Wild Nights (22 page)

swallowed pride. It’s not in my nature to lay down arms and walk

away from anything, but she deserves you. Perhaps, someday, I can

return a bit more in control of things.”

“We can work things out together. We grew up together. We went

through the good and the bad, side by side. The spirits marked our

fates together, loving a single woman, a sacred white.”

“The irony of it all.”
Riley glanced back over his shoulder. “I’ll

return in a while. I’ll give you some catching-up time, since I’ve been

a lucky bastard to have her all to myself the past day or so.” At that,

Nox watched the man leave the room and make his way through the

house.

“I hope he’s okay,” Aya murmured. Nox smoothed back the short

locks of her hair. The front door closed a moment later, and with it

came a subtle sense of loss. Aya deserved them both, and they both

deserved this one special woman.

“I’m sure he’s fine.”

“Take good care of that vixen, you hear?”
Riley said. Nox sighed

and closed his eyes. The ache from his wounds started to mount, and

he slid down to his pillow. Aya moved with him, curling perfectly

148

Rhea Regale

alongside him.

“We’ll be waiting for you to return.”

“Don’t hold your breath, Lenox Carter. I’m a rebel, an outsider

with no rules, no boundaries. It’s all I know.”

* * * *

Aya knew something was off. The rift in the air between the men

spoke volumes when they failed to include her in the secret

conversation. The slightest zing that marked the use of a telepathic

link unobtainable by her coasted along the outskirts of her mind, but

she pretended not to notice.

Only when she heard the front door of the house open and close,

and a troubled weight pressed down on Lenox, did she realize

something had been exchanged that they tried to hide from her. The

uncharacteristic grumble of his stomach failed to bring a smile to her

mouth when dread lingered around her.

“Do you feel you can eat? Riley made steaks,” Aya said. She

turned her nose against Lenox’s flesh and inhaled the masculine scent

of her mate. Not even the residual odor of dirt and blood could mask

it, but it didn’t warm her.

Lenox combed his fingers through her hair. “Ayasha, I have a

serious question to ask.”

Aya’s breath hitched. A chill wrapped around her spine. Slowly,

she pressed up on her elbows and gazed down at Lenox’s troubled

expression. She brushed aside a wave of dark hair from his eyes

before caressing his bottom lip with a soft kiss.

“What is it?”

“What are your feelings toward Riley?”

“My feelings?” Her brow wrinkled. Lenox lifted his stormy gaze

to hers and nodded once. “Why?”

“Because he believes he can never hold a place in your heart after

all he’s done, and with that, he’s taken leave—”

Wild Nights

149

Aya didn’t wait for him to finish. She launched off the bed, rushed

through the house, and burst through the front door. Riley looked up

from the driver’s side of his Escalade. A frown tugged the corner of

his mouth. She ignored the sharp stones that bit into the tender soles

of her feet as she sprinted over to him, and the brisk fall air that

chilled her bare arms and cut through the flimsy dress she wore. She

didn’t stop until she jumped into his unsuspecting arms and clung

desperately to his neck.

“You can’t go,” she breathed against his ear. Riley held her tight

to his body and dipped his head against her neck. A shuddered breath

touched her flesh. She shifted enough to nuzzle her cheek against the

rough plane of his. The day-old beginnings of his beard scratched her

skin but soothed her panicking wolf. His large hands splayed over her

hip and shoulder, keeping her secured to him. “You must stay. Don’t

leave.”

“Sweetheart,” he murmured. “You have Lenox. There’s no need

for me to hang around here.”

“No need?” Aya leaned back and cupped his face, forcing him to

look up at her. Her brow furrowed. She shook her head. “That’s the

most ridiculous thing you’ve said yet.” She curled her fingers into the

ends of his wavy hair as they brushed over his cheeks. Her chest

constricted with repressed emotions, her heart swelling with each deft

pump. “All the need is here, Riley. I need you to stay. Lenox needs

you to stay. Why the hell would you ever leave us? Leave me?”

Haunting shadows dimmed his amber eyes. He leaned her against

the side of his truck and reached up to her mouth.

“Because…” He let out a soft sigh. Aya tightened her legs around

his waist when he tried to pull them apart. A flash of grief touched his

expression. “Aya, don’t do this.”

“Say you’ll stay.” She slanted her mouth over his, plunging her

tongue between his lips. The true volume of her affections toward

Riley fueled her shameless kiss, demanding she take until he

submitted. Hot need speared through her, and the evidence of his

150

Rhea Regale

hunger thickened against her core.

Riley tore away from her mouth with a groan. She squeezed her

eyes shut and nuzzled her face against his hair. Her throat constricted,

her jaw tightened, and her fingers tangled in his waves, clinging to

him. Breaths came in painful gasps just before two tears escaped her

eyelids.

“Please don’t leave me.” Her chin quivered. She kissed his

temple, since he kept his head bowed, pressed to her shoulder.

“We’ve moved beyond the past. I want us to start fresh, build a future.

One that was fated—”

“Ayasha,” Riley growled, but grief infused his soft tone. This was

difficult for him. All she had to do was soften him a little more…

Riley unlocked her ankles from his back and placed her on her

feet. He held her face in his hands, preventing her from reaching up

for another kiss. His thumbs brushed aside her tears. His lips pulled

taut, and his forehead pinched.

“I am not for you. I’m wild. I’ve been wild far too long to ever

hold hope of being tamed. I don’t like sharing. I can’t swallow the

knowledge that you love Lenox,” Riley said. “He’s bedded you, and

will continue to bed you. You find pleasure in his arms. I will not be a

shadow in your life.”

