The Blackstone She-Wolf: Blackstone Mountain 6 Read online

  “The price of progress, I suppose,” Kate said. “It doesn’t matter, anyway.” Hopefully, they wouldn’t be staying too long.

  “Where is he?” Sybil asked.

  Kate looked around. “There.”

  The Agency team was gathered around several tables, and they were all chatting and laughing, seemingly having a good time. Kate’s gaze immediately landed on Petros, who was standing near the bar all by himself.

  “Go,” Sybil urged.

  But Kate’s feet were frozen. On the drive here she had been confident, finally realizing what had been holding her back all this time. Seeing him, however, was an entirely different story, and the air squeezed out of her lungs so hard it hurt. Thinking about how he looked at her today—with those cold, dead eyes—made her feel like her chest was caving in. She would rather he was angry at her, like he had been that day at the lake, instead of the cold indifference he was showing.

  “He’s leaving!” Sybil said. Petros had put down a few bills on the bar and was heading toward the side exit. “Go after him!”

  “I—Shit!” Kate spotted Agatha looking around the bar. Her eyes narrowed as they landed on Petros’ retreating back, and she grabbed her purse.

  “Is that her?” Sybil asked.

  “Yeah.” Kate was seeing red. “How much cash do you have on you?”

  “Why?”

  Kate growled. “I’ll need bail money because they’re gonna put me in jail after I check a bitch!”

  “No need.” Sybil rolled up her shirt sleeves. “I’ll take care of her.”

  “Okay … wait, are you really going to set her on fire?”

  Sybil choked. “What? No! I’ll improvise. You go after Petros, and I’ll make sure you guys aren’t disturbed.”

  “Thanks, Sybil. You’re the best.” Kate sprinted to where Petros was headed, getting in front of Agatha. She heard a loud crash behind her and an indignant shriek, and she gave another silent thanks to her best friend.

  Pushing against the exit door, she left the building and glanced around. The lot was half-empty, so it was easy to spot Petros as he strode to his parked truck.

  Now or never.

  Kate ran toward him. “Petros!”

  He froze, his hand still on the door of his truck. Slowly, he turned around, then crossed his arms over his chest when he saw her. “What do you want?”

  She swallowed, hoping it would clear the tight burning in her throat. “Petros, please I—”

  “You’ve already said what you needed to say.” His jaw was tight and his eyes like hard glass. He was doing it again. Looking through her like she wasn’t there.

  She ignored the stabbing pain in her chest. “I want to apologize. For my behavior for the past weeks. You’re right; I am a brat.” For a moment she thought she saw a crack in his expression, so she continued. “Christina told me.”

  “She told you what?”

  “Everything. About you. Your parents and your best friend—”

  Petros roared and slammed his hand on the hood of the truck. “She had no right!”

  “She told me so I could understand why you acted that way at the lake. And I realize I was an asshole, pretending to—to do that.”

  Pain crossed his face. “I didn’t want you to know that way. I never wanted you to know at all.”

  “Why not?” Her stomach clenched, and it was like she could feel his pain, too. “Why would you keep that from me?”

  “So you wouldn’t have to know how broken I am!” He took a step toward her. His wolf was on the edge now, snapping and biting, but she wasn’t scared. “If you did, then you would never accept the mating bond! Why would you?”

  “Petros …” She placed a hand on his chest, his heart beating wildly against her palm. “Why would you think any of that would matter to me?”

  He stared down at her. “When I washed up on the shores of Lykos, I had nothing,” he began. “The couple who adopted me, they did it out of obligation. Because the Alpha told them to. They weren’t unkind, but they treated me like a chore. A burden. The old man died when I was twenty years old, and I took care of the wife out of duty until she passed. Now that they were both gone, I feel nothing except some passing sadness.”

  The gasp escaped from her lips involuntarily, and she had to cover her mouth to stop from sobbing.

