Burning Ice: 6 (Werewolf Sentinels)

by Chenery, Marisa

  “Sweet. Now I really want to go for a run in the trees and test my new wolf out.”

  “Meadow and I will go with you,” Durlach said as he stood, pulling his mate up along with him. “Our place is on the next property. You should know where it is. Plus, we should also introduce you to Taylor, who lives there as well. He’s a cat shifter, who turns into a cougar. He has some issues when it comes to werewolf kind. It’s better to show you as a friend or he’ll try to chase you off.”

  “A cat shifter? I never knew they even existed.”

  “Neither did we until I met my mate. Come on, let’s go for a run.”

  “Keep an eye out for anything that is suspicious,” Edensaw told Durlach. “I doubt Tanner would be dumb enough to come here, but that doesn’t mean we should let our guard down.”

  Durlach nodded, then he, Meadow and Wren walked out of the living room.

  Capac turned toward Riya. She sat in the chair, her hands gripping the cushioned armrests. Her gaze flitted from one person to another around the room. It was time he got her alone and saw how accepting she was of everything.

  Chapter Seven

  Riya sat on the bed and watched Capac close the door behind him, then back against it as he stared at her with a worried expression. After Wren had left with Durlach and Meadow, he’d brought her up to his bedroom. It didn’t take much guessing on her part to figure out he was concerned with how she’d taken the news of him being a werewolf.

  Capac pushed away from the door, crossed the room and sat beside her. He took one of her hands in his larger one and laced their fingers together. “How are you?”

  “As good as can be expected when someone learns mythical beasts are actually real.”

  “Are you still scared?”

  “Somewhat.”

  “Of me?”

  She shook her head. “That’s the funny part. I’m not really afraid of you as much as the idea of you being a werewolf. With you, in your human form, here like this, I’m fine. You’re still the man I want to have a relationship with.” She looked down, then back up at Capac. “The one I have feelings for.”

  He reached up and tucked some hair behind her ear. “I fell in love with you the instant I realized you were my mate. You are the only woman who will make my soul complete. Now the big question is, can you accept me as a werewolf and all that staying with me will entail?”

  Riya licked her dry lips. “I’m not going to lie and say I’m ready to make a decision right now, because I’m not. I only met you a couple of days ago and you’re asking me to give you an eternity. I doubt myself at the best of times. I don’t know if I can give you an answer so quickly.”

  Capac blew out a breath. “As I said downstairs, I would have given you time to get used to this before asking you to make this big step, but the fact is I can’t. Tanner is dangerous, more so now that he’s taken over the leadership of the dark wolves. He knows about you. To be honest, even if you say no to becoming my mate, I don’t think you’d be able to carry on your life as you had before. Tanner won’t care if I don’t claim you. You’re still a connection to me.”

  “So in other words I’m left with no choice.”

  “If you don’t want to accept me as your mate, I will never claim you. My mating urge will continue to ride me, push me to do just that, but I would never force it on you. Somehow I would have to control it. You’d have to stay here where you’re protected, though. And once Tanner and the dark wolves have been eliminated as a threat, you’d be able to leave without having to worry about being used to get at me.”

  “How long would that be? How long have you been fighting the dark wolves already?”

  “Almost three years.”

  “See, it could be another three years or more before they are no longer a threat.”

  Capac cupped her face in his hands. “I’m going to tell you this, not to make you feel as if you have to accept what I offer, but to let you know my feelings for you will never change. You are the only woman out of the entire world who was capable of setting my mating urge off. There will never be another, even if you decide you don’t want me as a mate.”

  Riya reached up and placed her hand over one of his. “Never?”

  “Never. I’d spend an eternity alone.” He gave her a small smile. “Though I would much rather spend it with you at my side.”

  “If I do this, you will still wait until tomorrow?”

  “Yes.”

  “I think I’ll need that time to get this all straight in my mind.” Riya took a deep breath. “I guess the first order of business will be acquainting myself with your wolf. I saw you downstairs like that, but I was paying more attention to what Wren experienced after you bit her.”

