The Fire Inside

by Virginia Cavanaugh

  Cole laid the pedal to the metal and they sped down the road. “It would be better if Konrad explains. All I can tell you is you’re no longer safe outside of the den. We’re on high alert and I was told to bring you in.”

  Before Tyra could argue, Cole’s cell phone let out a high chirp and he snatched it up from the console.

  “Yeah.”

  Her gaze never left his form. She saw the muscles tighten in his arm, his grip on the cell turning white-knuckled. His lips pulled back from his teeth and he growled.

  “We’re en route.” Cole hit the end button and tossed the phone back on the console. “Motherfucker!” He snatched the phone back up and hit a preprogrammed number and held it to his ear. “Where are you?”

  Tyra sat silent, wondering what in the hell was going on. If Cole would get off the phone long enough, she planned to drill him.

  “Be careful. I’ll be there soon. I love you.”

  He must be speaking to his mate. When he tossed the phone down this time, she didn’t even let him take a breath. “What in the hell is going on? Why would Savannah need to be careful? And where in the hell is my mate?” Bright lights assaulted her vision and she let loose a curse, mirrored by Cole’s, a second before the crunching and grating of metal filled her ears. Her body landed with a hard thud against the door as the SUV went through the guard rail and came to rest on its side in the bar ditch. Pain blasted through Tyra’s shoulder joint and head. She blinked, trying to take in the scene. Pieces of safety glass covered her body, a few of them still dropping out of the frame of the destroyed windshield.

  Cole roared as he tore through his seat belt and began to shift. Not knowing what else to do, Tyra pushed past her own pain and began disrobing so that she could change to her animal form. Someone had deliberately hit them. Cole escaped through the broken windshield. She watched as he took up a defensive stance in front of their mangled vehicle. They weren’t far from the den. Maybe a mile. She willed her body to change and suddenly a storm of voices filled her head. There were wolves issuing commands and women trying to soothe frightened children. Oh God, no. The den was under attack. Fear gripped her heart in a vise as she struggled to free herself from the SUV while trying to focus on the one voice she needed to hear.

  On shaky limbs she started to crawl out of the SUV. Growls wafted to her ears on the hot night air. Cole bared his teeth as he prepared for battle. Tyra moved to cover his tail as she tried to ignore the chaos of voices inside her head. She was all Cole had here and she knew they were surrounded. She’d be strong. No longer a little girl, but a woman filled with hatred of this new enemy and desperation to keep what was hers. This pack had picked the wrong bitch to screw with. Her lungs filled and with it a sickening smell she was all too familiar with. It was the smell that had surrounded Xabier. And that smell had been in the clearing the night Konrad had shown up pissed off. Well, she no longer had to wonder who’d attacked them. The why, on the other hand… She pushed the voices back. Concentrating on the here and now. But one voice broke through.

  “Tyra! I’m coming!”

  “Thank God you’re all right. Why is Thanasis attacking us?”

  “That motherfucker…”

  Tyra could hear the contempt and hatred Konrad spewed in that slur. “I thought you were buying land from him?”

  “Was. Past tense. There’s something I need to tell you. Something I should have already told you.”

  Her mouth went dry at Konrad’s words. But she didn’t get to hear his confession. Wolves leapt from their perches in the hills and the fight was on. Tyra moved swiftly and dodged a set of sharp teeth that were headed for her throat. As the wolf sailed past her, she sank her own teeth into his hind leg and pulled, ripping flesh.

  The wolf shrieked, but Tyra didn’t get to savor the blow she’d delivered as she was knocked sideways by a heavy lump of fur. She landed on her injured shoulder and couldn’t stop the yelp that came out, but she didn’t let the pain slow her. Her back feet found purchase and she sank her claws in and kicked out, sending the wolf off her body. She rolled, regaining her feet as the next wolf attacked.

  Tyra met the enemy head on, sinking her teeth into its throat as she felt claws dig into her shoulder. She had no other choice than to release her hold as pain stabbed at her already injured arm. But she’d dealt one hell of a blow and the wolf bled freely as its human form shifted into view. Other than the full moon, it took a conscious effort to hold their animal form. The wound was bad enough that this one’s slipped, leaving behind a vulnerable naked human.

