“Silver’s the only thing that can really hurt him.”
“I could cut off his head,” said Kade conversationally.
Stephanie stared at the alpha. “Yeah. That might do the trick.”
Kade nodded. “Okay. We’re going to reconvene at headquarters and come up with a plan.” He stood up. “We won’t let anything happen to you. As of now, Nolan is your full-time bodyguard until we catch Garrett.”
“Thank you.”
She walked the alpha and the other werewolves to the door, then shut and locked it.
“You okay?”
Stephanie sighed. “You know, you ask me that a lot. I’m fine. Really.”
She dared his gaze and was immediately drawn in by the concern in his eyes—and the emotions beyond. Want. Need. Desire.
Hope.
“How about dinner? I’ll take you to one of the best places in town to eat.”
She crossed her arms. “This is the second time you’ve tried to bribe me with food.”
“I told you, I like the classics.”
She laughed. “Maybe another time. I need to visit Dad. I’ll get something at the hospital cafeteria.”
“Two of my enforcers will follow you and keep an eye on you. I’m going to go home and pack a bag. I hope you don’t mind having a full-time house guest.”
“Not at all.”
Their gazes met, and a shock of awareness nearly melted her. How on earth would she be able to resist the man if he was in her space twenty-four-seven?
Nolan waited as she locked the mansion’s huge front door. He walked her to her father’s Mercedes and motioned for his enforcers to follow her.
GARRETT WATCHED HIS wife drive into the hospital parking lot. The car that followed her no doubt belonged to those foul-tasting werewolves. Such stupid, slow creatures. No better than humans.
After last night’s little scare and his Totem message, the werewolves had gone on high alert. He couldn’t risk staying around her neighborhood. So, he’d staked out the hospital waiting for her to visit her pathetic, weakling father.
He watched Stephanie get out of the Mercedes, swinging the strap of a small brown purse over her shoulder. Hatred rose like bile in his throat, and he swallowed it back.
He gripped the steering wheel of his rental car, resisting the urge to kill her right now. Never in his life had he so badly wanted to shift into his real self and rip someone apart.
The only thing saving her life was that she could carry Wendigo babies.
Throughout intervening years of their long lives, he and his brothers had tried mating with human women. They all died from the strain of pregnancy. None had made it past six months. But Stephanie had made it nearly eight months. If she hadn’t run away, hadn’t forced him to punish her, his child would not have died.
As soon as he got her back where she belonged, she would learn her place. She would give him children. And when he finished with her—he’d eat that bitch in three bites.
4
“I’M GOING TO bed.”
Her words were innocuous, but the images evoked by the word “bed” coming out of Stephanie’s mouth left Nolan dealing with surges of hot lust.
He cleared his throat. “I’m going to turn in, too. I checked all the windows and doors. All locked up tight. Why doesn’t this place have an alarm?”
“You expect my stubborn werewolf father to trust a human-made alarm system?”
Stephanie had seemed rattled when she’d met Nolan back at the house. She claimed her visit with Randall had gone well. Yet … he couldn’t quite shake the feeling something at the hospital had spooked her. When he’d asked her if something had happened, she’d dismissed his concern, blaming her own skittishness as the reason. Now, she stood in front of him, looking vulnerable. Lost. Beautiful.
“Good point.” Unable to stop himself, Nolan stroked her cheek. She didn’t pull away, so he traced her earlobe. “You look beat.”
A sad smile turned up the corners of her sensuous lips. “I don’t sleep well.”
“Understandable.” He dropped his hand, wishing he could take her in his arms and kiss her until her worries faded away. She’d been abused by someone who was supposed to love her. And because of his sister Hallie, Nolan knew she wouldn’t thank him if he took liberties.
“Any word from Kade about Garrett?”
Nolan shook his head, and Stephanie’s look of disappointment undid him. He saw the battle raging in her eyes: terror and control.
Trying to be brave again.
Nobody knew how to deal with a Wendigo threat—but he’d heard stories about the creatures. Stories he thought were legends. Stephanie’s own descriptions added to the troublesome conclusion that catching her husband and his brothers would be challenging, if not impossible.
