by Roxy Wilson
“I don’t really care about that.”
“I know, and that makes you the perfect candidate. You can lead the pack and you can take care of the business and the trust fund that has been set up for the wolves. With you, they’ll all be safe and taken care of.”
“Don’t talk like that,” Roger replied. “Nothing will happen to you. We’ll make damn sure of that.”
Keran opened his mouth to speak, but his cell phone rang. The number was unknown. His heart hammered in his chest as he started at the digits that blinked on the screen. He had that feeling. Yes, it was them. He motioned to Martin and the recording machine was switched on. It was connected to his cell phone. He picked up the call. “Hello. Keran here.”
“Come tomorrow afternoon, alone, in the forest. Take your car from the house and leave for the western bank of the river. Leave your car at Banyan Point and follow the trail which you have often hiked on. If there is anyone with you, or if we get an inkling, you’re wearing some kind of a tracking device, the deal is off. Instead, you’ll find one finger from your son this very night and it will be delivered to your house.”
“Don’t touch him.”
“Then follow the instructions.”
The line went dead. Keran still held the phone to his ear. His gaze met Roger’s. The terrible, horrible dance had started and there was no looking back now. Finally, he shoved the phone into his pocket. “Make sure all the arrangements are clear. I don’t want to leave behind a mess for you. If there are any papers left, bring them over tonight,” he told his friend. “I want to make sure that nothing is out of place—when I’m not around.”
“Everything has been taken care of but I’ll go over again.” Roger stood and walked over to Keran. Placing a hand on Keran’s shoulder, he squeezed it. “We’re going to get them before they harm you or Justin. What did they say exactly?”
Although they could have listened to the recording, Keran told them the conversation word for word. “We can’t afford to take any chances, so I’ll not carry any electronic devices on me. No one will follow me.”
“We can put a device on the car,” Roger suggested.
“No point,” Martin declared. “We already know that he would be dropping off the car at one point. Shit. They seem to have planned for everything.”
“Where would they take me from the forest? They’re not living there.”
“Maybe they have a shack or a cottage up there,” Roger suggested.
Martin shook his head. “No one can live there. Well, technically, they can but it’s illegal. Its protected forest and the forest rangers would come down hard on anyone who was staying there. We have to assume that they will transport him from that place to another.”
“How would they transport him?”
“Car, truck, anything. Shit.” Martin ran a hand through his hair. “There are too many possibilities with this whole situation. Anything could go wrong. If they take you anywhere, we won’t be able to track you. What if they kill you and Justin?”
Keran’s heart stopped. His fear was only for his son. He didn’t want anything to happen to his boy, but of course it was all out of his hands. All he wanted was to save his son. If he needed to give his life to do that, then he was willing. “Justin has to come back.”
“And he will. And so will you,” Roger said. “Maybe we can hire a helicopter that can do surveillance in that area?”
“No, too dense. Anyone who is up there won’t be able to see anything, and the forest is too wide. They could enter from one place and exit from another that’s miles away. Keran, I’m afraid you’ll have to do it alone. If there’s any chance you get to contact us or to give us a signal that would be great but if you can’t—”
“We can’t just rely on something so absurd,” Roger snapped.
It was Keran’s turn to put his hand on Roger’s shoulder. “We’ve discussed this backwards and forward. They want me, and they’ll get me .There’s nothing else we can do. Right now, I want you both to go and get some rest. Roger, come back in the morning and we’ll go over the final plans for smooth transition of power into your hands. I don’t want those sons of bitches to get their greedy hands on one cent of my mine or the trust fund.”
“They won’t,” Roger assured him.
“Make sure you bring back all papers you need, so we can sign off on the deals,” he reminded his friend.
Martin and Roger left.
Keran remained alone in the study for some time. There was enough time to review and analyze the plan. A lot was left to chance. There wasn’t much they could do about it, but other than that, he felt prepared. Now that the end was near, he felt ready. He was strong, and that would serve him well, but he was going to be alone among a lot of enemies and there wasn’t much he could do about evening out the odds. Whatever happened, he would deal with it as it came.
He would get Justin out and that was the only thing that played in his mind. When he got out of his study, the light was on in the kitchen. Keran checked the time. It was already well past midnight. He walked into the kitchen but it was empty, so he switched off the lights. As an afterthought, he walked to the back door, opened it, and peered outside.
Devyn sat on the couch.
He hesitated. They’d already said too much, but there were things he wanted to say, and he wasn’t sure if he would get a chance again. He walked out onto the patio.
She glanced up at him.
He stood still, unsure how she would react to his presence.
“What happened?” she asked.
“Nothing.” He didn’t want to tell her. She would worry and he’d already caused her enough pain. “Why are you still up?”
She studied him. “You heard from them, didn’t you?”
He hesitated, but then nodded. “Yes. They want me to leave tomorrow.”
“But…” She closed her eyes and looked away.
Her reaction gave him the courage to walk over and sit next her. “There’s nothing else I can do to save him,” he said in a soft voice. His fingers longed to touch her, but Keran knew that if he did something like that now, she might get pissed.
