Page 2 of Deception

Get yourself together, girl,she ordered herself.

But her inner wolf remained all dreamy, batting its eyes and wagging its tail.

A crush. It had to be a crush, right? And seriously, what woman wouldn’t have a crush on a man like Drew? He was big, broad, and quiet. Honorable, too, like all bear shifters were. His close-cropped beard was thick, dark, and neatly trimmed, and she longed to tip forward and nuzzle it with her chin.

When he stepped closer, his eyes went a little hazy, too, as if he was thinking the same thing. The whole world started to fade away — the rumble of truck tires on the street, the quiet clink of silverware in the café, the murmurs of the other men. Everything receded to the far corner of her mind like a vague memory, and all she could see was Drew. All she could hear was the sharp intake of his breath as he looked at her, and all she could register was the rich, woodsy scent of him. She focused on his lips — thick, round lips that somehow fit perfectly on that edgy, masculine face, and she leaned forward even more. Their arms brushed, making blood rush through her veins.

Mate,her wolf murmured.My destined mate.

Mate,she swore she heard him think.My destined mate.

Then,Bang!The back door opened, and Jessica’s cheery voice snapped her back to her heels.

“Morning, everyone!” her boss called, swinging a platter of muffins so fresh from the oven, they steamed.

Drew hastened a step back, and his eyes dropped to the floor. Summer gulped and blinked desperately, trying to find her focus again. Focus on something other than her favorite bear shifter, that is.

“Blueberry or apple?” Jessica held a platter of oven-fresh muffins up toward Drew.

“Um… uh…” He seemed as tongue-tied as Summer felt.

Luke reached in and helped himself. “Both, thanks. Can I get a coffee, too?”

“Make that two,” Mack said.

“Three,” Sam added.

Summer finally forced her feet into motion. “Coffee, coming right up.” She stepped behind the counter to fill four mugs and inhaled deeply, hoping the rich scent would bring her back to her senses.

“Mind if we take these next door?” Sam asked as Jessica served more muffins.

Summer looked around. What was going on next door? And why did Jessica’s face cloud? In fact, everyone went serious at the same time.

Then she remembered. Soren, the alpha of this unusual, mixed bear-wolf clan, had called a meeting with the wolves of Twin Moon Ranch. A meeting she hadn’t wanted to think about because the subject was a vile enemy that had staged several attacks on the hard-working shifters she’d grown to love.

Worse, that enemy was the band of rogues she’d once worked for. The rogues she’d unwittingly assisted through so many heinous crimes.

Summer went stiff all over, remembering just who she was. Even if Drew felt anything for her, disgust would make him reject her in the end. How could he ever accept a she-wolf who’d taken part in crimes against his family? It was already a stretch for Jessica and the others to offer her shelter for a few weeks. Of course, that was probably in their best interest — that way, they could make sure Summer didn’t have any tricks up her sleeve. She’d been working her ass off in the café and saloon, trying to prove she meant everything she’d said about her reluctant involvement with the Blue Blood rogues. But she knew she could never truly sweat away the guilt of what she’d been a part of. Her past would always be part of her. A black mark. A steel-barred cage. No matter where she went, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t outrun her past.

And she certainly couldn’t dream about taking a bear as a mate. The Blue Bloods had been defeated, but an idea was harder to eradicate than evil-hearted men. If any believers remained, they’d come after her and Drew to make an example of them.

Want my mate!her wolf wailed.

He couldn’t, shouldn’t be her mate. It wasn’t meant to be.

Drew, she saw, was still standing nearby, looking at her. His face grew sad, and he dug his right heel against the floor tiles. Had he just remembered who she was, too?

“Sure, take the coffee with you,” Jessica said, nodding toward the back. “We’ll pick the mugs up later.”

Luke, Mack, and Sam filed through the narrow corridor, and a second later, the rear door squeaked open.

“Coming, Drew?” one of them called back.

He went, watching her with dark, mournful eyes that refused to let go until the last possible second. His heavy steps echoed down the hall.

Mate,her wolf cried, seeing him go.

Summer closed her eyes, telling herself not to cry, too.

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