  “If that’s what you want.”

  Capac dropped his hands, then slid off the bed and stood before it. He met her gaze, as if silently asking her if she was ready for what would happen next. She nodded. Just as what had happened in the living room when he’d shifted there, his body blurred and shimmered. In the end, in Capac’s place, stood a black dire wolf. His legs were a bit shorter than a timber wolf’s, and he was stronger-looking. His teeth were also larger. Overall, he looked like an animal that had lived during the ice age, which he had. That still boggled her mind that Capac was an honest-to-goodness prehistoric man.

  He sat on the floor and looked up at her. Though they were now wolf’s eyes, they were the same color as when Capac was human. She could also see uncertainty lurking in them as well. There was no mistaking him for a normal, wild wolf. He showed too much intelligence.

  Are you still okay? Capac asked her telepathically.

  Riya rubbed her sweaty palms along her thighs. “I think so. When you turn me, will I be a dire wolf or one like Wren?”

  You’ll be a full dire wolf, except your fur will be dark-brown, the same color as your hair.

  “And my eyes?”

  The gorgeous light green they are now.

  Riya shifted a little to the side, then pushed off the bed to stand. Since she was stressed, her klutzy side reared its ugly head. She managed to step down on Capac’s tail. He let out a yelp and jumped out of the way, pulling away from her.

  “Damn it, I did it again. I should have looked where your tail was. Are you sure you want to be stuck for an eternity with me? I’m liable to poke your eye out next.”

  Capac stepped closer and rubbed against her leg as his laughter filled her head. Good thing I’m immortal. I’d probably be able to grow an eye back.

  “That is so not reassuring.”

  He nudged her. Stop worrying so much. What little damage you do heals in an instant. Come on and pet me. I know you want to since I’m such a good-looking dire wolf.

  Riya chuckled. “A little sure of yourself, aren’t you? But I am going to pet you, anyway.”

  She settled onto the floor next to Capac. Riya reached out and scratched him under his chin before she moved to behind his ear. He seemed to really like that. He turned his head toward her and leaned in to give her better access. She ran her gaze over him, loving the feel of his soft fur. She could be just like him, able to turn into a wolf that had been extinct for ten thousand years.

  Riya stroked her hands down his back. “Will I be as klutzy as a wolf as I am as a human?”

  Capac gave a short laugh in her mind. To be honest, I don’t know. As werewolves, we’re pretty agile and have better coordination than a mortal, even in our human forms.

  “Then I’ll put that on the pro column for becoming one.”

  There is nothing like going wolf and running wild in the trees, Riya. It’s a freedom mortals never get to experience. Around here you might find a cougar coming for a run as well, though.

  “It sounds as if my life will never be boring.”

  Capac shifted to human form and took her into his arms. “It was nice having you pet me as a dire wolf, but I much prefer to hold you like this. I don’t know if this will help or not, but if there wasn’t a chance that you could lo
ve me too, you wouldn’t have been fated to be my mate. Matings aren’t usually one-sided.”

  There was that to consider as well. No longer caught off guard, able to think clearly without fear pushing at the back of her mind, Riya was able to appreciate exactly what Capac could give her. She’d been afraid she would always be alone. She didn’t date much because not many men seemed attracted to her. Then throw in a few klutzy moments and they lost interest in her real fast. With Capac she got a mate and a handsome man she had never dreamed of being able to say was hers.

  Riya was halfway to giving Capac the answer he wanted, but she wasn’t ready to rush into it just yet. She wanted the time he was giving her to let it all sink in and percolate for a little while. Then she thought of something.

  “Capac, what about my family? My parents will notice if I don’t age.”

  “You’ll have the choice of two options. Once you reach the stage where you should be looking older, you’ll have to disappear from their lives forever. The other, if you trust them not to reveal to the world what you are, will be telling them the truth. You’d have to decide what will be best for you.”