She opened her mouth, and Nolan hoped she would confide more, trust him with how she felt, but her expression blanked. Instead, she said, “I need to visit my dad tomorrow morning. He’s getting feisty with the nurses.”
She turned sideways to touch the tulips he’d given her at the hospital. She’d placed them in a vase on a stand just inside her bedroom door. From this angle, her curves were on full display. Stephanie Draper was all woman. Lush from head to toe. How any man, crazy-Wendigo or not, could have mistreated this beauty was beyond Nolan. If given the chance, he’d cherish every single inch of her. Over and over again.
He laughed to hide his growing arousal. “That sounds like Randall. I’ll take you in my SUV.”
“Sounds good.” She glanced up at him, and for a moment, he thought he saw the same longing in her eyes that he felt burning through him. Damn. It had been a long time since he’d wanted a woman as much as he wanted her.
“Good night, Nolan.”
“Good night, Stephanie.”
He watched her leave the living room and head up the stairs. He checked the downstairs doors and windows again, made sure the lights were off, and then he went to his own room.
After getting into bed, he felt instantly restless. He tussled with the covers. The pillows were plump and soft—high-end luxury like everything else in the house. Still, he punched them, trying to create a comfortable spot to lay his head.
Fuck! It wasn’t the goddamned pillows. Nope. His tossing and turning wasn’t the lack of comfort. It was the constant need for Stephanie that thrummed inside him. He ached for her in a primal way. He wanted to be near her. He wanted to know she was okay. He wanted to make her happy. He wanted to bring her pleasure. All these emotions rioted through him, destroying his ability to think straight.
Groaning, Nolan turned onto his side and stared into the darkness. The last thing Stephanie needed was him slobbering all over her. She deserved protection. From her husband. From me, too. He lusted after her—a woman who’d suffered so much at the hands of a man who treated her like property. And here he was, wanting her, unable to stand the idea of anyone else having her. He’d even postured at his enforcer for just looking at Stephanie. It made him ashamed.
Still. He was a werewolf. Werewolves weren’t exactly patient creatures, especially when it came to mating. Maybe after Garrett had been dealt with and Stephanie was free of the Wendigo threat, she might be open to his advances.
But first he had to keep her safe.
STEPHANIE BOLTED AWAKE, the scream lodged in her throat. Frantic, she pushed off the thick coverlet and sat up. Pre-dawn light filtered through her bedroom window. Scooting off the bed, she padded over and leaned against the cool glass, drinking in the soft light. No more darkness, she thought. Slowly, the remnants of the dream—a memory replayed—faded. Garrett hitting her. Blood. Screams. Hers.
“You’re safe,” she whispered against the glass. Too bad she couldn’t convince herself.
As the sun stretched lazy yellow fingers across the purple sky, Stephanie faced the truth. The man in the window last night had not been an apparition or a nightmare. Garrett had come to her home—had scared her on purpose.
Stephanie
rubbed the sleep from her eyes, suddenly remembering that Nolan Wright, alpha-appointed werewolf bodyguard, was sleeping in the room next to hers. The thought comforted her.
She turned around and inhaled deeply. New day, new attitude. Stephanie smiled. She couldn’t take a single moment for granted. Humming, she went into her private bathroom to shower.
Half an hour later, Stephanie descended the staircase. The delicious smell of coffee and—was that pancakes?—wafted up to meet her.
In the kitchen, a blue mixing bowl set on the counter with drips of white batter running down the side. Next to it was an open box of pancake mix with a thin layer of the powder across the counter. Nolan stood in front of the stove a few feet away in a pair of ass hugging, dangerously low-riding jeans and no shoes. His broad back and shoulders were naked except for a white bow behind his neck and around his waist. He turned around, armed with a spatula in one hand, a plate of flap jacks in the other, a dusting of pancake mix in his hair, and a scowl on his face. The apron he wore said, Beware of Cook.
Stephanie burst out laughing. “You look like hell,” she said. “But the apron’s cute on you.”
