Mated To The Devil (2 page)

For a moment, he just stood admiring the view from the rear—which he still had to admit would look better naked and bent over. Forcing his gaze away from her plump ass, he checked out the rest of her. Up close, her hair appeared even curlier and silky, its brown depths broken up with a hint of auburn. She couldn’t have topped more than five foot five, and he estimated she wouldn’t go past his chin.
She’s just the perfect size to spin on my cock.

Unlike some of the other girls at the party, she’d dressed sedately in a patterned blouse tucked into a pair of jeans. Not skin tight hip-huggers as was the fashion nowadays, but her high-waist pants were still snug enough to caress the curve of her full bottom and give a hint of her rounded thighs.

Mine, oh, mine. Oh, baby, I can’t wait to see that sweet body of yours naked.
Patience, though. First things first. He should find out her name.

Sneaking up on her, he cornered her by placing a hand on the counter, trapping her between his arms. Before he could stop himself, he leaned in and inhaled deeply. Bad mistake. This close, his whole being thrummed with excitement, and again the urge to take her made his cock hard enough to use as a hammer.
Fuck, this courting thing is going to be harder than I thought, just like my cock.
A laugh burst free
.

Startled blue eyes peered up at him as his woman turned in the circle of his arms to face him. He grinned at her crookedly. A gasp escaped her luscious lips, trepidation crossed her face, and a slight tremble shook her body.

Only inches separated them, and he could see himself reflected in her clear blue orbs.
Shit.
Remy inwardly cursed as he saw himself in her gaze, saw the reflection of glowing predator eyes. His eyes must have partially shifted in his excitement.
Damned Lycan eyes.
They tended to change color and glow when their bestial side rested too close to the surface. This most common outward expression of their otherness was why the young ones weren’t allowed out of their closed community until they’d gained control of their animal. Apparently, Remy wasn’t as in-command as he wanted to think. Good thing his dad wasn’t around. He’d have blown a gasket.

“What are you doing?” she asked, fear making her eyes wide.

“Don’t be afraid,” he whispered, entranced by her creamy white skin, already imagining the contrast it would make against his own darker tone.

“I-I should go find my cousins,” she stuttered, the scent of her angst strong. And surprising. As an alpha in training, Remy had always expected to end up with a dominant bitch. Perhaps he’d just taken her by surprise.

“Don’t leave yet, baby. We’ve just met.” He inched closer to her, his groin pressing up against her lower belly, his mouth inching toward hers, unable to prevent himself. Courtship ritual or not, surely a little taste was allowed? The chances of her being pure were slim to none. They were, after all, in the new millennium, not the Middle Ages, where most women were encouraged and expected to remain chaste until marriage.

She leaned back, away from him, her discomfort palpable. “I really need to go. They’re probably looking for me.”

Remy frowned, and paranoia set in. Did she not feel the same pull as him? Could he somehow be mistaken?
Is the alcohol clouding my brain into thinking she’s my mate?
“Don’t leave yet. We haven’t been introduced. I’m Remy.”
Your future husband,
a silent thought he kept to himself. He flashed a smile that shone perhaps a tad too toothily given how she flinched back. “Don’t be frightened. I won’t hurt you.”

“I’m not scared.”

He didn’t need to scent the lie to detect it. Her entire tone and bearing screamed trepidation. He kept to small talk to try to set her at ease. “Are you new to the college? I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”

“I’m just here visiting.”

“Cool.” Yeah, totally suave answer. Remy wracked his brain for something witty to say, but so close to her, he couldn’t think. Couldn’t pull his wandering thoughts together. “You’re pretty.” He blurted the words out and immediately wanted to slap himself.

Eyes wide in surprise, her cheeks bloomed pink. “Thank you.”

“No, really you are. I’d like to take you out sometime.”

The pleasure in her eyes died. “I don’t think that will be possible. I’m only in town for another day, then I’m going back home with my parents.”

Leaving? She couldn’t leave. Not when he’d just found her. His beast growled, and some of its agitation showed because the fear returned to her gaze. “Where do you live? I’ll come to see you.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

This conversation really wasn’t going the way he planned. “Why not?” He couldn’t help asking.

