The Gathering (8 page)

Rayna ignored Garrett as he stood by the door
watching her. The task of packing her clothes was difficult enough
without having to look at him while she did it. She was still mad,
still furious at the circumstances that now dictated how her life
would be, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to talk to him
rationally even if she tried.

Slamming the dresser door shut, she tossed
her underclothes into the suitcase and turned to the bathroom. When
she’d collected her things and turned, Garrett was blocking the
doorway. He looked angry. His mouth set into a tight, thin line.
The soft brown of his eyes were sparking with shades of amber and
Rayna knew she’d not be able to just walk away like she’d planned.
Like he’d told her to do. Regardless of the fact she couldn’t stay,
he wasn’t going to just let her go either. That wolf of his
wouldn’t let him.

The silence stretched until it was a near
tangible thing. It hung like a specter in every corner of the room
and each breath she took became harder as her heart began to hammer
inside her chest. Her hands tightened on her make-up bag, the
hairbrush handle grew damp with moisture from her clenched fist.
Inhaling deeply, she looked him in the eye. “Either say what’s on
your mind or move out of the way.” To her surprise, he moved, but
just barely. She squeezed past him, choking back a gasp when her
arm brushed his stomach and her wolf stirred. She swallowed the
desire to throw herself at him and tried to think of something
other than how much she wanted him. How much she wanted to
stay.

“When I first came to Wolf’s Creek, Malcolm
was mated to a woman named, Evelyn. She was Alpha female of the
pack.”

Rayna snapped her suitcase closed, ignoring
Garrett, and looked around the room. Her jacket was draped over the
chair next to the window and she rounded the bed, intent on
grabbing it. Garrett grabbed her arm as she passed him.

She stared at his hand. “Let go of me.”

“Not until you hear what I have to say.”

She sighed and gave him a bored look. “Fine.
Say it, then leave.”

The color of his eyes flashed amber again and
the muscle in his jaw clenched. “Malcolm shared a room with a woman
named, Diana. She was a Beta.”

“I don’t really care about the history
lesson. Now let go of my arm.”

His grip on her loosened but he didn’t let
her go. “I know you don’t care but you’re going to hear it anyway.”
He stared down at her, his gaze roaming her face before he looked
back at her eyes. “Carmen wants to be recognized as pack leader.
That’s all she’s ever wanted. If Malcolm was able to spend his
nights with a woman of his choosing, and not his mate, there’s no
reason why I can’t.”

He should have just slapped her. It wouldn’t
have hurt any less. Rayna laughed lightly before looking across the
room. When she knew she could look at him without lashing out, she
turned her head back to him. “So, instead of the pack knowing me as
your mate, I’ll just be the slut who lets you crawl into her bed,
right?”

His eyes darkened, the grip on her arm
tightening until she had to clench her jaw to keep from crying out.
“No one would ever think that of you.”

“No?” She laughed again. “And what will your
new mate think? How long do you think she’s going to let you crawl
into my bed?”

“She’ll be my mate in name only, Rayna, and
you know it. I chose you. The wolf chose you. Nothing Carmen says
or does will change that.”

“And nothing you can say or do will make me
stay here while you, and everyone else in the house, pretends she’s
yours!” She jerked her arm free, crossing the room to snatch up her
jacket. He grabbed her before she could turn around. “Let me go,
Garrett.”

His arms circled her waist and she knew
without trying she wouldn’t be able to move. She sighed and closed
her eyes, fighting back tears. She was through crying. Through
being the victim.

Since the day she’d arrived in Wolf’s Creek
her life had been one roller coaster ride after another. She’d been
chased, scared half to death, punched, bruised and made to feel
insignificant. Days spent confined to a bed while the torn flesh on
her stomach healed left her feeling fragile. Weeks trying to come
to terms with the infection that allowed a monster to live inside
her body left her confused and vulnerable. The only thing good to
come from her entire ordeal was Garrett. Her suffering had been
eased by his presence, in knowing that no matter what happened,
he’d be there for her.

And now this.

