“I can’t,” he said between clenched teeth. “Not without my wolf.”
Chaaya turned her attention to Rainn. “There’s another way.”
Rainn blinked in confusion. Did the girl think she had the healing magic? Some fey creatures did. But not zephyrs. “What are you talking about?”
“I don’t have to be a Were to know he’s in the middle of his mating madness,” Chaaya drawled.
“Hey,” Ulric muttered even as Rainn slowly realized what the girl meant.
Ulric’s weakness wasn’t caused just by his injury. It was her refusal to accept the mating bond. Regret twisted her heart. Along with a completely inappropriate flare of anticipation.
Chaaya flashed a deliberately provoking smile toward Ulric. “Are you blushing, dog?”
“You…” Ulric stepped forward, but Rainn quickly grasped his arm.
“Don’t, Ulric.”
Chaaya’s smile widened. “Go in the cottage and put this male out of his misery,” she commanded, her smile fading as she glanced toward Rainn. “And don’t come out until he’s healed.”
“I’ll take care of Ulric,” Rainn promised.
Ulric narrowed his eyes as Chaaya took a step back. “Wait. What are you going to do?”
The girl grabbed the spear holstered at her side. The blade looked like it’d been made out of copper and the ebony handle was decorated with strange markings.
“I’m going to keep the beast entertained.”
Chaaya was jogging away before Ulric could protest. Then, she simply disappeared. As if the strange, stagnant air had swallowed her.
Rainn grimaced, then tugged Ulric toward the nearby cottage. “Come on.”
Ulric allowed himself to be led up the pathway. Rainn pushed open the door, her eyes widening in surprise.
The cottage had looked traditional from the outside, but she hadn’t really expected the old-fashioned style to be reflected inside. After all, Chaaya didn’t seem like a chintz and lace sort of gal. She was more leather, guts, and pointy weapons.
Of course, this house might very well have been created long before Chaaya was condemned to stand guard in this place.
“It feels different here,” Rainn murmured, relieved at the warm, fragrant air that wrapped around them.
Her gaze moved over the flagstone floor that was covered by hand-woven rugs, and the low, open-beamed ceiling. Next she took in the carved wooden furniture that was piled with bright cushions.
Ulric’s expression was oddly wistful. “Like home.”
Rainn’s heart squeezed with sympathy. Did the place remind him of his parents’ cottage?
“Yeah,” she softly agreed. Then, tightening her grip on his arm, she urged him toward the opening across the room.
They were wasting time. As much as she wanted to wrap her arms around Ulric and urge him to reminisce about his childhood with his pack, they needed him strong and healthy.
And there was one way to accomplish that task.
A renegade excitement tingled through her. It had nothing to do with her duty to the Oracles. Or the fear that the world was in danger until Zella was destroyed.
It was entirely focused on her selfish desire to get her hands on Ulric. Not just on, but all over. Head to toe and all the delicious spots in between.
“Stop,” Ulric protested, clearly sensing Rainn’s ruthless determination to seduce him.
“Don’t be stubborn,” she chided.
Ulric muttered a curse, but he readily allowed himself to be led into the bedroom. “You call me stubborn?” he groused. “You could give lessons to a mule.”
She shrugged. “It’s part of my charm.”
“Yes.”
Rainn’s heart fluttered. Really and truly. Just like a butterfly trapped in her chest.
Unnerved by the sensation, Rainn glanced around the snug bedroom. Once again, she was astonished by the homey feel to it. There was a stone fireplace with a heavy mantel that was lined with delicate pottery. The windows were covered by lacy curtains, and a hand-stitched quilt was spread across the brass bed set in the center of the floor.
Suddenly Ulric swayed from side to side, as if he was on the point of collapse. Rainn chided herself for her momentary distraction, firmly pulling Ulric toward the bed.
“Lie down before you fall down,” she ordered.
Ulric grimaced, collapsing on the mattress. He rolled onto his back, gazing up at her with pain-filled eyes. “I don’t suppose there’s anything to eat here?” he demanded. “I’m starving.”
A toxic combination of fear and regret swirled through Rainn. Taking care not to jostle him, she crawled onto the bed and stretched out next to him.
“I’ll look,” she promised, turning to the side to face him. “Later.”
His head swiveled on the pillow to study her with a wary gaze. “Rainn—”
“Ssh.” She pressed her fingers to his lips. “I need you to listen to me.”
He arched a brow. “I always listen.”
“You promise?” she pressed.
He paused before giving a nod of his head. “Okay. I promise.”
Rainn’s fluttering heart went into overdrive. Why was this so difficult? It felt like that moment she’d been swept over the canyon, frantically trying to float before she was plummeting toward the ground.
“When you confessed that I was your mate—”
“Don’t, Rainn,” he interrupted in harsh tones.
She scowled at him. This was hard enough without him making it more difficult. “You promised to listen.”
“There’s no need to discuss this.”
“There’s every need,” she insisted.
He turned his head to stare at the open beams above them. His body was stiff and a fine layer of sweat coated his skin. He was in far more pain than he wanted her to realize.
