Unwrapping Tess (A Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance)(Vegas Mates Book 5): Christmas Encounters Read online

  “Bullshit! You don’t want to live in New York and you know it. As far as the bear thing, Margaret doesn’t seem to be complaining.”

  Tess shivered and she could’ve sworn Patrick’s eyes twinkled. Shit. He can feel it too, can’t he?

  “Of course he can. No sense in trying to ignore it now,” her wolf chuckled.

  Tess stamped her foot and felt heat rise in her cheeks as the room fell into a dead silence.

  The first to break the silence was Scott’s brother. He extended his hand to her and flashed a smile that made her insides flush and her sex throb.

  “I hope another bear in your midst won’t be too much trouble for the holidays, Tess. I look forward to getting to know you and your family better.”

  Oh, gods. I’m in trouble.

  Her wolf didn’t respond, but Tess could feel her holding back her amusement.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Patrick squeezed Tess’s hand gently, his bear rumbling with pleasure at the connection between them.

  “Who knew you and your brother would both end up with a wolf. She is a pretty little thing,” his bear chuckled.

  Shut up and let me concentrate or I’ll be stamping my foot in a minute like she did, trying to clear my head.

  “Whatever you say, but right now the only thoughts I can hear racing through your mind are about stripping her down and tasting her. All of which, I’m quite on board with.”

  Damn, you. Patrick smiled again and tried to talk down the erection growing in his now not-so-loose jeans.

  The little blonde stared up at him, speechless, with the same conflicted emotions conveyed through her eyes. No one was ever prepared when they ran into their fated mate, but it was always more awkward when surrounded by people—especially family. One of them was bound to pick up on the connection quickly if he didn’t snap out of his stupor right now.

  The next moment, a baby cried and all the focus shifted to the couple walking in the door behind them. Even the spellbound Tess scampered away and cooed over the wailing baby.

  Patrick moved out of the way as a stampede of women pushed past. Scott sidestepped the herd as well and backed up a few paces. Patrick followed him and leaned against the wall next to his big brother.

  “Sarah, Chris, and baby Rylan, just FYI,” Scott said, his voice low and nearly drowned out by the squeals of the women in the lobby of the inn.

  “So who is related to whom?”

  “Nicole is married to Aaron.” He followed his brother’s hand as he pointed to a tall, leggy blonde and the man standing behind her who was bigger than most cat shifters he’d ever run across. “Her sisters are Sam, Tess, and Hallie. Sam is married to Chase. She and Chase are the Alphas of the Vegas pack.” Scott shifted a little and pointed further. “Then Jason Demakis is over there behind the purple haired little one. She’s one of the latent turned wolves. They are a pair and I do not recommend flirting with her. Jason is the Demakis Original.”

  “Holy shit,” Patrick whispered. “Really?”

  Scott nodded.

  “I didn’t think they existed anymore.”

  “You’ve missed a lot while you were gone, baby brother.”

  “Pfsst. I needed to burn off some energy for a few years. It was good for me.”

  “I’m sure it was.”

  “So are Sarah and Chris related to anyone?” Patrick asked.

  “Yep, Chris is Chase’s little brother. Sarah and Chris also live just down the road from Margaret and me.”

  “He’s the one running the training for the latents you told me about on the phone.”

  “Yes, he helps them connect with their wolf side and shift for the first time.”

  “It’s good to be home, man. Is there a particular place I can go toss my stuff before dinner?” Patrick hoisted his burlap bag to his shoulder.

  “Yeah, of course. Go up the main stairs,” Scott pointed, “swing a right on the second level and take the big room at the end of the hall on the left.”

  Patrick nodded and slipped away from the sounds of laughter and family. It was good to be home again, but he’d been looking forward to the quiet of the mountains, not an inn full of wolves.

  He clomped up the stairs, swung a right and then turned left down the hall. The last door on the left was closed, but not locked. He went in and took a deep breath. Her scent filled his nostrils and his dick stood at attention within moments. Taking a step back into the hall, he recalled his movements, but this was the room Scott told him to take.

