The Maverick Pride Tales - Chapter 156: Chapter 156

After another round of twenty questions, Annabeth was no closer to breaking through the tough exterior that Hank had shown her time and again.
It was impenetrable. The force field around his heart was so thick and strong she’d bet the current owners of the Millennium Falcon would love to get the schematics for their spacecraft. Even after she left the spacious backseat to sit beside him in the front of the Phantom, she couldn’t seem to ruffle the man’s impeccable feathers.
Sad rawr.
“How far are we?”
“We just entered Atlantic City a few minutes ago. There’s always some traffic in town, but we shouldn’t be too long,” he said.
Was it her imagination, or did the steely-eyed Falcon sound sad? She watched carefully for any sign that he was feeling something, anything, but nope. He gave nothing away. Eyes on the road, he barely glanced at her.
Discouraging? Yep.
Her phone chirped, and she glanced down to see a text from her boss looking for an update. Crap. Annabeth had almost forgotten this was a working trip.
“Excuse me, I have to take this,” she said, and scrounged behind her for her laptop.
She felt her skirt fly up in the wake of the air conditioner he’d put on at her request, but she was not concerned. Hank’s face had been plastered to her pussy mere minutes ago. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t seen.
Of course, the rumbling sound coming from him said otherwise. She blushed as she snagged the computer and turned back around.
“You know, you should wear full briefs with a dress,” he murmured.
“Why? Cause I’m chubby? Contrary to popular belief, girls with fat asses happen to like the comfort of butt-less panties regardless of their attire,” she replied with a huff.
Now that her happy after sexy times feelings had gone away, Annabeth was a little raw. Hank was a tough nut to crack. He was denying them a chance at real happiness and for no reason at all.
The screech of the tires almost sent her flying forward, but Shifter reflexes had her bracing herself as he skidded to a stop on the side of the road.
“Look at me,” he growled in a deep voice she hardly recognized.
“What?” she snapped.
“Annabeth, you may be wild, and a little unconventional, but there is absolutely nothing fat about you.”
“What?” she repeated, only quieter.
Speechless was not something anyone had ever rendered her before, and yet, there she was. So quiet she could hear every thud of her heart in her chest with glaring accuracy.
First time for everything.
Her Lioness preened at his ready praise. In fact, Annabeth’s tongue practically lolled out of her head as he continued.
“You. Are. Perfect. From the top of your golden head to the soles of your gorgeous size tens,” Hank said, fingers gripping her chin gently as he talked.
Then, the sexy man winked, sending tendrils of happiness shooting through her. He thought she was perfect. Was it possible to turn into a puddle of goo? Annabeth’s insides were already a melty pot of mushiness from his praise.
Sweet, tempting, sexy man.
“Thanks,” she replied demurely.
What the fuck? Lionesses did not demure. Like ever.
Annabeth shook her head and opened her tablet, prepared to do some work until they arrived at the hotel for the convention. She was bound by the EWLP contract to inform her boss of her impending heat, as it might render her unable to attend the main event. Afterwards, she could check her itinerary, and shoot off a PM to her sisters.
Annabeth could not help herself. She’d found a gif of a huge dancing eggplant. One press of her fingers and the message was delivered followed by the sound of a dozen chimes and hearts emojis from the girls.
LOL.
A little while later, Hank rolled to a stop in front of the newest location on the east coast of Stein Luxury Resorts & Hotels, known as Jersey Gardens. The place was gorgeous.
All modern lines, clean glass, steel, and brick. It looked clean, sophisticated, and yet inviting, with the wide spaces and access to the pine barrens just behind it. Annabeth had to bite back her moan of disappointment. Hank had truly made it there in record time. And now he was going to leave. So much for vamping him.
Very sad rawr.
Her stomach tightened, clenching uncomfortably. Annabeth took an elastic band out of her purse and swept her hair back, away from her face. She blinked her eyes.
Fuck, was this nausea because they were about to part forever? Crap. Annabeth felt sick. She ignored her momentary discomfiture and exited the vehicle. His face was devoid of expression as he gathered her things and loaded the trolley, walking her inside while she checked in to the establishment.
She felt hollow all of a sudden. Their tempestuous exchange had been so hot, so intense. Like shooting stars colliding. Maybe Uncle Uzzi was wrong about them being fated mates. Annabeth’s heart squeezed painfully. Maybe they really were shooting stars on a collision course. So damned hot when they’d collided together, but temporary. So very temporary.
The thought left her empty and so damn sad she couldn’t breathe. Annabeth was sweating despite the cool air coming from the gilt air-conditioning vent in the ritzy wall of the lobby. Her stomach cramped, and her Lioness hissed.
“Oh no,” Annabeth murmured, eyes going wide.
“What is it?” Hank asked, appearing beside her while she dug in her purse for her heat cycle suppressants.
“I’m all out. Fuck,” she whispered.
