ROMANCE: SHIFTER: Shifter to the Max Collection (Dragon, Bear, Wolf and Panther Shifter Romances) (Paranormal Fantasy Romance Collection) (12 page)

He sat there panting, like any hound might do.

"What the—" Sabrina's voice failed her. She watched as Jakob stood on his two hind legs and licked her face. She gasped, then broke into a wide grin.

"Are you kidding me?" she squealed. "You're a freaking werewolf? That's
awesome
!"

Jakob licked her face again. Sabrina dug her hand into his fur, a deep brownish black. His gaze held steady against hers and Sabrina felt like he was trying to communicate. She closed her eyes and listened. Very faint, in the back of her head, she could hear him. Only hear wasn't the right word.
Feel
. It was like a gentle tugging at the nape of her neck, pulling her senses from her and using them to signal her brain. Jakob wanted to run.

Sabrina wasn't much of a runner, but she'd do the best she could. "What about your clothes?" she asked. He looked towards a tree and Sabrina nodded. She gathered them up and placed them behind a tree hidden in shadows. When she turned back, Jakob was sprinting ahead of her.

"Wait for me!" she squealed, and ran after him. He was just out of her range of vision when two men stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

"Hello pretty lady," one man said, his hair long and dark.

"Do you always run through parks alone at night?" asked his freckled companion. His hair was red with wild waves of blonde running through it. He was holding something in his hand. It shimmered in the moonlight, and Sabrina recognized the outline of a knife.

"Why don't you come over here?" the dark man said. "Make it easy on yourself."

Sabrina tried to scream, but it caught in her throat. The two men advanced towards her, not wasting time. Sabrina turned to run. Just then, the wolf appeared. His lips drew back, revealing fangs that could puncture a brick.

"Whoa, easy pup," the freckled man said, holding up his knife.

Jakob had no intention of easing up. The desire to protect his mate was too primal, Jakob leapt at them. The blade of the knife was short, but it dug into Jakob's shoulder as he jumped at the man. Jakob let out a whimper, but that did not stop him from digging his teeth into the man's arm. The freckled man raged and flailed.

Sabrina watched, horrified. There was nothing she could do. She hated feeling helpless. The dark man jumped at Jakob, but when Jakob turned his attention to him the man fled. The freckled man tried to limp away but Jakob ripped his thigh apart and let him drop, then ran after the other one. They were too far off for Sabrina to see. All she could do was listen. The human screams vs the wolfen howls. It seemed like an eternity.
Please be okay please be okay.
Finally Jakob staggered back into sight. He ran to her, licking her face with his bloodied muzzle, then transformed back into a human.

Sabrina threw her arms around him, and Jakob held her tight.

***

"Are you sure you're okay?" Sabrina asked for the thirtieth time.

Jakob was touched by her alarm but assured her that he was fine. She eyed him distrustfully, but had to admit that the wounds he'd suffered were nearly gone. It had only been one hour since the attack.

"What about you?" Jakob asked. She handed him coffee and nuzzled next to him on her couch.

"Me? I'm fine. Because of you." She reached out her hand and let it rest in his. He intertwined his fingers with hers.

"You're not at all upset by the shifting?"

"Hell no!" Sabrina sat up and looked hard at him. "I think it's amazing. I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it. How did it happen? Were you bitten?"

Jakob thought Sabrina looked especially cute when she got excited like this. "No. I wasn't bitten, but my great-great-grandfather was. The trait has since passed down."

"That's amazing! Do your brothers have it to? What about your mom? Can girls be werewolves?"

"It's much rarer to find a female shifter who has wolf abilities, but not unheard of. My brothers are brothers not in the human sense, but that we all belong to the same pack."

"Can I meet them?"

"Of course. Once we're married, you'll be a part of our family. You already are, in many ways. An alpha's mate is almost as important as he is."

Sabrina was quiet. Jakob wished he could read her mind. With his pack, he nearly could. Not always, but when it was important he could pluck their thoughts from their head. Sabrina's lips formed a slight pout; the red from earlier this evening had faded to a solid pink that Jakob found delicious. He leaned across Sabrina's couch to taste her but she put one hand on his chest, preventing him.

"I can't marry you," she said. "I mean, not yet. Maybe... maybe one day." Just saying referring to marriage as a possibility at all was enough for Sabrina to hyperventilate.

"But why wait? Nothing will change. I'll always love you. At least consider it."

Sabrina nodded to appease him, but in her heart she didn't think she could do it. Jakob just didn't get it. He may be her mate, but everything in her life had taught her not to trust love. If he knew her parents, he might feel differently. She bolted upright on the couch and threw her hands out to the side, smacking Jakob's nose.

"Ouch," he said.

"I'm sorry. I just remembered..." The look of horror on her face alarmed Jakob. His wolf senses immediately rushed into overdrive, alert for any sign of danger.

"What is it?" he asked, standing and searching her small apartment.

