by Liv Brywood
“I try to use natural remedies whenever possible. It’s much better for your body.”
“That makes sense.”
Akila said, “Humans probably wouldn’t even need hospitals if they’d stop putting all kinds of synthetic chemicals in and on their bodies. We only use hospital supplies for serious injuries like gunshot wounds. Which reminds me, I need to find Ryker. We need to send Leah on a run before the attack on Zane. I’ll need supplies for any injuries.”
Diana followed Akila into the passageway outside the room. “Do you think Gwen will be all right?”
Akila nodded. “Yes. Time will heal her wounds, both the physical ones and the mental ones.”
***
Wolves milled about in the central room in the den. Ryker turned as if sensing her presence.
Akila addressed him. “We need to stock up on supplies before the hunt for Zane. We should send Leah tonight.”
Ryker shook his head. “Not Leah. I can send Trent and some other men to town.”
Leah stepped out from behind a group of wolves. “They won’t know what supplies we need or where they are, and I can’t exactly write them a list.”
“True. I just need you to be extra careful. I’m still sending Trent with you for extra protection.”
Leah shrugged. “Works for me.”
Trent walked up to Leah. “I’m ready whenever you are, but it might be safer if we wait until sundown. Let’s meet back at the entrance to the den in an hour. Ouch!”
Trent cradled his jaw in his hand.
“Tooth acting up again?” Ryker asked.
“Damned thing will be the death of me.” Trent looked up at Ryker. “Sorry, bad word choice.”
Diana approached him. “Why don’t you let me have a look? I’m studying to be a dentist. I might be able to help.”
Akila said, “Feel free to use my room if you need it.”
Diana waved Trent over. “Let’s go.”
Trent and Ryker followed her down the passage back to Akila’s healing room. Gwen softly snored on the dais. The sleeping potion worked fast.
“I’m going to need some light. Do you have any candles?” Diana went to the pot of freshly boiled water. It was still extremely hot, but she poured it over her hands anyway.
Ryker rummaged through the shelves and found a beeswax candle. “Got one.”
“Light it and come here. Hold it close to his mouth.”
“Try not to light me on fire,” Trent joked.
“Open wide and hold still.” Diana pulled back the edge of his gum.
Good God, no wonder his mouth hurt. One tooth pushed up from underneath another at a weird angle. The pressure must be excruciating. She’d need to pull the top tooth to make room for the bottom tooth.
“How long has it been like this?” she asked.
“A couple of months.”
“I can fix it, but it’s going to hurt a little bit.” It was going to hurt like hell, but she didn’t want to frighten him.
Akila walked into the room. “How’s the patient? I’m surprised he let you near him. I’ve been trying to get him in here for months.”
“His tooth needs to be pulled. I’m going to need something to grip his tooth with. You don’t happen to have any pliers, do you?”
“I don’t have pliers, but I have surgical string. We could tie it around the tooth and yank it out.”
Trent paled and swayed.
Ryker rushed over and guided him to the nearest dais. “Here you go, buddy. You might want to sit down for this.”
“Are you sure it won’t just fall out on its own?” Trent’s voice went up an octave.
“It’s wedged in there at an angle where it can’t fall out. I’ll be fast.”
Diana took the surgical string from Akila and looped it around the tooth. Trent whimpered. His eyelids crushed closed and his face scrunched up in anticipation of the pain.
Diana checked to make sure the loop was secure. “I’m going to count to three.”
Trent hunched forward slightly.
“One, two…” She yanked with all her strength. The tooth popped loose and flew out of the string. It landed with a clang across the room.
Trent cracked one eye open. In a garbled voice he asked, “Is it out?”
Diana smiled. “Yep.”
“Why does it still hurt?”
“I’m guessing you have an infection. The other tooth should move into place now that it has some room. But when you go on the hospital run with Leah, you need to be sure to get antibiotics. If the infection spreads, it could become life-threatening.”
Akila approached with a bottle of white willow bark tincture. “Here, put a few drops of this under your tongue. It will help with the pain.”
After following her instructions, Trent turned to Diana. “Thank you for helping me. I didn’t think… well, because you’re human, that you’d want to help a wolf.”
Sadness swelled her chest. “These past few days of living with the pack have been amazing. At first, I was terrified. But the more I get to know the wolves in the pack, the more I want to…well, I wouldn’t be able to stay. The other wolves aren’t exactly happy about my presence.”
Trent tilted his head to one side. “What makes you say that?”
Ryker watched her intently.
She hesitated. “I know humans aren’t allowed in the den and Ryker broke the rules to bring me here. The other wolves resent me. I’m a daily reminder that pack rules are not being upheld by your leader. If the rules don’t apply to him, they why should they have to follow them?”
“Faulty logic. Anyone would have done what Ryker did. No one faults you for that.” The swelling in Trent’s jaw made it hard to understand him, but she was able to make out most of the words.
“Clyde hates me.”
Ryker spoke up. “Clyde hates everyone right now. His son was killed in the attack and you’re the easiest person to use as a scapegoat.”
“So the others don’t hate me?” Diana asked.
