Waking Up Dead (The Western Werewolf Legend #1)

by Catherine Wolffe

  In the dream, Sonja and Ty battled the vampires back yet again. This time, the bloodsuckers appeared in uncountable numbers. Somehow separated, each battled the Yankees on their own. The vampires advanced toward her in a surge of insurmountable proportion. Ty’s growl of fury echoed in her mind as she lashed out at the oncoming vampires. Being only two against so many, she worried for his safety even with the gift of superior power. The growl erupted to her left, she wheeled and flipped the vampire to the ground before staking him through the heart. Another growl, this time more pained. Was Ty in trouble? The sea of bloodsuckers around her grew and Sonja couldn’t reach him!

  Suddenly, an almost discernible ripple in the water caused Sonja’s eyes to fly open. She couldn’t contain the soft gasp either. Ty’s hands surrounded her waist, pulling her close. He stood strong and solid before her and aroused against her stomach. The delirious sensation of desire warmed her, as he made sure their bodies came together, making her aware of him all along her length. His pride swelled with their combined heat and she moaned aloud with pleasure. “You certainly know how to make an entrance, Lieutenant.”

  He grinned that wolfish grin of his. Every nerve in her body went on high alert. Her attraction to this man couldn’t be ignored, nor could she deny how much she cared for him and wanted desperately to protect him. Even if his male pride wouldn’t recognize her efforts. After making love at night, Sonja would lie awake as her exhausted brain tried desperately to devise a way to keep him safe. He may have feelings for her, but this mess wasn’t of his making. He didn’t deserve to endure the hardships dumped upon him.

  Ty lowered his head and captured her lips, bringing her back to focus on the man.

  “My woman is thinking again, I see.” He nipped her bottom lip before switching his attention to her earlobe followed by the tender skin along her neck.

  “Of late, I think a lot. Still, I can’t find the answers.” She dropped her head back as his tongue lingered near her collarbone. His teeth found the taste of her enticing. Before she could object, he’d taken her mouth again in a kiss more forceful than the first. Scorching her with its intensity, branding her with its fire, the kiss drove Sonja to stand, unable to move in the sizzling heat of his embrace.

  “You needn’t worry about answers. They will come.” Ty’s breath, warm and moist on her skin, shoved rational thoughts to the back of the line as he traced the swell of one wet breast to the taut peak. The sensation of his mouth on her flesh, nursing her nipple tugged at her coherency. Soon the pull on her womb from his attention released a creamy warmth to pool between her legs. Lax with desire, Sonja held on with everything she had left. “Have you finished your bath, my lady?”

  The question seemed rhetorical to Sonja. “If I hadn’t, would it matter?” she chided. Wanting to prick his conscience, she ran a damp finger along the bridge of his perfectly straight Choctaw nose. “You sir, aren’t behaving like a gentleman. What’s a poor defenseless girl to do?”

  “Well, since you ask, I can think of a thing or two she could do.” Without another word, he scooped her up and sloshed out of the water. Sonja considered he would deposit her on the bank and allow her to get dressed.

  She was wrong. Instead, Ty carried her farther from the water’s edge before gently laying her back on a blanket. Under the cover of a great old oak tree, he stretched out beside her and used his shirt to dry her limbs. Sonja’s discarded dress became cover from prying eyes as he settled down beside her.

  Her body hummed with anticipation as he ran his long, lean hand slowly down her slight curves to the crisp hair of her mound. Unable to take her eyes off his profile, Sonja’s breath caught in a surge of yearning so abrupt and intense it was painful.

  “Ah, my woman wants me, I wager. You’ve missed me while I was gone?” His voice went low with desire. Slipping two fingers inside the heat of her need, Ty stroked steadily.

  Sonja could’ve floated on such a whisper thin cloud of sensation forever. No one ever made her feel like this man did. Certainly not her first husband, Robert, rest his dead soul. Sex was merely a means to an end with him, nothing to compare to this dissent into paradise with Ty.

