SEALed Embrace Read online

  “How can you know that?” she asked.

  “Because it’s how any of us would feel if we found our mate. I’ll admit I’m more than a little jealous of Garren. I’d give anything to find the woman I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life with. What you share, it’s something magical, Isi. Don’t throw it away because you don’t feel worthy, or you aren’t ready, or whatever else is running through your mind. Be open to the idea of having a mate. Shifters wait their whole lives for that one special person to come along, and you can’t tell me that you’re any different.” Dagan gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t be afraid to feel something, Isi.”

  She was feeling plenty of things, but she didn’t want to. Life would be much simpler if she could turn her emotions off. She hadn’t thought of things from Garren’s perspective. If she turned him away, he’d never find another mate. Sure, he could find a woman to spend his life with, but it wouldn’t be the same. Could she doom him to such an existence? Was that really fair of her? The fact that she couldn’t shift had bothered her since she’d learned of her inability, and it obviously bothered those in the village, but Garren didn’t seem to mind. Was it right for her to turn him away when he was willing to accept her as she was, flaws and all? He was every woman’s dream—he was her dream, her ideal. It was something she’d have to think about. There was a lot to consider.

  “We have some time before we need to worry about sleeping arrangements. Right now, I think we should be more concerned with food. Obviously, there isn’t any in this house and we need to eat something for supper. Are there any fast food places nearby?” Garren asked.

  “No, the nearest fast food is in the human town of Westlake about twenty minutes up the road. That’s where I work.” She frowned. “Or where I worked. After not showing up for work for several days, I doubt I still have a job.”

  “So what do we do for food?” Dagan asked.

  “There’s a pizza place in the village and they deliver. There’s also a sandwich shop. Otherwise, we have to go to Westlake. The village may be small, but we do have a few things that are considered creature comforts and necessities. There’s a small market, a doctor, a dentist and a small clothing store. Really that’s about it.” She shrugged. “It isn’t much, but it’s enough.”

  Dagan grinned. “I think pizza would hit the spot. But after you’ve been without food for so long, maybe you should stick with a sandwich. I don’t think all that grease would be a good idea.”

  “A plain turkey sandwich sounds good right about now,” she admitted. “I don’t think I could handle anything else.”

  “Once Lee and Parker get back, one of us will go grab dinner.”

  Garren shook his head. “You mean two of you will.”

  “Actually, we could have it delivered while they’re gone,” Isi said.

  “Even your sandwich?” Garren asked.

  “My friend’s family owns the sandwich shop. I’m sure she would bring one to me if I asked.”

  Garren nodded. “Then make the call.”

  Isi picked up the phone off the end table and dialed Ryerson Subs. Her friend Hailey answered almost immediately.

  “Ryerson Subs, how may I help you?”

  “Hailey, it’s Isi.”

  “Isi! Oh, thank God! I was so worried about you!”

  “You were one of the few.”

  “Are you home? Can I come see you?”

  Isi glanced at Garren and Dagan. “I’m not home. I’m staying at the cabin reserved for pack guests. Sean sent some men for me. They were able to rescue me and bring me home, but they aren’t convinced the danger is over, so they’re watching over me. If I place an order, could you deliver it to us?”

  “Sure, anything for you.”

  “I’d like a plain turkey on white. Maybe a slice of provolone and a dab of deli mustard. I haven’t had much to eat in the past three days and I don’t want to make myself sick.”

  “I’ll bring it to you. Just give me about ten minutes to make it and make sure the counter will be covered until closing.” Hailey laughed. “It’s so good to hear your voice. I thought I’d never hear from you again.”

  “It will be good to see you, Hailey. Just be warned, I have two hulking giants watching over me.”

  She laughed. “Okay, I’ll see you soon.”

  Isi hung up and handed the phone to Dagan. “Now you can order your pizza.”

