Her Professor Mate Page 5

  But tonight even the familiar trees took on strange shapes. Every shadow seemed to mock him.

  Sweat prickled his brow and the wolf leapt close to the surface, snapping at the bars of its cage.

  Not yet, Mac told the beast. Not unless we have to.

  The scent sharpened. This was magic - it wasn’t his imagination.

  He picked up his pace and Parker sped up without questioning him. Mac cursed himself inwardly for bringing her to an isolated place when they were being followed.

  He looked back toward the path, where shadows were unfurling behind him like tentacles.

  When he looked forward again he caught movement in his periphery.

  But when he turned his head there was nothing.

  And when he looked ahead of him again he saw movement.

  Too fast. Nothing moves like that…

  A sound came from beyond the tree line.

  Parker gasped.

  Something was thrashing toward them through the underbrush.

  Mac never consciously made the decision.

  One moment he was holding Parker’s hand in the dark woods.

  The next he dropped it and sank instantly into his wolf, his clothes exploding around his big furry body.

  His paws sank into the loamy soil.

  Parker screamed.

  The world receded from his view, but the scents of Tarker’s Hollow slammed in on him.

  And the awareness of what was upon them dawned.

  Another wolf was coming. A big one.

  When it sailed into the clearing, Mac leapt up and grabbed the enormous creature by the scruff before it had a chance to get anywhere near Parker.

  It roared and flung itself backward in an attempt to dislodge him.

  Mac clung with all the strength in his jaws, sending his own weight backward and jumping at the last minute to leave his opponent on his back in the pine needles.

  It was only when he leapt onto the other wolf’s chest that he recognized him.

  Hector Thayer.

  They panted, gazing into each other’s eyes.

  Then they shifted at once, and Mac rolled off his friend’s chest.

  “Sorry, man,” Hector said, brushing himself off.

  “Why did you come at me like that?” Mac asked, holding perfectly still to assert his dominance as was fitting for the second in command of the pack.

  “There’s something weird about the shadows,” Hector said. “I was out for a run, but the shadows had me on edge. They’re moving strangely - like someone’s there but they’re not. And then I picked up a really strange scent, just like Carol said. Something wrong.”

  “Same,” Mac admitted.

  “I’m not getting it now, though,” Hector said, lifting his face to scent the air.

  Mac nodded. The shadows were all back to normal, the scent was gone.

  Hector smiled awkwardly at Parker, who gave a little wave.

  “Hey, Hector,” she said in a weaker than usual voice.

  “Hi, Parker,” Hector said, nodding politely.

  “We should go,” Mac said, praying that Parker would allow him to explain… everything.

  “Understood,” Hector said.

  He sank back into his silvery wolf and disappeared into the trees almost silently.

  “Parker,” Mac said softly, turning as slowly to her as he could.

  She must have been terrified. He prayed she’d at least give him a chance to explain.

  13

  Parker

  Parker stared at Mac.

  He was some kind of werewolf.

  Dueling emotions fought in her chest.

  Horror at what she’d seen, and relief that she wasn’t the only one with some serious secrets.

  Mac gazed back at her, giving her time to process.

  He went a full minute without saying anything.

  But what was there to say? He couldn’t exactly deny what had happened - what he was.

  And not just him. That nice guy who was married to Mei from the library was one too…

  “Say something, Parker,” Mac said, a pleading quality in his deep voice.

  But what was she supposed to say?

  Not to worry. I have an even weirder secret than you?

  She couldn’t tell him about the shadows. Not after what she’d just heard. He couldn’t know she was the reason he and his… pack were spooked.

  Pack?

  She wondered how many there were.

  Was it the whole town?

  That wasn’t possible.

  Was it?

  “So you’re a werewolf,” she said softly.

  “We call ourselves wolf shifters, but yes,” he said, nodding.

  “And you can do that anytime, not just when there’s a full moon?”

  “Yes,” he said, smiling slightly.

  “Do you… hurt people?” she asked, her heart already knowing the answer.

  “We try very hard not to,” he told her.

  “And there are others?” she asked.

  He looked torn for a moment, but then he nodded.

  “That’s awesome,” Parker told him sincerely.

  “Yeah?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” she said, moving toward him.

  It was hard not to notice that he was naked. He’d burst right out of his clothes when he’d changed - when he’d given up his secret to protect her.

  She longed to run her hands all over his body, try to learn how he turned himself into a wolf and back again so effortlessly.

  He held perfectly still for her, a gorgeous statue in the starlight.

  “Does it hurt?” she asked.

  “No,” he told her.

  She placed her right palm against his warm chest, felt the planes of muscle and the lazy beat of his heart.

  There was nothing strange about him, nothing to indicate that he could be a wolf again in a moment if he wanted.

  “This is the secret of Tarker’s Hollow,” she murmured.

  She had lived in town for a few years now, always feeling like she was just outside of the fold. This was why.

  “One of them,” he allowed.

  Her mind went instantly to magic. Could there be others like her, too - others who saw things in the shadows? She wanted so badly for there to be someone who could help.

