Scarlet Disaster by Colette Rhodes

Chapter 9

Lou grumbled irritably to herself as she shoveled the snow off the front steps that led up to her porch, huffing with exertion.

I shouldn’t be here. I really should not be here. This was borderline stalking. Except no one would accuse a cougar of stalking.

They might shoot me though. Lou didn’t strike me as the type to shoot an animal that was just lurking on the outskirts of her property. Then again, a lot about Lou had surprised me. Almost everything.

I wasn’t planning on just hovering in the trees outside her property in my fur. I was going to talk with her. I’d left in a panic the other night, and when I had finally calmed down enough to think clearly, I’d realized how fucking awful the situation would have looked from her perspective. How awful it was. I’d thought of almost nothing else since then.

I’d just abandoned her, like she was just some meaningless bed buddy. I was so fucking ashamed, I couldn’t even look at myself in the mirror.

I would never disrespect anyone by treating them that way under normal circumstances, but those hadn’t been normal circumstances.

I had run because I’d been half a second away from irreversibly mating Lou for life. Life! My teeth had been pressing into her skin and she’d been fucking begging me to bite her. Obviously, she had no clue what that would have led to, but I knew better. Lou had tested my self-control from the moment I met her, and I’d stupidly given in, knowing what the risks would be.

I wasn’t a hundred percent sure if a mating bond would have taken without Lou actively accepting it, but the risk had definitely been there.

God, I could have ruined her life.

Running had been the right thing to do at the time, but when I thought about it from Lou’s perspective…

She must hate me. I hated myself.

Today, I was in control enough to apologize before avoiding her forever. She was temptation like I’d never encountered before, and I had to steer clear for both of our sakes.

I dropped the bundle of clothes I’d been carrying in my teeth and forced myself to shift back. My cougar snarled in response, not wanting to let me lead, already dangerously enamored with this interesting, vibrant, unexpected woman.

Idiot. Idiot man and idiot cat.

As I finished dressing, I heard a vehicle approach, which was unusual since I’d been here every day since my unceremonious exit, and I’d never seen anyone visit her. Keeping to the treeline, I moved around until I had a better view of her driveway as whoever it was exited the vehicle, and froze as the wind blew towards me and I caught a whiff of her guest’s scent on the breeze.

Wolf.

Foreign wolf.

Nothing about the way Lou was holding herself—frozen in place, shovel clutched tightly in one hand—indicated that she was expecting company, and my hackles rose even further.

Don’t get possessive. She’s not yours.

The man who’d climbed out of the passenger side definitely didn’t look like a local in his expensively tailored coat and shiny leather boots. He was older than me, with perfectly styled salt-and-pepper hair, and frown lines on his forehead and around his mouth. Despite his advancing age, there was no doubt in my mind that this was a powerful shifter who was not to be fucked with. My cougar had picked up that much from his scent already.

Why the fuck was a wolf shifter visiting Lou?

There was a wolf pack not far from my brother’s place in the woods, and they came into town enough for me to be vaguely familiar with their scents, but I didn’t recognize this guy’s.

But Lou definitely knew him, judging by the way she’d tensed up.

“Louisiana,” he drawled, holding his arms out wide like he was expecting a hug. “Though I must say, I prefer Scarlet. I think we’ll proceed with Scarlet, hm?” He tilted his head to the side, examining her. “The red hair, you can keep though.”

“How generous of you,” Lou snapped, a tiny tremble in her voice betraying the fear she was trying to hide. Fuck. There hadn’t been a chance for me to ask about Scarlet after I’d run out on her, but I remembered Lou referring to herself as a camgirl. So this guy was… a client? Not one she was very excited to see. “What do you want, Frank?”

Frank...

“You, of course. I thought I’d been quite clear about that, Scarlet. Originally, I was content for you to reside here in Fairbanks until I had suitable accommodation for you, but since you’ve been difficult about it, I think it is time for you to move to New York now.”

Nope.

I strode out of the trees behind Lou, immediately catching the guy’s attention, though it took her a little longer to notice. She followed his gaze over her shoulder, eyes widening in surprise when she saw me, before narrowing them in irritation.

I deserved that. Hopefully she’d let me play at knight in shining armor for a few minutes, even though we both knew I was the troll from the dungeon.

“Lou,” I rumbled, my cougar close to the surface. “Everything okay?”

I saw the split second when she decided that I was the lesser of two evils. Lou may not have been a shifter, but she could sense that she was caught between two predators, and it was better to ally with one than to stand alone.

