The Fire Inside

by Virginia Cavanaugh

  “Oh look, you have your own personal guard,” Xabier sneered.

  She hadn’t a clue what he was talking about, but she’d be damned if she took her eyes off him.

  “Do you know this guy?” Steve asked her. “And what is up with all the dogs?”

  “Steve, just shut up and let me handle this,” Tyra grated out between clenched teeth. Good thing she’d decided to forego her fling with him.

  “Did you just tell me to shut up?” Steve asked as he looked behind her. “And who in the hell is he?”

  Tyra inhaled a breath, trying to take in the scents around her. Packs tended to carry the scents of their alphas mixed with their own. And one thing was certain, she could smell Konrad, but knew it wasn’t strong enough to be him. The scent was mingled heavily with a scent Tyra associated with warm summer nights. Luken. She allowed herself to glance over her shoulder. Sure enough, Luken stood behind her, wearing a dark shirt and dark jeans. His shoulders were wide and he rolled them in a way that suggested he wasn’t very happy.

  “Are you on babysitting duty, Luken?” Xabier said in a mocking voice.

  “Tyra, come with me,” Luken said in a deep voice.

  “Look, Tyra. I thought you were cool and all, but this shit is too weird for me. I feel like any minute I’m gonna see a camera crew pop out of the bushes telling me I’ve been Punk’d,” Steve said.

  “Steve, get in the car and leave,” Tyra said. “Let him leave, Xabier.”

  “What in the hell is going on? I ain’t gonna leave you here with these crazy ass people.”

  “Damn it, Steve. Go!” she growled and bared her teeth at him, hating that she had to. But there was no telling what would happen next and if things got out of hand, he could very well end up dead. As much as she was annoyed with his “we ran out of gas” routine, she didn’t want to be responsible for his death.

  “You’re a crazy bitch,” Steve said as he started walking toward his car.

  Why did guys always have to play the bitch card? Maybe she should have let him get ate. Luken growled behind her and she closed her eyes for a brief moment, wishing she could be anywhere but here. Steve tossed her purse out on the ground before he pulled away, dirt drifting through the air as small rocks bounced off his undercarriage. For some reason, she felt as if any chance of a normal life rode away with him. A blanket of darkness covered them as the sun disappeared. How the hell had it come to this?

  “Xabier, Konrad’s on his way here,” Luken said.

  Xabier laughed. “You act like that should concern me.”

  In the distance, Tyra could hear a motor racing. It wasn’t Steve’s car either. It came closer until Tyra could see shafts of light filtered by the underbrush down the dirt lane. A large, lifted black truck came to a stop at the opening of the clearing. The driver opened the door and got out. When the truck door slammed, Tyra got her first look at a very angry-looking Konrad. His hair had been pushed back from his forehead, as if he had been running his hands through it repeatedly. He wore a white button-up shirt tucked into dark slacks. The sleeves had been rolled up to his elbows, exposing toned, tanned forearms, and the top two buttons were undone.

  Power seemed to roll off him in waves, and even though he strode forward with purpose and menace, she still felt desire coiling low in her belly. This wolf was seriously hot. In temper and in body.

  “She isn’t on your pack’s land, Xabier,” Konrad spoke in a low rumble.

  “I never said she was, Konrad,” Xabier replied with an eerie tightlipped smile. “In fact, you should be thanking me.”

  Tyra watched as the muscle in Konrad’s jaw began to twitch as he ground his teeth.

  “And just what should I be thanking you for, Xabier?” Konrad asked.

  “For protecting your little—”

  Konrad growled.

  “Well, whatever you want to call her. I see she still isn’t marked, by the way,” Xabier said in a tone that implied he’d grown bored with the conversation.

  “And just what were you protecting her from?” Konrad asked.

  “Konrad, there isn’t any reason to go into this. Let’s just go,” Tyra said quickly. If Konrad didn’t know about Steve yet then it would be better to wait until he calmed down some before he found out.

