Claiming His Human Read online

  “I heard that, Lydia. You know what he’s like. Tell the girl to stay away from him for her own sake. Besides, he’s mine. I just have to convince him of that. It’s been a while, but he always comes back to me. I can give him what he needs.”

  Holly’s boss had laughed and winked at Holly.

  “You carry on believing that, little goose. I’d watch my mouth if I was you. Some of us ‘round here eat your kind for supper.”

  Mandy had blinked and visibly paled under her make-up before she’d tottered out of there, but not before she’d thrown one last disparaging look at Holly.

  “Mark my words. This won’t end well.”

  A shiver went down Holly’s spine even now, every time she thought back to the odd conversation.

  “I’m not making moon eyes at him, am I?” she’d asked her boss. Lydia had smiled and pulled her in for a hug.

  “None of my business if you were and, besides, just look at the man. If I was twenty years younger, I sure would make more than moon eyes at him, I tell you, girl. Don’t mind Mandy’s venom. She’s just got her wings bent out shape because Darius will never get back with her now.” Lydia had smiled at Holly’s sharp intake of breath. “Yeah, he’s been hanging about with her, and countless others. She’s right about that. He’s no saint, but something tells me that those days are over. I always knew when the time came that boy would fall hard.”

  “Oh, so he’s with someone now, then?” Holly hadn’t quite managed to keep the disappointment out of her voice, and Lydia had cocked her head and regarded her thoughtfully.

  “That’s not for me to say. All I will say is this. If he does make a move on you, trust me, he wouldn’t do so lightly, and you could do a damn sight worse than Darius Longton.”

  Before Holly could question her employer further on that, the café had filled up with customers, and the moment had been lost.

  That conversation hadn’t been the only odd thing to happen to her in this place since. Something was clearly in the water around these parts because an extraordinarily high number of her male customers couldn’t seem to stop sniffing her. It was most disconcerting and meant Holly had become a little paranoid about personal hygiene. Taking spare knickers to work with her was, perhaps overkill, but one look from Darius, when he walked in and the ones she was wearing were soaked through. It didn’t help her composure one iota that he, too, always inhaled deeply when she came near. What was for more mortifying, however, was the fact she did it, too. Darius Longton just smelled so damn good. It wasn’t thanks to expensive aftershave either. No, this was pure masculine scent, spicy, dangerous, virile, and it sent her libido into overdrive.

  Still, she was not going to be another notch on his bedpost, so she kept her distance from him, as much as she could. As he always came in when they were busy, that wasn’t too hard to do. They hadn’t really exchanged more than a few words over the last couple of months, and she knew next to nothing about him. Somehow it was always her who told him things about herself. Like the fact, that she had only recently moved to London to be closer to her ailing mama, who was in a nursing home, and that she spent every free moment of her time with her. She’d had to sell the house to raise the cash for her care, and working here offered her the flexibility she needed to drop everything if Mama had one of her turns.

  His amazing eyes had burned into her when she’d let that slip, but he hadn’t offered platitudes like most people would have done, had simply nodded, grasped her hand and squeezed it.

  “Family is important. I’m glad you get to spend time with her.”

  She’d barely set the espresso down before she sensed his approach. The fine hair on her neck rose, and sure enough, the man himself strolled into the place with the loose, long-limbed gait she’d come to associate with him. For a man his size—he had to be six foot four of tightly packed muscle—he moved with ease, stealth-like almost in his approach, and she lost herself in his warm chestnut eyes for a minute as their gazes connected. Laughter lines crinkled the corners of his eyes as he smiled at her, and Holly knew she was grinning like a fool at the approval she sensed from him.

  Yep, she was a hopeless case as far as Darius Longton was concerned. He was way, way, way out of her league, but a girl could dream.

  ****

  His usual spot was waiting for him as he walked in, his espresso gently steaming, next to his glass of water, and Darius smiled. Looking up, his gaze connected with Holly’s and her face lit up in a smile which brought his bear to his knees every damn time. This was why he came here, day after day. At least that’s what he told himself. Nothing at all to do with the cute waitress being his destined mate. She wasn’t his type at all, but when she’d smiled at him, in that shy, nervous way she had … yeah, he’d been hooked. Not that he could ever act on that. Holly was too fragile for the likes of him. He settled for the few precious minutes it took to sip his coffee, to breathe in her scent.