“But, I lo—”

“Don’t,” he interrupted, pressing his thumb over her mouth. Aya

whimpered, twisting her head from side to side. Riley held her firmly,

but never in a way to hurt her. “This is hard enough as it is. Don’t

complicate matters. It’s in your best interest that I leave.”

Aya nipped the tip of his thumb. “How?” He stepped back and

dug his key out of his jacket pocket. She wouldn’t let him leave so

easily, but the fight in her drained as she watched a cold, stoic curtain

drop over his face. His amber eyes became hollow orbs, as void of

emotion as possible for a living creature, and her heart shattered.

“This is why you’ve been so aloof since the other night. You’ve

known all along you’d leave.”

Wild Nights

151

Riley didn’t say anything. He disarmed the alarm on the truck and

pulled open the driver’s side door. Aya pressed off the truck and

grabbed his arm.

“Do you love me, Riley?” she asked. A lump throbbed in her

throat as she waited for his response. The muscles in his arm

stiffened. His entire body stiffened. Uncertainty pulsed around him,

testing the icy walls he had erected. “Do you?”

She heard the double-step of his heart and the hitch of his breath.

He slowly glanced back at her, the cool breeze casting his waves

across his face. His eyes flashed, then dimmed. His jaw twitched as he

ground his teeth.

“Good-bye.”

Aya stepped back as Riley climbed into the truck and slammed the

door shut. The engine roared to life, gears shifted, and within the

space of a few heartbeats, she found herself watching the bright red

taillights fade rapidly down the driveway. And with it, part of her

spirit that was forever linked with the rebel wolf who had stolen a

special half of her heart died.

152

Rhea Regale

Chapter Fourteen

Two weeks later

Fall hit Wolf Creek full force. The air was filled with the crisp,

clean scents of earth. The days gradually grew shorter, and curls of

gray smoke and the rustic twinge of burning wood and fire wafted

along the mountain breezes. There was beauty abound everywhere.

Tonight, however, brought with it a subtle sense of emptiness. A

tension settled in Lenox’s house, enhanced by the sharp click of a

knife as he diced up potatoes to add to their roast. The mouthwatering

aromas of spices, vegetables, and meat, along with the promise of a

filling meal, did little to pique Aya’s appetite.

She hopped onto the counter beside the cutting board and watched

Lenox finish the final preparations for their dinner. He graced her

with one of his charming smiles, which made her heart flip-flop and

her spirit twirl. She truly did love the man, so much that it hurt when

they were separated for any length of time. She found everything she

could wish for in him. A friend, a guardian, a lover. Together, they

had filled their nights with mindless passion, hours of hot sex, and

days of tender relaxation. But, there were times when they both felt

something was missing.

Or someone.

Despite the numerous attempts Lenox made to contact Riley, he

remained out of reach. Tonight delivered another disappointment

when an automated service informed them that Riley’s cell phone was

no longer in service. He had severed the only line they had to him,

and now he was gone.

Wild Nights

153

Lenox scooped up the potatoes and added them to the roast pan.

He slid everything into the oven, set the timer, grabbed two bottles of

beer from the fridge, and popped them open. Aya took one and

clinked the glass neck to his before taking a deep drink. Her eyes

instantly teared from the sharp carbonation, but she ignored the sting

and lost herself in the drink.
Definitely a beer night
. She wasn’t in the

mood for tenderness after red wine or frisk after a martini or two. She

needed the fortified steel of her foundation to remain intact as she

rode these turbulent waves of emotions.

Aya spread her knees and allowed Lenox to lean into her. Her

gaze lowered to his bare chest and the hints of his brutal ordeal from

two weeks before. Flesh-colored marks stroked his tanned skin, but

they would fade in time. She lowered her bottle to the counter and

brushed aside a stray lock of hair that had fallen over his eyes.

“Dinner should take a little over an hour. We can go for a walk.

Get out of this place for a time and let the night ease our spirits,”

Lenox said. The corner of her mouth twitched in an attempt to grin,

but fell short. Still, her wolfish man had the ability to coo comfort into

her wavering spirit. Somehow, despite his own evident

disappointment with the turn of events surrounding Riley, he conjured

enough strength for the both of them.

“I’d like that.”

His hand dropped to her thigh and gave her a light squeeze.

“Should we do leather or fur?”

Aya smiled then. She trailed her fingers between his pecs,

delighting in the heat of his bare flesh and the firm cuts of his

muscles. She could trace him with her eyes closed. So many hours of

exploration and passion had left him permanently imprinted in her

mind.

“Why don’t we start out with leather and see if we need the fur.”

Her voice dipped a notch, teasing him with unspoken promises.

Perhaps that’s what they needed. To let go of inhibitions and be their

true selves. Start with leather jackets in the brisk early evening and

154

Rhea Regale

see where the night led them.

Aya slid off the counter, her body pressed flush to Lenox’s.

Through her thin shirt she could feel every solid dip and curve of his

chest and abs, the power in his muscular legs, and the expansion of

his cock. Oh, how she loved him.

“Or…” Aya leaned into his chest and flicked her tongue at the

crest of his pecs, “we can just head on out now and let our wild side

lead us.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Aya grabbed his hand and led him to the glass sliders—Mase and

a couple of close pack mates helped replace it the day they brought

Lenox back home—and didn’t stop until they were jogging down the

hill encased by the forest. The cold air lapped at her face and bare

feet. Her arms tingled with goose bumps. The short wisps of her hair

curled beneath her chin and tickled her cheeks. She sucked in a deep

breath, reveling in the lightness of the air and the fragrant mixture of

earth, night, and pine that filled her lungs. Her wolf shivered, coming

awake within her spirit. Ah, yes. Nights in the wild were a wonderful