  But he tucked a hand under her chin, and she lost herself in his eyes.

  He bent and kissed her so gently.

  She went up on her toes to kiss him back with all she had.

  Then he was devouring her with abandon, his hands sliding down her back to cup her bottom.

  Parker moaned lightly and pressed herself closer. He was so big, so naked, and he smelled so good.

  Mac pulled back suddenly, leaving her panting.

  “We can’t do this in the woods,” he growled. “I’m taking you home.”

  Before she could argue, he took her by the hand and marched back toward the entrance of the woods.

  She felt almost like an errant child, until she realized his furious pace was because he wanted her, needed her so badly.

  When they had almost reached the clearing where campus began he stopped at a tree and pulled something out of a hidden recess.

  Parker watched as he slipped on a t-shirt and a pair of sweats, then slid on some flip-flops.

  “We keep caches of clothing here,” he explained. “I’ll have to replace it tomorrow for the next person.”

  The t-shirt pulled tight across his chest and Parker fought the urge to touch him.

  They continued their brisk walk, crossing Yale as the stars twinkled down on them knowingly.

  Parker searched the shadows as they traversed the little tree-lined streets, but they were behaving properly, everything still, except her own shadow trailing her as they passed the street lamps.

  Mac stopped in front of a charming stucco cottage with a slate roof. Rhododendron bushes flanked the front door.

  “This is me,” he said gruffly. “I can take you home i
f you’ve changed your mind.”

  He indicated his car, parked out front.

  Parker shook her head and he smiled.

  Then he led her down the winding path to the front door and opened it. They stepped inside and he flicked on a light.

  The ceilings were high and the moldings looked original. Built-in bookcases were everywhere, overflowing with volumes and trinkets alike. Pottery, carvings, leather bound books and tattered paperbacks all competed for space.

  This was exactly Parker’s kind of house. It even smelled like books.

  “Do you want a drink?” Mac asked.

  “No,” she said.

  “Do you want a tour or something?” he asked.

  His eyes were hazy with lust.

  “I want to see your bedroom,” she told him.

  “Good girl,” he groaned.

  14

  Mac

  Mac watched Parker Everly walk into his bedroom like she owned it, all his senses tingling.

  He loved the way she ran her hand along the books in the cases, knelt on the leather sofa by the bay window and gazed out into the starlit back yard.

  The garden was practically choked with weeds and overgrown rose bushes. But Mac loved it.

  “Wow,” Parker murmured.

  He thought about making excuses for the wild garden, but kept his lips sealed. He was what he was.

  “I love it,” she said, turning back to him. “Looks like something out of a storybook.”

  “Sleeping Beauty?” he teased.

  “Maybe,” she shrugged. “I prefer the Brothers Grimm. Especially Red Riding Hood.”

  “Even the wolf?” he asked, one eyebrow raised.

  “Especially the wolf,” she sighed.

  It was all the invitation he needed.

  He moved to her, feeling like a teenager again, unsure which part of her to touch first, how to approach this without spontaneously combusting.

  Parker seemed to have no such uncertainty. In one smooth motion, she tucked her fingers under the hem of his shirt and peeled it off, tossing it to the floor and sliding her hands slowly up his chest.

  Mac placed his hands on her supple hips and watched her.

  She was concentrating hard, the tip of her tongue darting out to wet her lips.

  By the time she got to his shoulders, he was almost panting with need.

  “Your turn,” he growled.

  She allowed him to strip off her sweater, which joined his t-shirt on the floor.

  Parker wore a deep purple lace bra. Her dark curls contrasted deliciously with her pale skin. She looked up at him, her eyes luminous with unchecked desire.

  Mac wanted nothing more than to gaze down at her, memorize each freckle, each lock of chestnut hair.

  But the needs of the wolf thundered in his blood and he bent to unfasten her jeans.

  She wiggled out of them and stood before him in the bra and matching panties.

  “Oh Parker,” he murmured.

  But she was already peeling his jeans and boxers down, freeing his erection.

  When she leaned forward to press her lips to his throbbing cock, he thought his heart would forget to beat. Her plush lips were so soft. He groaned and let his head fall back.

  Parker responded by lapping delicately with her clever tongue.

  He opened his eyes, praying for restraint, just as she took the tip of him into her velvet mouth.

  Mac hissed in a breath.

  His hand moved of its own accord to touch her hair. He managed to caress her gently instead of pulling.

  She leaned into his hand, sending his wolf into a frenzy of pleasure over the act of submission.

  But when she drew him deeper and deeper into her mouth he knew this toying had to stop before she pushed him further than he could take.

  “Enough, Parker,” he growled.

  She looked up at him, eyes wide, and drank him in one last, slow time.

  When she stood, he pulled her roughly into his arms, kissing her and lifting her up, then carrying her to the bed.

  She giggled, a symphony to his ears, and when he lay her down, he was pleased to find that her fancy bra fastened in the front.

  He reached down and flicked it open.