She reached for me the moment I was within grasping distance, and I was a greedy son of a bitch because I happily let her tug me closer, wrapping my arms around her waist and keeping her pulled firmly back against my body.

“Oh look, it’s my big sexy male conveniently coming to visit me. Everything is fine. This is Frank. He’s just leaving,” she clipped.

“Leaving?” he chuckled humorlessly. “My friends and I just got here. And New York to Fairbanks is an awfully long flight. I think we’ll need some time here in town to recover.”

I knew the kinds of wolves who lived in New York, and I very fucking strongly objected to the idea of Lou anywhere near them. Wasn’t the New York Alpha called Frank something? Ashford? Shit, shit, shit.

How the fuck had Lou gotten mixed up with this asshole?

“New friend?” Frank asked Lou with an oily smile. I didn’t like him looking at her. Or talking to her. Or sharing oxygen with her. My arm tightened around her waist like it had a mind of its own, pulling her around so her front was pressed against my side, my fingers splayed possessively over the curve of her ass.

Back off, motherfucker.

“Yup, got myself a big, bad boyfriend now, so you can take a hike,” Lou said drily, patting my chest. “Stop sending me shit while you’re at it.”

If I held her any tighter, I’d leave fingerprints on her ass. What was he sending her? How long had this been going on?

Frank gave me a cool assessing look, not seeming threatened by me in the least, which made sense because I wasn’t a threat to him. My cougar could usually take down a wolf pretty easily, but Frank was an Alpha. He’d be bigger and stronger than most.

“I’m not worried,” he said eventually, giving Lou a cold smile. “Since it’s clearly not serious.”

“How the fuck would you know?” Lou scoffed indignantly.

Because we were unmated.Almost every inch of Lou’s skin was covered, but he’d be able to scent that she wasn’t mated. This was… a potentially problematic lie for us to run with, but I’d be a real fucking asshole to contradict her.

I owed her this lie. More than that, there was a not insignificant part of me that wished it could be true.

“Just a feeling,” Frank replied with a deceptively relaxed half shrug, dark blue eyes scanning the way I was holding her, missing nothing.

“Well, you’re wrong. We’re very serious,” Lou replied primly. “We’ve picked out rings. We’re having a Cinderella-themed wedding in Florida. Nate is going to wear a powder-blue suit with tails and a tophat, I’ll wear a giant ball gown and tiara, and arrive by carriage with my seven bridesmaids. Nate is great like that. He gives me everything I want,” she continued in a completely deadpan voice. I couldn’t decide if she was fucking with Frank, or me. Probably both.

Frank scoffed. “Your pretty lies might work on someone who doesn’t know you so well, Scarlet. You’re more of a simple sunset wedding on the beach type of girl.”

“Is that what you had?” Lou asked sweetly. “With the wife you forgot to mention?”

The jealousy that this asshole knew more about Lou than I did morphed into anger on her behalf. Why didn’t he have a mate? Had he not mated his wife?

Frank tutted disapprovingly. “So hung up on all the wrong things, sweet Scarlet. It’s a business arrangement, nothing to concern yourself over.” His eerie eyes remained on Lou for an uncomfortably long beat before sliding to me. “How fortunate for you that this arrangement didn’t go too far.”

“Too far?” Lou replied dubiously. “If you mean before he fucks me, I’m afraid you’re too late. My vagina has already been ruined for all other men.”

It wasn’t the time, but my ego swelled in response to her words anyway. As well as something else that I was a little less proud of, considering the circumstances.

Frank’s lips curled up in an unpleasant smile, his eyes still on me. “That is not what I meant. Secrets are poison to a relationship, you know.”

“Oh, secrets?” Lou gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. “Like a secret wife? I could keep going all day. If you ever think I’m going to forget that you are married, you’re sorely mistaken.”

“There are secrets with far greater consequences,” Frank replied smoothly. “And when you’re ready to hear them, I’d be more than happy to enlighten you. It seems… wrong, to keep you in the dark this way.”

My heartbeat pounded in my chest, and even though I knew he could hear it, I couldn’t get it to slow down. If he told Lou about shifters, I was going to let my cougar have free reign over his goddamn spinal cord. The shifter world was no place for unclaimed humans. If Lou found out about shifters without a mating mark for protection, it would paint a goddamn target on her back. Alphas killed humans who accidently found out about shifters near their territory.

“Do you two know each other or something?” Lou asked irritably. She twisted back to look up at me, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“No,” I replied evenly, my fingers flexing against her puffy jacket. “We’ve never met. He’s just talking shit to get a rise out of you. Don’t bother listening to it.”