  Dagan took the phone and called in an order for several large pizzas. Isi had little doubt that the person taking the call was surprised at the delivery address. Typically, if there were pack visitors, the alpha would notify everyone ahead of time. But then, Dagan and the others weren’t sanctioned visitors. She wasn’t even sure if the alpha knew they were here yet. When Henry’d find out though, all hell would break loose. She doubted the alpha would take it well that his youngest had given permission for four strangers—and Isi—to stay in the cabin.

  When the order was complete and the phone was back on the charger, Isi stared at the two men, unsure what to say or do. She wasn’t used to being around strangers, or around friendly people for that matter. She had her select few friends that would speak to her, and that was it. Anything else and she was out of her comfort zone. She knew with Hailey knowing where she was, it wouldn’t be long before Grace came to visit.

  Moving across the room with as much poise as she could muster in her present state, she sat on the large navy leather sofa and kicked her feet up on the coffee table, its maple finish polished to a high shine. The TV remote sat on the arm of the sofa, beckoning her. Isi picked it up and began flipping through channels. This was just what she needed tonight, something ordinary to occupy her, a way to pass time and relax. Not that she wanted time to pass too quickly. The whole sleeping arrangement issue was still hanging over her head.

  Dagan strolled over and claimed the overstuffed chair next to her. A quick glance toward the door showed Garren watching her intently, arms folded over his chest, muscles bulging. She didn’t know what to make of the lion shifter. He was just so… intense. Even before he’d started that mate nonsense he’d been intimidating.

  She couldn’t lie to herself though, just looking at him made her insides quiver. And maybe if she were a true shifter and had all their heightened senses, maybe he would smell like her mate. But for the most part, Isi was just human. There was a cat locked away inside of her, but the beast never came out to play.

  Remembering their short time in the bathroom earlier made her panties damp and had her clenching her thighs together. She could still feel the rasp of his whiskers against her skin, the slide of his teeth against her throat. Her nipples pebbled and she folded her arms over her chest, trying to hide the evidence of her desire for the impossible man.

  He smirked at her and her cheeks flushed. Damn shifter senses, he no doubt smelled her arousal. Isi turned her attention back to the TV and did her best to ignore the big cat. Although, she did wonder if he planned to stand by the door like a sentinel all night long or if he was going to join them and have a seat. It made her a little nervous to have him just standing there, staring at her. Even with her focus on the movie, she could still feel his gaze boring into her. It took every ounce of her willpower not to look his way again.

  A knock sounded at the door and Dagan stood, moving in front of her protectively. She peered around him as Garren answered it, pulling the door wide after a moment. Hailey stepped inside with a Ryerson Sub bag in her hands and a bright smile on her face. Garren closed the door and motioned for Hailey to join them in the living room. She wondered what the lion thought of her rather unconventional friend, with her teal hair and scars that ran down one side of her face from an attack she’d survived years before. Still, despite those things, Hailey was still rather stunning, in Isi’s opinion. With the rapt attention Dagan had focused on her friend, she figured he felt the same way.

  Hailey threw her arms around Isi, squeezing her tight. “I’m so glad you’re safe,” her friend said softly as she
pulled away.

  It was nice to know she’d been missed.

  “Dagan. Garren. This is my friend, Hailey. Hailey, these are two of the guys who rescued me. Hailey is one of the few humans in our village.”

  Dagan stepped forward and took the bag from her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hailey. Would you like to join us? We were just watching a movie.”

  Hailey looked up at him warily. “I don’t know. It’s been a long day. It might be best if I head home.”

  “Could you stay, just for a little while?” Isi asked. She’d missed her friends and wasn’t ready to be left alone with the guys again.

  “Well,” Hailey wavered. “I suppose a few minutes wouldn’t hurt.”

  Isi smiled and tugged her friend over to the sofa and pulled her down onto the seat next to her. Curling her legs under her, she faced Hailey with a smile. “Did I miss anything the past few days?”

  “The day you went missing I wasn’t sure if the village was going to celebrate or go into an uproar that someone had dared sneak onto pack land and abduct one of our own.”

  Isi smiled. “I’m guessing the party won.”

