Page 12

I woke slowly, a smile stretching across my face as I slowly came to consciousness.

Bright rays from the sun filtered through the curtains, casting soft patterns across the room, and I blinked open my eyes to take in my surroundings.

I grinned at the plain white sheets and gray comforter that had been tucked in around me snugly. Like my very own cocoon of warmth and comfort.

It had been a long time since I had a sleepover. Especially an adult one. I wanted to savor the peace and tranquility of the morning.

I couldn’t recall a time I felt such contentment. Usually, I woke up to chaos, but not today. Today, I felt relaxed and safe.

Loved.

As soon as the word crept into my brain, I pushed it away. It was far too soon for that. I mean, I felt something powerful for Emmet.

But love? I couldn’t be in love. Not after only a week.

Speaking of Emmet, where was he?

We had a lot to talk about. Like what this whole claiming and biting thing meant. Also, about the fact we hadn’t used protection last night.

I was on birth control, one of those implant things that was good for another two years, and I’d been tested for STDs after dumping Patrick’s cheating ass. So, I knew I was safe and healthy.

But still. If I was going to do adult things with adult people, then I needed to have adult conversations. It was the one lesson Pop gave me that I would never ever forget for a million years.

He’d caught me necking with my high school boyfriend junior year at the back of the drive in. And boy, did that fifteen minute lecture suck.

Still, I smiled at the memory. Pop was a trip.

Sitting up in bed, noting the delicious soreness between my legs, and I hummed happily to myself.

Memories from last night flooded back, and I felt a flutter of excitement in my chest. Things Emmet had said and done were just, well, they were perfect.

No man had ever made me feel so good about myself. And I meant that in every way possible. Oh, he played my body like a fiddle, but it was the way he cared for me after with his whispered praise and soft touches, those unspoken words that said so much.

Emmet was dangerous and not just because of Demon, the monster Wolf inside him who also seemed to have claimed me, but because he touched a part of me I thought no one would ever reach.

My heart.

Okay, it was too late to deny it. I bit my lip, wondering how long was customary to wait to tell someone you were like ninety-seven percent in love with them. My chest felt tight, and I rubbed my palm over it, sighing as I tried to get myself under control.

He has my heart.

God, falling for someone was scary. I’d forgotten how scary. But maybe with Emmet it didn’t have to be.

Still, he obviously left for the day for work. I knew he started early on the ranch, and when I checked the bedside table for a clock, I saw it was already a little past nine AM.

I stood up and walked to the adjoining bathroom and grinned when I saw a new toothbrush waiting for me and a stack of fresh towels.

“Dangerous,” I whispered, running my hands over the plush white terrycloth.

For the first time in a very long time, someone was taking care of me. And it felt good. Real good. I only prayed it would last.

After my shower, I dressed in a pair of Emmet’s too long for me sweatpants and a well-worn hoodie. The material was impossibly soft, and it felt so good against my skin. I also stole a pair of thick socks and was just slipping them on my feet when I heard the front door open.

Smiling to myself, I jogged down the stairs, almost falling, when I saw the shape of a woman from the back. She was holding something, humming to herself, but I couldn’t make out what it was.

A lump formed in my throat, but I was too stunned to move. Hand on my chest, I actually whimpered when she turned, a stack of pastry boxes in her hand.

“Good morning!” The woman smiled as she turned in my direction.

Relief filled me as I recognized her. It was Penelope. The owner of the Devil’s Food Bakery was currently engaged to Maximillian Leeds, so I knew she was not there for any sexy shenanigans with my, er , Emmet.

Shit. What was I supposed to call him?

Anyway, she confirmed that when she handed me a to go cup of coffee and set the pastry box on the counter.

“Um, hi,” I said and gestured to the cup. “Thanks.”

“Oh, no problem. When Max texted me to say Emmet had a guest last night, I was shocked and thrilled. Then I was concerned since that old Wolf never seems to have any food in his house! I mean he always orders a ton of meat when I go shopping. Because, you know, Wolf ,” Penny said and winked.

Now, I remembered Penny from high school, but she always seemed the quiet type. But she was saying more than just good morning with all this. She seemed to know about Emmet being a Wolf Shifter.

“But he never buys anything girls like us want to nibble on in the morning, except for, well , I think it is safe to say you know all about that. Am I right? I am right, right?”

But before I could say anything, she was back to talking. I never knew her to speak in such a rapid flow, and I had a hard time following.

Nibble? Oh my God. Did she mean his dick?