“Mm, you’re right. He’s already proven himself to be a liar. I’d be pretty naive to listen to anything he had to say at this point,” Lou said, agreeing with me with a readiness that made my cougar want to purr, even though I knew it was all an act. There was no way she actually trusted me, even if she was willing to pretend for Frank’s benefit.

God, she had absolutely no idea of the kind of danger she was in, and panic made my throat feel tight as I tried to decide whether it was better to stop this lie in its tracks or not. No, it was too late for that. Frank had already seen me hanging around her, there was no guarantee he’d keep his mouth shut about shifters even if I removed myself from the picture.

Staying close and protecting Lou up close was safer than putting distance between us and hoping Frank had some sense of honor.

Frank tutted. “Again, you are hung up on all the wrong things, silly Scarlet. However, I’m a generous man, I’ll give you some time to come to your senses,” he continued. “Pretty scenery around here. It’ll make for a nice… vacation.”

I fought the urge to haul Lou even closer to me, not wanting Frank to gain the satisfaction of seeing he’d rattled me. Or giving him any more satisfaction, because my heart was still slamming against my ribs like it was trying to escape my body. Lou was calmer than I was, pinning him with an unimpressed glare as her hand stroked my chest absently. God, maybe she could hear my heartbeat too.

“It’s a free country,” Lou replied lightly, lifting one shoulder. If I couldn’t feel how tense she was, how heavily she leaned into me despite the fact that I was probably her least favorite person on the planet, I wouldn’t have even realized Frank was bothering her. It was incredible. “Now if you’ll excuse us, you interrupted right when I was about to get my womb wrecked. Bye.”

With a combination of brass balls and a total lack of awareness about the level of danger, Lou turned her back on the most powerful predator I’d ever encountered, stepping out of my arms and stomping back towards her little pink house.

Frank returned to his vehicle with a derisive snort, and I didn’t miss the fact that he had two other people in the car with him who I was confident were shifters from his pack, probably his seconds.

Fuck, I hated to admit it, but he had good reason to be so arrogant. Nothing about this situation was in Lou’s favor, and she didn’t even fully understand why.

And I couldn’t tell her, I reminded myself as I followed her back into the house. Which was going to make it particularly difficult to keep her safe from a threat she couldn’t see, since she already hated me.

Frank was an apex predator who had locked onto Lou as his prey. A fake relationship with me might not be enough to shake him off entirely, not without a mating mark, but it might buy her some time.

Best case scenario—he and his wolf got offended that she’d settled for a less powerful shifter and backed off purely out of irritation. But for that to work, she had to look like she’d chosen me, because he’d see any cracks in the facade as a challenge.

Worst case scenario was that he refused to leave her alone unless she had a mating bite that officially took her off the market.

No, the worst case scenario was that he told her about shifters out of spite and painted a target on her back.

My muscles rippled under my shirt, my cougar fighting for dominance even knowing now was very much not the fucking time.

The house reeked of paint fumes and I choked slightly on the overpowering smell before reluctantly shutting and locking the front door behind me. I fully intended to question Lou about Frank the moment I had the front door shut behind us, but Lou just kept going, through the entryway and living room at an impressively brisk pace. There were drop cloths all over the floor, half the walls had been painted, and half empty boxes covered the couch. Lou had been busy.

I hurried after her, into the narrow galley kitchen where she marched straight to the back door, unlocking it and holding it open expectantly, finally focusing her attention on me.

Lou looked at me like she hated me. Like if she could incinerate me on the spot, she’d do it without a second thought. My chest felt like it was caving in under the weight of my own shame.

I’d done the right thing, I know I had, but fuck if it didn’t hurt like a pickaxe to the heart, knowing I’d put that hatred in her gaze.

“Get out,” Lou ordered flatly.

“We need to talk—”

“Thanks for doing me a solid back there, but I have nothing to say to you.”

“Then just listen,” I implored, the panic making my throat constrict. “That guy, Frank, he isn’t exactly what you think he is.”

“Thank you, Captain Obvious,” Lou drawled, giving me a scathing look. “Hence why I am here, and not with him in New York. Because he’s a lying liar who lies. Get out.”

“But he’s here now, Lou. You don’t understand how dangerous he is,” I growled, feeling frustrated that I couldn’t just fucking tell her that the big bad wolf had her locked in his sights.

Lou scoffed. “He’s a fancy finance guy from New York who can’t take no for an answer, not like… the head of the mafia or something.”

