Myra's Mate

Pack Mentality: Myra’s Mate Julia Talbot All rights reserved.

Copyright ©2006 Julia Talbot

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Chapter 1 “You’ve got to be kidding!” Colin McGrath said, glancing back and forth between his buddies, Sasha and Liam. Okay, they might be pack, and he had known them since they were teenagers, but they had both clearly lost their minds. Sad. “Oh, come on, man,” Sasha said, really pouring on the alpha charm. “Myra’s a really nice girl. She needs a good man to settle with, is all.” “Yeah. She really, really does.” Liam was doing earnest and kinda desperate, instead of suave like Sasha. That Irish accent made even needy as fuck sound good. “Uh-huh. It’s not my fault that Jenny won’t move in with you until she finds someone for Myra.” Jenny was Sasha and Liam’s chick. Both of theirs. That in and of itself was odd, but even odder was Jenny’s refusal to kinda marry the two of them until they found her roommate, Myra, a new living situation. “You could at least go out with her,” Sasha said, crowding in on Colin’s left side. Liam pressed in on his right, squashing him between their two big bodies. Bastards. They were trying to intimidate him, and it was a good thing he’d never shown his belly or throat to either of them in his youth. Colin could hold his own with pretty much anyone in the pack but the current alpha, Kamen. “Look, I’m sure she’s a perfectly nice girl. She’s not one of us, though. Not pack.” Colin tilted his head, listening to them growl over that. “Look what happened to Steve when he went out with her.” “You don’t know the whole story on that,” Liam said, sounding pretty growly. “That was mostly Steve’s fault.” “Sure.” Sighing, Colin turned off the hiking path and headed down the steps cut into the rock next to Seven Falls, trekking back to the parking lot. Might as well, as his

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hike was pretty much ruined when the double-headed monster found him. “The answer is still no.” Sasha and Liam both looked so crestfallen that he laughed out loud, and managed to do it without malice. “Can’t you at least come to supper?” Liam asked. “You can meet her and see if any of the new pack guys you know might want to give her a try.” Tilting his head, Colin sniffed for that tiny flash of heat and sweat that would tell him Liam was lying, just trying to set him up. Nothing came across on the breeze, so Colin nodded. “As long as Sasha doesn’t cook, I’ll come,” he said. Sasha snorted, but Liam elbowed the man in the ribs. The whoosh of breath from Sasha took away the man’s ability to speak. Thank God. “We’ll make lamb,” Liam said. “We’ll see you at Jenny’s place around six?” Trotting down the last few steps, Colin clapped Liam on the back before turning and baring his teeth at Sasha. “I’ll be there,” he said. “I don’t trust either of you as far as I can throw you, but I’ll be there.”

*** Myra could see Jenny watching her out of the corner of her eye. Okay, so she couldn’t blame the woman. She was restless, braiding and unbraiding the same strand of long red hair over and over again. Like a zillion times. “What’s up, hon?” Jenny finally asked, catching her eye. “Hmm?” Myra glanced away, looking anywhere but at Jenny’s face. “Oh, your toenails need polishing.” “Stop evading,” Jenny said, wiggling her toes. “What’s bothering you?” Rising, she sort of danced over to the couch and sat, grabbing one of Jenny’s outstretched feet and peering at it. “You could move out, you know. I wouldn’t mind.” “Ah. You overheard Sasha, huh?” Jenny shook her head. “No way, no day. We promised neither one of us would go until both of us were settled.” Myra dug her thumbs into the bottom of Jenny’s foot. “That was kinda unreasonable, don’t you think?”

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“Your eyebrow is gyrating,” Jenny said. Damn. That was always a dead giveaway when she was agitated. Her right eyebrow took on a mind of its own. “Anyway,” Jenny went on, “why was it unreasonable?” “Well…” Myra dug out the ‘Autumn Bronze’ polish from the end table and moved to sit on the coffee table so she could paint Jenny’s nails. Tag team polishing was way easier than solo. “They bought that new place. Sold both of theirs. It’s just silly for you to be stuck here with me when you need to be moving on with your life.” Thin coats of polish adorned three of Jenny’s toenails already. Go her and her steady hands. It was great the way Sasha and Liam had gotten a place out in the middle of nowhere. Right near Jenny’s veterinary clinic. That way all three lovers could get fuzzy when the full moon came and not worry about who might see. All three. Sheesh, some girls had a surplus. “I won’t leave you in the lurch, My,” Jenny said, then let out a surprised curse when her cell phone went off, the Barking Jingle Bells ringtone making Myra shout with laughter. “Hello?” Myra could clearly hear Liam’s booming, lilting Irish voice on the other end. “‘Lo, darlin’,” he said. “Hey, Liam.” Jenny smiled and mouthed ‘Liam’ to her, and Myra rolled her eyes. Duh. “You want to come to supper?” Jenny went on while Liam rambled away on the other end of the phone. “You and Sasha and who? Colin?” She jerked, painting a line of polish right across the top of Jenny’s foot. “Jesus, that’s cold!” Jenny exclaimed, jumping. “Sorry,” Myra muttered. “But you tell that big brute of yours that if they’re trying to set me up on a blind date they can’t come over.” “Did you hear that, babe?” “Uh-huh. So he’s not a candidate, huh?”

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Oh, thank goodness. The kind of guys Sasha and Liam knew were just… too full of shit. She could handle a nice dinner, one with no pressure involved at all. Myra nodded when Jenny poked her, and Jenny grinned. “You may come, then,” Jenny said. “What time? No, I won’t let My make the main course. I promise there will be meat.” Carnivores. Myra sighed. That was what she got for living with pack. “Later, babe,” Jenny said. She shivered, her eyes going all dark. “I’ll be waiting.” With that, Jenny flipped the little phone shut. “Don’t you guys ever think about anything else?” Myra asked. “Huh?” Looking completely unrepentant, Jenny shook her head. “No, we don’t. Though they are coming for supper and bringing a friend. So you should be safe.” “Oh, good.” Finishing up, Myra capped the nail polish and stood, listening happily to all the bells and chains that jangled when she moved. “I heard they don’t want me cooking, but I could do hummus or maybe spinach artichoke dip.” “Make both,” Jenny said, licking her lips. “I love your hummus, but Colin is as big as Sasha and Liam, so we’ll need a ton of food. I think Sasha will like this shade.” “Liam won’t. He likes you softer.” Jenny grimaced. “Yeah. More feminine.” Lots of food… “Oh!” she said, bouncing. “I could make baba ganoush. You know how I love my blender and my food processor.” Jenny got a sideways kind of look. “You remember Liam’s face when he tried it and you told him it was eggplant?” “God, yes.” Giggling, she jingled off toward the kitchen. “So you’ll make rack of lamb and maybe mousse for dessert?” “You bet. I know you like my chocolate hazelnut mousse.” “I do!” Whirling, Myra gave a little bellydance hip flourish that had Jenny wolfwhistling at her. It would be so much fun to do something together again. Jenny was trying, sure, but she spent most of her time with Liam and Sasha these days.

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Jenny must have been thinking the same thing, because she said, “We have plenty of time. Why don’t we go shopping, put in some real girl time before they come home. That will keep you from making weird smoothies and protein shakes.” Myra waited until Jenny was done rooting around for her flip flops before tripping over to give her a big, happy hug. “Thanks, Jen. I was starting to feel like a big old third wheel, you know?” “Would that be third or fourth with us?” “Hmmm.” Myra pushed her mass of hair back off her face, shrugging. “Something, anyway. Come on. I’ll drive.” Jenny hooted. “I don’t think so, My. I love you dearly, but I don’t love you that much.”

