Spooking Shay Read online

  I rolled my eyes at his terrible accent. “You’re lame.”

  “You love me,” he teased. “Admit it.”

  “Okay, fine. Twist my arm.”

  We marched through the electronic sliding glass doors, black and orange window paint boasting 25% off the entire store. “Everything Must Go!” I chewed on the inside of my cheek. Hopefully they still had what we needed. It would really suck if not. It was too late to change my costume now. The party was tonight and I wanted to win that contest, and I couldn’t do it without blood.

  “Hurry up, would—oh, hey Phoenix.” I turned the corner to see Donovan’s friends loitering in the aisle. “Hey Jem.” My stomach soured, that bitter bite of jealousy rising like bile. They both looked great, I had to admit. Phoenix was dressed as a scene kid in black tripp pants and a hoodie with a blood red pentagram scribbled across the front, his lips painted black. Jem was obviously a biker, complete with leather and spikes.

  “Hey D,” Jem called, waving Donovan over. I bristled. That was my nickname for him.

  “What are you guys doing here?” Donovan asked.

  “Just getting some last minute makeup,” Phoenix chimed out. “You can never have enough smoke for your smokey-eye, right?”

  Jem grinned. It was one of those slow-burning, sizzling grins that started out as a lip twitch and turned into a full-blown smile that oozed sex appeal. My throat tightened when he brushed up against Donovan, leaning in close.

  So maybe I was right. Maybe this was the reason Donovan had been so quiet lately. Was I really that surprised? Jem was like a god, and me? I could’ve passed for a tomboyish goddess, I guess, but that was really stretching it.

  I snatched a box of blood capsules off the wire rack, turning to shoot Jem a dirty look. He caught my eye and lofted a brow, and it felt like a challenge, somehow. Like he was goading me. Rubbing my failures in my face. It took everything in me not to growl. I curled my lip instead. I knew there was a reason I never liked the guy. He stared at Donovan like he was a piece of meat. I could practically see the drool.

  “Got what I needed,” I said sharply. “Can we go?”

  “Uh, yeah. Sure.” Donovan looked confused, an uncertain smile on his face. “See you at the party, guys.”

  “Hey, D? Before you go, I was wondering… Do you have a date for the Halloween dance?” Jem glanced at me like I was little more than a leech hanging off Donovan’s arm. For a minute, I gaped at him. What the fuck?

  My blood boiling, I threw myself in front of Donovan before my best friend had a chance to answer. No way in hell was he going to dance with Jem-fucking-Murphy. Over my dead body! I puffed out my chest, then stabbed my finger into Jem’s leather-clad chest. Hard.

  “As a matter of fact, he does have a date for the dance,” I hissed like the cat I was. “He’s with me.” Then, before Donovan could do more than blink at me in surprise, I grabbed the front of his shirt, leaned up on my tip-toes, and crushed my mouth to his. My head spun as his taste tingled on my lips, the heady scent of him infiltrating my every sense.

  Panic hit me seconds later.

  Gasping, I staggered back and pushed myself away from him. All I saw was a slack-jawed face and wide, shocked eyes before I took off sprinting down the aisle. Donovan shouted my name, but I didn’t look back. I couldn’t. Oh god. What had I done? What was wrong with me?

  Overcome with a wave of clenching grief, I shifted to my feline form and bolted out of the party store as fast as my tiny paws could carry me.

  6

  Donovan

  Everything happened in an instant—Shay’s warm lips pressed against mine, the taste of his pumpkin spice lip balm on my tongue, the soft little noise he’d made when he’d dragged me in—and then he was gone, just like that. I stood in the middle of the aisle, my breath hitching.

  Shit. Holy shit. “Did that really happen?”

  “Guess you got your answer, huh?” Jem grinned and hip-checked me.

  “Damn, I… I didn’t expect…” I frowned, unable to wipe the panicked look in Shay’s eyes from my mind. “Shit, he’s really upset. I need to go. I need to go find him.”

  “Told you! You owe me big time.” Phoenix whooped. “Go claim your man!”