Finally being able to say Garrett was hers
had been just another cruel twist of fate. For whatever reason, the
marks he’d left on Carmen all those years ago were enough in the
eyes of the pack to make them forget he’d chosen her, instead. A
human, turned werewolf, while he was trying to protect her.

Garrett lowered his head, burying his face
into her hair. His breath was hot against her neck, his arms
tightening around her waist. She sighed and leaned back against
him. “Just let me go, Garrett.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Why? Twenty minutes ago you told me I had to
leave. Now you won’t let me.”

“Twenty minutes ago all I was thinking about
was your safety.”

“And now?”

He turned her in his arms, holding her close.
“I’m just thinking about myself right now.” He raised his hand,
brushing her hair away from her face. “I’ve wanted you since the
moment I saw you Rayna, and I can’t just let you go. I won’t. I’ll
fight her myself if I have to.”

Rayna stared up at him and wanted to give in.
To just let him have his way. To stay and be his mistress while
Carmen ruled the house. She couldn’t though. She wouldn’t stay and
let Carmen win without lifting a finger in protest. She’d rather
get beaten down and made to stay.

Neither would happen.

Shaking her head, she raised her hands,
placing them on his chest and tried to move away from him. His arms
tightened and trying to break from his grasp was useless.
“Garrett…”

“Look me in the eye and tell me, honestly,
you want to go and I’ll let you.”

She knew that was a lie but wasn’t about to
say so. Regardless of what Garrett said or did, that wolf of his
would think otherwise. She’d seen that first hand and knew no
matter what happened, Garrett would be forced to go along with the
wolf. She knew without a doubt he wouldn’t let her go. It was why
Garrett was trying to keep her now instead of sending her away.
Because the wolf demanded it.

Inhaling deeply to calm her racing heart, she
looked him in the eye and lied. “I want to go.”

He had the nerve to smile at her. “You’re
lying.”

Rayna’s temper flared again at the smug look
on his face. “Prove it.”

“With pleasure.” He kissed her, forcing his
tongue into her mouth. She struggled, pushed against his chest and
his hold on her tightened, the kiss stealing air from her lungs
until she went limp against him.

Her fingers clenched, bunching the material
of his shirt into her fists and it wasn’t until he broke the kiss,
giving her only seconds to refill her lungs, that she realized he’d
loosened his hold on her.

His hands slid under her blouse, her breasts
cupped in his palms. His eyes changed to that eerie wolf amber and
she knew the beast was lurking close by. Her own wolf slid against
her bones, its hunger for her mate causing Rayna’s blood to heat,
for moisture to pool between her legs and her limbs to burn for his
touch.

Rayna wrapped her arms around his neck and
kissed him back, the torrent of emotions she’d been fighting since
Carmen walked back into their lives bursting wide open.

She pulled at his shirt, lifting and jerking
it over his head. Hers followed and they undressed each other
quickly between fervent kisses, the sounds of ripping material
mingling with their harsh breaths.

Her pants were barely to her ankles before he
turned her, forcing her back onto the bed. He jerked her shoes off,
her jeans, and ripped the side of her panties and was inside of her
before she could even catch her breath.

Rayna grabbed his shoulders as he kissed her
again, his hips bucking against her in rapid succession. The feel
of his flesh against her own, the solid length of his cock inside
of her, and she forgot what they had been fighting about. She clung
to him, locked him in place with her legs around his waist and dug
her nails into his back. He growled, the sound vibrating against
her chest and her wolf slid closer to the surface. Heat penetrated
her limbs. The need to mark him as hers overwhelming.

The claw marks on his neck met her gaze when
she opened her eyes and she knew it wasn’t enough. Sliced from ear
to chest and it wasn’t enough. Carmen still took him, snatched him
right out from under her without so much as lifting a finger.

Her wolf brushed against her bones and an
answering growl worked its way up her throat. Garrett’s hold on her
hips tightened, his thrust grew harder and when Rayna’s stomach
clenched, her legs trembling, she pulled him to her and bit into
the side of his neck.

His hoarse scream was enough to make her let
go, ecstasy washing through her body as his blood filled her mouth.
Garrett jerked against her, spilling himself and holding her head
to him.

