Mating Instinct: A Moon Shifter Novel (2 page)

“Surprised I haven’t seen you in Kelly’s before,” the guy, Scott . . . something, said.

She’d been there a few times when she’d been human, but she’d usually been so busy working at the ski lodge—where she’d been an employee until a month ago. Shrugging, she smiled and shifted in her seat, crossing her legs in his direction. She didn’t want to make bullshit small talk. That wasn’t what tonight was about.

The man’s dark gaze drifted down to her covered legs, then back up to her chest. Even though she was clothed, the way he looked at her made her feel practically naked. That should be a good thing, she told herself. She needed to be exposed in front of another person and she hadn’t been since that awful night. Maybe this would help with her nightmares. Anything to help her get rid of the nausea-inducing memories she couldn’t seem to outrun.

So why did she feel so guilty being out with someone else? She and Jayce had broken up nearly a year ago. He’d made it perfectly clear that she wasn’t good enough for him. Oh, sure, he’d loved her in the bedroom, but that was all he’d been willing to give her. He hadn’t been willing to make her his bondmate when she’d been human and she sure as hell wasn’t going to give him a second chance now that she was like him. Not that he’d actually asked for one. He’d just been calling a lot since her attack.

Acting all concerned.

Well, he could take his concern and shove it. She didn’t need him or his help. She would take care of her own problems, the way she always had. By herself. Unfortunately she couldn’t seem to keep her head on straight. For a moment back in the parking lot she’d thought she scented Jayce, but she knew it had to be a figment of her imagination.

“So how far from your place are we?” Self-loathing bubbled up inside her as she asked the question.

Scott’s dark eyes glanced her way and he grinned before turning his gaze back to the road in front of him. “Not far, baby. Not far.”

Baby?
She hated that term. Before she could dwell on it she sniffed the air. Something sensual rolled off him and it took her a moment to realize it was lust. She was still getting used to tapping into her extrasensory abilities and deciphering one smell from another. This was like a sweet wine, clean and refreshing.

It reminded her that even though she might not care about this guy or plan to see him again, he wasn’t a bad person. It was the reason she’d chosen him tonight. Before she’d been turned into a shifter she’d been a human but also a seer. Just like her mom. Back then she’d only been able to see the true faces of supernatural beings. She’d been able to see the wolves or jaguars or whatever kind of animal lurked beneath the surface of shifters. And with vamps, she’d been able to see their teeth and their hunger for blood. After being turned into a shifter she could also see the truth of humans’ nature. It was a weird addition to her psychic abilities. With the ability to see the truth about people, she could see Scott’s “real” face. He was just a horny guy looking to get laid. No darker intentions or freaky sexual proclivities.

As they pulled into the driveway of a cottage-style house in a normal-looking middle-class neighborhood, she took another deep breath. She could do this. Couldn’t she?

When he put the truck in park, she fought the growing dread inside her. It moved like molasses, weighing her down and making it hard to breathe. With a numb hand she opened the door and slid out of the vehicle. The second her boots hit the pavement of the driveway she knew she couldn’t go through with this. Not if she wanted to look at herself in the mirror the next morning. One-night stands weren’t her style, and while she desperately needed control in her life, the thought of this guy’s hands on her body made her nauseous. Not because he was bad-looking or gave her bad vibes, but because she didn’t want this from a stranger. Not truly. As she started to walk around the truck to Scott’s side, she turned at the sound of a motorcycle pulling into the driveway behind them.

Fury popped inside her at the sight of Jayce. Well, fury and something else that she refused to define. It might have been relief, but she wasn’t going to go there. Not tonight. Not when anger was so much easier.

Stalking toward Jayce as he slid off the bike, she tried to keep her gaze from trailing down to those incredibly muscular legs. Didn’t matter that he was wearing jeans. She’d seen every inch of his naked body and the image was seared into her brain. He moved with such fluidity—it had always amazed her.

