YEAST OF EDEN

Jamela could do this. Fast and furious. In and out. Like a cat. She'd sneak up to the gate, drop her delivery and bolt like there was no tomorrow. Right. It was a plan.

She nibbled her lower lip as her small car crunched over the gravel driveway that led to the Wilder pack alpha's house. Or rather, Billy's house. Because of course she embarrassed the hell out of herself in front of the Wilder alpha. Of course.

She blamed the oversight on lack of sleep and pearl necklace laced cookies. Even now, the memory of Dianthe explaining such a thing to the alpha made her cringe. She was so not winning sister/mom of the year. Jamela couldn't even fall back on the "that's what shifter teens do" excuse like most the other kids in Wilder. Their little mongrel family unit was made of shifters and yet they weren't. And they definitely hadn't been raised in a shifter pack, pride, or clan.

Anyway, it didn't matter. She'd drop off her cookies and never see him again. Hell, if the pack was run like others they'd encountered over the years, she wouldn't even see him now. A quick drive up to the gate, a shove of boxes into the hands of Billy's sentinels and then away she'd go.

And if he ever came into the shop again... She'd hide. Cats did that when they were upset or hurt and she was upset so ergo, ipso facto, and all those other weird terms. She was gone.

She released a relieved sigh, happy now that she had a plan.

A single howl cut through the night, slicing into the darkness and sinking into her car with ease. The sound should have sent a tingle of unease down her spine. It should have concerned her-cats were not scared of dogs, just cautious-but it touched her in other ways instead. Other nipple-hardening ways and that was just wrong.

Wrong.

Then another howl joined the first, followed by a few yips and barks until that wolf released its moon call. With each passing moment, more and more added to the wolfen symphony until they overrode her radio. The more noise, the greater her concern-not fright-grew. The volume, the swell of howls, told her exactly what she was dealing with. Dozens of wolves.

But they're not after me. They're not chasing me home from school and they're not cornering me in an alley and they're not...

She rounded a final bend, slowing her vehicle as she approached a set of wide, wrought iron gates firmly shut before her. She brought it to a gentle stop, not wanting to make any sudden moves that would pique a wolf's interest.

Sure, the pack was out for a run, probably as a precursor to the party, but that didn't mean the entry was left unguarded. And hell, they were probably pissed at being left out of the festivities. She'd finally wiggled more information out of Dianthe and discovered tonight's gathering was a joint bachelor and bachelorette party.

Which involved semi-naughty cookies and an all-night run. And for wolves, an all-night run included an evening filled with hunting and sex. Or rather, hunting for sex.

Billy is out there... hunting, chasing, searching...

Jamela shuddered, a tendril of arousal and desire slinking into her veins. In her mind, it was her he chased, followed through the forest and finally pounced. The lioness being caught by the wolf.

With a shake of her head, she popped her car into park and remained still as one of the largest men she'd ever seen strode from the shadows. He was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, the fabric snug on his body, and she wondered if that was because he simply liked tight clothing or if his beast was on edge and threatening to break free. Jamela had experienced that sensation more than once in her life. Threaten her sisters and her lioness leapt forward, stretching the fabric and sometimes tearing it to shreds as her shift edged closer. Hate. Menace. Anger.

Her cat prowled, disliking the nearness of this wolf. It wanted out, wanted to protect itself and the extended threat he posed to their small cub. No matter Dianthe's age, she'd always be Jamela's cub. She nudged the animal back, fighting the ache in her gums and the stinging that encompassed her skin. The bitch was pushing hard, growing stronger the nearer this massive wolf came. The glow from her headlights fell on him, illuminating him in a brief flash, but it was enough.

Enough to see his amber eyes and misshapen jaw, the light dusting of gray fur on his cheeks and the growing nails on his hands.

Jamela's cat immediately reacted to the impending threat. Her skin rippled, a gentle wave that undulated through her and left golden fur in its wake. Her vision flashed, colors changing and the night slowly came into focus through her feline's eyes. Her gaze darted through the space, cataloging her surroundings in a rapid glance.

The wolf wasn't alone-at least four others lingered along the tree line. Two were wolves while the others remained on two feet, their claws reflecting snippets of moonlight.

Five against one. Great odds.

The nearer he came, the more uneasy she grew, her lioness pacing and snarling and she couldn't remain trapped inside her vehicle. She knew what was coming and cursed herself again and again for coming to the pack house, for not begging Emma to do it for her. Emma was human, she wouldn't have been bothered or threatened by the pack.

A lioness on the other hand...

Why? Why? Why?

Because I wanted to see him again...

God, she was such an idiot.

Whatever. She'd fought off more wolves than this in the past. Sure, the last time was when she was twenty-forever ago-but she could take them.

Had to take them.