  “Okay. Say I tell them and they decide they want to become werewolves? Would you turn them?”

  “If that was what they truly wanted, yes. That way you’d never have to worry about them saying the wrong thing to the wrong person. I wouldn’t cut your family off from you over something like that. Edensaw has said that any mate’s family members who would like to be turned are more than welcome to join our pack.”

  That took some of the pressure off Riya’s shoulders. Even though her parents hadn’t wanted children, she still was close enough to them she’d miss them terribly if she never saw them again.

  “I guess you’ve given me all the information you could to help me make my decision,” Riya said. “But just one thing, how would you claim me? I hope it doesn’t involve pain like you turning me.”

  Capac pulled her onto his lap and laughed. “I promise you it doesn’t, only pleasure. The first time I make love to you fully is when our souls will join, forming the mating bond. And once it’s in place neither one of us will be able to stand to be away from the other for long periods of time. A few hours will seem like weeks, and we’ll suffer what we call separation anxiety. You’ll constantly think something bad has happened to me.”

  “I guess that explains why you haven’t wanted to do anything more than heavy petting and oral sex.”

  “Exactly. Once I’ve claimed you there is no undoing it.”

  “I’m not going to give you my final answer, but I really can’t see much of a downside to any of this. I do have strong feelings for you.” She took a deep breath. “I’m scared to call it love right now. It’s so new, and I’ve never fallen in love before.”

  Capac kissed her long and slow before he pulled away. “I’m patient, though you make me burn for you.”

  “Burn how? Burn hot like a fire or burn cold like ice since you’re from the ice age?”

  He smiled. “Maybe I do burn like ice for you. Now let’s spend the time getting closer, with no clothes on, of course.”

  Riya laughed as Capac stood with her in his arms, then tossed her onto the bed before he climbed up next to her and covered her body with his.

  * * * * *

  Riya quietly walked through the house. No one else was around. It was very late and the entire household had gone to bed. She hadn’t been able to find any sleep and had left Capac asleep in his room. Her mind wouldn’t settle, thoughts of the decision she’d have to make swirled around it.

  Passing by the living room, she saw Wren on the couch fast asleep. The other woman had tried one more time to get Ryder to agree to share his room with her, but he’d turned her down again. Riya had a feeling Wren wouldn’t give up too easily, though.

  Feeling as if the walls were closing in on her, Riya walked to the glass sliding door and stepped onto the deck. She slowly tugged it shut, then turned to face the large backyard. She wrapped her arms around her. It was almost cold enough to see her breath. The warm spell they’d had was ending and soon autumn temperatures would be there.

  Riya looked up at the clear, night sky at all the stars that twinkled high above her. She then turned her gaze to the darker patch that denoted the tree line. She still was conflicted in some ways on what answer she should give Capac. She wasn’t one who could make snap decisions, especially when she felt stressed about it. That had to come from her lack of self-confidence. Her mom was forever telling her to not be so down on herself. This from a woman who had confidence in spades and more than enough of it to propel her into a successful lawyer’s career. It was easier said than done.

  She walked down the steps of the deck and stepped onto the lawn. Sometimes a walk helped Riya to get her thoughts straight. Since she wouldn’t take the chance of leaving the property she headed for the trees. Once she’d reached them she’d turn around and head back to the deck, repeating the process as many times as she needed to finally make her decision. Plus, it would help keep her warm. She only wore a long-sleeved t-shirt and didn’t feel like going back inside to get a jacket.

  Riya completed the circuit, then started once again. She got lost in her thoughts, her reasons why to accept Capac far outweighing the ones to not. She could come to love him, if she weren’t already halfway there.

  At the tree line something barreled out and smashed into Riya. Pushed to the ground onto her back, she had the wind knocked out of her. It wasn’t until a wolf’s paw landed on the center of her chest and sharp-looking teeth came into view did she realize how much in danger she was. This wasn’t one of Capac’s wolf brothers, nor was it Wren.

