Betrayed: Days of the Rogue (4 page)

Twenty minutes later, Eve found
herself with her chin cupped in her hand as she stared out the
window, her book forgotten on the sofa beside her. For once the
words of her favourite author had failed to hold her attention.
Instead of reading, she watched the now light drizzle as it made
rings in the puddles near the bottom of the porch steps. A lazy,
rainy day—perfect for daydreams.

A flicker of movement in the
shadows near the tree line drew her attention, and she narrowed her
eyes wondering what creature had braved the weather. Yes, she saw
it again. Something was definitely there, but it was much too big
for a bird or even the pesky raccoon. Ever so slowly, she eased
herself up onto her knees for a better look while still staying in
the shadow of the curtains. One minute ticked by, then two. Her leg
started to cramp, an itch developed on her nose, but still she
didn’t move. More time passed, her cup of tea grew even colder. Had
it been her imagination?

She was about to give up when a
dark shape emerged and revealed a massive wolf as a black as
midnight. It was noticeably thin, drops of water clinging to its
fur, but it held its head high, an aura of power emanating from it.
Unbidden, a gasp escaped her lips. Somehow the creature must have
heard the soft sound for it suddenly turned its head and looked
directly at her.

Despite its bedraggled appearance,
the wolf exuded power and self-assuredness, and she had no doubt it
would take on anyone who challenged its right to be there. She
watched as its nostrils flared, and its sides moved with each
steady breath it took. Silver eyes, striking against its dark fur,
conveyed an almost human intelligence as it studied her with a
slightly cocked head.

Their gazes locked and, despite the
distance separating them, Eve was sure she could feel an
instantaneous connection forming with the beast. It was like a low
hum that slowly grew and expanded, encircling her mind and then
pressing inward, as if the creature was reaching out, searching for
a means of accessing her thoughts. She physically jerked back,
suddenly afraid, and the slight movement appeared to break the
connection. Without warning, the wolf melted into the shadows.

Eve let out the breath she wasn’t
even aware she’d been holding and relaxed her tensed muscles,
feeling strangely exhausted by the encounter. Sliding down into a
seated position, she tucked her hair behind her ears and wished she
understood more about this Fae business. She knew she could get a
sense of an animal’s emotional state, but animals couldn’t
communicate with her, could they? Her friend Aly’s dog had never
given her the impression that is was trying to send her a message,
though the old spaniel was likely too lazy to make the effort.

If only Gran were still alive,
she’d have all the answers. Eve had tried questioning her father
but he’d been no help. He’d admitted that the family history was
spotty, some claims of witchery and even legends of being descended
from the Fae were bandied about, but of course, no one believed
that nonsense. Busy with his new job in Australia, he hadn’t seemed
overly concerned when she tentatively suggested she might have
inherited some of the long lost powers. A vague ‘that’s
interesting’ had been murmured and then he’d launched into a
discussion of the latest documentary he was filming.

She rubbed her temples as she
recalled the almost ticklish feeling in her head when she’d been
staring at the wolf. It hadn’t seemed at all surprised to find her
here. There’d been no nervous twitching of its ears, no stepping
back, no startled response at all; just calm acceptance of her
presence. Had the beast had her under surveillance and not the
mischievous raccoon or some crazed human as Caro had speculated?
But if that was the case, why? Why was it watching her? Curiosity?
Or was it sizing her up as its next meal?

Recalling the feeling of danger
that had plagued her during her walk, she scurried about the small
cabin, securing the windows and doors while telling herself she
needed to remain calm. Surely if the wolf saw her as dinner it
would have attacked while she’d been out walking earlier. And Rafe
had said the woods were safe; he wouldn’t have mentioned that if it
weren’t true. Having his renters eaten would be bad for business,
right?

She worried her lip and considered
calling Rafe to tell him what she’d seen. Would he believe her? Or
would he think she was a foolish city girl like he had during her
first month at the cabin? He’d almost lost patience with her after
she’d called on him, all too often, for assistance with such
unknowns as wood burning stoves and electrical generators.

