Alpha Wolf_A Paranormal Shifter Romance Page 7

  Amelia sighed like a little school girl with a crush. The biggest smile ever was on her face as she remembered the taste of his sweet potato casserole. “The whole night was pretty amazing.”

  Bonnie squealed like they were in high school. “Did you guys do it?”

  Amelia snorted and pushed her friend back, careful of the ice cream. “No, he had to leave for some work thing, but he sure knows how to use his hands.” It actually made her giggle to gossip with Bonnie and it felt good. Like a weight lifted off her shoulders and all her worries kind of just fell to the wayside.

  “Oh, that’s my kind of guy,” Bonnie said with a wink. “Does he have a friend?”

  Amelia shrugged. “I’ll let you know.”

  She still wanted to know what Kai did for a living that required he leave at night like he had, and why his eyes turned silver. Amelia wasn’t going to let it drop until she had enough answers to satisfy her anxiety, but she also felt bad for Kai.

  She would probably never be normal, or fully confident in their relationship, and Amelia worried that would wear on him until he simply gave up and walked away. And when it did happen, she wouldn’t blame him either.

  Amelia drove people away and sometimes it felt like that was the only thing she was good at.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Amelia

  Kai had dropped his keys off Friday morning and helped her get her suitcase into the ridiculously nice black Subaru. It was perfect for snow he said. Amelia’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel the entire time. She couldn’t decide if she was more anxious about driving the car in the snow up an unfamiliar winding mountain road, or if it was Kai on his motorcycle in front of her.

  Amelia had asked if it was safe for Kai to ride, but he insisted he’d prepped his motorcycle for winter with the proper tires, and a litany of other things. The quirky smile on his face as he explained it all to her was enough to make her glare. He obviously liked that she was concerned for his safety.

  Her reaction was stupid, she wished she would stop getting so defensive about everything. Would it really be so bad for Kai to know she cared? It had been two days since their date and long enough for all her old anxiety and fears to come roaring back. Amelia couldn’t believe she was driving a fucking car.

  They’d almost slid off the road once and she’d had to pull over to calm down. Ice scared the shit out of her. Kai had offered to drive and trek back to get his motorcycle, but Amelia didn’t want to be a baby about everything. She didn’t want Kai to think less of her. So they’d agreed to go slow and he’d promised it wasn’t much farther.

  It had never been just about the money. Amelia didn’t own a car for a few reasons including the time her father had jerked the wheel from her during her permit hours and they’d crashed. He’d forced her to get her license so he didn’t have to ‘chauffer’ her everywhere, but Amelia had never driven after she’d gotten her license unless it was an emergency. David had insisted more than once it was an ‘emergency’ when he called her to pick him up from the bar.

  Maybe Kai was right after all. Her parents had demanded her respect, but they’d never really earned it. And forcing her to do something that obviously terrified her? It was over a decade later and it still gave her cold sweats to be behind a wheel.

  Amelia was determined to overcome at least some small part of her fear by crushing the drive to the cabin.

  It was still early in the morning, but Amelia was ready for a damn nap after the harrowing drive. They’d taken the 84 east which hadn’t been bad, but then they’d gone off on the 82 north and Amelia felt like she’d been taken to a different planet. It was like no one else existed among the trees and quiet space with the Blue Mountains in the background.

  She’d never had the pleasure of traveling, and this was more of the world than she’d ever seen outside of books. It was part of why she loved to read. Travel was a luxury she’d never been able to afford. Her entire life had been spent in Portland aside from the few places Bonnie had managed to drag her.

  Kai waved his arm and then turned onto an even more remote road; she hadn’t even known that was possible. Thankfully Kai had put the Subaru into all-wheel drive before they’d left with a warning to stop if it started snowing. Apparently, he didn’t like to ride his bike when it actually snowed.

  At least he was a little bit human. Amelia was beginning to suspect he was some kind of superhero who never tired or got cold.

