Vegetarian Mate [Pack Law 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (9 page)

Rochelle stepped back even though he wasn’t close enough to touch her and then cursed herself for showing any weakness in his presence. An evil gleam flashed in his eyes, and then he left the office.

“Are you ready to go, darlin’?” Braxton asked as he entered the office from outside. “Malcolm is waiting in the truck. Jarrod is going to be another hour before he can get away.”

“Okay,” she squeaked.

Brax walked toward her and studied her intently. “Are you all right, Rochelle?”

“Fine. I’m just a little tired.”
And imagining weird things.
She must be getting used to hanging around
weres
if she thought people were smelling her.

“Come on, then. Let’s get you home.”

* * * *

Over the next week Rochelle became proficient at and more comfortable with her new job, and instead of Trudy doing the work, she did. Trudy was more than happy to let her take control. She hadn’t seen any more of that creepy man, Harold, and even though she had wanted to ask Jarrod about him, she didn’t. She figured she was just being paranoid. There had been no reason for her to take an instant dislike to a stranger.

Returning home on Friday evening, Rochelle joined the other women in the living room for a glass of wine. Malcolm and Braxton had gone out for a run. Even though she would have loved to go outside and watch them change into their wolf forms again, there had been other males with them, and one thing she was definitely not ready for yet was to see other men naked.

Looking down when she felt small hands on her calves, she smiled and reached out to help Stefan to his little feet. Stefan was the Alphas’ child, and he was so cute she couldn’t resist picking him up. He gave her a cheeky grin and then tangled his fingers into her hair, giving a good tug. Rochelle didn’t mind though.

Keira was currently nursing her six-month-old daughter, Emma, and Talia was burping her two-month-old son, Riley, and she wondered if Samantha was pregnant, as she was sipping a cup of tea instead of drinking alcohol. Michelle had been mated to the Alphas for over two years and Keira and Talia for a little less than that. Samantha was still relatively new to the family, having been part of the pack for only six months. But all the women seemed to have become fast friends, and Rochelle envied them their close camaraderie.

The pack members doted on the newest arrivals to the family, and there always seemed to be someone willing to relieve the new mothers if they looked like they were flagging. She cuddled Stefan and gently removed her hair from his little hands, then proceeded to lift his top and blow raspberries on his tummy. The gurgling laughs he produced were contagious, and she found herself laughing along with him.

“Do you want children of your own?” Michelle asked, taking the seat next to Rochelle on the sofa.

“Maybe someday. I’ve always loved children, not that I’ve been around any since I left the orphanage.”

The toddler in her lap reached for his mom. Rochelle passed him over to Michelle, feeling wistful at the sight of the baby with his mother. “I never thought I’d have a man of my own,” she said to Michelle.

The other woman’s eyes twinkled. “Or men.”

Rochelle laughed, reaching for her wine to hide her embarrassment. She still wasn’t used to talking about this. “Or men,” she agreed. “I was too hell-bent on finding what was missing to even think about starting a family of my own…but I think that’s what was missing.”

She looked around the room, at the women and their babies. She couldn’t imagine leaving. The idea of getting back in her car and continuing her road trip gave her an actual physical pain in her chest.
This is where I’m supposed to be.

Keira spoke up from the other side of the room. “Can I ask you a question, Rochelle?”

“Oh, sure.”

“Why are you vegetarian? Speaking as a werewolf, it’s kind of hard to grasp.”

Rochelle looked down at her lap. “The orphanage had their own stock, and they used to bring someone in to kill whatever unfortunate animal had been chosen for that week. I used to pet the animals and name them. It was quite a shock to find some of my pets missing. I learned very fast to stay away from the animals.”

All the women looked sympathetic. “You probably shouldn’t watch the men hunt, in that case,” Michelle said.

Rochelle recoiled. “I certainly won’t!”

The others laughed. “They don’t ever catch anything,” Michelle reassured her. “We buy our meat from the supermarket.”

“Don’t think poorly of us for it,” Keira said. “Werewolves can’t help it.”

“I know.” As repelled as Rochelle was by the idea of eating meat herself, she was getting used to being surrounded by wolves. There were plenty of other aspects of pack life that made it well worth it to live among carnivores.

Rochelle felt a frisson on the back of her neck. She glanced toward the living room door and saw Jarrod standing there staring at her. Rochelle had never been more grateful that he didn’t have access to her thoughts than at that moment, though actually, it didn’t look like he was looking at her, more like through her. Something was obviously on his mind, but she just gave him a smile of welcome. She suspected his thoughts were still at work. Her body responded to his presence. Her breasts swelled, her nipples hardened, and her pussy leaked.

Finally he really looked at her and gave her a wink and smile in return. Then he disappeared back into the hallway.

* * * *

Jarrod stood in the living-room doorway, staring at his mate. When she smiled at him he gave her a wink and smiled back. As much as he wanted to walk into the living room, pick Rochelle up, and carry her upstairs, he couldn’t. With one last glance at Rochelle, he backed away and headed outside.

He went through the kitchen door and into the backyard, listening to the sounds of the others running and howling in wolf form. His own wolf wanted to be let out. Being close to Rochelle all week was testing the limits of his control. But he was still preoccupied with an incident at work earlier that week.

Harold James, a lone wolf, in his town. The man hadn’t done anything yet, nothing that they could prove, but ever since he’d come into Jarrod’s office, he’d been trying to figure out what the wolf wanted.

On the surface, James had come to request permission to work in town. It was a formality since James was in the Friess Pack’s territory. But he hadn’t acted like a humble young wolf seeking entry into a pack. In fact, he hadn’t asked about the pack at all…

“I promise I won’t cause any trouble in your pack, Sheriff Friess,” James had said. “All I’m asking is to stay in your town for a couple of weeks while I look for work.”

