Dire Wolf Mates - Chapter 29: Chapter 29

Acting weaker than she was simply wasn’t in her. All the harmless flirting was causing a serious side effect that she wasn’t at all prepared for. Her furry side was getting beyond agitated. Sheila’s fingertips itched with the need to flex her claws. Her gums burned and Sheila had to bite her tongue to keep the snarl from slipping past her lips.
Leo was just being a good guy. Of course, he would fall for the simpering helpless female routine. Then again, it wasn’t like the little Chipmunk Shifter was putting it on or anything. Al was a total dick. She felt like an idiot for thinking bad thoughts about the female.
The woman’s mate had been acting like a jerk to her, and in public, too. Leo was doing what she herself was about to. Of course, she probably would’ve just upended his beer over his head, and maybe had Thor, or one of the boys, drag him outside.
Leo’s way was probably better. Not that she’d tell the arrogant pussy all that. Her head turned at the deep, resonating chuckle coming from her mat—er, from Leo. Dammit, that four letter word floated through her head again.
Mate.
Marilyn laughed too, and Sheila realized again, the tiny woman wasn’t entirely unattractive. That fact only pissed off her Dire Wolf just a little bit more.
“Oh, wow. Thank you, Leo. I think Al is going to be better now. He wasn’t always this way. That Dust is affecting his attitude, and well, I have to believe he is not a bad man,” she said.
“I promise, Marilyn, I’m not,” Al walked over, looking contrite. “I won’t do that stuff no more. It’s just I’ve been under pressure lately with lay-offs at the job and all. I know I was wrong. I am sorry,” the Donkey Shifter said, and he looked pretty damn ashamed.
Serves him right.
“Al, if you feel you are hitting a hard spot, and the counselor isn’t working, I want you to call me at that number, too. I know places that can help you,” Leo said.
The fact he was being helpful, and not judging the man anymore, was just astounding to Sheila. She still wanted to kick Al’s ass, but maybe Leo’s way was better.
Interesting cop. Decent Shifter. Good man.
“Thank you so much. It was really nice of you, stepping in like that. You’re a real hero. You too, Sheila,” Marilyn said and waved goodbye.
Sheila watched Marilyn and Al move some stools down. Al was looking suitably apologetic and offered Marilyn a soft smile. Sheila still thought Marilyn should bop him in the nose for all that name calling, and maybe she would. But ultimately, it was not her business. If Marilyn wanted to give him a chance, that was her right. All she knew was Leo had done well.
“Hey.”
“Speak of the devil,” she murmured, catching Leo’s unerring gaze as he focused on her.
She schooled herself not to react. Not visibly, anyway. Keeping a tight lid on her emotions, even the somersaults her stomach did whenever the big man’s eyes locked onto hers, was getting to be second nature. Sheila adopted a bored faced, careful to loosen her clenched jaw and ignore her suddenly dry mouth. She couldn’t speak. Not yet.
Awareness flared to life, little sparks of electricity, like lightning, flitted across her skin wherever his golden gaze landed. Right then, Leo the Lion was focused on her face, bringing a warm, possibly horrific, blush to her cheeks. Damn her redheaded complexion. It was tough on her vanity, being pale as milk with outrageously bright locks. She’d been teased mercilessly as a cub and had to learn to fight at a very young age.
Sheila might be good at pretending disinterested, but on the inside, she was building steam like a volcano ready to blow. Now and then, Leo’s gaze would drop, sweeping up and down her body in a slow, steady move that made her pulse race and her panties wet. It had been sixteen months since Sheila had last felt the touch of a man. A long, dry spell, for sure. And Leo was not just any man. He was hers.
No. NO. NO!
“What time are you finished?” he drawled the question like no born and raised Jersey boy should be able to.
She closed her eyes, willed her body to stop its telltale trembling. Leo leaned closer, inhaled her scent and she knew he was getting a whiff of the millions of pheromones coming off her.
Shit. Shit. SHIT.
“Closing time. Like always, detective.”
“Will you meet me then?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?”
“Can’t you take no for an answer, cop?”
“From you? Nope,” he retorted, giving her back her own words.
Damn, he was cute. And he knew it too. She shook her head, tossing her hair behind her shoulder as she grabbed some disinfecting wipes to clean the same spot on the bar she’d wiped a hundred times in the last ten minutes.
“Why do you insist on doing this?” he asked, voice betraying nothing of the heated emotion she saw in his eyes.
“Tending the bar? It’s my job, officer.”
“When are you going to admit the truth?”
“You just won’t quit, will you, pussycat?” she asked, sucking air behind her teeth.
“Pussycat? Only for you, Sheila,” he growled, and the deep, rumble resonated throughout her body, sending chills racing down her spine.
She could almost imagine what it would be like to hear him whisper naughty, delicious things in her ear. In the dark. With their clothes off. And nothing at all between their hot, writhing, bodies. Good Gods, she needed a drink.
“You know, I never took you for a coward,” Leo casually remarked, and his smirk was really starting to irritate her.
“Excuse me?” Sheila snapped.
“Are you ready to talk about us, yet?”
“There is no us, and what do you mean, calling me a coward?!”
“Tell me you aren’t running scared, little Wolf,” Leo murmured.