  Hailey shrugged. “You know how the village feels about you. Once the alpha assured everyone it was a one-time event, they settled down. I don’t think you were even gone a day before Lumley put your place up for rent. Everyone pretty much decided you were gone for good, and they weren’t exactly broken up about it.”

  Garren growled. “I’ve never been to such a backward place in my life! Just because she can’t shift doesn’t mean she’s cursed. There’s no reason to believe that her cubs won’t be perfectly normal and able to shift when the time comes.”

  “If I can even have any,” she said softly. “Don’t forget, ocelot shifters don’t always have cubs.”

  “Ocelot? Is that what you are? Then we’ll adopt,” Garren said.

  Hailey’s eyes went wide. “Excuse me? Did I miss something?”

  Dagan sat in the overstuffed chair again. “Garren is Isi’s mate, but she’s being finicky about it and denying him.”

  Isi watched as Hailey raked her gaze up and down Dagan, really taking him in. Her eyes dilated, her lips parted. If she listened closely, she could hear her friend’s heart start to race. Hmm. Interesting. It seemed that perhaps Hailey wasn’t as immune to men as she’d always claimed. Or perhaps it was just this man. Isi turned to look at Dagan and saw that he was devouring Hailey with his eyes, a wolfish smile on his face. Was it possible that there were two mates to be found in the village for the ex-SEALs? Was it just a surge of hormones? It was definitely something to look into.

  “Hailey, this is Dagan. Dagan, this is Hailey Ryerson. She was adopted into the pack when she was seventeen.”

  “Hello, gorgeous. I must say, before meeting you, I was starting to wonder if this place had any redeeming qualities.”

  Hailey blinked at him before turning toward Isi. “He’s joking, right?”

  Dagan looked affronted. “I can assure you, I was quite genuine with my compliment. While I’ve never really understood the need to dye one’s hair rainbow colors, on you it’s rather fetching.”

  “So what you’re saying,” Hailey said, “is that despite my unusual hair color, you find me attractive?”

  He grinned. “Yes.”

  Isi groaned. That so wasn’t the thing to say to Hailey. She was proud of the fact that she was unique, worked hard to be part of the pack while standing apart, and now Dagan had gone and insulted her, even if he didn’t realize it. Poor fool. On the plus side, he hadn’t mentioned the scars on her face. Three vertical slashes from an overzealous male’s claws were a gift Hailey couldn’t exchange and one that held bad memories every time she looked in the mirror. Isi knew there were scars on the inside as well, perhaps much worse than those the world saw, but Hailey was good at hiding things from people. She remained upbeat most of the time, always giving everyone a smile. Isi had always admired her for her strength, but she often wondered if her friend wasn’t dying a little inside, needing to confide in someone, to break down, cry and just let it all out. Isi had tried many times to get Hailey to talk about what happened that night, but she’d always laugh it off, say it happened a long time ago and then she’d change the subject.

  “Well,” Hailey said, pursing her lips. “I suppose you aren’t bad looking either. For a blond.”

  Isi coughed into her hand to hide a laugh.

  Dagan frowned at her. “Just what’s wrong with me being blond? I’ll have you know I’ve been compared to a golden god.”

  Hailey rolled her eyes and snorted. “You’re certainly as humble as one, aren’t you? Well, I have news for you, Casanova, your charm won’t work on me. Backhanded compliments and flirtatious smiles aren’t going to get you into my pants. Better men than you have tried, and failed.”

  Dagan didn’t look pleased with the news that others had been trying to tumble her into bed and his jaw tensed.

  “Maybe I want more than just a roll in the hay,” he told her.

  “Oh please. You aren’t really going to pull that mate crap with me, are you? That nonsense that we’re destined to be together, that you’ll never desire another? Because it’s garbage. I might have fallen for that once, but never again.”

  His features went lax, his eyes widening. “You have a mate?”

  “No, not for lack of trying on his part. This,” she said with a wave at her face, “was his parting gift to me. So you’ll have to pardon me if I don’t roll over and thank my lucky stars that you want to claim me.”

