SEALed Embrace (5 page)

“Once
Lee and Parker get back, one of us will go grab dinner.”

Garren
shook his head. “You mean two of you will.”

“Actually,
we could have it delivered while they’re gone,” Isi said.

“Even
your sandwich?” Garren asked.

“My
friend’s family owns the sandwich shop. I’m sure she would bring one to me if I
asked.”

Garren
nodded. “Then make the call.”

Isi
picked up the phone off the end table and dialed Ryerson Subs. Her friend
Hailey answered almost immediately.

“Ryerson
Subs, how may I help you?”

“Hailey,
it’s Isi.”

“Isi!
Oh, thank God! I was so worried about you!”

“You
were one of the few.”

“Are
you home? Can I come see you?”

Isi
glanced at Garren and Dagan. “I’m not home. I’m staying at the cabin reserved
for pack guests. Sean sent some men for me. They were able to rescue me and
bring me home, but they aren’t convinced the danger is over, so they’re
watching over me. If I place an order, could you deliver it to us?”

“Sure,
anything for you.”

“I’d
like a plain turkey on white. Maybe a slice of provolone and a dab of deli
mustard. I haven’t had much to eat in the past three days and I don’t want to
make myself sick.”

“I’ll
bring it to you. Just give me about ten minutes to make it and make sure the
counter will be covered until closing.” Hailey laughed. “It’s so good to hear
your voice. I thought I’d never hear from you again.”

“It
will be good to see you, Hailey. Just be warned, I have two hulking giants
watching over me.”

She laughed.
“Okay, I’ll see you soon.”

Isi
hung up and handed the phone to Dagan. “Now you can order your pizza.”

Dagan
took the phone and called in an order for several large pizzas. Isi had little
doubt that the person taking the call was surprised at the delivery address.
Typically, if there were pack visitors, the alpha would notify everyone ahead
of time. But then, Dagan and the others weren’t sanctioned visitors. She wasn’t
even sure if the alpha knew they were here yet. When Henry’d find out though,
all hell would break loose. She doubted the alpha would take it well that his
youngest had given permission for four strangers—and Isi—to stay in the cabin.

When
the order was complete and the phone was back on the charger, Isi stared at the
two men, unsure what to say or do. She wasn’t used to being around strangers,
or around friendly people for that matter. She had her select few friends that
would speak to her, and that was it. Anything else and she was out of her
comfort zone. She knew with Hailey knowing where she was, it wouldn’t be long
before Grace came to visit.

Moving
across the room with as much poise as she could muster in her present state,
she sat on the large navy leather sofa and kicked her feet up on the coffee
table, its maple finish polished to a high shine. The TV remote sat on the arm
of the sofa, beckoning her. Isi picked it up and began flipping through
channels. This was just what she needed tonight, something ordinary to occupy
her, a way to pass time and relax. Not that she wanted time to pass too
quickly. The whole sleeping arrangement issue was still hanging over her head.

Dagan
strolled over and claimed the overstuffed chair next to her. A quick glance
toward the door showed Garren watching her intently, arms folded over his
chest, muscles bulging. She didn’t know what to make of the lion shifter. He
was just so… intense. Even before he’d started that mate nonsense he’d been
intimidating.

She
couldn’t lie to herself though, just looking at him made her insides quiver. And
maybe if she were a true shifter and had all their heightened senses, maybe he
would
smell like her mate. But for the
most part, Isi was just human. There was a cat locked away inside of her, but
the beast never came out to play.

Remembering
their short time in the bathroom earlier made her panties damp and had her
clenching her thighs together. She could still feel the rasp of his whiskers
against her skin, the slide of his teeth against her throat. Her nipples pebbled
and she folded her arms over her chest, trying to hide the evidence of her
desire for the impossible man.

