Holly

It takes a few minutes before he leaves and slams my front door. I walk into the living room, my footsteps quiet and slow.

My gaze lingers on the door with its faded paint and chipped exterior. I can’t believe what he has asked me to do. We haven’t seen each other this year nor in the last few years. The last time I saw him was maybe five years ago during a pack run.

It doesn’t even matter that our pack gets together once a month for the full moon. We still rarely see each other because it’s so large and everyone has their own clicks.

I sigh as I realize he’s slightly insane. The man scaled the side of my apartment building just to see me. But now, after years of no contact, he wants to sabotage my chances of finding love.

Well, only if it isn’t with him.

I seriously think he has some kind of revenge planned because of what happened between our parents all those years ago. Maybe that is it.

It definitely would make more sense than him being in love with me.

His laughter echoes from the other side of the door and my eyes flick toward it, snarling and growling.

“What’s so funny?”

He mumbles something, but I dismiss it and storm toward my bedroom.

If he believes that he can pull something like this on me, then he is mistaken. I’m going on dates and I’m going on lots of them. He can’t stop me.

I laugh to myself as I find the app again and look through everyone she sent me. It’s refreshing and there they are.

“If you think you can stop me, Rex, then you have another thing coming.”

Instead of clearing them off like my wolf wants me to, I click accept on the first one. It doesn’t take about three seconds before a message comes through from him. He’s asking to meet in about an hour just down the street from me at some little quaint taco joint.

With a sneaky grin, I send him a message right away that I’ll be there, then drop my phone to the bed.

I walk toward my closet, shrugging off the pink tank and white pajama bottoms, leaving them on the floor. After I’m in there, I look through all of my outfits, searching for the perfect one that will rile Rex.

Well, that is, if he notices or sees. The first thing my eyes land on is a pretty little pink number. It’s a shorter dress, more meant for a club. One of the girls talked me into getting it and I couldn’t say no, but I’ve never worn it.

Not until now.

It has spaghetti straps and will probably hit me mid-thigh, which is perfect for me. Coverage, but flirty. I rush to slip it on, securing it and making sure I look decent.

Once I’m ready, I head back into my room and start getting my purse ready. Then snatch my phone from the bed and put it into my purse as well.

I breathe a sigh of relief as I finish pulling it all together before grabbing my matching heels. It doesn’t take me but another minute before I’m at my door and swinging it open.

Fortunately for me, Rex isn’t there. I laugh to myself, figuring he’s given up and probably moved on already. There is no way he was serious about us.

Without wasting time, I tiptoe down the hallway and try to make sure that my heels don’t click against the tile. It’s like I’m afraid to make any noise because it might just summon him.

And then what am I going to do?

Luckily, I make it to the foyer and exit the building without a problem. He’s nowhere in sight so I’m a free wolf.

I rush down the street, my heels clicking like mad as I hurry. I arrive at the little taco joint with ease and see my date just up ahead.

He’s a cute man with curly brown hair piled on top of his head. There are a few sparse freckles across his nose. That isn’t mentioning that he’s tall and built like most of the other males.

Impressively large.

“Holly?” He asks as he grins, revealing two rows of pearly whites.

“Yes, that is me. You must be Jake.”

I reach out my hand and barely take his when his smile falls. His eyes dart above my head and I have this feeling someone is standing right behind me.

“Alpha Rex,” he says in a whisper.

My heart sinks into my chest as I realize what just happened. I turn slowly, only to find Rex within a foot of me. “What are you doing here? Why do you just keep showing up like this?”

“I have a reservation for Speedy Tacos. It’s so nice of you to dress up for our date, but what is your hand doing on that mongrel’s hand? Haven’t I told you baby not to touch things that should be in the garbage can? Once they are thrown out, they just aren’t good.”

His eyes lift to meet Jake’s with a devilish grin on his face.

I turn back around, only for Jake to jerk his hand away and take a few steps back. “Sorry, alpha. I didn’t realize she was yours.”

“We’re not together. He’s just being a pain in my backside. Please, believe me.”

But I can tell that it is useless. Rex has ruined my date, and he plans on ruining it further. He wraps one muscular arm around my middle and yanks me back against his chest. A deep rumbling vibrates against my back, bringing my wolf to life.

She nearly purrs with satisfaction from the touching.

“Sorry, Jake. This little wolf agreed to be with me and must have hit you instead.”

Jake takes one look at me, but I can’t hide the contentment on my face.

My gosh, what is this man doing to me?

“I’m out. Thanks anyway.”

