Chapter 20

Deacon paused to scent the air. The animals hadn’t left the land, just moved to the areas with the denser growth to shelter from the winter. He’d have to move the traps to different locations to try to catch them in the new paths they’d use.

His animal was not happy today, even being out. He’d had to reign him in about ten times so far when he’d picked up Giana’s foxes’ scent. He wanted to follow it back to her and that, Deacon had adamantly reminded him was not going to happen.

He turned and started an easy run back toward his home. With his long legs, even a slow run was too fast. Every second he was near her it became harder to resist touching her, kissing her...

He growled low, thoughts like that were not helping.

For the past day and a half Gia’s fox, even without shifting had been giving off pheromones like crazy. It was like a drug to his animal—he couldn’t get enough of it. Unfortunately, it also meant that Gia knew they were mates. So far, she hadn’t brought it up or pushed trying to get closer to him. Which was good. He turned to go the longer route. If it was so good, why was it annoying the hell out of him more? He didn’t want her to be mated to him. Without warning, his animal stopped suddenly, it took a moment for Deacon to realize that despite getting exercise, his thoughts were being shared with him. The creature wasn’t happy with the idea that Deacon didn’t want to be mated to Gia.

Snarling at nothing, he forced him to start moving again. Of course, Deacon wanted her, but sometimes what you wanted and what was able to be were two different things.

He needed to reach out to Calum and get things going again soon. Lasting years without tracking her down he could do just fine, but when she was ten feet from him—he wasn’t going to last much longer.

Forcing his mind to pay attention to what was around him, he checked the trees to see if there were any birds in the area. There was a chill in the air today, with that smell of winter and what they didn’t need was a big storm to roll in and to get stuck here. It had happened only once before. Getting snowed in with Gia was not an option, he’d push the truck through it if he had to.

When he’d stalled as long as he could, he turned to go back. There was enough wood left to split that it would occupy and distract him for the rest of the day, hopefully.

When he heard a screech, he cleared the last hill that led down to his cabin. It was Giana. Something was wrong, she was frightened. Pouring on the speed, he darted around trees in his path. He should shift. The thought was replaced with panic, but if the threat was serious, what was he going to do buck ass naked? There was no choice, he had to stay in this form, whether man or beast was the cause of her fear, he could deal with them in this form, at least until he got to his guns.

As he reached the house, ​he slowed down so he could assess what was happening before running into whatever situation was on the other side of it.

“I am not scared of you,” Giana said with a venomous tone. “Just stay away from me and get out of here.”

Deacon had to keep a lid on his animal, it wanted to rush in and save their mate. He glanced at the truck, getting there and getting a gun was going to take some fast moves. He heard the door of the porch close. They were inside his home.

Giana screeched again, and he bolted around the house, then came to a sliding stop as she spun around inside the porch swinging her hoodie in the air. What the hell. He stood there as she opened the door held it with her foot and swatted the air with her shirt again. A bat came out the door and circled up toward the trees.

A bat. She was screeching over a bat, no intruders.

“Get out of here, you’re not welcome here.” She called to it, then huffed out a breath and stood there in the open door. “Snakes and frogs, even bugs I can do, but I cannot do flying rodents.” She was brushing at her hair with her hand.

If it were possible to laugh while in animal form, he would have. She had no problem with any part of his home and the situation but was so indignant over the bat that it struck him funny.

“Oh no, you don’t.” She ducked down as the bat swooped in her direction. It flew right back into the porch. “Dammit.” She growled and then stepped out of the door and closed it, standing on the outside. “Now what?” Hands-on hips she turned and looked around then froze.

Deacon realized she’d spotted him. He was so caught up in watching her that, he forgot what form he was in.

“What...Deacon?”

Shit. Shit. Shit. Too late now. This would cement things for her with this mating issue. Still, he didn’t think he could see fear or abhorrence on her face when it was directed at him.

“It is you.”

He stared at the ground and watched her feet bring her closer. He couldn’t see that look on her face. He wouldn’t survive it.

“Look at you.”

That part was different, it was usually what are you? Yeah, he needed to go shift back and face the questions in a form he could answer with.

“You’re beautiful.” She said breathlessly.

Huh—what? He jerked his head up to see she was only a few feet from him.

She rolled her eyes, “not beautiful like pretty, more of an amazing kind of beautiful.” She moved closer.

His animal chose now to assert his control and Deacon couldn’t have gotten his feet to move for anything.

“You take after your mother’s clan, right?” She smiled at him, a soft look in her eyes, “I just assumed you were a fox, but you are so much more than that.” She came right over to him and ran her hand softly down the dark red mane that ran from the back of his head to behind his front legs. “So soft.” She put her other hand on him and rubbed along his shoulder to his chest, “and you’re so tall.”

Deacon couldn’t move, he was barely able to breathe. No one had ever touched him in this form, in fact, they usually ran from him.

She leaned down, “I can’t believe your eyes don’t change, the color,” she clarified, “you’re amazing,” she whispered.

He didn’t know if it was him or his creatures doing, but he lifted his chin and licked along her throat. When the taste of her hit his tongue, he reared back from her and took off in the direction of his clothes. That was insane. What had just happened? And why—what in hell had possessed him to lick her?

Jamming his hat on his head, he ducked under the tree and walked into the clearing in front of the cabin. She stood there watching him as he did. His heart felt like it was stuck in his throat, he could barely bring oxygen into his lungs.

She put her hands on her hips and gave him a hard look.

Here it comes, he thought.

“I am so jealous.” She said, then motioned to her leg, “I would kill for legs that long in any form.”

He stopped walking and looked at her as she smiled.

“Seriously Deacon, what clan was your mother from? I mean I know it has to be one in South America because I’ve never seen someone like you before.”