  The road up to the place went through some trees and then opened up to a beautiful cabin in a wide clearing. With the fresh, untouched snow from the night before it looked like something out of a fairytale; the good kind and not the ‘cook children’ kind.

  The surprise was nice and it settled some of her nerves. It was a massive place with two stories and a huge wraparound porch. There was a big beefy truck ready for the winter weather parked nearby. This wasn’t just a family cabin anyone might have. This was a full on house made to look like a cabin that only people with money had. Amelia was both curious and suspicious. As long as Kai didn’t sell drugs or anything like that they were good.

  Kai opened her car door before she could close her mouth from gaping at the place. “You like it?” he asked, helping her out.

  She was still so surprised she didn’t protest his assistance when she could certainly stand on her own. “It’s something you’d see on a Christmas card.”

  Kai chuckled and jogged to the trunk to retrieve her suitcase. “It’s my main home, actually,” he said. “I spend most of my time here and then I commute to La Grande most days.”

  “For what?” Amelia asked, following him carefully. There was no walkway that she could see under all the snow so she stepped exactly where Kai stepped. At least she’d had the foresight to wear her boots.

  “I own my own mechanic shop,” he replied, waiting for her at the bottom of the porch stairs with his hand outstretched. “I have five mechanics and one office manager. Most days I go in, oversee, choose what I want to work on, and then come home. Specialty projects are towed here and I work in the garage.” He pointed out the massive barn-like building across the clearing tucked into the trees. It was dark, but very roomy-looking.

  It was a lot to take in and Amelia had a hard time believing her good luck. Nothing illegal, and Kai did well for himself. He was a go-getter type. It settled more of her nerves and Amelia rolled her neck as she breathed in the smell of the clear, cold mountain air.

  Kai opened the front door for her and let her enter first. Amelia took off her gloves and scarf as she stomped her boots. The mudroom was like something she’d see on Pinterest and the living space beyond was exactly out of a fancy home book. The living room was two stories tall and wide open. The back wall was made of glass and overlooked a breathtaking view of the forest, a small lake, and more land empty of anything manmade.

  She slipped off her boots and walked farther into the house, setting her coat, scarf, and gloves on one of the empty hooks.

  Amelia loved the color choices. Even though there was a lot of natural wood, the decoration was done in whites, greys, and blacks. There were pops of blues and greens, but most of it was a calming cool oasis with the backdrop of the forest as the main focal point.

  “This place is amazing.” More descriptive words failed her. Normally Amelia had a better vocabulary, but she felt speechless. “How did you manage this?” she asked, waving her hand at the kitchen just as large as the great room.

  It was probably rude to ask, but Amelia wasn’t great with filters. She was supposed to be herself, and she really wanted to know how someone had this much success in life. Where had she gone wrong?

  “Well, I inherited certain responsibilities. Our community had some money, and I purchased this place. It sits on twenty-five hundred acres of land. For a few years it was just a mobile home until I could afford to build this.” Kai shrugged and grinned at her.

  Like it was no big deal. Twenty-five hundred acres – that was so much land.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked, going into the massive kitchen and opening an equally ginormous refrigerator.

  Amelia didn’t try to hide her disbelief. She crossed her arms and frowned at him as he dug into the far back, pulling out a few ingredients. It looked like Kai had every intention of feeding her again. What a weirdo, but – she also kind of loved it.

  “So, you somehow just had the money to purchase that much land. What do you need it all for anyway?”

  Kai shrugged one shoulder. “Well, I’m not the only one who lives on the property, though I am the only one who owns the title. There are a few more cabins, but no they aren’t as big as this. My mechanics and the office manager live in them.”

  It was so strange…Amelia had no idea why he’d want them so close all the time. “What if you had to fire one of them?”

  For the first time his face went blank as he cut some beautiful steaks off a massive hunk of meat. Holy shit, that was practically an entire animal…and it fit in his fridge. Her loft was beginning to look drab in comparison with his millionaire playboy cabin.

