I lifted the cup as he laughed. He smiled and tilted his head in Gunnar and his brothers' direction at the end of the bar. "Actually, the Hemming boys ran home and brought back a small stovetop maker."

I swiveled in my seat and stared at them. They all wore an expression like that of a puppy who'd just brought you a stick as a present and waited for approval. "You guys ran home to bring me espresso?" They all nodded, I jumped off my seat to run over and throw my arms around as many of them as I could. "You guys are so sweet; I can't believe you would do that-"

A loud, menacing growl cut my thanks short. All four of the guys' faces shifted from elation to fear in the s.p.a.ce of half a second as they peered over my shoulder. I almost growled myself, as I moved to see who stood behind me, but Gunnar grabbed my arm to halt my progress, eliciting another rumbling noise from behind us. He was scared but didn't release me, even though the rumble grew louder. I started to turn my head, and he used his other hand to stop me.

Ja'lyn said in a loud enough whisper for me to hear, "Cut that out." The next growl was cut off by a slap, changing it to a yelp. The Hemmings looked as though they were about to c.r.a.p their pants. I glanced around as far as I could with Gunnar's hand still attached to my face. There were mixed expressions of fear and amus.e.m.e.nt in the room. The growling subsided, and after another moment or two, Gunnar dropped his hand from my face. He still looked frightened, so I patted his arm rea.s.suring before turning away.

Walt stood at the other end of the bar, staring daggers at Gunnar. Abe was chuckling, Graham looked angry, and Ja'lyn seemed both amused and annoyed, as they all stared at Walt and appeared ready to spring into action if he made a move. I stood staring at him, not breaking my gaze until he finally looked away from Gunnar and shifted his eyes to me.

I crossed my arms over my chest and raised an eyebrow daringly at him. He stared right back. I felt that funny feeling, similar to the one I had when looking into Graham's eyes previously, but this one was much more p.r.o.nounced. I could only compare it to the precursor of a migraine, when it felt as though someone were sitting on my brain. This time, the heaviness was accompanied by a tingle sparking around inside my head as well. He kept his eyes locked, and even though the pressure in my head was growing in intensity, I refused to look away. I always won staring matches, and there was no way I was losing this one.

But I grew bored after thirty seconds or so and stuck my tongue out at him. His eyes grew wide with shock, and I rolled mine, which made him laugh. His laugh made my girly parts quiver, but I refused to focus on the sensation and giggled instead. In mid-giggle, I noticed something odd; there was no other noise inside the bar. I glanced around, my giggle dying as I noticed everyone else looked frozen in place.

"What the h.e.l.l?" I looked back at Walt, who looked slightly repentant. He took a deep breath, after which I heard the others start to move about and chatter amongst themselves. Everyone still looked slightly rattled, but relieved at the same time. I glanced over my shoulder at the Hemmings and smiled. "Thanks again." I headed to my seat after they smiled back in unison.

SIX ~ Walt.

I couldn't tear my eyes away as she shut the bathroom door, and I heard the lock engage. I kept staring, even when Ja'lyn asked, "What the f.u.c.k was that, Walt?"

"Mine," I replied without thinking.

"s.h.i.t," everyone else in the room said in one voice, and I heard her stop moving inside the bathroom. So did everyone else, and we all waited in silence until we heard the slide of cloth against her skin again.

"Walt," my dad uttered, quietly enough to keep her from hearing.

I leaned back against my dresser and crossed my arms over my chest, and then looked to Sam.

"I'm going to get the coffee ready. Come on, guys." Sam led everyone who wasn't family from my apartment and down the stairs.

When they were out of earshot, my dad spoke again, "Son-"

"I know." My heart hurt.

"No, you don't know s.h.i.t." Abe stepped closer. "What about our research?"

"It wasn't supposed to be me."

"Why not?"

"Because the clan will never accept the changes if they believe I had ulterior motives."

Ja'lyn broke first; she and my dad had been watching Abe and I go back and forth like they were watching a ping pong match.

"What the h.e.l.l are you talking about?" she said a little too loudly, and we all looked at the bathroom door which had begun to open.

