpers packed up the children’s belongings and everyone traveled halfway across North Carolina to Pyrate Island. It was that first trip to the island when Goldie fell in love with the feel of the wind on her skin and brushing through her hair.

Within days of their arrival eighteen years before, Edward began her training as Alpha. He taught more by example than by word that an Alpha had to be just, caring, strong, and in control of mind, body, and emotions when faced with opposition, as well as nurturing while protective of those weaker than herself, both shifter and human.

“I’m going inside for some hot chocolate. You want me to bring you some?” Silver finally straightened from the rail, his hyperactivity kicking in.

Goldie smiled without turning her head. He was not going in just for the hot chocolate, but the extra marshmallows Tesla always gave him. He would also be checking out the female guests to try and find one he could play with for the weekend.

“That’s okay. I’ll come inside in a few minutes,” she said.

She did not understand why she hesitated going after her mate, but she could not release the chest-high railing. Was she afraid to find him? She was the next Alpha of the Pyrate Pack. She had nothing to fear from a human male.

Except rejection, her sensible side snarked.
What if he doesn’t want to submit to you? You are a woman and a shifter. What will you do then?

“Shut up,” she muttered to herself, hoping Silver had not heard.

But, as usual, he had.

“If I knew which one was your mate, I’d lock him in the head for you,” he said, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Goldie chuckled. “Maybe I’ll have you stand guard after I find him. After all, this is a two-hour trip without much else to do but claim my mate.”

“It would be my pleasure,” Silver said, patting her shoulder before turning and crossing the wide, flat deck to the lounge door.

Closing her eyes, Goldie lifted her face to the sun and wind. She breathed deep of the cool, crisp breeze that brushed over her skin. Between her duties as Edward’s heir apparent and her job as head bartender at Pyrate’s Treasure, one of the two pack-run pubs on the island, she rarely had time to stop and just be.

Her body fought her mind’s need to be still for a few more minutes. Her wolf snarled and shook with the need to go inside and check out all the men until she found him. The one Fate had destined to be hers alone.

She heard the lounge door open and then soft footsteps approach. With a deep breath, she forced herself to stay still and enjoy nature. Whoever it was stopped beside her at the rail without saying a word. When she did not turn and greet him, he remained still and silent for nearly a minute before speaking.

“What’s a beautiful woman like you doing standing out here all alone?”

The deep voice resonated with something deep and primal in her spirit, sending a shiver of want racing through her. But instead of her nipples tightening and her clit throbbing, she just felt a clenching just above her stomach in the area Grandfather called her gut. It had been nearly two years since she had been with any man, but she had never felt sick just from being near a man before. Was this how she was supposed to react to her mate?

Goldie thought about his words and could not help but smile. Without opening her eyes, she asked, “Does that line work often?”

The man chuckled. “It did sound corny, didn’t it? Sorry, but I’ve never been good at this sort of thing.”

Goldie opened her eyes, blinking several times before turning her head to look at him. His body did not match up to his voice. He was only a few inches taller than she was with lank, dirty-blond hair already going thin on top. Even his eyes were just a medium brown with no spark to them. He was ordinary and completely forgettable. He also smelled like french fries and chicken wings.

This man was not her mate.

“It did, but that’s okay. Unfortunately I’m not looking,” she said gently, hoping not to hurt his feelings. “I work on the island and already have a boyfriend.”

“Oh, okay,” he said, turning and heading back to the lounge where he had no doubt already been struck down by the beautiful people who normally came to these special singles weekends.

Goldie remained at the rail a few more minutes before she followed the man inside. Now that they were moving away from the mainland, the winds were sharper and colder, cutting through the skirt, T-shirt, and light jacket that she wore.

Stepping into the lounge, her nose twitched as a dozen different perfumes mixed to create a toxic cloud for someone whose nose was as sensitive as hers. How could Silver stand it in here without sneezing his head off?

Looking around the large room, she wondered how she should start her search. Crisscross the room until she picked up his scent? Or just wander around aimlessly and hope she got lucky?

She shivered as the warmth of the room wrapped around her and penetrated her clothes. First, she would get something to drink. Then she would circle the room and see if she got lucky. If all else failed, she would…she would…

With a sigh, Goldie admitted to herself she did not know what she would do. After all, she had never had to search for her mate before. She had always put that in the hands of Destiny, knowing one day Fate would bring them together.

Scanning the room as she headed to the refreshment bar, Goldie saw that the guests were already matching themselves up. As usual on these singles weekends, there were more women than men, but even Mr. Ordinary who had approached her out on the deck was talking to not one, but two women. She just hoped that the beauty queen wannabes hanging all over several of the very hot men were not touching
her
mate. The last thing the pack needed was for her to tear apart some innocent human who happened to be flirting with the wrong man without realizing she was poaching on Goldie’s territory.

“Hey, little girl, I didn’t know you were on board today,” the ferry steward said as she stepped up to the bar.

“Hi, Tesla,” she replied with a smile for the old man who had been working the ferry since long before she had been born. He had once told her that he expected to die on one of these runs. “I needed to get away from the island for a few hours, and Silver talked me into this.”

“Your usual?”

The steward poured a large paper cup two-thirds full of hot chocolate before she had a chance to nod. He filled the rest with tiny marshmallows before snapping the lid on the cup. After slipping on the heat-protective sleeve, he handed it over the counter with a grin and a wink.