  “Oh this is priceless,” Xabier cooed. “He doesn’t know yet. Luken, you surprise me.”

  Luken growled from her other side.

  “Damn it, just spit it out!” Konrad barked.

  Luken looked toward Konrad. “Tyra was here with a human male.”

  Xabier laughed. “See? I showed up just in time as the poor bastard tried to kiss her. But really, no thanks required. I was just assisting a friend in need.”

  Tyra wanted to hit Xabier right in his big fat mouth, but she settled for staring daggers in his direction. Too bad he had all his buddies with him, because if he hadn’t, she would have been on him like white on rice. He winked at her and she had to fight off the wave of nausea that rolled through her. He squatted a second before his transformation began to take effect. With a howl, he and his pack members ran off into the underbrush. When they disappeared from sight, Tyra turned back to face Konrad; furious was too kind of a word for what he appeared.

  Luken took a step toward Konrad. “Konrad, I was trying—”

  Konrad held up a hand to stop Luken’s words. “We’ll talk about it later. Leave us.”

  A nervousness like none she’d ever felt before crept over her, causing her to shift her weight from one foot to the next as she watched Luken turn to leave the clearing. Konrad continued to stare at her and she nearly wanted to cringe under his gaze. She should say something—anything to try to straighten out the mess that she’d created. And yes, she was big enough to admit she’d created it. But damn if everything in her life wasn’t spinning out of control. She never meant for any of this to happen. Hell, her date with Steve had been set up over a week ago. “Konrad…”

  “Get in the truck,” he said softly.

  “I know you’re angry, but I can explain.”

  “Get. In. The. Truck.”

  “Konrad, just listen to me.”

  “Tyra, I’m not having this conversation here. Now get in the damn truck.” He turned and marched back over to the truck and yanked open the door.

  Tyra sighed, her shoulders sagging as she walked over to the passenger side of the truck, scooping up her purse on the way. She tossed it inside and a poof of dust rose from it as she climbed into the lifted truck. Once her door was shut, he put the truck in reverse and turned around, heading out of the clearing. She watched as his fingers tightened and loosened several times on the steering wheel. And each time he did it, she felt more and more like an ass. But why? It wasn’t as if she’d made any commitment to him. A pang of remorse went through her chest. Maybe she hadn’t verbally, but Fate had declared one for her. And somehow it just didn’t seem fair or right. Why didn’t she get to choose?

  She rode in silence with him as he took them off road, down a dirt path. After a few minutes, he hit the brakes, threw the truck into park and got out. She followed him with her gaze as he walked in front of the truck then to her side, pulling open her door.

  She couldn’t stop the yelp of surprise as he reached up and hauled her out of the seat against him. He wrapped his arms tight around her and inhaled deeply as he placed his face in the crook of her neck. Her hands pushed lightly against his shoulders. “Konrad…”

  “Mine,” he growled.

  “Konrad, just hear me out.”

  He nipped at the flesh around her collar bone. “Want,” he nibbled some more, “to mark you.” His teeth grazed the flesh again. “So bad.”

  She couldn’t stop the rush of desire that flooded her lower belly, causing her core to throb. The graze of his teeth on her skin set all of her nerve endings on fire. “Konrad, wait…”

  “Do have any idea what thoughts were going through my head?” His lips brushed her neck next to her ear.

  A shi
ver of delight ran down her spine. “I’m sorry. But you don’t understand.”

  “No, mate. I don’t understand. What if Xabier and his pack mates had hurt you, taken you from me? And what in the hell could that human offer you? He could never give you what I can give you. He would age in front of your eyes, until death came to collect his sorry ass.”

  Her heart clenched. She knew Steve couldn’t give her what Konrad could. Steve didn’t have the power to break her heart. The loss of Steve would never affect her the way the loss of a mate would. “I…it’s just…”

  “I can scent your desire. So why do you fight me?”

  She had to keep her thoughts in order. It would be so easy to just forget rational thought and let him ease her as he’d offered before. But she couldn’t. The whys were important. “Why do you want me?”

