by Bonnie Vanak
Unable to form words, she nodded. Never had she felt that wild, nor wanton, or free.
He pushed back a lock of wet blond hair. “You’re my life,” he said in a husky voice. “If I lived only for another day, I’d die happy, if I could lie like this next to you.”
And then she knew he loved her, and she loved him in return.
But what future awaited them outside this mystical cave, where real life faded into the shadows? Could they find a place in the pack that did not accept him?
Kyle found the cell phone and dialed Tristan’s number. It was time to return to reality.
A minute later, they found themselves fully clothed in the same place where they’d fallen into the magick cavern. Their backpacks rested against a rock where the Silver Wizard sat.
The wizard looked amused at Arianna’s stunned expression as she glanced at the sun. “Yes, it’s still early morning, the same time you left. Time slows in the cave.”
Kyle felt back to fighting strength and stamina. He regarded Tristan with a steady look. “Thanks.”
“Thank your protégé. She is the one who healed you.”
Kyle ran a knuckle across her soft cheek, enjoying her blush. “I already have.”
Some things still did not make sense. “You told me you needed my help. For something Elric did?”
Tristan drummed long fingers against the granite rock. “Not anymore.”
“What gives?” Usually he never challenged the Silver Wizard, but he’d also never seen him this tense.
Tristan stood and folded his arms. “It’s a matter best left to me.”
Kyle decided to risk it. “Best left to you, and not the other members of the Brehon? You don’t want to tell them because of the royal fuckup with Elric?”
As the other’s eyes glowed a dangerous ice blue, he added quietly, “I owe you, Tristan. Let me repay you. I want to help.”
Tristan scowled, but his eyes returned to normal. “Very well. Keep this information to yourselves for now. Both of you. Swear to it or I shall return you back to the cave for good.”
After they did, Tristan lowered his voice. “Pandora’s Chest is missing.”
Kyle’s heart dropped to his stomach. Arianna gave him a puzzled look.
Acid churned in his stomach as Tristan explained the legend to Arianna. The chest possessed the power to grant an OtherWorlder’s dearest wish, but at a great price. Once the chest was opened, it released tendrils of magick to lure more victims into seizing the chest for themselves, igniting hope their wildest dreams were within reach.
“Only the Brehon knew of the chest’s hiding place in Tir di non,” Tristan said. “I am its guardian, and Elric was the keeper of the keys. I only recently discovered the chest was gone and that Elric had created a duplicate. He sold the real chest in exchange for test subjects for his breeding experiments. The male and female you released, Arianna, were sold by their alpha.
Sudden realization struck Kyle. “That’s why the Ogres were stirred up on the mountain.”
“Pandora’s Chest is why the trolls banded together. They were united in the mutual desire to find the chest, for they believe it contains all the gold they crave. The chest’s magick caused them to act out of character.”
The wizard squatted down and drew symbols in the dirt. The earth shimmered and showed images like a movie reel. Elric stood over the shadowy figure of a man opening the chest inside the cavern. The man slammed the chest shut and nodded.
The Silver Wizard waved a hand. The images faded, replaced with dirt and rock once more.
“But if the chest was opened, why wasn’t our pack affected?” Arianna asked.
Tristan regarded her quietly. “You were. Your pack’s true desire is to find and claim mates. The urge has been present all along, but when the chest was opened, it amplified the pack’s need.”
“Who bought the chest? Need me to hunt him down?” Kyle asked.
Tristan’s expression turned stony. “He is dead. The chest is still on his property. The alpha male failed to realize the consequences. For all the good Pandora’s Chest releases, it releases a terrible evil as well, an evil that has struck down his pack.”
“The same pack the two Lupines were from. Will they be okay?” she asked.
“I placed them with another wolf pack. There are events transpiring I shall work to my advantage.” The Silver Wizard’s voice had an edge to it. “Return now to your pack. If Aiden questions you, tell him there has been a release of dark magick and he should remain vigilant, or suffer the consequences.”
Kyle didn’t care for the ominous, barely veiled warning.
“Let’s go home. Back to our home,” she whispered.
How he wanted to acknowledge this, that they could have a home together.
“About the bargain I made with you, Tristan,” he began.
“The bargain was for if you leave the pack. The choice is still yours.” The wizard gave him a sly smile.
“What is he talking about, Kyle?” Ari asked.
“Nothing.” Kyle wouldn’t share his devil’s bargain unless Aiden accepted him into the pack.
As they started down the mountain, Tristan called out. Kyle turned.
“You may have an unexpected visitor waiting for you.”