Chapter 2 Jenny and Myra’s place smelled heavenly. Colin loved lamb. His people were as Scottish as Liam was Irish, so it was probably ancestral memory or whatever, but there it was. Add to that the scents of garlic, olive oil and onions that wafted out of the kitchen, and they had one drooly wolf on their hands. His nose twitched madly, and when he glanced at Liam and Sasha, he could see they were drooling too. “Jenny must be a hell of a cook,” Colin said. “That smells amazing.” “She is,” Sasha agreed, clapping him on the back. “Yeah, Liam?” “Sure,” Liam said. “As long as it’s not the eggplant shit.” Bells chimed softly, and Colin looked up to see a red-headed apparition appear from the kitchen. Short, slender, and radiating energy, the woman had to be Myra. Wow. Steve, who had dated her, had never mentioned she was so pretty. Hell, neither had Sasha and Liam. She grinned, her late summer green eyes twinkling while she whapped Liam’s arm. “Just because you don’t like organic baba ganoush, you cretin, does not mean I can’t cook. This must be your friend, Colin. Hi there. I’m Myra.” She held out one slender, freckled hand, making Colin feel huge and ungainly when he grasped it in one of his big paws. He was starting to feel very guilty for listening to the gossip about her. Myra was lovely. “Pleased to meet you,” he finally managed to say. “Something smells good.” “Lamb with rosemary potatoes and grilled asparagus,” Myra said, taking her hand back. “Have these two ruffians offered you a drink? I was just about to bring out the appetizers.”

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“They haven’t, but to their credit we all just got here.” Listen to him, defending Sasha and Liam. What next? He’d better watch it or he’d be feeding the jackrabbits out of the kindness of his heart. “Well, would you like a beer? Sasha? Liam? Whiskey or beer? Do you like Fat Tire, Colin?” She kinda… bustled. Colin watched the sway of her wildly-patterned peasant skirt, feeling utterly bemused. He snapped back to the moment only when Sasha elbowed him in the ribs, making him grunt. “A beer is fine,” he said. “Whatever you have.” “Cool.” She grinned at him before disappearing into the kitchen. Three trips later, he had a beer, Sasha and Liam had whiskeys and waters, and there were three appetizers laid out in little bowls with doilies beneath them. Even after she set out the bagel chips and pita bread, Myra didn’t seem inclined to light anywhere. At least not until Liam finally stopped her by grabbing a handful of bright, red curls. Colin surprised himself by letting out a little growl when Liam touched her. Liam didn’t seem to notice, he just kept tugging away. “Come and sit, My,” Liam said. “While I check on Jen.” “Oh, that’s a good idea,” Sasha said, rising. Myra rolled her eyes. “If you both go in there we’ll never eat.” Sasha hooted and punched Liam’s shoulder and they both tumbled out of the room, looking eager as hell. He and Myra were alone. She gave him a wry smile that brought up a dimple in her left cheek. “So, did they tell you they weren’t trying to set us up? Because I think we’ve been had.” There was a certain forced feeling to it all. “I think so, too,” he said. Of course, the idea held a lot more appeal now than it had earlier in the day. Colin liked the look of Myra just fine, and her husky laugh had him rising to the occasion. Steve and his cautionary tales could just be damned. “Have I gone all spotty?” she asked, surprising him out of his thoughts. “Huh?

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“You’re staring at me like I have two heads. Which, despite popular rumor, is not something I’ve had.” All of the laughter disappeared, and she stared at him, a shrewd expression in her green eyes. “Steve never said what you did,” he blurted out. “Just that it was too weird for him. That and something about smoothies.” So suave. Jesus, he was an idiot. Luckily, she found it more amusing than offensive, if the way her laugh rang out sweet and true could be trusted. “Man, a guy asks you to do something for him and when you do he calls you the weird one.” Before he could open his fool mouth to ask her what she’d done, Colin stuffed a carrot stick with hummus on it in there. His eyes watered. Whoa! Garlic. Good thing he was a werewolf and not a vampire or something. The hummus tasted great, though, even with the overload. “Well,” he said, “if your smoothies are as good as this hummus, then I’m all for them.” His lips burned like fire. He loved it. “Oh, you’d hate them, I bet,” she said, crunching into a celery stick. Her teeth were white and even… And how silly was it to look at her as a potential mate? “I’m sure you could make something I’d like.” She laughed. “You’re an evil one, aren’t you?” He found himself reaching out to push a hand into that mass of hair. The texture was just like he thought it would be, soft and springy. Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open, and that was when Jenny and the guys came back in from the kitchen, saving him from being told where to get off he’d bet. Colin moved quickly, settling his hands back in his lap, which looked all prim, and helped him cover up the evidence of his erection. “Good appetizers?” Jenny asked, bending to kiss his cheek. Lord. He blushed a little. He liked Jenny a lot, often wishing he’d gotten to her first. “Great. How’s the lamb coming?” “It just needs to rest,” Jenny answered.

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“Because it’s worked so hard,” Sasha added, dodging a swat from Liam. Myra laughed when Jenny whapped Sasha hard, drawing Colin’s attention back to her. Really, her laugh just captivated him. All through dinner he alternated between enjoying Myra’s company and wanting to kill Sasha, Liam, or even Jenny for touching and hugging on Myra. By the time they got to the chocolate mousse, he and Myra sat close together on the couch, laughing and teasing. It wasn’t until Jenny got up to clear the plates that he noticed Sasha and Liam had gone quiet, watching he and Myra like hawks. Or like a pack of hungry wolves. When he realized his upper lip had curled up in a silent snarl, Colin decided it was time to act. “How do you feel about after dinner coffee, Myra?” he asked. “Somewhere not here?” Somewhere like my place, he thought, where we could have wild monkey sex. Or even just rub off like teenagers. He missed Myra’s answer, but the sound made him look up again, only to find Liam and Sasha staring at him hotly, nostrils flaring. Oh, Lord, what kind of pheromone was he putting off? “What was that?” he asked her. “I said, make it a chai latte and I’m yours.” His body surged, and he met Myra’s eyes, her grin telling him she knew exactly what he was thinking. There was no mistaking the deep, feminine curiosity in her eyes. “Then let’s go.” On his feet in a flash, Colin offered his arm to Myra, leading her right out the front door without so much as a goodbye to the others. Their laughter followed him, but Colin ignored it, completely intent on having Myra to himself.

Chapter 3 Myra pretty much floated along next to Colin, her hand resting gently on his arm. They’d had coffee, a chai latte for her, a double shot Americano for him. Now they wandered about downtown Colorado Springs, the sweet, summer night just too good to pass up. They ended up at Acacia Park. Both of them unwilling to return to the apartment she shared with Jenny. Heck, Liam and Sasha had probably attacked Jen the minute the door closed behind Myra and Colin with the way Colin was tossing out the hormones. It got to her, and her sense of smell wasn’t nearly as good as theirs. They sat together on a bench under the trees, darkness shrouding them, hiding them from the street and traffic. “So you like belly dancing and your blender. That doesn’t tell me much about you,” Colin was saying, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. “No? It tells me just as much as you saying you work in construction, and have five brothers and sisters.” She grinned. He was also tall and well-muscled, had gorgeous dark blond hair and blue eyes. He was absolutely charming and a little goofy. Myra approved. “Yeah, well, I’m not much on talking myself up.” “You’re more an action kind of guy, huh?” She couldn’t help baiting him, teasing the hungry wolf. It was hot. The kind of hot she saw everyday with Jenny and her two big old brutes but had never really felt for herself. “I am. I think I might have to quit talking and act now,” he said, turning to face her and grabbing her arms. She stared up at him, barely able to make out his expression, and it made her moan and wiggle. Then he kissed her, and that made her do more than wiggle.