“How can you be sure of that?” I challenged, because that was probably the closest human analogy for a pack. “Wealthy, secretive, showed up with some goons in tow…”

“You’re being ridiculous. You do realize I hate you as well, right?” Lou asked incredulously. “You’re not the good guy in this scenario. You’re also an asshole, just for different reasons. God, I hate men.”

“I came here to apologize—”

“How clear your conscience feels isn’t actually my concern,” Lou interrupted. “You came here to make yourself feel better. Your apology doesn’t mean shit to me.”

I opened my mouth to argue before slamming it shut, realizing she was right. Of course. I should have known she’d never want to see me again. I’d come here to assuage my guilt.

“I have an IUD, by the way, so you don’t need to worry that you got me pregnant. And I’m clean. Fuck, of all the people to spontaneously claim to be in a fake relationship with,” she muttered, tipping her head back and staring at the ceiling like it could give her answers. “I should have called Mr. Hot Hardware Store Guy, he’d have been game. Or Coffee Shop Guy. Or just asked to borrow one of Ria’s big scary boyfriends. She has spares.”

The start of a growl rumbled in my chest before I could stop it, and Lou jumped slightly at the noise, giving me a puzzled look. Fuck no, that wasn’t happening. Not the hardware store guy, or the coffee shop guy, or the fucking bears. Not that any of the Bernard brothers would go for it anyway, they would never disrespect their mate that way, but still.

If Lou needed a fake boyfriend, I was going to be that man for her.

“We can be in a fake relationship without me getting in your face,” I said quietly. “Just keep me around, Lou. Can you just… believe that Frank is not a guy to be fucked with?”

Oh my god, I sounded so pathetic, but I had no idea how to explain any of this. Where was Gabriel with his smooth words and enchanting accent when I needed him?

“I’m not as helpless as you seem to think I am, despite the brain aneurysm I must have had out there that made me call you my boyfriend. I can handle Frank,” Lou replied, tipping her chin up.

“No, you can’t! Lou, this guy… he’s not normal.” I hesitated for a moment, my brain scrambling for a suitable explanation. “Can you just trust me?”

Lou gave me an incredulous look. “No, Nate. I do not trust you. Are you high? How can you even ask me that?”

I scrubbed a hand down my face, hating that she made sense. Of course she didn’t trust me. But now I really needed her to trust me.

“Okay. That’s fair,” I conceded, trying not to show my very real panic on the outside. Most shifters were territorial as fuck. If I wasn’t making my presence known, Frank would probably see it as an invitation to encroach. I couldn’t stay here though. I’d only been in the house a few minutes and the smell of paint fumes was making me lightheaded. Besides, I could use the backup that Brooks and Gabriel provided.

“Maybe you could just come stay with me for a few days?” I suggested, trying to hide my wince as I said it.

Lou barked a startled laugh before looking at me like she was checking to see if I was actually serious.

“Ah, no. Definitely not. Did you hear literally any of the words I just said? The part about me hating you and not trusting you, et cetera, et cetera?”

“I did,” I replied glumly, not entirely sure how I was going to convince her that this was the best idea when everything she’d said had been completely right. “You can still hate me. I deserve that. But maybe if you stay with me for a few days, Frank will lose interest and leave town. He’s a big, fancy New York guy, right? Show him there’s nothing here for him.”

Show him that you’re content to settle for a lesser shifter.

“No thanks,” Lou replied breezily. For fuck’s sake. I wish I’d bought my cell with me so I could phone a friend for advice. Gabriel was calmer and more empathetic, he’d do a better job of convincing her than I would. Brooks would probably try to seduce her.

Maybe it was a good thing he wasn’t here.

“I have roommates,” I tried again. “They’re good guys. It wouldn’t be just you and me, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Lou laughed bitterly. “Trust me, Nate. There is no part of me that is worried you’re going to try to get in my pants again.”

What?I mean, I was glad she wasn’t worried, but she made it sound like I didn’t want her, which was fucking ludicrous. I wanted her to a borderline unhealthy degree.

“I gotta say, I really don’t understand why you’re pushing this,” Lou continued. “You made your feelings on me pretty clear.”

“I shouldn’t have left the way I did the other night, and I’m sorry. Trust me, it wasn’t you—”

“Don’t finish that sentence,” Lou warned, olive eyes flashing with irritation and I grimaced. ‘It’s not you, it’s me’ sounded like a cop out, even in my own head.

“I fucked up, okay? And I was just going to come here and say sorry, then leave you alone, but the Frank thing changes that.”

“It doesn’t change shit,” Lou argued, shaking her head.

