Growl for Me: BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance (5 page)

“Why are you looking
at me like that?” Declan narrowed his eyes.

“Huh? Like what?”
Mina shook herself.

“Like you're thinking
of...”

“Biting and licking
you all over,” Mina murmured under her breath as her tongue
darted out to wet her lips.

“I was going to say
'getting me to answer some questions about the Snow River pack',”
Declan said with a lopsided smile. “But...” He leaned
in closer and whispered in her ear. “I like the way you
think.”

Mina gasped and felt the
heat creeping up her face. “I...”

“Come, Mina,”
Declan announced, taking her hand. “I'll show you our latest
project. It's situated at the edge of the lake. The houses are
built close to nature, and we've incorporated solar panels in our
design. State of the art and environmentally friendly!”

The middle-aged lady quirked
a brow at Declan and said, “You're conducting the new staff
orientation yourself?”

“Yes, Iona,”
Declan answered with studied patience. “I am.”

“Hey, I can orientate
her!” Carter volunteered eagerly.

“Thank you, Carter,
but she's mine.” Declan smiled, but everyone heard him growl
the words.

Iona glanced at Mina and
cocked her head at Declan. Mina couldn't read the question in her
eyes, but she saw Iona's lips move soundlessly to form the word
'human'.

Declan growled louder in
response, and turned to usher Mina towards the door with a hand on
the small of her back.

Once the office doors had
swung shut behind them, Mina looked up at Declan's stern face and
asked tentatively, “Is everything all right?”

“Yes, darling.
Everything is going to be all right,” he answered with a grim
smile.

Declan stared at the curvy
redhead beside him, his nostrils flaring at her sweet, delicate,
maddening scent. Iona was right. She was human, wholly human...and
she was unmistakably
his
.

His wolf had prowled to the
fore last night and rammed against his human mind and body. Declan
usually trusted his wolf instincts. His beast would rise when it
sensed danger to the pack. As the Snow River Alpha, it was his duty
and responsibility to protect the pack. He had his trackers and his
sentinels, but his wolves only relayed information and intelligence
to him. As their Alpha, he had to use the information and decide on
the best course of action. Should they fight, or should they wait
and watch? How many wolves would he have to sacrifice if they took
on a hostile rival pack that was causing trouble in his territory?
Would he be able to solve the problem without a full-blown battle
between the packs?

Declan always believed in
diplomacy before bloodshed. Every wolf in his pack was precious to
him. He would rather not risk their lives if he could help it. But
sometimes, it couldn't be helped. For the good of the pack, some
sacrifices had to be made.

But last night, his wolf was
highly agitated, anxious and angry. His human mind couldn't quite
grasp what had gotten under the skin of his wolf, but he knew it had
to be something serious, something big. He had been working in his
study at home when his wolf suddenly jolted up and clawed viciously
at him, demanding to be let out.

He had charged out of his
house as a great white wolf, and stood on the top of his front steps
and howled.

His pack responded to their
Alpha's call almost immediately. Down the entire street, wolf howls
sounded from the houses and a minute later, white wolves burst from
the front doors of the houses and ran to meet their Alpha.

The Snow River pack followed
their Alpha out of Misty Valley, running down the empty highway.
Declan directed his wolves into the forest flanking the highway, and
the white wolves moved swiftly and silently through the trees. In
wolf form, he could scent her.

She was near, so near
Misty Valley. His wolf knew exactly where his female was, and when
the scent of her fear hit him, he exploded in rage. His female was
scared, and she was hurt. He heard gunshots, and he smelled her
blood.

And then he saw the Red
Fangs pack swarming around a battered green car. He saw the Alpha of
the Red Fangs, Rhett, clawing through the broken windscreen to reach
the frightened female in the car. And he saw Logan, Rhett's
second-in-command, lunge at the human woman.

Just as she screamed,
Declan threw himself at Rhett and Logan, knocking the two red wolves
away from the terrified woman. He would have killed Rhett, tore out
the red wolf's throat and snapped its neck, if he hadn't sucked in a
lungful of her scent at that exact moment.

Her scent, her all too human
scent, hit him like a locomotive. Declan reeled back, and by the
time he shook himself and cleared his head and vision, Rhett had made
his escape. Declan wanted to give chase, but he couldn't leave her.
She was human, a vulnerable, fragile human, and she was—his
mate. She wasn't just his female. Alpha wolves could have many
females. She. Was. His. Mate. His one and only.

Declan howled a command to
his wolves to chase the red wolves off, and make sure they didn't
circle back to attack the human woman in the car. The red wolves had
fled, with his pack hot on their heels. He was left alone with a
frightened, bleeding human woman. A woman who was his fated mate.

Declan never expected that
his fated mate would be human. And after what she had just gone
through, he thought that she would be scared of him. Instead, she
trusted him with her life. She settled her soft, curvy body on his
back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Declan had to resist the
urge to howl with pride as he carried her to Misty Valley. He had
kept watch outside her hotel the whole night, but he made sure that
he was well hidden by the shadows. He didn't want to spook her.

And now, she was walking
shyly beside him, her shoulder brushing softly against his arm.

“Thank you,” she
said suddenly, making him jerk.

Declan turned to see Mina
smiling as she slid her hand into the crook of his arm. “It
was you. That big white wolf. I knew I'd recognize you,” she
said, looking up into his eyes.

He swallowed.
Do you
recognize me as your mate?

She smiled, visibly relaxing
as she walked beside him. “Misty Valley is lovely,” she
said, looking into the windows of the shops and cafes, and sniffing
at the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread as they passed a few
bakeries. “Thank you for getting my car. That was...really
sweet. I'll pay the company back. I owe you...”

