Nocturne 040 – Scions 02 - Patrice Michelle - Insurrection (16 page)

Kaitlyn rubbed her arms, glad for the fire’s warmth in the cool room. With the vampires’ attack, she’d forgotten about the reason she’d called Landon. She hoped he would finally tell her the truth now that they’d connected on a more intimate level.

“My mother never gave me many details about my father’s death when I was a child, so I was at the library researching what had happened.”

Landon’s eyes snapped to hers. “What did you need from me?”

Tension knotted her stomach, but she plunged on. “My father was attacked and killed in Morningside Park.”

“I know there’s more coming.” Landon crossed his arms and waited for her response.

She spread her arms wide. “Don’t you see the connection? Maybe whatever was burned the other day in the park was the same creature who mauled my father. We both know the Tacomi case connects to the case in the park. You didn’t want me pursuing it, saying it was too dangerous. I want to know what you’re not telling me. Who or what was strong enough to overcome and burn that thing in the park the other night?”

His jaw flexed. “As of last night, we know not all vampires are extinct.”

He left the implication hanging between them.

Vampires were known for their strength and speed, but the thing’s aura she saw in the park hadn’t been a vampire. It had hardly resembled the human form. “Whatever was burned, it wasn’t a vampire. I want to know what it was.”

“Isn’t the fact you were almost killed by a couple of vampires enough?”

he roared as he jammed his hand through his hair.

She could see she wasn’t getting any answers from him. So much for intimacy bringing us closer together, she thought with a mental snort of anger. “Fine. You don’t want to be straight with me and tell me what you know. I’m out of here.”

“Kaitlyn.”

She ignored him and started to head toward the stairs when she realized she didn’t know where Landon’s house was…only that it was in the mountains. Swiveling back to face him, she grumbled, “Where the hell am I, anyway?” The swift movement cost her. Her head began to spin and her vision blur.

Landon caught her before she hit the floor. “Easy, Kaitie,” he said in a soft tone and he lifted her against his chest. “You were attacked by vampires.” He carried her toward the couch. “You need more rest.”

He smelled so damned good, her head swam. “My chest burned during the attack,” she mumbled against his shoulder, her mind groggy. “I thought the wounds would be worse, but they’re just pink scars.”

“You still suffered trauma.” He sat down on the couch and stretched out on his back, pulling her on top of him. The sensation of his hard chest behind her back and muscular arms around her waist felt good, like a strong, warm security blanket. Or was it his lips, brushing against her temple that relaxed her?

“Maybe I’ll rest for a bit longer,” she sighed. The fight went out of her when she turned her nose toward his throat and inhaled. She couldn’t get enough of his masculine smell.

Landon’s thumb rubbed back and forth along her ribs, setting a leisurely, comforting pace. While the fire crackled and popped in the background and his body heat cocooned her back in toasty warmth, Kaitlyn knew they still had issues to deal with, but she was too wiped to argue. For now, she burrowed closer, allowing herself to fully relax until her eyes drifted closed.

Kaitlyn awoke to the sound of Landon’s heavy breathing in her ear. The fire had died down and the sun had changed direction across the room, telling her she’d slept for quite a while. Underneath her back, Landon’s chest rose and fell at a harsh rate. He was dreaming. She turned her face into his throat, and his pulse beat a rapid staccato against her nose, making her own heart race. He held his cards so close to his chest, yet she still wanted to comfort him. She wished she understood the strange connection she felt with this man.

She pictured Landon loving on her, making her scream like he had earlier that day and excited chill bumps formed on her skin. Biting her lip, she pressed her thighs together to assuage the ache that centered within her. She wanted to feel the weight of his body on top of her, to inhale his arousing scent, feel his strength as his big hands touched her everywhere. She wanted to catch her breath and hold it as he slid inside her—hard and deep.

Running her fingers up Landon’s muscular thigh, Kaitlyn squirmed closer while she curled her other hand around his warm neck.

Landon’s breathing had leveled off. She smiled and slid her hand higher up the soft denim.

With each inch her fingers drew closer, she felt his erection harden and swell underneath her buttocks.