Nolan’s grin lit his craggy features. “Gee thanks.” He looked down at the apron. “I thought it was me.”
He turned around, giving her a nice view of his muscled back and firm ass. She watched him flip a pancake, admiring the bulging biceps of his arms. Stephanie had a sudden urge to trail a finger up his spine. Gah! Nolan was too tempting, too easy to have around. If she invited him into her bed, she had no doubt he would rock her world.
“Coffee’s ready. Have a cup.”
“Thanks. You want one, too?”
“That’d be great.”
Stephanie took two mugs out of the cabinet and poured both. Grasping a warm mug between her hands, she took a sip. “Is making breakfast part of your guarding service?”
“It is for you.” He glanced over his shoulder and sent a smoldering look that made her mouth dry. She knew there could be other perks if she just slipped into his embrace and let him kiss her. Touch her with those big, confident hands of his... Everywhere. She shivered, and then drank half the coffee.
“Where are the servants?” Nolan asked. She saw him turn off the burners before he presented her with a full plate of pancakes. “Don’t you have a butler or a housekeeper?”
“We don’t have in-house staff anymore. After I left … Dad preferred taking care of himself, I guess. But we do have a housekeeping team that comes in twice a week.”
Nolan looked around at the mess he’d made in the kitchen. “You’re going to need them.” He handed her a full plate of fluffy pancakes. “Here’s the syrup.”
She laughed, drowning the short stack in the sticky, sweet liquid. They ate in comfortable silence. Stephanie couldn’t help but watch the way Nolan ate. It was that mouth of his—kissable, sensual lips. She envied the fork. She thought she was being discreet in her observations until she caught Nolan’s gaze—and his knowing grin.
She felt a blush heat her cheeks. “That was great. I didn’t know you could cook.” Although making pancakes from a box wasn’t exactly a Michelin star meal, she was still impressed he could do more than burn water.
“Neither does my sister. Don’t tell her or she won’t let me come over and mooch meals at her house.”
“You have a sister?”
“Yep.” He handed her a tea towel. “I wash. You dry.”
“Why do you think dishwashers were invented?” Stephanie dropped the towel onto the counter. “I’ll hand, you stack.”
As they loaded the dishwasher, Nolan told her about his nephew and niece, and the crazy week he spent putting together a monster play set. Then he told her about his sister Hallie and her affinity for cats. She laughed at his stories, slowly relaxing in his presence.
“I envy you. I would have loved to have a sister or brother. But my mother died when I was young, and it was just me and Dad”
“I’m sorry.”
“History, now. Dad still keeps a picture of her by his bed. I wish I could have known her.”
“Had to be tough for you.”
“I was lucky in a lot of ways.” She rose from the island and dumped her coffee into the sink. Turning, Stephanie leaned against the counter and crossed her arms. “Thank you for staying with me.” And she didn’t just mean at night. She’d felt as if he’d been with her since the moment she’d arrived. And while it was nuts to think so, Nolan made her feel safe.
“My pleasure.”
They stared at each other, and Stephanie felt every inch of her flesh tingle. Oh, to feel his lips on hers. To feel those calloused fingers trail down her stomach and reach inside her jeans, dip inside her panties, stroke her wet flesh. She nearly swallowed her tongue.
Stop thinking like that, Steph. Jeez!
She watched as Nolan stood, untied the apron, and took it off. Despite his easygoing attitude, Nolan had a coiled sexuality that intrigued her. His movements were unconsciously sexy. Part of being a werewolf was an inherent power, graceful and sleek. She idly wondered what he looked like in his wolf form.
When her gaze drew to his face and their eyes met, he grinned. Stephanie took in his features, noting the beard growth and the boyish way his dark blond hair hung over his forehead. A yearning so unrecognizable, and yet familiar, filled her. She pushed it away, startled at its appearance in her heart. She couldn’t afford emotions around him. She was in enough trouble without throwing herself at a new man. A new monster. That wasn’t fair to Nolan. Werewolves were not Wendigos on any level, but she couldn’t stop the tiny voice telling her that she couldn’t trust her instincts. Not when it came to relationships.