  “Because you’re mine, Tyra.”

  “I’m yours?”

  He pressed a few kisses to her neck. “You’re my mate.” He dragged his tongue up her neck.

  A whimper escaped her lips. Her body pressed tighter against his, and the pressure against her aching breasts felt wondrous. She wanted him—wanted him bad. Maybe she could make him see reason. With effort, she pulled back and put a little space between their upper bodies. “Konrad, listen to me. You aren’t here right now because you chose me.”

  His hold loosened slightly and he released a frustrated sigh. “What do you mean I didn’t choose you? I’m choosing you now, I chose you the night I met you. It’s you that keeps fighting this.”

  She pushed harder against his chest and he released her. A deep breath filled her lungs as she backed up a few steps in an effort to clear her lust-filled mind. “You don’t even know me.”

  “I know enough.”

  “What do you like about me? And I don’t mean physical attraction.”

  His brow furrowed and he was silent for a few seconds. “I like your strength.”

  “What’s my favorite color?”

  “I don’t know,” he replied.

  “That’s my point. It’s your wolf that wants me, your animal nature, pushing you to claim me. But what about the human part inside of you? How do you know in two weeks you won’t hate me?”

  “I could never hate you. If that’s what’s holding you back, then you’re worrying needlessly.” He took a step toward her.

  She retreated another step. And how did she know he wouldn’t be taken from her in short time? What guarantee did she have that she wouldn’t be left alone again? She knew there wasn’t any. If she chose to move forward with Konrad, she knew she’d be risking her heart, and possibly the last bit of her humanity. After the loss she’d suffered, she didn’t know if she could enter into another pack. If she had nothing to lose then she couldn’t be hurt like that again. But that wasn’t the only thing holding her back. There was also the fact that she didn’t like changing into her wolf. Most times she took sleeping pills at the full moon and slept through the forced shift. Damn if she wasn’t just screwed up. But looking at him now made her want things she swore she’d never return to. “Look, it’s complicated.”

  “At least try to explain it to me.”

  She couldn’t open up all those wounds. Not now. But he deserved something. “Let’s just say that I had a plan for my life, and you showing up has altered that plan. Now, I don’t know what I want anymore. But I know this. If I’m going to be with you, it will be because you choose me and I choose you. Fate can be a heartless bitch and I won’t have her dictating my life.”

  He smiled and closed the distance between them. “So where does this put us?”

  She didn’t resist when he pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her lower waist. “I don’t know where this leaves us. Everything is just happening so fast that…” She sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe we could go on a date.”

  “Date?” He pulled back slightly to look at her. “What do you mean date?”

  “You know, go out to dinner, catch a movie—”

  “I know what a date is.” He stepped back from her and ran his hand through his hair.

  “Well, if you don’t want to date me then we can just forget it.” She started walking toward the truck. She couldn’t give up control just like that. Damn it, she was trying to work with him, but blind trust she couldn’t do. “Just forget it. Take me home.”

  He reached out and encircled her waist, pulling her back against his chest. “Tyra, you’re going to drive me insane. If you don’t want to sleep with me, fine. But at least come back to my den. Let me protect you and keep you safe.”

  Oh she wanted to sleep with him all right. And feeling his erection now pressed firm against her rump had her shivering in anticipation. Before she could stop herself, she wiggled her hips slowly against him, tearing a low growl from him. His hand skimmed up her abdomen, coming to rest right under her breasts. That wonderful smell wrapped around her. Somehow she knew that she would find pleasure beyond her wildest imaginings with this man. Liquid heat began to gather at the juncture of her thighs. Her nipples puckered and her breasts felt heavy.

  “Hmmm, Tyra. You smell so sweet.”

  She had to pull it together or she would find herself laid out on the grass urging him forward into her. His other hand had disappeared beneath the hem on her dress to rub her thigh. “I don’t want to lose my independence.”