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The heat between them just ratcheted up a thousand notches when his mouth touched hers, and Myra gasped, all but vaulting right into his lap to get closer. More. Now. “God,” Colin said against her mouth, sounding as dazed as she felt. “We shouldn’t do this here.” “No one will see.” She didn’t think of herself as daring, but right now she wanted him far more than she should. It was crazy just how much. Maybe Jenny was right. Maybe there was something to the whole chemistry thing. “You’re right.” Pushing, Colin tumbled her back on the bench, tugging at her clothes. She managed to get him to leave her shirt on, but when one of his big, rough hands slid up under her peasant skirt she made no protest at all. Especially when his mouth found her breast, even through her shirt, and he sucked at her nipple, making her bite her own hand to keep from crying out. Colin pushed her underwear aside when he reached her upper thighs. Before Myra could even blink, he was pressing against her folds, demanding that she open for him. Like she didn’t want to anyway. Spreading her legs, Myra let him touch her, let his fingers comb through the curls covering her mound, let him find her clit and rub it until she thought she might lose her mind. She thrashed for him, desperate for more sensation, thinking about how long it had been since someone thought of her pleasure before theirs. When her moans became too loud for her to stifle, Colin moved up to kiss her, his smile shaping her mouth into an answering one. She could feel him hard against her hip when he crowded up against her, loving the way his pelvis rocked once he found a comfortable place, his cock prodding her. “So hot,” he said against her mouth. “So wet for me.” “I want you,” she agreed, arching up and taking the finger he slid inside her, her muscles fluttering around it.

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“We could. Now.” Myra stroked Colin’s cheek. “I thought you said we shouldn’t. Not here.” “Uh-huh, and we agreed no one would see.” The sound of his zipper echoed in her head, but Myra didn’t stop him when he moved into place between her thighs, hiking her skirt up and tearing her underwear. Nope, she encouraged him, urging him on with her hands on his back and her mouth on his neck, her tongue tasting his sweat. Groaning, Colin slid into her, the head of his cock opening her so wide she thought he might just break her. The fact that he didn’t, that he fit like he was made for her, made it all the better. So hot he almost burned her, Colin moved in and out, his harsh breathing and hers the only sounds in the night. They’d even quieted the birds. Harder and faster, they rocked together, both of them gasping on every breath. Colin groaned, moving up and pushing down just so, making her eyes fly open as his thrusts started pushing his pelvis against her clit. Oh, God. Myra threw her head back, watching the stars through the tree branches, feeling Colin along every inch of her skin. She dug her nails into the back of his neck, pushing him faster and faster. He gave her exactly what she needed, moving in a frenzy, growling low and deep. The sound was so primal it resonated in her, vibrating along her nerves. Myra came with that sound, rearing up to bite down on Colin’s shoulder to stop herself from screaming as she shook and cried. Colin thrust a few more times and went still above her, his cock throbbing deep inside her, filling her with his come. His deep groan had her shivering with tiny aftershocks, amazed at how good it was between them, and how fast. Their breathing returned to normal and their sweat began to cool in the night air, but it wasn’t until the lights from a car passed over them that Colin sat up, pulling her

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up and easing away from her. He zipped up and helped her right her clothes, stuffing the scrap he’d made of her underwear into his pocket. Then they sat, sort of not looking at each other. Or speaking. For a good little while. “I don’t normally…” Myra finally said quietly. “No. I don’t either. At least not with girls I want to go out with again.” Tilting her head, she pondered that. “Does that mean you don’t want to see me again, or that you do?” Colin turned, reaching out to cup her cheek and pull her to him for a long kiss. When he broke away, he smiled, his thumb brushing her lower lip. “That means I do,” he said. Myra laughed, a little dazed and a lot thrilled. “Oh,” she said. “Well, that’s all right then.”

*** Colin got into the house he shared with two of his buddies really late. Like three am late. He’d dropped Myra off and then had gone for the hike he’d missed that afternoon, needing to get his shit together before he went home. He couldn’t ever remember anyone affecting him the way Myra had. She was a lot of the things he’d always thought were ‘not his type.’ Earth mother-y and new age hippy and Boulder-crunchy-granola were so out of his realm it wasn’t even funny. She had that amazing laugh, though, and the freckles that went all over her body, not just her hands and face. The way she felt around him might haunt him the rest of his life. Deciding to ride it out, he ended up at home exhausted and ready to go to bed. So it sucked that his buddy Steve was still up working on something on the laptop. Steve would use anything as a distraction, and he hailed Colin immediately with a, “Hey! You’re out late. Want a beer?” He didn’t, really. If he turned Steve down though, there would be an hour of teasing about how he was getting old and couldn’t stay up all night anymore. So Colin accepted.

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“Sure,” he said, straddling a kitchen chair while Steve dragged out two longnecks. Steve handed the beer over, staring at him, nose quivering. Then Steve gave him a huge grin. “Someone got lucky!” The growl that tried to come out surprised him, leaving Colin blinking. Damn, he didn’t usually have such an immediate reaction to a woman. Oh, he never kissed and told, but Myra had him acting like a fool in front of one of his best friends. “I went out,” he agreed, or kind of agreed, anyway, giving Steve a smile. “What are you up to?” “Oh, just some accounting I’m behind on.” Steve owned his own electrician business and worked hard on the stuff he was good at. Sometimes he let the other stuff slide, which was why Colin could find him up all hours of the day and night. “So, what’s her name?” Steve asked. “Huh? Oh, she’s never going to meet you, man. So forget it.” Forget that Steve had already met Myra. With terrible results. “You, old dog! You can’t hide her from us forever,” Steve said, bending to sniff him. “We’ll figure out who she…” Steve stopped, sniffing deeper, his forehead wrinkling. “Uh huh.” Draining his beer, Colin stood, trying to get away before Steve figured it out. Bastard always had an overactive olfactory nerve or whatever. Steve leaned closer, all but overbalancing like a damned puppy when his nose met Colin’s neck. Then Steve scrambled back, yelping. “Myra! Jesus Christ, Col. You’re doing it with Myra Leander?” Shit, meet fan. “Look,” Colin said, “just because you had some trouble with her…” “Trouble doesn’t begin to cover it. She’s a freak, man.” A growl rose in his chest again, but he managed to turn it into a cough. “Some would say we are,” he said mildly, proud of his tone.

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Steve stared, his mouth opening and closing. “No. She’s really a freak, Col. Plus, she’s not pack.” Sucking back the rest of his beer, Colin stood and tossed the bottle in the recycle bin. “She’s pack to Liam and Sasha. That’s good enough for me.” “But you don’t get it. The things she does to a man are just… Col. Man. Stay away from her.” Colin tried to count to ten. He made it to four before he moved quick as a snake, slamming Steve back against the kitchen door. “Shut up.” “Col!” “I said shut up,” he growled. “I’m seeing her. End of story. I don’t want to hear another word about her.” He set his teeth to Steve’s throat, just once, demanding submission. Brown eyes wide, Steve nodded, swallowing hard. “Sure. Sure, Col. Whatever you say.” “Good.” One hand on the back of Steve’s neck, Colin shook the man a little, smiling. “‘Night, Steve.” “Night, Col.” Yawning, Colin headed upstairs. That had gone better than he’d expected.

Chapter 4 “Should I go with the turquoise dress or the pink shirt and ivory top?” Myra asked, peering back over her shoulder at Jenny, who sat on Myra’s bed, cross legged, watching her. “So where is Colin taking you?” Jenny asked, studying each outfit. “Go with the turquoise. I think Liam would like that better, and he and Colin have really similar tastes.” “Yeah. I’m glad he’s not more like Sasha.” Sasha made her nervous, deep down, on some weird feminine wavelength. Better Jenny than her. “Sasha’s not so bad. He’s just pushy.” “Uh-huh. Pushy and growly and very uh… testosterone-y.” Jenny laughed, the sound throaty and pleased as punch. “He is, indeed.” “Yeah, yeah.” Grinning, Myra hung the pink and white outfit back up. She could understand being hot for a man now, couldn’t she? Colin had her all atwitter. “So?” Jenny asked. “Where?” “Oh, we’re going out for supper somewhere, and then back to his place.” She and Colin had been on three dates now, and she’d never been to his house. “Oh -- h.” The catch in Jenny’s voiced had her looking up from where she was rooting about in her jewelry box. “Why not come here? I’ll be out with Sasha and Liam at the new place.” “Why, is Colin a slob?” The dress slid right down over her, feeling silky and cool. She twirled a little, arms up in the air, her pretty silver Bali bracelets jangling. Jenny laughed, but the sound was more nervous than happy. “He has roommates, My. Who can say they won’t both be there?”

