Chapter Eleven
Chaz turned off Shoni’s alarm system and entered her home first, deeply inhaling. He had her step inside, close the door, and reset her alarm. “I don’t smell any new scents. Wait here. I’m going to double-check no one else came inside while we were gone.”
“The alarm would have gone off if someone broke in,” she reminded him. “You watched me turn it on before we left. The doors and windows are wired. Even the ones upstairs.”
“I still want to check. Packs infiltrate more than just police stations, hospitals, and other positions of power. Noah knew to tell Tiono and Nama to turn off the power in your garage to avoid setting off your alarm. It’s not all that effective, is it? I believe that company didn’t do the best job as repayment for avoiding a lawsuit from your cousin. They should have alarmed your garage, too.”
“Oh.” Shoni hadn’t thought of that. Other things had been on her mind since Chaz woke her when the power went out. The lack of sleep had a lot to do with her ignoring the obvious, too. She didn’t feel safe living in her home anymore. Her security system did have a major flaw.
“I’ll be back in a moment.” He cleared the first floor and then headed upstairs.
Shoni flipped on the lights, entered the kitchen, and grabbed an iced tea from her fridge. Chaz returned in less than a minute. “All clear.”
“Good. Do you want one?” She showed him the label on the can.
“No. I need a shower.”
“Oh. You probably have more blood on you. Do you need me to wash your clothes?” She glanced up and down his body. He’d worn all black. No stains could be seen.
“We’ll deal with them in the morning.” He bent down, tearing off his boots. “I’m just going to toss my clothes in your kitchen sink for now. I don’t want you climbing your little ladder. You look exhausted, Shoni.”
“That’s… accurate. I usually live a pretty boring life. I’m not used to being woken up late at night and having to go out.”
Chaz stripped naked right in front of her. It was an incredible sight. He was all muscles, tan skin, and perfection. She liked it better when he removed his sunglasses and placed them on her counter. It was nice to be able to see his eyes again.
He dumped his clothes into her sink and strutted toward her. Shoni appreciated the lithe way he moved. For someone so large, he was exceedingly graceful. Don’t stare at his dick , she mentally chanted.
He paused next to her. “Go to bed. I’ll join you after I shower.”
“You’re sleeping with me?” That surprised her. Shoni figured he’d take the guest room. Most men would do that to emphasize they weren’t a real couple. They’d just had sex a bunch of times.
“Yes. Is that a problem?” His silver eyes were doing that wonderous thing, with the blue streaks showing like flashes of lightning. They really were remarkable.
“No. Not at all.”
Chaz seemed to search her face for something, but then he turned, going to the stairs. “Come on. I don’t want to leave you downstairs alone.”
Shoni checked out his back as she followed him upstairs. There was no torn skin to see that time. He either hadn’t let out his wings, or he’d had time to properly use those hidden flaps he’d told her about. It also proved that GarLycans did heal really fast. She couldn’t see any of the damage remaining from the other time he was about to shower.
Her gaze lowered to his butt. He had no tan lines and the best ass she’d ever seen. Chaz entered the bathroom but left the door open. Shoni tore her gaze off him. The sound of him turning on her shower could be heard.
Shoni took the time to strip the sheets and grabbed a spare set from her walk-in closet. She’d just finished remaking the bed when Chaz strutted in.
“Why are you doing that?”
“I like fresh bedding. It’s a quirk of mine.” She turned, her gaze roaming his body. It amazed her that his cock looked big, even when he wasn’t aroused.
“Stop staring at me, Shoni. It might give me ideas.” Chaz walked up to her, his hands gripping her hips. “You look tired. I’d like to wake you with my mouth in the morning. Is that acceptable?”
She nodded. “I’m not that tired.” Another round of amazing sex with Chaz was more than tempting. Just looking at him and with his hands on her was enough to make her want him again.
“No. You need sleep.” His voice deepened, and his handsome face turned almost stern-looking. “You were yawning as we walked those few blocks from the diner.” His hold on her tightened, and he guided her to turn around. “Undress and climb under the covers. I’m taking care of you. That means allowing you to rest. You’re human.”