  Viewing it as no longer a threat, she turned her head as more approached. Cole took on three different wolves at once and was now a few feet away from her. Long blood-stained teeth came into view and she pivoted, realizing that she herself was now surrounded. “Please, Konrad. Hurry.” As if her thoughts conjured him, that familiar dark fur leapt in front of her with a mighty growl. The fighting picked up a notch as reinforcements from both packs diverged.

  “Run, Tyra!”

  Konrad’s command resounded in her head, bringing back a flood of memories. Howls, yelps and growls mixed to a deafening level as she fought with the enemy. No, she wouldn’t run. Never again would she run. She took down the nearest enemy with renewed vigor, dealing a death blow quickly to its jugular. Warm blood sprayed her fur as she released the beast’s neck.

  She never saw the blow coming. One minute she was fighting, giving her all for the protection of the pack that had become her heart, then stars. Her body hit the unyielding ground and she felt her hold slip on her animal form.

  Cruel hands dug into her bare flesh and lifted her. That laugh. She knew that laugh. It had been in her nightmares for years. The jostle caused from the enemy running with her had her squeezing her eyes shut as tiny needles of pain poked at the insides of her brain. Nausea rolled deep in her belly and she fought hard against the urge to lose her stomach contents. The noise level of the fight weakened. He carried her away. Had Konrad seen her captor?

  With effort, she opened her eyes, and her heart skipped a beat as she saw the bald-headed bastard who haunted her. Who’d taken everything from her and dared to again. Mustering her strength, she lashed out at him, managing to half shift. Her claws dug into his flesh and her teeth clamped onto the exposed skin of his chest.

  “You little bitch!” He let go.

  Her body fell a short distance and she landed hard on metal. Her stomach heaved and she rolled over, recognizing the swell of a wheel well. She was in the back of a truck. The bed rocked and she saw the filth who had taken her parents from her. His hand smacked the side of the pickup and Tyra’s body slid down a little as the driver set them in motion. Heat trapped from the day’s sunshine warmed her skin where it had touched the steel plate beneath her. But not even that could stop the shiver of revulsion that racked her body. Icy blue eyes stared down at her. She wanted to cringe and wrap up into a ball to ward off the chill that spread through her.

  Fate was indeed a crueler bitch than she’d originally thought. She’d escaped death only to be tantalized with the promise of something wonderful before death came back to claim her. She’d never really escaped it. Just delayed it. Her heart broke all over again as she held the asshole’s gaze. Fury kindled inside her, growing until a fiery rage burned within her. Death may want to cash in on its claim, but she’d take this son of a bitch with her. Purpose filling Tyra, she struggled to a sitting position and glared back at Thanasis.

  “You have fire. I like that.” Thanasis sneered. “In fact I bet you will breed great warriors for me.”

  “I will never give you anything but the death you deserve.”

  Thanasis smiled. “Your mother thought the same thing once.”

  Tyra spit in his face. “Don’t you dare even speak to me of her.”

  He dragged a hand over his face, wiping away the wetness. “She screamed like the whore she was when I took her.”

  Something snapped inside Tyra. Pain, hatred and anger swirled into
an emotion that had her moving across the bed of the truck with lightning speed. Her hands wrapped around the motherfucker’s throat and they both went over the side. Landing on their sides, a whoosh of air burst from their lungs. Tyra felt the bone in her arm snap and she lost the grip on Thanasis’ neck.

  He took immediate advantage, rolling her beneath him. “Fucking whore!”

  Tyra cried out as he pinned her arms above her head. Her broken arm was useless other than to give her pain. She struggled beneath him, bucking her hips and trying to maneuver her foot between their bodies. He pressed his body more firmly against hers and she gagged, bile rising in her throat as she felt the weight of his arousal pressed against her lower abdomen. Drops of crimson fell on her face from the nasty gash on his head.