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“Well, it’ll be nice to meet someone in his life besides me. Oh, and Liam and Sasha.” Opening a bobby pin with her teeth, she shoved her hair into a semblance of an updo and started stabbing. “Don’t you think?” “I guess.” The look on Jenny’s face had her throwing her hands up. “What?” “Nothing, My. I just think it would be better to come back here where you know you’ll have privacy.” “Whatever.” There. A little lip gloss and she was done. “How do I look?” Rising and padding over, Jenny came and kissed her cheek. “You look fantastic. You really like him, don’t you?” “I do.” “Then have fun. I have to head out, okay?” That distracted, hot and bothered look Jenny got when she was going to meet Sasha and Liam appeared. Myra rolled her eyes. “Go. Say hi for me.” “I will.” Jenny headed out, and Myra went out to the living room to wait for Colin. The knock on the door came only moments later. Myra bounced up to answer, her heart speeding up. God, it was so ridiculous what she felt for this man after what, four encounters? There it was though, when she opened the door and saw his face with his pretty, blue eyes. “Hey, honey,” he said, bending to kiss her. “Mmm.” She couldn’t help the little sound anymore than she could help reaching up to put one hand behind his head, holding him closer. A low, rough sound came from Colin, and he put an arm around her waist, pulling her up against him, his body strong and hard against her. Bless him, he gave her exactly what she wanted, a hard press of lips that left her breathless. The heat between them shocked her every time, making her shiver and push at his chest a little. “Hi,” she said brightly when she could breathe again. “You ready to go?”

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“Uh-huh.” Guiding her out of the apartment, Colin locked the heavy wooden door with her key before dropping it into her purse. “Oh, about going to my place tonight. Is Jenny going out with the guys? Because both of my roommates decided to stay home.” The way he rolled his shoulders when he said it let her know he was uncomfortable, but Myra pushed it a little anyway. “You don’t want me to meet them?” “More like I don’t want them all over you, honey.” Oh, he was smooth. “Okay. What are we eating?” “I thought we’d try that new Italian place on Sixth.” Looking much more confident, Colin led her out to his truck, opening the door for her like a gentleman should. Her own shoulders twitched a little when she got a glimpse of the moon, hanging nearly full, low in the early evening sky. “It’s almost time, huh?” Colin glanced over before pulling out into the street. “Uh-huh. It’ll start the day after tomorrow at the latest.” “Do you change for the full three nights?” she asked. Jenny, Sasha and Liam did, the wolf taking over every night precisely as the moon rose, and leaving them when it faded each morning. Lord, she wished her own supposed talent was that easy to manage. “Yeah. I’m not as early to change as say, Sasha. Of course, he’s like pack alpha material, yeah?” “I suppose.” She watched streetlights pop on, almost seeming like they did it in time to the truck’s passing. The thought that they were lighting up the city delighted her. “Who’s the alpha now?” “Guy named Kamen. He’s a heavy hitter, and just reaching his prime. Sasha will never take over from him. He’d have to go somewhere else.” “Well, just because Sasha could, that doesn’t mean he would. I think he likes the quiet life.”

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Colin snorted, the sound loud and amused. “With Liam and Jenny both as lovers? Shit, that man will have no quiet.” That tickled her, and she chuckled. “True enough. So what’s Kamen like?” Slanting her a sideways glance, Colin turned onto Sixth Street and started the parking spot game. “Why all this sudden interest in the local pack?” he asked. “You’re not one of us.” Ouch. Myra crossed her arms over her chest. “Nope. I’m one of a kind.” “Oh, honey, I didn’t mean to upset you.” “I know. It still stings. Do you think they’ll have eggplant parmesan? I love eggplant parmesan. A nice ensalata mista would be good, and I hope they have olive oil for dipping.” She was babbling, but that was what she did, right? “I’m sure they will.” Easing the big truck perfectly into a diagonal space, Colin turned to her, cupping her elbow, his thumb rubbing her arm. “I’m sorry, okay? I just… Hell, you live with Jen. You know how insular we can be.” Blinking to clear her eyes, Myra nodded. “Of course I do. You’re forgiven.” She summoned a bright smile. It was hard, so hard sometimes. She didn’t have a pack. Myra was just a freak, even to a frickin’ pack of werewolves. “Good. God, that smells amazing.” The restaurant did smell good, and Myra put her hurt aside, determined to enjoy the night. Inside, the place smelled even better. Warm bread, garlic and wine permeated the very air, and the tables set with flickering candle bowls and starched white cloths made her happy. Even better were the tiny chandeliers set between tables, which were all Murano glass and had the shapes of various sea creatures. “Can we sit by the squid?” she asked, and the hostess nodded, taking them back to a sweet little table for two. “Very Cthulhu,” Colin noted, holding her chair. “Tentacular,” she agreed, grabbing the menu. “Oh, I want one of those, and one of those, too.”

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The food turned out to be amazing, the service wonderful, and as always, Colin’s company filled her with delight. Myra loved the way his eyes crinkled up when he smiled, and the way he licked his lower lip while he ate. Who was she kidding? She liked everything about him.

“Dessert, honey?”

“Hmmm?” Caught staring. Her cheeks heated when he smiled at her knowingly.

“Sure. Cannoli, maybe. The menu said they had a chocolate mousse and mascarpone version. I love to suck the cream out.” It was his turn to flush and hers to smile like a cat with a canary. Served him right for making fun of her preoccupation with him. Myra licked her lips. “Or would you rather see the dessert tray?” “No, I think cannoli will be great.” Colin waved to the waiter. Bold as brass, Myra picked up one of the cannoli when they arrived and licked the chocolate and cheese right out of one end of the oblong pastry shell. Humming at the flavor, which had hints of cinnamon and cloves, Myra ate and licked all the way in from both sides, finally snapping down on the pastry and breaking it up with a loud crunch. Colin flinched.

“Is it good?” he asked.

“Oh, you should see for yourself. I want to see how well you suck, Colin.”

That seemed to push him over the edge, but instead of getting angry, Colin

threw back his head and laughed, his strong, booming belly laugh drawing stares from other diners. “Touché, baby,” he said. “Well done.” “Well, I have to hold my own against you pack types.” “So are we square now?” he asked. “We are,” she said, smiling at him, reaching out to stroke his wrist. It just wasn’t in her to hold a grudge, really. “Can we at least go back to your place long enough for me to see it? I want to see where you live.”

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That wasn’t too much to ask, was it? She felt like she knew so little about him. “Okay.” He kind of rolled his eyes at her while he took a cannoli off the plate, but he was agreeing, so she didn’t push it. Myra clapped her hands and bounced. “Oh, thank you.” “Yeah, yeah. Don’t thank me until you’ve seen it. Three bachelor males live there.” They finished dessert, probably more quickly than Colin would have liked, but Myra didn’t want to give him time to change his mind. She wanted to see where he lived. She wasn’t nosy, but she really believed you could learn a lot about a man by seeing how he lived. Nature could only do so much. The rest was environmental. His house was a big, two story. One of those early 1900s monsters that she loved. “So pretty!” she said. “And the yard is so nice.” “Gary is a landscaper. He likes to play in the yard.” She knew Gary was one of his two roommates, and that Gary was a confirmed bachelor, swinging both ways and swinging hard. “Well, he does a fine job. Do you do the upkeep on the house?” “Yeah. I painted last year.” He sounded so proud. Such a boy. “Well, you might as well come in.” “So excited,” she teased, following him up the front stairs. “You would think you were ashamed of me.” “It’s not you I’m ashamed of,” Colin muttered. Before he could unlock the door it swung open. “Myra!” A very familiar man stood in the doorway, staring at her with his mouth hanging open. She nodded, sighing at her ex-boyfriend. “Hello, Steve.”

