Feral Seduction (Feral Protectors 2) (13 page)

A man’s enraged voice cried, “I know you’re out here, Brandy. I don’t know how you lived. I shot you three times. You should be dead. I came back to bury you, to hide the evidence, but you were gone. I won’t stop. I’ll find you, and I’ll kill you.”

Brandy trembled uncontrollably. Stryde cradled her against him and wrapped his strong, protective arms around her.

“Shh,” he said, so softly she almost didn’t hear it.

The man’s footsteps receded as he continued his quest to find her. Brandy cried softly against Stryde’s chest. She’d never be free of her stalker. Not as long as she lived. How had her life spiraled so out of control?

The sun traced an arch across the sky as they stood huddled together. Minutes turned into hours as they waited.

Finally Brandy broke the tension with a whispered plea. “We have to go back to the sheriff’s house and find a way to convince him that Hugo Lorenzo is stalking me. Maybe the sheriff will listen to you.”

Stryde murmured, “You don’t know what he’s really like. He despises werewolves. He won’t listen to us.”

She sighed. “If we can’t do that, then what?”

“We catch Hugo when he least expects it.”

“How?”

“Do you know where he lives?”

“Yes, but…”

“We’ll wait for him inside his house, tie him up and make him confess. Then we’ll go to the police.”

She arched a brow. “That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. There’s no way it will work.”

“Well, then, we need to go to the police in Joshua Village and tell them everything.”

She shook her head. “They’ll never believe me.”

“It’s our only shot.”

She cringed. “What if it doesn’t work?”

“It has to.”

“We can’t walk into the police station naked. We’re going to have to stop by my house to get clothes.”

“We should wait until nightfall.”

She wrapped her arms around herself. “Another night.”

“It will be okay. I was able to resist you last night.”

“After you ran off.”

“After I ran off,” he agreed.

“Where did you go?”

A stream of sunlight peeked through the rocks and illuminated his sheepish smile. “I went to the river to cool down.”

The corners of her mouth turned up. “Well, I don’t have a river at my house, so that might be a problem.”

He pushed a tendril of hair out of her face. His hands cupped her face and he gazed into her eyes. In a wistful tone, he asked, “What am I going to do with you?”

Chapter 13

Night cloaked the forest in a blanket of uneasy silence. Stryde trailed Brandy through the moonlit woods. He didn’t have to see her; he could scent her, and the aroma of her arousal was slowly driving him insane.

Tall trees gave way to bushes which dotted the landscape. This side of the mountain sat in the rain shadow. As the descended into the desert, parched earth replaced the lushness of the forest. Joshua trees rose up from the desert like spectral sentries along the edge of town.

Brandy stopped. “My house is on the other side of town. It’s not far, but we should loop around the outside. When we reach my street, we’ll have to move fast so we won’t be seen.”

Stryde studied the taller cacti for movement. He didn’t know if the stalker had trailed them to town, but he had to be careful. He wouldn’t let Brandy be harmed again. She’d captured a piece of his heart and even though he couldn’t give her more, he could at least protect her.

As he followed her through the barren landscape, he carefully skirted crisp tumbleweeds and sidestepped fruitless prickly pear cactus.

He tried to keep his eyes on the ground, but Brandy’s hips swayed so enticingly that he couldn’t resist the occasional peek. Her stunning beauty could distract even the most focused man. Only a fool would let someone like her go.

He admired her bravery. She hadn’t dissolved into a puddle of despair after being shot at. Instead, she’d braced for a fight. She’d warned him that local law enforcement wasn’t likely to believe her but it was their only shot at catching the stalker.

Brandy stopped and pointed. “See the house with the brown tiled roof?”

“Yes.”

“That’s my house.”

“I don’t see anyone on the street.”

She nodded. “We’ll run to the house and down the left side of it. There’s a gate that leads into the backyard. If we can make it without being seen, we’ll be safe for tonight.”

“Let’s go.”

He clasped her small hand in his and raced down the street, cringing at the circular pools of light from the streetlamps. They were steps from the gate when the porch light from the house next door clicked on.

“Who’s there?” an old woman called.

He froze. They were just on the other side of the fence from her. The smallest movement would reveal their presence.

The old woman’s shoes crunched in the gravel as she traversed the length of the fence. She paused outside the door for one last look before disappearing into the house. When the door slammed behind her, he inched toward the wooden fence. He unlatched the lock and slowly opened the door. It screeched on its hinges.