She straightened her shoulders and then turned to face him. “You’ll take all the precautions you can, right?”
He didn’t want to tell her that there wasn’t much he could do. After all, the wolverines didn’t leave him with much choice. He nodded. “We will.”
Silence held sway on the patio. He didn’t know what to say. Her satiny mocha skin glowed in the dark, and he longed to touch her. For one last time. He wanted to feel her, wanted to experience the affection, the tenderness, the passion she’d showered on him so willingly before.
“I want you to come back with Justin,” she whispered.
“I’ll try my best.”
“You’ll do it, or else I’ll never forgive you.” She reached out with her hand and grazed her fingers against his cheek. “We have a lot to talk about.”
He wanted to promise her the world but of course, it wasn’t possible. Keran didn’t want to commit to anything he couldn’t adhere to. It was highly likely that he wouldn’t come back alive. “If there’s anything that can convince me to give my best effort, it’s the promise of more time with you. He drew in a deep breath and then expelled with a gush. “Devyn, I wish I had the words to tell you how sorry I’m for not trusting you. It was stupid of me. I—don’t have an excuse.”
“And you don’t need one.” She lowered her hand. “I realize that now. Your son was kidnapped, and you needed do everything you could possibly could to find him.”
He sighed. There was a lot left to say and he wasn’t sure if this was the right time, but he might never get an opportunity again, and he didn’t want to live with regrets. “Devyn, I love you.” He raised his hand to stop her from interrupting him, and then lowered it. “It’s a silly thing to say now when I don’t—I don’t know if I’ll have more time with you.” His fingers ached with the need to touch her. “Even though I tried my d
amndest to hate you when I thought you had a hand in my son’s kidnapping, I still couldn’t do it because my feelings for you run deep. They’re real.” He gave in to his impulses and reached out to caress her cheeks with his fingertips. “I love you, and the knowledge of that scared me.” He paused to run his hands over the edge of the couch as he gathered his thoughts.
Her face remained expressionless.
He couldn’t tell what she was thinking. He was probably making a fool of himself but what did he have to lose? “I’ve never felt like this with anyone else, not even Justin’s mother. And I think it was that realization that made me come down even harder on you because I was scared that my feelings were making me blind to the possibility that you could be one of those who took my son away from me.” He stopped talking. It was impossible to go on. He tried to read her expression, but was unable to do so. Emotions swirled in her eyes but he couldn’t make sense of them.
What is she thinking?
What does she feel?
Perhaps he made her uncomfortable with this talk. After all, not every woman wanted to be involved with a werewolf. Justin’s mother didn’t.
“Keran—”
He raised a hand and cut her off. “I’m sorry. This isn’t the time to talk about…” He cleared his throat. “Besides, I don’t even know if I’ll be here tomorrow. And I’m a werewolf, and I understand you wouldn’t want to tie yourself to someone like me.” The lancing pain that struck his jaw made him realize that he’d been clenching it. “Just forget I said anything.” He rose. Keran didn’t want to stick around. He’d already said too much. If he stayed, he would probably rant on, then reveal much more and then regret it. After all, it was pretty obvious she didn’t feel the same way. Just as he turned, she grabbed his hand. He stared down at their fingers that were locked together and something snapped in his heart.
If she had something to say, he wanted to hear it. But at the same time, he felt scared. This was his last chance to have a conversation with her and he didn’t want to hear something that would make him feel even worse than what he already felt. He wasn’t sure what she would say—and he wasn’t even sure if he wanted to know. Some things were best left unsaid. Would he regret sticking around to see what she wanted to say or else would this prove to be his salvation?
Keran waited. His breath quickened.
His life was almost over, but there was some hope in his heart. Would she extinguish it forever? Or would she give him a reason to beat the odds and come back?
Keran stood still and…waited.
Chapter Seven
His words shook her right down to the core of her soul. She never realized there could be such a serious misunderstanding between the two of them. Had she ever given him the impression that she wasn’t comfortable because he was a werewolf? She must have done something to invoke such a reaction. Devyn ran her fingers through her hair.
His gaze followed her movements.
“I’m not scared of you.” She chuckled. “Yeah, I’m not going to lie; the first time I saw you like that, I was a bit worried because I didn’t even know—about werewolves, but that isn’t the reason why I’m not—not interested, umm…”
His eyes narrowed. “The fact that I’m a werewolf doesn’t bother you?”
This conversation had taken on a different slant. Somehow, she didn’t think they were talking about the same thing. Why was he worried about this? “It doesn’t affect me at all.”
“I…” It was his turn to run his fingers through his hair.
She could see that something was happening but for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what it was.
“Justin’s mother was disgusted when she found out that I was a werewolf. Unfortunately, she was already pregnant with Justin. We—decided to get married but only because she wanted the baby to have my name. She was never quite okay with my—condition, as she liked to call it.”
“I’m sorry—”
“—When she realized Justin would be the same, she was beyond...miserable.” He looked away for a moment. “That night—when she took her car and drove off…” Keran shook his head. “She said she couldn’t deal with…things anymore.”