“You just waved a red flag in front of a bull,” I snapped, running my fingers aggressively through my hair. “Stay with me, just for a few days. I swear, this is for your protection, Lou. I won’t touch you, it’s nothing like that.”

My cougar growled in irritation, rising up impatiently. Lou frowned at me, her focus on my eyes, and I hoped like hell they weren’t glowing.

“Look, sorry I implicated you in this, but you don’t have to make it into a huge thing. I don’t give a fuck if Frank comes here, I’m not going to perform for his benefit anyway. Again.” Lou added irritably under her breath. “You can resume your regularly scheduled brooding, or whatever it is you do.” She gestured at the back door with an exaggerated flourish.

My heart pounded in my chest at the finality in her tone, my cougar lunging forward like he’d do a better job at convincing her than I was doing. The effort of holding back the shift made my muscles ripple under my shirt and my temper fray.

“You don’t understand!” I practically shouted, fear making my heart pound in my chest. No shifter would leave someone they were interested in alone and unprotected, especially a human.

Lou gave me a cool look that would have made a lesser man cower. “Maybe when you’ve calmed down and are ready to speak to me without raising your voice, I’ll consider listening to your explanation. In the meantime, out.” She punctuated the last word with an aggressive point at the door.

I was fucking all of this up, and its not like I had room for error with Lou. I hadn’t missed the flicker of nervousness on her face when she’d given me marching orders. I was a lot bigger than her, and stronger than she even realized. I’d be a real asshole to hang around, making her feel unsafe. More of an asshole than I already was.

I sighed, annoyed with myself as I stalked past her, pausing on the threshold.

“You’re right. It’s unforgivable to speak to you in anger. But this conversation isn’t over. That guy isn’t going anywhere, and he’s not going to give up without a fight. Let me keep you safe, Lou.”

The brisk cold hit me in full force as I stepped outside and I inhaled deeply, forcing fresh air into my lungs, hoping it would clear my head. Lou already despised me, and each time I opened my goddamn mouth I made it ten times worse. I could have really used some backup, but I didn’t have my phone and the idea of leaving Lou here alone was untenable to my cougar. The property only smelled faintly of Frank’s lingering scent, but I knew he’d be back.

I briefly considered the merits of throwing Lou over my shoulder and dragging her perky ass to safety, but she’d probably have me arrested.

Maybe I could get a hold of Noah? His mate, Ria, was obviously friends with Lou—they’d come into the studio together when I’d first met her. Ria couldn’t shift, but she’d grown up in a shifter family and was mated to three bear shifters. Maybe she could think of a better way to explain the situation to Lou? It would probably sound less… psychotic coming from her.

But Ria would probably suggest Lou go and stay with her, which made sense to me but made my cougar furious.

Lou had inadvertently put us both in a difficult position by claiming we were in a relationship, yet I couldn’t find it in myself to be mad. Keeping her safe was really the least I could do after I’d put her at so much risk by almost biting her. Even if she hated me the entire time.

I’d just have to make sure I kept my teeth to myself.

“Are you just going to keep pacing in my yard?” Lou called out irritably, standing on the back porch with her arms crossed.

“We weren’t finished talking,” I replied simply, striding to the bottom of the steps and waiting, giving Lou space. She’d been right to kick me out. Fresh air had made me feel a little calmer.

“It seems we’re at an impasse,” Lou said lightly, raising an eyebrow at me. “You, for some bizarre reason, think I’m going to come and stay at your house just because my ex-sugar daddy is in town to woo me back. I would rather pierce my own nipples with a blunt safety pin than go anywhere with you.”

Considering I was trained in body piercings and fucking great at them, that was extra insulting.

“Even for your own safety?” I asked tiredly. “You can meet my roommates first, if that would make you feel more comfortable—”

“My answer is no, Nate,” Lou stated, no room for argument in her tone. “Whatever twisted ideas you have in your head about protecting me need to be put to rest. You don’t owe me anything because we fucked one time. I don’t need your charity.”

She walked back into the house, shutting the screen door, then the back door with a quiet click as I scrubbed my hand over my face, wondering where to even begin in undoing all of those misconceptions. I definitely wasn’t doing this as some kind of I-owe-you for the sex.

God, is that really what she thought? Her opinion of me was even lower than I realized. Nothing about what we’d shared had been transactional in my mind. It had been amazing.

Fuck.

I jogged back into the cover of the treeline, stripped out of my clothes and shifted. Hopefully Lou wasn’t terrified of mountain lions, because she’d just earned herself one as a full time guard.