"Oh, don't stop on my account," my mate said to the entire room.

My G.o.d, she was beautiful, adorable-the s.e.xiest woman I'd ever seen. Her chocolate-brown hair had a slight wave to it and it fell to her mid-chest, which was covered by my favorite flannel shirt. I only got a glimpse of her cleavage above the last b.u.t.ton she'd fastened. d.a.m.n, she looked s.e.xy in it. My sweat pants appeared gigantic on her five-six frame. And she was wearing Ja'lyn's fuzzy pink bunny slippers.

Her striking blue eyes bore into me as she walked in my direction. The feeling she gave me was unbelievable. It was almost as if she were leaking her own power, but that would've been impossible. She wasn't an Alpha; she wasn't even a shifter. But I was paralyzed as she made her approach. She stood in front of me for a moment and indicated I should move by inclining her head to the left, but, I literally couldn't move. To be perfectly honest, the feeling was a tad scary. She reached around me, and her arm brushed against mine. This sparked a tingle that shot straight to my heart, causing it to skip a beat. I inhaled sharply, my lungs suddenly hungry for the air.

She fought her attraction better than I, but I could clearly see she'd been affected too. She grabbed her purse, which I hadn't realized was laying behind me, and stepped back quickly, turning and walking toward the door in the same hurried manner.

"Are you sure you don't want to go back to sleep?" Abe asked as she trotted past him. She stopped to lay a hand on one of his arms, which were crossed over his chest.

I couldn't fight the growl that escaped me. Abe started laughing and she giggled, shaking her head as she descended the stairs.

"Jesus Christ, what the f.u.c.k was that? Did you feel that? Holy s.h.i.t!" Ja'lyn looked at me wide-eyed.

"Yeah, I felt it. But it doesn't make a difference."

"Why the f.u.c.k wouldn't it make a difference?"

"Does it make a difference for you?"

Ja'lyn reeled back and away from me. It was a low blow I knew, but I couldn't discuss the situation right now. It stung, knowing I had to let my mate go. Abe and I had been doing research into the Good of the Clan Law, which stated the Lupinskis were not allowed to mate with our true fated mates. The act of doing so made us unstable and uncontrollable. We were forced to mate for the good of the clan. If there was a nest, pack, school, or whatever at risk, we had to mate with one of them to strengthen the bloodlines and work toward saving them and us as a clan from extinction. The law had been in place for generations, and I found it to be disastrous. In my mind, the political motives of the shifters we ruled had caused them to lose all common sense. They were all a bunch of fuddy-duddies hesitant to change. Granted, Abe and I had been correlating data and a.n.a.lyzing it for years, hoping to force one. And we were close to having enough proof, that I didn't see how the clan could disagree. That was how this change had to happen. It couldn't be about me, or the suggestion might tear the clan apart. As Alpha, it was my duty to hold us together, regardless of the personal sacrifices I'd be forced to make. Regardless of the sacrifices all the Lupinskis had made. Like Ja'lyn.

I took the couple steps needed to reach her and put my arm around her shoulders. "Sorry."

"It's okay; it's true." She shrugged, and I squeezed her a little tighter.

"It's not fair."

"It would be worse for you." She looked up at me with tear-filled eyes. "I can't imagine going the rest of my life without seeing him, even if we can never be together."

"It gets easier with time." My dad said somberly. Ja'lyn and I looked at him; he didn't acknowledge us as he turned and left the room.

"Abe?" Ja'lyn questioned.

"Come on. We should get down there." Abe walked out without giving us a second glance.

Ja'lyn looked up at me, and I shrugged my shoulders. "Not a f.u.c.king clue," I said as we followed.

I made it to the bottom of the steps in time to hear Sam laugh and say, "Nah, the Hemming boys ran home and brought back a small stovetop maker."

My mate swiveled in her seat and asked, "You guys ran home to bring me espresso?" They all nodded, and she jumped off her stool to hug them. "You guys are so sweet; I can't believe you would do that-"

I lost it, growling loud enough to scare the ever-loving p.i.s.s out of the Hemming boys. She wanted to turn toward me, but Gunnar grabbed her arm to stop her. I growled again, and he put his hand on her face to keep her gaze from falling on me. There was going to be a dead f.u.c.king wolf if he didn't get his f.u.c.king hands off my mate.