When her wandering hand had almost reached the edge of his erection, she realized Landon’s chest was perfectly still…as if he were no longer breathing.

As soon as the tips of her fingers ran along the side of his rock-solid shaft, Kaitlyn heard a low rumbling growl a split second before she found herself on her hands and knees on the soft carpet beside the couch.

Landon’s fingers encircled her wrists, while his muscular body covered hers; his chest to her back, his hips to her buttocks, his thighs surrounding hers.

Her pulse skyrocketed at the lightning change in their location; the sheer primal position. He’d moved so fast, her head spun. She froze, unsure what to do. She’d never felt so exposed or so turned on in her life.

When Landon pushed his knee against her inner thigh, silently telling her to spread her legs, her heart slammed against her chest and her breathing changed to rapid pants.

As soon as she moved her thigh, his grip on her wrists tightened and he pushed her hands forward on the carpet several inches. Kaitlyn’s sex throbbed and she dug her nails into the carpet as she waited for Landon’s next move.

His fingers cinched tight around her wrists and he took a long, drawnout inhaling breath as he ran his nose along her shoulder, then up her neck. His warm breath bathed the back of her ear and he whispered in a husky tone, “You have no idea how very breakable you are.”

She pushed her hips back against him in wanton invitation. “I’m ready to find out.”

Landon reacted, hitching his hips forward against her at the same time he let out a feral snarl and clamped his teeth on the soft spot between her neck and her shoulder.

He didn’t bite down. He just held her in place, unmoving and dominant. Kaitlyn found Landon far more earthy and primal than she’d expected. She couldn’t believe how much this “still waters run deep” facet to his personality tripped her trigger. She didn’t fear him. Instead, she hoped he’d release her soon so she could move against him.

When his breathing rushed through his nose in harsh gusts and a slight tremor skidded across his body above hers, she vaguely realized he was holding himself back, trying to calm down.

She didn’t want him to be calm, dammit. She wanted—

Before she could finish the thought, Landon released her and stood. Kaitlyn flipped her hair over her shoulder and sat down on her butt to face Landon. He stood by the window, staring out, his hands deep in his jean pockets.

“Your shirt and jacket are a total loss, but your jeans are clean,” he said in a dull tone without looking at her.

“Landon—”

“You can keep the shirt. Get dressed and I’ll take you home,” he cut her off.

His rejection didn’t sit well with her, but she’d be damned if she’d beg for a reason for his hot-and-cold behavior. Rolling to her feet, Kaitlyn stood. “If you drove me here in my car, then I’ll drive myself home.”

He finally met her gaze. “We’re in the Shawangunk ridge, Kaitlyn. I don’t relish walking back to town.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that’s exactly what he was going to do, but common decency prevailed over hurt feelings. He had saved her life. Chest aching, she turned and walked upstairs to change clothes.

Once Kaitlyn disappeared from view at the top of the stairs, Landon pulled his shaking hands out of his pants pockets and flexed and unflexed his fists to help regain control over his desire to go after her. When he’d woken to her sexy body squirming all over him, while her hand slid up his leg and her arousal filled his senses, Landon had been dreaming of his fight with the vampires over Kaitlyn. He lost complete control.

Before he knew what he was doing, he had her in a Lupreda mating position. Her smell had been the final straw. He clamped his teeth on her skin, holding her still, while the desire to mark her roared through his thoughts.

At that moment, the wolf had taken over. His senses were keener. He heard her thudding heart, smelled her readiness for him. The arousing scent wreaked havoc with his human mind, making it difficult to think, to rationalize. She might not be Lupreda, but his reaction to her attraction, to her scent, was one-hundred percent wolf.

That thought was what knocked some sense into his brain, allowing him to unlock his hold on her body and walk away. His wolf had taken control, and if he followed his natural instincts, he couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t hurt her.

He glanced through the window at the late afternoon sun shining through the trees and breathed a sigh of relief that it hadn’t been evening when she’d touched him. The moon was nearing its full cycle and its lunar pull, calling to his inner wolf, might’ve been more than he could fight. He regretted losing the bullet and necklace in the alley during his fight with the vampires. Over the years, he’d gotten used to the forced restraint that kept him from shifting.

