Guardian (Wolf Shifter Romance): Reckless Desires (Alpha Protectors Book 1) by Olivia Arran Page B

harder it is to figure them out. There’s something stopping him from claiming you as his mate—”
    “ If I’m his mate.”
    She waved away my concern, her brow furrowed as if trying to read Cole’s mind. “ If you’re his true mate, which I’m pretty sure you are given all the signs, then something is preventing him from committing to you.”
    “So what you’re saying is I’ve found the only male shifter in the state who has commitment issues?” Sarcasm dripped from my voice. In all my years of living with shifters, I’d never met one who wasn’t ecstatic to find his mate.
    “Uh, yeah. That about sums it up.” Scar looked like a balloon that had just been popped, her shoulders sagging, her lips dipping in a frown. “Now I want to go beat the shit out of him for messing with my big sister,” she growled. Her head snapped around, eyes locking on the door. “Speak of the devil,” she muttered, stretching out her legs and sauntering over to the door.
    Throwing it open, she braced an arm along the door frame, cocking her hip. “Well, well, look what the cat dragged in…”
    “Scarlett.” Cole’s greeting was brusque.
    “Cole,” she snapped back.
    His dark head loomed over hers, peering into the room. “Tasha. Can we talk?”
    Scar planted a hand on his chest, giving him a shove back. “Are you going to stop acting like an ass?”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he growled under his breath, but there was no heat to his words.
    Sitting up, I looked closer, trying to get a read on him.
    As always, he was made up of hard lines and angles, from his squared jaw to his broad shoulders. Even from here I could see tension humming through him. When we had first met, he had been laid-back, charming. Funny. What had happened? “Let him in, Scar,” I murmured, making my mind up. If what Scar had said was true, then I wanted to know why.
    What was it about me that Cole despised so much that he’d rather be alone that claim me as his mate?

Chapter Sixteen
    Cole
    S carlett gave me one long last look, her eyes threatening blood and torture if I so much as laid a finger on her sister. That was okay. I wasn’t planning on touching her.
    Silent agreement reached, she ducked past me, heading toward the stairs. Watching to make sure she actually left, I couldn’t help but cringe when I thought of the guys downstairs. She’d eat them for breakfast, given the chance.
    “Are you coming in?”
    My attention snapped back to the room and Tasha, all other thoughts fleeing. “Is that okay?”
    She nodded, then stopped, her eyes narrowing. “Unless you don’t think it’s a good idea?”
    I knew it was a bad idea. Being alone with her. In a room. With a bed. Bad idea. But I still crossed the threshold, pushing the door shut behind me with a soft click.
    She was sitting on the bed, her legs folded underneath her, hands resting in her lap. She had changed—luckily for me—and was now wearing some kind of stretchy trousers and a vest. Unluckily for me, the vest dipped, and the black lace of her bra played peekaboo before my eyes.
    “So—” we both said at once, both stopping and waiting for the other to carry on.
    I pulled out a chair, not trusting myself to sit on the bed. Lowering myself down, I gestured to her. “Ladies first.”
    She grimaced, her thumb rubbing circles on her hand. “No, please. You first.”
    I decided the politeness was going to kill me if I didn’t die of a self-imposed heart attack brought on by restraint first. “Okay. Where to start…” I’d had everything I was going to say worked out. Now, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her, and my carefully planned speech had up and vanished in a puff of smoke.
    “Ask me what you want to know and I’ll tell you.” And then you’ll answer my questions . I could read the silent challenge in her eyes.
    “How do you know about shifters?” I blurted out.
    She cocked an eyebrow at me, a silent really? “My family.”
    I