Spark of a Wolf [Eyes of Darkness Series Book 2]

by Christy Poff

  She went onto the terrace and looked over the acreage she and Sean had run over his first time as a wolf. Two days of ecstasy gone, except for memories and their children.

  "If you're going to do anything, I'd advise doing it now."

  "What are you talking about Gabriel?"

  "From what I hear, lover boy's leaving in the next day or two and he has no intention of coming back."

  "Why do you care? He almost broke your neck."

  "And I would have deserved it. I knew better than to provoke the green monster."

  "What?” she asked as she watched others do what she desperately needed to do.

  "The minute McMurray got an idea I might make moves on you, jealousy took over. The man loves you and no one else. Damon found out he's given you the ranch."

  "I won't take it."

  "It's for your children. Word has it he'd never put you out without a place to live in peace, though Julian has control over it all."

  "Why my father?"

  "Sean's uncertain of you. He's protecting you but not as much as he's protecting them."

  "He's a son of a bitch who is..."

  "...Is a better man than you'll ever find anywhere. He's smart and he's given you the best and only safe way to go. You'll all be protected, while free to live your lives."

  "I don't understand about his uncertainty."

  "You've been erratic and crazed. He wants to make sure of the future for all three of you. Hey, I don't like the guy but I admire him and he loves you so much, he'd rather leave than make your life hell. He's giving everything up in Aspen so you can stay here among those who know you and can keep the future safe."

  "You sound like my father."

  "He's a wise man and he's right."

  "Not in this case."

  "You're wrong and if you don't go to him, you'll never know. I mean it."

  "Why are you pushing like this? You don't even like him."

  "But I do respect him."

  She shook her head.

  "I don't believe you."

  "Look at me,” he said. “You've ripped at his soul by throwing him out. Then you won't give him any chance to see his daughters, though he's still providing you with a home and protection. How much more are you going to put him through? I've never known you to keep taking without giving back. You haven't even been polite enough to thank him, have you?"

  "Gabriel, stop it!"

  "The truth hurts. Since all this came about, I've seen a side of you I don't know and I certainly don't love. You're not the same girl I grew up with and I don't like what you've become. You're vindictive and mean. You're not the Rhiannon I've tried to love all these years and you know something? I'm glad we weren't meant to be together because right now, I can't stand you. Maybe McMurray's right in leaving your ass and going away. In all honesty, I don't know if I have his strength."

  Gabriel Holt did the hardest thing in his life. He walked away from her.

  * * * *

  Rhiannon stared at the grounds, desperately needing to be alone. The time had come for her to make a move one way or another, one to change all their lives.

  According to Gabriel, Sean intended to leave Aspen in the next few days. She did not have much time to make her decision. If she remained at The Sanctuary, she'd never know whether they had any chance at all for a life together with each other and as a family.

  If she went to him, he could take her back or worse, leave them anyway. Everyone around told her to go to him and make amends. Anyway she looked at it, she could wind up as she was now—lonely and bitchy.

  She considered what Gabe told her about the ranch. She appreciated Sean's gallantry at giving the girls a place to grow up safe, but she didn't appreciate the fact he named Julian as the executor of the property. Have I really been that off the wall—enough to cause Sean to treat me like this? She considered the last several months and concluded she had been.

  "What the hell have I done?"

  Rhi's hand went to her stomach. She'd felt the babies’ activity but had not truly paid any attention. For the first time, she felt their kicking and it floored her how wonderful the sensation was. As if they knew their mother had returned, the babies’ activity increased. She realized what she had to do and how much time she had to work with.

  "Please, don't let me be too late."

  She ran inside and asked one of the others to please bring her Land Rover to the front of the house. She went up to her room, took a quick shower, and then went to her closet to choose something to wear. Once she had, she put it on the bed, then finished drying her hair. She made her face up with a suggestion of eyeshadow and lipstick, a lot for someone who rarely put makeup on.