As Jake leaves, I feel my freedom slowly leaving with him. Rex is controlling and possessive and we’re not even together. What kind of mess am I in?

“Why did you do this to me? I was just going out on a date.”

He leans down, his mouth pressing against my ear. “I told you to give me four weeks, or I’d make your dating life a nightmare. So, are you going to be a good little girl and go inside with me or do I have to haul you home and show you what else I can do? Like tanning that disobedient backside of yours.”

My hands grip his forearm as my nails bite into his skin. “What do you think you are doing? Are you really taking me on a date for tacos? I didn’t think that was your style.”

“I wasn’t lying about the reservation, but you only get to go if you behave,” he says with a deep rumbling in his chest.

“Fine, I will go get tacos with you but only because I’m hungry and am here, anyway. If I don’t like it, then you and I are done. Do you understand? I’m not going to take thirty years or more to find a mate and you are not ruining this for me.”

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“Give me my four weeks, woman, or there are no more dates for you from anyone else. I will sleep on your doorstep. I will show up at all of them because you are like a beacon in the night to me. Do you understand me?”

I stomp my pretty little pink heel into his boot, but it doesn’t do anything. He’s entirely amused when I glance over my shoulder to see his reaction.

“Do you feel better?”

“No,” I mumble.

“Were you trying to hurt me, little fireball?” He asks in a laugh, his breath blowing out onto the delicate flesh of my throat. “If you are, you are failing miserably. It will take more than that.”

I melt into his touch a little, feeling myself caving. Maybe it won’t be so bad. What he is offering sounds pretty good right now.

Then again, I could just have my way with him and leave. Surely, I can do that.

Um, this is a bad time, but I think he might be our mate.

My eyes open wide as I hear my wolf’s words. “No.”

“No?” He asks as he rocks us back and forth. “What are you saying no to?”

“Nothing,” I say as I clear my throat. “Nothing at all.”

The last thing I want to say to him is what my wolf has mentioned. There is no way I’m saying that out loud. Not now or ever.

His breath blows out against my ear and right as he is about to say something, someone calls out his name.

“Mr. Inigo, your table is ready.”

He turns to face the taco joint with me, still trapped in his arms. I’m really surprised that they even do reservations because I’ve never needed one and always came when I wanted to.

The woman looks down at me and I instantly know she is one of our pack members. If I’m not mistaken, she had a thing for him a long time ago and now that she sees me in his arms, she’s royally ticked.

I want to explain it’s not what it looks like, but deep down I know it’s exactly what it appears. My face heats in embarrassment.

“Rex, come on. I can walk just fine. Let me go.”

I try to move away from him, but he stops me by holding me even tighter. His lips land against my ear, his breath tickling me. “You are not leaving me, so I’m not taking any chances.”

Instead of running like I really want to, I stay in front of him and go straight into the building. There are several moaning and groaning outside, as if we have cut in front of them. As we pass by, I realize that is just what we have done.

Honestly, I had been so tied up in my own emotions and everything going on that I didn’t even see the line.

I turn to glance over my shoulder, only to find Rex smiling behind me. He’ll just say he gets privileges since he’s the alpha and won’t say anything else. I know him too well.

The server leads us to the table and the smell of tacos fills the air. There’s even a hint of spicy peppers in the air, which makes my mouth drool. Everything smells so good.

As we reach the booth, I sit on one side and expect him to sit on the other, but he slides in right behind me. I look over at him, my eyes completely popping out of my head from his closeness.

“There’s another side of the table.”

He just grins in response. “I know.”

My eyes shift back toward the wooden tabletop as the menu is placed down in front of me. It’s just a single one-sided sheet, but they have all kinds of different tacos you can get. I look it over, deciding carefully to get the four tacos with chips and salsa.

“What are you going to get, dear?” He asks, keeping his voice low.

“Who are you talking to? I’m not your dear.”

His eyes dart to the side. “Honey, we are on a date. We better look like it.”

I look around, but don’t see anyone familiar. “What in the world are you doing? Most of these people are humans and it’s not even an actual date, you dingus.”

He leans a little to the side, but never quite turns his face toward me. “I’m sitting next to a beautiful lady who is my date, like I should. You are my date, Holly, whether you want to be or not. Now, what is good here? I haven’t been to this place in ages.”

He continues to study the menu as if he didn’t just correct me in public. My jaw drops open and I don’t know whether to be ticked or admit that I like this.

I shake my head, dismissing the thoughts that are threatening to consume me.