  “You will take my seed. I scent you and know you’re fertile.”

  “Never!” She jerked beneath him.

  He laughed. “Oh but you will. My bastard will grow inside your belly.”

  Tyra screamed as Thanasis reached down with his free hand and pressed his rough palm against her sex, grinding it painfully against her clit. She raised her head with lightning-quick speed, nailing him in the nose with her forehead. The crunch of bone filled her ears as blood sprayed from his nose. Tyra smiled, satisfied with the pain she’d caused him.

  “Bitch!” Thanasis backhanded her.

  The coppery taste of her own blood filled her mouth as she retched again. Tears swam in her eyes and her limbs felt heavy as she felt his weight shift. A moan tore from her lips as she tried to push him off with her one good arm. Her face swelled and throbbed. Blackness bottlenecked her vision. She fought against the tide of nothingness that threatened to take her. Not like this. He didn’t get to win. Her head lolled to the side as he gripped her breast in a painful squeeze. Movement in the underbrush had her straining to see clearly. Had she imagined it? Darkness filled her line of sight. “No,” she moaned, fighting her way back toward the edge of consciousness. Dark fur with amber fires burning headed right at them. She felt the head of Thanasis’ cock move against her lower lips. With the last bit of strength she possessed, she sank her teeth into his throat and held on as the dark mound hit and sent Thanasis rolling from her body. Warm blood bathed her face and neck as vicious growls rent the air.

  A few seconds or maybe an eternity later, a wonderful sight loomed over her. She smiled, reaching for Konrad’s face. Her fingertips brushed his skin and then she was drifting. On a pain-filled sigh she whispered, “I love you,” and then surrendered to the blackness.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Awareness slowly descended. For a moment Tyra wondered if she had died. Would she see her parents again? But slight aches and pains were the next thing her subconscious picked up on. If she felt pain then she surely wasn’t dead. Then she noticed the warm, heavy weight across her abdomen. Heat also radiated along her back. Her lids began to flutter and she stared out through blurred vision. It took a moment to focus, but then the familiar room came into view. That wonderful scent filled her nose as she took in a deep breath. She was home. Tyra rolled slightly and stared at Konrad’s face.

  He stroked a stray strand of hair away from her face with the tip of his finger. “You came back to me.”

  She smiled. “Always.”

  Her eyes closed as his lips moved to hers. The kiss he placed on her was sweet, tender and filled with more emotion than she’d received from him before. When he pulled back, she stared into his bright amber eyes that seemed to shimmer with unshed tears. “What’s wrong?”

  He gave a short laugh. “Do you want the long list or the short?”

  She tried to sit up but his arm banded around her and he moved his upper body above hers to keep her down.

  “Not so fast. This is the first time you’ve been awake in two days.”

  “Two days?” She squirmed and realized that most of her injuries had healed thanks to genetics. “How bad was it?” she asked, although she was afraid of the answer.

  “You had a severe concussion and a broken arm. The rest were more bumps, bruises and cuts.”

  She’d pretty much remembered her own inventory of injuries. Some ached slightly still, but that wasn’t what concerned her most. “How bad was the pack harmed?”

  Konrad sighed. “You really shouldn’t worry about this right now.”

  “Just tell me.”

  “Fourteen of ours.”

  She closed her eyes as tears began to burn them. It wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but those were still loved ones. Fathers, mothers, sons, daughters. Her heart ached. Liquid pearls traced down her cheeks. Anger rose inside, directed at the one wolf that had caused her so much pain. “Thanasis?” The name burned her throat like fire.

  “Dead. Your grip on his neck ended up ripping his throat out as I knocked him from your body.”

  The anger lacing his words made them sharp. But she could tell that some of it was self-directed. She opened her eyes to look up at him. “Why are you angry with yourself?”

  He kissed her cheeks and stroked her tears away with his thumb. “I should have gotten to you sooner. I should have protected you better.”

  “Shhh. You got there in time. You saved me in more ways than you know.”

  “Did he?” Konrad swallowed hard and ground his teeth.

