Blood Wolf Dawning

by Rhyannon Byrd

  I’ll never forget that hot little mouth of hers, his wolf snarled, baring its fangs at him. Could gladly kill you for pushing her away today.

  Yeah, he had to agree with the jackass on that one. But he hadn’t had any other choice. If he hadn’t pulled away from her, he’d have ended up screwing her beautiful little brains out in the middle of a rest area while he marked the shit out of her throat, and then everything would have gone to hell so fast it left his head spinning. And the results would be just as bad for her, seeing as how she would have been stuck with him. No matter how badly he wanted her in his bed, he wasn’t so much of a bastard that he would ruin her life that way just for the sake of his dick.

  Not that the idea wasn’t tempting, because, hell, it was Sayre, and he wanted her in ways he still didn’t even fully understand. Ways he refused to look at too closely, convinced he wouldn’t like what he found.

  Jillian was the first to reach them as she hurried away from Jeremy’s side and grabbed her little sister up in a crushing embrace. “Ohmygod, I’ve missed you so much,” she said in a broken rush, while Sayre hugged her back.

  “Me, too,” she whispered, and he could hear the tears she was holding back in those quiet words. Sayre raised up on her tiptoes and hugged her sister even tighter, and while it no doubt made him a perv, he couldn’t help but notice the way her shorts had hiked up with the action, revealing even more of her smooth, sleek thighs.

  And he wasn’t the only one who’d noticed.

  Turning his head back toward the group, he caught the way the mercs, as well as Max and Elliot, were checking her out, and had to choke back the sudden urge to snap at them with his jaws. But while he hated it, he couldn’t fault them for their primitive interest, given that they were hot-blooded males and she was the embodiment of lush, guileless femininity. A sensual feast to each and every single one of a man’s senses, and he couldn’t help but wonder which of them had knowledge of that firsthand. Given his reputation, it made him a complete and total bastard, but he wanted to know which ones had stroked and tasted her and made her come. Which ones had touched what was his, and enjoyed her in the ways he’d never been able to allow himself to do before.

  Damn it, he’d barely managed to get through kissing her today without seriously screwing it up, and he knew he needed to get a white-knuckled grip on himself before the next time. And there would definitely be a next time. No way in hell could he keep his hands off her now.

  “It’s good to have you back, scamp,” Jeremy drawled, pulling Sayre into a hug when Jillian had finally released her, the healer’s eyes damp with tears as she smiled at them.

  While Sayre spoke with Jeremy, Cian stepped back to give them some space, and the others obviously took that as their cue to move in closer.

  “That’s an awfully nice ride you’ve got there,” Lev murmured, grinning like a jackass. “One might think you were trying to impress someone with it.”

  Kyle laughed. “I doubt a guy with Hennessey’s reputation needs a fancy car to impress a girl.”

  “Yeah, that’s right,” the blond merc drawled, with a certain edge to his voice that spelled trouble. “He was the tomcat of the wolves, wasn’t he?”

  Max muttered for them both to shut up, shooting Cian a cautious glance. The kid was worried he’d lose his cool with the mercs, but he wasn’t going to get into an argument over his reputation in front of Sayre. He didn’t need to have that tossed in her face, and he knew exactly why the cocky mercenary had started in on him. Slivkoff had been close to Sayre before Cian had left, and from the way he kept stealing looks at her, he was interested in getting even closer. And that didn’t sit well with him. Especially given how the guy’s golden good looks and unusual blue-green eyes, not to mention his shit ton of muscles, never failed to make him popular with the ladies. Hell, he could have given Cian’s rep a run for its money, and he was just about to pull the merc aside and explain why it would be in Lev’s best interest to stay away from Sayre, when Jeremy slapped him on the shoulder, a little harder than a friendly clap, and told him they were all heading over to Brody and Mic’s place for some dinner.

  Given that it would mean spending an hour or two with a group of guys who were clearly lusting after his woman, along with two of his former friends who were pissed at him for the way he’d walked out on them, dinner was the last thing that Cian wanted to suffer through. But Sayre was already walking away with her sister, and there wasn’t a chance he was letting her go without him. So he sucked it up, gave Jeremy a tight smile and followed after her, figuring this was going to be about as much fun as having a tooth pulled.

  But it actually didn’t turn out that bad. The steak and baked potatoes were better than anything he’d had in a long while, aside from Sayre’s stir-fry, and even though things were strained with Brody and Jeremy, they didn’t spend the entire time telling him to go screw himself. He ended up taking a seat off in a corner of the room, and let himself simply enjoy watching Sayre interact with her family and friends in a way he knew she hadn’t been able to do in years. He watched her carefully, looking for any signs of pain or distress, but she seemed to be doing fine so far. She maybe looked a little overwhelmed by all the noise and conversation, seeing as how she’d been on her own for so long. But he was relieved she was holding up all right, even if it did make him a little uneasy.

  It wasn’t that he wanted her to suffer. That was the last damn thing that he wanted. But he couldn’t get rid of the unsettling feeling that something wasn’t quite right. That there had to be an explanation for why she was handling things so well, and the knot in his gut hinted that it might not be one that he liked.