Of course, she hadn’t contacted him
recently. She was a quick study and had soon become relatively
self-sufficient, able to handle most problems alone.

She twisted her fingers.

Alone.

With a wolf outside the cabin.

A lean wolf that might very well be
looking for its next meal. And what if the connection she’d felt to
the beast was because he was envisioning her as dinner!

She grabbed the phone and dialled
Rafe’s number.

“Hello?” His voice was deep and
smooth, the kind that could wrap itself around you like a dark
velvety blanket, and draw you into a trance as you listened to it
rise and fall. She gave her head a little shake and responded.

“Rafe? It’s Eve.”

“Yes?” Was it her imagination, or
did his voice chill upon hearing her name?

The ball of nerves, that always
appeared when he was around, began to form in her stomach and she
had to force herself to continue. “I...er...I saw a wolf today. It
was right outside the cabin.”

“A wolf? Or a big dog?”

She heard his barely concealed
skepticism and, while it rankled to admit it, he did have grounds
for his belief. When she’d first moved in she’d called him about a
large black snake under the porch. Unfortunately, it had turned out
to be an inner tube from an old tire. The memory of the look on his
face as he’d held it up for her inspection still made her flush
with embarrassment.

“Yes, a wolf. It was big with black
fur, pointy ears and a bushy tail...” She paused and rolled her
eyes. Those details could fit almost any family pet, but how else
did you describe a wolf? After taking a deep breath, she restated
her case with as much conviction as possible. “It was a wolf. Not a
dog or even a fox, I’m positive.”

Rafe grunted then sighed. “All
right. I’ll be by to check it out. Stay inside.” He hung up before
she could reply, and she set the receiver down with a thunk. The
man was more than a little bit rude.

The rain had stopped and the sun
was shining by the time Rafe’s battered pickup truck came to a stop
in front of Eve’s cabin. At one point in time the vehicle might
have been red, but the colour was faded and a film of dirt gave it
more of a tired orange hue. The hinges of the driver’s door
squeaked as it opened and when it was slammed shut, the entire body
of the truck shuddered. Eve was sure a tiny shower of rust fell
from the undercarriage as well.

Through the living room window, she
watched Rafe plant his hands on his hips and scan the trees around
the cabin. His stance showed off his form in all its splendour from
his wide shoulders to his narrow waist. Denim hugged his buttocks
and powerful thighs while his thin t-shirt did little to disguise
his muscular torso. Just looking at him made her heart begin to
race, and she longed to run her hands over him to feel the strength
and hardness of his body. Of course, she’d never have the nerve to
do it, but in her mind…

She fanned her face with her book.
Get a grip, she told herself. You’re a successful—well soon to be
successful—artist and illustrator. There’s no need to turn into a
sex-crazed bundle of nerves every time Rafe McRae appears.
Straightening her t-shirt, she tucked her hair behind her ears and
pasted a smile on her face before stepping outside to greet
him.

Rafe was on the porch by then. His
close proximity made Eve all too aware of his size. It felt as
though he were looming over her, dominating the tiny space and
making her feel small and helpless. The heat of his body caressed
her skin and his scent—a combination of soap and nature—wrapped
around her like a physical thing.

“Eve.” The deep rumble of his voice
sent shivers through her and she struggled to hide the fact.

“Rafe.” She returned his greeting,
pleased with the cool, polite tone she managed to achieve.

Flipping up his sunglasses, he
looked down at her from his superior height. His eyes—a deep
chocolate brown—seemed to draw her in, melting her defences and
leaving her every thought and emotion exposed before him. She
wanted to blink, to look away, but felt unable to move. He had her
pinned in place by his gaze, open for whatever he wanted to do to
her.

Her face grew warm, her breathing
shallow, and a quivering sensation started in her belly. Finally,
she managed to break away from his gaze, and then fought the urge
to cross her arms over her chest in order to shield herself from
him.

Peeved at her response to him, her
lack of control, she tried to whip up some defensive anger. Of
course, Rafe would have to ruin her attempt at being poised. Damn
the man, he managed to do it every time they met. She should be
used to it by now. Yet, within seconds of being in his presence,
she was shifting from foot to foot feeling hot and flustered.