  I peeled out of the lot and drove ten over the speed limit, gripping the steering wheel so hard that my knuckles bled white. All I could think about was Shay. His kiss lingered, on my lips and in my heart. Shit, shit, shit. I should’ve just grown a pair and told him how I felt. He’d looked so damn scared and I hated it. I needed to find him, but he could be anywhere.

  I’d try our house first.

  I burst through the front door, panting. Xan sat at the kitchen table, his makeup collection spread out in front of him. My sudden arrival seemed to stun him. He stared at me in confusion. “Where’s Shay?” I barked, bracing myself in the doorway as I tried to catch my runaway heart.

  The Omega blinked at me, his jaw dropping. “What do you mean, where’s Shay? Isn’t he with you?”

  “No. I… I think I fucked up. Shit.” I raked both hands through my hair, squeezing at the strands and yanking. Pain nipped at me, but I barely felt it. Inside, my wolf was rampaging, snarling and snapping at me. Breathe, Donovan. It’s not the end of the world.

  But damn, it felt like it.

  “What happened?” Xan asked, and everything came spilling out of me—Jem’s evil plan and the over-the-top flirting, then how Shay had reacted…and the kiss. The kiss.

  “Shit. What if he doesn’t come home?” I whispered. “I can’t go to the party without him, not with this hanging between us. I’m such a fucking idiot.” Groaning, I collapsed into the chair opposite Xan. I pressed the heels of my palms into my throbbing eyes to try and relieve the pressure. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “Why didn’t you just tell him?” Xan asked softly. “Shay’s been driving himself crazy over you for literally months.”

  My head snapped up. “What? Why didn’t he…” I felt sick, because I knew why. He didn’t want to fuck things up between us. Shay and I worked so well together. Best friends forever, that’s what we’d promised. I realized it now. I had been friend-zoned, but not for the reasons I’d originally thought. My shoulders sagged.

  “I love him, Xan,” I murmured. “I’ve loved him for a long time. Why didn’t he see that? Do you really think I’d let just anyone paint my toenails pink? Huh?”

  Xan grinned and patted my arm. “Aww, man. It’ll be okay. He probably went to the party, so chill out. Take a deep breath. On the count of three, ready?” I nodded. “One. Two. Three.” We both inhaled at the same time. I breathed out sharply and Xan pointed at the door. “Go find him, and Donovan? Be honest with him. I think you’re both a couple of idiots, but hey, what do I know?”

  “Shut up,” I grumbled, but I felt a tiny glimmer of hope.

  I needed to find my mate. I needed to make things right.

  I managed to calm myself down on the short drive over to Gracie Howell’s place. The minute I pulled in the drive, I could hear the deep bass boom of the fancy speaker system set up in polebarn where the party was always held. Off away from the main event was the fire pit. Tree limbs and old furniture were piled high, ready to be burnt in a massive bonfire.

  I left my car in the field and walked across the hard ground, looking for my Alpha. If anyone knew where Shay was, it would be her. She was our leader for a reason. Scanning the grounds, I kept my eyes peeled for anyone who might know my best friend’s whereabouts, but it was hard when everyone was dressed in costumes, their faces obscured with paint and masks galore.

  I walked past a life-sized skeleton band and nearly jumped out of my skin when they started moving and talking. “Jesus Christ! Don’t scare me like that, asshole!” I snapped at the frontman, who leered at me with his empty eye sockets. I slapped his bony arm.

  Someone laughed at me. I turned around to find my Alpha with impish smile on her face. She was dressed up like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. She even wore glitt
ery, ruby red slippers. A big blue bow kept her dark curls from falling into her face while she set up the dessert table.

  “Jumpy?”

  I huffed. “He scared me.”

  “You’re not his first victim.” She chuckled. “Soren Reed nearly peed himself.”

  “Poor guy. Hey, have you seen Shay?” I asked, turning serious. “I fucked up and I really need to talk to him. Is he here?”

  “Yep.” Gracie raised a brow, appraising me. “You two finally stop beating around the bush?”

  “I… I don’t know. That’s what I gotta find out.”

  “You didn’t hear it from me, but last I saw, he was hiding out by the bonfire with Kace and Sevren. I’d start there if I were you. Oh, and Donovan?” She smiled, sympathetic. “Good luck. You two make an adorable couple.”

  My heart fluttered wild in my chest. ”Thanks.”