Ja'lyn said, "Cut that out."

I turned and bared my teeth at her. She slapped me.

"You're shifting!" she said through clenched teeth.

f.u.c.k! I looked down and saw the fur that had sprouted from my arms. Additionally, my claws had extended, my canines lengthened. It took a couple of moments to calm myself enough to stop growling and a couple more to become entirely human. The guys in the bar were a mix of either scared or thoroughly amused in reaction to the situation. This was not f.u.c.king funny. f.u.c.k me!

When I had myself fully under control, Gunnar dropped his hand from her face. He still looked frightened, and she patted his arm before turning to stare at me.

I couldn't look away from Gunnar. He needed to know that if he ever touched her again, he was dead. Jesus Christ, what the f.u.c.k is wrong with me? I'd just been saying I couldn't be with her, because my priority had to be my clan; yet, here I was, ready to rip one of its member's limb from limb because he'd touched her to protect all of us and our secret. f.u.c.k, I had to get myself under control. I was the Alpha here, and she needed to know that.

She crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow at me, appearing thoroughly annoyed. Then, I felt it again, what I had dismissed earlier, a slight pressure inside my head. If I hadn't known any better, I would've said she was forcing her Alpha power upon me, which was impossible. My beast came to the forefront; I couldn't let her win. I could not and would not submit to her.

I released a small portion of my power, and all the shifters in the room stopped moving. She appeared entirely unaffected though, merely staring back at me. I released more, and she tilted her head slightly as if preparing to submit, but I was met with greater resolve as she fought me and kept her eyes locked on mine. The pressure I felt was growing, but I could handle it. On the other hand, the tingle coursing over my skin was enough to make me lose my control, forcing me to either submit or throw her over my shoulder and run away with her. Before my body could come to a decision, though, she did something unexpected.

She stuck her tongue out at me, and I barked out laughter. Her eyes grew wide for a moment before she giggled. The sound was like music written for my d.i.c.k, which was once again pressing painfully against my zipper. She tilted her head and looked around the room, her expression growing more and more concerned as she took in all the shifters who remained frozen in place. "What the h.e.l.l," she muttered.

I took a deep breath and thought, Get a hold on yourself, Walt. I repeated my new mantra over and over until I was able to rein in my alpha power. It was like it had a mind of its own, and I couldn't let the animal inside me win. Just such an inner animal had sp.a.w.ned the whole Good of the Clan bulls.h.i.t hundreds of years ago. It took me a minute, but eventually my more logical self won, releasing the rest of the shifters in the room.

Once everyone started moving again, my mate glanced over her shoulder at the Hemmings. "Thanks again," she told them, as they smiled in unison like children seeking approval. I stared at them until they noticed me again and showed me their necks in submission. Every other shifter in the room was waiting to see what I did next. I glanced around, needing to do the right thing. What I really needed to do was walk away from her and never look back. But I also felt the need to touch her before I exploded. My inner beast took over, and I walked a couple of steps to the stool next to her even though my brain was screaming no.

"May I?" I asked when I reached her, motioning to the empty seat next to her.

"You own the place; I think you're allowed to sit anywhere you f.u.c.king want."

"And if I f.u.c.king want. . ." To f.u.c.k you until you can't remember the name of anyone you've ever been with? "...to sit with you?"

Her blue eyes sparkled like sunlight over the Caribbean Ocean when she smiled. "Then I'd say you should f.u.c.king sit with me." She kicked her foot out, moving the stool out a little in my direction, which wasn't necessary as I simply kicked my leg over it.

"Show off."

"Well, if you got it use it."

"Isn't it, if you've got it flaunt it?"

"Yes, you should."

She'd been lifting her espres...o...b..fore I made her laugh and spill a little on her shirt. "s.h.i.t!" She set her cup down and peered at the stain. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart."

"Sweetheart? You don't know my name do you?"