His rumbly growl grew even deeper as he threaded his fingers through his golden locks and pushed them back, away from his handsome face. He could have been a movie star, she mused. That sound he was making had her inner beastie panting and rolling over, belly up. Her Wolf yipped and howled, wanting to get closer to him.
Hot boy. Sexy cop. Wonder if he takes those handcuffs home?
No. NO. NO!
Have some self-respect.
“Look, you might be some hotshot detective, but you better be careful throwing words like that around me,” she growled.
“What words? Coward? I’m just calling it like I see it. And what I see is a beautiful, tough as nails she-Wolf running away from the very thing she should run towards.”
“What’s that, huh? You? Ha!”
“Your fate, little Wolf. You’re ten kinds of sexy, Sheila Rand, and that dominant Wolf inside you is hot as fuck. But you run scared every time you see me⁠—”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, detective,” she snarled, angry at the fact he read her so well.
“Leo. My name is Leo,” he growled, and for the first time she caught his Lion peeking at her through his glowing gold eyes.
Sheila bit her tongue to stop herself from moaning in response. He was just so big, looming over her, larger than life and a million times hotter than the sun. When had he come behind the bar, anyway? She inhaled his spicy musk, loving the mix of fur and man
Wanna roll around in that scent. Cover my skin with it. Let everyone around me know who I belong to—grrrrr.
No. I belong to myself.
“I am talking about us, mate,” he continued, snapping her out of her inner argument with her Wolf.
“I am not your mate.”
“The hell you’re not,” he growled, eyes flashing their frustration.
This was it. The time he finally acted like the jerk she knew he was. But as the seconds ticked by, Sheila realized he would not behave the way she expected him to. Not here. Not now. Maybe never.
She couldn't just check off a neat little box that said alpha asshole and be on her way, like she’d done with other males over the years. Leo did something she’d never witnessed in a male other than her cousin before.
Control.
Leo turned off his innate machismo and grinned lazily instead.
“You know you’re mine, little Wolf. Why are you so scared of admitting it?”
“First of all, my Wolf is not little, and second, I’m not afraid of a damn thing.”
Sheila glared at the smug Lion Shifter. She did her best to ignore the attraction sizzling between them. It wasn’t easy with his immovable stare, the tension that vibrated from his powerful body, and the slight flare of his predator’s nostrils as he picked up on the heightened state of her emotions.
He was so close. But not close enough. Fucker wanted her to make the first move, but she wouldn’t. Even if it killed her, Sheila was going to hold her ground. She would not give in. Not one single inch.
“Hey, detective,” Phoenix greeted Leo, nodding at Sheila.
Her Pack mate sauntered over and took the seat Leo had vacated, eyes wide at the two of them standing so close to one another. He probably had no idea he was busting in on a battle of wills between Sheila and the Lion. Then again, the wily Wolf might know exactly what he was doing.
“Phoenix,” Leo replied, eyes still glued to Sheila.
“I was hoping you had some time for me. I’ve just installed a new Draco Fortis system on the grounds here, and wanted to go over it with you when you have the chance?”
“Sounds like a good idea, Phoenix. When were you thinking?” Leo answered.
Sheila wanted to turn her back on him, but the damn pussycat was holding her gaze. He had it locked on his, and fuck him if he thought she would break first. She would never admit how close she was to climbing up his body and claiming the sexy man’s lips in front of the whole damn bar. She flinched, her elbow sent a bottle crashing to the floor and shards of glass flew up, slicing her calf.
Shit.
“Sheila,” Leo growled, lunging forward, to look at her cut. It was already healing, and she really could not have his hands on her right now.
“I’m fine,” she snapped, stepping back to grab the broom.
He looked pissed, but she ignored him and swept up the busted fragments, tossing them into the trash. Sheila just wasn’t cut out for mates. Having a mate meant having cubs, and Gods knew she wasn’t the least bit maternal.
How could she be? Growing up in an MC meant a shit ton of time spent on the road, and zero chance of a typical childhood. Even by Shifter standards. She just wasn’t a good risk for a male like him—one who’d undoubtedly want cubs.
Gulp.
Lots of little red and golden-haired cubs. She could just see him now, letting them climb all over him like a jungle gym. It was enough to make her ovaries work double time.
Grrr.
Her Wolf growled and snapped inside her. Furious with Sheila for not claiming him, and their future babies, already. To her randy wee beastie, the sooner she got knocked up by the powerful male, the better. Leo was good mate material. He was strong and powerful. He’d make an excellent protector. And then there was the little bitty fact that the man was positively freaking gorgeous, too. Add to that already winning combination, the determination he’d already shown her, and, dammit it all to hell, the lawful Lion was the perfect candidate for a mate. He was more appealing by the second, which, of course, scared the shit out of Sheila.
Dammit.
Leo was right. She was a coward. Her admiration for him, her physical attraction to him, and the crack in her determination to stay away from him, all grew by the second. The big pussycat didn’t need to know any of that. He was already conceited.
So, what if she was fiercely attracted to him? There was no shame in that. Any Shifter worth his salt could scent her arousal. And if they couldn’t, well, the constant damp state of her panties whenever he was near was proof enough. Not to mention, the mountain of dead batteries in her bedside trash can, all triple As, like the ones that fit inside her vibrator.
Sigh.
Maybe she should just jump him and get it over with?
About damn time, agreed her Wolf.