  Patrick glanced around. No luggage. No sign of her anywhere. He opened the closet. Empty. Tossed his bag to the floor and sat on the bed.

  Why does it smell like her?

  “Got me.”

  He lay back and drank in her soft, floral scent and moaned. “I’m never going to be able to sleep in here …” Without her.

  A thud at the door made him sit with a start. It was her! Gods, that’d been close.

  “This is the best room on the floor. But if you don’t want it, I’ll trade with you.” Tess smiled and leaned against the doorframe.

  “Why is it the best?” He stood slowly, not wanting to spook her. Her scent was intoxicating and the last thing he wanted was for her to run.

  She pointed to the ceiling. “Water pressure. This room is closest to the new hot water tank. Plus, it has a huge shower. Scott hasn’t renovated all of them yet. Most of the rooms still have the old claw-foot tubs with a curtain shower.”

  “I’ll share.” He cocked his head and stepped closer.

  Her whole face blushed the prettiest shade of pink. Even her ears brightened.

  Another step brought him nearly face to face. He could hear her heart racing and smell her arousal. Gods, she smelled as sweet as the mountain air had when he stepped off the plane in Logan.

  He reached out and slipped his hand along her cheek and back into her hair, gripping the base of her skull. Then pulled her closer as he bent to capture her mouth. Energy surged between them and his bear growled with satisfaction as he thrust his tongue into her mouth.

  She tasted as sweet as he’d imagined.

  For a brief moment she returned the kiss, then pulled back. He released her reluctantly, but would never force something on her she didn’t want.

  “I …” She took a step back. “I have to go.”

  “You can feel it, can’t you? The bond?”

  She shook her head and fled down the hall without another word.

  Damn.

  He leaned against the doorframe and sighed. There was no doubt in his mind that she could feel the exact same attraction he could. They were fated mates. Perfect matches. But it was her choice. If she rejected him, that was it. He wouldn’t press her again.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Tess bounded down the main stairs two at a time. No one noticed her because they’d all moved to the dining hall, but food wasn’t on her mind anymore. She didn’t stop running until she made it to the back porch.

  The kiss had been fantastic. Hot. Sexy. A melt-your-panties kind-of kiss. What was wrong with her? Was she really so selfish that she would pass up a fated match because he wasn’t a wolf? Because she would have to move away from the pack?

  Margaret left the pack for Scott. She seemed to be dealing with it just fine. But Margaret wasn’t a Demakis and Tess knew her Aunt Melinda would be disappointed if she didn’t come back. She’d been training her to help take over when she mated. All that work and investment would mean nothing if she stayed with Patrick. Bears did not live in New York. It just didn’t happen. There wasn’t enough space. Wolves could make due with small parks and bits of forest here and there, but bears need room. A lot of room.

  Rubbing her hands up and down her arms, she sucked in a deep breath of the cold winter air.

  “Maybe you should talk to Margaret.”

  Maybe I’ll just take another run and clear my head.

  “Or that,” her wolf snorted.

  She peeled off her clothes and folded them on the benc
h next to the wall. The cold air made her skin tighten and pimple, but with her magick coating her like a shield, the brunt of the cold was repelled, even in human form.

  The air shimmered around her and she sank to all fours into wolf form. The change was invigorating and as much as her wolf thought she was dodging the Patrick issue, her wolf also loved the fact that she was getting to run twice in one day, when it’d been weeks since their last run.

  Leaping from the porch, she tore through the newly fallen powder and took a quick roll. It was fun to be a wolf and she wasn’t above enjoying the pure freedom of being an animal. She stood up and shook. Snow flew in every direction.

  After a couple more ear flaps, she trotted toward the trees and wandered aimlessly through the woods. The scent of pine cleansed her memory of the big city’s smog and other pollutants. Out here, it was just clean, mountain air, animal scents, and trees. It was a balm for her when she’d stayed here after everything that happened with her parents.