Even now, when she wanted to pummel him for having the audacity to follow her, she still had to admire the strength and power he radiated. He would never be called handsome, or even good-looking, but there was something dangerous about Jayce that was incredibly sexy. Without even trying, he exuded a raw sexuality that made women stand up and take notice. With his shaved head and a scar that crisscrossed over his left eye, he had . . . a presence that refused to be ignored. The scar only added to that edginess. And he was directing all of that at her with a
very
heated stare.

“What the hell are you doing here?” she practically shouted.

Before he could answer, Scott was next to her, in front of her actually, partially blocking her from Jayce. “Can I help you, buddy?”

Kat smiled haughtily at Jayce. At least Scott wasn’t a total wimp.

But then Jayce trained his gaze on the other man. Jayce was scary when he wanted to be, and as she watched his normally gunmetal gray eyes turn to black, she actually had to force herself to stand her ground. He growled low in his throat. “You can go inside your fucking house and leave us alone.”

Scott cleared his throat nervously, then looked at her. “You, uh, know this guy?”

She could smell the fear on him. Bitter and acidic, it stung her nostrils. So much for not being a wimp. Ignoring Scott, she turned back to Jayce and set her hands on her hips. “Did you
follow
me here?”

“What do you think?” he practically purred as he took a step closer.

Now she scented something dark and rich, like chocolate.
Lust.
As a human she’d never had a clue that lust or desire actually had a smell, but now . . . this was addicting. She inhaled and for a moment she felt light-headed. But when she saw the knowing look in Jayce’s eyes, she snapped. “I think it’s pathetic that you’re following me around like a little puppy dog.” She knew he still wanted her and the knowledge made her feel powerful. Even if she was playing with fire by taunting him, it gave her perverse pleasure to see the anger flare in that newly darkened gaze.

“Puppy dog?” His voice was low, a soft, menacing growl that made the hair on her arms stand straight up.

Next to her Scott actually took a step back, using her body to block his own. Oh, yeah, total wimp. “Should I, uh, call the cops?” His voice was pitched a little higher than it had been earlier.

“No. Just go inside and forget you met me.” She didn’t look at him and he didn’t question her directive. She heard him shuffle away, then fumble for his keys. They hit the pavement once, then seconds later she heard the front door slamming.

Jayce continued to stare at her, his chest falling and rising erratically. Oh, yeah, she’d pissed him off really good.

“Get. On. My. Bike.” The words tore from his throat with apparent difficulty.

She really should just give in. Especially when he was in a mood like this. But she wasn’t in the mood to be passive or appeasing. She was in the mood to fight. “No.” With her gaze still on him, her eyes mocking, she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. Before she had a chance to call someone for a ride, Jayce plucked it from her hand and shoved it in his front jeans pocket.

Kat stepped toward him until they were inches apart and held out a hand. “Give me my phone.”

“If you want it, come get it.” He lifted a dark eyebrow in challenge.

Swallowing hard, she looked at the front of his jeans where the bulge of her phone was. Yeah, that so wasn’t happening. Glancing past him, she looked at the bike. She could be stubborn and walk home, but that thought wasn’t appealing. So she ignored him and strode toward the bike. After sliding onto the back—no helmets for either of them apparently—she sat there and tried to ignore the heated stare he gave her.

A combination of red-hot fury and lust rolled off him, both of which she could do without. She wasn’t scared that Jayce would hurt her, but she didn’t want to deal with his anger. Despite her desire to fight with him, when they argued things almost always ended up in the bedroom.

And she definitely couldn’t handle that right now.

Too many things had happened since they’d been together, and she had too much resentment toward him. She averted her gaze, purposely ignoring him as he got on the bike in front of her. As he tore out of the driveway she had no choice but to hold on to him.

Sliding her hands around his waist, she tried to ignore the strength beneath her fingertips. His back was incredibly muscular and the feel of it pressing against her breasts was almost enough to take her back to when they’d been together. Back to when they’d actually liked each other, not just physically wanted each other.

Nine months wasn’t that long, but it might as well have been a lifetime. She was a different person now even if he wasn’t.

