Taming the Beast

Talk to her, make up your own mind.

I’d never heard him sound quite so diplomatic before. Or so much like his old self, and almost … wary?

“It’s rude to talk to your animal side in public. Didn’t your Mom teach you that?” Her voice dragged me out of my head and back to the kitchen.

The corner of my mouth quirked up. “My Mom’s dead, but yes, she did instill the importance of manners in me. My apologies.”

She sucked in a breath, her eyes darkening. “I’m sorry, I didn’t—”

Cutting her off with a wave, I flashed her a smile designed to put her at ease. “It was a long time ago. So, you know about shifters then?” Moving over to the coffee pot, I filled a mug to the brim and took it over to the table in the center of the room, pushing out a chair with my foot in silent invitation.

She hesitated, clearly not wanting to give up her space against the wall, but gave in with a reluctant sigh of defeat.

The ripple of pleasure that hummed through me as she moved closer had alarm bells ringing and hairs lifting on the back of my neck. I fought back the urge to lean closer, maintaining my easy slouch and running a finger up and down my coffee mug. “How do you know about us?” I should be breathing a sigh of relief. Her knowing would make it easier if—and that was a big if—I decided to take her as my mate.

“I knew a boy once—”

She broke off at the sound of a low growl filling the air.

Shit. I clamped my mouth shut, avoiding her eyes. What the fuck was that about?

“—He shifted into a wolf to impress me. His family wasn’t too pleased, but they couldn’t undo the damage, so I was sworn into secrecy.” Her voice was light, but the purse of her lips had me guessing that it hadn’t been quite that easy an ordeal.

“I bet they weren’t,” I muttered, more to acknowledge her words than anything else. “At least you have some idea of what you’re signing up for.”

“Excuse me?” She blinked at me, her lips rounded in a perfect circle of surprise.

“Yes, of course, you can still say no.” I brushed aside her concern with a broad smile, alleviating my own concerns with the reassurance that I could do the same.

Her lips settled into a grim line, her hands twisting together around her mug as she stared me down. “Bastian, say no to what, exactly?”

Damn, she was hot when she got all prim and uptight. It got a man fantasizing about how to loosen her up and make her smile. I circled my finger in the air between us. “Us.”

Her eyebrows flew up, her chin dropping. “Us?” It came out on a squeak.

“You and me.” My voice dropped to a low, gravelly growl as my dragon leaned in, offering his approval. Not that I needed a damn thing from him.

She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. Regarding me as though I’d recently missed my medication, she shook her head, sending dark curls swishing over her shoulders and trailing down onto her chest.

I couldn’t help it. I looked. I was male, after all. I blinked as the creamy mounds swelled beneath her shirt, rising then dipping with every breath. Saliva pooled in my mouth, need thundering through me unlike any I’d felt before.

Her throat cleared, dragging my attention back to her face. “I don’t know what it is that you’re … imagining is happening here, Bastian, but I think we’ve got our wires crossed.”

I narrowed my eyes at the laughter dancing in hers.

“I’m here to audit you. For the Shifter Council.” She leaned forward, an apologetic expression on her face and my heart skittered in my chest. “Bastian, you need my approval to continue running the Jewelcrest Clan.”

The chair flew out from behind me, crashing into the wall and clattering down onto the slate floor. My fingers dug into the soft wood of the table, curling around the edge until I was certain there would be claw marks. Dragging in a ragged breath, fire raging through my blood and steam clouding my vision, I pinned her down with my glare. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

Faye

Now this was what I’d been expecting upon my arrival at the Jewelcrest Clan. A pissed off, thinks he’s above the law, alpha shifter with a chip on his shoulder the size of his ego. Now, I was in familiar territory.

Smoke curled across the

table in a wispy trail, his anger given substance in the form of his beast. Visible tension trembled through his shoulders, his skin gleaming as his core temperature rose along with his anger.

Refusing to let him intimidate me, I pushed back my chair and rose to my feet, so I could face him eye to eye. “I’ve read your file. You need me here.”