Rina watched Sage through her half-closed eyes. He was gorgeous with his broad shoulders and good looks. But he was more than just physically amazing. There was a steadiness, a kindness about him that drew her.
She swallowed and closed her eyes. She couldn’t come to depend on him. Their time together would be measured in hours. As soon as they left this cave, they’d hike to his truck, and then they’d part ways.
She’d never forget him.
Feeling safe for the first time in months, Rina allowed herself to let go and sleep.
Sage knew the moment Rina finally slept. Her entire body went lax and she slumped to one side. He waited a few more minutes, until he was certain she was deep enough that she wouldn’t wake. He eased her forward and slipped the straps of her knapsack down her arms. He set the bag next to her, knowing she’d want it within reach.
He knew he should just let her be, but he couldn’t. He lifted her onto his lap, going slow enough not to wake her. She snuffled once but settled right back to sleep. Sage eased her head onto his shoulder and wrapped his arms protectively around her.
It felt right.
He banged his head lightly against the rock wall behind him. Stupid. It was utter stupidity to have feelings for a woman he just met, especially one hell-bent on leaving. Not to mention her less-than-flattering opinion of half-breeds. Not exactly a match made in heaven.
If he’d had a wolf, Sage figured the creature would be beside himself right about now, wanting to claim Rina as his own. He might not be able to shift, but he had a werewolf’s instincts. The emotions churning inside him were raw and powerful and new. Never had he felt this combination of caring and concern for a woman, and it was coupled with a deep-seated need to protect her. He’d kill for her.
That was a first.
The only other people he felt that way about were his family and pack. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for them. But Rina trumped them all. It was startling to realize the only other person he felt this way about was his twin.
That made Rina both precious and dangerous.
There was nothing to be done about it now. The first order of business was to get her out of here. He’d work on convincing her to stay a few days with the pack. He needed more time to get to know her. He might not be aware of all she’d been through or why she was on her own, but he did understand she needed somewhere she felt safe.
He wanted to be the one to give her that.
He kissed the crown of her head and then her forehead. She didn’t stir. He shifted slightly and found the most comfortable position possible considering he was sitting on a hard floor with his back against rock. Then he closed his eyes. He’d catch a few hours and then they could make the final run to his truck. He’d worry about the rest after that.
* * * * *
Something nagged at Rina, a sense that she should be doing something, but she didn’t want to leave her bed, not when it was so warm and cozy. She nuzzled deeper into the warmth and sighed.
Something brushed her cheek, and she opened her eyes. It was much harder than it should have been. She’d always been an early riser, but for some reason, she was having a hard time waking.
She blinked and tried to orient herself. It was dark. If it was still night, what had woken her?
“We need to get going.” The male voice startled her. She started to jerk away, but he rocked her slightly. “It’s okay. You’re safe. Take your time.”
She knew that voice. Knew the man who had his arms around her. Sage. His name was a mantra that meant safety and comfort. “How?” She licked her dry lips. “How did I get in your lap?”
His smile was gentle, but his eyes were filled with mischief. “You must have crawled there when I was sleeping,” he teased.
She gave a snort of laughter. “I don’t think so.”
“No? Would you believe I put you here?” He brushed his fingers over her cheek in a light caress. She realized that was what had woken her. “You didn’t look comfortable leaning against the rock wall with your pack on your back.”
Her pack. She surged upright and searched frantically. Sage was already pulling the bag closer. “It’s here.”
She slumped against his chest. Relief made her lightheaded. Not that she’d expected him to steal her things, but everything she owned was in that bag. She’d lived for twenty-four years, and all she had to show for it was a grubby sack with a handful of possessions—money, identification, pictures, a few pieces of jewelry, and a couple changes of clothing. It was both sad and pitiful.
Her remaining possessions were back at the motel room where she’d been living. She wasn’t going back for them, so they were lost. She’d have a home again someday. She wasn’t afraid to work hard to make that happen. Of course, she had to survive first, and that meant shaking the hunters off her tail.
“I should get up.” She’d never wanted to linger in a man’s lap before. In spite of her age, she’d never been around too many men before, not on her own. Her father had been overly protective, keeping her pure for her mating. Upping her value. She’d always thought it was because he’d loved her, even though he was standoffish and appeared cold. Now she understood he’d only been protecting his investment to get the best return.
Mate her to the alpha’s brother and her father would gain in status and power—the two things that were the most important to him.
“No hurry.” Sage kissed the top of her head. “You slept a couple of hours. There’s still plenty of time before dawn.”
He shifted his arm so her head tilted back. Her new position gave her a great view of his face. He wore his hair pushed away from his face so nothing detracted from his strong features. She lifted her hand and ran her fingers over his wide forehead, down his high cheekbones and over his lips.
He parted them and playfully nipped at her fingers. Her smile turned to a moan when he bit down lightly on one of her fingertips before drawing the digit into his mouth. Her skin prickled, her breasts swelled, and an empty ache throbbed between her legs.