Akila answered. “While you and Ryker were on the mountain with Stryde, I talked to most of the pack. They understand why Ryker broke the law. You’ll be returning home soon, so they will tolerate having you stay with us for a few more days.”
Diana’s heart sank. The wolves still wanted her gone. Any hope she had of staying with Ryker evaporated. She sighed. She should have known nothing could change the pack’s minds. She needed to let go of her foolish hopes and dreams because she’d never be a member of Ryker’s family.
Ryker turned to Diana. “Are we all set here?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s get some rest.” Ryker slid his arm around her shoulders and walked her to the door.
“Thanks again.” Trent called.
Diana forced a smile. “Don’t forget to get antibiotics.”
Ryker led her to his room. Once inside, he added a log to the smoldering embers in the fire pit.
The air crackled with tension. She couldn’t read the emotions on his face.
“I’m sorry you can’t stay,” he said.
Hope bloomed in her heart, but she proceeded with caution. “Would you want me to stay?”
“Unfortunately, it’s not about what I want. I have to think of the pack.” He stared into the fire.
The next question tripped off her tongue before she could stop it. “But if I could stay, would you want me to?”
His voice was thick with emotion. “We shouldn’t speculate on the impossible.”
“You’ve broken the law once. Why not again?”
“That was different. You were injured. I couldn’t let you die. The pack understands why I did what I did. But Akila’s right, you can’t stay. It doesn’t matter what I want.”
“What about what I want?” she asked.
“How can you even know what you want? You hardly know me.”
Diana’s voice took on a sultry tone as she took a step toward him. “I know that you’d die to protect a stranger, that you are
loyal and trustworthy, that you’re kind, and strong, and incredibly sexy. I know what I want, and it’s you.”
Ryker’s gaze turned to Diana. She read thinly veiled desire in his eyes and warmed as if he’d reached out and caressed her.
Chapter Twelve
Ryker stalked across the room toward Diana. She wanted him. His defiant, stunning goddess of a woman wanted to stay with him and he couldn’t do anything about it. With the full moon just days away, he could lament the inevitable loss of her, or he could enjoy the time they had left together.
Her scent curled into his nose to torment him. As long as he lived, he’d never forget the feel of her, the smell of her, and the taste of her.
A storm of longing brewed in his heart. It was madness to keep touching her. Every time she walked into the room, he wanted to drown in her luxurious curves. His hands sought the fullness of her hips. The warmth of her skin seeped into him as he molded his body against hers. After the full moon, he’d never be able to touch her again. He’d never feel the press of her breasts against his chest, or the crush of her hungry lips against his.
Eyes wide open, lips parted, the expression on her face was one of quiet desperation. He groaned and bent to capture her lips. Her arms wrapped around his neck. She drew him closer, parted her lips, and drew his tongue into her mouth.
He indulged her ravenous desire, letting her kiss him with wild abandon. As minutes passed, the fierce barrage of kisses slowed. Her tongue danced against his. Long, languid kisses melted into the soft brush of her lips against his throat.
He groaned and whispered her name. The gentle sweep of her hair across his belly made his stomach clench. He swept her into his arms and carried her to bed.
After setting her down, he feasted on the sight of her naked, sensual body. He traced a finger in ever-tightening spirals across each breast.
She caught his hand in hers and brought his fingers to her lips. She kissed the pad of his thumb then sucked it into her mouth. The erotic gesture sent blood rushing into the length of him. He wanted to go slow, to savor her, so he drew back.
“This may be out last time together,” she whispered.
“I know. That’s why I want it to last.”
“I wish it could be forever.”
He buried his head in the valley of her breasts and sighed as she smoothed his hair with her hand. “We only have a few days left together. We should enjoy what little time we have left.”
“You’re right,” she murmured.
He wanted to show her how much he treasured her, so he bent to spread kisses across her chest and belly. As he traveled lower, she moaned and curled her fingers in his hair. When he reached the damp heat between her thighs, her ragged breath caught then whooshed out.
With his tongue, he tasted the moistened heat of her sex. She arched into him and trembled as he stroked her with the intent of wringing every ounce of pleasure out of her center.
***
Diana clutched at the edge of the bed. Her fingers curled into pelts of fur but she needed something solid to cling to—she needed him.
She pushed the pelts aside and reached for Ryker’s hands. After uncurling his fingers from her hips, she laced her hands into his. The rough scratch of his skin against hers reminded her how wild and forbidden their lovemaking was. She abandoned thoughts of loss and regret and surrendered to a misty state of unimaginable bliss.
As he angled his tongue, the first pulse of her release erupted from somewhere deep inside. She cried out and clutched his hands. He held on, coaxing the already decadent orgasm to a final peak.
For a few seconds, the only sound in the room was the beating of her heart and the gasp of her breath. He watched her with lustful eyes.
She caught her breath, and then in her most beguiling voice said, “I want more. I want all of you.”
He bent to kiss her. The heady scent of their lovemaking hung in the air. The feral scent of salty sweat connected her to him. Even before their bodies joined, she knew with utter certainty that they were meant to be together. Rules and laws couldn’t destroy their love. She needed to convince Ryker to let her stay. Somehow, they could make things work.