  I found Shay crouched by the fire, the silken fabric of his costume fluttering in the late autumn breeze. The flickering flames gleamed off his skin, shining against the stick-on gemstones he’d applied before he realized he was missing his blood capsules. He was beautiful. He’d always been beautiful to me, since that very first day. My wolf sang for him. My heart beat for him.

  I was so damn stupid.

  I approached slowly. “Shay?” He jolted to his feet, his head snapping back and forth before his gaze finally landed on me. He stared at me with wide, worried eyes. It filled me with grief, but I only had myself to blame. “Shay, I—”

  Shay’s aura crackled with magic and he streaked off into the woods, a nimble black Halloween cat.

  This time, I took chase.

  7

  Shay

  I’d fucked up. I’d fucked up so monumentally. I’d ruined everything. Nothing would ever be the same between us, I just knew it, and it was a lead weight in my gut. I wanted to hide forever, but eventually I’d have to go home and pack my shit. I’d have to move out. The thought seized through me, pain radiating down my arms to ring around each finger.

  The idea of losing Donovan hurt. It hurt so much.

  “Shay?” His deep voice ricocheted through my head, startling me. I gasped and lurched to my feet. The way he stared at me made my knees tremble and threaten to fold. For a moment I froze…and then fight-or-flight instincts kicked in. In an instant, I shifted and fled into the woods.

  No. No. No. I wasn’t ready for this. I wasn’t ready to face him or the mess I’d made of our friendship.

  I leapt up a tree, my claws digging into the bark. I barely made it to the first branch when strong hands grabbed me around the middle. I puffed out my fur and hissed, but Donovan wasn’t afraid of me. Why would he be? He was a big, strong Alpha wolf and I was just a little kitty cat.

  He plucked me off the trunk and tucked me against his broad chest. His strong arms held me close and his familiar, rustic scent filled my soul. I folded my ears flat, then tucked my head beneath his whiskery chin. He responded by kissing my forehead. The noise that rumbled in his throat sounded pleased, but it was the single word he spoke that set my heart aflutter.

  “Mine.”

  His? I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. My heart was beating so damn hard I could barely hear, but there it was—a declaration of possession. My skin tingled as I shifted back, but Donovan didn’t let me go. Instead, he curled his fingers beneath my chin to draw my eyes to his.

  “Donovan, I’m so—” My apology was lost as he fused his lips to mine.

  Tears pricked hot at the corners of my eyes. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be real.

  But it was. His calloused fingers grazed my cheek, skimming my skin with their roughness. I leaned into him. The kiss only deepened. I whimpered into his mouth, but he was there to hold me close. This was happening. This was really happening…

  I threw my arms around his neck and he swung me around. “Dono—”

  I gasped as Donovan pinned me against the tree I’d been trying to climb. My back hit the rough bark of the trunk, but fuck it. Who needed words, right? Feeling bold, I laced my fingers through his almond-brown hair and dragged him in. His kisses were hungry like the wolf, devastating me from the inside out. His tongue teased at the seam of my lips and when I parted them, he swept inside like a hurricane. I was left holding on for dear life.

  When he finally pulled away, we were both flushed and panting. His dark eyes burned into me. “I love you, Seamus Callahan,” he growled. “I’ve loved you every day since I met you, and I’ll love you every day from now until the end of us. I thought you knew that.”

  I cried silently, shaking my head. “I didn’t want to ruin things between us.”

  “Not even for a chance at happiness? Together?”

  Uncertainty built in my chest. “But I—I’ve seen the kind of guys you date and I’m not… I’m not tall or muscular or hot. I’m scrawny. I look like a preteen girl and—” Another swift kiss shut me up. I sighed into his mouth. He tasted exactly like he did in my dreams.

  “I love your soul, Shay. You. I love your heart. I love your laugh. I love it when you massage my stinky feet after work, and even when you paint my damn toenails. I love you.”

  I smiled through the tears, laughing. Then I framed his face between my palms and I kissed him. And I kissed him. And I kissed him, until I couldn’t breathe and my chest ached and I wanted to sob in relief and happiness, because this was real life. Donovan was really mine.