Declan shook his head. “You
owe me nothing.”

“But...”

“We take care of
our...staff.”

Mina frowned, then stiffened
when she realized that they were walking arm in arm. “Oh, I'm
sorry! I just did it unconsciously. What was I thinking? I didn't
realize...I didn't mean to be so familiar...that's inappropriate, Mr
Grant...” she stammered, pulling her hand away.

Declan grabbed her wrist and
tucked her hand right back where it belonged. In his pants. No,
hand! In his hand, that's where. They would walk hand in hand, not
hand in pants.

Declan took a sharp breath,
feeling as if his pants had suddenly shrunk. His pants felt a little
too tight for comfort and he knew why. He just hoped that Mina
wouldn't notice that enormous bulge straining against his zipper.

Mina let out a nervous
giggle.

“What?” Declan
said gruffly.

“I...I don't know. I
just...I don't want you to have the wrong idea. I usually don't hold
hands straightaway with a guy I've just met. It's just that...I feel
pretty comfortable with you. Which is weird. Because I've just met
you, and yet, I feel as if...” She bit her lip. “...as
if I've known you for a long time. I should be scared of you.
You're a werewolf!” She let out a high pitched laugh. “Like
those red wolves who attacked me...”

“No,” Declan
snarled, rounding on her. “We are not like the Red Fangs.”

Mina shrank back. “I
didn't mean...”

Declan forced himself to
step back, but he didn't release his grip on her hand. “We are
wolves, but we would never hurt a helpless, human female. And we
would never touch someone's mate,” he growled under his breath.

Her gray eyes rounded.
“Mate? Who...”

“Is there anything you
would like to ask me about Snow River Construction?” Declan
said quickly. “It's a new job, a new town for you. It must be
a little...confusing, and very frightening...”

“I'm not frightened.
In fact, I think I'll like it here,” she said, surprising him.
“You've welcomed me so warmly, and...all of you protected me
last night.” She stopped and frowned. “How did you know
that I was in trouble? I didn't call anybody...”

“My wolf,”
Declan said truthfully.

“Your wolf...knew I
was in trouble,” she said slowly.

“Yes.”

“And your wolf can
sense when any member of your pack is in trouble,” she
continued, narrowing her eyes.

“Yes.”

“But...I'm not a
member of your pack.”

“You are,” he
answered carefully.

“I am not a
werewolf.”

“You don't have to be
a werewolf to be...”
My mate
.

Mina frowned at him. “Is
there...something you're not telling me, Declan?” she asked,
stepping closer to him.

“Oh look! We're
here!” Declan said brightly, throwing his arm out to gesture
at the breathtaking scenery in front of them. They had wound their
way out of the town center and were standing in the middle of a lush,
green field. The grass swayed and pointed towards a wide, shimmering
lake. Standing at the very edge of that magnificent lake was a row
of half-completed houses.

“There! Our latest
line of waterfront homes,” Declan announced. “What do
you think?”

Mina stumbled forward and
gasped. The lake in front of her sparkled and rippled invitingly.
She could see the undulating mountains in the distance and when she
looked up, she thought that the sky looked even bluer and brighter
out here. At the edge of the vast lake was a row of half-completed
two-story houses with solar panel roofs and full-length glass
windows.

“Oh,” she
exclaimed. “Those houses are amazing! I would love to live in
one of those houses!”

She turned to see Declan
watching her intently. “I mean...if I can afford it,”
she added quickly. “Do you have staff discount?” she
joked.

“We do,” he
answered seriously. “Take your pick.” He jerked his
chin at the empty houses.

Her eyes bugged. “No,
no, no, I was just kidding.” She shook her head. “Seriously,
I mean...”

“Seriously, take your
pick. We haven't sold them yet.”

“Oh, Mr Grant...”

“Declan,” he
said sternly. “Call me Mr Grant one more time, and...”

Her lips quirked up. “And
what will you do to me...Mr Grant?” She waggled her eyebrows
provocatively. She started, taken aback by her own actions. She was
flirting shamelessly with her boss! Since when did she become so
forward, so bold and brazen?

Since you rode him into
town, that's when.

Mina gasped at that smug,
naughty voice in her head. “Ah...”

Before she could take a step
back, Declan was right in front of her, his chest pressed against
hers. Mina tried to back away, but his arms locked around her,
caging her in. She blinked hard and whimpered at the dizzying
nearness of him, at the heat of his body and the feel of his hot
breath on her neck.

“W-what are you
doing?” she whispered.

He bent down, his lips
hovering just above hers. Her eyelids fluttered as his arms
tightened around her. “What do you want me to do, Mina?”
he growled softly.

“I...” He
dipped his head, and his lips brushed lightly against hers. The mere
touch of his lips sent a bolt of lust hurtling down her body. Her
breath hitched, and she lost her train of thought. All she could
think of was how good his body felt against hers, and how much she
wanted those sexy lips on her.

“What do you want,
Mina?” he demanded, gazing hungrily into her eyes. “Tell
me.”

Before she could stop
herself, her greedy hands snagged his collar and pulled him down to
her. “I want you to kiss me,” she growled, fisting his
shirt. “Kiss me, Declan. Kiss me like you mean it!”

Mina gasped as Declan
grabbed her hard and crushed his mouth to hers. His kiss was
demanding, bruising, burning, and her lips parted automatically for
him.

She heard him growl with
pleasure as he explored her mouth with his tongue. His large hand
landed on her breast and he squeezed gently as he kissed her. When
he grazed the back of his hand against her aching nipple, she let out
a moan and arched her back.