  She and Hallie might be identical twins, but they really couldn’t be more different. Sam and Nicole thought that she and Hallie both loved the spotlight and city living, but mostly it was Hallie. Tess followed her sister anywhere she asked. And she’d never been opposed to the fancy clothes, rock star dates, and living it up on the strip or in the Big Apple, but her heart wasn’t in it for the long haul like Hallie’s was.

  Hallie would make the perfect Alpha female. She was demanding, stubborn, and inspired a following. In truth, it was difficult to imagine leaving her sister’s side now, even for a fated mate.

  “You have to make this choice for us. It can’t be about what other people want. This is too important.”

  I know.

  Tess trotted a little farther and spied a small rock outcropping where she could sit underneath, sheltered from the snow that was falling harder.

  She climbed under the ledge and shook off the fresh powder, excited to find that it led into a cavern. Slipping between a couple of rocks, she settled on her haunches and sighed. It was nearly dark now and the snow was falling so hard she could barely see the sky, much less track her way back to the inn.

  Guess we’ll have to wait until the snow lets up.

  “Better here than wandering around blind.”

  The snuffling sound of a bear outside the crevice made her skin tingle and the fur on her scruff stand on end. Really? Was running away from his kiss not a big enough hint that she needed some space to think things through? She gave a low woof and moved to the entrance of the small cave.

  The scraping got louder and she tensed as a giant grizzly head poked through the opening and growled.

  Oh shit! Oh shit!

  The bear’s scent was not Patrick or Scott. In fact, there was no scent of magick at all. The thousand-pound animal heaving itself between the two boulders blocking the small cavern’s entrance was a real live, fucking grizzly bear that wanted to eat her for dinner.

  She was strong as a shifter, but not that strong. That bear could kill her easily—as a wolf or a human.

  “Howl!” her wolf screamed frantically.

  She backed up as far as she could get. Bits of rock and dirt fell all around her as the bear continued to dig and claw its way into the cave. It roared again, and the terrifying sound vibrated through the small space. Tess trembled, her tail curled around one of her back legs and she whined.

  “Howl!” her wolf shouted again.

  Her mind was frozen with terror and she pulled back, feeling a rush of energy as her wolf took control. Her head lifted and a long, low howl echoed through the small space and into the night air. She hoped to the gods someone could hear it on the outside.

  Another thunderous roar came from outside the cave. A second later, something yanked the grizzly from the opening and Tess surged back into control. The growls were ferocious and she cautiously stuck her head between the rocks to see what was happening.

  Patrick’s scent filled her nostrils and she shuddered. He had followed her. Or had he heard the howl of terror and come running? Right now it didn’t matter. She just wanted him safe and the real grizzly to get lost.

  He swung his gaze toward her, golden eyes glowing with fierce determination. The move cost him dearly and the other bear lunged. Patrick was caught off guard and Tess whined. When the grizzly bit into his shoulder, Patrick’s painful growl tore at her heart.

  No. No. No.

  She tensed, ready to lunge, but a second later, Patrick broke the hold and bit down hard on the back of the grizzly’s neck. A loud crunch made her stomach clench. Then the bear was still.

  Scarlett blood stains painted the snow around the two bears and Patrick huffed a few times like she’d heard Scott do when he was irritated. Then he shifted and stalked toward her, naked and glorious, but with a bloody shoulder that made her feel a little green, even as a wolf.

  He reached the cave entrance and she backed up as he crawled through. She approached him slowly, her instinct to clean his wound overruling her queasy stomach. He winced at the first touch of her long tongue and his hands dug into the fur on the scruff of her neck, but she kept going.

  Magick surged between them and his wounds stopped bleeding in only a few minutes. She sat on her haunches and stared at him. His blue eyes stared back, slicing through her resolve.

  “Why are you running from me?” he asked, scratching behind her ears.