  As the others finished off the meal with coffee and cake, she stood by the empty fireplace, talking with Max, Lev and Sam. He still needed to warn the males to watch themselves where she was concerned, but figured it would have to wait. They’d had a hell of a day, and he’d noticed Sayre trying to hide a few yawns, which meant it was time to call it a night and get his woman out of there.

  He shook his head at himself for still thinking of her as his, seeing as how he’d never done anything but push her away. But the wolf in him couldn’t think of her as anything but something that belonged to him.

  And the man in him just wanted... Hell, he didn’t know what he thought or felt or wanted anymore, other than to keep her safe, no matter the cost.

  He crossed the room, caught her eye and motioned for her to join him. She said something to the guys, then came over to him, her expression difficult to read, which didn’t make him feel any better. Was she angry? Tired? Irritated that he’d taken her away from her friends? He didn’t know, and that just made him feel even edgier, as if he were already losing control of the situation.

  “What’s up?” she asked.

  “I think it’s time to call it a night. You’ve had a long day and should get some rest.”

  “You’re probably right,” she agreed with a soft, easy smile that should have warned him she was up to something. “I’ll go with Jilly and see you in the morning.”

  She’d already started to turn away from him, but he stopped her by taking hold of her arm. “What the hell, Sayre? I thought you understood that you’re staying with me.”

  She blinked up at him, that pink, sin-inspiring mouth suddenly pressed flat with irritation. “Not if you’re staying in your cabin, I’m not.”

  His brows knitted with frustration. “What do you have against my cabin?”

  Michaela’s dry voice cut into their quiet argument, making it clear that she’d been eavesdropping from her nearby spot on the sofa, while Brody sprawled at her side with his arm draped over her shoulders. “Use your head, Cian. I doubt Sayre wants to bunk down in the place where you did most of your entertaining. That’s asking a bit much, isn’t it?”

  He stiffened, the urge to argue and defend himself instantly building. But wha
t could he say? The beautiful Cajun had spoken nothing more than the truth, and he made a silent vow to thank her for making him look like a prick. He knew Mic cared about him as a friend, and was grateful for the way she’d helped him find Sayre. But she also loved her husband beyond anything, and was no doubt angry as hell with him for cutting off Brody like he had.

  Giving Mic his back, he focused completely on Sayre. “If not my cabin, then where are we meant to stay?”

  Jeremy came over and clapped him on the shoulder again, not quite as hard as the last time, but still enough to jar his teeth. “Mic’s just razzing you. I mean, yeah, we all agree with what she said. But your cabin isn’t exactly how you left it.”

  Cian scowled, not liking where this was headed. “What the hell does that mean?”

  Though Jeremy tried to play it cool, Cian could tell something was up. The sparkle in the guy’s hazel eyes was making him worry, and he gritted his teeth as Jeremy told him, “When we didn’t hear from you for an entire year, we tossed your things into storage up in town and redid the place. We’ve used it as a guesthouse for the past four years.”

  Irritation shot through him like the searing slice of a blade. “You turned my cabin into a damn bed-and-breakfast?”

  Ignoring him, Jeremy looked at Sayre. “I swear the place has been stripped and repainted. Even the furniture is new.”

  “Son of a bitch,” Cian snarled, but no one was paying him any attention.

  They were too busy heading out the front door, and taking his woman with them.

  * * *

  Cian was still cursing under his breath about meddlesome assholes as they walked across the grass-covered Alley, and Sayre had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Without saying a word, she climbed up the front porch steps of his cabin, caught between embarrassment that everyone knew what had been bothering her about staying there with him, and relief that they weren’t going to have to bunk down with her sister and brother-in-law. She loved Jilly and Jeremy like crazy, but she wasn’t sure how much interaction with others she could take before needing some space. She was doing fine for the moment, but was still cautious and didn’t want to push her luck.

  The others left her and Cian to make their way inside on their own, and she could have sworn she heard Jeremy snickering under his breath as he and Jillian headed back to their place after hugging her good-night. She wondered just how bad it could be as Cian used his old key to unlock the door and walked in. Moving to his side, she heard his swift intake of breath as he flicked on a light, and she swept the room with a glance, then looked over at him. The expression of horror on his face was so hilarious she had to spin away, using the excuse of shutting the front door as she tried not to burst into choked gales of laughter.

  Gone were the rustic furnishings, cream walls and gleaming hardwood floors. Everything had been redone in a brilliant shade of shamrock green, from the upholstery on the furniture to the carpet and the paint on the walls. It looked like some kind of psychotic nightmare—one where a demented leprechaun had thrown up all over the room—and she had to silently commend the creative nature of their revenge.

  As if he’d been listening in on her thoughts, he shoved both hands back through his hair and said, “I can’t believe they were so angry at me that they actually spent money on all this shit. Jesus.”

  “It’s, um, interesting, I’ll give them that. But maybe they thought you’d like it.”

  He sent her a get-real look. “They knew damn well that I’d hate it, Sayre. You know that as well as I do.”

  “If you don’t like Ireland,” she murmured, pushing her hands in her pockets, “then why do you live there?”