Chapter 5 “I should have told you Steve was my roommate, I know,” Colin said, glancing over at Myra every few seconds while he drove her home. She wasn’t all stone faced like her roomie Jenny would be. She wasn’t crying or anything. She had just… kind of shut down, staring out the window, arms crossed over her chest. “Why?” she asked, her voice flat and dull. Not like Myra at all. “You said you knew him. It was none of my business, really.” “Yeah, but it’s sticky, you know? We don’t talk about you. Hell, I almost kicked his ass the first night we went out because he tried to start.” “How chivalrous of you.” “Aw, come on, honey. Don’t be that way.” Colin was scrambling, and he hated that. Hated being in the doghouse, especially with someone who got to him like Myra did. “What way?” she asked, gathering up her purse when he pulled around to her curb. “I’m just tired.” Myra leaned over the console and kissed his cheek. “Goodnight, Colin.” Before he could even blink, she was gone, slipping out the passenger door and leaving him staring at her swaying butt while she sauntered up the little walk and disappeared inside. His brow furrowed, and Colin thought about that for a minute. He could leave, let her cool off, and come back. He’d have to wait until after the full moon though, which he could feel pressing down on him like an anvil. He didn’t fucking think so. Parallel parking, Colin jumped out of the car and strode into Myra’s building, taking the stairs up to her little apartment two at a time and pounding on the door.

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“Myra!” he shouted. “Let me in! We need to talk about this.” “No, we don’t. Go away, or I’ll make you a wheat grass smoothie.” Lord. Just the thought of that had him pulling a face. He’d tried her smoothies once. Liam was right. They were nasty. “Come on, honey. Stop it. I want to talk.” He wanted other things, too. Damned if confrontation didn’t make him horny. So did Myra. The combination was lethal. A door down the hall popped open and a lady in curlers and a blue face mask stared out at him. Colin stared back, his lip curling. The lady ducked back into her apartment, her door slamming loudly. “See, I’m scaring your neighbors. Now let me in.” Myra opened the door to stare at him. “Why do I feel like my name ought to be Little Pig. Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin.” “Ha, ha.” Her apartment smelled like her, like she’d been crying a little. It barely showed on her face, only the tiniest bit of red at the tip of her nose letting him know he wasn’t losing his sense of smell. Colin pushed in past her, waiting for her to close the door before he grabbed her and kissed her. “Mmfph.” Myra fought him for all of three seconds. He counted. One-one thousand, two-one thousand, three… Then she melted into him, her arms coming up to hold him tight while they kissed, her mouth opening right up for his. Colin took full advantage, his tongue pushing into her mouth to taste, pressing in and out, in and out. God, he wanted her. It hit him in a rush, leaving him shaking and panting, and his cock hard enough to hammer nails. One hand dropped to cup her ass and pull her up against him. And there, that was it. Perfect friction. “I thought you wanted to talk,” she gasped when they broke for air. “Talking is overrated. This is a much better indicator of how I feel.” Colin pressed her back against her door, one leg sliding between hers, giving her something to work with, too. He could smell her, and she didn’t have the scent of tears now. No sir. Now she smelled like lust, hot, and utterly feminine.

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Her hands tangled in his hair, tugging a little, demanding. Grinning a feral grin, Colin gave her more, his lips sliding down her throat, his teeth biting at the base of it just enough to make a mark. “I don’t care what Steve says, honey. You got that?” he asked, biting again, just to make sure she knew what was what. Pack or no, there was no mistaking the signals he was sending. “Uh-huh. I got it,” she said. “Just… oh. Good. Just hurt my feelings.” “I’m an asshole. I’ll do that from time to time.” Grinning, he picked her up, heading for her bedroom, dodging the weird tables she and Jenny seemed so fond of. “Will you always apologize like this?” she asked, holding on tight, pressing little kisses to his cheek and neck. “Uh-huh.” Jewelry jingled when Colin tossed her on the bed, watching her bounce a moment before sliding right down between her legs and pressing his hips to hers. “I will. Promise.” “Oh, good.” Her arms wrapped around his neck again and Myra yanked him down for another scorching kiss. Looked like he was forgiven. Which meant he could concentrate on loving her like she deserved. Colin let his mouth move, following his fingers which were working on undoing the tiny buttons at the front of Myra’s pretty, blue dress. Every patch of skin he bared got a lick, kiss or bite, and she writhed for him by the time he opened the cloth over her belly. Moving back up, he licked at her small nipples, indulging himself for a moment, rubbing his cheek against each small mound of flesh. He loved her breasts, loved the shape and feel of them. The taste. Myra twisted and moaned for him, her hands tugging at his hair now, just hard enough for him to feel it. She’d learned, bless her heart, that he liked it that way. It was the damned wolf in him, no doubt. “More,” she demanded, and Colin nodded. Yeah. More.

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He pushed down, stripping the dress the rest of the way off, baring her completely but for a scrap of lace and nylon she no doubt called panties. He called them window dressing. Tearing them right off made him feel all big bad wolf, and he laughed, pushing her freckled thighs apart and licking the tender inside of one. “God, you smell good, honey.” “Do I? You feel good. Even with the beard shadow.” “Hey! I shaved twice.” She grinned down at him, rising up on her elbows to get a better view. “Well, you’re still scratchy.” “I’ll show you scratchy.” Turning his face from side to side, Colin rubbed back and forth against Myra’s thighs, really letting her have it. She squealed, kicking and laughing, pushing at his head with her hands. “Uncle! Uncle! I give.” “Give? What will you give me?” he asked, resting his chin on her belly. “Whatever you want,” she answered, touching his cheek before stroking the hair at his temple. “I didn’t mean to lie to you, Myra.” “I know. I do.” She smiled. “You were giving.” “I was.” He so was. Hands on her knees, Colin spread Myra, licking his way down between her legs, his mouth finding her wet center, his tongue searching for her clit. There. Just there. Her flavor flooded him, sweet and spicy, so ready for him, and he had to fight the urge to take her right then, with no more playing. The only reason he resisted was because she wriggled and moaned for him, pushing her hips up, and Colin wanted more of that. More of her pleasure. So he gave it, his tongue curling around her little bud, his lips closing over it. She hollered, her hips jerking, her legs moving restlessly. Colin gave her even more, spreading her wider and pushing his tongue inside her.

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More of her juices flowed for him, the color of her skin going a deep rose, her breathing labored in her chest. He could smell her sweat now too, the scents of her mixing with his, tickling his nose and making his balls draw up. He lapped at her, addicted to the taste, to the way she thrashed and begged. Tugging at him, Myra finally got him to glance up by the simple means of yanking his hair. “What, honey?” he asked, licking his lips, tasting her, his cock jumping like crazy. “I want you, Colin.” Her green eyes seemed to glow for him, her smile as mysterious as the mother goddess. “You got me. Do you have the condoms?” After that first night in the park, he’d made sure she was stocked. Because damn. If he had that little control in a public place, he knew he’d never make it behind closed doors, and if she got pregnant… well, who knew what they might produce? Her hand groped along the side of the bed. “On the nightstand,” she said. Colin reached out and got one, ripping it open with less care than he probably should have, but damn, he couldn’t wait. Not when he could smell how ready she was for him, how wild. “Now, Colin.” Her nails dug into his shoulders, the tiny flare of sensation making him fumble. He got the condom on though, got it smoothed into place before pushing inside her with one motion. It wasn’t as good as before. No, that was wrong. It was fucking amazing the way she tightened around him, her muscles pulling him in. He just missed her heat, missed her wetness on his skin. His body still knew what to do though, and Colin moved, driving his cock in and out of her. Breathing became a difficult thing, his chest heaving. Everything was Myra. Her hands clenched on his arms, her hair slid along his hands like a caress, and her legs wrapped around his hips. She was everywhere.