“Fine.” The human part kind of hurt her feelings. It implied she was weak or something. Fragile. Then again, Shoni supposed that, compared to him, it was just the truth. She began to strip out of her clothing.
“I’ll be right back. I’m going to grab my phone off the charger in the other room and bring it in here.”
Shoni turned her head, watching him leave to go into the guest room. He’d mentioned plugging it in before they’d left to go to the diner since the battery was almost dead. It was a reminder that her own cell remained inside her purse.
She’d put it on vibrate to avoid any possible calls and stashed it there. The idea of dealing with well-meaning friends and family to check on her after her failed wedding wasn’t good. Worse, Marco or her horrible stepbrother might be trying to reach her. She didn’t need their crap.
Chaz reentered her bedroom, staring at the lit-up screen of the phone he held. “Damn it,” he snarled, sounding mad. “I shouldn’t have checked my phone.”
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Garson pissed off a few Lycans.”
“Who?”
“The VampLycan who is going to erase your memories. Fray sent me a text message while we were gone. Garson had to leave Moe’s territory to avoid having to kill a few irate males. They wanted to challenge him to a fight for flirting with females for whom they have feelings. He’s going to check into the hotel we met at and will be available in the morning to wipe your memories.”
Shoni hated that tears instantly filled her eyes. She turned away, blinking them back. It upset her knowing their time was going to come to an end so soon. “I thought it would be a few more days.”
“So did I.” He put the phone on her nightstand with a thumping noise. “I can’t put him off. We were lucky that a VampLycan was available at all. I’d have hated to bring you to the attention of a Vampire I don’t trust. Some of them feel entitled enough to bother that human later if they want blood. It’s best if you’re never introduced to one.”
“Vampires. Right. They’re real, too.” She pulled back the covers, keeping her back to Chaz. “And I remember what you said about how they can just enter people’s homes uninvited. That’s one myth or whatever that I wish was true.”
“You won’t remember that Vampires exist once Garson talks to you.”
“Will it hurt?”
Chaz suddenly moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her where she stood, pulling her against him in a hug. “No. The only thing that may alarm you is that his eyes will glow. Think of it like hypnosis.”
“Okay.” Shoni liked him holding her. Chaz made her feel safe.
“Climb into bed.” His hold eased as he stepped away.
Shoni got under the covers, turning to watch Chaz as he flipped off the light. Her bedroom grew dark, but she felt the other side of the mattress dip when he joined her. Then, he pulled her against his side.
It felt nice snuggling in against Chaz’s firm, large body. He gave off a lot of heat. She liked that. Shoni caressed his chest as she inhaled his clean scent. The way he wrapped his arm around her back to pull her closer was even nicer. Everything about him just felt… right.
Don’t go there , she silently reminded herself. Chaz had been very clear he wasn’t looking for a relationship . It’s just sex. He’s going back to Alaska and will stay there once he’s sure I’m safe and didn’t end up pregnant. He’ll forget about me soon after my memories of him are taken away. That’s the upside. I won’t remember him.
That made her feel really sad. Shoni was falling in love with him. Totally understandable , she reasoned. Chaz has repeatedly saved my ass. He’s funny, smart, and sexy, too. Plus, he’s amazing in bed. No one has ever turned me on more or gotten me off as many times.
“Shoni, is something wrong? You just tensed up.”
She even liked his husky, soft voice as Chaz murmured to her. “I’m fine.”
“Something is wrong.” He moved his hand, gripping her hip. “What is it?”
“I’m just a little sad that our time is going to be shorter than I thought,” she admitted.
“I am as well. I will keep my promise to watch over you for a while.”
“How are you going to do that? I’m on vacation from work for the next two weeks. That means I probably won’t leave my home unless I’m just running errands like grocery shopping. I took that much time off to go away on my honeymoon and then help Marco move in with me. No way am I going back to work early. Everyone there will ask me a bunch of questions about what happened with Marco.” She grimaced, snuggling tighter against Chaz. “Shit. Then I’ll have to see him sometimes. That will be hellish. I just hope he doesn’t cause a scene. My bosses wouldn’t like that.”