  “I’ve had to fire one before, but we’re a close-knit community. They’re not just my employees; they’re my friends and family. We look out for each other and take care of each other. Every one of us has issues and a past to blame.” Kai shrugged. Amelia could tell he cared deeply for these people.

  She sat on one of the barstools and watched him set up the ingredients. Getting Kai to open up was like peeling an onion, not difficult, but annoying as only one tiny layer came off at a time.

  “Are they also Native American, part of your tribe? This isn’t a reservation right?” God she sounded ignorant, but Amelia had studied Native American History in college, and the customs she was more familiar with. The modern culture and information she was a little hazy on. There was one reservation she knew of nearby, but it definitely wasn’t on Kai’s land.

  He shook his head and sprinkled herbs and spices on the steaks before putting them on a platter. Kai took the steaks to the outside porch where there was a gorgeous outdoor cooking area. Amelia followed him to the window but didn’t go outside. He’d tell her more or he wouldn’t. She wasn’t going to push.

  Every time she pushed it had always backfired before. David hated when she pushed for anything.

  As she watched Kai cooking outside in the cold for her she realized that maybe it hadn’t been her. Maybe it had really been the abuse Sarah had tried to tell her it was. But after growing up with her parents and the way they were – then David? Amelia had nothing else to compare it to, and the men she’d met after David hadn’t exactly proved her wrong.

  Not until Kai. Amelia really hoped she wasn’t the reason because she didn’t want to ruin this. Kai was…better to her than she deserved.

  She sighed and turned to inspect the house. Amelia used the time to explore a bit. The great room had a couch that was a ‘U’ shape and could easily seat twenty people. There was a ridiculously massive T.V. over the fireplace and she went down a small hall to find a study that was really a library. It was lined with books from floor to ceiling; so many books.

  She ignored the leather couch and the huge desk. There was a nice big table, where one could sit and read or do research…it was very fancy. Amelia inspected every shelf and there were actual first editions on his shelves. This wasn’t a library one could curate in a few years, not unless money was limitless. Some of the books looked like they’d been treasured for generations.

  A copy of Alice in Wonderland caught her eye. Not only was it a first edition, it was signed by Lewis Carroll. She shook her head in disbelief and slipped it back next to the copy of Alice in Zombieland. It made her laugh to see all the variations next to each other. He had The Looking Glass Wars, and something called Alec in Wonderland. Curious, she pulled it off the shelf. Her cheeks heated as she realized it was a gay fairytale romance. Well then.

  “Found something you liked?” Kai teased, leaning against the doorframe. He watched her with that one-sided smile and she blushed.

  Amelia put the book back and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Are you gay?” Instantly she regretted the question, but she wanted to make sure. This was all too good to be true.

  Kai laughed and crossed the room in two strides. His hands went to her waist and he lifted her as though she weighed little more than air. He set her against the shelf and ran the tip of his nose from her collarbone to her earlobe, breathing her in.

  It caused an instant reaction in Amelia. She gasped and felt it right in her middle as the warmth radiated outwards. She clutched his shoulders and when he pressed against her she felt the hard length of him.

  “I’m definitely not gay,” Kai murmured. “Lucky for you.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Kai

  No, Kai was most definitely not playing for his own team.

  He loved that Amelia had just asked instead of getting weird about it, maybe playing games instead of simply talking to him about her concerns. It made things so much easier. Yes, his mate had issues and she didn’t trust easily, but she was always upfront and he loved that.

  “You ready for some steak and eggs?” he asked, rubbing against her because it felt so damn good.

  Kai felt like a teenager all over again, ready to blow his load at a moment’s notice with the way his mate held onto him, making those little noises. For fuck’s sake she was gorgeous.

  Amelia shook her head. “I think I’m hungry for something else first,” she said, her voice a bit huskier than normal.

