“Did you tell him I was there?” She watched guilt creep over Ellie’s pale feature to turn her face a dark crimson. “You sent him to me? Ellie Wolfe, you best start talking before I kick your butt out of this place.”
“Alright.” She sighed. “I did send him, but only after he told me what his intentions were. I don’t ever want anyone hurting you and that includes anyone in my family.”
She was confused as hell. “What were his intentions?”
“To take you for a mate.”
He’d said all that stuff about having a relationship, but she thought he meant in time. Like at some point in the future after he got to be with her as a couple. Not right frickin’ now. It was one thing to date; this mate stuff was a whole different level of commitment.
“How could he want that type of relationship with me?”
Ellie motioned for the waitress to bring her another drink. She leaned forward, cupping her cheek with her hand. “Here’s the thing. We have these wolves that are part of us. They pick their mates based on some kind of blazing sexual attraction combined with the perfect scent. That’s the best way I can describe it.” She smiled at the waitress and took a sip of her glass. “If we’re lucky, the person our wolf wants is someone we can envision wanting to be with forever.”
That only brought up more questions. “Do your people mate someone they don’t like?”
Ellie nodded. “Happens quite often. Chemistry of the sexual kind is one thing if you have that spark that makes you both explosive in sex. It can lead to mating with people that are completely wrong for each other in the heat of the moment.”
“So, Aric and I…”
Ellie’s smile made her eyes sparkle. “You’re meant to be. My brother has wanted you for years.”
She slapped her on the arm. “Well, why the hell didn’t you say something before?”
Ellie rolled her eyes. “I do not make it my business to involve myself in any of my brothers’ love lives, but he was really dragging ass. I gave him a little help. You can thank me by naming your first born after me.”
She laughed. “You’re retarded and quite lucky I love you enough to not kick your ass for keeping this from me.”
Ellie lifted her drink. “And you are welcome.”
Jordan grinned, but couldn’t stop the excitement buzzing inside her. It wasn’t the liquor either. Aric had wanted her for longer than she’d realized. It made her feel mushy inside. Maybe that was the liquor. Whatever. There was little doubt in her mind now that the past few weeks had been the right way to approach things. She and Aric had been spending a lot of time together, time which had helped them see each other in a new light. He was more than just a sexy man now. He was a sweet, aggressive, and strong male she had intense feelings for.
“Stop looking so sickeningly happy. It’s annoying.” Ellie laughed. “Between Aric looking like he had his cake and ate it too, and you practically glowing, it’s making us girls with no sex-life depressed.”
“Alright, I’m sorry.” Sympathy for Ellie’s current stress over Caleb tamped down the laughter.
“It’s kind of late and the others aren’t here yet. Have they called you?”
Jordan groaned. “I left my phone plugged into the car charger.”
Ellie gasped. “What? I left mine in my bag with papers to grade.”
“Oh, damn.” They stood at the same time.
The waitress approached them with new drinks. “We’ll be right back,” Ellie handed the woman a bill to cover the drinks they’d already had. “We forgot something in the car. Hold our table; we’ll only be a minute.”
Making their way to the building entrance, they continued to chat. “I can’t wait to get home now, and demand for Aric to do the whole mating thing.”
They stepped out into the warm night air and strolled to the darkened lot next to the restaurant.
“You mean bite you while you’re having sex.”
She sighed. “Yeah.”
Their heels clicked on the pavement, resonating in the quiet evening. “Isn’t that what you’ve been doing all these weeks?”
“Pretty much. But I’ll use any excuse to get him to do it again.”
Ellie laughed as they reached her energy saver and unlocked the door. They had opened the doors, but Ellie suddenly stopped. She sniffed and growled.
“What—”
Four men jumped out of the darkness in front of them.
“Get inside and lock your door!”
Jordan didn’t question her friend. She rushed into the car and shut her door. Ellie threw her the key and shut the driver side door, moving with increased speed.
“Ellie!”
The men rushed it. Windows broke before Jordan had a chance to think. She watched in horror as Ellie attempted to shift, only to get hit by one of the men. Jordan’s attention was diverted by a pair of hands yanking her from her seat by her hair.