  Darius’s peace was shattered by the sound of breaking glass, and Holly’s frightened cry. Every cell in his body went on high alert hearing the anguish in his mate’s voice.

  “I’m so sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to.”

  “The fuck you did. Look at my suit, you dumb cunt. You’ll pay for that.”

  Holly winced as the wolf shifter, whose coffee she’d spilled, grabbed her wrists.

  “Please, you’re hurting me. I … oh.”

  Darius could no more stop the deep growl rumbling from his chest than he could have stopped breathing, and the fucker who dared put a hand on what was his, sneered as he looked into the eyes of his bear.

  “Let. Her. Go.”

  Instead of doing so, the dumb dog tightened his hold on Darius’s girl and sniffed her.

  “So, it’s true then. You’ve gone soft on a human. What she got that the rest of us haven’t, eh? You just wait ‘til the council hears about this. You damn bears think you run the place now? Well, think again.”

  Darius could almost taste Holly’s fear, confusion, and revulsion, as that stinking dog half shifted. Her delicate wrist disappeared under matted fur, and Darius’s bear snapped. Not caring how many rules he broke by doing so, his animal side took over. Clothing ripped, bones snapped and realigned until he stood in his full grizzly form. The fucker who dared challenge him had also shifted, as did his cronies. Wolves always hunted in packs, after all. With a roar to shake the very foundations of the café, he swung around to keep the damn fur bags in his view. Several tables and chairs went flying in the process, and Darius swore under his breath. Lydia would have his fur for a coat for doing this here. The shutters crashed down sealing everyone in and hiding them from the view of any unsuspecting human passerby.

  Nothing at all they could do about Holly. A quick glance in her direction confirmed what he already knew. His girl was terrified. So pale she might faint, she stood in the protective circle of Lydia’s arms. The fox had pulled her out of the way, and she was on the phone. No doubt to call for back up. Not that Darius could concentrate on this now because one of the fuckers’ minions charged at his side. It took seconds to dispatch the wolf with a swipe of his massive paw, which sent the animal flying against the metal shutters protecting the plate glass window. The young wolf yipped in pain, as several of his ribs cracked, and he crashed to the floor, shattering a table in the process. It seemed to be the signal for them all to attack en masse. Keeping his sight on the leader, Darius shook off the two smaller wolves. A third clamped his teeth into his side, and hollering in fury, Darius dropped sideways crushing the idiot underneath his massive bulk.

  The pain in his side was nothing to the despair clawing at his very soul because Holly had run. She wouldn’t get far, he knew that—the place was in lockdown—but the symbolic nature of her actions wasn’t lost on him. Neither were they on the fucking asshole that’d caused all this. Teeth bared in a wolf impression of a cocky smile, he lunged forward, missing Darius’s throat by mere inches. His teeth snapped together and the wolf rolled on all fours ready to adv
ance again, but Darius was back on his feet now. He shoulder-charged the smaller animal, crushing him against the long counter. The fucker sank his claws and teeth into Darius’ underbelly, but he had him. A flick of his own claws opened the wolf’s side, exposing sinew and flesh. The fucker howled, letting go of Darius in the process, and Darius opened the wound further. Ribs broke as he pushed through them, while he ripped the bastard’s throat out at the same time he broke his spine. The acrid stench of blood, piss, and feces filled his nostrils, and too late Darius came to his senses.

  “What the hell have you done to my café? This will take ages to clear up, you fool. Jesus, men. You couldn’t have just made a move on her ages go, could you? Now, look what happened.”

  Lydia stood over him, her lined face screwed up in disgust, even as her fox yipped in excitement. Darius shook his head, spit out a mouthful of wolf innards and shifted back into his human form.

  “Where is she?” His voice came out distorted, still more bear than man, and Lydia put a hand on his blood-spattered chest.

