“It’s not me.”
Another long pause. “He doesn’t want a relationship beyond the sex?”
“Bingo.”
“You don’t know that. Give it a week. I can’t see any guy spending that much time getting to know you without falling in love. Any man would be damn lucky to have you, Mika.”
Mika was silent.
“Mika?”
“I’m sure that’s not going to happen.”
“He said so?”
“In so many words.”
58
Mate Set
“Why? What is he? Blind? Stupid?” Minnie was angry. “You’re my baby and that son of a bitch should know what he has.”
“I’m not you,” Mika said softly. “Do you understand? I’m different.” Silence. Minnie cursed. “He’s been treated like shit by Eve because he’s a bastard and because his mother was human. He’s a bigot about you being human? Is that what you’re saying?”
“You are really good at this.”
“Is he putting you down for it? Insulting you?”
“No.”
“But you being human is a problem for him?”
“Exactly.”
“He won’t mate with a human? He said that?”
“Yes.”
“Oh baby, I’m so sorry. He’s stupid.”
Mika smiled. “I agree.”
Minnie was silent. “You like him a hell of a lot, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Like him enough that it hurts that he won’t even consider long term?”
“Yeah. Stupid, huh?”
“Not at all. You like him too much and you’re facing about two weeks of getting hot and sweaty with him. You’re going to get hurt when this is over and you go home, aren’t you?”
“Did anyone ever tell you that you’re kind of spooky on how you can accurately guess things?”
“I just know you. I’m also a woman and I can put myself in your shoes. Are you sure you don’t want me to come over? I can send him on an errand and we can talk without him hearing us. I can buy ice cream and we can talk about what dickheads men are as we polish off a carton or two of something a thousand calories a bite.” Mika actually chuckled. “Thanks, but no.”
“I could tell Omar and he could order him to mate you.” Shocked, Mika insisted, “Don’t you dare. That’s not even funny. I already feel…” She softly cursed. “It would make it way worse and it’s bad enough as it is.”
“Sorry. Shit. He feels as though you’ve been forced on him? Are you sure he doesn’t want you? Is he gay? If he doesn’t want you, he’s definitely into men.”
“No. Definitely not that last part. The first part, yeah. Big-time.”
“And he told you that he doesn’t want you and feels forced?”
“You know how phone calls go.”
“Phone call?”
59
Laurann Dohner
“Yeah. His.”
“You overheard him making a phone call?”
“Yeah.”
“To who?”
“A woman.”
“Shit. He had someone lined up to spend mating season with, didn’t he? A lot of unmated males do that. They find some bitch who they know doesn’t want to settle down yet and kind of make an annual date with them. Is that what you overheard?”
“Yeah.”
“What an ass. Is he still planning on meeting her? I’ll have Omar kick his ass. He can’t be in your bed and another woman’s. Now that he’s marked you, you could probably detect her scent and it would drive you into a rage. It’s just damn rude too.
Not to mention, he marked you so if he screwed around it wouldn’t get him off. It would be like foreplay without the hope of a good ending, no matter what.”
“No. That got canceled.”
“He canceled? Well, that’s good.”
“Is it? Just listening to what you say is hard to do when you’re telling me what you want and you know I can’t give that to you.”
Millie was silent for a moment. “Shit. He got all “sex talk” with her? In detail? Let me guess. He wants to chase her tail through the woods and you sure as hell don’t have a tail.”
“Close enough.”
Minnie cursed. “What an ass. You should give it back to him by telling him how great human guys are so he knows how it feels. Tell him you hate sharp teeth and how you think growling is low class.”
“I don’t though.”
“But he doesn’t know that. When he mounts you, you tell him you like it the human-guy way. It’s different, right? I heard they are all romance and talk you half to death and touch you like you are made of glass. That would drive me crazy and our guys aren’t into that shit. They are into hot and hard sex. He’ll think he’s shit in bed since he can’t give you what you tell him you want.” Mika laughed. “Too late for that.”