  Rhiannon crossed the room to the bed. Her reflection in the full-length mirror caught her attention. She looked at herself, naked and pregnant. It surprised her how big she had grown in such a short time but Julian had told her what to expect, though she hadn't given it any care until now.

  She went over to the bed and picked up a frilly but loose-fitting dusty rose dress. Layered in tiers of soft chiffon, it had a floral print but not all over. It fell midcalf, draping over her stomach. With it, she wore a pair of matching suede boots. Underneath the dress, she wore nothing.

  She hoped seducing Sean might work. Somehow, she had to get him back.

  * * * *

  Sean's large duffel bag sat open on his bed. He'd already packed his jeans and shirts. He remembered his favorite black terry robe and went into the bathroom to get it. He came out with it and carefully folded it to fit in the bag.

  In a box by the side of the nightstand, he stowed several thick bath sheets and two sets of sheets. Anything else linen-wise, he could get later. He grabbed framed photos of his parents and the one he had been given by Elizabeth—one of Rhiannon. She might hate his guts and never love him again, but it would never stop him from loving her.

  He looked at the picture and wondered where it all went so terribly wrong. Could she honestly keep holding me guilty for something I said or did in a blind emotional rage?

  "I guess I'll never know,” he said to no one as he put her picture in the duffel between his shirts. He went back to his walk-in closet and pulled more out. He went to the foot of the bed and the emptier side of the duffel. While he separated the shirts, the hair on the back of his neck raised up.

  His nose picked out a faintly familiar scent, one he thought he had forgotten. He'd picked up on the footsteps coming down the hall but thought it had been his imagination until he sensed a presence behind him.

  "What the hell are you doing here?"

  Chapter 16

  Rhiannon drove as fast as the Land Rover would go. She pulled into the driveway of Sean's ranch, a beautiful piece of heaven. How could he ever willingly leave this?

  "Ma'am, can I help you? Oh, Ms. Drake, I..."

  "Where is he? I need to see him."

  "Upstairs packing, but..."

  She headed inside the house, Chris Lee behind her.

  "Ma'am, I..."

  "Make sure we're not disturbed. Please, I would truly appreciate it."

  "Yes, ma'am. Oh, and good luck to you."

  "Thanks."

  She climbed the stairs to the second floor following his scent. She felt her body's reaction to it and inwardly, her heart prayed she wasn't too late.

  Rhiannon approached the doorway and carefully peered inside the master suite of rooms. She slipped inside the sitting area and made her way to the second door. She caught her breath as she looked at him, his back to her.

  "What the hell are you doing here?” he asked without turning.

  "I...” she stammered.

  "A few more hours and I'll be out of your life for good."

  "I..."

  "If you don't mind, the place is still mine, so could I have some time?"

  "Sean, I need to talk to you."

  "You said everything when you told me to leave you alone. I have, I think, done a good job of obeying your wishes."
>
  "I tried to apologize but you had shut me out. I suffered severe migraines and having someone talk to me like you did made me feel like I would explode. I never meant to chase you away like I did and I am truly sorry."

  "Why didn't you tell me before? You could have called or come by at any time."

  "I've been so stupid and I've been terrified to talk to you. All I've done is lash out at people. I've been so miserable and so lonely. I dreaded the fact you'd do this."

  "Why did you tell Julian I'd never see the girls?"

  "I've been suffering from a chemical imbalance. One of its contraindications is irrationality. I feared you would take them from me. I hated being pregnant. It wasn't until this morning that I actually felt and treasured their kicking."

  "Rhiannon, I would never think to do anything to separate you from them. I couldn't imagine anything as cruel as that, but I know how it feels. It eats at you until you can't see straight.” He finally faced her. “It ate at me, like your turning away from me when I begged you to forgive me."