  “You’re not going anywhere near her looking like that. The poor girl is spooked enough as it is. Talk about giving her a crash course in shifter politics right here. She’s holed up in the storeroom. You, go clean up and put these on.” She shoved a pair of tatty joggers at him.

  “They were Barry’s.” Her eyes misted over at the mention of her late mate, and Darius cursed under his breath again. Barry had lost his life in a fight similar to this one ten years ago. He hated to be the cause of bringing bad memories. Lydia shook her head at him when he put a hand out to console her. “Don’t. It is what it is. You’re taller than he was, so these will be jack-ups, but at least, you’ll be somewhat decent when you go and see her.”

  She looked around the disheveled room and the moaning wolves that had also shifted back to human form and stood over the bloody remains of their leader. Neither one of them dared look at Darius, and the few other shifters, who hadn’t been involved in the fight, stood silently in one corner. Mandy was among them, he noticed. The goose looked pale, and she didn’t meet his eyes when he stepped over the carnage to approach her.

  One sniff of her made his blood boil anew, and his bear growled low in his throat.

  “You stink of that wolf.”

  Her slate gray eyes briefly connected with his, and she shrugged. Shrugged for fuck’s sake, as though this carnage she’d been responsible for was nothing.

  “What if I do? You cast me aside for this damn human, so I can sleep with whoever I want.” An ugly sneer marred her face, and Darius wondered how he ever found her attractive. “See how much your human will like you now. You should have stuck with your own kind, you—”

  His bear’s furious growl stopped her diatribe, and she flinched when he punched the wall behind her head with so much force the plaster crumbled to the ground. Darius had never hit a woman, and he never would, but, by God, it was tempting to shut this one up forever. Instead of acting on that murderous impulse, he pulled away and stalked off toward the back and the restrooms. He stopped briefly outside the storeroom, every fiber of his being pulling him toward his mate. She was crying in there, big heaving sobs, which left an acrid taste in his mouth, but Lydia was right. Holly would not want to see him now, and he certainly couldn’t go in there to offer comfort, while he was covered in that fucker’s blood.

  What a fucking mess.

  Chapter Two

  “Oh, God, oh God, oh God.”

  Holly mumbled those two words under her breath over and over as she rocked herself. Huddled in the furthest corner of the storeroom, she desperately tried to get her breathing back under control, but it was useless. Tears fell, and try as she might she couldn’t stop. She couldn’t have just witnessed all those men turn into animals. Those things didn’t happen in real life. She had to be having some sort of a nightmare.

  However the coldness of the floor seeping into her butt, and the horrendous noises she heard told their own story. The quiet that followed was even more unnerving, especially when it was shattered by a bear’s growl.

  No, not a bear, Darius.

  Oh God, the man I’ve been lusting over turns into a bear, and he kills people.

  No, not people, other creatures like him. Holly’s stomach roiled anew when she recalled that horrifying moment that rude customer’s hand had turned into a clawed ball of fur. Lifting her trembling fingers to her face her skin told its own story. There on her wrist were the marks left behind. The fingermarks were already forming bruises, and a shiver went through her at the strength of the shifter.

  Was that what they were called in real life? Holly gave a hysterical laugh and promptly froze when the door to the room she was hiding in creaked as though someone was leaning on it. The fine hair on her neck rose, and she knew it was Darius.

  Pulling her knees up to her chest in an effort to make herself as small as possible, Holly desperately tried to control her sobs. The last thing she needed was for him to come in here. After what seemed like ages, but could have only been seconds, the door creaked again, and she sensed him move away. Her heart clenched painfully in her chest, and she rolled her eyes at herself. Why in all that was holy was she so affected by him? It wasn’t natural. Then again, he wasn’t natural, was he? God, how many of them were there, and what was Lydia? Did her boss turn into some sort of ferocious animal, too? And what about that Mandy?

  “I can give him what he needs … this won’t end well.”