Jarrod had asked, “What sort of work are you looking for?”

“My main area of expertise is construction, but I’m willing to do anything to earn some much-needed cash.”

“Define ‘anything.’”

“Oh, nothing nefarious I assure you, Sheriff. I’m willing to work in the local bar. I’m down on money at the moment, so I can’t afford to be too choosy.”

“What pack did you say you belonged to?”

“I don’t belong to any pack, Sheriff. As I have already told you.”

Jarrod didn’t like it. The bastard was too smarmy for his liking. He wanted nothing more than to kick this lone wolf out of his town. He’d told James that he had to run it by his Alpha before deciding anything. Of course, Jonah had told him to follow his instinct, and his instincts were screaming at him to throw James out of town.

But if he refused the man’s request, James wouldn’t leave. Jarrod felt certain of that, just as he was sure that James was the lone wolf that had been causing problems around Aztec for weeks. He just needed proof.

Jarrod sighed and rubbed his eyes. It had been a long, trying week. There was nothing for it but to wait for Harold James to expose himself as a criminal. And in the meantime to make sure Rochelle kept out of his way. Jarrod didn’t want his woman anywhere near the bastard.

A soft, feminine voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Jarrod turned to find Rochelle standing in the doorway to the kitchen. The warm light caught the highlights in her hair. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“I’m fine.” When he turned back to the kitchen and approached, she backed up, out of his way.

Something in his chest twisted. Women always did that when he walked toward them. “Need something?” he asked.

She shook her head. Jarrod shut the door behind her and looked at her. If he were smart, he’d go for a run and get his wolf under control. But he wasn’t feeling smart. He wanted his mate, not to keep running away from her.

And she wanted him. He could smell her desire from where he stood. Jarrod suppressed a groan.

“Come here, baby,” he commanded.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Do as I say.”

She moved the last couple of steps and cricked her neck to look up at him.

He put his fingertips beneath her chin to keep her face where he could see it and where she couldn’t help but see him. “Are you scared of me?”

The indignant look on her face almost made him chuckle. His feisty woman wouldn’t stand for that suggestion.

“No,” she said. “Malcolm told me that you think that. But I’m not scared of you.”

Reaching out slowly, so as not to startle her, he gripped her waist and slowly lifted her until she was at eye level with him. She gasped and placed her hands on his shoulders for balance. He could feel the heat of her hands through the thin cotton knit of his shirt and craved her touch on the whole of his naked body.

“What…” she began to ask, but he ignored the question. Moving an arm, he placed it beneath her ass so she was supported by his forearm.

“Wrap your legs around me,” he demanded and was pleased when she again did as requested. Then with slow deliberation he lowered his head until scant millimeters separated their lips. Her moist breath washed over him, and he groaned when his mouth finally connected with hers.

One taste would never be enough. She tasted so sweet, and he wanted more of her delectable flavor. Slanting his mouth over hers, he pushed his way into her moist cavern. Tangling his tongue with hers, he groaned as her flavor exploded onto his taste buds.

Jarrod carried her over to the small, round timber table and slowly lowered her until her ass connected with the wood, still keeping their mouths connected. He withdrew his tongue and nipped her full bottom lip and then sucked the tender morsel into his mouth. Her whimper of need was music to his ears, and he shifted until their crotches were connected. His cock jerked, and he pushed his hips toward hers, rubbing his cock against her cloth-covered mound. He could feel the moist heat emanating from her pussy and knew he wouldn’t be able to stop until he got a taste of her delectable cream.

With practiced ease, he found the hem of her shirt and slid his hand beneath the fabric. Smoothing his way up over the warm, silky skin of her belly, he didn’t stop until he reached the underside of her breasts. He moved the last couple of inches until he cupped her delectable flesh in his palm. He used his thumb to strum her nipple through the lace of her bra as he moved his mouth to her throat.

Licking and kissing his way down her neck, he nipped the sensitive skin where her shoulder met with her neck, groaning in response to her mewl of pleasure. With dexterity he didn’t really feel at that moment, he flicked the front clasp of her bra and caught her breast in his hand as it spilled from the confines.

Moving back from her, he withdrew his hand from beneath her shirt and grabbed the hem. A scant second later, Rochelle was bared to him from the waist up. He perused her body as he inhaled her fruity scent and her musky arousal. She was a goddess. Her eyes were closed and her cheeks tinged a pink hue from her excitement. Her long golden-blonde hair spilled down her back to lie in waves over the wood of the table. Looking at her breasts nearly made him spend himself in his jeans. They were so full that the weight of them made them lie low against her ribs. They were tipped with very dark nipples. Jarrod never would have guessed she had such beautiful, large breasts hidden beneath her clothes.

“Open your eyes, baby. I want you to watch me.”

When her eyelids fluttered and finally opened, he pinned her with his heated gaze and moved closer.

He wanted her bare to his eyes, and he wanted to taste her sweet pussy now. Tugging on the waistband of her jeans, he popped open the button and slowly lowered the zipper. Pushing his thumbs under the waistband, he stepped back and pulled them down over her legs. When he reached her ankles, he cursed his eagerness that had made him forget to remove her shoes. Quickly remedying that, he then removed her jeans and panties. His hands shook with need as he reached out and touched her thighs. He was pumped up so hard he was scared he would hurt her with his zeal, so he was careful and lightly caressed her silky limbs from knee to hip.

A whimper from her drew his gaze upward, and he barely held it together when he saw the glitter of desire in her beautiful, hazy blue eyes. Snagging a chair by hooking his foot around the leg, he drew it in close and sat down. Smoothing his hands to the insides of her thighs, he gently parted her legs and stared at the soft, bare lips of her cunt.