  Tess shook her head and he pulled back his hand. She let the change wash over her. When she looked up at him again it was in human form. The rock floor bit into her knees, but she didn’t care.

  “I’m sorry. I just … I wasn’t prepared for it to be you. I love it here at Woodhaven, but I’m scared to leave the pack. I’m an Alpha’s daughter.”

  “Royalty.” His voice was low. “Will they let you leave?”

  “I think so.” Tess’s voice wavered, unsure what Jason or her aunt would really say. Everything was different … or used to be different. Now that the council didn’t exist anymore, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

  She crept forward and he opened his arms, pulling her onto his lap. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and tucked her tightly against his broad chest.

  “Fate wouldn’t have matched us if it weren’t meant to be.”

  She could feel the bond starting to build between them—a roaring river of emotional exchange. His warmth and compassion filled her heart as did his desire, sparking hers to life even more. She wanted him. All of him.

  She ran her hands over his hard muscles and liquid heat pooled between her legs. He smelled like the forest, like strength, and home. He was where her heart wanted to be already. She drew her hands up to his face and covered his mouth with her lips.

  He tasted like heaven. The bond between them surged again and she melted into his arms. He slid his hands into her hair and took control, plunging his tongue into her mouth. He groaned and slid his hands down her back until they rested on her hips.

  Grasping her waist, he lifted and turned her so she was facing him. She took the initiative and straddled him, his hard cock pressed against her entrance. One more move and he would be inside her. The anticipation made her entire body ripple with excitement.

  “Please,” she whispered into his mouth. She knew he’d been waiting. He might’ve followed her into the forest after she asked for space, but everything they’d done since, she’d initiated. He was letting her have control, something she knew was probably very difficult for him.

  “With pleasure,” he said, kissing along her jawline.

  He pushed down with his hands and up with his hips, sinking his cock deep. She arched her back, taking him even deeper. A moan of pleasure slipped between her lips and she started to move slowly, his hands moved to play with her breasts as she undulated up and down on his hard length.

  She was so full and so aroused—her breasts filled his hands. He rubbed his thumbs over her erect nipples and she gasped. A moment later he’d latched his mouth to one and was circling the areola with his
tongue and biting at the nipple with his teeth.

  A hiss slid between her lips and she pressed her breast even harder to his face. The sensations of pleasure were drowning her in ecstasy. She arched her back and he released her breasts, moving his hands back to her hips.

  An orgasm was swirling from her center and she screamed out as it crested, sending her careening over the edge. He thrust hard and fast, sending her over wave after wave, drawing it out longer and longer. She screamed his name and her vagina clenched hard on his cock.

  He tensed beneath her and a guttural moan from him joined another cry from deep in her chest as they climaxed together.

  She slumped into his chest, shuddering as aftershocks continued to ripple through her body, milking him for everything he would give.

  He pressed his mouth to her shoulder and nipped gently, but didn’t break the skin. She could feel the roller coaster of emotions running through him. Arousal, satisfaction … love.

  If they’d been human, she would’ve laughed at the thought of feeling true love and affection for someone in fewer than twenty-four hours. But for shifters, magick moved the emotional timeline at the speed of light. There was no-holds-barred. Anything could happen. She’d heard of perfect matches mating and marking each other in the space of several days, even hours in a few cases.

  With her supercharged emotions, she could understand how that happened. She felt the same things for him, but her duty was to her family first. It had been drilled into her since she was a child. It wasn’t something she could overlook because she’d found her perfect match. She needed her family’s approval.

  Even though the mate hunts had been abolished and a new pack order was being put into place, she was from Original blood. Others might get away with doing whatever they wanted, when they wanted, but not her. She craved her family’s approval. First her parents’, then her sisters’. Now her Aunt Melinda and the Original Demakis werewolf himself filled that role.

  “It’s okay, Tess. I understand.” Patrick’s voice rumbled from his chest, sending comforting vibrations through her whole body. She relaxed at the words and sighed, her psyche bathing in the patience and understanding flowing through the bond to her.