Page 19 of Fury

She chuckled as he slid the screen door open to the tap room and ushered her into the near empty space. With two customers occupying one end of the space, Sawyer gravitated towards the opposite side with the cozy fireplace and leather chairs set in front of it.

“The menu’s on the chalkboard over there. Just let me know what you’d like to try and I’ll place the order. I highly recommend the blood orange beer if you’re into craft beer.”

Penelope walked over to the wall with the menu board and began studying the list. “Blood orange does sound tempting…”

It didn’t take her long as they kept their choices slim. The owner, a shifter from his pack who preferred a little separation from the island, had a knack for picking the best of the best. His knowledge and the proximity to Devils Point made this the go to place for small shifter gatherings all year long.

Not that his pack ever did anything small.

“I’d like to try the blueberry hard cider. They’re my favorite.”

Sawyer made a mental note that blueberries were Penelope’s favorite fruit. No telling when that information would come in handy. It was a small thing, but he liked the idea of learning more about her. “I hear it’s a good choice. I remember when Mack brought it in from some tiny cidery as a favor to a friend. Now, he can barely keep it in stock it’s become so popular.”

“You don’t like it or is it not manly enough?” she asked, managing to stifle an undignified giggle.

Sawyer shrugged. “Not much of a cider guy.” He quickly placed their order and returned to the comfy leather chairs. “Hope you’re hungry too. Breakfast feels like forever ago, so I took the liberty of ordering us some snacks.”

“Sounds good.”

Ms. Bishop had eased down into her chair and was staring off into the distance, giving him the opportunity to observe her without having to be coy or explain himself.

Despite her conservative dress and overall styling, her thick, dark hair tumbled around her face. It didn’t take much for him to imagine it tousled and messed after sex. In fact, he liked the idea of stripping Penelope of her nine to five trappings. It wasn’t just the clothes, though. Now that she’d relaxed for a moment, he began to see that underneath all that tension and the frumpy attire was a very young woman that should be out having fun instead of coming here to dig into things that would never satisfy her.

No matter how hard she tried, no one at Devils Point would open up. Not to a human. While they did now have a few humans living among them fully in the know, that didn’t mean they were willing to take risks with others. Those humans were different. They were mated to the pack and either turned or would be soon.

This one has to be turned. She’d never be satisfied with anything less.

His wolf mouthed off in his head, interrupting his thoughts and making Sawyer sigh. He hated when he and his wolf weren’t in sync. They weren’t supposed to be separate. Under normal circumstances the wolf flowed through him naturally, like an instinct not a different being. But it was exactly those wolf instincts that often caused a riff. His animal DNA was basically programmed to go with nature and had zip to do with living in a human world.

Mate.

The wolf pushed the word into his brain yet again. Sawyer shook his head against it.

The wolf had to listen to him. She was too dangerous for his kind.

Pussy.

Sawyer started. That was a decidedly human thought that had nothing to do with his wolf. What the hell?

Before he could analyze what the hell was happening in his own head, Penelope’s turned to look at him. Dark eyes met his and for a moment neither of them spoke. Heat sizzled through his blood just from a look. And no, he didn’t need his wolf to tell him that there was something special there. He felt it like a constant hum under his skin that made it difficult to keep his thoughts straight about her.

But that didn’t exactly change anything. Not really. She was with the FBI, which meant she represented danger to their way of life. If Damien or any of his brothers were here, they’d be all too happy to remind him of this fact.

And yet…

The longer they stared at each other the farther he fell. Love at first sight usually meant something different to shifters than humans. It was a mystical, maybe even chemical reaction that made two people instinctively drawn together. However, when he looked at her now, he didn’t see her as a potential mate to bear his cubs. No, he saw a beautiful woman that held herself back from life. Like him, she lived in a shadow instead of embracing her future.

Sawyer’s mind swirled with these kinds of thoughts until she broke the moment by looking away. He immediately leaned forward looking to reestablish the connection and touched the pale expanse of her neck now bared to him. Her resulting shiver underneath his fingers made him smile. But it was the quickening of her pulse that made him growl, his teeth lengthening. He moved closer. It would be so simple to sink into the silky exposed flesh.

He shook his head. Fuck. What the hell was wrong with him? He’d just met this woman and already he wanted to bite her. Something with those everlasting consequences could never be done lightly. Particularly not at the spur of the moment.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, pulling his attention away from her neck and back to the eyes she’d again turned his way.

Her soft question pulled a smile across his mouth. “Why wouldn’t I? You’re beautiful. Especially here.”

Her brows pulled together. “Why especially here?”

“You here, in this place with me, feels different. Devils Point is like that, you know. A small, normally quiet island surrounded by cold, sparkling water, plenty of fresh air and green trees, and friends and family who stick together no matter what. It’s a far cry from most communities. At least, we like to think so. So, you, taking a moment to enjoy our lifestyle feels special.”

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