Before he got too close, she threw her door open, leaving it wide as she took a step out of the vehicle. She tugged off her jacket and tossed it into her car. "I'm here at your alpha's invitation."

The large man halted for a moment, his yellowed eyes narrowing at her. "I know you. You're-"

"Mine," Billy snapped, emerging from the shadows.

The power of an alpha flicked through the air, unseen but no less powerful. The men who'd remained in the darkness retreated silently and the massive male before her froze in place. His gaze remained locked on Jamela while he tilted his head to the side. Not in submission to her, but the large, approaching male. The alpha's anger was hot and heavy in the air and her cat purred at the first hint of that scent. It knew the carefully banked rage wasn't at her but on her behalf and that had the lioness' motors running.

"Leave, Seth, we'll talk later." Billy's voice was harsh.

"Alpha..." the male growled, his eyes remaining locked on Jamela's as he curled his lip in a clear threat. His fang gleamed in the moonlight, her cat's eyes easily picking up the move.

Another wave of that power, that innate strength, manifested itself and crashed over them. A low whimper came from the trees and she realized the others had disappeared from sight but hadn't left. "I didn't stutter, Seth. Not this afternoon when I told you of her impending arrival and not now."

"She's a cat." Seth spat Jamela's species as if it were a curse.

To wolves it was.

"She's a guest." Billy didn't stop or slow his approach, merely strode past Seth and came to her side, curling his arm around her and laying it across her shoulders. "My guest, Seth. Leave us."

She wasn't going to address the fact that Billy was naked. Naked and standing beside her and his bare skin was brushing against her arm and he was a little sweaty but that just made him hotter and...

She slowly drew in a long breath, drinking in his scent. She brushed off the stinging aroma of his anger and instead focused on him. The musk and man and forest that clung to his body. She felt herself heating, body reacting to his delicious nearness and her lioness purred in welcome. She was reacting to him, his presence, and his voice as she had earlier in the day. Wanting him. Needing him. Craving him.

When Billy breathed deeply and released the air with a low rumble, she knew he scented her desire and she cursed herself. Couldn't she keep it together in front of the guy?

Apparently not.

"Alpha..." Seth tried again.

"One second. That's all you have left. One second and then I will remove you myself." Billy's words were quiet and soft but solid and unbending. He'd get Seth away from her. Period.

She didn't want to acknowledge how that made her feel.

With one last glare at Jamela, Seth spun on his heel and stomped for the tree line, tearing his clothes off as he moved. She didn't allow herself to breathe until he was gone, her cat's senses no longer picking up his presence. The moment she relaxed, Billy released her. She swallowed the threatening whine that rose in her throat, her feline pissed at the loss.

He'd stood up for them against his own kind. His own pack. And that was a heady aphrodisiac.

"The cookies are in the trunk?" Billy stepped farther away. "Pop it for me."

"What?" She shook her head, the rapid withdrawal and change in him practically leaving her with whiplash.

"Pop the trunk. I'll get the cookies and you can leave." His words were sharp, tone brusque.

Leave. Right. She hadn't wanted to come anyway, so why did she care that he was kicking her off his land?

Because she did. Because her lioness did.

"Sure. Sorry." She nodded and leaned into her car, tugging on the little lever that granted him access to the back of the car.

The moment he could, he reached into the truck and grabbed a couple boxes. "Come grab these. Take them to the house."

Was he talking to her? No. The other males strode from the darkness, doing as their alpha ordered and only glaring at her when Billy couldn't see them. Another reason to leave and never return. In moments her car was empty, the still-nude Billy carrying the last two boxes.

He strode toward her, pausing beside her for a brief moment. "Do I owe you anything?"

Jamela shook her head. "No, it was prepaid." She fell back on her professionalism, ignoring the lingering scent of his arousal and her own need. "Thank you for using Yeast of Eden for your event needs. Please think of us again in the future."

Billy opened his mouth as if to say something, but she didn't want to listen to his brush off. She'd been polite and she didn't have it in her heart to be friendly now that he was kicking her to the curb. "Have a good evening and pass my congratulations to the happy couple."

Without hesitating another moment, she climbed into the driver's seat and tugged the door closed, ignoring the sight of a nude Billy, pretending not to see the way the dim glow of her headlights outlined every dip and curve of his heavily muscled body. Or the fact that his cock was long and thick. She definitely didn't imagine what it'd feel like in her hand, against her palm as she brought the tip to her mouth...

Tearing her attention from him, she shifted into reverse, looking over her shoulder as she backed away from the forbidding gate. She continued until she reached a wider spot on the driveway, quickly performing a three-point turn until she was driving straight back to the road that'd brought her to pack lands. She ignored the wolves racing along beside her, their dark coats making them blend into the shadows but not quite enough.

Her cat still saw them.

Her cat still wanted to chase and pounce on them.

No, not them. Him.