"I... I told my parents you were my date for their anniversary party." Jakob turned and stared at her, she was almost hyperventilating.

"Of course. I would love to meet your parents," Jakob said, thinking that would calm her.

"Oh God," she moaned, almost like she was sick. "It's gonna be a nightmare."

Sabrina's phone started buzzing around nine. She had just walked into her office and was greeting the day with a white chocolate latte and cinnamon roll. She glanced down and saw her mother's phone number. There was no reason to talk to her mother so early in the day. That was the last thing she needed after last night.

Jakob had sat on the couch with her for a while after agreeing to go to her parent's party, but Sabrina couldn't enjoy herself. Jakob's touch sent sweet murmurs over her arms and up her neck, but the sweetness was tainted by the rising panic in her throat. What was she going to tell her parents? And what was she going to tell Jakob? She'd promised to think about marriage, but she could hardly take the idea seriously.

She sat in her office and waited for her first couple to enter, so she could begin the routine of convincing them they still had a chance at happiness.

***

Jakob stood across from Blake; Mark, Randall, and Tony just behind him. Only William seemed to be horrified at the idea Blake had just put forth. The rest of the pack stood back to watch.

"What do you mean you don't think Jakob should be alpha?" William's lips drew back and a growl rose in his throat like a thunderstorm.

Jakob was calmer. He'd had all night to think about it. Arriving home from Sabrina's, his thoughts of her luscious curves and sweet scent had been interrupted by a stray thought from Blake. Jakob had caught it, like picking a feather out of the air. Blake wanted alpha status. Jakob had sensed it coming, and perhaps if he hadn't been so involved with Sabrina these last few days, he would have been able to prevent it before it got to this point.

"You think you're better than me?" Jakob asked, exposing nothing but a cool tone. His eyes, however, dared Blake to cross a line. Jakob stepped closer. Mark and Tony stepped back. Blake stood his ground, inching his head higher towards the ceiling.

"You should all be expelled for this," William growled and shifted, ripping his clothes so fast they exploded all over the room.

Mark put his hands up in a placating gesture. "We only think Jakob should consider letting Blake lead for a while. We're happy for him that he found his mate, but it's not right to ignore his pack and break the deal we've all spent months on."

Blake growled and stepped towards Jakob. Jakob was ready. He'd always been the fastest, the biggest, it was part of his alpha origin. He shifted in an instant and jumped behind Blake, pushing him to the ground before he could blink. Blake tried to shift, but Jakob forced his will into him and held the shift at bay, forcing him to remain human. Blake was helpless under Jakob's heavy paws and razor teeth.

"I was only thinking of the pack," Blake said. He tried to portray himself as calm, but they all heard the speed of his heart as Jakob bared his teeth.

***

Sabrina's mother called and called, but left no messages. Sabrina finally started getting worried. What if something had happened to her father? At lunch, she dialed her mom's cell and had to hold the phone away from her ear when her mom answered.

"Oh my
God
Sabrina! Why didn't you tell me?" she squealed.

Sabrina's ears rang. "Tell you what?"

"That you're dating the richest man on Earth!"

Sabrina's heart sank. "You didn't call about Dad?"

"What? No, your father's fine. He's just as excited as I am."

"I did tell you," Sabrina said. "Sort of."

"Oh Sabrina honey," her mother went on as if she hadn't heard her. "This changes everything. Our anniversary party isn't just for us anymore. It can be a celebration. My daughter and the catch of the century."

"It's not that serious," Sabrina tried to say.

"That's not how it looks in the picture."

"What picture? Wait a minute, how do you know about all this?"

"Oh honey it's all over the papers!"

"It is?"

"Of course! You can't date a man like that and not have the news spread. He's the most eligible bachelor in the world. The
world
."

Bile rose up Sabrina's throat, stinging it. "Mom, I've gotta go, I'll call you later." She hung up and walked to the corner newsstand. On the front page of The Daily was a picture of her and Jakob, lips locked, a baseball game going on behind them.

***

Sabrina took the rest of the day off, feigning illness. When she pushed Jakob's doorbell, her heart thudded like a drum. A man with light hair and matching eyes answered. He seemed to know who she was. "Jakob's upstairs," he said. "Come on in."

The man seemed nice enough. He gestured for Sabrina to come in, but she stayed outside. "Can you tell him I'm here please?" But the man didn't have to. The second she'd arrived Jakob had sensed her. He was already at the door.

"Thank you William," he said, and stepped onto the porch. William closed the door, leaving them alone.

"I can't see you anymore," she blurted before Jakob had even spoken. "I'm sorry. This just won't work."

"Sabrina—"

"No!" Her vision was clouded with tears that ran in raging currents over her cheeks. "I don't want to be a part of your world! Don't you understand? It doesn't
matter
that I'm your mate. It doesn't
matter
that I love you. I don't
want
you."