He stopped, waiting for the old woman to rush out of her house. When she didn’t appear, Stryde set his hand on the small of Brandy’s back and nudged her forward.

As soon as they were both inside the backyard, he carefully latched the gate. Brandy hurried to the back porch. She tipped a flowerpot to reveal a key. After using it to open the back door, she slipped into the house. He followed close behind. As soon as he crossed the threshold, she closed and locked the door.

The breath he’d been holding since he’d entered the backyard whooshed out. “Well, that was easy.”

“I thought Mrs. Eldridge was going to catch us. It’s ridiculous that I had to sneak into my own house. But if she’d seen us running around naked, she probably would have had a heart attack.”

He grimaced. “That’s the last thing we need right now.”

Brandy smiled. “Good thing she’s not as nosey as Mrs. Peabody on the other side.”

He glanced around the kitchen. With the lights off, it was hard to make out more than the edges of the furniture. Moonlight illuminated the chairs and table but didn’t provide any detail. He approached the refrigerator, curious to see the photos which were plastered all over the door.

Brandy plucked one from its magnetic holder and handed it to him. “This is my father. It was taken a few days before he went to prison.”

Stryde stared at the middle-aged man. Brandy had inherited his button nose, but not his dull, lifeless eyes. The man looked defeated, as if he’d spent his whole life fighting the demon of alcoholism and had finally given up. “How often do you visit him?”

She looked away. “I haven’t visited him yet.”

“Ever?”

She bit the edge of her lip. “It’s hard to face him. I know the accident wasn’t my fault, but I can’t help but feel partially responsible for it.”

“It wasn’t your fault. He’s got an illness and needs professional help. Maybe he’ll get that in jail. I hate to say it, but this might be the wakeup call he needed.”

Stryde clipped the photo to the fridge. When she didn’t immediately respond, he turned to see tears streaming down her cheeks. He pulled her into his arms and held her close. “What’s going on?”

“I’m just so tired. The last few days have been too intense. I need a break.”

“Where’s your bedroom?”

“Why?” She sniffed.

“You should get some sleep. I doubt your stalker will think to look here, but just in case, I’ll take the first watch.”

She rubbed her cheek against his. “Will you tuck me into bed?”

He groaned. Her silky skin inflamed his desire. It was the worst possible time to want to take her to bed, but he couldn’t stop thinking about her soft moans and even softer thighs.

She held his hand and led him down a hallway and into her bedroom. The streetlight cast a faint glow into the room. A small bed was wedged into one corner, along with a wooden dresser and a plain white lamp. A desk sat across the room. It was littered with books and papers.

She rushed to straighten up the desk. “It’s not usually such a mess. I’m sorry.”

He caught her wrist. “Hey, don’t worry about it. Let’s get you into bed.”

She yawned and padded across the room.

He pulled back a thick pile of blankets. “You must get cold easily.”

“It gets cold in the desert at night, but we can’t afford to turn on the heater.” She burrowed beneath the blankets.

“Sweet dreams,” he said as he covered her. He yawned as the exhaustion of the day caught up with him.

She stared up at him with big green eyes. “I’d be warmer with you next to me.”

He blinked and washed his hand across his face. Her tempting invitation hung in the air like a thick mist. If he climbed into bed with her, it wouldn’t be to sleep. He knew it. Hell, she probably knew it too. It was only the fourth night of her heat and even though the moon’s power waned, her scent still overpowered his will.

“Are you sure?” he asked. His resolve melted as she pushed back the blankets to reveal her curvaceous body.

“No strings, no expectations,” she whispered.

***

As Stryde slid into the cool sheets, Brandy rolled onto her side to face him. She’d meant what she said. She wanted to spend one night with him, not thinking about consequences, just feeling his reassuring touch. Being with him made her feel so safe, so protected.

As much as he complained about not being able to protect her, he’d saved her life and had stopped the black wolf’s attack. And when her stalker had shot at her, he’d rescued her from certain death.

But she couldn’t pretend she’d invited him into her bed out of gratitude. The time they’d spent together fishing and collecting berries had shown her a gentler, more fun-loving side of him. She wanted to see more of that, to get to know him more. She couldn’t keep pretending he didn’t matter to her and tonight, she intended to show him exactly how much she cared about him. It was her last chance.

After she settled the blankets across his broad shoulders, she traced his virile chest with her hand. Being with him made her feel more desired than she’d ever been before. He denied his feelings for her over and over, but his body didn’t lie.

