Reluctantly Lycan (Dakota Wolves Book 1)(5)

"Thank you." She sat down and picked up her fork. "I had him at a young age."

Taylor seated himself across from her. "Still, you look like you're  still twenty or something." He studied her as he shoved a forkful of  salad into his mouth.

Wolves aged slowly, even those who never fully transitioned. Her  youthful appearance had been easy to explain when she was twenty-five,  even thirty, but now in her mid-thirties it had become more difficult.  "Do you have children?"

"Me?" He laughed, continuing to eat as they spoke. Marala did the same,  though at a slower pace. "I'm a little too self-absorbed for that. Right  now, at least. I've been focusing on my business."

"I've seen your camera. I thought you were a reporter or something."

"Photographer. I have a studio on Main."

She blinked. "Main Street? That's all the way across town from the diner."

"Yeah, I like the pie." He smirked while he chewed.

Pie, right. She quirked a brow. "You know the pie is frozen and comes out of a box?"

"Mara, you break my heart. I thought you made it by hand each morning for me."

A laugh caught her off guard and she coughed. "You're ridiculous. Gonna  make me choke the chicken." Her eyes went wide. "ON the chicken. Wow.  That sounded bad. Back up and erase it from your memory."

Taylor busted up, as well, making her face deepen to another shade of  red. His laugh, though. She liked it. The slightly rough sound of it,  the way his face lit up. The way he looked at her. Oh no. Those thoughts  had to stop.

"Quit laughing at me." She pointed her fork at him.

"I'm laughing with you. It wasn't even so much what you said as the look on your face. Priceless." He shook his head.

After a few minutes when the joking had subsided, she grew serious. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Why did you insist on all this? You're an attractive guy. I'm sure the girls are breaking down your door for a date."

"So you think I'm attractive, eh?" he teased.

"Come on, answer me." She rolled her eyes, but smiled.

"Okay, so I was doing an odd job for an acquaintance the day I came into  the diner and saw you. You were drop dead gorgeous in a natural kind of  way. I mean, you weren't all fake and stuff. Plus, I have a thing for  redheads. Then you were friendly and you never let my glass run  completely empty. I hate when the waitresses never refill my drink.  Loved the hint of southern accent, too."                       
       
           



       

Marala, flattered by his compliments, glanced down. "I guess never running out of coffee is a good thing."

"You better believe it." He hesitated, before speaking again. "Do you believe in love at first sight?"

His question caught her completely off guard and her happy expression faded slowly until it was gone. "No."

"Me either. Unless it's pie."

She groaned, relieved and strangely disappointed by his comment at the  same time. "You're a weird man." The last bite of her meal was taken as  she studied him.

"I like to keep you guessing a little bit."

"Well, the meal was amazing. Most nights it's too late to cook when I get home. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm glad to do it. Ready for dessert?" he asked.

"There's dessert? Let me guess. Pie."

He scoffed. "I am a man of many tastes, Mara. It's chocolate cheesecake."

Marala gathered up their dishes and placed them in the sink while Taylor  cut the cake. "We can eat in the living room," she said.

He handed her a plate and nodded. She flicked on the floor lamp while  Taylor looked through her CD collection. "Garbage, No Doubt, Poe,  Smashing Pumpkins …  you're stuck in the nineties, aren't you?"

"Sort of. That's my collection from when I was a teenager. Haven't bought music for myself in years."

Jak came through the house before Taylor could respond. "I'm going to spend the night with Eric."

"It's a school night," Marala said.

"We have a project due tomorrow."

She sighed, but nodded. "Be careful, okay? You have your pepper spray?"

"Yes. Though you may need it if Dad shows up again." He lifted his head  to Taylor. "Thanks for the food." Then he was gone without another word.

Marala found Taylor staring at her when she faced him again. She leaned  into the couch and indulged in the ultra-rich dessert. "What are you  thinking? Go ahead and say it."

"I'm concerned as to why you would need to use pepper spray on your son's father." He sat down beside her.

"Jak is trying to stir up drama. Don't worry about it."

He placed his dessert on the table and stretched his arm along the back  of the sofa. "Well, guess we have the place to ourselves."

"Listen, Taylor. I like you. Tonight was great, but I'm not looking to  get serious or anything. I told you that before you came over."

"I know. We're cool. Do you want to get together again? Maybe see a movie or something? My treat, always."

She thought about it for a moment, started to say no, but was already  nodding. "Yeah. We can do that. I think we should probably call it a  night. Work again early in the morning."

He didn't look angry, disappointed maybe. "It is getting late. I'll call you or maybe see you at the diner first."

"I'll walk you out."

They exchanged goodbyes and Taylor started to walk away, but stopped and  turned back. Marala stepped into the hallway, pulling the door up  behind her.

Taylor put one hand on his hip and shook his head. "I'm not sure what I  want to say. I … " He sighed. "You're a cool woman and … " His head leaned  in closer and she knew he was going to kiss her.

Instead, a deep growl interrupted him. Standing in the hallway was an  enormous, black wolf with fangs bared. Taylor reacted quickly and moved  between Mara and the beast. Bad idea.

"No." She ran from behind him before he could stop her and toward the  snarling beast. Though Marala had never transformed into a wolf, or even  seen Kaden as one, she'd been around her fair share in their secluded  hometown.

"What are you doing!?" Taylor screamed in horror.

"He's my neighbor's guard dog. They must have left the door open and he  escaped. You know how dogs are. Very protective." She stroked the top of  Kaden's head, trying to soothe the beast. "See? Get out of here before  he hurts you."

Taylor didn't budge, but the wolf's menacing rumble became more  persistent. "You're sure he won't bite you? That doesn't look like a  dog."

"I'm sure." She wasn't, actually. "He's mixed with a wolf or something. Just go and don't tell anyone, please."

He cleared his throat and nodded. "Good boy." Kaden lunged forward a  little, snapping at Taylor. "See you soon, beautiful," he told Marala.  Without waiting for her response, he darted for the stairs, making haste  to get out of the building.                       
       
           



       

~*~

"Come in the house, Kaden, before someone calls the police." Firmly, she  grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and guided him through the front  door. He followed her willingly. Otherwise, she'd have never been able  to move the stocky animal. They kept going, passing through the kitchen  and into the bedroom. She shut the door and locked it behind her before  leaning back against it. "Shift back into a human."

He flashed his fangs again, walking closer to her. His nostrils flared  as he sniffed up her body. She wanted to run, but terror held her in  place. Marala knew she could never escape him anyway. This was no pup.  Kaden Dakota was two hundred and fifty pounds of alpha, both as wolf and  man.

"Don't hurt me, Kade. Please." She closed her eyes.

Kaden shifted into human form, pinning her against the wall with his  large body. His long hair brushed against her face as he leaned in and  drew a slow, deep breath, smelling her. "Where's the boy?" he growled  out, still sounding feral even though he was no longer a wolf.

Gone. She tried to say, but the words caught in her throat. "Gone,"  eventually came out in a whisper. Her eyes remained clenched shut.

The lycan male ran his fingertips along her face before grasping it. His  thumb pressed into one cheek while his four fingers rested on the  other. He lifted her head slightly. "Look at me, she-wolf."

Unable and afraid to resist the command in his voice, she opened her  eyes and gazed into the threatening darkness of his. "If you had mated  with that man, he would be dead now." He sniffed again. "But the only  arousal I smell is yours."