Jakob had been trying to put his arms around her, now he stepped back. Her eyes were red, and her words burned his insides. "You don't mean that," he said, his anger was not so much at her words as at the fact she had caused him pain.

She nodded, fresh tears winding down her cheeks.

"I do mean it. I don't want you." She said it with more force this time and saw the hurt hit Jakob like a bullet.

"Fine," he growled. "You're nothing but a coward anyways. You're not good enough for me." He regretted the words almost as soon as they were out of his mouth, but it was too late. They hung in the air like a fine mist.

Sabrina turned and fled from his doorstep before either of them could plant another dagger.

Jakob sat in his office listening to the representative from Remy Riders drone on. Outside the sky was bright. Jakob cringed at it. His heart had swollen like a bruised limb. He could not believe it had been three days now since he last saw Sabrina. Despite everything that had transpired, he still craved her like a drug.

He pushed her from his mind. His pack was right—no matter how flawed some of Blake's ideas were, the pack came first. He'd forgotten that for a moment when Sabrina came into his life. Now, he would never forget again. Sabrina—his
mate
—had deserted him. Yet the pack remained. Yes, Blake wanted to be alpha, but Jakob had put him in his place. Thirty days without his brothers should clear his head. Power struggles were common amongst packs, and now that Mark and Tony were back on board, things would be right again.

He turned his eyes back to the droning representative when there was a long pause. Jakob assumed it was his turn to speak and began barking orders.

"I will not entertain another word."

The drone's eyes flickered, uncertain. "But sir," he stammered.

"This is my final offer. Take it or leave it."

William handed the representative a packet. Jakob knew Remy would take it. He'd gone to great lengths to ensure they would. You didn't need spies when you had the sense abilities of a wolf.

The representative opened his mouth as if to speak, then thought better of it. He took the packet, bid them good day, and left.

Jakob stood from his seat. He was thirsty. Something sweet and creamy sounded delicious. He paused with his hand on his chair when he realized he was craving one of those damned lattes Sabrina was always drinking. He sighed. He would force her from his mind by whatever means necessary

"You okay?" William asked.

Jakob nodded. "Of course. They'll take the deal. We'll have their answer by tonight."

William hesitated.

"
What
?" Jakob wasn't done barking yet.

"I just... It's gotta be hard losing your mate like that."

Jakob turned away. He did not want to talk about Sabrina. Not now, not ever. The only way to cut her from his life was to pretend that she did not exist. The problem was that even from miles away, he could still smell her.

"I just think if the guys met her, she'd be more accepted. That's all."

"It's not
their
acceptance of
her
I'm concerned with. Sabrina no longer exists. Is that clear?"

"Yeah, just—"

Jakob turned and threw a look at William that almost made him bite his tongue off. "I did not make you second so that you could question everything you hear. There is nothing left to discuss."

"Yes sir. Whatever you say,"

***

Sabrina's mother wouldn't stop crying. It would've been funny if Sabrina wasn't so miserable.

"B-b-b-but honey, he's such a c-c-c-catch." Sabrina's mother blew her nose into Sabrina's ear drum. Why, oh why had she answered her phone? Oh right, because her mom had left fifty messages, the last of which said her father was at the doctor's. A lie, as usual.

"I told you it wasn't serious," Sabrina said.

"What about Walter? You can go with him now." Her mother's voice brightened and Sabrina sighed.

It was true that Sabrina had said things with Jakob were not serious. She'd said that all along, hadn't she?
It's not serious.
They're all wrong for each other
. But she'd also said she loved him. She'd told him that to his face. Had tasted the beer on his lips and the salt on his tongue and told him she would actually consider marriage.

It was the werewolf thing.

Of course it was! That made perfect sense. He'd performed some sort of sick werewolf mind trick on her to make her think she was falling for him.
What an asshole.

But hadn't he saved her life too, that night in the park? "That was just his wolf instinct kicking in."

"What?" her mother asked.

Sabrina realized she was talking out loud. As if she didn't have enough worries, she didn't need to make her mom think she was psycho too.

"Nothing. A client just walked in. Gotta go." Sabrina hung up without waiting for a reply.

There could've been a client, Sabrina reasoned. She couldn't be on the phone talking to her mom if a client came in unexpected. Except of course Sabrina was at home. She walked to the kitchen and grabbed her half-full mug off the counter where she'd left it. There'd been no clients for the last three days. There'd been no
lattes
for the last three days. Sabrina had laid on the couch where she and Jakob had snuggled only days before and settled for some instant coffee given to her at Christmas by a co-worker as a joke. Her body's curves had lost some of their contour, and Sabrina thought if she didn't get out of the house soon she'd end up with the twig body of her mother.

Yet despite her concerns, Sabrina grabbed her cup of instant coffee, warmed it in the microwave, and plopped back onto the couch for another episode of an eighties show she'd stumbled across on YouTube aptly named "Werewolf."