Embracing Carly

by Tianna Xander

  “What’s the matter?”

  The gentle touch of her palm on his arm was pure torture. He wanted to bring that hand to his mouth and kiss every finger. The urge to pull her to him and hold her tightly was almost a compulsion.

  How could he stay so close to her, see her, smell her, feel her, and not have her? It wasn’t any wonder his father had thrown caution to the winds and mated with his mother, no matter the cost. Still, in Bastien’s eyes, the price had been way too high.

  “Nothing. I was just thinking about—”

  “Please don’t tell me you’re thinking about what happened again. It was not your fault. How could you know Robert had followed me here?” She pulled on his arm to turn him toward her. “You didn’t even know he existed before then.”

  Bastien avoided looking at her hand on his arm. Carly might not realize it yet, but she was trusting him not to hurt her. She’d pulled on his arm. It was something he would bet she’d rarely, if ever, done with her ex.

  No, he hadn’t known the asshole had existed. But he still should have sensed the danger to his mate. Instead, Kyle and the others had had to tell him about it.

  Were his animal instincts becoming weak because he avoided shifting? He’d heard tales about were-beings who refused the change. Some said they died, others told stories of shifters weakening so much, they became almost like humans, no longer able to shift.

  Bastien didn’t want either to happen to himself. His ability to change his shape was useful. Perhaps he should start turning into his other self more often and see what happened. The pain he felt each time he shifted had become almost intolerable over the last year.

  His father had warned him that could happen. His dad had even reminded him that changing into his other self should cause nothing more than a slight tickle. Not the debilitating pain he felt every time he changed forms.

  “No,” he said, stepping away to rest his arms over a stall door. “I didn’t know he existed.” He turned his head, meeting her eyes. “Do you have any other secrets I should know about?”

  Carly shook her head. A lock of hair had worked its way loose from the long braid down her back and fell over her right eye, covering the yellow and green-hued bruise that still marred her cheek. She pushed it back impatiently.

  “I have no more secrets.” She put it simply. “He was the only one.”

  Bastien raised his brow, his focus still on her face, though she had lowered her eyes. “I’m sure you still have a few secrets. You can keep them to yourself as long as they don’t endanger you.” He sighed. “Everyone has secrets. I even have a few of my own.”

  That was the understatement of the century.

  CARLY WATCHED BASTIEN as he lifted his foot and placed it against the brace at the bottom of the stall door. Crossing his arms over the top, he stared at the opposite wall, his thoughts on something she couldn’t name.

  She could tell he had something on his mind yet wasn’t sure if she should ask what was wrong. Turning to make her way from the barn, she glanced back at the injured wolf.

  Since it wasn’t the one she’d hoped to find, Carly knew she should go back to the house. It looked as though Bastien needed some time to himself, anyway.

  “Don’t leave.”

  She stopped when she felt his hand on her arm, turned, and looked up into his eyes. His head lowered toward hers, and she stood frozen, unable to pull away or even think about what was about to happen.

  He was going to kiss her—she knew it. It was wrong. He was her boss, not her boyfriend. She should stop him before they reached a point of no return.

  Watching, she stood almost eagerly waiting for his mouth to cover hers and wondered how his kisses would feel.

  Butterflies took flight in her middle, and she placed her hands on his chest. He must have taken her touch as her consent to his advances. His arms slid around her shoulders, and he slanted his lips over hers.

  Carly’s knees grew weak as his embrace tightened. Sliding her hands up his chest, she wrapped her arms around his neck and thrust her fingers through his silky hair.

  After a moment, his lips left hers to trail over her jaw to the shell of her ear. Flames licked at her skin everywhere that he touched. She moaned at the sensation of his warm breath against her skin, and her knees buckled.

  Her mind clouded over. She could think of nothing, but the sensation of Bastien’s lips brushing over her neck and the way his powerful arms kept her from falling to the floor in a puddle at his feet.