  “Tell me, Sonja, did you miss me? I want to hear the words.” The thinly veiled passion in his eyes stirred her longing to new heights as he worked a third finger inside her. Sonja’s muscles tightened as desire warmed her to the core.

  “Yes, I missed you so much.” Reaching up, she sank her hand into his long dark hair still damp from the stream. “Please, Ty. I want you inside me.”

  “Soon, Sonja, soon. But first, I want to taste you. I want to capture your need and drink you in like wine.” His mouth grazed her nipple as his fingers continued their onslaught.

  Sonja arched with the contact of his mouth on her breast. The tug of his mouth sent her spiraling down into a world where only need and desire reigned supreme. Any other thoughts vanished into oblivion.

  Grazing his jaw against her stomach as he traveled lower, he growled low in his throat. “Um, this is what a man wants to come home to.” Parting her legs, he slid between her thighs. With hot, whispers of breath, he feathered his mouth along the silken skin in a path to her core.

  Sonja arched with a groan from deep inside her depths. This man wanted her like she could never have imagined and she would give herself to him completely. No question of holding back surfaced in the assault on her senses. He was her mate and she would give herself freely to him now and forever.

  With a sound akin to a howl, Ty rose up and thrust himself inside Sonja, burying himself to the hilt. Slowly at first, he moved, setting a steady pace. His thrusts spoke of procession as he captured her eyes with desire lighting his. Forcefully he plunged again and again as he rode the wave of passion’s fury.

  It was like looking into his soul for Sonja. Her hunger for him drove her on. Furthering the fever of her need with the exhilaration of seeing his so ripe and ample. With release upon him, he forced his head back and growled at the moon overhead as he filled her with his seed.

  In the quiet of love’s aftermath, Sonja stroked the lines of her lover’s muscled chest. His slow, steady breathing spoke of contentment. Marveling at the complete sensation of fulfillment, Sonja rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes in the twilight of their mating. “What will we do now, Ty?” Her question came from the pent up emotions she kept under lock and key. No real purpose in them, except to plan for the morrow. His attention shifted from the groggy state of semi-consciousness to fully awake and with him spooned behind her, his mind wasn’t the only thing fully awake.

  “We’ll make plans to leave tomorrow,” he said.

  She sighed and a small smile crept over her face. So glad they were leaving the dreaded area, which she’d called home only a little over a week before. Now the mention of the area put her on high alert.

  Ty let his hands roam freely over her with backside, molding his hands to her behind. “I needed to do this. You understand, Sonja.”

  He seldom used her proper name, choosing to call her by his pet name instead. Where he’d gotten ‘Nymph’ from she couldn’t be sure. Still, the endearment warmed her like the man did. His breath was on her neck, as he tasted her nape, lingering over her shoulder to enjoy the sweet flavor he assured her only she processed. The warmth of his attentions urged her to forget all the troubles, which never left her conscious person. In this man’s arms, she enjoyed sex like never before. His readiness to please her, his stamina and above all, his inherent talent for giving her exactly what she needed made Tyler Loflin unique among men. He’d called her his woman and she couldn’t think of him in any other frame but her man. Hortence and the Guardian referred to him as her mate. The term agreed with her despite its relationship to her being a werewolf, to both of them being werewolves.

  Ty nudged closer to her bottom, giving her cheek a good rub with his arousal. Hard as granite, he plied her for what they both wanted, which was more. Finding it impossible to get enough of each other, soo
n, Sonja would find herself with child. The idea didn’t alarm her as it once did. No, in fact, having Tyler’s baby was something she daydreamed. A gush of feminine awareness brought her back as his magical hands followed a familiar path between her legs. The distinct warmth flooding the area between her legs didn’t ebb though she attempted to concentrate on something else.

  It was as if a primitive force inside him demanded he reach for her. Somehow, she recognized the call. Sonja turned to him and nuzzled the warm skin along the strong column of his neck. There his heart beat strong and solid against her lips. With one hand on his chest and the other fisted in his long mane of dark hair, she moved in capturing his bottom lip, giving him a hard nip. With the taste of her still on his mouth, the kiss managed to arouse and tantalize her further. The call grew stronger. Wanton need swelled in them both. The flames of passion fanned out and caught them up in the fireball. While the stars sparkled overhead and the old oak sheltered the two, Ty and Sonja succumbed to the desire burning beyond their control.