“Ah, Calum said she was a maned wolf.” He mumbled it, still not believing she wasn’t freaking out right now. He’d looked it up online after Calum had told him. Neither fox nor wolf. That part stuck out more than the rest of the information. It fit though, he was essentially a species that was neither one nor the other, but something in between.

“Are there more here? In Canada?”

He jammed his hands into his pockets. “I don’t know.”

“Is the coloring from your dad? The dark red, I’d know fox coloring anywhere.”

“I’m not sure.” He watched her from beneath the peak of his hat, unsure about making eye contact with her.

“Wait,” she started walking toward him, “what’s wrong?” She frowned but kept coming closer. When she was close enough, he could feel the heat from her body, she looked up at him. “Is that why you won’t run with me?” Her grey eyes held his prisoner. She was so close he could clearly see the gold fleck in them, they made her eyes look like they sparkled. “I mean, you could no doubt outrun me with those legs, but still company is more fun sometimes.”

He shrugged one shoulder, “we do need to stay near the phones.”

“We could take the phones with us, and you know it.”

Now she had that indignant tone, and it was directed at him. “I just, I’m used to running alone.” Or with Calum, but he didn’t add that part.

“You should share that part of yourself more, it’s pretty amazing. I’m sure it’s common on another continent, but here it isn’t.”

All he could manage was another slight shrug.

She searched his face, and he couldn’t decipher what the expression was. Before he could figure it out, she put her palm against his chest, the heat of it felt like it was branding him through his t-shirt. Her eyes locked on his as she stretched up and put her hand behind his head, applying pressure so he would lean down toward her. He could feel her breath against his mouth and was mesmerized by the closeness, shocked she was touching him, even now that she knew what he was.

When her soft mouth touched him, he jerked his hands out of his pockets and put them on her hips. He intended to push her away from him, but instead, he was pulling her closer until their bodies were so close air couldn’t fit between them.

Deacon wanted to taste her. Needed to. Turning his head, he kissed her, taking his time, letting their breaths mix and become one. Her mouth was so soft, so warm. Putting his hand against the back of her head, he almost moaned against her lips, her hair was like touching silk.

She opened her mouth to him, and he didn’t hesitate to insert his tongue inside. The flavor of her was so much stronger than the scent that had been haunting him. She was so potent he felt drunk from it.

Giana moaned softly and pressed her body into him. Just that sound had him harden against her. Bending his knees, he wrapped his arm around her and lifted her up against him. Straightening his legs again, he deepened the kiss. It felt so good having her touch him, feeling her soft curves pressed into him. His hat was gone as she gripped his head and kissed him with such passion that he was sure there would be smoke rising from them.

He wanted to lay her down, right here on the ground and strip the clothes from her and taste every inch of her body. He’d imagined it a million times. How she would taste and feel, what it would feel like to have her beneath him, submitting—

Jerking his head back, he fought for air as he looked at her. He could feel her breasts moving against his chest as she tried to catch her breath. “We can’t,” he shook his head, “this can’t happen.” He lowered her to the ground and released her.

“What do you mean?” She kept her hands on his chest and looked up at him. Her eyes were heavy with need, her lips were red from his kiss.

“You’re an Alpha, I’m not.”

“What?” She blinked, “what does that have to do with anything?”

“It’s just how it is, Giana. You’re from an Alpha family—a pure bloodline and I’m a mutt.” He stepped back before he changed his mind and grabbed her again. He took another step to add more space. “I need to go move the traps.” He walked by her and grabbed his run pack this time.

“Calum called while you were out. He said to stop running.” She called after him.

He spun back to her. “Did he say anything else?”

Crossing her arms over her waist, she shook her head, “something about the animals moving for winter.” Dropping her arms, she gave him a hard look. “That’s all you have to say about this. That I’m from an Alpha’s bloodline?”

Putting the pack over his head he realized he didn’t have his hat on. He started back.

Giana dipped down and picked up his hat. “Do you think that matters to me?”

He stopped in front of her and held out his hand for his hat. “It should.”

She tossed his hat at his chest. “It doesn’t.”

Putting it on his head, he started walking, “I’ll be back in a while. You should call your brother and check in with him.” He kept going.

“You know we’re mates.” She called to him louder than necessary.

Deacon stopped and looked at the ground, trying to decide if he should lie to her or not. Lifting his head, he turned to face her.

“How long have you known?” Her arms were crossed over her chest this time. Her temper was stirring, he could see it on her face.

“Since the first time, I sat down beside you at that clan gathering.” It was out of his mouth before he knew what he was saying. Truth it is.

“Seriously? You’ve known that long and didn’t think to share that information with me?”

Lifting his hands, he held them out, “were you ready to be all mated up at nineteen?”

“No, but that’s not the point.” She made no move toward him.

“The point, Giana, is your family, your clan would never let their princess be mated to a mutt like me, and I don’t blame them.” The fact they were standing this far apart and growling back and forth would no doubt be amusing later, much later, after his heart healed again—if it did.

“If you know me at all, you know what they think means nothing to me.” She stomped a few feet toward him and then stopped and waved her hands around. “I didn’t ask to have Alpha blood, I didn’t ask for the life I was born into, Deacon, you should understand that.”

He could hear that he’d hurt her, and it was going to be his own private hell. “I do, but regardless of how you think you’d feel I’m not taking a chance of ruining your life.” His animal was going ballistic inside him right now, he couldn’t deal with her anger and a pissed-off creature at the same time. “I’ll be back shortly.” He started walking before he could change his mind.

“And what about your flying rodent pet? What am I supposed to do about that?” Her anger was very clear now.

Deacon lifted his hands but kept walking. “I’ll deal with it when I get back.”

“Thanks for nothing!” She screamed at him.