Nolan cleared his throat. “I like you.”
Startled by his declaration, Stephanie stared at him open-mouthed. An ache echoed in her heart; a deep longing that cracked her soul. She fiddled with the belt loop on her pink shorts. “I like you, too.” She looked up, her eyes drawn to his firmly muscled chest, to the dark hair that arrowed into his jeans. “Why are you interested in me?”
His gaze flickered, and he looked away for a moment. When his gaze returned, a thousand emotions glimmered. “You’re gutsy. Beautiful. I want to hold you all the time. You grace my dreams at night. My thoughts during the day. I want you.”
“You want to sleep with me.”
“Yes,” he said boldly. “But, Stephanie, I want to be more than just your lover.”
Her heart slowed, pounding in a thump-thump-thump that echoed in her head. “Everything’s so complicated right now, Nolan.”
“I know,” he said. “I won’t ask for what you can’t give. But I need you to know that I’m very, very attracted to you. I ache to hold you. Touch you.”
“Kiss me.”
He nodded, his expression raw with need.
“It’s been a long time since I…” She laughed bitterly. “Being with Garrett was more rutting than making love. Especially after he found out I’d been taking birth control.”
Nolan’s gaze turned empathetic. “You didn’t want his baby.”
“He’d shown his true character by then. I thought he loved me. But then … I found out I was just a breeder for him.” Stephanie looked into Nolan’s dark, blue eyes. “I tried to escape before, you know. Eight months pregnant. I thought if I could get away—I could save my child from being like his father.”
“What happened?”
“Garrett found me. Beat me. Tossed me down the stairs. I went into labor, but my son died right after he was born. Complications due to my fall.” Stephanie swallowed the knot in her throat. Tears threatened, as they always did, when she thought about her child. “It took me a couple of months to recover before I was strong enough to mate again. The night Garrett intended sleep with me would’ve been the first time he’d … we’d … um, in nearly a year. I couldn’t bear the idea of him putting his hands on me. So, I dosed him with the silver-spiked bourbon and ran.”
“I’m sorry about your s
on.”
“Thank you.” Stephanie felt her lips tremble, and she pressed them together. She didn’t want to give in to the grief. Hadn’t she cried enough?
“C’mere.” Nolan held her tightly. The sorrow receded in his embrace. She basked in his comfort, in his acceptance. God, it was so wonderful to be held with such tender regard.
They stood pressed together for a long time until Stephanie finally broke away and stepped back. She smiled at him. “Thanks. I really needed that.”
“Me, too.” Nolan took her hand. “The pack will look out for you. And I promise to keep you safe. Trust me?”
“Yes,” she said softly. “I do.”
“Good. I need to catch a shower.”
“Didn’t you forget something?”
“Huh?”
Stephanie swallowed hard and then tilted her chin. Her heart started to pound wildly. “My kiss.”
Hot need flared in the werewolf’s gaze as he once again took her into his embrace. Instead of comfort, however, he offered something far more thrilling—passion.
His lips descended on hers, and though he could’ve taken, could’ve conquered, he asked. His lips were soft, tender. He teased her with small brushes, taunting her, making her want.
Need.
When his tongue finally split the seam of her mouth, she clutched him as she met his hunger with one of her own.
She didn’t know how many moments passed before Nolan dragged his mouth from hers. His expression was dark and raw. His eyes held an animalistic gleam.
“I … need to stop,” he said roughly. “Before I can’t. My wolf wants you—and that might be a little much for us both right now.”
He really meant her, but that was okay. Stephanie nodded, stepping back just a little, secretly pleased that she’d managed to make him as weak in the knees as she felt.
“Meet you downstairs in thirty... Unless you’d like to join me.” He winked at her.
All the same, she could tell he was only half-kidding. Her feet almost followed after him, but her head kept her planted in place. “Dad has some tests this morning. You mind if we go to the mall and kill a couple of hours?” she asked. “It should be enough time for him to get back to his room before we go visit.”
The Pack Rules Boxed Set: The Complete Series of Wolf, Bear, and Dragon Shifter Romances Page 15