He
smirked at her and her cheeks flushed. Damn shifter senses, he no doubt smelled
her arousal. Isi turned her attention back to the TV and did her best to ignore
the big cat. Although, she did wonder if he planned to stand by the door like a
sentinel all night long or if he was going to join them and have a seat. It
made her a little nervous to have him just standing there, staring at her. Even
with her focus on the movie, she could still feel his gaze boring into her. It
took every ounce of her willpower not to look his way again.

A
knock sounded at the door and Dagan stood, moving in front of her protectively.
She peered around him as Garren answered it, pulling the door wide after a
moment. Hailey stepped inside with a Ryerson Sub bag in her hands and a bright
smile on her face. Garren closed the door and motioned for Hailey to join them
in the living room. She wondered what the lion thought of her rather
unconventional friend, with her teal hair and scars that ran down one side of
her face from an attack she’d survived years before. Still, despite those
things, Hailey was still rather stunning, in Isi’s opinion. With the rapt
attention Dagan had focused on her friend, she figured he felt the same way.

Hailey
threw her arms around Isi, squeezing her tight. “I’m so glad you’re safe,” her
friend said softly as she pulled away.

It
was nice to know she’d been missed.

“Dagan.
Garren. This is my friend, Hailey. Hailey, these are two of the guys who
rescued me. Hailey is one of the few humans in our village.”

Dagan
stepped forward and took the bag from her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,
Hailey. Would you like to join us? We were just watching a movie.”

Hailey
looked up at him warily. “I don’t know. It’s been a long day. It might be best
if I head home.”

“Could
you stay, just for a little while?” Isi asked. She’d missed her friends and
wasn’t ready to be left alone with the guys again.

“Well,”
Hailey wavered. “I suppose a few minutes wouldn’t hurt.”

Isi
smiled and tugged her friend over to the sofa and pulled her down onto the seat
next to her. Curling her legs under her, she faced Hailey with a smile. “Did I
miss anything the past few days?”

“The
day you went missing I wasn’t sure if the village was going to celebrate or go
into an uproar that someone had dared sneak onto pack land and abduct one of
our own.”

Isi
smiled. “I’m guessing the party won.”

Hailey
shrugged. “You know how the village feels about you. Once the alpha assured
everyone it was a one-time event, they settled down. I don’t think you were
even gone a day before Lumley put your place up for rent. Everyone pretty much
decided you were gone for good, and they weren’t exactly broken up about it.”

Garren
growled. “I’ve never been to such a backward place in my life! Just because she
can’t shift doesn’t mean she’s cursed. There’s no reason to believe that her
cubs won’t be perfectly normal and able to shift when the time comes.”

“If
I can even have any,” she said softly. “Don’t forget, ocelot shifters don’t
always have cubs.”

“Ocelot?
Is that what you are? Then we’ll adopt,” Garren said.

Hailey’s
eyes went wide. “Excuse me? Did I miss something?”

Dagan
sat in the overstuffed chair again. “Garren is Isi’s mate, but she’s being
finicky about it and denying him.”

Isi
watched as Hailey raked her gaze up and down Dagan, really taking him in. Her
eyes dilated, her lips parted. If she listened closely, she could hear her
friend’s heart start to race. Hmm. Interesting. It seemed that perhaps Hailey
wasn’t as immune to men as she’d always claimed. Or perhaps it was just
this
man. Isi turned to look at Dagan
and saw that he was devouring Hailey with his eyes, a wolfish smile on his
face. Was it possible that there were two mates to be found in the village for
the ex-SEALs? Was it just a surge of hormones? It was definitely something to
look into.

“Hailey,
this is Dagan. Dagan, this is Hailey Ryerson. She was adopted into the pack
when she was seventeen.”

“Hello,
gorgeous. I must say, before meeting you, I was starting to wonder if this
place had any redeeming qualities.”

Hailey
blinked at him before turning toward Isi. “He’s joking, right?”

Dagan
looked affronted. “I can assure you, I was quite genuine with my compliment.
While I’ve never really understood the need to dye one’s hair rainbow colors,
on you it’s rather fetching.”

“So
what you’re saying,” Hailey said, “is that despite my unusual hair color, you
find me attractive?”