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“Colin. Oh, God,” she said, sounding almost drugged. He loved that, loved the way her hands pulled at him, flattening under his shoulder blades to pull him down for more. “Uh-huh. Fuck, babe.” So not coherent. How could a man talk when he was inside a woman as beautiful and giving as she was? He rocked into her over and over, shifting so the base of his cock rubbed at her. She threw her head back and cried out, arching up off the bed and into his thrusts. Her red hair fanned out on the pillow, the mass of curls begging for his hands. Bracing himself on his elbows, Colin sank his fingers into the tips of her hair, feeling the silky texture like a caress all its own. It had him shivering, had his nipples and balls drawing up even tighter. Leaning down, he kissed Myra hard, pushing her toward orgasm, his pelvic bone rubbing her clit. He needed to come. Needed her to go first. A soft cry fed into his mouth, Myra shaking under him, her legs squeezing his hips with surprising strength. She squeezed him other places as she came, too, and goddamn… Colin shouted, thrusting into her one last time before he shot hot come, filling the damned condom full to overflowing. Regretting that he wasn’t filling her, which was a damned odd feeling for him. They rested together, his face buried in her hair while she stroked his back, tracing each bump of his spine. “So is this where we talk?” she asked. “Mmm?” He was so sleepy he could hardly think, only wanting to curl around her protectively and doze off. Distantly, he heard her chuckle. “Nothing, lover. Nothing at all.” Oh, good. No talking. Colin went out like the proverbial light.

*** Myra had to work to slide out from under Colin the next morning. She didn’t want to wake him, as it was still early, and he’d really worn himself out the night

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before. She would make him coffee, not a smoothie, and some breakfast, just as a reward. Usually when she got in a snit like that men just let her go, let her stew on it. He’d come back for her, and defended her from Steve, which sort of made him her hero. That and the way the man fucked like a well-oiled machine. She about jumped out of her skin when she found Jenny sitting at the kitchen table, hands wrapped around a cup of coffee, looking mussed and groggy. “Oh!” she exclaimed, hand going to her chest. “You startled me. What are you doing here, honey? I thought you’d still be with the boys.” “I have an early interview with a new vet tech this morning,” Jenny said, blinking and yawning. “Cool. Want some breakfast?” “Only if it resembles something dead.” “No tofu or wheatgrass, I promise.” “Thanks.” She got a smile then. “So Colin is still here?” “Uh-huh.” Long ago Myra had learned that pack could smell almost anything, and she shouldn’t try to deny it. It just made her feel dishonest, and made people like Jenny distrustful. So it was a little embarrassing. So what? “You know…” Jenny paused, looking like she was searching for the words. “That Steve is his roommate? Yes. I found out last night. That was why you didn’t want me to go to his place.” “Oh. You’re still…” “Sleeping with him? Seeing him? Yes. We hashed it out.” “Oh, thank goodness. Now we don’t have to tiptoe around it,” Jenny said before sipping more coffee. “You could have told me,” Myra said mildly. “Then it wouldn’t have been a surprise.” “Oh, no. That’s his job.” Jenny blew her bangs off her forehead. “I do not get between two lovebirds.”

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“Yes, but he doesn’t know what happened with Steve. You do. He has no reason to think I would be upset beyond Steve thinking I’m a freak.” “Yeah, yeah. Still not going there.” Standing, Jenny went to the sink and plopped her cup down in it with a thunk, yawning hugely. “I think I should skip breakfast. I’ll take some of your trail mix. Later, My.” “See ya.” Myra watched Jenny go, sighing. She missed some of the girl time they used to have. Oh, she didn’t begrudge Jenny the boys at all. She just knew that soon Jenny would move out and then there would be very little face-to-face time with her. “I hope that forlorn sigh wasn’t because of me,” Colin said, making her jump again when he slid his hands around her waist from behind. His big body felt hot, hot against her back, like he had his own kerosene heater inside or something. “Nope. It wasn’t really forlorn, either. More one of acceptance.” Her hands closed over his, rubbing along the backs of his fingers. “Want some eggs? I was making enough for Jenny, but she left.” His chin landed on her shoulder so he could peer into the bowl in front of her. “That’s enough for me, right there. Are you making some for you?” Goodness he could eat a lot. She cracked two more eggs into the six she’d already put in before adding salt and pepper. “Do you like yours with ham and cheese and peppers?” “Do I live in Colorado?” Myra laughed. They didn’t call it the Denver Omelet for nothing. “Yes, you do. Okay, gimme some room. Oh, and I think all we have is red onion.” “Don’t I even get a good morning kiss?” How could she resist that growly morning voice making such a plea? Turning in his arms, Myra draped her hands around the back of his neck and yanked him down for a kiss, his blond hair curling around her fingers. Oh, Colin could kiss. She loved the way his lips rubbed over hers, the way his tongue dragged along the seam when her mouth closed, demanding entry. It made her

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think of what his mouth felt like on her pussy, made her want to go back to bed and forget the eggs. His stomach growled, and they broke the kiss, laughing. Looked liked going back to bed wasn’t an option. He had to go to work. Colin let her go with one last shivery kiss to the back of her neck. “I’ll let you cook. Do you mind if I use your shower?” “Have I minded before?” “No. It’s polite to ask though.” He wandered off, scratching a little, and Myra nodded to herself while she cooked. This was why he was infinitely better than someone like Steve. Colin was trainable. She pottered about, making her omelets and some toast and frying up some potatoes she found leftover in the fridge. Then she made herself a morning smoothie. Myra sang while she dropped things in the blender, adding a teaspoon of flax seed and a wee bit of soy powder to it. “I thought you said no smoothies,” Colin said, coming out into the kitchen wrapped in nothing but a towel. The food sat forgotten on the counter. Myra stared at him, just taking in how beautiful he was. Her hand went to her chest, her fingers worrying at the little wolf’s head she wore on a chain. Jenny had given it to her for Christmas the year after she’d found out about the pack. God, Colin was hot. “The smoothie is for me”, she said. “I made your omelet and all.” “You’re a doll.” Giving her a kiss, Colin grabbed a plate and leaned against the counter to eat. The towel fell open just a little, and Myra squeezed her legs together at the view she got. “Uh-huh. I guess you really have to go to work, huh?” “Yeah, I really do. Or I’d stay and take you up on that look.” Colin grinned, waving his fork. “We okay now?”

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“We were anyway,” she replied. “I’m glad you came in to talk about it though.” “Me too.” Oh, look at that wolf at the door smile. Smug asshole. Myra tilted her head. “I know Steve hadn’t told you before what happened with us. Has he told you since?” she asked. Colin growled, the sound raising the hairs on the back of her neck. “He doesn’t talk about you in my presence. Period. I’d rip his head off and shit down his neck.” “Oh.” Before meeting Jenny, and subsequently Sasha and Liam, that kind of chest beating might have upset her, or worse, scared her. With Colin it put a hard, little kernel of warmth deep in her belly. Okay, below her belly. “Breakfast is good, honey. Thanks. I should go.” “Well, go get dressed before I attack you then,” she said, giving his cock very direct look. “Oh, and Colin…” “Huh?” he asked, looking both dazed and hungry. She smiled, going over to give him a squeeze and a kiss. “Thank you.” He groaned, arching into her hand, and kissed her right back. His tongue pushed in to taste her mouth, and wow, so much for him leaving, huh? His hands cupped her butt, lifting her so he could rub against her. The towel between them fell away, and his bare skin was all there for her to touch and tease. She started with his chest hair, tugging at it before moving on to his nipples to pinch and pull the way he would hers. She got a growl for her trouble, his hips rocking. “I really need to go to work.” “I know. I do.” She smiled up at him before slipping down the length of his body, her mouth marking his skin as hers. Wow. Possessive Myra! Who knew? Then she nudged his cock with her lips, making him shout. “My, please. God, you’re hotter than a two dollar pistol, honey.” “No. That would be you.” Without any more teasing, she sucked him in, her mouth closing around the head of his cock. Colin pushed up against her, into her, his hands hard on her shoulders.