Beneath her clothing, Annabeth felt her breasts swell with needy pangs of arousal that were all part and parcel of a feline’s heat. Her sex throbbed. Stomach ached. And dammit, she was so warm.
No. No. NO!
Soon, the need to be filled by the next available dick would hurt, and not just like an itch or an ache. Annabeth would feel real, unbearable pain if she did not find someone to pass her cycle with. Fear spiked through her. She hated being at the mercy of her biological needs.
Evolution be damned. Shifters were rare and secret from the human world, and this little fucked up quirk somehow ensured their survival. But it was not fair.
“Annabeth?”
“I have to get out of here,” she whimpered.
Annabeth would soon be desperate for a male to ease her. Any male. The thought revolted her. Especially now that she’d met her mate.
“What can I do?”
“Just get me to my room,” she growled low in her voice, still searching her purse.
“What are you looking for?” Hank asked.
“My suppressants. They don’t work like they used to. I guess I’ve been taking too many at once, and now I am out.”
“Are you sure? Let me check your suitcase,” Hank said and walked her down the hall to the elevator.
He seemed attuned to her rising anxiety, patting the outside zippers of her bag, oblivious to the Shifter who got on at the next floor. Annabeth only wished she could say the same. She smiled tensely, but she saw his nostrils flare and saw the heat in his gaze. It made her sick.
“Hello, Ms. Golden,” Luca Bianca sided up to her, he took her hands with both of his leaned in and kissed her on either cheek, inhaling deeply.
“It is so nice to see you. You know your mother called my father, told him about your little problem. I was just on my way to the lobby to see if you checked in yet,” he said, eyeing her up and down like she was a cookie and he some chubby schoolboy.
All she wanted was to push his grimy hands off her and walk away. But considering they were stuck in an elevator, where could she go?
“I’d like to offer you my services,” the creep said.
Revulsion filled her, but another wave of cramping hit. Being a female really sucked sometimes. Gritting her teeth against the nasty words she so wanted to shout at the cretin, Annabeth managed a weak smile. Luca was a jerk, but he was not bad to look at. A little conceited, but most males were.
She only wanted Hank. But he had already rejected her. Her Lioness yowled, the feline demanding she take her mate. She couldn’t even look at him, though she was aware he’d stopped moving. Just remained crouched on the floor, hands on her suitcase.
It was time she faced facts. The interlude in the Phantom had been everything, but it was not enough. It was not a claim.
Hank. Did. Not. Want. Her. For. Keeps.
The truth hurt, but Annabeth did not think she could settle for less. With her heart heavy, she turned to Luca’s seedy smile.
“Actually, I might need,” she began, panting with the effort it was taking to stand there and talk, but Hank’s low growl interrupted her.
“Unless you want to permanently lose the use of those hands, get the fuck off her,” snarled Hank, before he slowly stood up from his position on the floor, rolling to his feet with more grace than any of the Big Cat species she’d ever seen.
Shit. Was he always so tall? So wide?
He looked fucking enormous, and mad as a hornet as he bared his teeth and puffed his chest. Annabeth just stared at him. He was usually so composed, but now, her mouth hung open as he fisted the collar of Luca’s shirt, lifting the big man clear off the floor.
For a Falcon, he sure was strong. The elevator doors opened, and Hank sent poor, shocked Luca flying over the tiled floor. He leaned over and pushed the closed button, jaw clenched so tight, she wondered if he broke any teeth.
Yes. Strong. Good mate.
“Um, Hank⁠—”
“Don’t. Say. A. Word,” he growled. “Not yet.”
She watched him warily. One hand on her lower stomach as another wave of heat pulsed through her. Dammit. Her sex ached. Annabeth squeezed her legs together to relieve some pressure, but it did not help. She felt Hank stir beside her, heard him sniffing the air and clicking his tongue behind his teeth in that habit he had when he was incensed.
“I know this makes me a total asshole, Annabeth,” he began, “and I will readily admit it to the whole fucking world. But I won’t let him have you. I can’t. If it has to be someone, it will be me. Okay?”
Unable to speak, she nodded fervently. Her Lioness had already decided. She’d been stuck on him since she first laid eyes on the striking male.
“Let’s go.”
Hank took her hand and pulled her along the corridor until he located her room. Shoving the bags carelessly against the wall, Hank lifted her up princess-style, and carried her inside.
Strong, sweet, fairytale hero.
A wave of need speared her like a knife, and she cried out with it. The ache was sharp and precise. Like a wave of sexual energy that had just eclipsed into tsunami proportions. Her sex moistened, and Annabeth turned sparkling gold eyes on him.
“Hank, you don’t have to do this,” she said, shaking her head, knowing full well he didn’t want to.
Oh, he wanted to have sex with her. But he did not want her for keeps. With anyone else, she would go through the motions, but with him, Annabeth did not know if she could survive what came next. She did not know if she could take him leaving her.
“Shhh,” Hank whispered, pressing kisses to her face as another wave of lust hit her, hard. “I want to. I need to, Annabeth.”