The Howling
Page 7
But then Scarborough slashed his claws across Sebastian’s face, his own a mask of fury and hatred.
The pain was jarring, but minor compared to the revelation that his brother would try to kill him again. He would keep trying over and over. He hated Sebastian that much, wanted power that perversely, and maybe someday he would succeed.
So without allowing himself time for further hesitation, Sebastian bared his teeth and went in for the kill.
Liv lay on the ground naked and shivering, watching the other wolves tentatively move around Scarborough’s body.
Sebastian had killed Scarborough. He had saved her from certain death.
She had almost died, and then had watched in total fear and panic as the man she loved had been locked in battle. Now it was over, and she had shifted back to human without even being aware of what she was doing.
Sebastian had moved away from the body, to the edge of the river, the very river in which his brother had tossed him six months earlier, and sat on his haunches. He gave a low, mournful howl, the sound wafting over Liv and settling into her bones like the coldest winter wind.
When she glanced back at Scar, she saw that in death his body had shifted back to man. One by one the cousins shifted, and Liv was too shocked to even think about the fact that they were all as naked as she was. But Nick had a duffel bag behind the trees, and he was dressed again in under two minutes, before silently tossing her a long sweatshirt.
She caught it, tugging it on, forcing herself to stand up. Nick was dressing Scarborough’s body with the help of his brother Jackson, and she couldn’t watch. It was too appalling. The remnants of her clothes were scattered over several feet, and her jeans were torn, but she slipped into them anyway. Her boots had holes in the feet, but she put those on too, needing a barrier against the wind, and maybe against what had just happened. She walked gingerly over to where Sebastian was sitting by the water.
The air was crisp and clear, the river gurgling busily along, the smell of the water clean and pure.
Liv sat down next to him, hugging her knees to her chest, searching for the words she needed to say to him. In the end she simply said, “Thank you for saving my life.”
Tiny fish hurried through the water with a vast sense of purpose and she focused on them, unable to look at Sebastian. She knew he was shifting back to human, felt the movement, sensed . . . something. The wolf that clearly lived in her had instincts she’d never even been aware of before. Didn’t know how to use.
But even after she could see Sebastian’s feet out of the corner of her eye, he still didn’t speak. Liv took a deep breath, tried to quiet her mind, slow down her racing heart, stop the trembling in her fingers.
Then suddenly his hand was in hers, warm and strong and comforting.
The tears sprang up and she looked at him. “I’m sorry about the wedding. I understand if you don’t want to be with me. I do. And I’ll be fine, honestly. I think for the first time in my life I have come to terms with being alone. I’m just asking for you or Nick or somebody to help me understand how to handle the change . . . what to expect.”
She would be okay. She actually believed that.
But Sebastian took their entwined hands and kissed her fingers one by one. “You don’t have to be alone. Liv, I was never angry at you. I was angry at Scarborough, at the situation, at the thought of you sharing a life with another man, a life that should have been mine. I was angry with myself for not being the one to ask you to be my wife.”
The tears she’d managed to contain spilled over, trailing down her cheeks. “Maybe it’s time to just let some of that anger go, for all of us.”
“I agree. And I hope that you’ll be willing to come home with me.”
She wanted to be with him more than anything, wanted the chance to pick up the pieces of their lives, together. She nodded. “Of course.”
“Then let’s deal with this and be on our way.” Sebastian leaned forward and kissed her hard. “God, Liv, when I saw the two of you fighting like that . . . I would have died if something had happened to you.”
Liv felt him shudder and she slid her hands around him and lightly caressed his back. “But it didn’t. It’s fine. Everything is going to be fine.”
He gave a hard nod. “It is. Because I love you and always will.”
“I love you too.” More than there could ever be words to express.
CHAPTER TEN
The bride stepped out of the building into the moonlight, a smile of happiness on her face. She was a few years older, her gown one of greater sophistication than what she’d worn at her first wedding. Her groom was dark-haired and handsome, his hand tenderly on the small of her back, his expression one of adoration.
The evening air smelled like spring, dewy and fresh, with a damp chill in it. The grass was soggy, but the bride merely laughed and fell into the groom’s arms as he danced with her in wide sweeping circles. The guests watched and clapped and laughed and chatted, until one by one they wandered off, leaving the bride and her groom alone.
When he kissed her, man to wife, the howling rose up in the distance.
It didn’t bring the fear it had on her first wedding night.
It brought the comfort of being in the arms of the man she loved while family, their pack, expressed their approval to the moon in the woods around them.
Liv woke up slowly, the contentment of the dream lingering, making her sigh in pleasure as she rolled over and reached for Sebastian. The bride, Liv’s great-grandmother, had been happy with her groom, her new life, and that was reassuring to see.
It was Liv’s wedding day now.
It was spring, just like it was for the bride’s special day in her dream.
A new beginning for both of them.
Sebastian stirred a little, reaching to wrap his arm around her, his eyes still closed. “Happy wedding day,” he murmured.
Liv snuggled against his warm chest. Sebastian had proposed right after Scarborough had died, after they had dealt with all the logistics of telling the police they had all been fishing and Scarborough had been attacked by a wolf. That had been six months earlier, and while life as a werewolf has taken some adjustment, Liv was truly and blissfully happy.
“It’s going to be a beautiful day.” The timing was right. It felt like everything had come full circle. A year earlier she had been mourning his disappearance, now she had Sebastian forever.
“And you’re a beautiful bride.”
“Are you sure we shouldn’t have spent the night apart last night?” Liv asked, even as she dropped a little kiss on his shoulder. “It seems weird to wake up together on our wedding day.”
His eyes opened and he pulled her on top of him, giving her a deep, long, satisfying kiss. “If we’d spent the night apart, I wouldn’t be able to do this.”
A little shift of her hips, and he was deep inside her.
Liv sighed in pleasure, still relaxed and sleepy, his body hard and solid beneath her. “That’s very true,” she breathed.
They moved together in a lazy, slow rhythm, her nipples brushing against his chest. Everything felt warm and snuggly and sexy, her heart filled with love, her body responding instantly to him as it always did.
When she had a delicious and long orgasm, her hips spread wide over him, Liv stared into Sebastian’s eyes.
“I can’t wait until you’re my wife,” he said, pumping a little more frantically inside her.
“Me, either. Just a few more hours.” She clenched her muscles around him. “So I guess that was my last single-lady orgasm. It was a good one.”
His eyebrows shot up. “We still have a whole hour until we have to be anywhere. I think you have another orgasm or two in you.”
She laughed. “I wasn’t trying to challenge you.”
But he got serious. “I’ll always do whatever I can to make you happy.”
Her heart swelled at his sincere expression. “I am happy.”
She was. Every minute with him.
>
As happy as a bride on her wedding day.
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