Full Circle (Central Florida Pack Book 1) (4 page)

Ria was his mate. His wolf kept calling for her, and it was all he could do to keep the beast within him chained. He had to, until he convinced her that what he felt was real. That what he felt was more than lust. Otherwise, he would never have her. His chest ached with the need to let the sorrow out.

Sitting here in her driveway wouldn't win him points either, but he couldn't make himself leave. Knowing that she routinely rescued members of the Pack from themselves both irritated him and made him proud. She cared for their Pack, although they'd taken advantage of her.

He gripped the steering wheel carefully and backed out of the driveway after one last look at her house. One thing was for sure: he wasn't giving up. She was his mate. He felt that ache in his chest whenever he looked at her as if the mate bond was already anchored in him. Now he just had to have it anchor in her. Eventually, he was going to convince her of it.

Chapter Three

Ria wasn't sure she should be at work. James knew what was happening between her and Drake. Then, there was the construction crew. Until now, she'd never given any of them the slightest hint she was interested in dating. With James watching over her, she'd avoided any unwanted advances. Now the entire office knew that not only was she available but she was interested in the Alpha and he in her. It made for a potentially embarrassing situation, especially when it ended.

Damn it. He'd ruined everything. Her life up until now had been simple, just the way she'd liked it. Now she had to contend with a horny Alpha who seemed convinced there was a possibility that she was his mate. She opened the door to her office, which swung open smoothly and silently, just the way she liked it. Head down, she headed toward her desk.

She didn't want to look through the glass to see her coworkers. The guys were watching her every move. Her face flamed. Worse than that, she knew exactly what they were thinking.

"Hey! You okay?"

She tensed and paused before she turned around. James leaned against the doorjamb, looking as if at least he'd had a good night's rest.

"I'm fine," she said.

"You don't look fine." He pushed off and walked forward.

She backed up a step.

James didn't stop until he was right in front of her, his head cocked to the side. "I'm surprised you're in today." It wasn't a statement. It was a veiled question. James excelled at that. He leaned in and sniffed.

She stuck her chin out. Just because she'd had a crush on Drake since high school didn't mean she would or had to sleep with him. "Why wouldn't I be here?"

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Funny, I didn't think he'd let you walk away."

Ria turned and walked toward her desk. James' stare felt like an itch between her shoulder blades. She knew he wouldn't leave her alone until he got an answer that satisfied him. James was like that, a dog with a bone.

"Who says I let her walk anywhere?"

Ria spun away from the desk. Drake stood in the doorway, dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a button-down shirt. He took her breath away. She hated the way her body immediately reacted to him. In a rush of panic and retaliation she asked, "Who says that you have the right to let me do anything?"

James chuckled and moved to her side. She shot him a look and he grinned at her. "I never get between a wolf and his mate."

She crossed her arms and spat out from between gritted teeth. "Will you two stop? I'm not his mate. He's just horny."

James laughed and headed to the door. "You just keep thinking that. Good luck." He clapped a hand on Drake's shoulder as he left the room.

Drake advanced and maintained eye contact with her as he did so. In their world, it was a challenge. If he thought she was going to cower and lower her eyes, he could think again. Instead, she raised her chin.

"I thought you understood that I didn't want to see you again," she said.

"I thought you understood that you're my mate."

She sought refuge behind the desk—not that it offered much in the way of protection from Drake, but at least it was a physical barrier of sorts. It gave her enough of a sense of security that she continued to challenge him. "You and I know that when you mate, you have to mate someone strong. Someone capable of ruling the Pack."

"And you think you're not strong enough."

She sat in her chair. "I'm a low-ranking member of the Pack. No one takes me seriously except to make sure meals are out on the table and babies are taken care of."

"What about the fact that you manage to keep this crew—" He waved his hand toward the window. "—this crew, in line. That's no mean feat."

She laughed. "It's easy when James is always around to watch my back. There are a lot of guys who don't want a female managing them. Plus, I don't go out in the field."

"They respect you. You don't bullshit them."

"No, but what's the use of doing that? They work hard, they get paid, end of story." She leaned back, because at that moment he chose to sit on the edge of her desk, his hand closing over the snow globe she kept there. The snow globe he'd given her years ago. It was the first gift he'd given her at a Pack Circle, the first circle she'd attended after her after her father had died.

"It's more than that. You take care of the crew, of their families." He turned the snow globe between his palms. "You do the same thing with the Pack."

She frowned up at him. "I just do what I can."

He laughed at her, and immediately, she felt defensive. It wasn't as if she set out to take care of everybody. It just happened that way.

When she said as much, he laughed again. "You have no idea, do you? That's special. It takes a lot of grit to take care of a pack of werewolves."

"That doesn't make me Alpha material."

"Do you think being Alpha means you have to stare down every wolf in the vicinity? It means being smart enough to protect and nurture your pack." He slid off of his perch and held out his hand.

She stared at it, uncertain of what he was asking.

"Come on, I cleared your day off with James."

"I didn't ask for the day off."

"I know, but seeing as you view yourself as human, I decided that I have to court you before I can claim you as my mate."

She stood, but still didn't take his hand. "I never said I wanted to be courted."

He leaned in. Before she knew it, his hands were around her waist. She stared into his eyes, afraid to hope that he might be telling the truth. Afraid that she would wake up and it would be a dream.

He leaned in and did the unexpected. He rubbed his nose against hers. "You think I'm playing with you. Will you at least give me a chance to show you I'm not?"

She heard herself whisper, "All right."

***

She'd kept the snow globe.