“Just trust me on this. You seem like a nice guy.” Yeah, that didn’t sound too convincing. “But my parents would never allow me to date you. They’re very strict.”

“I can behave. Give me a chance, and I’ll show you.”

She shook her head. “Sorry, but I know my dad. He would never allow me to go out with you.”

“Why not?”

Her eyes dropped to a point below his chin, and he could just about touch her embarrassment as she mumbled a reply. “Because. He just wouldn’t. He’s very set in his ways.”

Remy didn’t give a flying fuck just how set in his ways her father was. This woman was his mate. His future.
Mine.
He cupped her cheeks and lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “I’m not taking
no
for an answer.” He dipped his head, meaning to seal his promise with a kiss. She turned her head, and he caught her cheek.

Her breathing hitched. “P-please don’t.”

“Just one kiss?” Maybe then she’d feel the same pull, the same urgency he did.

“I can’t. Let me go.”

Shocked at her panicked reaction, he didn’t attempt to stop her when she pushed at his arm. He let it fall limply to his side and watched as she scurried away, disappearing into the crowd without a backward glance.

In his mind, he could almost hear his wolf side whine, baffled at her reaction.
How could I be so wrong when she smells so right? Or did I come on too strongly?
Perhaps he needed to stop balking at the dating protocol set forth by the elders. Apparently his usual method of charming a lady—basically saying “hi” and smiling so they’d drop their panties—wouldn’t work on his mate.
Which totally sucks.
Fine. If she required wooing, he’d woo the hell out of her. But how to approach her anew?

He turned to beer for the answer, but the golden fluid didn’t help him. Nor did he locate solace or a silver lining at the bottom of the bottle. But he did find he recalled the lyrics to “Werewolves of London,” which he belted out to howls and groans mixed with laughter.

* * * *

Mina rushed away from the boy—more like a man—who roused such disconcerting feelings in her. Drawn to him despite how he frightened her, he’d played havoc with her mind and body since the moment she’d stepped inside the fraternity house. From the moment she’d first noticed him staring at her with dark eyes that seemed to glow with intensity, she’d found herself unable to ignore him, watching from the corner of her eye as he approached her. Her heart raced as time seemed to slow, and the chaos around them faded, making her aware of him and only him.

However, their meeting was postponed as his friends carried him away. She couldn’t help but follow on feet possessed of their own mind as he was dragged to another room. Mesmerized, she watched him partake of a drinking game that repulsed her, and yet, despite her repugnance, she stood frozen, staring at him.

Towering over most of the crowd, his creamy dark skin fascinated her. He sported a strong nose, defined cheeks, a square jaw, and the most sensual lips she’d ever seen on a man. His hair corkscrewed wildly around his head, an untamed look that she actually liked. When his eyes—a deep, hot chocolate—met hers, the hungry look in them caused panic—and a fluttering sensation in her stomach. Not understanding her reaction, she fled.

I knew it was a bad idea to come with Sheila and Barb to this party.
She could just imagine her parents’ reaction if they knew. Good girls did not go to wild parties where the main source of fun was getting as drunk as possible, or the more sinful alternative, making out. Her cousins, though, had left that part out when they’d urged her to join them at a get-together on campus. Visiting her aunt with her family, how could Mina politely say no? Thus, she’d found herself bundled into her cousin’s car, blushing at her mother’s shouted, “Be a good girl,” which caused her cousins to snicker.

Doubt flooded her even before their arrival on campus as her normally prim and proper cousins stripped out of their sensible slacks and cardigans—while in the car and in plain view!—to wiggle into micro-minis and insanely high heels. Mina rebuffed their attempts to re-dress her into something less “boring.” However, she’d had no choice in the makeup that Sheila dabbed on with deft strokes—“So you don’t embarrass us in front of our friends”—as Barb drove them.

Once they reached their destination, her cousins ditched her, and with no money or way of getting home, Mina wandered, lost and out of sorts, the loud music and raucous behavior grating. Seeking a quiet spot, she found her way into a kitchen, which at the back of the house seemed the least occupied, probably because the three fridges that people kept opening for refills resided in another room.