  Too soon, he lifted his head and pulled away. Holding her at arm’s length until her legs grew steady, he took a deep breath and groaned.

  “You’re not ready for this.” He released her and turned away. After a moment, he busied himself with feeding the animals. “And if I continue, I won’t be able to stop. Go back to the house, Carly, before we do something we both might regret.”

  Ignoring the large bulge in his pants, Carly placed her fingers on her still tingling lips, then turned and ran from the barn before he changed his mind. He was right. She wasn’t ready. Not yet. There were still too many fears she needed to overcome. She wasn’t a fit partner for anyone until she could eradicate them all from her life.

  Carly parked her car in the garage and entered the house through the kitchen door. The room was dark and quiet. She paused as an aura of foreboding swept over her.

  Goosebumps rose on her skin, and the hair at the back of her neck stood on end. Something wasn’t right. Try as she might, she couldn’t put her finger on what could be wrong.

  Heavy footsteps sounded in the hallway, slowly growing closer to the kitchen where she stood trembling with fear—the sense of doom, of wrongness, built steadily with the sound of every approaching step. Soon, Robert walked into the room, covered in blood. A small lifeless body dangled from one ham-like fist.

  “No! Not Lady. Please, not my baby.” Carly sat up in her bed. The damp sheets twisted around her, holding her tied to the mattress. Frantically, she fought to free herself of the constraining material as if it were alive and holding her against her will.

  The door flew inward, smashing against the wall, and she screamed again, bringing her hands up to protect her face. The door hung precariously from one of its hinges as Bastien burst into the room, naked from the waist up.

  Carly’s eyes widened with fear, and she grabbed the thick comforter, pulling it up over herself. She sat trembling in her bed, waiting for him to yell at her for waking him up.

  “Are you okay? I heard you scream.” Bastien’s eyes surveyed the room quickly. Was he looking for a threat? Then he grinned sheepishly. “Oh, I’m sorry. Nightmare?”

  She nodded, still holding the covers up to her chin. Her face warmed, and her lips tingled when she remembered their earlier kiss. A part of her hoped for a repeat performance. Another, more spineless part, wished he would leave so she could put her thoughts back into perspective. She took a deep breath as he turned, part of her wanting him to go, part of her needing him to stay.

  Bastien walked back to the door and inspected it. After a brief pause, he grabbed it and jerked it the rest of the way off the hinges. “Sorry about that. But you screamed, and it was locked.” He shook his head and turned to look at her. “I’ll get someone out here as soon as possible to fix this. In the meantime, would you like another room?”

  “No. I love this room.” Because it was close to his, but she would never admit that to him. She could barely admit it to herself. “I think I can trust you by now.” She rested her hands against her burning cheeks. “I’m sorry about the locked door.”

  He put his hands in the pockets of his slacks, and the action drew Carly’s attention from his bare chest to the front of his pants. She looked away, her face growing hotter than ever. His pants were unzipped!

  Bastien looked down, hastily removed his hands from his pockets, tucked himself back in, and zipped up his pants. “Sorry. I put them on in a hurry.”

  Clearing her throat, she gathered every bit of her coura
ge to meet his gaze. “That’s understandable.” She settled back down on her pillow, still looking toward the broken door, and tried not to think about what she had seen in the gap of his fly.

  “Tell me, what would you have done if Robert had been in here?” She watched as his hands balled into fists, glad his anger wasn’t directed at her.

  “I would have torn him limb from limb. There is no greater sin for those in my family than to abuse a woman or child.” He grimaced. “Men like him should have been drowned at birth.” Then he grinned. “Or eaten by their mother.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Ew! That’s just gross!”

  He shrugged. “Maybe so. However, it would save beautiful women like you from falling prey to their good looks and false charm.”

  She blushed at the compliment. “You have those same characteristics, you know.”

  Bastien gave her a stricken look, placing a hand over his chest. “You cut me to the quick, Carly. My charm is genuine.”

