Aaron threw his head back and laughed. Couldn’t help it. She had to be delusional. While it was true that he had taken himself out of the picture for the past year, he still had a fearsome reputation. And here she was, this chit of a girl, thinking she could tell him what to do. He was an alpha. Had been an alpha, he thought as his eyes turned sober again.“I know how you can redeem your reputation and help me at the same time,” she insisted.“Do you, now?” Sarcasm was dripping from his voice as he leaned against the kitchen counter, crossing one long denim-clad leg over the other as he smirked at her.“Yes.” She walked to the window overlooking the vast expanse of the desert beyond the backyard.“Do you know what that is?” she asked, pointing to a strangely shaped mountain in the distance.“Boulder Mountain.” He found himself replying to her question despite himself.“A pack of werewolves lives there.”He could only gape at her open-mouthed. Then he shook his head and came back to hi
Keyah was breathing hard as she shifted back to her human form. It had been quite a while since she had shifted. In fact, after she had turned thirteen and had been able to control the change, she hadn’t ever shifted to her wolf form, mostly because it upset her mother.Although she had been prepared for resistance from Aaron Lobo going by what Charlie had told her, she hadn’t been prepared for the pleasure or the thrill of changing into her wolf form. It had felt like she had finally been able to breathe freely, had finally rid herself of a heavy weight. It had felt like an intense, toe-curling, mind-numbing orgasm after a really energetic bout of sex. She had been forced to deny this side of her for far too long, and she had only been able to do it because she was half-human. From what she had read, the pureblooded werewolves simply wouldn’t have been able to stop themselves from shifting at least occasionally, not for ten whole years.Reaching for the pile of her clothes on the gri
Aaron was a hard-headed fool. Stubborn beyond words. Keyah’s fingers itched to do violence.“What’s in it for you? I thought that was obvious.”A brief flash of something remarkably like fear crossed Aaron’s face before he clenched his jaw, the vein at his forehead throbbing.“Obvious? It’s not obvious at all.” That irritatingly, distractingly sexy lopsided smirk was back on his face.Closing her eyes, Keyah took a few deep breaths. Aaron was testing her patience to the limit, and they hadn’t even embarked on their plan yet. How was she going to live with this arrogant man for any amount of time? Not just live with him, but pretend they were mates. And considering how attracted she was to him, it was almost a given they would end up sleeping together. She knew the wolf in her wouldn’t be able to resist him.Damn him and damn his arrogant sexiness. If she didn’t need his help, she would be stomping out of here after telling him what she really thought about him.She was getting ahead o
Aaron had not expected her to agree. He was glad he’d finished the beer, ‘cause had it been in his mouth, he would have surely sprayed it all over the place. “What? It’s clear we’re attracted to each other. Might as well have all our cards on the table from the get-go.” Keyah was gazing at him steadily, and it was only the tiniest things, like her not-altogether-steady breathing and the way she was clutching her tote bag that told him she was nervous. But she was determined as hell, too. How the fuck was he supposed to get out of this predicament now? He had thrown the outrageous suggestion out there so she’d back off. Why was he fighting her so hard though? What she said made sense. And Silver Wolves! Man! Just the thought of living amongst those elusive, amazing shifters should be enough to make him accept her offer. Imagine being able to go back to his pack and actually tell all his mother, Mary Anne Lobo, and his former-best-friend, only recently revealed to be his half-bro
Aaron couldn’t believe he was here. He couldn’t believe he had not only showered (contrary to what Keyah had said, he showered every single day) and shaved, but he had also bought new clothes for this meeting since every piece of clothing he owned was dirty. And what was more, he was early. When Keyah Wilson had driven away, literally leaving him eating dust, it had taken him only moments to spring into action. He had gotten onto his Ducati Monster and given chase. She hadn’t made it easy to catch up with her at all. Man, did she handle that sexy little car like a pro. But his Monster won, and he forced her to pull up just as they had entered the desert. He had asked her if they could meet at Charlie’s to discuss what she had in mind. She had stared at him for a really long time before agreeing. When she had agreed, Aaron had felt relief flooding through him. The way he had reacted didn’t make sense. Neither did his actions. He thought he wanted to be rid of Keyah. Why then had h
Keyah was trying her best to act nonchalant. But holy smokes, was Aaron ever making her blood thrum and her spine tingle. If she had been attracted to him earlier, she was practically willing to beg him to take her now. She always had a weakness for leather, and Aaron’s riding gear was all leather. Black and shiny. Her fingers itched to trace the stitching on his windcheater. He had trimmed his wildly unkempt dark hair and nearly shaved his face clean. It showed off his strong, square jaw. There was a prominent cleft in his chin that made her want to dip her finger in it. And without the beard, she could see the deep dimples in his cheeks when he smiled.Dimples! The man had dimples! How the hell was she supposed to resist that?She had been pleasantly surprised when he had chased her down and apologized. She might not have any experience living with a pack, but she was willing to bet her precious tote bag not many arrogant alphas owned up to their mistakes.Charlie was trying to eng
Keyah fought for control. Being snooty wasn’t going to help her get revenge. He was offering to help. That’s all that mattered.She forced a smile on her lips.“We need to discuss strategy.”Aaron shrugged nonchalantly. “What’s there to strategize about? We show up on Boulder Mountain and say we’re fated mates.”Keyah placed a hand on her hip, fixing him with a glare.“Oh yeah? How did we meet?”Aaron rubbed his jaw, pretending to think.“Hmm… let’s see… you sought me out at my garage, saying you scented me, your fated mate, from the other side of the country. When you actually found me, it was too much for you. You were so overcome with joy and adoration that you fell on your knees and begged me to make love to you. The kindly male that I am, I obliged. And the rest is history.”He was baiting her, and from the twinkle in his gorgeous blue eyes, enjoying himself thoroughly. Keyah closed her eyes, praying for patience.“Right. My pack will believe that ridiculous story immediately.”O
The diner was in the middle of nowhere on a dusty little road. Aaron parked his Monster next to Keyah’s Prius in the empty parking lot, next to the diner.The diner was a small, rectangular building with a large neon sign hanging above the door. ‘Desert Diner’, the glowing pink and green sign read. Quite a few letters in the sign flickered feebly, as if they’d stop glowing any second.The sun had dipped low beyond the horizon, lending the desert landscape a golden-orange glow. Aaron loved everything about the desert: the sandy, rocky, barren landscape, the lack of prying human eyes in the huge vastness, the pockets of shifter communities and shifter towns, safely tucked away in its womb.He wished he could sit on one of the boulders and soak everything in. There was something immensely peaceful about being in the middle of the desert, watching the sun dip lower and lower below the horizon. The sky would change from brilliant blue to blazing orange, then inky black. Watching the first