The gradual, deliberate slide of his thick, hard cock into her stole every coherent thought. Without stopping to consider the consequences, she murmured, “I love you.”
He froze, poised over her. His gaze locked with hers, his mouth twitched, but no sound escaped.
The moment passed.
As he pressed his cheek against hers, her heart ached. Didn’t he feel the same? Maybe she’d underestimated the level of his commitment.
She tensed slightly. He responded to the change in her by slowing his thrusts. Taking her with him, he rolled onto his back. As she settled over him, she searched his face for an indication of what he felt for her. His rapturous gaze gave her hope.
She moved over him, twisting and rolling her hips until he grabbed her waist. As she sank down, his eyes snapped shut. A low, guttural moan rumbled in his throat. His back arched as he spilled into her.
As the last shudder racked his body, he pulled her down. She rested her head on his chest.
His heart pounded against his ribcage. She watched his mouth open, then shut, as if he was about to speak but then thought better of it.
Her eyelids dropped. She wanted to stay awake to memorize every inch of his face, but exhaustion took over.
As she drifted to sleep, she thought she heard him say, “I love you, too.”
***
Zane lifted the binoculars to his face. Diana’s sister stood in the kitchen window of her cottage at the edge of the woods. Her long brown hair hung from a high ponytail. The same sad look that she’d had in the bar hooded her eyes.
He’d staked out the house the last four nights. The full moon was tomorrow, so he needed to capture her tonight.
He turned to Bill. “We’ll wait until she goes to sleep, then we’ll take her.”
Bill rubbed the back of his neck. “Man, I don’t know about this. It’s kidnapping.”
“It’s necessary. We need to use her as bait to draw the wolves out of their den.”
“We could go to jail for this.”
Zane clasped his friend’s shoulder. “Not a chance. You think the sheriff’s going to haul us in for being instrumental in catching the werewolves?”
Bill shook his head. “No.”
“Good. Now we wait. We have the Lord on our side. Tomorrow night we’re sending those demons back to hell where they belong.” Zane leaned against a tree. He pulled a toothpick out of his back pocket and jabbed it between his teeth.
Thirty minutes later, the lights went out.
Zane flicked the toothpick into the forest. “Let’s go. You watch the front, I’ll take the back.”
He left Bill and circled to the rear of the house. The back porch light cast a faint yellow glow, so he quickly ran to the light and unscrewed it.
He waited thirty seconds for his eyes to readjust to the darkness, and then he carefully turned the back doorknob. It was unlocked as it had been the last four nights. He slipped into the laundry room and closed the door.
He’d scouted the inside of the house twice before, so he knew the layout. The last door on the right led to the master bedroom.
The wooden floor creaked as he stalked the corridor. As he approached the room, he smiled at the open door. Now he wouldn’t have to worry about waking her up by opening it.
He crept to the edge of the bed. Moonlight streamed through an open window. Women always looked so innocent as they slept, but he knew evil lurked in their souls.
He pulled a plastic bag out of his waistband. He opened it and removed a chloroform-laden rag.
Her eyes flew open when he clamped it over her mouth. As she flailed on the bed, her hands clawed at his. Terror filled her eyes until the chemical forced her back to sleep.
He peeled back the sheet and stared down at her scantily clad form. A decent woman would never sleep in just
a tank top and sheer panties. Another Jezebel.
He thanked God for such a clear sign.
“As the Lord said in Proverbs chapter four, verse eighteen, ‘the path of righteous people is like the light of dawn that becomes brighter and brighter until it reaches midday.’”
Now he knew without question that he was on the path of righteousness. He averted his eyes as he scooped her up and flung her over his shoulder.
Bill met him at the edge of the woods. He grabbed the woman’s legs and helped Zane carry her to his pickup.
As the truck bounced along the road, Bill asked, “Where are you going to keep her?”
“I made a place for her in my home.”
“Won’t she try to escape?”
Zane’s lip twitched into a half-smile. He’d worked all day constructing a steel cage in his garage. Escape was impossible.
***
Ryker cursed his tongue as he paced the beach along the river. At midday, he should have been sleeping, but the restless tug of his heart kept him awake.
The last four days had consisted of tense conversations with Diana. She probably hated him for confessing his love, if she’d even heard him. He thought she’d been asleep when he’d spoken, but with the way she’d been avoiding him, he couldn’t be sure.
He’d avoided sleeping with her since the night of his confession. He didn’t know how to tell her that his revelation meant nothing, given their situation. The other wolves still wanted her gone and he couldn’t change their minds. He understood why they insisted on maintaining the law. Every time a human interacted with the pack, someone died.
If he lost her, his heart would break worse than it had with Trista. But he couldn’t allow Diana to stay with the pack. Deep in thought, he almost didn’t hear the other wolf approach.
“The moon is full tonight.”
Ryker turned to face Clyde. As one of the oldest members of the pack, his opinions held a lot of weight with the group. Clyde had been one of the most vocal against allowing Diana to stay. Ryker suspected that his son Jax’s death during Zane’s attack would prevent him from ever accepting another human into the pack.
“We’ll leave at midnight. Kyran’s men are arriving before sundown.” Ryker said.