She trailed her fingers down his chest and across the rippled muscles on his belly. When she reached the rigid, swollen part of him that demanded satisfaction, she closed her hand around it.

His head dropped back against the pillow. His mouth formed an
O
. He whimpered her name and grabbed her wrist.

She leaned over to kiss his warm lips. As she stroked him, she pressed her thigh against his. He scooped a hand around her waist and pulled her down. Her chest molded to his. Her lips sought the edge of his chin. A subtle scratch of stubble scraped across her cheek. Before she could nibble lower, he rolled her onto her back. He settled between her thighs but didn’t enter her.

He nuzzled the hollow of her throat. Wet kisses followed in the wake of his tantalizing tongue. His hands roamed to cup and caress every inch of her body. He awakened the beast inside her with his feverish touch.

She tossed her head back and moaned as he dipped his head between her breasts. He kissed each nipple until it formed a taut peak. As his tongue grazed the edge of each hipbone, she tangled her fingers into his hair. She couldn’t take another second of being apart.

In a husky voice, she whispered, “Make love to me.”

“Not yet. Not until I taste you,” he breathed.

He teased the insides of her thighs, licking and tasting until she clawed at his shoulders. When his lips finally met her core, she cried out. Inside, she melted. All the love she’d kept trapped inside her entire life gushed out to envelop them in an aura of love so powerful, she wanted to cry.

He looked up from between her legs. His eyes shined with ethereal light, as if he too had been touched by the power of her love.

He crawled across her, kissing, tasting. Her lips parted as his tongue slipped into her mouth. She moaned and moved against him, begging him with her body. He answered her plea with a long, slow thrust. She wrapped her legs around his, drawing him deeper. She wanted all of him, if only for tonight.

***

Stryde was drowning in her passion. He’d heard stories about how a wolf would know when he met his true mate, but he’d never believed them. How could this woman be the perfect mate for him? She’d only been a wolf for a few days and he hardly knew her. But he knew enough to be captivated by her.

Indescribable bliss settled into his core. Everything about her was perfection. The way she arched to draw him in, the way she whispered his name against his ear.

The sensation of falling made his belly clench. He clung to her like a life raft. Her sweet, slick heat wrapped him in a cocoon of fire so intense, he thought he might explode. But he held back. He wasn’t ready to succumb yet. Her pleasure meant far more to him than his own.

He rocked into her, rolling his hips in a rhythm so ancient, so sacred that he could only imagine sharing this intensity with his mate.

She moaned. “Please, I need all of you.”

He knew she meant more than just his body. She wanted his soul to meld with hers, to cleave to her, and he felt powerless to resist. He didn’t want to resist, so when she trembled and cried out beneath him, he relinquished all hesitation and became one with her.

She pulsed around him as he spilled into her. He didn’t stop moving. Instead, he coaxed her to ever-increasing heights of pleasure. He didn’t stop until she went limp in his arms. He stayed inside, relishing the warmth of her for a few minutes.

Finally, reluctantly, he broke the physical bond and rolled onto his side. As she spooned against him, she released a sigh of pure contentment. She fell asleep in his arms, but sleep evaded him.

Stunned that he’d fallen completely, hopelessly in love with her, he studied the ceiling. He’d sworn off ever falling in love again. But he knew more than anyone that the best-laid plans could vanish in a puff of gun smoke. Could he risk bringing her into his life?

As hours passed, he wasn’t any closer to an answer. A powerful shift had happened tonight. Somehow, making love to her had transformed the tundra-riddled landscape of his heart into a raging river of emotion. He only knew one thing for sure—he couldn’t let her go.

***

As Brandy’s eyes fluttered open, her gaze rested on Stryde. He’d stayed by her side all night, holding her. She’d promised him that there wouldn’t be strings attached, but she felt bound to him now in a way she hadn’t before. Her desire to be closer to him had completely backfired.

One night of passion would cost her for the rest of her life. She’d never be able to forget him now. Last night had been more than just sex. It was as if a cosmic shift had forged the two of them into one being.

She watched the rise and fall of his chest. It might be the last time he held her this close and she wanted to burn it into her memory. Some lonely night in the future, she’d be able to look back on this and remember that for a second, he’d loved her. She could see it in his eyes. It was more than just lust, but sometimes love isn’t enough. Some people are so closed off that they run from the very thing they need.

Stryde pulled her closer.

Her heart already ached. As soon as he woke up, she’d lose him. After everything they’d been through, she couldn’t bear the thought of losing him.