Inwardly scowling, she noted that
she didn’t appear to have any effect on him at all. There was no
expression on his face, save a muscle ticking in his jaw. He was
stone-faced, completely unmoved, just like always. Silently, she
cursed him again.

Wanting the encounter over, she
began to step down off the porch. “I’ll show you where—”

“Don’t move.” The words were
accompanied by a restraining hand being placed on her arm.

His grip was firm, the feel of his
palm against her bare flesh enough to make her breath catch in her
throat. For a moment she stared at his hand, noting the contrasting
colour of their skin, the obvious strength in his wrist and
forearm. Once again her fingers itched and she wanted to touch him,
to run her hand up the length of his arm, to feel the slightly
springy hair that grew there, to progress up to his broad
shoulders…

It took a few seconds before his
message finally sank in. The man had basically barked the order at
her! A stubborn streak poked its way through the haze of awareness
that had settled on her and had her jutting her chin, planning to
move anyway, just to spite him.

She cast a defiant look his way and
began to step down again, but something about his steady gaze kept
her feet glued in place. Angry at herself, she pulled her arm free
and glared. “Why?”

“Because I like looking at you
standing there?” His deadpan expression belied his words.

Eve rolled her eyes.

“Can’t take a compliment?” He
quirked a brow.

Well, that was something. At least
she knew his face wasn’t frozen in place. However, she didn’t want
him to think she was pushover. She narrowed her eyes and put her
hands on her hips. “It sounded more like an order to me.”

He shrugged. “Take it whichever way
you want. The fact is you think you saw a wolf, so you shouldn’t be
wandering around outside by yourself. Stay here and I’ll check the
area.”

“Let me get this right. You can
wander around by yourself but I can’t even leave the porch?” She
didn’t try to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

“That’s right.” The cool implacable
look he gave her caused any comeback she might have wanted to make
to get stuck in her throat. He waited a second and, when he seemed
sure she was going to do as she was told, he nodded. “Good girl.
I’ll be back in about half an hour. Stay inside.” And, without
waiting for her reply, he stepped off the porch and disappeared
around the corner of the cabin.

Eve blinked, surprised by his
sudden departure. Then she hurried inside and peered out the
windows but he was lost from sight. For a big guy, he sure moved
fast.

Chapter 2

Rafe stood in the dark shadows of
the thick pines and watched Eve’s cabin. A minute passed and then
another. Finally he gave a brief nod and deemed it safe to move,
satisfied that Eve was going to follow orders and stay inside. The
woman might appear delicate and biddable, but she had an
independent streak that could easily land her in trouble. Only
someone with a lot of gumption would move from a downtown Calgary
apartment to a fishing cabin, where the nearest neighbour was miles
away and the electricity intermittent at best. He hadn’t thought
she’d last beyond the first week but she’d proven him wrong.

He hadn’t wanted to rent her the
cabin, some instinct telling him she’d be trouble. Whether it was
her white blonde hair and her delicate frame or her big blue eyes
and kissable, pink lips, something about Eve had immediately called
to him. It brought out his protective instincts, urging him to get
closer to her. He’d wanted to cup her face and taste her lips then
trail his hands over her lithe curves.

His body hardened at the thought,
and he growled in annoyance. This was exactly what he didn’t need.
He was burnt out, emotionally exhausted. A relationship, even a
quick roll in the hay, was not part of his plan no matter what his
body might think to the contrary.

Unfortunately, what he did need was
money, having sunk most of his savings into buying this property. A
run-down set of fishing cabins seemed perfect for his plans. All
that was needed was a few repairs—well, make that a lot of
repairs—and they’d provide a viable income. At the moment though,
only his place and Eve’s were in a liveable condition. No renters
meant no income to offset repair costs. That was why he’d put his
reservations aside and rented the cabin to Eve for six months. He
told himself it wasn’t that long, that he could deny the dictates
of his libido and avoid her as much as possible.