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He demanded and she gave, bobbing up and down on him, her lips making wet noises that would have embarrassed her with any other man. With Colin she could let her more primal urges out. She could taste the drops of pre-come he was leaking, could feel his heartbeat throb under her tongue, and Myra increased the suction, urging him on. Her hand cupped his balls, the heavy sacs drawn up tight for her, and rolled them against the base of his prick. His whole body shuddered, and with a surprised cry, he came for her, his come falling into her mouth and down her throat like an offering at some primitive altar. No one had ever tasted like he did. Wild and hot. Like love. Myra licked her lips and patted his ass. “You really ought to go to work.” Colin blinked down at her, his blue eyes dazed and cloudy. He stroked her hair off her face and laughed, nodding once. “Yeah. But I’ve got to tell you, honey. You just did the best job on me.”

Chapter 6 Two days later, Colin was running late when he pulled up in front of Myra and Jenny’s place, his truck sputtering a little ominously. They didn’t have a date. Hell, he wouldn’t have any plans with anyone for the next three days. It was the damned first night of the full moon tonight, and Colin already felt it pushing at him like a giant hand on the top of his head. Like gravity was three times as strong as it usually was. Normally he would just go meet up with the other pack members and get ready to run. They didn’t all meet together by any means. Like Jenny and Sasha and Liam tended to run on their own out by Jenny’s vet clinic. There was always someone around to run with, but today he’d realized he’d forgotten to tell Myra he wouldn’t be around for a few days, and he wanted to explain it to her while he was still able. Oh, Colin knew she knew about the nights as a wolf and the days as a growly bastard. She roomed with Jenny, after all. It just didn’t seem right to be dating her and leave her hanging, was all. The sun still shone overhead when he knocked, but Colin felt the moon-like blanket, and he knew he had maybe an hour before he had to go. Before he had to try to get someplace out of town so he could get wild as soon as it got dark. He knocked on Myra’s door, and for a long moment he thought no one was home, despite her little Beetle being parked outside. Then he picked up a hint of her scent, fresh and deep with something he couldn’t quite identify. “My? Let me in.” “Coming!” He heard her call.

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The door opened to a very frazzled looking Myra, her hair flying all over, her freckles standing out on her nose. “Oh, hey, Col. Uh. I’m kinda in the middle of something.” “What? Yoga? Look, I need to talk a minute. Can I come in? I’m kinda in a rush.” He was bouncing up and down on his toes, the itch becoming unbearable. “Oh. Um.” She bit her lip, eyes darting left and right. “Okay, sure.” She stood back and let him in, which was a relief. That meant she wasn’t in there with someone. Colin pushed past her, looking around, his fingers tapping against his thighs. The place looked very clean. Like she’d been on a tear with the nesting or something. It even smelled like pine cleaner. Lord. “I just wanted to let you know I wouldn’t be around for a few days after tonight,” he said. “I didn’t want you to worry that something was wrong, or that I didn’t want to see you.” One slender hand pushed into her hair, sweeping the red mass off her shoulder. The expression in her green eyes was pure ‘duh.’ “I know. The full moon,” she said. “I get it.” Then she grinned at him, reaching out to pat his chest. “It was very sweet of you to come by though. Thank you.” “I know I could have just called, huh, but I wanted to see you.” Suddenly he wanted to taste her, too, to put his mark on her. So Colin grabbed her by the arms and hauled her up for a hard, lip smacking kiss. She moaned and wrapped around him, her arms and one leg coming up to hold him. Fuck, yes. Just yes. Just about the time he was debating whether he should push her up against the door or take her to the couch, she unraveled and put her hands flat against his chest, pushing him away. “What’s wrong, honey?” he asked. “Don’t you need to go? “ Her lips were swollen, her eyes dazed and her breath coming in sharp pants. She was as into it as he was, damn it. “Why? I have an hour or so before I even have to leave town,” he said.

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Something like panic flashed in her eyes, and her whole body shuddered. “Oh. That’s… oh…” The second ‘oh’ came out as a groan. Myra doubled over, holding her belly. “My? Honey? What is it?” He caught her arms, feeling the outrageous heat of her skin. “Jesus, what’s wrong?” “You. You may be a late changer. I’m not.” Looking up at him, she made a rueful face, even as her eyes shimmered, going from green to blue. “What? You’re not a werewolf, honey. I know that. What the hell are you talking… Holy shit!” Colin leaped back when Myra’s body shimmered, her whole form seeming to waver. He’d seen it hundreds of times. She was changing. Myra. Who wasn’t pack. Changing. He’d barely blinked twice before the change was over and Myra was just… gone. In her place stood a naked man, and it was like looking in the mirror. Hell, he was looking in the mirror. “Myra?” he asked, his voice sounding like it came out over a cheese grater. God, was that what he looked like when he made that apologetic little smile? “Sorry, Colin,” he… My said. “I tried to warn you, but I’m an early shifter. And unlike you, I won’t change back in the morning. I’ll be… you. All three days.” “You’re Myra under there, right?” The oddest fucking thing was that she still smelled like Myra. Not him. Or, you know, what he would smell like from the outside perspective. “Yeah.” She raised her hands that were his hands and shrugged, muscles sliding under his -- no her -- skin. Jesus, that was weird. “So you…” he trailed off, not knowing how to ask, ‘so what are you?’ “I change, but not like you. I’m just. Well. A ‘were’ I guess.” “Honey, that’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen.” “Yes, well. Now you know why Steve had issues.”

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A light dawned in his brain. “Steve wanted to have sex with you like this.”

Myra looked down at his body. On her. “Well, not like this exactly,” she said

with a little laugh that sounded like him, only her too. “No, he wanted to have sex with himself.” “Yes.” She kept sneaking little worried glances at him. Man, she’d better not go out as him with the body postures she was throwing around. Someone would try to take him down and subordinate him. “I told him it was a bad idea, but he insisted.” “He hated it?” Myra snorted. “No. He liked it. That was the problem.” Colin stared at her a moment before bursting out laughing. Yeah. Yeah, okay, he could see that. His body shivered, the one he was in, and he knew it was time to go. Damn it. “Look, we can talk about this in a few days. Believe me, we need to. Right now…” “Yeah,” she interrupted. “You have to go. Before things get wolfy and you try to eat me.” “Exactly. Honey, do you mind if you stay in a few nights?” “Oh, for fuck’s sake, Colin, do you think I want people thinking I’m you?” She waved one big hand, but in a gesture that was all Myra. “Go. We’ll talk later.” Colin would have said more, but his spine was crawling with the need to run, so he just nodded and turned on his heel. He couldn’t look at himself all dangly and right there and shit anymore. “I’ll see you in three days, honey,” he called out when he left, his mind reeling. All in all, he figured that whole ‘I can’t see you for three days’ talk had gone better than he’d planned.

*** Myra paced. Well, her Colin body paced. It was weird to watch it, to look down at her hands and have them be big old paws. She’d jacked off like a million times.

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Pack Mentality: Myra's Mate

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The damned sun needed to come up. Day three of the full moon was almost over, and she wanted a smoothie. She wanted one with orange juice and wheat germ and frozen yogurt so bad she could taste it. She’d even made one the day before, only to have the big doofus of a body she was in toss it back up in rebellion. Damn it. She was never spending the moon as Colin again. No sir. She’d go find a nice poodle, or a marmot or something. That would be easier than dealing with Colin’s body when he wasn’t even there! Besides, she missed the real thing. Dawn finally broke the horizon about seven a.m., and Myra breathed a sigh of relief once the change was upon her. Look at that. Skinny hands and skinny arms and red hair all down where it should be. Freckles. She had missed her freckles. The knock at the door startled her nearly to a heart attack, making her jump a mile. Whoever it was could just go away. She wanted that smoothie. And a shower. “Colin!” she exclaimed, opening the door and stepping back to let him in. “You’re out and about early.” “I know.” He smelled like the woods, like grass and wood and smoke, but he was dressed and his blond mane was combed. So he had obviously been home. He also had the beginnings of a heck of a shiner around one eye. Myra frowned, reaching up to touch his cheek. “What happened?” Colin took her hand, kissing her fingers, his mouth shaping a rueful grin. “I was in such a hurry to get dressed and get here that I got a little snarly with Steve. I’m not at all sure he’ll want to be the best man at our wedding.” She blinked. “I should get dressed if you’re going to propose.” “Don’t you mean undressed?” he asked, moving close enough for her to feel his heat, even through his T-shirt and jeans. Pushing a hand through her hair, she gave him a look. “No, I’m pretty sure I mean dressed. It’s not fair, somehow.”