“Thanks,” Goldie said.

Turning away from the counter, she caught a whiff of the spicy orange scent. Shifting her head back and forth slowly, she found it stronger to her left. Moving in that direction, her focus narrowed as her body went on full alert. She fought down her wolf, which strained to break free from her control in order to hunt its mate.

She eased past two couples who were already deep into negotiations of what they did and did not like, sexually and otherwise. She had a feeling they would be lucky to make it to land before they were fucking. Her eyes searched the room again. She saw Silver in the near corner holding an intense conversation with a big, intriguing-looking man. Taking another breath, she eased her way in their direction.

The stranger was several inches over six feet with broad shoulders clad in a tan polo shirt, narrow hips, and a tight, well-formed butt covered by tan cargo shorts that she wished for a moment she could nibble upon. He stood easily, and power seemed to radiate from him.

The closer to him she drifted, the stronger the spicy citrusy scent of her mate grew. Her pussy responded to the knowledge that her mate was nearby, filling then overflowing, dampening her panties. Her clit and nipples jumped to attention and begged for her mate to play with them.

The closer she got, the stronger the scent and the feeling of his power. He was an Alpha in his own right. How was she going to convince him to submit to her? By the time she reached the two men, she was wondering if he would cooperate with her if she dragged him below decks to one of the empty equipment rooms so she could have her way with him.

Instead of throwing herself at his feet and making a spectacle of herself, Goldie took a deep breath, held it for as long as she could, before releasing it in a whooshing sigh. Slowing her steps, she fought against the urge to wrap herself around him like a kudzu vine.

“Cousin,” she said, stopping beside the two men and forcing herself to concentrate on Silver. “Aren’t you supposed to be giving your welcome to Pyrate Island Resort speech about now?”

Silver looked at her in confusion before checking his watch. “Uh, not for another hour.”

“Oh, okay.” Goldie sipped at her hot chocolate.

Finally, she turned her attention to the man who remained silent, but watchful. Lord have mercy, he was beautiful. Strong jawline, sharp planes of his cheeks with high cheekbones, a nose that was straight and narrow, and lips that were thin, but fully kissable. She would be happy to just sit and look at him for a year or so without getting bored.

“Hello, I’m Goldie Pyrate.”
And you are my mate,
she finished silently.

“Caleb Slattery.” Her mate offered his right hand with a warm and friendly smile.

She hesitated only a second before taking it. Even before their skin made contact, electric sparks flashed between their palms. They both inhaled sharply when their skin met and fingers wrapped around hands in a proper handshake. She looked up into his eyes and found herself falling into pale blue the same color as her favorite pair of old-as-the-hills, well-worn blue jeans.

Electricity generated by their handshake flashed up her arm and through her body, sparking small fires all along its path. Their hands raised and lowered several times in a perfunctory handshake before slowing and stopping. When she should have pulled away, she found she could not move. He did not seem to mind, so they stood there, holding hands without speaking as they stared deep into each other’s eyes.

“Okaaaaay,” Silver said, taking a step back. “I guess I’ll go check in with the captain. You two might want to go outside and walk the railing before you set off the sprinklers.”

“Uh-huh,” Goldie said as she eased a few inches closer to her mate. “Want to?”

Caleb blinked slowly as he licked his lips. “Want to what?”

“Want to go outside and walk around?”

Her smile broadened as his head moved up and down once in the affirmative though he looked like he had not even heard her question. Without another word, he shifted his hold on her hand so their fingers intertwined then headed to the nearest door leading outside.

As she followed his lead to the door, Goldie glanced around and found more than a few women staring at her with narrowed, calculating, or jealous eyes. She did not know if it was because Caleb was her mate, the Alpha inbred in her, or just something innately feminine, but she boldly met each woman’s eyes.

Her look said, “Try taking him from me and you’ll be fighting for your life.”

She held each woman’s stare until they looked away in defeat. Only then did Goldie turn her attention back to the man beside her

After stepping outside, Caleb started across the deck to the railing. Goldie glanced around and stopped him before they got too far. She wanted privacy with her new mate, not to be standing on the open deck where anyone could see or join them.

When he turned to look at her with a quizzical expression, she nodded toward the back of the ferry. A metal ladder attached to the side of the building led upward to the flat roof over the lounge. The sign hanging between steps stated, “Employees Only Beyond This Point.”

“We can be alone up there,” she explained when his gaze cut from the ladder back to her.

* * * *

Caleb did not argue, though as a deputy sheriff he usually tried not to break rules set by others. But for some reason, his gut agreed that being alone with this woman would be the best thing. Especially with the sizeable erection that had filled his shorts the moment their hands touched. He needed to figure out what was going on. Sure, it had been several months since his last date with a woman, and nearly a year since he had been laid, but never had he felt an instant attraction to a woman like he did this little black-haired beauty.

Caleb watched her slip under the chain and begin to climb the ladder without hesitation. He licked his lip and adjusted his hard cock as her full, rounded backside climbed higher and higher up the side of the building. Wondering what insanity had stolen away his normally down-to-earth common sense, he ducked under the sign and followed.

Though he tried not to, his eyes drifted upward to peek up her skirt, watching her shapely legs disappear into the darkness. He wondered whether she wore panties, a thong, or nothing at all under the denim.

The wind across the roof was stronger and cooler. Instead of standing, Goldie crawled on hands and knees across the flat area until she reached a shady area at the front of the boat.