  “Though my home life was not ideal, I grew up around the other children in Lykos. One of them was Milos.” He paused. “He became my best friend. His mother treated me like her own son, gave me affection when I had none at home.” His lips set into a tight line. “I was the one who told her about her son’s death and held her in my arms as she broke down in her kitchen.”

  “Oh. God.” Kate could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks. “Petros, it wasn’t your fault.”

  “But it was,” he said. “He was shot and fell overboard. We didn’t notice until it was too late. If he didn’t die of his injuries, then surely the sea took him. I was the team leader. His friend. I should have been standing at the back of the boat to check if we were being followed and—”

  “No!” Kate threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her face to his chest. “No, no, no! Don’t say that.” The thought of him dying … it was driving her and her wolf crazy.

  She felt a hand rubbing down her back in a soothing manner. “Kate, there is nothing for me to forgive. I was the one who acted out of line that day. You didn’t know all of this. The demons of my past took over. When I saw you in the water, I reacted.”

  Kate pulled away and looked up at him. “Petros, it’s not just about that day. This whole time … I’ve been letting my past demons control me too, punishing you for something that’s not your fault.”

  He tensed. “Your former boyfriend?”

  “How—”

  “Sybil mentioned him but did not go into detail. But I gathered enough to know he hurt you deeply.”

  Kate’s breath hitched. “He did. But it wasn’t just me. Because of what he did, I ignored my friends and family. Pushed everyone away, even my parents. He hurt all of them, too. And finally, after Amelia and Sybil were able to knock some sense into me, I told myself I would never let anyone control me like that again. That I would never let anyone own me.”

  His arms loosened around her. “Then you must forgive me.”

  “Huh?”

  “For presuming that just because we are mates you would immediately fall into my arms. Or making it seem like I owned you.”

  “I was so shocked,” she said. “I didn’t think I would ever find a mate. My parents weren’t mates, you know, and they’re perfectly happy together.”

  “I left Lykos because I knew my mate wasn’t there,” Petros explained. “I felt incredibly lucky to have found you so quickly. I just wanted someone to cherish forever. Someone I could make a home with, together.”

  “I don’t know if I’m ready for all this,” Kate confessed. “It’s all going too fast.” Her heart was beating a mile a minute, and the blood was rushing to her brain so quickly she felt like she was going to faint. But, being in Petros’ arms, inhaling his fresh ocean scent, it all felt right. Still, her natural, human instinct was to fight it with all her might.

  “Then we can take it slow,” he said. “I will not rush you anymore, Kate-m—” He stopped himself before he continued.

  “No—I mean, you can still call me that.” Oh God, was she blushing? Grrr … Kate motherfucking Caldwell did not blush!

  “You like it when I call you Kate-mine?”

  “I … it’s growing on me,” she said, but pressed her cheek to his chest to hide her face. As she breathed his scent in again, she felt him relax.

  “Go out with me. On a date,” he said. “Please.”

  “Are you asking me out?” she asked, raising a brow at him.

  He grinned at her. “Yes. Yes, I am. Should I get down on one knee?”

  “Don’t you dare—hey!” She slapped him playfully. “You’re messing with
me, aren’t you?”

  “And you said I didn’t have a single funny bone.”

  “Why you—Hmm …. " Oh, those lips again. She sank against him, enjoying the feel of his arms around her and being pressed up to his warm, hard body as his mouth moved over hers in a kiss. This was soft and slow and really very sweet, but it still sent tingles over her skin.

  “I just had to,” he said when he pulled away. “It’s been too long since I’ve tasted you.”

  “It’s only been two days.” God, he was so intense. But she had to admit, she liked it.

  “Like I said, too long.” He let go of her and stepped back. “I want to do this the right way. To court you properly.”

  “Court me?” Okay, while that seemed corny, she couldn’t help but find it sweet.

  “Yes. I will take you to a nice dinner. We will have conversations and get to know each other,” he said.

  Oooh, that sounded nice.

  “Perhaps we can take a nice stroll somewhere.”