  He growled low in her ear. “I’m going to protect you. Whether you make it easy for me in my den or I have to sleep at your door again.”

  She didn’t feel threatened in the least by his growls. In fact, the way they rumbled his chest just heightened her arousal. “You’re being irrational. There isn’t any need for you to sleep outside my door. I’ve been protecting myself for a long time.” If he just moved his hand up a little higher it would ease the ache in her breasts.

  He nipped her ear. “I disagree. I don’t trust Xabier or his alpha, Thanasis. Something tells me he didn’t come upon you by chance tonight. So I will protect what’s mine.”

  “Do you really think there’s a risk?”

  “I don’t know. It could be a game. But I would much rather err on the side of caution than to just dismiss it.”

  Damn. How could she argue with that? She wasn’t weak, but taking on a whole pack would be suicide. If they really had a malicious intent toward her, she couldn’t defend herself against them. How in the hell had this happened? Well, no matter how it had happened, she really wasn’t left with much choice. To have him stay at her place only put them both at risk. “A compromise then?”

  “I’m listening.”

  “I’ll move to your den.” His finger traced light circles on her lower thigh. “But…” His finger stopped moving and she found herself squirming, missing the caress.

  “But what?” he whispered next to her ear before grazing his teeth against her neck.

  She trembled against him. “I’m not turning my apartment back. We have no idea if there is really a threat or how long it will last, and I don’t want to be stuck without a place to live. Also, I keep my job. I can support myself. And last, I have a residence to myself.”

  His hold tightened on her, his other hand squeezing her thigh. “I’ve spent the last two nights near you. Why should I allow you to stay by yourself?”

  She swallowed hard, her body heating the longer she stayed in contact with his. If he stayed anywhere near her she wouldn’t be able to hold out against the hardcore seduction he played at. But she knew better than to think he would just bend to her wishes. “I would be in your territory, protected by your pack. If your territory is safe then you wouldn’t need to be so close.” She felt the tension gathering in the muscles of his body. Knew his refusal would come forth shortly unless she conceded something that would appease him. “Because if you do, then I’m willing to give whatever this is between us a try. But I need my space.”

  “And how exactly are you going to try?”

  “I’m letting you put your hands on my body.”

  A low
growl rumbled against her back. “I like the way you negotiate.”

  Her hand came up to touch the side of his face as she slightly turned in his grasp. No longer able to resist the carnal pull, she whispered, “Kiss me.”

  And then his mouth was on hers. She parted her lips and allowed his tongue to slip inside the depths of her mouth. The taste of him was wonderful, and the feel of him even more so. She tangled her tongue with his, returning every moan she captured from his lips. His hand slid up her bare thigh and he gripped her hip, pressing her back against him.

  She ground her ass against his erection as he continued to kiss her passionately. Never had her mouth been devoured in such a wondrous way. His other hand moved to encircle her breast, kneading it softly and wringing another moan from her lips. The action shot a wave of desire through her breast to settle in her womb.

  Calloused fingers skimmed her lower belly above the hem of her panties, causing her to gasp and release his lips. “Wait.”

  He sighed before placing a kiss on her neck.

  Her body burned with the wanting of him. But she couldn’t go there. Not yet. The heat cycle she’d entered seem to make her crazy. And this was such a big step, one she couldn’t back away from once she took it. Hell, she didn’t even know if her heart could handle it. It would be better to step away from the situation and try to clear her head of the lusty fog that had descended. She turned in the circle of his arms and met his gaze. “I’m…I…”

  He leaned forward and placed a light kiss on her lips. “It’s okay. We can move as slow as you want.”

  Chapter Six

  Thanasis shifted on a wave of color and smiled triumphantly at his son. “You were right, Xabier. A fine beauty she is.” Of course his son had been too young to know where those looks came from. Tyra was the spitting image of Ruth. How the child had escaped during his invasion all those years ago, he was unsure. But the small oversight seemed to work both for and against him. Now he had another chance to possess the woman who had escaped him. “But she might complicate things.”