Trayis (VLG Series Book 11) Read online

  Sylvia chuckled. “True. You’re stronger though. We make a hell of a team.” Her gaze went to Shay. “When we were teens, your father’s parents decided I should be his mate. They pushed hard for Marcus to pursue me. We tried to ignore them.” Sylvia snorted. “When Dean claimed me instead, they tried to force Marcus to cut us off, to never speak to us again. They insisted we’d betrayed him. But Marcus was thrilled for us.”

  “He was.” Dean chuckled. “He’s the one who encouraged me to claim my mate when we hit the age of consent, instead of waiting like some couples do. He said Sylvia and I were made for each other, and it was stupid to put it off. He also joked that it would get his parents off his ass if she was claimed already.” His humor faded. “I miss him.”

  “Me too,” Sylvia whispered, tears filling her eyes. “He loved you and your mother so much, Shay. Never let those asshole grandparents of yours make you believe anything else.”

  Dean teared up too. “His grief when Layla died…” His voice broke. “We knew he wasn’t going to survive. With his last words, he extracted our promise to raise you. He knew we’d love you for him.”

  Sylvia nodded, wiping away tears. “He didn’t want his parents to get you. We were going to fight them if they tried to take you from us, but they didn’t.”

  Shay nodded. She’d heard that part before. It still hurt that her grandparents had hated her, though. Everything they’d done had ensured she’d never be accepted by some of the pack. “I’m grateful to you both.”

  Sylvia smiled. “You’re a joy, Shay. We might have lost our best friend and his mate, but we gained you. Always know that. You’re in our hearts always, as if you’re our biological daughter.”

  Dean nodded. “You’re our baby, Shay, no matter how old you get.”

  “This is going to become a cry fest,” Marcia sniffed. “Stop. I don’t want Kale showing up unexpectedly to find all of us bawling. He’ll think you don’t accept our mating.”

  Shay laughed and wiped at her own tears. “And I have a date with Trayis tonight. He’ll think I’m attacked daily if he sees me with swollen eyes one more time.”

  Marcia leaned closer, bumping her shoulder. “Is he protective?”

  “Yes. It’s very sweet.”

  “Oh, that’s promising.” Her adopted mother winked. “Maybe both of our daughters will get mated.”

  “Don’t think that way. It’s just sex.” Shay didn’t want them to get the wrong idea.

  “Shay, Trayis hasn’t hooked up with any women in this pack for as long as I can remember—and he’s seeing you again? That’s more than just sex.”

  She met Dean’s gaze. “Some pack members sleep together regularly. It doesn’t mean anything.”

  “They aren’t you, Shay.”

  She frowned. “What does that mean?”

  He winked. “You’re special. And Trayis isn’t an idiot. He’s figuring that out.”

  “What Dad said,” Marcia added. “I saw the worry in your eyes when I threatened to leave the pack, but it seems you’re the one who might be doing that.”

  “What do you mean, you were going to leave the pack?” Sylvia released Dean’s hand and got up, staring intently at her daughter.

  “I would have left if Kale hadn’t been mine,” Marcia admitted. “I couldn’t stand the idea of him mating someone else. It would have hurt me too much to see him with someone else.”

  “Good thing they mated, right?” Shay forced a smile. “Let’s not discuss me and Trayis anymore. What kind of party do you think the pack will throw for Marcia and Kale’s mating?”

  That got the family talking about something else. Shay relaxed, watching them. An hour later, she excused herself, needing to finish her work before Trayis arrived to pick her up for their date.

  Chapter Ten

  Shay smoothed her hands down the dress, wishing she had a full-length mirror instead of just the small one over the sink in her bathroom. She only owned two dresses, and the black one was the nicest. She’d even dusted off her single pair of heels from when she’d decided to try to date humans a few years before.

  The knock at the door had her rushing for it but she stopped, took a few deep breaths, and then unlocked it. She smiled as she opened the door, staring at Trayis. His gaze swept down her body and she liked the look on his face. It was even better when he softly growled.

  “You look sexy.”

  “Too much?”

  He gently reached out and wrapped his hand around her waist, pushing her back inside her cabin and shutting the door behind him. “No. You look good enough to eat, doll.”

  She grinned. “Really?”

  “Yes.” His gaze locked with hers. “What’s the occasion?”

  “None. I just wanted to look nice for you.”

  “I’m glad but there’s one problem.”

  “What’s that?” She felt nervous again. Had she messed up? Was she trying too hard?

  “Our condoms are in the trailer.”

  That made her smile again. “Oh.”

  He released her and slowly circled her body, taking in every inch. Another low growl came from him. It turned her on, big time. No one had ever looked at her the way Trayis was right now, as if she were the sexiest woman alive.

  Her cell phone rang, breaking the moment, and she startled. She rushed toward where she always left it charging on her counter and stared at the screen. Martin, the head enforcer, was calling her. That wasn’t good.

  “Shit.” She unplugged it and answered. “This is Shay.”

  She sensed Trayis coming up behind her.

  Martin cleared his throat. “I need you to go to Dean and Sylvia’s.”

  Fear clutched at her. “Are they well? What’s wrong?” She’d left them hours ago with Marcia, waiting for Kale to get off work to officially introduce him to her family. Had they not liked each other? Had words been said? “Was there a fight?”

  “No. Ellis approached a sentry and asked to be taken to their home.”

  She frowned. “Who?”

  Martin sighed. “The kid, Shay. Elvis and Mildred’s pup.”

  She nearly dropped her cell, her hands trembling. Her uncle had come. “Is he alone?”

  “Yes. He approached from Frank’s border through the woods. He didn’t ask for you specifically, but I thought you’d want to be there.”

  “Thank you.” She ended the call and turned, staring up at Trayis.

  “I heard.” He took the phone from her. “Let’s go.”

  “What if he doesn’t want to see me?”

  “What if he does?”

  She hesitated. “He didn’t ask for me, though.”

  “Let’s go,” Trayis repeated, wrapping an arm around her waist and tugging her toward the front door.

  “Our date—”

  “Can wait.”

  She allowed him to lead her out of the cabin. He closed the door and helped her down the steps in her high heels. Once they reached the dirt path, she regretted her poor choice in shoes. She stopped to take them off but Trayis scooped her into his arms instead.

  She raised a brow. “What are you doing?”

  He grinned. “I love the heels. Leave them on.”

  “It’s a bit of a walk into the middle of the territory.”

  He snorted. “You don’t weigh much, Shay.” He strode toward the main living area. “I’m out of shape if I can’t tote you around easily. And I’m not. Enjoy the ride.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. He might not be a full Werewolf but he seemed to have the arrogance of one. “I didn’t imply otherwise.”

  “Didn’t you?”

  “No. But I haven’t gone on many dates.”

  “Good.”

  She smiled wider. They passed a few sentries, who gawked at them a little, but otherwise stayed clear. She avoided looking at the males too closely, afraid to see censure in their expressions. Trayis swore he didn’t care if anyone thought he was slumming by being with her. She needed to have fa