than I should. “Please,” I added through gritted teeth.
“I’d love one too, thanks,” Alton said. How did he do this shit so easily? Usually I didn’t care what people thought of me. I knew I wasn’t the best shifter to be around. People put up with me because I was alpha. I was in charge and protected my people. But trying to be pleasant to a point where Cora’s mother wouldn’t think bad of me? Yeah, I worried it’d be a struggle.
Shit, would Cora even like me?
Terror twisted inside me, and a low rumble dropped from my lips. It caused Everly to slowly turn toward me from the sink. Alton’s kick to my leg under the table got me to stop.
Everly’s gaze snapped to the side, and she glared. “There’s nothing wrong with him.” She turned back to me and smiled before getting back to making coffees.
I shared a puzzled look with Alton, the tension lessening inside me because of her words. I still wasn’t sure if she was in the right frame of mind.
Did it mean my mate was the same?
Would she talk to someone who wasn’t there?
Had she shown any signs of it in town? I would have to ask Alton when we were alone.
“What was Cora in town for?” Alton asked.
“She’s looking for a job. We only got here yesterday, but already she’s worried about money.” She placed our mugs down in front of us and then grabbed a plate of cookies. “Dig in. They’re homemade.”
Alton took a cookie and bit into it. Nodding, he said, “Hmm, they’re great.”
Everly beamed. “Thank you.”
Cora needed a job. I had a position available, but would she take what I could offer? Maybe if I stopped being a dick. I didn’t want her to work anywhere else. I wanted her close, needed to know she would always be safe.
Everly pushed the plate my way. “Try one.” She smiled.
Reaching out, I took a small one off the plate and raised it to my mouth. The front door burst open, and in it stood a puffing Cora. Wide-eyed, she strode forward and slapped my hand. The cookie dropped from it onto the table. At the touch, though, a jolt of what could be described as electricity shot through me. Cora’s brows dipped as she looked at me; she must have felt it as well.
“Mom, did you inform these gentlemen the cookies have pot in them?”
I glanced down at the cookie, then to Alton, whose eyes were the widest I’d ever seen, and I couldn’t hold in the mirth even if I tried. I started laughing.
Chapter Three
Cora
Great, just effing great. How many had Mom fed them? Though, as I looked at the chuckling man called Havoc, I couldn’t help but smile. How could I not when he looked gorgeous? My heart hammered in my chest at his reaction. It had already been beating hard when I’d spotted the strange car out the front and raced inside to Mom. But now my organ was having its own jazz dance from just watching the handsome man laughing. The frantic beat should have been from nerves or fear. It wasn’t. Other parts of my body were reacting to this man—a sure way of telling me the last thing I felt was frightened. My nipples hardened, my clit throbbed, and I just knew my panties were damp.
This—my reaction—was strange. So very strange and embarrassing.
It was as if my body wanted this man even before I knew him.
However, I wouldn’t jump into anything. There was no chance of that, since I’d learned my lesson when it came to men. I would ignore the urge to kiss him, ignore how I wanted to reach out and run my hands over his face, through his hair, and down to his massive, hard, sexy body.
It was suddenly getting hot in here.
Clearing my throat, I asked Mom without looking away from Havoc, “How many did he have?”
His laughter waned when he took in a deep breath. His eyes warmed, and he took his bottom lip between his teeth and bit down. I wanted to do it for him. I wanted to suck on the plump lip while I straddled his thighs and rock—
“Cora?” Mom said, her tone light with humor.
“Um…” I cleared my throat again. I had to look away from him, but I couldn’t. No. It wasn’t that I couldn’t. I didn’t want to. He took my breath away. He appealed to me like no man ever had, even after just one