Page 15 of Twisted Destiny

She pushed back on her animal, knowing not a single person in the diner would appreciate her wolfing out. Well—maybe a few of the guys, but that would be about it. As it were, she wanted to make a good impression. However, she wasn’t sure why that was so important to her.

“Yeah, you can help me by going back to wherever the fuck it is you came from. You don’t belong here, bitch. And you do not belong with my man.” The crazy woman seethed.

“I think you must have me confused with someone else because I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Hayley turned back to her coffee, intent on ignoring the psycho wanting to cause an uproar.

“Please, I can smell him all over you. Stay the fuck away from Jackson. He’s mine. I won’t tell you again!”

“I don’t know what the hell you think you are doing here, Sherry, but you need to leave.” Cam set her tray down and marched over to face off with the local troublemaker.

“Stay out of this, Cam. It has nothing to do with you. It’s between me and this fucking whore,” Sherry growled.

“Excuse me?” Hayley snarled and rose to her feet, going nose-to-nose with Sherry. She could feel her magic swirling around her, pushing her wolf forward.

“Are you fucking deaf, bitch?” Sherry’s eyes began to glow. Her animal was barely contained.

“Enough!” A loud voice boomed through the diner.

Hayley could feel her magic dashing away as fast as it had begun to swirl around her. The Alpha’s timbre sent her wolf cowering in fear, needing to obey his command.

Pushing between the two women, Calder turned his attention to Sherry. “I’m sure you’re aware that interfering between mates is punishable by death.” He didn’t mince his words. His meaning was crystal clear to anyone listening to the conversation.

Hayley had hoped to keep that whole mate tidbit under wraps until she had made up her mind whether or not she was staying at Twisted Tail or if she was going back to her city life.

“You are no longer my Alpha. You have no authority over me.” Sherry’s voice trembled. She tried her best to hold her own, but she didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell, and she knew it. Not when it was the Alpha standing in front of her.

“You’re right. I’m not your Alpha. It’s a good thing, too, because you know you’d be stripped of your magic and cast out. However, when you come to my pack looking to start a fight between mates, I won’t be as kind as I would be to another pack member. You will not leave with your life if I see you here again.”

A shiver washed over Hayley. She heard the truth in Calder’s words. His threat wasn’t an empty one. He would end her with a flick of his hand. It would be as easy as that.

“I suggest you leave now. Get out of this diner and out of my territory.”

Sherry didn’t bother with a reply. She did turn to give Hayley a glare that said, this isn’t over.

10

“I can’t believe how much better it looks in here.” Hayley eyed up her newly remodeled cabin with pride. It had taken her and Jackson weeks to complete all of the projects, but the finished product turned out to be amazing. Along with fixing up the roof and a few new windows, Hayley decided to update the paint on the inside and refresh the kitchen, making it look much more modern than when she first arrived.

Her life in the mostly rural landscape was dramatically different than in the city, but both worked. She’d worked out a deal with her boss to work from home, and as long as her projects were completed and her clients were happy, her boss was fine with the arrangement.

Did it mean she would stay at Twisted Tail forever and make her move permanent? She had yet to figure that out.

“It’s hard to believe it’s the same place.” Jackson wrapped his arms around Hayley’s waist and pulled her close.

“I’m still wondering if any of this is real. You, this place, how I feel for you…”

“This is as real as it’s ever going to get, sweetheart.” He pushed her hair to the side and slowly kissed a path up her neck.

“Mmmm.” She leaned into his kisses, heat pooling in her center. He could turn her on quicker than any man ever had. Goosebumps raced across her skin as his hands traveled up her stomach to her breasts, massaging each gently before moving on to the other. His thumbs tweaked her nipples.

“You are so fucking sexy,” he dipped his head, licking and kissing the hardened buds.

“Jackson!” Hayley cried out as he teased her nipples with his tongue.

“I want you. Forever,” he growled, pushing her shirt above her head and tossing it to the floor.

Hayley felt the urgency of the situation—knew what his words meant.

“Take me.” The words flew from her mouth, but in her heart—her soul, she knew he was her fated mate. She was tired of fighting, tired of reasoning why she shouldn’t just give in to her feelings—fed up with her past controlling her future.

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