  Those words took on an entirely different meaning all of a sudden. Holly swallowed down bile. She jumped when voices, eventually, filtered through to her hideout. One, in particular, stood out. Deep, dark, and full of authority with that inherent gravelly growl—the same cadence she was used to from Darius—the owner of that voice was clearly in charge.

  The knock on the door made her jump. It also made her realize that she must have sat here on the damp, cold floor for ages because her butt had fallen asleep.

  “Holly, can I come in?”

  Lydia’s question caught her off guard, and Holly struggled to her feet, as the door slowly opened. Her boss stuck her head around it. Holly breathed a sigh of relief to see the other woman was very much human and not some furry creature.

  “Hey you, how are you doing?” she asked. The compassion in her voice meant Holly blinked away fresh tears and shrugged.

  “Oh, I’m just hunky-fucking-dory. After all, people turning into animals is the most natural thing in the world, right?”

  Lydia winced as though Holly’s high-pitched imitation of her usual voice had hurt her ears, and maybe it had.

  “You’re one of them, aren’t you?” It wasn’t so much a question as fact. She had to be. At least that explained why everyone in this damn place went around sniffing folks and they all seemed to have supersonic fucking hearing.

  Oh, I’m such a fool.

  Lydia didn’t answer right away. Instead, she stepped into the store room and shut the door behind her. Not before Holly had heard the words, “Clean up”, “Fucking mess you made, Darius”, and “damn humans”. Well, at least she knew where she stood there.

  “Yes, yes I am. I shift into a fox.” Lydia’s softly spoken reply made Holly gasp and take a step away from her.

  “You can’t be.” The minute the words left her mouth she knew how daft that must have sounded. Sure enough, Lydia gave her an indulgent smile.

  “I can show you if you like. Well, I can try. It’s been years since I shifted. I might have forgotten how to.” She winked at Holly as she said that, lifted her hand and Holly watched in stunned fascination as skin turned to sleek red fur and then changed back again.

  “Will you look at that, it does still work.” Amusement laced her employer’s voice, and Holly shook her head.

  “Does it hurt when you do that?” she asked.

  “No, not really. A whole transformation, especially after all this time, would hurt like a bitch.” Lydia grinned at Holly’s sharp inhale. Her boss never swore, so thi
s more than anything told Holly how tense the older woman must be right now. After all, they had trashed the café, and… She swallowed hard and slammed the door shut on those thoughts. She would only start rocking in corners again if she thought too much about what had happened.

  “I know what you’re thinking, but circumstances like today deserve a foul mouth, I reckon.” Lydia took a tentative step toward her and when Holly didn’t flinch like before, she took another, until she could put her hand on Holly’s hand. Turning it over, she examined the ugly bruising and sighed.

  “We need to get an ice pack on that for you. I’ve got some arnica as well, which will help with the bruising. Darius will do his nut when he sees what that wolf did to you.” Holly snatched her hand away at the mention of his name, and Lydia sighed. “Just as well, that shifter is no more, or he’d rip him to shreds, I reckon. That would take ages to clean up.” She reached out to Holly to steady her. “There now, you’re not going to faint on me, are you? Come on now, girl, I know this must have been a terrible shock, but you know now, and well, it is what it is.”

  Holly shook her head and somehow managed to project her voice past the lump of sheer terror lodged in her throat.

  “He killed him?”

  Lydia cocked her head to one side and regarded her thoughtfully.

  “Of course he did. He had no choice after the other man challenged him. Shifters defend their mates to the death. That wolf not only insulted you, he hurt you. Darius was never going to let that go.”

  Holly’s ears rang, and she was sure her heart was going to beat itself out her chest, it was thumping so hard.

  “Mates?” She squeaked that reply and hugged her arms around herself. “That’s … I mean … no … I…”

  She gave up trying to articulate her jumbled thought processes and allowed the other woman to pull her into a motherly hug.

  “There now, I’ve said too much. It’s not my place to, but I love that boy as though he were my own, and his heart is in the right place. You’ll see. You’ve had a shock, and you need to process things, I get that, but you can’t hide in here forever. For starters, Darius will start wrecking the place again, if he doesn’t see you with his own eyes, and knows you are okay.”