“I could have Garson pay him a visit. I don’t want Marco going near you again. The VampLycan can convince him to quit his job and move away.”
That cheered Shoni up. “Really?”
“Yes. Garson can use his abilities to go into his mind and do all that.”
“Is it crappy of me to like that idea?”
“No, Shoni. There’s something I should admit. I knew who you were before we shared the elevator. After I checked into the hotel, I was hungry. I ate inside the bar. GarLycans have extremely sensitive hearing. I could hear Marco yelling at you when you took his phone call.”
Shoni gasped, glad the room was too dark for her to see Chaz’s face. “No!”
“You were drinking and didn’t seem to notice when I took a seat in the booth directly behind you.”
“Why didn’t you say something sooner?”
“I didn’t want you to know I’d overheard so much. It might have made you feel uncomfortable around me. You got up right before I finished my dinner and left the bar. I paid and headed up to my room when you dashed into the elevator with me.”
“How embarrassing. You could really hear my conversation when Marco called me?”
“Yes. It’s why I’ve decided to ask Garson to mess with his mind. You shouldn’t have to be subjected to Marco’s verbal abuse and inability to behave like a decent human.” He eased his hold on her hip, rubbing it. “Marco will quit his job and move somewhere else. He won’t ever bother you again.”
“That’s really sweet. Thank you. It would make my life easier.”
“Consider it done.”
“This Garson won’t mind doing that for us?”
Chaz chuckled. “Garson loves to mess with assholes. He and my twin are alike that way. I won’t even have to share all that Marco has done. Just saying he mistreated you will be enough for Garson to agree.”
She grew pensive again, thinking about their time almost being up. She caressed his chest. “I’m not all that tired anymore.” She turned her head a little, licking his skin. It was easy to find his nipple since it was beaded.
“Fuck,” he rasped as she sucked on it. “That feels good.”
Shoni nipped him with her teeth, and Chaz growled, suddenly rolling toward her. She found herself flat on her back with him shoving the bedding off. He went for her left breast, doing to her what she had been doing to him. Her clit started to instantly throb as if the two were physically linked.
“Yes,” she encouraged him, lightly raking her fingernails over his upper arms.
Chaz released her nipple and went for the other one, sucking hard. Shoni spread her legs, lifting them, and gripped his sides to urge him to fuck her.
He didn’t, instead growling at her. It was a sexy sound. He lifted up, braced one arm, and reached for the condom box he’d left on one of the nightstands. She knew that by the sound of him opening it one-handed to pull out a roll.
“I’m going to tell Garson to wait a few more days before he erases your memory.” He paused as he used his mouth to rip open the corner of the condom wrapper. “You could still be in danger from another challenger in that damn messed-up pack. They are all a bunch of idiots.” He twisted a little over her to put on the condom.
“That sounds good to me.”
He suddenly came down on her, pinning her tight to the bed, and his mouth covered hers. Shoni moaned as she kissed him as if her life depended on it. He reacted like he felt the same way. She ached all over, wanting him inside her. No one turned her on as quickly as he could.
Chaz gripped one of her thighs, urging her to lift it higher over his hip. Then, he entered her. Shoni broke the kiss, afraid she’d bite him as he slammed home. It was almost painful, but in the best way. He’d always been gentle before, but now he fucked her hard and fast. Pleasure tore away her ability to think. All she could do was feel as he drove into her over and over until he brought her to another mind-blowing orgasm.
The moment her inner muscles clamped down on him, he groaned, burying his face into the crook of her neck. His body shook over hers, and he loudly groaned, finding his own release. Chaz’s hips stilled. They were both breathing hard, out of breath.
A good minute passed before he spoke. “Did I hurt you? I was a little rough.”
She smiled, stroking his back now. Shoni loved touching him. “I came so hard. Shut up.”