  Hmm, romantic, but she wanted to know about the main event. “And then afterward …?”

  “Afterward, I will take you home …”

  “Yes?” Oh God, please say you want to fuck my brains out!

  “And say goodnight.”

  “What?” she asked, her voice raising.

  “Then we will go out again the following day.”

  She pouted. “That’s it?”

  He laughed. “Kate-mine, while your delectable body is tempting, I also want you to get to know me before we become intimate.” He lowered his voice. “Because when we make love, there will be no going back.”

  Kate shivered. “I already—”

  The loud sound of a door slamming open and hitting the wall made them pull apart. “Sybil?”

  Sybil walked briskly toward them, her eyes darting around her. There was a red stain down the front of her white blouse, and her hair was all wet. “Kate! Are you done? We gotta go!”

  “Go?” Kate asked, confused. “Why?”

  “I … er … took care of … that thing … oh, hi Petros!” she greeted.

  “What the hell happened?” Kate asked.

  “Well, I kind of … set fire to Agatha’s hair.”

  “You what?”

  “It was an accident! And she was being a bitch!” Sybil said. “I stopped her from … you know … by running into her. Unfortunately, she was holding a glass of wine.” She motioned to the front of her blouse. “It spilled over both of us. So then she started shouting at me in Greek. I offered to help clean up, but when we went to the bathroom, I lent her my sweater while I was washing out her blouse. She was standing over me, berating me the whole time, and I kind of ‘accidentally’ broke the tap and it sprayed all over her.”

  Kate had to bite her lip from giggling. “And then what happened?”

  “So she gets even more mad at me, and she starts insulting me in English and calling me names,” Sybil continued. “Her coworkers came in, and half of them were holding her back and the other half were threatening me. They were cornering me, and Agatha broke free of their grasp and … it was a reflex, I swear!” she huffed, a puff of smoke escaping her nostrils. “I only singed her bangs.”

  “It’s probably an improvement,” Kate drolled.

  “Anyway, can we get out of here, please?” Sybil begged. “I barely escaped.”

  Kate wanted to remind her she could turn into a twenty-foot fire-breathing dragon but held back. Besides, it’s not like she was getting any action tonight, so she might as well go home and get some sleep. She glanced over at Petros. “I drove over, so I should take Sybil back to her car.”

  “Of course,” he said with a nod. “But be ready after work?”

  Oh, right. “I will.” Damn, if Sybil weren’t here, she could have maybe gotten to second base. Kate shot Petros an apologetic look, and he nodded at her.

  “See you later, Petros!” Sybil said as she started dragging Kate away. “C’mon! I think I hear them coming!”

  Kate groaned. “Fine, let’s get out of here.” She and Sybil would probably never come back to Argo’s again but that wasn’t going to be a problem. She’d stick to The Den from now on.

  Chapter Nine

  Petros watched the clock carefully. Was it broken? It seemed like more than a minute had passed since he last checked. Six o’clock couldn’t seem to come fast enough.

  He still couldn’t believe what had happened last night. Kate had come to him. Her actions had hurt him deeply, and he had to admit he had lashed out at everyone around him after he left her in the cabin. He saw he was testing even Christina and Jason’s patience, and he ended up leaving the lake earlier than the rest of the team who had stayed on until evening.

  He was sullen and angry the whole weekend. He even let his wolf side take over, exploring the woods of the Blackstone Mountain and letting his animal take control. Anything to escape the pain of his mate’s words and actions.

  That was all in the past now. He had made mistakes; they both did. But now was the time to rectify them. That’s why they had to start fresh. No matter how much he wanted to make love to her and claim her, he knew they had to take it slow. Sex was easy; it was everything else that was complicated. But all the misunderstandings would be behind them now.

  “Finally,” he muttered when, upon what seemed like his hundredth glance, the clock read one minute before six. Close enough, he thought as he shut down his computer and walked over to Kate’s cubicle. It was difficult, trying not to get too close to her today, but he knew the anticipation only made it worth it.