  Those words excited him, but they also didn’t quite sound like her. He pulled back and searched her eyes. The mate bond had to be affecting her senses. Kai would have to tell her soon, but he wanted a few more days to convince her she could love him instead of thinking the mate bond forced it.

  “Darling, I’d love to take you right here and right now, but we agreed on slow remember?”

  She muttered something under her breath that sounded like ‘fine then, because I don’t have sexy lingerie anyway’ before pushing past him, cheeks red.

  Instantly Kai felt terrible and he jogged after her. Amelia was fast when she wanted to be. “Hey,” he said, grabbing her hand before gently pulling her into a hug. “It’s not because I don’t want you.” He pressed against her again to show her the truth of his words. His pants were uncomfortably tight.

  The way she came for him the other night had been all he could think about. Kai dreamed of her in his sleep and all the things he wanted to do to her, up to and including cuddling on the couch in front of the fire.

  “I still owe you,” Amelia said, dropping to her knees.

  Instantly Kai tensed. This was not what he’d expected. He was speechless as she unzipped his pants and pulled out his cock without hesitation. Kai inhaled sharply as she slipped him into her mouth and he bucked, he couldn’t help it. It was so unexpected and sexy. Kai was already on the edge as he stared at her.

  Could Amelia actually want him that badly?

  Seducing women who weren’t his mate had been easy and Kai had never had problems in the bedroom, but he was nervous with Amelia. He didn’t want to lose it early and she was the only one who shoved him to the edge so quickly. She was also the only one he cared about losing and it made the chase a thousand times more difficult.

  “Jesus,” he murmured as she took him deep, sucking hard on his cock with her hand at his base. It made his skin tight and he clenched as she sucked him deeper. “Amelia.” Her name was a whisper on his lips and Kai groaned as she worked him.

  Her mouth was soft and gentle, warm and with a silky texture that made the pressure and pleasure build hard and fast. He ran his fingers through her hair and the lovely soft curls she had. Her scent filled the room. Amelia sucked again and he felt it. His cock hardened and his balls drew up as her tongue flicked the tip. “Amelia I’m about to come,” he warned.

  She didn’t stop and the way she looked up at him…Kai lost control, shuddering as he growled his pleasure and he felt his cum fill her mouth. Amelia sucked him dry until he was a quivering mess barely able to stand.

  Amelia wiped her mouth and smiled up at him. “Now we’re even.”

  Kai growled. Not even close, but she would soon find that out. If her stomach weren’t grumbling he’d lay her down and show her what ‘even’ meant. He pulled her up into his arms and kissed her, salt on her mouth and all. Everything about her was delicious.

  “I appreciate that more than you know,” he said.

  It would certainly help him last longer when he made love to her later, but it had also been her choice. He hadn’t had to ask or convince her, there was no seducing involved. Amelia had wanted him and she had done something about it.

  “But you don’t owe me anything.” It was important he get that through. Amelia’s past hadn’t been kind and Kai didn’t want her associating him with her ex.

  One day Kai would hunt him down and enjoy the way his blood tasted.

  Amelia didn’t respond with words. She carefully put him back in his pants and zipped him up. Kai’s hands tightened on her hips. God, he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anyone. Those blazing green eyes burned him up inside and he wanted to claim her for all to see. Amelia was his.

  He pressed his forehead to hers. She was so tiny in his arms. “You know you have a choice, right? You can ask me for anything, or say no.”

  Those green eyes flashed, but she smiled at him. One of those rare, blinding smiles that transformed her entire face and Kai felt the mate bond strengthen between them. “I’m starting to get that,” she told him, cocking her head to the side.

  The way Amelia studied him gave Kai hope. Maybe this would work. She’d already come to his home, his territory where she was safe. His wolf was happy and satisfied so far. But if she left in four days with no intention of coming back…Kai would have to find a way to make this work. His wolf couldn’t do long distance.