Under normal circumstances he would have argued, but one of his packmates, Derrick, had just handed Lauren a folded up piece of paper. Likely with his number on it. Max’s inner wolf went crazy when she tucked it into the front of her jeans pocket and smiled at the other wolf. “Thanks, see ya later,” he muttered before ducking out from behind the bar.
He covered the distance between the bar and the table to Lauren in seconds. Derrick glanced up at him, an easy smile on his face. “Hey, man, we’re—”
Max ignored him, keeping his focus on Lauren. “We’re leaving.”
She blinked, probably surprised by his harsh tone.
He hadn’t meant to demand it, but his inner wolf needed her away from these other males. The most primal part of him was feeling edgy and possessive. His canines ached, begging to be released. He wanted to flash them at his packmates as a warning to back the fuck off but he kept himself in check. Barely.
“Come on man, hang out for a little longer.” Derrick, one of the part-time bouncers at the bar, was a good guy. Hell, one of the most decent packmates Max had, but right now, he didn’t give a shit.
He knew his wolf was in his eyes because Lauren just stood, pushing her chair back and moving to his side with a fluid grace that turned him on even as he was annoyed with her. Her nearness soothed him somewhat, but not nearly enough. Moving lightning fast, he reached into the front of her pocket and pulled out the paper Derrick had given her.
He let his claws extend, shredding the paper into confetti. She gasped and the entire table—and the waitstaff—went silent. The pieces silently fell to the floor. “She’s not going to be calling you.” Even though he spoke to Derrick, he kept his gaze on her.
Fire erupted in Lauren’s eyes, her inner jaguar peeking through as they transformed into straight feline, amber and glowing with anger. “I’ll call whoever I want.”
“You want to do this right here?” he asked, his voice silky smooth.
For a long moment she didn’t answer, as if she was weighing her options. Then without glancing at the table or anyone else in the bar, she strode for the exit, her head held high and that perfect ass of hers swaying in such an erotic rhythm that he wasn’t able to contain the growl he let out.
“Listen Max, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you two—” Derrick started, but Max cut him off.
“It’s fine. But she’s taken.” There was no other explanation needed and right now he was going after her. Whether she wanted to hear him out or not, he was going to explain what had happened with Darcie.
Lauren had been cold to him all night and he knew it was because of the human female. So even if he couldn’t scent Lauren’s attraction, he knew she felt something.
And he planned to take full advantage of that.
Once outside, he frowned when Lauren wasn’t waiting like he’d expected. Following her scent trail that still didn’t give him a hint of her emotions, he headed east down a quiet street that lead straight to the beach. Crescent Moon Bar wasn’t directly on the beach but it was close. His annoyance grew as he jogged over the only cross-street and continued until he ran into a deck that led to the sandy shore and calm ocean. As he reached the end of it, he saw Lauren’s clothes in a neat pile. Including a very skimpy black thong. Sexual hunger slammed into him, as if he’d been physically tackled. The thought of her wearing it—or nothing at all—consumed him.
She’d likely assumed it was late enough that she wouldn’t run into any humans when she shifted to her jaguar form and could come back for her clothes later. On the off chance there were humans out now, Lauren would be able to blend in using the shadows.
That knowledge still didn’t soothe him any. Picking up her clothes, he followed her scent trail down the beach all the way to his condo. The anger grew inside him with each step he’d taken that she’d left like that. Without a word. He didn’t want to admit it, but he’d feared she’d actually left for good.
He knew he didn’t have any claim on her, but she was still under his jurisdiction. The thought was bitter though. He didn’t want her here because she was serving a sentence he meted out. He wanted her here because she wanted to be with him.
That knowledge scared the shit out of him. He’d been trying to deny it but all day he’d been hungry, almost crazed to get back to her. Deep down he knew what it meant even if he couldn’t bring himself to admit it. If he made himself vulnerable to her and he was wrong—Max shut that thought down before it finished.
Shoving those thoughts aside, he reined his wolf in as he shut and locked the door behind him. Trailing after her amber and vanilla scent wasn’t necessary since he could hear the shower running in one of the guest bathrooms. He told himself to stop, to wait until she was out, but his need to see her overrode his rational brain. He wanted her to acknowledge the desire between them. And like a randy cub, he wanted her to stop ignoring him.