The server returns and I’m still fiddling with the menu. She sets down two waters, but I don’t remember ordering them. Then I glance over at him.

“What if I want something else?”

“Order it,” he says without looking up. “You still haven’t told me what is good here.”

I ignore him and look up at the server. “Can you bring me a Dr. Pepper please and I want the four taco plate with salsa and chips.”

It isn’t two seconds later; he repeats my order to the server as his, causing me to shoot him a soured glance. When she walks away, the staring intensifies.

“You repeat my order like a parrot. Why?”

He only laughs in response and looks at me with the biggest grin. His sparkling green eyes pull me right in like an idiot.

Oh, no. I can’t do this.

I look away before he can draw me in further. I try to stare across the table at the other bench, but I keep seeing him turn to look at me.

He even reaches out and taps his fingertips lightly against the table, like he’s annoyed, but I don’t think that is what is going on.

I think he’s trying to drive me wild and see if I’ll break. I hate to break it to him that I’ll never break.

After several more minutes, sweat beads down my back. The server finally returns with our plates and the salsa and chips.

Honestly, I have a hard time even looking that way because I’m afraid of looking at him. I try my best to thank the server without my eyes landing on him, but they do.

And I feel like I’m done for.

He’s staring at me with a mischievous grin plastered on his lips and I don’t know what I’m doing.

I turn back toward my piping hot plate and start to eat. I feel like this date is going to go on forever, but if I can just get these tacos down, then all will be fine.

Right?

He digs into his own plate, but I catch him looking several times while we eat. It’s slowly driving me wild. Why is he staring like this? It’s creepy to watch me eat.

After we’re finished, he lays down enough to cover anything and scoots out and stands. I hurry to do the same without flashing everyone. Then once I’m up, I’m off toward the door.

I make it to the sidewalk, but he’s right there, keeping up with me.

“Why can’t you take the hint? I gave you a date and now it's time to go home.”

“You and I both know what this is, Holly. Don’t run away from me. Why else would our wolves call to each other like this? Why would I want to kiss you every single time I see you? You’re driving me wild and I’m helpless.”

“You might be helpless, but that doesn’t mean anything. Love takes time, and it’s not this. You are forcing me to be with you and go on these dates. You are even running off other men. I never knew you were insane.”

He scoffs as he reaches out to grab my hand to stop me. “I have loved you for years, Holly, and not in a family way.”

I stop moving away from him and glance up into his eyes again. His shaggy brown hair has become tousled and is in his eyes. Oh, the way he is staring at me is setting me on fire.

“You never loved me as nothing more than a friend. Remember? You were talking to one of your friends who asked you about it. I heard you that night.”

And there are the words I’ve held on to for years. One night, after our parents had mated, he had a friend over during the holidays. I was in the room next to his, which was my old room, and I heard every single word.

His friend was bugging him about me because we’d been friends for years. That’s when he said it. No, I don’t like her like that. We’ve always just been friends. Now, she’s technically family. So how could I?

Those words have hurt me for a long time, and then I let them go until now.

He pulls me closer, but I don’t collapse into his arms. Instead, I right myself and stand there.

“We are not strangers, Holly. Yes, we’ve had our differences and grew apart, but that doesn’t change what I’ve felt for you all these years. My wolf has declared you are his. Are you going to accept it or not?”

I burst out laughing. “You can tell your wolf to put a sock in it because I’m not falling for this. Not after what you said.”

I pull away from him and start heading back toward my apartment. He’s hot on my heels, and I know this won’t end without a fight.

“We are not finished, Holly. I was a dumb kid and didn’t know what I was talking about.”

“You said what you truly felt, Rex. Now sleep in the bed you made,” I reply.

He follows me all the way to my apartment door. Once I enter, I turn to slam the door between us, but he catches it.

“Please, Holly. We were friends as kids and close. Everything changed when our parents married, but that was short lived.”

“If that was the truth, then why have you not had anything to do with me since? We could have gone back to normal. You could have at least acknowledged me, but you haven’t. So why bother now?”

Everything in me hurts. The burning is only growing worse and now my wolf is riled.

Kiss him. Just lean in and plant those lips against his. This will solve everything.

I roll my eyes as I hear her words. No, I can’t kiss him.

“No, we aren’t doing this. We were kids back then, but we aren’t now. We’re not even the same people, Rex.”

Kiss him now. You and I both need this.

“Please,” he begs.

And that one little word is what breaks me. I let go of the door, fling it wide open, and close the distance between us.

I give in to what my wolf wants. A single kiss.