  Chapter 4

  The Journey Begins

  Ty woke to the old familiar sounds of men in camp. Shifting, he gently eased his arm from under Sonja’s weight and with cat like agility, rose to stand before slipping into his pants. With the buttons of his shirt almost secured, he glanced around for his boots. They need to see to his men and plans made his search a bit more urgent.

  “Ty?”

  Her drowsy voice held a rare sexual aura for him. No woman ever aroused him like she did. “It’s all right. Get a little more sleep. I’ll send Hortence to you with some coffee.” He glanced toward the camp where the group began to stir and take care of the things men usually took care of when they first woke. Hunkering down, he grinned when she rubbed at her eyes and yawned wide, obviously unaffected by his presence. “I’ll be back once we come to an agreement on a plan. Will you be okay here?”

  She nodded before peering at him with a sleepy expression. It’s not like I can’t watch out for myself. Her little rendezvous with Perkins reincarnate wasn’t kids play.

  His gut clinched with one of those intuitions of his. Funny how nothing good ever followed. “What rendezvous?” Ty didn’t try to hide the softer, more menacing tone to his voice. She’d been up to something while he’d been gone and he damn well wanted to know what it was. Slowly rising to stand, he waited.

  She rose on one elbow, clutching the gown to her breasts. The one word, “Wait,” and a simple shrug and she pulled her legs up to a crouch as she used the billows of material as a cover from the men’s eyes. Throwing the gown over her head, she wiggled her hands into the sleeves of the gown. In a few seconds, two slender hands appeared. Shimming the bodice over her breasts and settling garment in place, Sonja pulled back her curls and presented her back to him so he could do up her buttons.

  Ty’d already noted, after he understood what happened with the change, merely becoming angry could bring about a shift. So to forestall any such occurrence, he focused instead on breathing deeply with his eyes ever on her request for assistance.

  “You weren’t here. I concluded you must’ve taken your pistol from the armoire where I’d hide the weapon. I’d loaded the colt with wooden bullets to use in case of an attack.” She ran slender fingers through her hair as she spoke of the incident as if the fact she survived and healed, all while he was about other matters should be of no consequence to him. She’d handled things she said.

  Her matter of fact description of the events stroked a smoldering irritation at the chances she took with no more concern for her well-being than if she washed clothes on a rock in the nearby stream. “Hell’s own fire, woman. You could have been maimed or worse – you could’ve been captured.”

  “True,” Sonja admitted, though the response came out stilted. “But everything turned out for the best.”

  Her flippant attitude did queer things to his backbone. A flush raced up his throat, engulfing him in a wave of sickening reality. “What ifs” began to invade his control, eliminating the little guard he held tightly within his weakening grasp. In the flash of an eye, he reached out, snatching her close by both arms.

  Immediately regretting the move, Ty tried to remain calm. “Sonja baby, you don’t seem to understand how important it is that you remain safe.” Hating the coddling sound creeping into his voice, he closed his eyes for a moment to regroup.

  Sonja’s calm snapped in the brief span of time. “Who do you think you’re talking to?” she charged. Tugging free of his iron grip, she wheeled away, gathering steam as she went.

  With fire leaping in the depth of those whiskey colored eyes of hers, she unleashed her version of hell’s-own-fury on him when she turned once more to look him dead in the eyes. Her chest rose and fell with the effort. Her hands clenched in fists at her sides. The fact the early morning air caused a rise in her nipples to erect points under her meager attire did nothing to appease his frustrations.

  “Don’t make this about the wolf. You know what I’m talking about.” Ty glanced past her to see the faces of several of the men peering covertly from under hats, behind kerchiefs and collars to absorb their words. “We’ll talk about this later,” he snapped.

  His voice low and grave should have done the trick, but she remained where she was and continued to glare at him with mutiny riding high in her face.