“Great. You sound like a Chinese fortune cookie. Details would be nice,” Arianna told him.
“But this visitor is not for you. Kyle, I will say this. Do you think I’d allow randy Satyrs to always take females against their will? Have you considered perhaps the legends are not true?”
“If my mother wasn’t forced, then why would she mate with a Satyr?”
An inscrutable look crossed the wizard’s face. “That, my friend, you must discover for yourself.”
Kyle had a bad feeling about this. The bad feeling grew stronger the closer they drew to the ranch. When they stepped off the pathway, his cabin sat squarely before him. A sense of familiarity stole over him. Someone was here. He scented it, sensed it in his bones.
They rounded the cabin and dumped their packs onto the porch. Kyle jiggled the doorknob. Still locked.
Arianna gasped. “Kyle, look. Near the picnic table.”
Near the spot where he and Ari had enjoyed eating outdoors was a cluster of pine trees. A tall cowboy stepped out from behind a tree and approached the cabin.
Kyle pushed Arianna behind him as the cowboy drew closer. A man with green eyes exactly like his own, his same height and dark brown hair.
At the porch steps, the cowboy pushed his Stetson up and nodded. “Hello, son. I’ve been waiting for your return.”
Chapter 21
KNIFELIKE PAIN TWISTED through him. The man professing to be his sire looked hesitant, yet hopeful, a hope he wanted to crush beneath his boot heels.
The man paused on the porch steps. “Name’s Corrin. Been working as a ranch hand in Utah, then decided to pack up and see Montana. Heard rumors of another Satyr around these parts and knew it was you. I had to meet you.”
“I have no father,” Kyle bit out. “My father is dead to me.”
“Kyle,” Arianna began.
The cowboy nodded. “I’ve given you no reason to want to meet me. Deserted you before you were born. But I did sire you. And I’ll prove it.”
The male changed form, and Kyle’s heart banged hard. The small, bone-white horns erupting on his forehead, the dark fur pelt on his lower half, the long, thick penis, and the pointed ears.
The male shifted back, clothed in jeans, fleece shirt, boots and hat, looking like a middle-aged cow hand. He gave Arianna an apologetic glance. “Sorry, miss. Didn’t mean to alarm you, but knew I had to prove to Kyle I’m his real father.”
Father? A father was someone who stuck around, gave his son advice, defended him from Lupines itching to brand him as a deviant. Kyle felt as if someone kicked him hard in the stomach.
“The Satyr footprints I found near my cabin, that was you?”
“Yeah. I tracked you down. Tried to g
ather my courage to knock at your front door. But I lost my nerve.”
Kyle clasped Arianna’s hand, reassuring himself she was safe. Hell, he didn’t care about this bastard who gave him his DNA. All he cared about was her.
Corrin shuffled a worn boot heel against the porch step and did not meet her gaze. “I’m sorry for scaring you. Was just concerned about the boy, here.”
“I’m not a boy,” Kyle replied, his jaw tensing.
“No, you’re not. But you’re still my son. Need to tell you something after all these years. And I wanted to see what kind of male you turned out to be.”
The kind of male you’ll never become. The kind who protects females from savage bastards like you. Kyle fished out his cell phone and punched Aiden’s number.
“If you’re calling your pack alpha, already talked with him. Told him who I was. He gave me permission to stay on his turf and wait until your return.”
His finger hovered above the bright green SEND button. “You’re bullshitting me.”
“Watch the language around the lady.” Corrin’s gaze narrowed. “You think a strong pack like this would tolerate my presence if I didn’t request permission first?”
“He’s right, Kyle,” Arianna said softly. “Give him a chance. Please? For my sake?”
He could not deny her anything. “Say what you came to say and then get the hell out. You’ve got five minutes.”
“Ten,” Arianna cut in.
His mouth softened. Ari always got the best of him. “Ten minutes, then I want you gone.”
Corrin touched the brim of his Stetson in a two-fingered salute that was frighteningly like his own. “Thank you, miss. You have your mother’s eyes, son. She had such beautiful, soulful eyes.”
“How dare you call me son?” Kyle hissed out a deep breath. “You have the nerve to talk about soul and claim me as your son? How would you even know what color her eyes were? Did you stare into them when you fucking raped her?”
Arianna put a reassuring hand on his arm, but he ignored it. Rage coiled low in his stomach. He fisted his hands, growling deep in his throat, ready to tear this bastard apart for the misery he’d inflicted on his mother...
A small, surprised whisper stopped him. “Kyle, look at him.”