Leaning over the sink, she ran the water and looked around in vain for a clean cup to drink from. Finding nothing, she scooped the cool liquid in her hand and sipped it. The tepid mineral taste did nothing to quench her thirst. She shut the tap off and stared down at the drain.
What should I do?
She knew her parents answer:
Leave the house of sin.
Honestly, judging by the wildness going on around her, that was probably the wisest course, but how?

Two large hands plunked down on the counter on either side of her, trapping her. She held in the squeak of terror at the abrupt disruption and invasion of her personal space. The presence at her back perturbed her, but not as much as the nose that buried itself in her hair, inhaling.
What is going on?
Mina whirled around, a gasp parting her lips and looked up to behold perfection.

It was the guy from before, the one with the smooth cocoa skin who’d stared at her. Up close, he took her breath away, and she could only stare at him dumbly. He towered over her by a full head, which didn’t frighten her as much as the fact that the more he stared at her, the more his eyes glowed. And not with emotion, but an actual light that made them seem golden and animal-like. In other words, not quite human.

The devil.
She could almost hear her mother saying it, and worse, Mina wondered if it would be true. She restrained an urge to cross herself.

He swayed toward her, and unease made her tremble. “What are you doing?” Her voice emerged soft and weak. With the music pounding in the background, she wasn’t sure he’d heard her.

“Don’t be afraid,” he answered, his voice a soft caress. An odd sensation made her tummy seem like it turned somersaults, and a warm heat invaded her limbs.

What’s happening to me?
Had he cast a spell upon her to make her body feel so strange? “I-I should go back to my cousins,” she stuttered, unable to completely control her fear.

“Don’t leave yet, baby. We’ve just met.” His eyes flared, and her body reacted, her nipples tightening as if exposed to the cold, and yet, she burned.

Closer he moved until his body brushed hers. His pelvis pressed against her stomach, a hard bulge that even she in her innocence couldn’t mistake.
He’s attracted to me.
His full lips neared, his intent to steal a kiss evident. A part of her waited breathlessly for it, but years of stringent upbringing reared its head.
Oh, this is wrong. So wrong.

Pulling away, she tried not to appear terrified, but her body still shook.
Terror or something else?
“I really need to go. They’re probably looking for me.” A white lie that surely the good Lord would forgive. The confusion in his eyes puzzled her.
He must not be used to women denying him.
It strengthened her resolve.

“Don’t leave yet. We haven’t been introduced. I’m Remy.”

The smile he flashed showed pronounced and pointed teeth, which, combined with his luminous gaze, made her flinch. They spoke, although she couldn’t have said exactly what they said. She did know how she felt, though. Weak. Hot. Excited. Afraid. Tempted . . . .

It was the temptation to give him the kiss he demanded that goaded her into action. Handsome or not, the threat of her father kept her from giving in to Remy’s plea. To her surprise, when she pushed at his arm, he let her go. She fled him and the disturbance his presence caused, chiding herself as a ninny when a certain amount of disappointment imbued her at his lack of chase.

He’s probably gone on to easier pastures.
The idea didn’t please her. Surely she didn’t want that spawn of— What exactly was he? He didn’t appear evil, and yet, good boys didn’t have eyes that glowed nor did they make her feel like she’d jumped into a volcano.

Mina pushed through the crowds of drunken college kids. Only nineteen, she still felt ages older than the wild bunch surrounding her. A desire to leave pulsed at the forefront of her mind, and she searched for her cousins, ready to beg if needed, anything, to escape this crazy place. Anything to escape Remy.

It seemed to take forever before she found Sheila sitting on some guy’s lap. At this point, not much could shock Mina. She’d seen things—dirty things—in the last hour. Acts she wouldn’t have dared imagine existed. She’d led a sheltered life, a stringent one with parents who didn’t allow for any wavering from the path of what they called good. Surrounded by sin, Mina could just imagine their horror if they knew where their daughter spent the evening. She could also imagine the sore knees she’d have if they found out. The number of Hail Marys she’d have to say would border on the ridiculous, she’d wager.
I need to get out of here!