by Ruby Shae
“You have a lot of nerve coming around here,” Ryker yelled from the bottom of the stairs. “She’s not here, so quit banging on the door.”
His whole world seemed to tip on its axis as he turned and studied Ryker. The man was tense, angry, and ready for a fight, and Nate knew his instincts had been right.
Something was wrong.
“Where is she?” he asked, descending the stairs. “We had a date.”
“She’s gone,” Ryker growled. “It doesn’t matter where.”
“The hell it doesn’t,” Nate snarled. “Where the fuck is she?”
The two men stood toe-to-toe, neither one backing down.
“Fuck you,” Ryker growled again. “You lost the right to know anything about her when you fucked another woman, asshole. Now get off my property, and don’t come back.”
“Wait…what?” Nate asked. He relaxed a fraction, and took a step back. “What are you talking about?”
“Riley conned me into closing last night so she could see you,” Ryker spat. “When she got to your house, she saw you hugging a tall, blond woman on the porch, and then she watched you guide the woman inside and close the door.”
“That’s my sister,” Nate sighed. “My family showed up unexpectedly last night, and the blonde is my sister, Sara. I called Riley and left her several messages explaining the situation. Did she listen to them? Why didn’t you tell her how ridiculous it sounded for me to be cheating?”
It was Ryker’s turn to sigh.
“Because, she seemed so sure, and I didn’t want her to get hurt again.”
“What happened with her ex?” Nate asked.
“She didn’t tell you?”
“No,” Nate said. “All I know is that he forced sex, and now he’s dead. I have feeling there’s more to the story.”
“We’d better go inside,” Ryker said.
The two men walked in the back door of Polar Bliss and Nate waited as Ryker seemed to make up his mind about something.
“She’s going to be angry with me,” Ryker said, “but I think you need to know at least a little bit about what happened.
“About three years ago, Riley started dating this guy, Jack. Right from the start, Ridge and I didn’t like him, but that didn’t matter because Riley did. At first he was civil, though his dislike of us was obvious, but we both agreed that it was great to see her happy again. A couple of years before all this happened, my youngest brother, Reid, had separated himself from us, and we rarely saw him. Reid and Riley are only two years apart, and they’d always been close, but during this time, though he still lived in town, he’d basically cut her off completely.
“So, when she started dating, Ridge and I stepped back and let her have a bit of freedom. Her happiness didn’t last long, and probably almost from the beginning, she started to drift away from us, too. Still, we were trying to be supportive, not realizing that she’d been...”
“Been what?” Nate asked. “What did he do?”
“Verbal abuse for a couple of months, and then he somehow found out about her bear. He’d threatened to kill us, and even though that sounds absurd, she’d believed him. His terror escalated into physical abuse, and then one night she was just gone. Later, we found out he’d been trying to force her to have sex, and she’d been avoiding being alone with him because of it. Eventually, he kidnapped her, took her to a cabin he owned in the woods, tied her up, and…”
Nate waited patiently for Ryker to regain his composure. It wasn’t often an alpha lost control, but a mate, child, or close family member could cause such a loss. Even though he was her brother, Ryker had basically raised Riley as his own, and their family had a strong bond.
“Sorry,” Ryker said. “He’d cut her. Once on her face, and once across the stomach. It seemed like he’d been trying to gut her, but maybe the blade wasn’t sharp enough. Later, we found out he’d forced himself on her, too, but he was already gone by then.”
“What happened?” Nate asked.
“He was mauled by a bear, and an unknown arson set his cabin on fire.”
“Just one bear?” Nate questioned, willing the man to trust him. He asked as a wolf shifter, and mate to Riley, not as the sheriff.
“Two bears,” Ryker admitted.
Nate nodded.
Based on the scars, both mental and physical, he’d put most of the puzzle pieces together, but it was nice hearing the truth. He wished Riley would have told him, instead of Ryker, but he knew she never would. She believed his love would somehow wane if he ever learned the truth about her past.
“I’d put a lot of it together myself, but thank you for trusting me,” Nate said. “She thinks I won’t want her anymore if I know, and I don’t know how to change that, but I’ll keep trying. Where is she?”
“I think she went to Charity,” Ryker said. “She was gone when I got up this morning, and she left her phone, so I’m not sure, but my brother Reid and his mate, Jillian, are living there until summer. Jillian is Riley’s best friend, and her relationship with Reid is better now, so it makes since. He’s supposed to call me if she shows up, which should be in about an hour or so, if she doesn’t stop anywhere.”
“That makes sense,” Nate agreed. “I’ll leave now, and you can call me if you hear anything. Warn Reid he’s about to have a wolf at his door, but ask him not to tell Riley. She’ll run if he does.”
“You’re right,” Ryker said. “She will. Good luck.”
You’re going to need it.
Nate was surprised Ryker didn’t say the words, but he might as well have. Riley ran because she wanted to get away, and she wouldn’t be happy when he showed up on her brother’s doorstep.
Too bad for her, he didn’t care.
