Taken: True Mates Book 2 (BBW Wolf Shifter Romance) (A Craggstone Paranormal Romance) by Olivia Arran Read Free Book Online Page A

around the room, and shoving Luis toward an empty chair, made my way over to Macey who was perched up on the windowsill. Jumping up next to her, I swung my legs back and forth, waiting for James to arrive.
    “Gum?” Macey asked, holding out a packet.
    Accepting, I popped a piece in my mouth, chewing thoughtfully. How to get him to talk to me? When he wouldn’t even look at me?
    “Soooo…what’s going on with you and Sean, then?” Macey whispered so quietly I didn’t think even a shifter would overhear her.
    “Is it that obvious?”
    “Sure, if you know Sean. I’ve not seen him this riled up in a looong time. What’cha do?”
    I shuffled on the hard wood. How much to tell? “He found out some stuff that made him mad…”
    “Honey, Sean doesn’t do mad. He does controlled. Which means, what he found out pissed him off…which means you got under his skin…shit! Are you two true mates?” she hissed the last bit, swinging around to face me, her mouth a perfect oval, very nearly falling out of her seat.
    “Shhhhh!” I glanced at Sean. Nope, he was still ignoring me, standing on the other side of the room and chatting to Tarq.
    “I knew it! First James, now Sean—”
    “He doesn’t want me.” I cut her off. “Doesn’t think he’s good enough for me, or some bullshit. And then, I lied to him. Well, not really lied, more like an omission…”
    “Honey, if Sean’s reacting like this, then you got to him, which means he wants you — a lot. Sean doesn’t do emotion, not really. He fakes it, pulls off the easy going charm, but underneath he’s all control. Locked down tight.” She snapped her gum as if underlining her point.
    “Why?” I didn’t get it. That wasn’t the Sean I knew.
    “I don’t know the full story, I think James is the only one who does, but it has something to do with his wolf — he calls it his beast — and his temper. He thinks he can’t control it—”
    She broke off as James walked into the room, Kara at his side. Rounding the desk, he sat down in a battered leather chair, pulling his giggling mate down onto his lap in one smooth movement. Dark and handsome, power surrounded him, but it was happiness that poured off him — that and a contentment that I envied. Stroking Kara’s arm with a large hand, he turned his attention to the group, flicking his eyes around the room until they came to rest on me.
    “Lisa, good to have you back,” he said, his voice deep and husky with emotion. Regret filled his dark eyes as he stared at me.
    Kara, picking up on her mate’s distress, turned to lay a hand on his broad chest. “You aren’t responsible for everything, my love,” she said in a low voice. “She’s back, and she’s fine?” Her eyes flicked to me, questioning.
    “I’m fine. They didn’t get chance to do anything. They wanted to wait for Eric.” I wrinkled my nose in disgust. “Just a bit of threatening, some bad food, poor housekeeping — just like your friendly local motel,” I quipped, grinning, and trying to disperse some of the tension.
    James nodded, grinning in appreciation at my attempt to lighten the mood. “And, this must be your brother?” he said, nodding to Luis. “Good to have you here. I don’t think we’d have got Lisa back without your help.”
    “Hey, no worries. That’s my twin there. And, I didn’t do much. Sean was the one who let loose a can of whoop-ass on those stinkin’ wolves — uh, no offense. Nobody here stinks.” He shrugged sheepishly from his chair.
    I glanced at Sean, catching his wince at Luis’s words, then I turned back to James, who was briefing the group on everything we had missed. Hearing Amanda’s part in the story, how she had stepped up and brought the Alpha of Smithrock to the Council meeting — her uncle — I glanced at the woman in surprise.
    “Yeah, surprised a lot of us,” Macey whispered, nodding toward Amanda. “And that, as well,” she added, indicating Tarq. “Can’t wait to see how he