  "I am so sorry for hurting you. I couldn't get past what you called all of us. Gabriel and Julian tried to tell me you suffered a crazed frenzy after your first change. I didn't add it all together and consider the entire picture. All I could hear in my mind was that one word. I've never been so damned shortsighted like this in all my life."

  It impressed Sean while he listened to her explanation. Julian had given him daily reports in her condition, sometimes two or three times a day. So far, she had told him the truth but he still couldn't open his heart to her. Apprehensive she might be leading him on for some reason, he chose his words very carefully.

  "I'm not sure about us anymore. Forty-eight hours of my life with you and it hasn't been the same since. I found love in a beautiful woman who wasn't scared off by me. I claimed my mate using a ritual I had no clue as to its origin and I find out I'm the father of several girls. Life had become so perfect."

  "Sean..."

  "Then I found out my true calling and those wonderful hours turned into one of the nightmares I've been battling for years. My mate turned on me and life hasn't been the same. When I heard you had been abducted, and saw through your eyes what had been done to you, I turned into a driven man. No one would rescue you but me. I made sure of it, because I didn't want you going through the hell of having some stranger see you like Gliickman left you. No way would I allow the woman I love go through that, but even that hasn't been good enough in your eyes."

  "Sean, I regret everything I've put you through. I've been cruel and I've rued my actions ever since I heard what you did for me. Not many people impress Julian as you have. If I had only listened to my parents and Gabe, we might not be standing here."

  "You aren't totally to blame. I had a damned hard time accepting how I can turn into a wolf whenever I want to, although I understand my life better. I lashed out at everyone and they all forgave me but the one person who matters the most to me."

  "Is it possible for us to forgive each other and go back to those magnificent forty-eight hours?"

  "I don't know, Rhi. Once I'm gone, you'll have everything with the ranch, money, privacy ... What do you need me for?"

  "I love you, Sean McMurray. This all means absolutely nothing if you're not here. I want you and I want you involved with our children. I've missed you, Sean."

  Their daughters chose to get involved, as it seemed like they had awakened from a long nap. She gasped at the sensations coursing through her.

  Sean heard it and dropped his packing to go to her.

  "Rhi, what is it?"

  "Your daughters are active. I think they realize their father is near."

  He helped her to a nearby chair. As he went to stand up, Rhiannon boldly grabbed his hand and pressed it to her stomach. Heat surged through them as it had their first night together.

  She saw his eyes and knew what went through his mind.

  "Your daughters..."

  Amazement lay in his beautiful eyes as it overwhelmed him.

  I know how you feel. I just discovered this awesome feeling this morning and it's indescribable.

  He tried to pull away but Rhiannon refused to let him.

  "Our daughters have already taught me about miracles. They wouldn't be here if we had not come together. We've been so far apart and I am so sorry. A lot of it is my fault and I want to repair this rift so we can find our way back to what we had—for them and for us."

  "Rhiannon, I don't want to leave but I feel I have absolutely no choice. I don't want to be a thorn in your side."

  "Don't you understand? You are not that. You have given me this ranch, a place for our children to live, but it won't be a home without you. I see you here in your home. Your scent fills me with a feeling I cannot explain. Your presence is so powerful, but without you physically here, it all means nothing. I don't want you to leave."

  "I'd only be a reminder..."

  "No, that's not true. I want you to be here for all of us as one big, happy family. What I'm asking is for your forgiveness. I've been a horrid bitch and I rue every minute of hell I've put you through. You claimed me as your mate, a bond to last our lifetimes. Please, Sean. Stay..."

  "You've said a lot and in all of it, I've yet to hear how you truly feel about me. You, Rhiannon, how do you feel?"

  "Sean McMurray, I am your mate. My wolf, I love you more than life. I need you now and forever. You've claimed me and I want to be yours, if you'll still have me."

  "Can you forgive what I said?"

  "There's nothing to forgive. I should have understood what you were going through instead of taking it personally. For my cruelty, I ask you to forgive me."