When he took another sharp turn she gripped him tighter. Over the sound of the rushing wind, she thought she heard him laugh, but it was impossible to tell.

After what felt like an eternity they pulled up to December’s house. Kat immediately jumped off the bike and headed for the front door. She could get her phone later. Before she’d made it up the front steps, Jayce passed her and inserted a key into the lock.

Gritting her teeth, she hung back as he stepped inside without giving her a backward glance. “What do you think you’re doing?”

He didn’t bother to turn around as he flipped on a light in the foyer. “We’re talking. Now.”

For the first time since she’d seen him that night she was beginning to second-guess her decision to bait him earlier. She should have just kept her mouth shut. Sighing, she stepped inside and shut the door behind her. But she didn’t bother locking it. Jayce wouldn’t be staying long.

Leaning against the closed door, she crossed her arms over her chest as he turned to face her. Under the small decorative chandelier in the entryway his gray eyes almost seemed to glitter. She refused to look away, but she was thankful for the door holding her up. “What do you want to talk about?”

He took a menacing step toward her. “You and your bullshit.” Before she could lay into him, he continued. “You might not care about yourself, but every time you go out in public without telling anyone where you are, you put the entire pack in danger. You might be an adult, but you have the skills of a cub. Until you learn to control your urges and your ability to shift, you need to use your fucking head.” All his words were gravelly and filled with anger.

“I didn’t ask for this life,” she snapped.

“No. You didn’t. But at least you’re alive. It’s time to stop feeling sorry for yourself.” He covered the distance between them, and before she realized what he intended, he caged her against the door with his body and braced his hands on either side of her head.

Asshole.
“I don’t feel sorry for myself.” Maybe she did, but she wasn’t going to admit it to him.

His snort told her he didn’t believe a word she said, but he didn’t contradict her. “If you have a need to find sexual release, you won’t search it out with any other male but
me
.” The words rumbled up from his chest in a low growl that sounded more wolf than human.

The statement took her so off guard that she dropped her arms from their protective embrace around herself. “
Excuse
me?”

He leaned in closer until his entire body was a mere inch from hers and his mouth was next to her ear. His hot breath sent a tingle racing through her, searching out every nerve ending until she practically trembled with the need to feel that mouth all over her. “If you go to another male, I will kill him. That human tonight is lucky he’s alive.”

“You wouldn’t do that,” she whispered, even though she knew the truth. Could hear it in his darkly murmured words. She’d known he still physically wanted her, but this . . . was unexpected. And a little insane. Why should he feel all possessive when he was the one who’d decided she wasn’t good enough for him by lying to her about the bonding process? It had to be his animal side asserting dominance. That was all. Like a dog peeing on a freaking fire hydrant, he was just acting territorial because he could.

“Do you really want to find out if your
puppy
will bite?” Another low murmur against her skin.

He wasn’t quite touching her, but she could feel the heat rolling off him and onto her nonetheless. She didn’t answer, partly because she didn’t trust her voice but mainly because she knew the question was rhetorical. Jayce was a deadly warrior, not a puppy dog as she’d said earlier. She knew he was reminding her of that.

As she stared at the spot where the curve of his neck met his shoulder, she fought the sensation that shimmied through her. The thought of going to bed with Jayce was tempting. Even thinking about it made her feel light-headed.

He’d said she could find sexual release with him, but that was all it would be to him. Even if he did care about her, he would never give her what she wanted. Not that it mattered anymore. She was so messed up and broken, she had no hope of having anything normal in her life again. And she refused to go to him for any sort of sexual pleasure. Especially since it wouldn’t be about control. With him, she’d lose it, not gain it. She could find control of her life in other places. Like revenge.

The word rang loudly in her head.
Revenge.
After what that APL bastard had done to her, she was going to make every single one of them pay. And she didn’t need Jayce interfering with those plans.

Ducking out from under his arms, she put a few feet of distance between them in the blink of an eye. Without his spicy, earthy scent overpowering her, she could breathe again. And think clearly. “Get out of here.”