"We haven't been formally introduced, no." I put my hand out. "I'm Walter. Most folks call me Walt."

"And the rest?"

"Rest of what?"

"What do the rest of the folks call you?"

"That would be just one person, and she calls me Wall." She laughed, and my d.i.c.k grew impossibly harder. G.o.d, I would make this woman laugh every f.u.c.king day for the rest of our lives if I could. "It's a long story, one I'll tell you someday."

"Think I'll be around that long?"

I was beginning to feel awkward with my hand just hanging there, so I glanced down at it.

She stared at my hand for a second like it might kill her. In the end, she squared her shoulders and said in the rush of a small breath, "Andrea, but my friends call me Andy."

Then, she took my hand, and her perfect lips opened slightly with a gasp as she felt the same intense feeling which coursed through me. I could feel the fight in her leave her, and it was extraordinary. Her lips parted slightly as she bit her bottom lip. Barely a moment later, her entire body shuddered. G.o.dd.a.m.n, that was beautiful.

I couldn't help but ask, "And, am I your friend?"

"Huh?"

I smirked. Baby, if I did that holding your hand, just imagine what it's going to be like when I have your hands pinned above your head and your leg over my shoulder. "Am I your friend? Can I call you Andy?"

She rubbed her thumb across the back of my hand and gave me the s.e.xiest smile I'd ever seen. "Yes, you may call me Andy, and I think we could be very good friends."

I almost came in my pants.

SEVEN ~ Andy.

"It's just one person, and she calls me Wall." I laughed, and he continued, "It's a long story; I'll tell you one day."

"Think I'll be around that long?" He didn't answer, merely continued to extend his hand.

I hesitated, debating for a moment over whether I should accept his hand, afraid of what might happen. But I wasn't a chickens.h.i.t. "Andrea, but my friends call me Andy." I took his hand and barely managed to hold back a gasp. The slightest touch from him made my skin tingle, my nipples tighten, my p.u.s.s.y had a mind of its f.u.c.king own, and my heart began to beat wildly. The feeling was incredible, so I said a mental f.u.c.k it, refusing to fight the overwhelming sensations. I bit my lip and let my eyes roll, enjoying it. It felt like one of those moments right before you c.u.m, when the feeling slowly builds in the most erotic and almost unnerving way until-Oh, G.o.d-I shuddered. Holy s.h.i.t! I'd just had a mini o.r.g.a.s.m brought on by holding this guy's hand. I couldn't imagine what it would be like if I had been riding him like a cowgirl. I probably should've been embarra.s.sed; I did just f.u.c.king c.u.m in front of a room full of guys but f.u.c.k it. That was the first o.r.g.a.s.m I'd had in a very long time. It was a small one but mighty. His d.i.c.k better not be like that. Well, mighty but not- "And, am I your friend?"

He interrupted my train of thought. "Huh?" I had no idea what the h.e.l.l he was talking about.

"Am I your friend? Can I call you Andy?" He wore the s.e.xiest smirk, his eyes lit up with amus.e.m.e.nt. He was certainly enjoying his effect on me. Well, two could play that game.

I rubbed my thumb across the back of his hand and gave him my best come-hither smile. "Yes, you may call me Andy, and I think we could be very good friends."

He focused on my neck, and his eyes grew a little darker and s.e.xier-if that were even possible. My brain said it should have scared me, but other parts of me disagreed.

His voice was deeper when he asked, "And what do very good friends do?"

"I'll have to get back to you on the specifics and I said, I think. You're not there yet." You go Miss Sa.s.sy Pants.

"I guess I'm going to have to work on that."

"I think you should." His eyes...d.a.m.n. My insides clenched painfully while my panties grew even wetter. We were caught, each of us, in the gaze of the other. This wasn't the staring-match tension I'd felt before; this one was all about promises of what could happen if I let him in. And I wanted to, but once again, my brain screamed out all the possible dangers which could result from this particular situation. I couldn't end up like Mom and Grams; I would not let a man destroy my happiness. But his eyes... I couldn't look away.

A cough behind the bar broke the hold we had on each other, and we both turned toward the noise.