Based on her brutal past, he understood her fear, but he wasn’t her ex. He was her mate, and her blatant lack of trust had left him hurt and angry. He planned to find her, tell her about his sister, give her a phone, and then turn around and leave her behind.
She could stay with her brother for as long as she wanted, but he wouldn’t let her get away with ignoring him.
Chapter Six
Riley sat on the couch and held her best friend’s hand as they both watched Reid on the phone with Ryker. Jillian rubbed her back, and whispered words of encouragement, but all three of her brothers were outraged.
Not only had she left home without a word to Ridge or Ryker, but she’d left her cell behind. No one had been able to contact her for eight whole hours, and they were going crazy. In hindsight, it had been stupid not to take her phone, but there was nothing she could do about it now. At the time, she’d only been thinking about how to avoid Nate; safety, or contacting her brothers, hadn’t crossed her mind.
Jillian and Reid had been relieved to see her, but after waiting on her for most of the day, Reid had been fuming. They’d expected her hours ago, and she’d only been in their apartment a little over thirty minutes.
Instead of driving straight to Charity, she’d stopped and had breakfast at a pancake house far from Longmeadow, and then she’d shifted and ran for nearly an hour. Her bear had been edgy and demanding, and the same thing had happened at lunch. A drive that could have been done in five hours had taken her over eight, and her whole family had been worried.
Reid had yelled seconds after he’d ensured her safety, then he’d forced her to call Ryker and her older brother had yelled as well. When she’d asked about Ridge taking a turn, Ryker growled and she’d passed the phone back to Reid. His side of the conversation was full of grunts and growls while they discussed her as if she weren’t even in the room.
Out of the three alpha males, two of them had already yelled at her, and the magnitude of what she’d done weighed heavy on her shoulders. She’d driven across an entire state, and shifted twice, alone. If something had happened, no one would know until it was too late.
She appreciated Jillian’s calm, soothing presence, but she was having a hard time holding back the tears. She’d run to get away from ever
yone and everything, but she hadn’t meant to hurt her family.
Reid hung up the phone, but before he could lay into her again, something hit the door so hard it rattled on the hinges. It took her a minute to realize the sound was someone knocking, but Reid crossed the room as if he’d expected to see an angry wolf on the other side.
Nate must have talked to Ryker.
“Is she here?” Nate growled.
In response, Reid stepped back and opened the door wider until she came into view. Nate scowled, but he didn’t enter the apartment.
“Nate…” she whispered his name.
“Oh, good,” he scolded, “you’re safe.”
He was completely in control of his emotions, but she knew his rage was close to the surface.
“I didn’t cheat on you, Riley, not that I ever could,” Nate lectured. “Even though I haven’t marked you yet, we’ve bonded, and nothing will ever change that. My family flew in for a surprise visit to meet you, and the woman you saw me hugging was my sister. If you had listened to any of my messages, you would have known that. I’m staying at the Rosepoint Resort tonight, and going back to Longmeadow in the morning. I’ll call you before I leave, but do not leave here until you hear from me. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” she said, blinking back the tears again.
“Thank you for taking care of her,” he said, facing Reid.
Reid nodded and Nate turned and left.
Somewhere, deep down inside, she’d known the truth all along, but fear had guided her actions instead of common sense. Through fear, she’d convinced herself that because she’d let him touch her, Nate had moved on and found someone else. Of course, his actions had proved otherwise.
Multiple times.
He’d been protecting her since day one, but the fear had somehow manipulated those thoughts, too. Her bear had even tried to guide her in the right direction, but she hadn’t listened to her animal either. There was a reason the beast had been edgy and demanding for most of the day.
She was so tired of being afraid.
And alone.
Nate had proved to be her perfect partner, and she’d abandoned him at the first sign of trouble. She hated the fact that she wasn’t stronger for him, but she vowed to try harder. If she didn’t, she could lose him, and therefore lose a piece of herself.
She couldn’t let that happen.
“I have to go after him,” she said, standing.
“You just got here,” Reid said. “Let’s get something to eat, and give him a chance to cool down.”
“No, it has to be now,” Riley said, crossing the room. “I can’t lose him.”
Reid narrowed his eyes and looked at her for a full minute before speaking.
“You love him,” he said, finally.
“Yes,” she admitted. “Very much, and I know he loves me, too.”
“How does it feel?”
“Scary,” she laughed. The tears she’d been holding onto finally escaped, but they didn’t fall in sadness. Each drop was full of joy, hope and love. “Amazing, but scary.”
“You’d better go get him, then,” Reid said.
He hugged her tight, nearly cutting off her air, but she didn’t care. She didn’t get to hug him near enough. When Reid finally let her go, Jillian closed her arms around her.
“I’m so happy for you,” Jilly said. “Please keep us posted, and don’t leave without telling us. If you stay a few days, let’s have dinner so we can know him under better circumstances.”
Riley nodded, gave her brother’s hand a squeeze, and walked out into the courtyard.
For the first time in three years, she finally felt…free.
***
Riley took a deep breath and tried to still her rapidly beating heart. The adrenaline coursing through her body was better than any caffeine high, but she didn’t want to appear too giddy. She knew Nate would need more than a few minutes to overcome his anger.