  She laughed. “Thanks for the attempted rescue, the assault on my door, and for lightening the mood. I might be able to go back to sleep now.” She settled herself back under the covers and closed her eyes.

  Chapter Twelve

  Well, that was a subtle way of telling him to get out. However, it was effective, just the same. Bastien smiled, one side of his mouth curving up as he spun around.

  Reluctant to leave Carly to the mercy of her dreams, he went back to his room, closed the door, shucked off his jeans and crawled back into bed.

  Nothing could describe the dread he’d felt when he woke to the sound of his mate’s screams. Visions of her ex-husband abusing her again rushed through his mind. What if the asshole killed her? What if he didn’t make it to her in time to save her? Nothing had ever scared him so much in his life.

  Thank God he hadn’t frightened her so much she’d decided to pack up and leave. Breaking her door down could only prove he was as strong or stronger than her ex-husband, which wasn’t a good thing with her past filled with physical abuse.

  Male strength frightened Carly, and he couldn’t blame her a bit. From her reaction, she’d been through a lot—thanks to her asshole of an ex-husband. He only wished she would trust him enough to share with him what had happened to her while living under her husband’s sadistic thumb.

  Perhaps in time, she could come to trust him as a mate should. Until then, he could only be there to watch over her and let her know he would protect her no matter what. Rolling onto his back, he closed his eyes and reached for sleep.

  TWO DAYS LATER:

  A mournful howl and Kyle’s frantic barking drew Bastien’s attention as he grabbed the keys to one of his cars. He intended to take Carly to work.

  The barking seemed so frantic, he stepped out of the house, leaving the door open, and made his way toward the outbuildings.

  “Shit!” He ran to the wounded wolf lying just inside the door of the barn. It was missing part of its right front leg. “What the hell happened to you?” He rushed to the wash area and grabbed a towel to put pressure on the oozing stub. “Where have you been? I haven’t seen you in weeks.”

  The wolf licked his cheek.

  “I’m glad to see you, too, Papa,” he whispered, then turned toward the door. “Carly!”

  She ran out onto the porch. “Is something wrong?”

  “I have an injured wolf, here. I—” He stopped and looked down at his weakened father. No one should have to make the choice that faced him now. God, he didn’t want Carly driving herself to work anymore. What if her ex-husband waited for just such an opportunity and attacked her again? He closed his eyes. “I can’t drive you in today. You’re welcome to use one of the cars, as usual. But, for your safety, I wish you’d consider staying home.”

  She wandered closer and into the line of his peripheral vision. He tried to make out her expression without staring, unsure if it was fright or concern. She crept toward the barn, keeping her approach slow.

  “Do you—” She licked her lips and looked down at his wounded father from the doorway. “Do you need any help?”

  Relief and pride flooded him at the realization that her concern for another living thing could help her overcome her fear.

  “Yes. I need the bandages and antiseptic I’ve stored in the cupboard over there,” Bastien replied, pointing toward the medical supply area. Lifting the towel, he checked the wound. The bleeding had already slowed, but the grizzly wound still oozed.

  He leaned over his father and whispered, “What happened to you?” Bastien ran his hands over the wolf’s thin frame. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you looking so beat.” Or so thin and sickly, he thought.

  Half-starved and dehydrated, the wolf looked up into his eyes. Bastien’s heart stuttered at the sight of his father’s normally cheerful face staring back with such sorrow and fear.

  Images of a lab filled with people coming at him with cruel hands and faces filled his mind. There were tests, dozens of them, and bottles filled with tranquilizers. Syringes filled with a drug that eradicated his father’s control, forcing him to shift his shape, no matter how hard he tried to stop it.

  CARLY RETURNED, CARRYING the supplies, her arms overflowing with bandages, antiseptic, gauze and tape. She wasn’t sure how Bastien convinced these animals not to chew their dressings off, yet none of them had.