“Rainn, I’m as anxious as you are to find a way to destroy Zella, but you can’t force yourself to become my mate. It doesn’t work that way.”
“I know how it works, Ulric. I don’t have a wolf, but I have this. She reached to grasp his hand, pressing it to the center of her chest.
A prickling heat filled the room. Ulric could never hide his emotions. They spilled out of him like a furnace.
“What are you talking about?” he rasped.
“My heart.”
He sucked in a pained breath. “You made your feelings clear earlier.”
“Actually, I didn’t,” she insisted. “I made a mess of everything.”
“I don’t blame you,” he assured her, his jaw tight as if he was clenching his teeth. “We aren’t in charge of destiny. No matter how much we might want to be.”
“Trust me, I know. Probably better than anyone.” She abruptly wrinkled her nose, remembering her earlier decision that her fate hadn’t been nearly as bad as others’. “Except for Chaaya. And that’s why I reacted like an idiot.”
“You were honest.” The words were bleak. As if he was talking about a death. “And that’s the end of the story.”
She clicked her tongue. Was he deliberately making this difficult?
“You keep forgetting that whole listening thing.”
“I’m listening.”
“No, you’re deflecting.” She held his gaze. “It’s hard enough for me to share what I’m feeling. My people aren’t like most fey creatures, who are always spewing their emotions around. We are a secluded, private tribe.”
He moved his hand to stroke a path up the side of her neck, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Your ability to stay calm no matter what is happening has always impressed Chiron.”
“And infuriated you.”
He wrinkled his nose. “I thought it was because I was so impulsive and hotheaded. You made me look like a raving lunatic in comparison.”
Ra
inn’s lips twitched. Ulric had never been a raving lunatic. He was too disciplined. But he was much more…expressive with his feelings than her. Or Chiron.
Oddly, his temperamental style made him a favorite with the Dreamscape staff. Most of them were terrified of Chiron, and they found Rainn aloof, but they would readily go to Ulric if they had a problem.
“But?” she prompted.
His fingers brushed over her cheek, the heat of touch branding her with pleasure.
“But now I suspect I wanted to rip through your composure to find the woman beneath,” he admitted. “My wolf already sensed you were special.”
Rainn shivered. She was making her own realizations. Like why she’d gone to such lengths to avoid spending time alone with Ulric. And why she’d evaded his touch.
Just the light brush of his fingers was causing complete chaos. Her heart banged against her ribs and her breath tangled in her throat.
She forced herself to continue. “Once I was taken to the Oracles I only became more determined to bury my emotions.” She needed him to understand. “My people were depending on me to fulfill my duty. I couldn’t risk being distracted.”
“That’s what I am?” His fingers drifted along her jaw. “A distraction?”
“At first,” she murmured, tilting back her head as his hand wrapped around her throat. It wasn’t threatening. It was a gesture of delicious possession. “A very sexy, occasionally charming distraction.”
His eyes darkened, the heat in the room ratcheting up several more degrees.
“Sexy,” he growled. “I like the sound of that.”
Rainn swallowed a groan, her gaze skimming over his hard, chiseled features, and down the muscular chest that was emphasized by his tight T-shirt. Sexy was actually an understatement. He was…well, she didn’t know what was sexier than sexy. All she knew was that he was a loyal, gorgeous male who came complete with a wolf.
What could be better?
“But I had to stay focused,” she said, reminding herself she still had to stay focused. “And then Brigette made her appearance in the casino.”
“Brigette.” His expression hardened with fury at the mention of his cousin. “She’s going to pay for what she did.”
Rainn refused to think about the treacherous female. This moment was about Ulric. And their bond. And all the delicious ways she intended to prove to this male that she was completely on board with the whole mating thing.
“She’ll pay,” Rainn assured the male, using the tips of her fingers to smooth away his frown. “But not until you have your strength back.”
“Rainn.”
She once again pressed her fingers to his lips. She wanted to finish her story. Once they were done with the past, they could concentrate on the present.
A warm bed. Some temporary alone-time. And the urgent desire to mate.
“Once I recognized the evil was centered on the female Were, and ultimately Zella, I became even more determined to fulfill my duty,” she said.
“I understand,” he insisted. “I truly do.”
Rainn made a sound of impatience. “I didn’t. When you confessed that I was your mate, I panicked. I told myself that I had to concentrate on battling the evil. That I couldn’t allow myself to be diverted from my quest. Even if…” A sudden lump of anxiety lodged the words in her throat.
“Even if what?”
“Even if it meant denying what was in my heart.”
He stilled, almost as if he was expecting a blow. “What was in your heart?”
She swallowed the lump. This was it. Now or never. “The knowledge that you belong to me.”
Chapter 17
Ulric sucked in a sharp breath. Somewhere in the back of his mind was an urgent voice whispering that they couldn’t be sure the cottage was safe.
Chaaya had given them a fanciful story about being sacrificed and endless centuries of battling the beast. But what if she was just some weird manifestation of evil? And what if she’d urged them to stay in the cottage until Zella could travel to this place and destroy them?