“You mean she was leaving both of you?”
“Yeah. She planned to get a lawyer and get a divorce, and she didn’t want custody of Justin, since she didn’t think she would be able to handle a young werewolf. The accident was—terrible. She died on the spot.” A pained expression crossed his face. “I’ve never been able to forgive myself for it.”
She reached for his hand and clasped it in hers. How could she not comfort him during this pain? “It wasn’t your fault.”
“It was. I was young and reckless. When I started dating her, I didn’t tell her. The code of ethics we maintained forbids us from talking about ourselves to people who aren’t aware. Eventually, I would have told her, but then she got pregnant…and I guess things got out of control. If I hadn’t ruined her life, she would be alive today.”
Does he still love his wife? “You didn’t ruin her life. I can understand her being shocked when she found about who you really are, but she could have chosen to give you the baby and stay away rather than try to fake a marriage. She could have tried harder to be there for her child. I’m sure you loved her—”
“I didn’t love her. Maybe I thought I did, but when we were married, I realized that apart from creating a son together, we didn’t have anything else in common.” Keran shook his head “We didn’t even care about each other. Still, I blame myself. I was eight years older than her, I—”
“It’s time to stop beating yourself up about it. Her death was unfortunate, but it wasn’t your fault. Does Justin know she didn’t want him?”
Keran shook his head. “No, I never told him.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you didn’t.”
They were both silent for a while.
Devyn realized she was still holding his hand, and she let go.
He gazed down at her hand but didn’t make any attempt to grip it.
Did he really think she didn’t want a relationship with him because he was a werewolf? Since they were exchanging secrets, maybe it was time she shared hers. “I—um. I c-can’t have children,” she blurted out.
“What?” His stare was incredulous.
She couldn’t look him in the eye. She’d never told this to anyone, but she felt compelled to share this with him. If he could tell her such painful facts about his life, then surely she could tell him things that affected her.
"I've struggled with medical issues. For my thyroid, I was on heavy medication for eight years, but I am medicine free now. The doctors...have told me that it wouldn't be advisable for me to conceive children. I love kids, and that's why I chose this profession. It gives me an opportunity to be around children, and to be a part of their growing up years. It’s the only experience I will ever have to be a mother.”
He reached forward and cupped her cheek for one, brief moment. “It doesn’t make you less of a woman.”
Tears sprang to her eyes but she willed them not to fall. Devyn had made her peace with that aspect of her life, but yes, it made it difficult for her to get into a relationship. She was forced to tell the men she dated right from the start and most of them didn’t want to start with her baggage. Sure, they didn’t want a commitment, but they didn’t want to be with someone who couldn’t ever have kids. She’d been rejected a couple of times and learnt her lesson. “No, I suppose it doesn’t. But it also doesn’t make you less of a man because you’re a werewolf.”
Keran smiled a heart-stopping smile. “I guess you’re right. In a way, we’re both imperfect, but we’re perfect for each other.”
Her gaze was drawn to his handsome face. What was he talking about? Was he really serious? “I…”
He grabbed both her hands.
The contact was enough to make her burn with need.
“Devyn, I love you. I really do. I made a terrible mistake wh
en I doubted your love for my boy, when I thought you could’ve been involved in one way or the other with his kidnapping. It’s hard for you to forgive me, but I hope you can. Now there’s no time for us to be together—I will be gone tomorrow, but I don’t want you to hate the memory of me.”
“I couldn’t ever hate you.” She licked her bottom lip. “I love you.”
His gaze was questioning. “You do?”
“Yes, I do. I tried to hate you for blaming me for what happened to Justin, but I couldn’t. I love you, and I don’t want you to go. Of course, I know you have to. You must do whatever is necessary to protect Justin, but I wish—I just wish things could be different.”
He ran a hand over her cheek. “Me too.”
Her skin burned when he touched her. They both stared at each other. The heat and the need were there but coupled with it was love. Nothing was going to change that. Yes, he wouldn’t be around tomorrow and she wasn’t sure if she would see him again, but they had tonight, and Devyn didn’t want to waste it. She might never get any time with him in the future, and the realization of that damn near killed her.
But she had this night.
And there was a lot they could do to make the most of it.
When she leaned forward, he met her half-way. Their lips fused together and the kiss was hot and passionate. Her arms wound around his neck as she clung to him in desperation and in love. He was her man, and she would do anything for him. If she could spend this time with him, then she was willing to take whatever little the fate threw in their direction. His tongue dove into her mouth to twist and tangle with hers. Passion was a liquid need in her veins. It burned and sizzled. She tasted him, inhaled the male scent of him, and considered herself lucky that she could have him, albeit for a short time.
When his fingers fiddled with the buttons on her pajama top, she allowed him to have his way. The shirt came off and his hands cupped her bra-clad, heavy breasts. Everywhere he touched her, she came alive. His touch infused her with life. When he nibbled his way down the column of her throat, she leaned back to give him better access. His lips trailed a line of kisses down to her collarbone while he removed her bra. His mouth closed on a swollen, needy nipple. When his tongue swept over it, a low moan escaped her lips.