Kaitlyn was too important to him. He either needed to find or replace the damn necklace, or he’d have to distance himself from Kaitlyn for a few days until the moon receded.

An hour later, Kaitlyn turned her car off the highway onto a side road. Landon raised his eyebrows. “Taking the scenic route back to town?”

That was the first thing he’d said to her the whole trip. She tried not to let it bother her, but all she could think about the entire time they drove in silence was why Landon refused to trust her enough to tell her what he knew. And he did know something about the burning at Morningside Park. “Just killing two birds with one stone,” Kaitlyn replied as she took an immediate left onto a dirt road.

“You drive these back roads often?” Landon asked as her car thumped over several potholes in the road.

“Only when I’m visiting an old family friend.” Once Kaitlyn reached the gravel portion of Hank’s driveway, she revved the engine and pulled into a spot beside Hank’s beat-up truck. Putting her vehicle in park, she said,

“You can wait in the car. I’m just picking something up.”

As soon as she opened the door on her side, Landon did the same on his. She narrowed her gaze at him across the car’s roof.

He shrugged. “I’m not good at sitting around.”

“Typical man,” she murmured and closed her car door.

“Kaitie, my girl,” Hank called as he walked out of his cabin, the screen door slamming behind him.

Kaitlyn ran up the porch and hugged the stocky man with thinning gray hair. Hank gave her a bear hug and patted her back. “It’s great to see you after so long.” Glancing past her, he jerked his salt-and-pepper beard toward her car. “I take it you aren’t staying for a bit. Who’s your friend?” Hank squinted.

She cast her gaze over her shoulder. Landon leaned his tall frame against the side of her car, his arms crossed over his chest. Returning her attention to Hank, she gave him a half smile. “That’s Landon Rourke. You might’ve run across him at the station. He’s a P.I. who has helped the police work cases in the past.”

“Ah.” Hank nodded, his brown eyes flitting to her oversized T-shirt then back to Landon. “I knew he looked familiar.” Rubbing his chin, he continued, “I take it you’re here for your dad’s stuff.”

“I am. I was in the area so I thought I’d swing by and pick it up.”

Hank’s gaze narrowed. “Rourke live around here?”

She nodded. “About an hour away.”

Hank started to pull the screen door open, then paused. “Don’t you think your boyfriend should live closer to you? You know…in town?”

“Hank!” She hoped Landon hadn’t heard Hank’s question.

“He’s not—”

“He’s a bit old for you, isn’t he?”

She found the sixteen-year difference in their ages exciting. Landon came across as someone who’d “been there, done that.” So many guys she’d dated were still immature boys in a lot of ways. Landon Rourke was all man. Kaitlyn straightened her spine. “Who I choose to date is up to me.”

He nodded. “I know, I know, but with your dad gone, I can’t help but ask these fatherly questions.”

Kaitlyn smiled at him. “I’m fine, Hank, really. Landon’s just a colleague.”

Hank’s gaze dropped to her T-shirt once more. “Uh-huh.”

“Oh, for Pete’s sake. It’s a long story.”

Hank smirked. “I’m retired. I’ve got all the time in the world.”

Kaitlyn set her lips. She didn’t need an interrogation about a man who set her blood on fire one moment only to distance himself from her the next. He ran so hot and cold, she wanted to scream in frustration. “The box, Hank.”

“Right. Be back in a sec.”

A couple minutes later, he returned with a two-feet-by-one-foot box. Setting it in her arms, he said, “This is all his stuff. I didn’t rummage through it. Your dad liked his privacy.”

Kaitlyn hefted the box closer to her chest. “Thanks. I’ll make sure to put it with the rest of my dad’s things.”

As she neared her car, Landon approached and took the box out of her arms. “You want to put it in the back?”

Kaitlyn nodded. She didn’t want to talk. Hank’s probing questions made her realize just how much she wanted a relationship with Landon, which was insane, considering how little he seemed to trust her. She respected his intellect and his keen instincts, not to mention the man had just saved her life, but it bothered her that he kept so closely to himself. He certainly knew all her dark secrets.