Still, it was remarkably easy to ignore the voice.
He was too weak to fight. Or even run. Hell, he wasn’t sure he could roll out of the bed at this point. And besides, he was willing to risk death if it meant he could savor the feel of Rainn’s fingers gently stroking his face.
“You said you couldn’t be my mate,” he forced himself to remind her.
He’d been deeply hurt by her rejection. It wasn’t easy to open himself up to another disappointment.
She flinched, as if disturbed by his accusation.
“Because I feared it might jeopardize my people,” she insisted. “It was only because I agreed to the Oracles’ demands that they continue to offer their protection. How could I choose to follow my heart if it meant putting my family in danger?” Her fingers lingered against his cheek, the warm mist of her breath brushing his lips. “It didn’t occur to me that I could find my true love and still battle against Zella.”
A shudder of anticipation rippled through him. “True love?”
Her eyes darkened to smoke, her scent drenching the room. “Mmm.”
There was a stirring deep inside him. Something familiar and wonderful.
“Does that mean mate?” he demanded. He wanted it spelled out in black and white.
“It does.”
The words were simple. It does. But they sent an avalanche of sensations cascading through him.
Still, his animal remained wary. “What about the Oracles?”
“They told me I had to destroy the evil,” she said, her voice husky. “They didn’t say I had to do it alone.”
“Alone is a very bad thing,” he agreed.
“Yeah. I like together better.”
He hesitated, his gaze anxiously scanning her face. Once he committed, there was no going back. “Are you sure?”
A slow, wicked smile curved her lips. “I’m happy to convince you.”
Ulric growled. He liked the sound of that. “How?”
“I could do this.” Inching closer to his tense body, she nipped the lobe of his ear.
Ulric jerked, his cock hardening in anticipation. “That’s a good start.”
Using the tip of her tongue, she traced a wet path down the length of his jaw. “And this.”
“An even better start,” he rasped, the fingers that had instinctively cupped around her throat skimming up to grasp her chin. “Rainn.”
“Has anyone told you that you talk too much?” she murmured, cutting off his last demand to be sure she knew what she was getting into.
He arched a brow. “Not and lived.”
She gave his ear another nip. “My big, bad wolf.”
Ulric rolled to his side, facing her. A sensation far too big to fit into his heart swelled through him at the sight of her flirtatious smile. He’d tried so hard to accept that this female would never be his mate.
Even though it’d nearly destroyed him.
Now, his body tingled with life, as the soul-numbing grief was replaced with joy.
“You tease me at your peril, zephyr,” he warned in soft tones.
She arched toward him in silent invitation. “What are you going to do to me?”
He bent his head to brush a soft kiss over her lips. “Everything I’ve been fantasizing about.”
Her eyes darkened with the same erotic need that churned inside him. Reaching up, she smoothed her hands over his chest. “That sounds promising.”
He growled low in his throat, tugging her sweater over her head. Then, tossing it aside, he once again sought her mouth with his own.
“Not a promise,” he assured her, using the tip of his tongue to lap the moisture from her lips. “A pledge.”
He heard the erratic beat of her heart, but even as his hand curved aro
und the delicate mound of her breast he felt a breeze brush over him.
Ulric lifted his head, blinking in surprise. “Is that you?”
A blush touched her cheeks. “My powers are a little…unpredictable when I’m excited.”
A raw desire blasted through him, combined with an intense need to protect this female. Lying next to him she looked so tiny. So vulnerable. But there was a sensual hunger smoldering in her eyes.
“Ah,” he rasped, his fingers gliding downward to discover the crest of her nipple.
She sucked in a sharp breath. “What?”
“A challenge,” he murmured, lowering his head to skim his lips over the upper curve of her breast.
“A challenge? Oh.” Her words were lost on a sigh as he sucked her nipple between his lips.
“I intend to ensure you lose complete control,” Ulric warned.
Her nails dug into his chest, and with a greedy haste he was tugging off her remaining clothes before shedding his own. Once they were both naked, he crouched above her, relishing her beauty.
It was more than the slender body, or the finely chiseled perfection of her face. It was the luminous essence that glowed around her like a halo.
It was mesmerizing.
Suddenly he could feel his wolf pressing against his skin. Ulric hissed as utter joy surged through him. Dear goddess, until this moment he hadn’t realized just how terrified he was that his animal would never fully return.
Now he wanted to tilt back his head and howl in ecstasy.
Easily catching the scent of his musk, Rainn reached up to frame his face in her hands.
“There you are,” she whispered, gazing into his eyes.
His wolf took a deep breath of Rainn’s misty fragrance and settled back in satisfaction. Now that this female had accepted the mating, the animal was content to leave his human side in control.
“You made me whole again,” he said, his voice husky with emotion.
“We made each other whole,” she countered, her hands drifting down the rigid muscles of his stomach. Taking care, she touched the wound on his side that was beginning to heal. “Someday I might even thank the Oracles for sending me to Vegas.”
Conquer the Darkness Page 19