She knocked on the door, and he opened it a second later. His face was set in a frown, but he wordlessly stepped back and allowed her to enter his suite.
He was still angry, but as she entered the room more fully, she realized two important things.
One, while she didn’t want to face his temper, she wasn’t afraid of the man. It wouldn’t matter how loud or long he barked at her for disappointing him, she knew he would never hurt her body, mind or heart.
The second, and most important insight, was the fact that Nate loved her, too. He didn’t stay with her because he had no choice, he stayed because he wanted to. They were mates, true, but that didn’t mean he was stuck with nature’s choice. Though he’d never said the words, she knew he stayed because he loved her.
“Have you eaten?” he asked.
“No, but I’m okay for now,” she said.
“Okay,” he nodded. “I’m going to take a shower, and then let’s order room service. Look at the menu and decide what you want before I’m done.”
Without waiting for her response, he turned on his heel and disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
Shutting her out.
Hell no!
She had to do something to prove her love.
Now.
And she knew exactly how to do it.
Without hesitation, she stood, crossed the room, and let herself into the bathroom.
Steam filled the oversized room, but it couldn’t hide the beautiful design.
The tile floor lead to a pebbled alcove that housed a large, two-person tub built into the floor, and an open shower behind a rock covered wall.
Reid stood under the spray with his head hanging low, and both hands on the wall for support. The water hit the nape of his neck and sluiced down his firm, muscular back and ass. He looked tired and worn out, and she knew she was to blame.
“Not now,” Nate said.
Of course, he would have sensed her presence the moment she’d walked into the room. He was pulling away from her, and she couldn’t bear it.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I should have trusted you.”
“It’s okay. I understand why you did what you did. Ryker told me about your ex.”
Ryker had told him? No wonder he’d been pulling away. The things she had tried to keep hidden were exposed.
“Tomorrow morning, I’m going to get you a temporary phone, check all the fluids in your car, and then go back home. You can stay with Reid for as long as you like, but don’t make the trip home without letting me know before you leave.”
Her old fears resurfaced…for about a minute…and she took a deep, calming breath. He wasn’t pushing her away, he was giving her the space he thought she needed.
She’d had enough space to last her a lifetime.
She slipped out of her shoes and undressed quickly, leaving her clothes in a neatly folded pile on the counter, and then she padded across the room and joined Nate behind the rock wall. He hadn’t moved from his position under the spray, and when she placed her hand on his back, he flinched.
“Riley…”
“I love you,” she said.
He whipped around to face her and froze.
He’d clearly not expected her to be naked, and her face flamed as he studied her body. It was flawed, even without the scars, but his eyes held nothing but heat. It was obvious he wanted her.
“You’re sure?” he asked, his voice more wolf than man.
“I’m sure.”
He stepped toward her, placed his hand on the nape of her neck, and covered her lips with his own. Unlike the sweet, gentle, chaste kisses they usually shared, this kiss was a claiming.
He licked her lips, and when she parted them, he shoved his tongue inside her mouth. His hands moved to both sides of her face, and he took another step closer and deepened the kiss. He explored every crevice of her mouth, and with each stroke of his tongue, sparks of lightning raced to her core.
When he finally pulled away, he grabbed her lower lip between his teeth and growled. Th
ey were both breathing heavy, and she liked knowing he was as excited as she was. Suddenly, he kneeled down, grabbed her thighs and threw her over his shoulder.
She half-screamed and half-laughed hysterically as he clamped an arm around her thighs, just above the knee. She kicked her lower legs for fun, and to test his hold, but she knew he wouldn’t drop her.
“Turn off the water,” he said.
She reached out and turned the water off, and then placed her palms on his glorious ass cheeks as he carried her to the bed. Her hair had gotten wet when she’d reached for the handle, but other than that, she was nearly dry. Nate, however, was dripping from head to toe.
He dropped her on the mattress, sideways, and pushed her backward until her long, black hair hung off the other side. Then he crawled on top of her and settled between her legs. Their lips met again, and she closed her legs around him. His dick rubbed against her clit, and she tried to hold him in place and use the friction to make her fly.
Nate wouldn’t let her cheat.
He scooted down her body and sucked one hard nipple into his mouth. He swirled his tongue around her areola, and then scrapped his teeth across her nipple, causing her to cry out. Her pussy wept and contracted for him, and she felt her essence spill out of her cunt.
Nate switched to her other nipple and gave it the same, grueling attention.
“Nate, please,” she begged, and she didn’t even care. She had a feeling she’d always be begging where he was concerned. Funny, it didn’t bother her like it had two days ago.
“Please what, baby?” He asked, sliding down her stomach.
She stilled as he licked her scar, and then squirmed beneath him.
“Oh, shit!”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, looking up at her.
“Um, can you do that again? Lick my scar?”
One side of his mouth turned up in a wolfish grin, and he licked the scar again.
Holy hell, she could probably come from that alone. Who would have guessed that her scar was an erogenous zone?