“Sorry, am I talking too fast? It’s just I’ve been dying to have another woman to talk to who might understand all this craziness with me.

I mean, I have Avery, but she’s so busy with Rosie, I hate to burden her.

Plus, she is kinda pissed since I am getting more D than her lately.

But now that you’re here, we can talk, right? ” she asked, blinking at me.

D equals dick. Okay, I can follow along.

“Um, yeah, sure. I mean, we can talk, but um, Penny, I haven’t really talked to Emmet yet and I don’t know?—”

“What don’t you know? I mean he claimed you right? Max said he claimed you. Oh, please don’t tell me I fucked up our friendship this early by telling you Emmet is a Werewolf before he could,” Penny blurted, covering her hands with her face.

“Um, no, no, you didn’t tell me anything I didn’t know. I mean he already told me about Demon,” I said.

“Demon?”

“His Wolf.”

“He named his Wolf? That is so hot! I wonder if Max will let me name his Devil? But it might be different for me and Max because technically Jersey Devils are not strictly Shifters and our beastie sides are not animals,” she muttered out loud, and I did a double take.

“I’m sorry what now? Did you say Jersey Devils?” I asked, and I knew my eyebrows were so high now, they were likely stuck inside my hairline permanently.

Oh, this morning could not be any weirder. I sat down at the small table heavily, the cup of coffee forgotten in my hand, and stared at Penelope.

“Yeah, you know about me and Max, right?”

I shook my head. Nope. I sure as fuck did not know about her and Max.

“Shit. Um, okay, so what did you and Emmet do last night?” she asked, sitting down across from me warily.

I took a sip slowly and shrugged my shoulder.

“Um, he told me he was a Wolf Shifter. And we, well , you know,” I mumbled, my cheeks heating under her stare.

“And he bit you?”

“Yeah,” I replied and nodded.

“And he told you what that means? And about his Crew? The rest of us, I mean?”

I shrugged, because he did, sorta . Then I just shook my head.

“Okay, so let’s start there. Max is the Alpha here at the Motley Crewd Ranch.

They’re a special group. You know, usually, like stays with like.

But we’re a mixed Crew. A bunch of last chance Shifters without anyplace else to go, which suits Max and his Devil’s needs perfectly.

You see, he has all this heart,” she explained, her eyes going soft as she spoke about her man.

“And he needs this place, these people, to settle himself. Shifters aren’t like people.

When they find their mates, they keep them,” she said.

Hope filled me, and I bit my lip, knowing it was too soon to feel this way, but unable to help myself.

“When I met Max, I thought he was too good to be true. A handsome man like that interested in me. What were the odds? He’s so, well, everything, and I’m just me.”

Penelope shook her head, sending tousles of chestnut hair rippling across her shoulders.

“Um, what’s wrong with you? Have you seen yourself,” I said to her.

Penelope was about the prettiest woman I’d ever seen. All curves and big brown eyes. The woman had tits for days, for fuck’s sake.

“I mean, don’t get me wrong. I know we belong together now. He is my mate. And he gifted me with this Devil,” she murmured.

“Wait. Y-you’re one too?” I whispered, my eyes narrowing as I pulled on the metaphysical veil between worlds, gasping as I saw her other form.

“Oh shit. You are!”

The room grew silent as Penelope gaped at me.

“How did you do that? Oh my God, are you special too?”

“Well, I mean, I’m not like you. Not a Shifter or a Jersey Devil or anything. But my whole life I’ve been plagued with the sight,” I whispered, my own shame and embarrassment rising.

“Holy fuck, Jezebel, that is so cool!” Penelope blurted, clapping her hands.

“Um, no, it’s not actually. I mean, I see ghosts, Penny.

And they aren’t all that nice. Plus, I get visions.

Sometimes they are mild, and I am alone, so it’s not bad, but sometimes I’ll be doing something.

Like standing in line at the grocery store.

Then one hits me and it’s just, well, embarrassing to say the least,” I confessed,

“Girl, you are looking at this the wrong way. So, you knew what Emmet was before you two boinked?”

“Boinked? Seriously,” I asked, and she just shrugged.

“Um, no, not exactly. I kept seeing his Wolf like superimposed over his face like some bad photo editor. I didn’t know what it meant.”

“And now that you do? Now that you know he’s a Wolf Shifter?”

“I think Emmet is just amazing. Demon, too,” I whispered, and that same warm feeling I got every time I thought about him started filling me.