He
grinned. “Yes.”

Isi
groaned. That so wasn’t the thing to say to Hailey. She was proud of the fact
that she was unique, worked hard to be part of the pack while standing apart,
and now Dagan had gone and insulted her, even if he didn’t realize it. Poor
fool. On the plus side, he hadn’t mentioned the scars on her face. Three
vertical slashes from an overzealous male’s claws were a gift Hailey couldn’t exchange
and one that held bad memories every time she looked in the mirror. Isi knew
there were scars on the inside as well, perhaps much worse than those the world
saw, but Hailey was good at hiding things from people. She remained upbeat most
of the time, always giving everyone a smile. Isi had always admired her for her
strength, but she often wondered if her friend wasn’t dying a little inside,
needing to confide in someone, to break down, cry and just let it all out. Isi
had tried many times to get Hailey to talk about what happened that night, but
she’d always laugh it off, say it happened a long time ago and then she’d
change the subject.

“Well,”
Hailey said, pursing her lips. “I suppose you aren’t bad looking either. For a
blond.”

Isi
coughed into her hand to hide a laugh.

Dagan
frowned at her. “Just what’s wrong with me being blond? I’ll have you know I’ve
been compared to a golden god.”

Hailey
rolled her eyes and snorted. “You’re certainly as humble as one, aren’t you?
Well, I have news for you, Casanova, your charm won’t work on me. Backhanded
compliments and flirtatious smiles aren’t going to get you into my pants.
Better men than you have tried, and failed.”

Dagan
didn’t look pleased with the news that others had been trying to tumble her
into bed and his jaw tensed.

“Maybe
I want more than just a roll in the hay,” he told her.

“Oh
please. You aren’t really going to pull that mate crap with me, are you? That
nonsense that we’re destined to be together, that you’ll never desire another?
Because it’s garbage. I might have fallen for that once, but never again.”

His
features went lax, his eyes widening. “You have a mate?”

“No,
not for lack of trying on his part. This,” she said with a wave at her face,
“was his parting gift to me. So you’ll have to pardon me if I don’t roll over
and thank my lucky stars that you want to claim me.”

“First,”
Dagan said. “I don’t recall saying you were my mate. I merely said I wanted
more than a quick bout amongst the sheets with you. You’re the one who inferred
I was your mate, or rather that you were mine. So perhaps, you want one more
than you think. Maybe subconsciously your body is saying it’s ready for a real
man, because only a punk-ass wolf would scar the face of a woman.”

Hailey’s
eyes flared and she licked her lips. “I think I’ve overstayed my welcome.”

Isi
grabbed her hand. “Do you have to go?”

“Sorry,
Is,” she said, turning her way. “Unless you want a brawl in your living room, I
think it would be best if I took off. Maybe I’ll come back when Mr.
I-think-I’m-perfect over there is gone. I don’t think this place is big enough
for his ego, it might bust out a window at any moment.”

Isi
smiled at her sadly. “Maybe we can get together for lunch one day soon.”

Hailey
shot a glare at Dagan. “Yeah, when you lose your entourage. Or at least half of
it.”

Dagan
grumbled under his breath and shoved himself out of his chair. Before Isi
realized what he was doing, he snatched Hailey off the sofa, bent her over his
arm and planted one on her. The little human beat at him with her fists and
stomped on his feet, but Dagan seemed determined to get his point across. As
his lips moved against hers, her struggles began to slow until she was gripping
his shoulders and kissing him back.

Isi
looked at Garren to see if he was half as stunned as she was. She didn’t know
Dagan well enough to know whether or not this was normal behavior for him, but
it certainly wasn’t normal for Hailey. Isi had known Hailey since she had first
joined the pack seven years ago, and not once had she shown any of the males
the slightest bit of attention. She’d snapped and snarled at them, always ready
with a witty comeback and a snappy retort if any dared speak to her. It had
quickly become common knowledge that the human living in their midst didn’t
wish to be pursued.