What was he doing to her?
He released her finger and slowly lowered his mouth to hers. She’d been kissed before, a couple of stolen kisses when she was younger, before her father had gotten so protective. She knew Sage wanted her. That was more than evident by the hard press of his erection against her hip.
Never in her life had she been tempted to go farther, to do more. It had been drilled into her from the time she was a child that she had to protect her virtue, to only give her body to the man she mated.
Rina was tired of living by rules that no longer governed her. She wasn’t a part of the pack, and her parents had kicked her out.
Sage had nothing to gain from her. She brought nothing of value. No pack, no status, no gain. He was kissing her because he wanted to, because he wanted her.
That was heady stuff to a woman already on the edge. Maybe it was because she’d come close to dying today. She had no idea what the future held for her, but she did know she wanted to experience what it was like to kiss the man holding her.
She rose up to meet him and their lips met. Every man she’d kissed before had instantly become aggressive, trying to dominate her. Not Sage. He licked and nibbled at her lips until she was breathless and moaning. She wrapped her hand around his thick neck and pulled him closer. She needed more.
Sage slipped his tongue into her mouth and claimed it with a devastating thoroughness that would have frightened her if she’d been able to form a coherent thought. Rina drifted off in a sea of sensation. Her tongue twined with his, taking and giving.
He stroked his big hand down her spine and cupped her hip, groaning and pulling her closer. He smelled so good, a combination of woods and hot male. Their tongues dueled as they both grew restless, needing more to satisfy their growing needs.
It was Sage who pulled away first. He closed his eyes and re
sted his forehead against hers. She sucked much needed air into her lungs. The urge to strip naked and rub herself over him was almost overwhelming. Her entire body ached for his touch.
Warnings flashed in the back of her brain. She couldn’t afford to let herself get close to Sage. He was only passing through her life. If she was attracted to him, it was because he’d shown her kindness and knew what she was.
She hadn’t realized how lonely she’d been until she’d stumbled into his path. A wolf wasn’t meant to be alone.
Rina pushed off his lap, and he let her go. What had she expected? The bitterness took her by surprise. Surely she hadn’t wanted him to keep her in his arms and make love to her?
The longer she was around Sage, the more confused she became.
She dusted off her jeans, straightened her shirt, and slung her knapsack over her shoulder. “I’m ready.”
Sage was slower getting up, but it didn’t take him long to roll the sleeping bag and attach it to his pack. He loomed over her in the dark of the cave. She hated to have to leave, but reality was waiting just outside.
He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip, and her entire body clenched. Pleasure drenched every cell, and she unconsciously leaned into his touch.
“This isn’t over,” he told her.
She automatically shook her head. “It can’t happen again.” It wasn’t safe for either of them. She had no intention of settling down anytime soon, and not with a half-breed werewolf. Thinking those words now that she knew Sage sounded wrong. Sage was a better man than most of the men she’d known her entire life. He was one of a kind. Special.
And she was a banished werewolf with human hunters on her trail.
In fact, he should be the one wanting to get rid of her. She wasn’t such a prime catch these days. The past year had changed her views about a lot of things, including herself.
Sage touched his lips to hers. Rina sucked in a breath and savored the light caress.
“It can and it will,” he told her. Then he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and pulled his pack on. “Let’s go.”
Rina followed him out of the cave and down the slope. Sage watched to make sure she was steady on her feet before setting off. “We should hit the trail in about three hours,” he told her.
Her time with him was running out. Rina watched him move easily though the dark woods, every step sure and quiet. She watched and mimicked his movements. But most of all, she watched him, cataloging every step, every gesture so she could remember it when she was alone once again.
Johnny knew his brothers were running out of patience. They’d been stumbling around half the night and had only called a halt a half hour ago. She was close. He could practically feel her out there. All he had to do was find her and bring her home.
Charlie was propped up against a tree with his hat pulled down over his eyes, but Ralph was still awake. “I’m heading home at first light,” his brother told him. “I don’t know what you think you saw, but you’re plumb loco going after a woman who obviously don’t want nothing to do with you.”
“You can go if you want. I’m staying.” A part of him knew he was being unreasonable, but he just couldn’t seem to let go of her. Rina. He said her name and pictured her naked body practically glowing in the moonlight.
“Suit yourself. Just don’t do something stupid and get the law on your ass.” Ralph lay down on the ground and closed his eyes.
“If you’re not going with me, I’m going to press on.” Decision made, Johnny got to his feet and grabbed his pack and rifle. He walked over to Charlie and nudged him with his boot. “You coming or staying?”
“I ain’t going anywhere. I’m sleeping.”
“Good enough.” Johnny turned on his flashlight and started walking from where they’d left their earlier trail. A sense of urgency was driving him. If he didn’t hurry, he might lose her forever.
Chapter Four
Rina put one foot in front of the other. They’d been walking for what felt like days but was only hours. They had to be coming up on the trail soon. She wanted to ask but didn’t have the energy. Every ounce of strength she had was put into keeping up.