Julia Talbot

Pack Mentality: Myra's Mate

- 40 -

“I could get undressed.” One arm snaked around her waist, and Colin pulled her up for a kiss that curled her toes. Her breasts flattened against his chest, and she hummed, loving the feel of him. “Okay,” she finally managed, reaching for his belt. “You can get undressed.” They struggled with his stubborn belt together, but finally got it. The button and zipper on his jeans seemed much easier after the belt, and his T-shirt went like nothing going, flying off to one corner of the room. Colin dropped to his knees, his cheek against her belly while he kissed her hipbone. His fingers dug into the flesh of her butt, his thumbs caressing her hips. When he pressed a kiss between her legs, she cried out, widening her stance. Then his tongue found her clit, and the whole world started to spin. Licking at her, lapping at her pussy, Colin had her reeling in no time, giving her all the pleasure she could stand and then some. He was relentless, his tongue pushing inside of her over and over, only to come back out and lash against her clit, making her knees shake and her hands weak. Myra hung there, lost in pleasure, for who knew how long, his mouth working her like there was no tomorrow. Then he let go of her hip with one hand and slid two fingers right into her, and that was that. Myra came, her arms up in air like she was doing a fertility dance to the Goddess. She shook all over, her whole body hot and tight, until finally she slumped down on Colin, holding on for dear life. “You ready to ride, honey?” he asked, pulling her astride his thighs so his cock poked at her. Myra just nodded, clutching his shoulders, feeling pleasure winding up like a spring inside her again. Lifting her, Colin moved her so his cock sat at her entrance, then pushed right inside. Without a condom. He’d been the one to insist on them, so scared she might get pregnant, and that he wasn’t using one now told her a lot about how serious he was.

Julia Talbot

Pack Mentality: Myra's Mate

- 41 -

It only made it better. The feel of his cock inside her seemed huge, never ending. Myra moved up and down at the touch of his hands on her hips, her fingers digging into his shoulders while her mouth demanded a kiss. Colin gave it to her, all of it, the kiss and his body rocking hard into her. The heat of his skin seared her, the muscles moving under his skin fascinated her, and Myra just couldn’t get enough. She needed him closer, more, now. When he reached down between them to stroke her clit she went off like the Fourth of July, her body clamping down on him in hard spasms. Colin shouted, his body bucking, his cock throbbing inside her. He shot for her, filling her like he had the very first time, deep and hot and wet. So good. All she could do was hang there and let the pleasure take her over completely. Panting, Colin finally lowered her to the floor, stretching out beside her, his hand possessive on her belly. “So, I didn’t scare you off by turning into you? Or telling you I had sex with Steve as Steve?” “Hell, no,” he said. “Here I was worried that even though you knew what I was and that you roomed with Jenny, you would still think I was a freak. Shit, some part of me was probably scared of whatever it was that had happened with Steve, too. That was really all that was holding me back.” He grinned at her, his blue eyes shining, his grin wide and white. “No, you held off because I wasn’t pack.” “Well, you need to be somebody’s pack,” he said. “Why not mine?” “You’re serious?” she asked, going up on one elbow, her hair trailing across his chest. “You really want to get married?” “I do. That was a serious proposal. I figured we’d go to the antique shop and get you a ring. I know you like the old stuff.” All of the humor fled his face in favor of a serious, intent expression. “I love you, Myra. I think I have since I met you. Seeing you change just crystallized it all for me. I knew no matter what Steve said, or Jenny or

Julia Talbot

Pack Mentality: Myra's Mate

- 42 -

Sasha or Liam… well, I needed to know that part of you. And that I had chosen you for myself. No scheming matchmakers or freaked out roommates required.” “Oh.” Lord, that was the least romantic ramble she’d ever heard, but it was also perfectly him. “I love you, too, Colin. I’d be thrilled to marry you. Whether Steve comes to the wedding or not.” He barked out a laugh, his arms wrapping around her so he could roll them over and over in a wild tumble, his joy a palpable thing. “I love you, honey. I couldn’t wait to come tell you.” Myra landed on his chest when they stopped, hands braced on his pecs so she could laugh at him, could bend down and kiss his mouth. “I’m glad you didn’t wait,” she said. “What did you and Steve fight about this morning?” Colin laughed, patting her ass. “You. I told him he would have to move out by the time the wedding rolled around.” “Oh, I bet that went over like a lead balloon,” she said. Secretly, she couldn’t have been more pleased to see Steve finally get his comeuppance, even though she’d never invite such bad karma as to say it out loud. “Yeah. The fur really started to fly when I told him if he ever started rumors about you again I would eat him, starting at his toes and making sure he felt every bit of the pain.” Pleased deep inside with that idea, Myra kissed Colin again, rewarding him with some really deep tongue. “My hero,” she said when they broke for air. “You deserve breakfast.” “I so do,” he agreed, kissing her throat, her collarbones. “What have you got?” Myra licked his lower lip, laughing, tickled deep down that this man was hers, even with all the worries and struggles. “How about a smoothie?”

Epilogue Steve came to the wedding. So did Jenny, Sasha, Liam, and a couple hundred other folks. From the guy who bought Myra’s smoothie powder for his goats to the lady who did Colin’s dry cleaning, everyone was there. Myra even got to meet Kamen, the head of the Colorado Springs pack at large, something she had never managed before. He was big, hot as could be, and if Myra wasn’t very mistaken, he was looking very hard at Steve’s ass. “Maybe you should turn Sasha and Liam’s matchmaking skills in that direction,” Myra told Jenny when she popped up next to her at the punch bowl, her bright purple satin dress looking as cheerful as it had the day Myra had picked it out at the bridal shop. Jenny snorted. “Kamen never needs any help. You and Col? You needed a nudge.” “A full on shove is more like it. We never would have met without you and the boys. So thank you.” Smiling, Jenny leaned to kiss her cheek, the sunflower bouquet Jenny still held poking Myra’s chest. “You are so welcome. You excited about moving into Colin’s place?” “Now that we got it cleaned up from the bachelor den? Yeah. You excited about moving into the new place with the boys?” Myra asked. “You know it. Thank goodness the landlord was willing to let us sign over the lease.”

Julia Talbot

Pack Mentality: Myra's Mate

- 44 -

Thanks to Jenny’s stubborn determination not to leave her, they had signed another year’s lease two months before. They had a great landlord, however, who was more than willing to take on Steve, since Colin had given him such a great reference. Somehow things always worked out in the end. Colin came over, smiling at Jenny even while he slid an arm around Myra, pulling her up for a kiss. “Hi, honey,” he said. “Good day?” Myra nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck. “The best. Glad you agreed to come over for dinner that first night?” she asked. “Oh, hell yes,” he said. “You happy?” “I am. I really, really am.” Myra pressed her mouth to his, joy bubbling up inside her at the thought of going home with this man everyday for the rest of her life. She finally had a pack, and a mate, of her own.

The End

Julia Talbot Julia Talbot has been acquired by Texas and lives happily surrounded by friends and dogs, trying to make a living off her writing and winging it as she goes. She loves blank books, romance, and big, ugly hats. You can find her on the web at http://thegates.net/juliatalbot.