He chuckled, brushing a kiss on her shoulder before lifting his head. “I should take care of this condom. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.” Shoni’s body felt boneless as she unwrapped her legs and arms from around him. Chaz slowly withdrew from her and pushed up, crawling down the bed to get off it. She heard him leave her bedroom and enter the bathroom. The light coming on in there also clued her in with her bedroom door open.
She turned on her side, feeling chilly without his body heat. The water ran in the bathroom, probably the sink, and she smiled. Chaz really was the best. He even washed his hands after removing the condom. She planned to remake the bed since most of the covers were probably on the floor. In just a minute.
Chaz reentered the bedroom and came to a halt. Shoni was curled up on her side, sound asleep. He quickly grabbed the sheet and blanket he’d kicked off the bed and covered her. The way she lay in an almost fetal position made him think she might be cold.
He knew humans were more prone to being vulnerable to temperatures. That was something he rarely had to worry about, being a GarLycan. It would have to be freezing cold or baking hot for him to even notice. His ability to harden or soften his skin was a form of protection.
Once he joined her on the bed, Chaz curled around Shoni’s back. It was to keep her warm, but he had to admit he liked having her right in front of him. No one could harm her with him spooned around her. They’d have to get through him first, and that was impossible to do.
Shoni wiggled her ass until it was firmly pressed against his lap, rubbing against his dick in the process. That part of him instantly hardened. He trapped his member between his thighs and put his arm around her waist. It was heaven and hell spooning Shoni. He liked having her so close, but the downside was wanting to fuck her again.
Chaz closed his eyes, forcing his body to disregard his arousal. That was the last thing she needed. Humans weren’t accustomed to unusually high sex drives. They were supposed to get at least eight hours of sleep to keep them healthy.
Shoni had maybe gotten two before the mated Lycan couple had tried to break into her home. It still pissed him off that anyone from that pack was attempting to use her in any way. None of them should have pulled her into their mess in the first place.
The text message from Fray pissed him off, too. His twin had been told what happened to Shoni and how terrible the Folsom pack operated. He’d said he planned to spend a few days guarding her to make sure they didn’t come after her again. He hadn’t updated his brother about the stunt that Noah had attempted to pull, but he’d shared his plan. Fray disregarded it by sending Garson earlier than expected.
Chaz decided he needed to explain the situation to the VampLycan. Garson tended to be mellow and easygoing. Chaz remembered feeling shocked by how juvenile he could sometimes act. Garson loved to play jokes and never seemed to take things seriously. He’d even talked some of their scouts into taking him flying with them when they’d patrolled the VampLycan territories by air.
That had seemed insane to Chaz for the male to want rides for fun. They did sometimes fly other people around, but it was usually only in case of emergencies, if they had a wingless mate, or if it was part of a battle strategy.
He’d taken Tiono up earlier because it had been the most effective way to sneak up on the cabin. Enemies rarely searched the skies for danger. Flying into a conflict also hid their scents until they were back on the ground. It was much faster than traveling by foot.
Chaz’s thoughts drifted to Shoni, replaying every moment they’d spent together since he’d seen her huddled in the booth in the hotel bar. The memories would probably haunt him. He had to admit that the short time they’d spent together meant something to him.
She made him laugh and had him rethinking his views on humans. It wasn’t like he’d hated or disliked them. He wasn’t an asshole. But he had avoided most of them and kept his interactions to a bare minimum.
Shoni had changed him. He sighed, nuzzling the back of her head with his nose. It was tempting to take her home with him, but he really wasn’t ready to take a mate. He couldn’t see her happy at the cliffs, anyway. She’d admitted that her cousin was like a sister to her. He’d be taking her away from Ember and her life.
It was possible she wouldn’t even want to go with him. Or she’d learn to resent him if she did have to leave everything in her life to start a new one with him. Mating him would cause her pain. That was the last thing he wanted for Shoni.
Chaz forced himself to blank his mind and try to get some rest. He’d talk Garson into hanging around for a few more days tomorrow.