  When he reached her cubicle, he frowned when he didn’t see any sign of her. Her jacket was not hanging off the back of the chair, and her desk was empty. There was a piece of paper on top with his name scrawled over the surface.

  Meet you downstairs, it read when he turned it over. It was unsigned, but who else would it be from?

  Petros checked in with the overnight crew and made his way to the lobby of the Lennox Corp. Building. He immediately spotted her by the doors, and when he saw what she was wearing, let out a soft groan.

  Kate had probably left earlier to change because she definitely was not wearing that when she came into the office this morning. The short, tight black dress showed off her lithe figure and long legs, while the spiked heels emphasized her delicate ankles and calves. Her hair hung down her shoulders, and he noticed she had switched out the piercing in her nose from a clear jewel to one that was blue-green. Her lips were painted red, and she flashed him a wicked smile as he approached.

  “This,” he said, lowering his voice. “Is not fair.”

  “Oh?” she said. “Who said I played fair?”

  He snorted. She wasn’t making this easy, but then again, he didn’t expect her to. “I’ve made reservations at Pistache French Bistro,” he said. “Should we drive out separately?”

  “Why don’t we take my car?” she said. “You’ve never ridden in a Mustang, have you?”

  “I have not had the pleasure,” he said. He would have preferred to drive since he invited her out, but they didn’t plan the logistics well enough. Two cars seemed unnecessary, and a single vehicle was more practical. “All right. Let’s go.”

  Kate led him to where the bright yellow vehicle was parked and unlocked the door. He got into the passenger side seat. “It’s very nice.”

  “The interior’s all new,” Kate said. “Luxury leather seats. Only the best for my brother.”

  As soon as he was settled, Kate flung her body across his. He startled, her delicious scent filling his nose as her soft body pressed against his. “Kate,” he warned, though he couldn’t stop himself from enjoying the feel of her.

  She reached over, grabbed the seatbelt from over his right shoulder and pulled it across his body. “What?” she asked as the belt buckle clicked into place. “I just wanted to show you this car was safe.” She gave him a sweet smile as she put her own belt on and slipped the key into the ignition.

  Oh n
o, Kate definitely did not play fair.

  “Do you know the way?” he asked as they made their way out of the parking lot.

  “I haven’t been there, but it’s near the Ritz Ski Resort, right?”

  He nodded. “It’s a bit far out, but with everything in town mostly closed, I thought it would be the better choice.”

  “No prob,” she said. “We’ll get there in no time.”

  The engine revved a loud sound that made the car vibrate. Kate stepped on the pedal, and they sped down the highway.

  “How’s that for a classic American car?” she asked, her lips curling up. He didn’t miss her breath hitch or the way her thighs pressed together as she revved the engine.

  “Minx,” he said with an unhappy tone, letting her know he knew what she was doing. She laughed and threw her head back, the little jewel on her nose sparkling.

  Soon, they reached the restaurant. Gentleman that he was, he opened the door for himself and then helped her out. Tucking her hand into his arm, they walked into the restaurant. The maître d' took his name and led them to their table.

  “Do you eat a lot of French food in Lykos?” Kate asked as she perused the menu.

  “We eat different kinds of food,” he said. “The island itself is like a self-contained city. Similar to Blackstone in some ways. We have our own restaurants, shops, services, even a fire department and a hospital, of course.”

  “Wow,” she said. “Sounds like an interesting place.”

  “Perhaps someday we could go back.” But not for a long while. There was nothing much left for him there after all.

  “I’d like that. I’ve never left the U.S. We mostly went camping for family vacations, and I only went to school over at Colorado U.”

  The waiter came back and took their orders, then promised to come back with the wine they requested.

  “I must admit, Blackstone is turning out to be much more than I expected,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever lived in or even know of a place where different shifters live together in harmony. There are a few other types of shifters in Lykos, but they are there mostly to work.”