Jaxon returned with the food for Tara. He entered and looked at the two. He wasn’t sure what he walked in on this time, but it wasn’t a pleasant sight. She looked like she wanted the bed or floor to swallow her up. He looked like he was at a loss for either words or his temper. “I have the food you wanted for Tara. I’ll just leave it here and speak with you later. Rachel knows you want to talk to her, and she’ll be there in about forty-five minutes.” “Thank you, Jaxon.” “I’ll get out of your way now. Call me if you need anything else.” Cal didn’t say anything, just gave Jaxon a glare from the corner of his eye. Jaxon nodded and left the room once the tray was on the low table at the end of the bed. “I want you to eat up. You’re far too thin for your height and it can’t be good for your health. When was the last time you shifted?” Cal remembered something the healer told him once they’d stabilized her. She was too thin and probably cou

Tara woke to a warm, heavy feeling about her waist restraining her. The next thing that registered for her was the sound of slow, even breathing coming from directly behind her. She froze right there, not knowing what was going on. The room was dim, and it took her a moment to register where she was. Tara’s eyes finally made their way to the weight resting over her waist. Even in the dark, she could recognize the warrior’s tattoos. The Alpha was asleep beside her. She went to move her legs so she could find a way to ease from the bed. She gave up quickly for fear of angering him by waking him up. He’d wrapped a leg about hers. She lay there looking into the dimly lit room, contemplating this latest complication he’d added to her understanding, or lack of understanding. Tara knew it often conflicted male shifters when they first encounter their mate. But she couldn’t see how she could be his. There wasn’t another female more unprepared to be a mate, let al

Finally, the Alpha let her be. He went into his office to do something and left her alone in the apartment. She wasn’t used to having such a large space to live in, having spent years in the rundown motel. She wasn’t sure what he expected her to do with her time beyond staring out the window. Was she supposed to cook and clean for him? Is that why he wanted her here? The space looked like it would need constant care to keep clean and looking like it did now. Unless he was never here to make a mess of it. When she started taking stalk of the kitchen, she soon realized she was out of her league there. It was one thing to heat a can of soup. But the refrigerator looked like the grocery store’s entire produce section was crammed in there. Tara wasn’t a cook, she’d never learned. There wasn’t time or money to take fancy classes and her mother wasn’t much of a cook herself, if Tara remembered correctly. Then there was the issue of not having access to a kitchen, e

The shock of his bite as Tara orgasmed had her reacting on autopilot. She bit the closest object. Tara expected it to be part of the sofa. But to her utter horror, it was the tattooed arm of the wolf who’d sealed her fate with his. If his bite hadn’t put her in a place where she’d never return from, then her biting him was the last nail in her coffin. Cal grabbed her by the hair and pulled her head back. She could see her blood coating his mouth, like his must coat hers. She could taste it, and it was an experience she’d never felt before. The pain now was all but gone. However, his knot and desire to fuck were still in full gear. Even now as he ravaged her mouth, with the taste of their blood mingling on her lips. He made her aware of every shot of his load into by pressing his knot into her. Her body thrilled at it, eager for every scrap of attention, even as Tara’s mind blanked out with the rush of pheromones and pleasure. She’d been craving more of

Cal woke up around mid-day which wasn’t unusual, nor was his phone ringing on the nightstand beside him. What was unusual was the warm body beside him. This was the second time he’d fallen asleep with Tara beside him. Which did good things for his mood. What killed his mood was the call from Jaxon. There were developments, and they needed Cal in the club’s office to deal with it. The issues were piling up, and Jaxon needed him. “Hey, it’s time to get up. I need to get into the club’s office. You’re coming with me.” Tara moaned as she tried to resist him and continue sleeping. “Nope, you’re getting up. It’s bad enough that we missed training this morning. That will be corrected tomorrow. Come on, there’s no rest for the wicked.” “I’m not wicked.” Tara’s muffled voice came from deep within the pillow she had her face buried in. “You’re getting up and that’s that.” Cal left the bed and took the covers with him. More because he wanted