  He nipped at my lips and dragged me to the ground, our bed a floor of autumn leaves and pine litter. They tickled my naked back, but I didn’t care. Nothing mattered except for him. I whined when his hot mouth kissed at my neck, sucking a wet path down the column of my throat to skim my collarbone with little nips.

  “Mine,” he uttered again, the sound more animal than human. “You’re my mate. I want you to feel it.”

  “I feel it.” My breath hitched, his hardness grinding against mine. I groaned low and wrapped my legs around his waist. We were far enough away from the party that no one would stumble over us, but close enough that I could faintly hear The Monster Mash playing. “Oh, I feel it. Donovan, fuck.”

  He kissed my lips, his eyes locked into mine the whole time. We rocked together on the cold ground, but our bodies were burning like the fire in our hearts. I grabbed his neck and drew his mouth to mine.

  “I want you,” I whispered thickly. “Right now. Please, D… Make me yours.”

  8

  Donovan

  God, it was better than I’d ever imagined. Shay’s small body wrapped around mine, writhing beneath me as I slowly ground my clothed cock against his. Little whimpers escaped from between his parted lips. I kissed them away, loving the way he felt beneath me. My Omega. His face was flushed, his eyes wide and glossy with pleasure.

  I couldn’t wait anymore. I’d waited too long.

  Pulling back only long enough to yank my shirt over my head, I captured his mouth in a hungry, growling kiss. Shay’s hands tugged on my jeans. He fumbled with the fly and pushed them down my hips, his bottom lip pinched between his teeth. His gaze scored over my cock, which bounced free, fully erect and already leaking precum. I saw his Adam’s apple bob as he stared at me, a look of awe on his face.

  “Like what you see?” I whispered, ungracefully shucking my jeans and boxers and kicking off first one shoe, then the other.

  He gasped out what I could only assume was a “Yes” and grasped at my arms. His fingers dug into my biceps. My body moved over his, slow and deliberate. I pressed down, needing to feel the warmth of his skin against mine. Shay whined and grabbed my hips.

  “Oh, Jesus, please.” Wetness leaked from the tip of his dick. I trailed my finger through it before popping it into my mouth. His sweet musk danced over my tastebuds. It was a taste I needed more of. He pinched his eyes shut. “Donovan.”

  “Mmm. You taste good,” I purred. Our dicks glided together and Shay shocked me by wrapping his small hand around us both, giving a slow stroke. My head fell forwards on a
groan. “You feel so good and I’m not even inside you.”

  “Well hurry up.” His words sounded garbled, halfway between a whine and a moan.

  My cock throbbed beneath his touch. His whimpers filled my heart with happiness as I slowly began to kiss down the center of his chest, down his flat stomach. I nipped over the jut of one hipbone and when his ass came up off the earth, I nipped the other one. I worked my way down to his cock, which was as small and petite as the rest of him.

  “You’re so perfect.” I took him into my mouth, loving the hiss he made. He bucked up. I grabbed him by the hips and pushed him back down, sucking deep. Savoring him. Shay squirmed and spread his legs apart, begging me with his body. I couldn’t stop from moaning as I rubbed two fingers down his crack to circle his hole. To my surprise, he was already slick.

  He moaned. “Donovan…”

  “You’re going into heat,” I said, swallowing hard. The scent of him was ripe and sweet, almost to the point of overbearing—but only because I didn’t have my tongue buried in his needy hole. My throat went dry. My finger slid in with little resistance and Shay rewarded me with a guttural cry as he clamped down around me. Oh fuck.

  “I knooow and I’m dying. I’m dying, D, so please fucking fuck me before I implode. Please!”

  As much as I wanted to take him raw and fill him with my seed, to claim him for the entire world to see, I wasn’t sure our brand new relationship was ready for a baby. Not yet. “I don’t have a condom.”

  “On the pill,” he grunted, grinding against my hand with little jerks of his hips. “Please?”

  “Fuck.” I pumped my finger in and out of him slowly, stretching him. His muscles fluttered around the invading digit, needing more. I added a second and he whimpered. I knew I wouldn’t last long once I finally slid inside of him. He was hot and wet and tight, and it was killing me. My cock was diamond hard where it bobbed against my belly, and I had to resist the urge to stroke myself.