“Seriously, Jez, you are thinking about this all wrong. I mean, I wish I knew what Max was before he came in and completely upended my life. I mean, getting used to having a dual nature is hard. But I guess you’ve always had that, huh?

Anyway, I still wouldn’t change a thing about it,” she replied with a knowing smile.

I nodded and thought about her words as she went about opening the pastry box, revealing a half a dozen amazing looking muffins.

“What are those?” I asked, leaning forward and sniffing all that deliciousness.

“Okay, these are some new flavors I have been working on,” she explained excitedly.

“I got you two of each. So these are Devil’s Double Chocolate , made with the darkest and most sinful cocoa powder I can find that is responsibly sourced.

These are Mocha Cocoa Swirl, the same as those with a thick dollop of mocha cream in the center and some concentrated espresso in the batter.

And these are Cinnamon Chocolate Danger Zone.

Those are pretty self-explanatory, but I do use this incredible Taza Chocolate, so the flavor profile mimics authentic Mexican hot chocolate, and I add rum to the mix. ”

“Holy fuck, woman. Will you marry me?” I asked, only half teasing.

My mouth watered as I chose one of the muffins. She waited expectantly as I took my first bite, slapping my hand on the table as I chewed.

“Oh my God, Pen. These are fucking great,” I moaned and took another bite of the Cinnamon Chocolate Danger Zone muffin.

“Good, right?” She winked knowingly and took one for herself.

We sat there in comfortable silence, polishing away our muffins when she asked me a question.

“So, will you be moving in now?”

“What?” I asked, spitting chocolate crumbs as I choked a little.

“Oh, sorry. Here,” she said, standing and getting me a cup of water.

“Thanks,” I muttered and sipped. “Why would you ask that?”

“Because you two are mated,” she drawled.

“Yeah. I mean, we had sex, but I don’t know if he even wants to see me again. Why would I move in?”

“Oh, honey, did he not explain mating?”

“I mean, I think I know how to, um, mate ,” I replied, and my cheeks were definitely bright red.

“I don’t mean sex, Jez. I mean the fact you have been plucked and fucked. You are not going anywhere but right here with that Wolf.”

“What?” I gasped.

That sounded insane. Also hot. Very hot.

Shit.

Did I even want that?

Yes.

I mean, a part of me did.

Okay, fine. Every part of me did.

“Why would Emmet want someone like me around all the time, Pen? I mean, I am nothing special,” I said with just the right amount of self-deprecation.

“And once I start having visions and freaking him out, he is going to run for the hills like every other man I have ever known.” I replied, bitterness lacing my tone.

“Okay, first, I call bullshit. Seriously, Jezebel, tell that little criticizing asshole voice that says you are nothing special to go fuck itself, okay?” Penelope said, and damn, it sounded like a command.

I swallowed, eyes wide. Emmet was the only person who’d ever stood up for me like that, but I could see by the fire in Pen’s eyes and the way her skin tinted red that she meant it.

“You are beautiful, Jez. And I know for a fact Emmet thinks so. Hell, even if he didn’t, that doesn’t even matter. You were always so pretty. Even back in high school. You know, I was super jealous of your eyes,” she confessed, and I snorted a laugh.

“That’s, well, that’s dumb. But if we are confessing, I was always jealous of your tits,” I replied.

“Really?”

“Yep.”

She grinned. I chortled. Next, the two of us were doubled over laughing so loudly we didn’t even hear the door open.

“What is going on in here?” Max Leeds walked right up to Penelope, grinning as she continued to laugh and kissed her right on her smiling lips.

“Hi, Sugarplum,” he whispered.

“You two doing alright?” Emmet asked, and I tilted my head back to see him staring down at me, a curious expression on his face.

I nodded my head and tugged on his jacket, heat filled me as he bent and gave me what I wanted.

The second that man’s lips hit mine it was like nothing I ever experienced all over again. Heat filled me and that third eye I was so afraid of seemed to open up on its own, gifting me a view of Demon’s blazing green eyes as he watched me from the other side.

There was something so primal and raw in his unwavering gaze. Something so prideful and for once in my life I did not hate my gift. Not in the slightest.

When Emmet finally lifted his head, I saw the same look in his eyes, and my heart thumped heavily inside my body.

Oh, this man was doing things to me. Things I did not think were possible. He was melting the frost. Making me live. Daring me to dream again. Burning me from the inside out with the heat of his gaze.

Sizzle. Sizzle.