  She knew he wondered if Thanasis had succeeded in raping her. “No. You got there in time.”

  A breath whooshed from his lungs as he gathered her close to him and held her tight. “I’m so sorry.”

  She ran her hands down the smooth skin of his strong back. “You have nothing to be sorry for. It was my fault. If I hadn’t been so damn stubborn and hormonal, I would have been inside the den. You wouldn’t have had to worry about splitting defenses so that you could come for me and Cole. It’s me that should be sorry.”

  “If I would have only told you that I realized Thanasis was the same wolf who attacked your family. If I would have explained the reason I wanted you here safe instead of using your heat cycle as an excuse.”

  “Konrad, we’ve both made mistakes. And if you would have told me that you knew the identity of the man who took my family from me, I most likely would have set out to hunt him down. You were trying to protect me and I get that. But from here forward let’s make a deal. No more hiding things from each other. We’re a team from here on out.”

  He pulled back to look down at her face. “You’re my heart.” He cupped her cheek in his hand. “You are more to me than you could ever know. You’re my partner, my friend, my mate and the love of my life.”

  “And you are the love of mine.” She sighed when he kissed her, parting her lips when he demanded entry. She loved him. No one could ever bring her the happiness he did. She hadn’t meant to fall so completely and totally for him, but how could she ever resist him? He was destined for her. And who was she to fight destiny? Especially when it had brought her such a wondrous healing to her heart in the form of the wolf in her arms. This was who she was. This was who she was meant to be. For the first time in a long time, she felt whole. Safe. Loved.

  The kiss turned hotter and she moaned into his mouth as pleasure began to spread through her body. Konrad’s arousal pressed against her leg, hot, hard and demanding. Her fingers trailed down his side until they reached the marble smoothness of his cock. She caressed it from tip to base and he released a growl as his hand fisted around hers, staying her movement.

  He pulled his mouth from hers and rolled away from her. “You tempt me too much.”

  She rolled toward him, coming up on her elbow to look down at him. “That’s a good thing.”

  He arched one brow. “You were severely injured and only woke for the first time a few minutes ago. I’d be some sort of shitty mate to take you right now as I want to.”

  “No. You will never be a shitty mate. And I want you too.” She squeezed his erection and he groaned. “I need you,” she whispered.

  He pressed his nose against her neck and inhaled her scent,
darting his tongue out to taste her flesh. “You still carry the scent of your heat cycle. It’s faint but there. If I take you now, you could become pregnant.”

  The thought of having his baby brought only happiness with it. She pulled back from him until she could hold his gaze. “Do you want a baby?”

  He cupped the side of her face. “I want you. And I would love to make a child with you, but only if you’re ready. The chance right now is slim, but there.”

  She kissed his lips lightly, a mere grazing of skin against skin, then whispered, “Make love to me.”

  His hand moved to the nape of her neck, gripping her in a firm hold as he took possession of her mouth. Her tongue stroked his and she gloried in the connection that fused between them. He set her body on fire. Desire licked her nerve endings as he rolled them and the delicious weight of his body pressed her into the soft mattress. They were both naked and she spread her legs, welcoming his lower half into the vee of her thighs. His other hand found her breast and he teased her hardened nipple, pinching it between his thumb and forefinger.

  She moaned into his mouth as her lower lips grew slick with need. She arched her hips, rubbing her wet flesh against his cock. He broke the kiss on a hissed breath then moved his lips to her neck, laving the mark he’d given her on the full moon.

  “Yes, my love,” she panted as she rocked her hips and pleasure coursed through her clit.

  He moved down and she whimpered at the loss of contact against that bundle of nerves that would bring her ecstasy. His lips closed around her breast, tongue and teeth taunting her puckered nipple. She moaned, gripping the back of his head and holding him to her breast. “Feels so good,” she sighed.

  His body resumed its downward track and he released her nipple and ran his tongue down her chest and over her belly, stopping for a brief moment to nibble her hip bone. She knew what he was up to, and just the thought had her core tingling and creaming, begging for his passionate kiss.