  "Rhiannon Drake, I love you. I'm sorry for the time lost. I need you and I want to raise our daughters with you. Will you marry me?"

  "Yes, Sean but when?"

  "As soon as possible. I want my children to have my name. I want my mate to be my wife."

  "My father can arrange it."

  "I need Hunt here as my best man."

  "But..."

  "He knows about us and will keep our secret. I had to tell him because of how close we are personally and professionally, plus it was the only way I could be assured I would be the only one to get you out of that place."

  "I owe him."

  "No, you don't. I do and it's a debt I can't repay."

  Rhiannon smiled as their daughters kicked again. His hand jumped and they laughed. Sean bent to kiss her and when their lips touched, lightning shot through them both.

  "Sean?” she said as their kiss broke.

  "What?"

  "Take me to bed."

  "What about..."

  "I don't care. I need my mate."

  "But the..."

  "Julian said no changing. He never mentioned sex."

  Sean groaned.

  * * * *

  "Lockwood."

  "It's me."

  "What's up? You sound happy."

  "I need a favor."

  "Sure—what?"

  "Stand for me."

  "When?"

  "I'll let you know as soon as we decide but it'll probably be in the next few weeks."

  "What?” Lockwood asked in shock.

  "Rhiannon's agreed to marry me."

  "Terrific. Hey, man, I'm happy for you but only if it's right."

  "It is."

  "Then, I'm your man. Where and when?"

  * * * *

  Sean ended the call and shut off the phone. He disconnected the phone by his bedside, then removed his duffel from the bed. He went back to where Rhiannon sat and knelt down.

  "You're sure about this?"

  "More than I've been about anything for a long while,” she answered as he removed her boots. He stood and held out his hands to her to help her up.

  "You look wonderful and radiant,” he complimented before his mouth covered hers. In a deeply passionate kiss, his tongue explored her mouth as memories flooded back to him.

  His hands f
loated over the soft fabric of her dress as he traced each new curve of her body. Heat coursed through him from this but more so from her touch on his neck as she held him close.

  His hands cupped her soft ass after his fingertips drew the hem of her dress up and over her hips. He groaned when he touched bare skin, then more so as he discovered she wore absolutely nothing underneath.

  "You minx."

  "No, I was in a hurry."

  Sean laughed and kissed her again. He pulled the dress up further and she raised her arms so he could remove it totally. He gasped as he gazed at her.

  "My God, you're beautiful."

  She unbuttoned his shirt and slid it from his shoulders before she removed it from him. Her breath caught at the sight of his gorgeous body.

  "I've been such a damned fool."

  He helped her remove his jeans and grinned at her gasp.

  "We both had the same idea?"

  "I hope so,” she agreed.

  He lifted her onto the bed and eased her back to a pile of pillows he stacked for her comfort. He traced her body with his fingertips, then he feathered kisses over her until he reached her stomach. He stared in awe as he watched his daughters’ activity, their movements rippling across her belly.

  Rhiannon ran her fingers through his hair as he laid his head on her stomach. Sean's touch sent her reeling as her body cried out for more. She could feel her body's reaction, her hunger for him intense.

  "Sean,” she gasped when she felt his tongue playing between her legs. Her body jolted when he inserted two fingers into her waiting and sexually starved pussy. His other hand remained on her belly. She gazed down the length of her pregnant torso and watched him bury his head again, then felt his hot breath when his tongue stroked her clit, his fingers thrusting in and out of her pussy.

  She reached for his free hand and pulled it to her breast. As Sean sensed her climax coming over her, he squeezed her firm nipple between his fingertips while teasing it. While he feasted on her, she cried out as a myriad of emotions overwhelmed her. Wave after wave of erotic sensations bathed her.

  Rhiannon tried to move but the light pressure of his hand held her in place. She screamed his name, tears in her eyes. He watched the last ripples of her climax run through her. Without warning, he easily flipped her onto her hands and knees.