  “First,” Dagan said. “I don’t recall saying you were my mate. I merely said I wanted more than a quick bout amongst the sheets with you. You’re the one who inferred I was your mate, or rather that you were mine. So perhaps, you want one more than you think. Maybe subconsciously your body is saying it’s ready for a real man, because only a punk-ass wolf would scar the face of a woman.”

  Hailey’s eyes flared and she licked her lips. “I think I’ve overstayed my welcome.”

  Isi grabbed her hand. “Do you have to go?”

  “Sorry, Is,” she said, turning her way. “Unless you want a brawl in your living room, I think it would be best if I took off. Maybe I’ll come back when Mr. I-think-I’m-perfect over there is gone. I don’t think this place is big enough for his ego, it might bust out a window at any moment.”

  Isi smiled at her sadly. “Maybe we can get together for lunch one day soon.”

  Hailey shot a glare at Dagan. “Yeah, when you lose your entourage. Or at least half of it.”

  Dagan grumbled under his breath and shoved himself out of his chair. Before Isi realized what he was doing, he snatched Hailey off the sofa, bent her over his arm and planted one on her. The little human beat at him with her fists and stomped on his feet, but Dagan seemed determined to get his point across. As his lips moved against hers, her struggles began to slow until she was gripping his shoulders and kissing him back.

  Isi looked at Garren to see if he was half as stunned as she was. She didn’t know Dagan well enough to know whether or not this was normal behavior for him, but it certainly wasn’t normal for Hailey. Isi had known Hailey since she had first joined the pack seven years ago, and not once had she shown any of the males the slightest bit of attention. She’d snapped and snarled at them, always ready with a witty comeback and a snappy retort if any dared speak to her. It had quickly become common knowledge that the human living in their midst didn’t wish to be pursued.

  Dagan had a snappy reply to Hailey’s entourage comment, and the two were off again, slinging verbal insults with an ease that left Isi shaking her head. She wasn’t sure if they wanted to kill each other, or if they were just so attracted to one another that they didn’t know how to proceed. She glanced at Garren and he nodded toward the kitchen. She stood and followed him into the other room, grabbing her dinner on the way. She wasn’t quite certain she should leave her friend, even if she wasn’t exactly a defenseless damsel in distress, b
ut she would trust Garren’s judgment.

  When they entered the brightly colored kitchen, Garren pulled out a chair at the table for Isi. She sat and watched as he took the seat next to hers. The light from the decorative fixture over the table made his hair glint blue-black. As his vibrant green eyes assessed her, she wondered what he saw. He claimed she was his mate, yet he knew nothing about her. If she were as feisty as Hailey or as sassy as Tomi, would he still want her? If she were to stand side by side with her quiet, serene friend, Grace, would she be found lacking? How could you want a person you didn’t know?

  Perhaps she should look to herself first. She may not want to be his mate, but she definitely wanted him. There was no denying there were sparks between them. With just a look, the mere thought of his skin touching hers, she went up in flames. Would his eyes glitter like emeralds in the throes of passion, or would the gold of his lion bleed through as his beast fought for freedom? She’d felt the scrape of his fangs against her throat, the rasp of his lion’s tongue against her skin. What would it be like to let him dominate her, to let him take what he so obviously wanted? She had little doubt he was the type to be in control in the bedroom, but just how much of a dominant streak did he have?

  Her gaze caressed the hard planes of his chest, down his tapered waist to the bulge in his camouflage pants. There was no hiding that monster, that was for certain. Unconsciously, she licked her lips, wondering what he would taste like if she were to take him in her mouth. Would the musk of his arousal fill the air, surrounding her, wrapping her in a blanket of wanton bliss and frantic need? Already she felt a clawing ache begin in her belly as she clenched her thighs together. Her fingers curled into her palms, her nails biting into her skin as she fought the urge to reach out and touch him, to run her fingers over his muscular forearm, the crisp hair tickling her fingertips as she explored.