When he stilled, she unclamped her jaw and
stared at what she’d done.

She’d heard the others talk about bloodlust.
The wolf craved the taste of blood and she’d been repulsed at the
very idea. That wasn’t the case now. She licked her lips and stared
at Garrett’s neck. The flesh was torn, trickles of crimson slid
over his skin and she leaned up, taking a small lick. A growl
worked it way up her throat as his blood hit her tongue.

He gave a gasped cry of her name and Rayna
sucked his flesh into her mouth, laving the teeth marks she’d left
on his skin with soft kisses and long licks. Her chest was still
rumbling and she held him to her and whispered, “Mine.”

“Always,” he breathed into her neck, his arms
sliding around her waist. “Only yours.”

They lay there for long minutes, neither
saying a word. When the sound of voices filled the house, Garrett
lifted his head. He stared at her, raising his hand to brush the
hair away from her face before kissing her. When he leaned back, he
said, “There isn’t anywhere else I want be at the moment but I
asked Bryce to gather everyone. We need to figure out a way to get
Jacob back.”

Thinking of Jacob made Rayna think of Carmen.
She glanced away from him and only looked back when he grabbed her
chin and tilted her head up. “He’ll come back when Carmen does. Why
not just wait until then?”

He stared at her and she knew by the look on
his face he hadn’t thought past the getting Jacob back part. The
fact the boy would come back when Carmen took over the house had
escaped him. He smiled, kissed her quickly, and rolled off of
her.

Standing, he fixed his pants, and bent down
to pick up his shirt. “Do you want to come down with me or are you
going to unpack that bag?”

Rayna glanced toward her suitcase before
looking back at him. He slipped his shirt on, wincing when the
fabric slid over his neck. The skin around the bite mark looked
raw, the bruising on his flesh already staining the area in shades
of purple and blue.

He leaned down over her, nuzzling his face
between her breasts before kissing each one, then the side of her
neck and up her jaw. “Unpack. I’ll be back in a few minutes and
we’ll see how many other places you can find to mark me.”

A deep, thorough kiss before leaving the room
made Rayna rethink her plan. Did she really want to leave him? She
lay there until her skin cooled before sitting up and crawling off
the bed to find her clothes. She dressed, slipped her shoes back on
and finger combed her hair before turning back to the suitcase.

The desire to unpack it was strong but she
knew she couldn’t live with only being seen as Garrett’s mistress.
She had no doubt that’s what the others would think her to be. She
could mark him until he was covered in bite marks but the fact
remained, Carmen was stronger, she could take what she wanted and
she wanted Garrett. Unless she was strong enough to fight Carmen
and win, Garrett was lost to her.

Feeling the anger resurface, she snatched up
the suitcase and made her way to the door. Sitting the bag down,
she walked into the hall, hurried to Mitch’s room and went inside.
Five minutes later, she had the keys to his car in hand and went to
retrieve her bag.

The pack had assembled in the living room,
every eye on Garrett as he talked. No one turned their head as
Rayna walked down the stairs and around the banister to the hall.
Quickening her steps, she made for the back door, closing it
quietly behind her before running for the garage.

She wanted to laugh at how easy it was to
just… walk away. No one shouted in protest as she opened the garage
doors. No one blocked her path as she backed out and turned around,
pulling down the driveway. She was heading into town before she
wondered what Garrett would do once he realized she was gone.

Stopping, she let the car idle as she looked
at what was supposed to pass for the town of Wolf’s Creek. The
buildings stood silent and filled with goods, only no one ever
walked into one to buy anything. No one ever “worked” in any of
them. They were just ghosts, shadows of a life no one here had.

Putting the car in park, Rayna wondered what
would happen to everyone once Carmen took over the house. Garrett
was still pack leader but she was sure Carmen would get her say.
She wasn’t sure how decisions would be made. Did Garrett have final
word or would Carmen’s little pack of wolves help sway votes in her
favor. Would their pack, the wolves Garrett had been protecting, be
safe from the newcomers? Would Garrett?