  Snorting out a laugh, Sonja’s fists landed on her hips. “Oh, you can be sure of it, sir.”

  The fact he wanted to take her across his knee and paddle her behind for confronting him in front of the men warred with how fool hearty it was to argue with her when she had a head of mad on. “Gather your things. I have to see to business.” With temper smoldering to the boiling point, Ty cut a cold shoulder around her and headed for the group.

  Someone, perhaps Hortence, since the rag tag bunch bore no possessions, produced a pot and coffee smelled rich and soothing to his senses as he approached the clearing. The old witch glanced his way as he stalked toward the small fire where the men huddled quietly. No one said a word in greeting. They’d most likely overheard the dispute between Sonja and him. Probably fearful of his reaction.

  Stewart, who by all accounts could walk in the daylight, stepped up with a cup and handed the tin mug to him. Glancing up, Ty gazed into the dead eyes of his general and winced inwardly at the pang of regret for his fallen comrade. The general didn’t give him time to wallow in the images of what occurred on the fateful day near the Yellow Schoolhouse. Instead, Ty took the proffered cup and reached for the pot.

  “You know arguing with a woman is in poor taste, don’t you, Lieutenant?” Stewart’s words held a dry wit aimed directly at defusing Ty’s temper. “Besides being a waste of time.”

  “Yes, sir.” Ty huffed out a thin breath. “I don’t know what I was thinking.” He stuffed his hand deep in his front pocket. There lay the chain of the St. Christopher’s he kept there all the time these days. The necklace, which had hung around Sonja’s neck until the night of her first full moon, was the one talisman he carried with him of late. Figuring himself a fool for putting such store in an inanimate object, he blamed his Choctaw blood for his channeling of such a superstitious notion as to depend on his possession of the necklace in trade for Sonja’s safety. Reminded of the gleam his medallion against her warm breast gave him a moment’s consignation as to his mental state. When had he become so romantically superstitious?

  Never professing he was anything but what he was, a cowboy with mixed blood, Ty found the last few weeks a journey of mounting frustration. He’d vowed to protect her with everything he possessed and this he would continue to do. Damn her wayward notion she could take care of herself. “She makes it difficult to reach for calm sometimes. I do know better. My apologies for what you overheard.”

  “No need to apologize, son. We’ve all been in your shoes. Women are a mystery which no man is sure of the answer.” His crooked grin supported his belief and worked to sooth Ty’s recent outburst. “Have you considered what your pl
ans will be from this point forward?”

  “Yes, sir, I have. Now that we have the men out of that hell hole, I want to travel south and get away from these bloodsuckers.” Realizing he’d inadvertently stuck his foot in his mouth, Ty’s color started to rise despite his Indian roots. “Beginn’ your pardon, sir.”

  “No need to, Lieutenant. I understand what you mean. I agree with your opinion.” Shaking his head, he waited until the comment eased some of his companion’s trepidation. “I know it will be unsettling, to say the least, however, I’d like to travel with you. Perhaps, I can be of some help along the way.”

  Ty’s expression relaxed and brightened with the idea of sharing the trail with the man he admired more than anyone. Riding for Stewart was something Ty would never forget. “It would be an honor, Sir.”

  Smitty approached and waited for the two men to finish before he interjected. “We’re ready to go, Sir.” Giving Ty and Stewart a slight nod, he waited for orders.

  Stewart glanced at Ty. “I believe you’re in command here, Lieutenant. I’m strictly coming along in an advisory capacity. I’ll be out of pocket much of the time during your journey as I have a need to keep watch over you all.”

  A bit taken aback, but quick to comprehend, Ty glanced from his general to Smitty before squaring his shoulders slightly. Never one to shirk responsibility, Ty nodded, giving Smitty the information necessary to get the men ready.

  Since the Guardian wasn’t anywhere to be found, the small band of refugees headed out with the rays of sunshine peeking over the horizon and a vampire riding among their midst.

  ***

  The vision came to Ty at some of the oddest of times. They traveled away from the vampires and his thoughts remained on her. What did it all mean?