“You let him know how good he was?”
“You’re the best,” Mika laughed.
Minnie laughed. “Oh, you so didn’t tell him that.”
“I so mean it too.”
Minnie chuckled. “Well, do it anyway. Try. I’ll think up something. Shit. Omar walked in so I have to go. Call me if you need some girl time with high calories.”
“I love you.” Mika hung up.
60
Mate Set
She knew she couldn’t hide out in her room all damn day. She finally stood up and walked to the bedroom door. She hesitated and then opened it. She saw Grady sitting on the couch, staring right back at her. He looked angry.
“Who called? Who was that on the phone? Who do you love?” She hesitated, frowning at him, wondering why he was pissed. “Minnie.” He visibly relaxed and the anger on his features melted away. “Why are you mad at me?”
“I don’t want to discuss it. I’m bored and want to go do something. I need to get out of the house for a little while.”Grady shook his head. “I think we should stay here.”
“I don’t really give a damn what you think right now, to be honest.” His jaw clenched. “You overheard my phone conversation, didn’t you? Is that what has you so mad? I called to let my friend know I wouldn’t be joining her for the weekend. I didn’t break your rule. I broke my date with her.” Mika hesitated. “That’s not what upset me. I have had some time to think about it and I’m not mad anymore, Grady.”
“You look mad and you smell mad.”
“I smell mad? Anger has a scent?”
“Yes. Fear, arousal, and even pain give off scents.”
“That’s disturbing.”
“Why?” He stood up slowly.
“Well, feelings are private, that’s why. Now, please take me to the movies. I want out of here and you can watch me from the back of the theater while I sit in the front.” Far away from you.
“I’m not taking you anywhere until you tell me what made you mad.”
“Fine. You want to do this? I don’t point out all of your shortcomings because you’re just a werewolf. I heard you on the phone and I got it that you clearly have a low opinion of humans. Since you didn’t seem to mind that so much when you were inside me it tended to piss me off that it seems a big point with you that you can’t have sex with me with fur on.”
He frowned. “I didn’t say that and I didn’t insult you in any way. I didn’t even mention you.”
She arched her eyebrow. “Okay. How would you feel if you overheard me talking to a guy I was supposed to spend the weekend with and heard me tell him how much I wished I was with him doing things to him that I know damn well you can’t do to me.” His mouth tensed and his eye color turned black. “I can do anything to you that a human can do.” He took a step and then another. “I can do it better.” 61
Laurann Dohner
“Then swear to me that you can have sex with me without a condom on and not be tempted to bite me. Can you fuck me without having your teeth grow out, or your eyes turning black? With human guys I don’t have to deal with any of that shit.” Anger tightened his face.
Mika studied him, realizing she was trying to piss him off and knew it was dangerous. Werewolves weren’t known for control when they were angry. “I don’t want to fight with you. You’ve already made it clear that the only reason you want to have sex with me is because you were forced into it by protecting me.” Grady inched closer to her. “You think I don’t want you? Look at me. Hell, feel me.
I’m hard because I want you.”
“If you hadn’t been ordered to guard me you wouldn’t be here. I wanted you but you wouldn’t touch me until you were forced to bite me. If my uncle told you today he was pulling you from guarding me, you’d be out that door in a snap if you hadn’t bitten me. You sure wouldn’t be cancelling your weekend plans. You’d be chasing tail in the woods.”
His jaw clenched but he didn’t say a word. His dark eyes looked away from Mika, guilt crossing his features, and pain hit her hard.
“That’s what I thought. The token denial would have been nice though. Let’s go.
I’m leaving with or without you.”
62
Mate Set
Chapter Seven
Grady’s bar wasn’t packed during the day. The female bartender was in her early thirties, had black short hair, startling green eyes, and four face piercings. Her nose, lips, and eyebrow sported metal. She watched Mika curiously as Grady introduced them.