  The giggling continued and he smiled down at her, glad she was having fun.

  But the wolf was all business.

  Mac applied himself to Parker’s beautiful breasts, nuzzling and licking her sweet nipples until they were stiff as pebbles and her laughter turned to whimpers.

  Then he stretched out beside her.

  He wanted to talk with her, to tell her about the mating bond. But it was hard when her warm sweet body was bared for him.

  He ran a hand down her belly, let his fingers brush the lace of her panties.

  She looked up at him as if to ask what he was waiting for.

  “I want to talk to you, Parker,” he told her.

  “Okay,” she said, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

  “You know my secret now,” he said.

  A strange expression flittered across her face.

  “I’m sorry it was a shock,” he told her sincerely. “I wish I had been able to talk to you about it first.”

  “It’s okay,” she assured him.

  “There’s something more, though. Something special,” he went on. “When you’re a wolf, you spend your life seeking your mate. And I’ve found mine.”

  She gazed at him, waiting.

  “Parker, I don’t know if you feel it too, but whenever I’m near you, I feel drawn to you, and when you’re in my arms I feel complete,” he told her.

  “What does that mean?” she asked.

  “It means we’re mates,” he said. “Or at least that we’re meant to be mates. But it’s not something to be taken lightly.”

  “Why not?” she asked.

  “Because with my kind, mating is for life,” he said.

  “You can’t mean you’ve never…?” she asked, looking a little shocked.

  “Oh,” he said. “No, no, I have, many times. Just never with my mate. With you it will be different.”

  She nodded, looking thoughtful.

  “And I’ll never be with any other woman again,” he added. “Of course.”

  “That’s easy enough to say,” Parker said wryly.

  “In my case it’s a fact, not an empty promise,” Mac told her. “I won’t be able to desire any other woman. Not that I’d find that very likely anyway.”

  “What about a couple of years ago?” Parker asked. “You seemed like kind of a ladies’ man then.”

  Shit.

  “That’s a long story, Parker,” he told her. “But I would be happy to share it with you.”

  “I’m not looking for war stories of your old conquests,” she said quickly.

  He swallowed a laugh.

  “No,” he said. “That’s not it at all. I’m very lucky to be the beta of the Tarker’s Hollow pack - the second in command, if you will. I have been since Michael Connor appointed me, many years ago. And his daughter, Ainsley, has seen fit to keep me in that role for herself. But after Michael’s death, and before Ainsley came home, I was the interim alpha of the pack for a short time. During that time, my instincts were out of control. Any wolf who is in the alpha position is absolutely ravenous for a mate if he, or she, doesn’t already have one. It leads to awkward social situations, like the one I found myself in at Helen Thayer’s party. It is one of the great regrets of my life that you knew me during that time.”

  “You did seem a little out of hand at that party,” Parker said. “I still can’t believe you were with Ava Gray.”

  “I was out of hand,” he agreed. “It’s why I didn’t recognize what I should have known all along.”

  “Which is?” she asked.

  “That you, Parker Everly, are my mate,” he told her simply. “Will you accept me as yours?”

  She was silent for a moment and he died a little, knowing his heart was in her hands. Knowing h
e had messed up his chance with her when he’d been out of his mind from serving the pack.

  “Can I think about it?” she asked almost shyly.

  “Of course,” he told her, relieved that this wasn’t a no.

  “Can I sleep on it?” she asked, her warm hands stroking his belly, reaching for him.

  “Ladies first,” he scolded her playfully, grabbing her hands and holding them by her sides.

  She giggled again, filling him with hopeful happiness.

  She didn’t protest when he nudged her legs apart and pulled her panties down off her ankles.

  She moaned when he licked her pink sex again. He knew her better this time, knew where to linger, when to slide a single finger inside her, how to tease and reward her.

  His poor cock was bursting for her, but he wouldn’t be inside her tonight, not until she was ready.

  As he felt her come apart on his face and fingers again, Mac dreamed of what it would be like to be mated to her forever, to taste her ecstasy and drink in her sweet cries every night.

  15

  Mac

  The next day, Mac waited under the sycamore tree overlooking the creek, waiting for his alpha, Ainsley Connor.

  He had awoken to a nice note from Parker, letting him know she was heading to work, but hoped to see him tonight.

  It was promising.

  Everything was looking so promising.

  If only he could figure out what was following them in the shadows…

  “Mac,” Ainsley said, appearing at the edge of the bamboo field that was the border between her mate, Erik’s house and the creek.

  “Hello, Ainsley,” Mac replied, lowering his eyes to greet his alpha.

  Ainsley wore her signature strand of pearls, a soft sweater with a pair of jeans and leather boots, and a fitted suede trench coat, open on top. She looked like a model in an ad for a high-end new housing development.

  Mac found it continuously astonishing that this vision of suburban fastidiousness was secretly the ruthless alpha of a pack of giant wolves.

  “You look well,” Ainsley said, a secret smile curving her lips ever so slightly.

  “Yes,” he agreed.

  There was no point hiding anything from his alpha.