  “This isn’t Ireland,” he growled, running his tongue over the edge of his teeth as he looked from one eyesore to another. “This is the seventh circle of Hell.”

  “So then you do like Ireland? Is that where your family lives? Is that why you moved to Dublin?”

  He grunted in response, then rolled one of those muscular shoulders. Apparently, that was the only answer he was going to give her, and she held back a frustrated laugh. He took stubborn to a whole new level when it came to being closemouthed about his past, but she was willing to cut him some slack, since there were things she didn’t want to tell him, either.

  When a soft knock came on the front door, he muttered something under his breath as he stalked down the hallway, leaving her to see who it was. She smiled when she found Jillian standing on the front porch, and stepped outside to join her, leaving the door open so that she could see when Cian came back down the hall. Judging by his reaction to the living room, he was probably searching the rest of the cabin to see what else they’d done to it. It was either that, or he’d scented Jillian on the other side of the door and decided to give them some privacy.

  “First off,” Jillian said with concern, keeping her voice low enough that they couldn’t be overheard, “how are you feeling?”

  Sayre crossed her arms over her chest to ward off the slight chill in the air. “So far, so good. There’s...I don’t know how to describe it. I’m tuned in to everyone’s energy, but it’s not overwhelming me. At least not yet.”

  As a wave of relief spread across her beautiful face, Jillian nodded. “That’s good. Maybe you’re learning to control it.”

  A slight shrug lifted her shoulders. “Or it could be that there simply aren’t that many people here at the moment.”

  “Maybe,” Jillian murmured, tucking a long strand of blond hair behind her ear. “But promise you’ll let me know the moment you start to feel that it’s too much. Please don’t keep it to yourself.”

  “Stop worrying, Jilly. I’m a big girl.”

  “I know that. But...God, Sayre. What are you doing?”

  Not really wanting to have this conversation, she deliberately misinterpreted the question. “Um, I’m pretty beat, so I was planning on getting ready for bed.”

  Her sister didn’t look amused. “You know I meant with Cian.”

  Softly, knowing her sister was only looking out for her because she cared, she asked, “Is that really any of your business? You know I love you. But there are some things that should be private, don’t you think?”

  “If he was committed to you, then yes. But that’s not the feeling that I’m getting from the two of you.”

  With a lopsided grin on her lips, she said, “Can’t a girl just be in it for a good time?”

  Jillian didn’t so much as crack a smile. “Some girls, yes. But...that’s never been you. And with the male who’s your life mate? This is a recipe for disaster, Sayre. You know that.”

  “Maybe. Probably.” She tilted her head a bit to the side, willing her sister to understand. “But what’s my other choice, Jillian? Go through life never knowing how incredible it is to experience what the rest of you enjoy on a daily basis?”

  Shaking her head, Jillian argued, “Sex without love is different than being with the person who holds your heart, Sayre.”

  “And you know this how?” she asked with an arched brow, fully aware that her sister had never been with anyone but Jeremy.

  But Jillian wasn’t going to concede her point so easily. “I know from watching others.”

  “Well, even if you’re right, you don’t need to worry about me.” Trying to look strong, she lifted her chin and straightened her spine. “I know what I’m doing.”

  “I just don’t want to see you get hurt. Either physically or emotionally. You’ve been hurt enough by all this.” Jillian blinked, and Sayre hoped like hell she wasn’t about to cry, because then she’d cry right along with her. “I can’t help but feel like I’ve lost you.”

  “Maybe this will help me,” she said gently. “Maybe I can actually get to the point where I can function normally. Then I could come home, and maybe even start a life with someone else.” But they would
have to be human. She wouldn’t risk depriving another Lycan of their life mate.

  Though she’d tried to be convincing, she could tell by her sister’s expression that Jillian wasn’t buying it. “I’m worried for you.”

  “I know,” she whispered. “But you don’t need to be. Really, Jillian. Just trust me, okay?”

  “I’m afraid that’s easier said than done. And not because I don’t think you’re equipped to handle whatever life throws at you. I just... I don’t trust Cian not to break your heart.”

  She shot a quick look through the open front door to make sure they were still alone, then gave her sister a solemn smile. “He doesn’t have my heart. At one time, that might have been a possibility, if he’d...if he’d wanted the same thing. But he didn’t, and what’s done is done.”

  “And what of the danger he’s brought down on you? Something we still don’t know anything about!”

  “I don’t think that was on purpose, Jillian. I know it wasn’t. So as much as I’d like to, I can’t blame him for it.” Not that he’d bothered to share any of the details with her, either. She could only hope that now that they were in the Alley, he’d open up and tell them exactly what was going on.

  Jillian’s next breath released on a heavy sigh. “I know that Cian wouldn’t put you in danger on purpose. It’s just...I’m worried and I’m angry, and right now blaming him sounds like a really stellar idea. And it doesn’t help that I’ve missed you so much. You hardly ever even email me, Sayre, much less call.”

  “I know,” she said, feeling incredibly guilty, “and I’m sorry. It’s just...staying in touch makes it harder. But I think about you guys all the time.”