Sage had set a brisk pace, but not so fast that she fell behind. He would have gone faster on his own. She was weaker than she’d been in her entire life. She’d eaten the last of his beef jerky while they’d been trekking through the woods, but it simply wasn’t enough nutrition to replenish her depleted stores.
She’d stopped seeing the trees and animals about an hour ago. All she saw now was Sage. She kept her eyes glued on his back. He was her lifeline.
If only she could rest and get some real food. Then she’d be able to make some smart decisions about her future.
Who was she kidding? It had been fourteen months since she’d lost her home, and she was no closer to figuring out what in the hell to do with her life. She had time, since her lifespan was twice that of a human, but that was also a long time to be alone.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t realize Sage had stopped until she plowed right into his back. She caught herself before she went down. “Sorry,” she mumbled.
He spun around and steadied her. “The path is just through the break between those two oak trees. Can you make it?”
“Yes.” She nodded. She could make it. It was only another half hour from here. She blinked as a wave of dizziness assailed her. “Lead on.”
He studied her, as if assessing her honestly. She straightened her shoulders and stared him straight in the eyes.
“Let me know if you need me to carry you.” His blunt statement had her pride surging to the fore.
“I can take care of myself.” She’d been doing it for months now. Maybe she didn’t always do such a great job, but she was still alive. That had to count for something.
Instead of getting pissed at her angry retort, Sage brushed his fingers over the curve of her jaw. “So proud. So strong.” He leaned down and kissed her, leaving her totally bewildered and a little aroused in spite of her exhaustion. “So stubborn.”
He dropped his hand and started for the break between the two large trees. “Not much farther to my truck.”
Rina hurried after him. She didn’t have any solid plans beyond getting away from here. Going with Sage would accomplish that. Maybe she could talk him into taking her to the nearest bus station.
He slid between the trees and momentarily disappeared from sight. She picked up her pace and followed blindly. The manmade path she stepped onto was so different from the rugged terrain of the woods. It was relatively smooth and debris free.
“This way,” he told her. He turned right and headed downhill. Downhill was good considering how tired she was. She wasn’t sure she could have made an uphill climb at this point. Her thighs were burning and her feet ached. She’d never run this hard and fast for so long. Sure, she’d run a couple of hours at a time with her pack, but never for an entire day, and never with a group of men chasing her.
She’d been pushed to her limits and beyond.
Her sneaker skidded on a loose rock and she almost went down. Sage swore, and before she knew what was happening, he swept her into his arms and resumed his trek down the path.
“Hey, I can walk,” she insisted. It might be stupid, but at this point, all she had left was her pride.
“And I can carry you.” He didn’t break stride and kept going.
“No, really. You can put me down.” What she truly wanted was to stay right where she was. Sage carried her easily, his arms showing no signs of strain. He might be a half-breed, but he obviously had the strength of a werewolf.
“Shh.” Sage cocked his head to one side and listened intently.
Rina did the same but heard nothing out of the ordinary. Then it struck her. She didn’t hear any birds or animals at all. “Someone is out there.”
�
�Maybe.” His voice was a mere whisper against her ear. “Might be another hiker. Might be a large predator of some kind.”
Or it could be the men hunting her. Neither of them said it out loud even though they were both thinking it.
Sage broke into a fast lope. He was carrying her, her pack, and his own knapsack. It didn’t slow him down. His long legs ate up the distance. He tightened his arms around her so she didn’t bounce around very much at all.
“I can run,” she felt compelled to point out. Being carried like some damsel in distress didn’t sit well with her. She was used to standing on her own two feet—figuratively and literally.
“Hush,” he scolded. If he’d sounded angry or authoritative, she would have fought to get down. But the word was a gentle admonishment, almost a caress. “You don’t weigh much more than my pack does.”
That was a slight exaggeration, but she understood what he was getting at. He could carry her faster than she could move. And until they knew who or what was out there, getting out of here was their prime objective.
Rina kept her mouth shut and held on. She looked over his shoulder but didn’t see anyone trailing them. It was impossible to listen with her heart pounding so loudly in her ears. Sage was breathing a little faster but was by no means straining as he ran.
He veered off to the left and continued at a breakneck pace. He wasn’t even trying to move with stealth. Speed was his only goal.
She saw the parking lot in the distance just as the sky was lightening in the east. It was almost empty, although there were a few trucks, a couple of SUVs, and two cars parked there.
Sage hurried up to a dusty blue truck and set her down by the passenger door. He made sure she was steady before he released her. She leaned against the door and had another look over her shoulder. A sensation of dread crept down her spine. “Hurry.”
He didn’t question her instincts or his own. He fished his keys out of his jeans pocket and unlocked the door. He lifted her inside and went around to the driver’s side. He pulled off his pack and dumped it in the space behind the driver’s seat before climbing in.
Wolf in his Heart (Salvation Pack) Page 4