  Warily, she watched the caged beasts as she walked past. Each one sat up in their kennels and stared at her curiously. Swallowing her trepidation, she approached Bastien and the new wolf slowly, not wanting to startle the gravely injured animal.

  Bastien was on his knees beside the wolf. His expression was blank, his eyes vacant as he stared into the animal’s eyes.

  She rested her hand on his shoulder. “Bastien?”

  He stirred at her touch. Turning to her, he took the supplies and proceeded to clean and bandage the wound. “He was tortured.” Bastien growled low in his throat, showing her an anger she had previously thought him incapable of feeling.

  She stepped back and turned toward the door, every instinct telling her to run before he got violent.

  Remorse filled Bastien’s eyes when he obviously realized he’d frightened her. He looked torn between helping this new wolf and comforting her.

  “I’m not mad at you, baby. There are men who can be angry, they can even be angry with you, yet still not become violent or abusive. Please believe that.” He reached down to the wolf and gently stroked the graying muzzle. “Let’s carry Papa to the house.”

  Her face blazed at the endearment. It wasn’t the first time he’d ever called her anything but Carly. However, it was the first time he’d called her by a name that lent some sort of permanency to their relationship. It took her a moment to recover her senses. Then she realized what he had called the injured wolf.

  “Papa?” This wolf couldn’t possibly be someone’s lost pet, too. Could it? “This one has a name tag as well?”

  He cast the old wolf a fond gaze. “No, he’s not wearing a tag. I called him that because he’s old and obviously someone’s papa.” He rubbed the animal’s ears, then put a hand under the muzzle and lifted it. “Do you see the gray around his mouth? That shows he’s an old man, wise, and worthy of our respect.”

  The wolf snorted at that.

  Grinning, Bastien pulled gently on one ear, then patted the old wolf’s side. “Do you think you can help me carry him into the house?”

  She bit her lip and danced from foot to foot. “The house?” she squeaked. “He’s going to stay in the house?” What in the world for? He was an animal. Shouldn’t they stay in the barn?

  Bastien nodded. “This old wolf is going to need care throughout the night and he can’t stay out here by himself.” He gestured toward the pathetic looking creature. “Look at him. He is too weak to stay out here. He’s going to need constant care for several days, at least.”

  Carly took a deep breath. Closing her eyes for a moment, she thought about what he was asking of her, then opened
them and looked down at the wounded wolf.

  Someone had tortured this poor creature and even though she didn’t know those responsible, she somehow felt obligated to help him. Humans had done this to the poor animal, and humans would heal him. She refused to let his only experience with humans being nothing but torture.

  Nervously licking her lips, she squared her shoulders and looked over at Bastien. “What do you need me to do?”

  “There are saddle blankets in the tack room over there.” Bastien pointed toward a room in the front corner of the barn.

  Carly went for the blankets, relieved that she could go compose herself before handling the wolf.

  “It’s in the attic space above the ceiling. You won’t be able to reach it.” His gaze darted from her to the wolf. “Do you think you can stay here and make sure he doesn’t move?”

  “Um...” She felt the blood drain from her face and looked between them. “I—I guess I could try.”

  Bastien gave her a brilliant smile, then turned back to the wolf. “You be nice to her, Papa. And don’t scare her.”

  The wolf just looked up at him and groaned.

  Carly shook her head. “What are you, some kind of animal whisperer or something? You talk to these animals like they’re human.”

  “No, Carly, I talk to them like I know they understand me. Which they do.” He gave them both one last glance, then pointed at the injured wolf. “Be good,” was all he said before he left them alone.

  She settled down next to the huge wolf that resembled the one that had saved her from Robert. “You look a lot like another wolf I know,” she said, gingerly reaching out, and lightly stroking his fur. “I wonder if you’re related. He saved my life, you know. My ex-husband was trying to kill me.” She looked down at him with tears shimmering in her eyes. “What did I do to make him that way?”