Drake knew he had a chance. He'd have to hold back, although he wanted to touch her, wanted to run his hand over her silky smooth skin and through that curly black hair. He sucked in a deep breath, tinged with her familiar scent.

She was still wary of him. He'd have to romance her, which made things difficult. He would have to rein in his wolf, because he wanted this woman. With two werewolves, no one worried about romance. It was usually a whirlwind event. They caught each other's scent and everything took care of itself.

"What's making you frown like that?" She was looking up at him. He brushed back of his hand over hers and felt the shiver that ran through her.

"I was thinking that this mating business is more complicated than I thought." She looked as if she wanted to ask him something, but he caught that scent of fear again before she withdrew.

He turned his hand and captured hers in his. "I'm having a get-together in a few weeks. I was hoping you'd help me plan it." He watched her from the corner of his eye.

"Is that what this is about?"

"No. I'm hoping that you'll decide to be mine by then. So we can make a formal announcement." He smiled as she took a step back. "You still don't think I'm serious do you? I am."

"I thought you just claimed your mate." She tugged at his hand. He let her slide away.

"What, and have you pissed off at me? No thanks. I'd like to have my mate happy." She still had her purse on her shoulder. "Spend the day with me?"

***

So, Drake thinks I'm not a Beta
.

Her mouth twisted in disbelief. Everyone sure treated her like one. If she wasn't submissive, what exactly was she? The question tortured her on the ride, so much so, that it surprised her when he pulled up in front of his home.

She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it wasn't ending up at his house, Pack Central. Several cars sat out front and she recognized them all. Only Drake lived here, but for the Pack, it was a gathering place, which meant that it was never completely empty.

Drake slid out of his seat. Ria tracked his movement around the car via the side mirror. With a heavy sigh, she released the latch for her seatbelt and reached for the door, only to find empty air. He reached in and lifted her bodily out of the seat. Her body slid down his and was on fire by the time her feet touched the driveway. They were still close. Then he was stealing a kiss that was quick, hard, demanding, and conquering, all in one.

He raised his head and his eyes glowed. Ria's breath caught as a shiver racked her body.

"Come on. I wanted to kick back and relax with you. Get to know you."

She raised an eyebrow. "Is that code for watching a movie and jumping my bones?"

He grinned at her from over his shoulder. "Only if you let me." Then with her hand in his, he towed her toward the house.

The last thing she wanted to do was head into a house full of werewolves when she was trying to sort out her own feelings on the whole situation. She didn't know if she wanted to be courted. She might just want to be taken.

The moment Drake set foot in the house, he was approached by one of his sentries. Ria stepped back, only to have him squeeze her hand and pull her forward. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Wait here for me. I need to take care of sentry rotation."

She nodded and he took off for his office.

Ria looked around the living room and the Pack members who had congregated there. She wasn't sure if this was normal or not. Usually she was at work. After hours, she was busy with her own home or with whichever Pack member called her phone.

"Look who the Alpha dragged in."

Sheena. The last person Ria wanted to see or talk to, especially after last night. Not only did Sheena have her sights set on Drake, but she had also been busted by the Alpha, all because of Ria. Of course standing right behind her was Trina, a transfer from another pack. She, too, wanted Drake, which made it odd they'd decided they were fast friends.

Pack protocol dictated that Ria at least acknowledge them. "Good morning."

Sheena and Trina were watching her eagerly. They probably thought she smelled like fresh meat. "What are you and Drake up to?"

"That's our business."

"Oh no! It's Pack business," Trina piped up. She moved forward. Ria tensed but held her ground. Judging by the malicious look on her face, Trina felt as if she'd gained the upper hand.

Ria defended herself the best she could. "Then you might have a right to know, if you were a member of this Pack."

Trina halted. "I'm a member of this Pack."

"Only if you find a mate or apply for formal membership. Your Alpha has to approve it. Right now, you're on the hunt for a mate. Since you haven't found one so far, you'll have to apply for another transfer and look elsewhere."

Trina didn't like that, because she let out a little feral growl.

Sheena put a restraining hand on her shoulder. Ria felt no victory, only relief, when Trina backed down. Drake might have insisted everyone in the Pack learn how to fight in their human forms, but it didn't mean that Ria was capable of throwing more than a few blocks and trying to step out of the way.

"Just because you've suddenly hooked up with Drake doesn't mean you aren't a submissive," Sheena said. "Enjoy it while you can. I hear a few other females have requested transfers to this Pack since Circle."

Hope Ria hadn't known existed shriveled deep inside. Still, she wasn't going to let Sheena see that. "Well, I guess that means you'll be out of the running then."

Sheena jumped toward her. Ria darted to the side, but Sheena still managed to clip her, driving her hip into the edge of the couch.

"Shit, Sheena. You have a death wish?" One of the younger males entered the room from the billiards room, pool cue still in hand. Ria liked Paolo. A low ranking sentry just out of college, Paolo exhibited dominant tendencies. Most of the Pack, like the two females in the room, had a habit of mistaking his laid-back approach with weakness.

"Mind your own business, pup." Sheena barked.

"Follow your own advice, Sheena." He thumbed the tip of the pool cue as his eyes locked on Sheena's. He walked forward to stand in front of Ria, like a self-appointed guard.

"Sheena." Every one of them turned to the sound of Drake's voice. From the sound of it, he knew just what was going on. "Attacking a subordinate Pack member, the morning after I had to pull you out of a bar?" Drake turned to speak to the male who'd entered the room with him. "Damien, these are the two I was talking about."