Taming the Fire (43 page)

You have to separate them, separate her from who she was
, Kira kept urging him.

But Rik was in there—
this is who Rik is
, the part of her she could now supposedly control but never shake completely.

And then he sank to his own knees and the wolf watched him curiously, not sure if he was playing or surrendering—or if he was hurt. “Jesus, I can't sleep because I keep hearing your cries—your cries and Rik's cries. I can't eat. I can't fucking do anything.”

The wolf whined, pawed his back, his neck, wanted him to rise. But he couldn't, buried his face in his hands so he was curled in the fetal position on the ground. “Why did you do it? Why him, of all fucking people?” he whispered, more to himself than to the wolf, and still, the animal let out a mournful howl as if trying to tell him why.

But there was no reason—never was, never would be—it was simply that Arthur had been there and the animal that lived inside Rik had been tortured to the point of irrationality.

“I lost him, Rik,” he said fiercely. “I lose everyone I love. And I told myself I wouldn't give a shit about anyone anymore—not like that. Keep it all business. And then you came along and you fucked that up for me.”

The wolf lay down next to him, hitting the earth heavily and pressing its warm body against Trance's own as if comforting him. As if it was in need of comfort itself. And then there was total silence and Trance lifted his head for a second and wondered if the wolf had spotted something and was in hunting mode.

But no, it was lying on its back, belly exposed to the open air. Neck exposed as well… and all for him.

The wolf didn't want to die—Rik didn't either, Trance knew that—but it seemed that somehow, the wolf offered him an eye for an eye.

“I can't do that, Rik. Jesus, I can't—I couldn't. It wasn't your fault.”

The wolf was up in a second, sitting next to him, nearly knocking him off his knees in the process. And, in that next second, he buried his face in the fur at the scruff of the wolf's neck, did that until he felt a pair of strong hands wind around his shoulders, and his nose breathed in the scent of Rik's smooth skin.

“You saved my life, Trance. I'll never be able to repay that debt.”

He pulled back from her so he could look into her eyes. “I don't want you to owe me anything. I don't work like that.”

“Why did you come here?”

“This is what I do now at night instead of sleeping,” he said irritably. “I never thought you'd be out roaming the woods.”

“Well, I am.” Her tone was almost defiant. The old Rik—the confidence he remembered from the clubs—was back. And she remained naked, bathed in the soft light, and she looked even more beautiful than his memory had kept reminding him over the past days. “I'm different since I met you. The wolf is different. I know they say that people don't change, that animal instincts are just that, but I don't believe that anymore. Not from what I've seen. A lot can happen from simple kindness. I'm hoping the same can come from forgiveness.”

He didn't stop her from kissing him, from wrapping her nude body around his, from pushing him back on the soft bed of leaves that lined the forest floor, leaving him helpless. He let her take him then, strip his clothes off while he watched her, lying prone with the smell of pine needles rising up as sharply as the scent of lust.

And when he was naked, he propped himself on his elbows as she climbed him, sheathed herself around him and rocked, surrounding him with a wet heat that made him cry out with a hungered need that came from deep within his soul.

R
IK AND
T
RANCE
walked back to the training quarters after stopping at the place where she'd left her clothes, to get dressed. They hadn't spoken a word since they'd made love, but now Trance pulled her down on a bench outside the dorm building.

“Once your training is done, I want you to move in with me,” he said.

“It's a big step…”

“Do you have doubts?”

“Me?” She squeezed his hand. “Not at all. I'm worried about you. Are you sure you can deal with what I am?” She looked down at her lap. “With what I did?”

“Look at me.” When she didn't—couldn't—he tipped her face up with a finger under her chin. “You've been beating yourself up for so long about what happened that day, and you didn't deserve how I beat you up about it too. I know you want me to forgive you for killing my father, but the truth is, I need your forgiveness for how I abandoned you after finding out.” He traced her lips with his thumb. “Will you forgive me?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “And yes, I'll move in with you. I love you, Trance.” Inside, the wolf yipped, and she smiled. “We both love you.” Trance laughed, which wasn't exactly the reaction she was expecting. She punched him in the shoulder. “I'm not running a comedy act here.”

“I'm sorry,” he said, but he was still smiling. “It's just that I see and do some weird shit on a daily basis in this job, but I never in a million years would have thought I'd tell a woman that I love her and her, ah, beast.”

She slid him a sly look. “You still haven't told a woman that.”

“You're right,” he said, drawing her into his arms. “I love you. I love you both.”

“Wolves mate for life, you know.”

“Good.” Trance kissed her with such possessiveness that she melted in contentment. “Because I'm never letting you go.”

She smiled, because not long ago, only chains would have held them. Now they were both free of all restraints save one.

Love.

Which was the most flexible chain of all.

SYDNEY CROFT
is a pseudonym for two authors who each write under their own names. This is their fifth novel together. Visit their website at
www.sydneycroft.com
.

TAMING THE FIRE
A Delta Trade Paperback / May 2009

Published by Bantam Dell
A Division of Random House, Inc.
New York, New York

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product
of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons,
living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved
Copyright © 2009 by Larissa Ione and Stephanie Tyler

Delta is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc., and the colophon
is a trademark of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Croft, Sydney.
Taming the fire / Sydney Croft.
p. cm.
eISBN: 978-0-440-33849-9
1. Sexual dominance and submission—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3603.R6356T36 2009
813'.6—dc22
2008048040

www.bantamdell.com

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