  She let out a scream as the sharp teeth lunged for her throat. Riya had the common sense to lift her arms and block the attack. Instead of hitting its target, the wolf clamped its jaws around one of her forearms and bit down until she heard bone break. She screamed in pain and fear.

  With one of her arms incapacitated, the wolf went on the strike again for her throat. This time it latched on to it, sinking its teeth deep. Riya could only whimper as she waited for him to finish her off by snapping her neck.

  A black furry mass slammed into the wolf, tearing his jaws and him away from her. Riya felt the wetness of blood seeping into her shirt. Afraid to move, she lay there as a buzzing started in her head. Her limbs felt heavy, and the cold that had bothered her before didn’t seem to affect her as much as it had. All around her were the sounds of wolves fighting.

  Suddenly Capac was there, lifting her to cradle in his arms. His gaze lowered to her throat, a look of denial on his face. Riya turned her head slightly to see the wolf that had attacked her was subdued by the other sentinels. She heard Edensaw say that he’d read Greg’s mind while in dire wolf form and that the dark wolf had targeted her as a test to prove how loyal he was to Tanner. Riya’s eyes grew heavy and she fought to keep them open.

  “Riya!” Capac shouted. “Look at me. Don’t close your eyes.”

  She turned back to him. “I’m bleeding too much. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone outside.”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  Ketah came and squatted at Capac’s side. “You have to turn her, Capac. Now. She’s not going to make it if you don’t, not as a mortal.”

  The fear of dying had the decision she’d fought to make coming to the forefront of her mind. She nodded at Capac. “Do it. I want it. I want you. Don’t let me go.”

  “You’re not going anywhere.” He passed her to Ketah, then looked at Riya. “Once you feel the pain, search deep inside you for a spark of magic. Hold on to it and think of yourself as a wolf. You’ll shift then. Do you understand?”

  She nodded, which caused her head to spin. “Yes.”

  Capac shifted to his dire wolf form. Before Riya had time to think about it, he bit her where her shoulder and neck met. Her body well on its way to going numb, she hardly felt it at all. But that couldn’t be said about the new pain that rose ins
ide her, sinking into every cell of her body.

  Trying her best to breathe through it, Riya did as Capac had instructed and looked inside herself. It took longer than she’d wanted it to, but she found that spark. Then her body and her perspective of the world changed. She could see as if it were daylight. All of her senses were sharper, keener. She squirmed out of Ketah’s arms. Capac appeared to be a lot taller than he had been. The pain and weakness she’d experienced was no more, even her broken bone had mended. She felt as if she could run a couple of marathons and not even be winded.

  Capac went down on his knees in front of her. “You did it, Riya. You’re in your dire wolf form.”

  Remembering how he’d taught Wren how to communicate, Riya said, If I had known I would feel this good I wouldn’t have hesitated to have you turn me.

  “I will assume you are happy with the outcome. Now you only have one decision left to make.”

  Reaching for the spark once more, Riya shifted to human form and went on her knees to be at Capac’s level. “It’s already made. Take me to bed, Capac. There’s no point in waiting for the morning now. I know what I want and I want you.”

  Ketah stood. “Time for me to leave. It looks as if Edensaw and the others have Greg tied up. He won’t be going anywhere.”

  Capac grabbed Riya’s hand and dragged her to her feet as he gained his. He didn’t look back, just towed her into the house and didn’t stop until they were both locked inside his bedroom.

  Her mate was on her in a matter of seconds. His arms came around her and held her tight while his mouth devoured hers. He pressed against her, his scent so much more intense than it had been when she’d been a mortal. She sucked his tongue into her mouth, loving the taste of him, but needing more, a lot more.

  Capac let go of her and lifted his hands to the collar of her shirt. In his strong grip, he ripped the material in half from neckline to hem. He then tugged it off her and tossed it away. He lifted his head only to say, “Your blood is all over it. I don’t need the reminder of how close I came to losing you.”