Only Ari could tamp his fury. He looked at Corrin’s stricken expression.
“I loved her. I would never abuse her.”
“Satyrs are savages who take females they desire. I don’t call that love.”
“Horse pucky.” Corrin shot Arianna an apologetic glance. “Sorry for the swearing, miss. But don’t you believe those asinine myths. We’re no more savage than others. Same’s said about Ogres and they’re not violent, either.”
The older man’s face pinched as he stared at the brand on Kyle’s cheek. “We’re not violent. But others, they fear us. And they’ll do anything to keep us separated, keep joy from our lives.”
Corrin took a deep breath. “I loved your mother, and she loved me. Never met such a fascinating female, such a gentle soul and so unhappy with her mate. He never listened, treated her like a possession. All he cared about was fathering an heir, and he couldn’t get her pregnant. We became lovers. I didn’t violate her. Would have killed anyone who hurt her.”
“You left her behind.” But Kyle felt more confused than ever.
“I loved her, but couldn’t set aside my own selfish need to rove. Was going to leave the area, and tried to break it to her gently.”
Kyle gritted his teeth, uncertain.
“The next day, got back to my cabin after shopping for supplies. Found her note. Selena returned to her pack. She was pregnant. The only hope for our child was among the Lupine. She loved me, but would not raise her boy alone. Everything she did was for you, all the lies she told them, so you would have a family and know pack life.”
“I knew pack life all right.” Kyle touched the brand on his cheek.
Corrin’s face pinched. “I only recently found out what they did to you. I’ve wasted years, regretting my decision to leave. Wishing I had the courage to take a chance on us becoming a family. I’m sorry, Kyle. Sorry I never was there to be a real father to you.”
“Why didn’t you come for me?” Kyle felt shattered. “I dreamed and hoped. Hell, I created this legend of a father who one day would come charging into my life and take me away. But you didn’t want me.”
Hissing, he turned and slammed a fist against the porch railing. The entire railing shook. He drew back his fist again, only to find a soft hand encircle his wrist. Kyle glanced at Arianna, who kissed his bleeding knuckles. He forced himself to calm.
“Didn’t want you?” Corrin shook his head. “More than anything, I wanted you, son. I loved you from the moment I found out she was pregnant. Hung around until Selena gave birth. Snuck into their territory. And then I saw how adored you were by the pack, how Selena cared for you, how the alpha treated you like you were a crown prince. Knew I couldn’t ruin that. You were the product of two worlds, and she had chosen the best for you. So I moved on.
“But I never forgot you and about six months ago, started searching for you. Made friends with someone in your former pack. He told me their alpha found out you were a Satyr, branded you and then booted you out.”
Fury flushed his sire’s face. “I wanted to beat that son of a bitch for hurting you, but it was too late. He was already dead.”
Tension in his chest eased. Arianna snuggled against him, and her warm body chased away the cold grief caused by his father’s words. All these years, thinking he was an unwanted bastard. Outcast. Deviant. When all the time, he’d been deeply loved by both his parents.
“Don’t make the same mistake I did. Listen to your heart, and your instincts. If this little lady,” Corrin smiled at Arianna, “loves you as half as much as your mother loved me, you’ll find a way to make it work.”
Unable to speak, Kyle simply nodded. Did Ari love him even half as much?
Arianna reached up and kissed his scarred cheek, her mouth warm as sunshine. “We will. Because I love him so much, and I’ll make sure of it.”
The coiled tension gripping his muscles suddenly eased.
His father gave her a sage look. “Even though he’s half-Satyr?”
“I’d love him if he were half-Ogre. Well, only if he didn’t spray that nasty crap when he got aroused.” Arianna made a face, and Kyle smothered a laugh.
“Right. I’ll be going now. Don’t want to overstay.” His father gave him a steady look. “I’ll be hanging around through the winter. Working at the Barker spread nearby as a cowhand, if you want to stop by and visit.”
He watched his sire walk off. He couldn’t forgive him. Not yet. His heart gave another vicious twist. Then he felt Arianna’s arms gently hug him, and he heard her sweet, soft sigh.
Maybe in time. Kyle suspected even sooner, if Ari had her way. She had no family left.
They dumped their packs inside the cabin and showered separately, not wanting to delay their appearance before the pack alpha. The sun began sinking behind the mountains as they started for the lodge and approached the main corral.
In black jeans, shirt and a tan cowboy hat, Darius used a soft lariat to pace the wild stallion Kyle had been asked to break. A tall, intense Lupine sat on the fence rails, chewing on a grass stalk. Jackson, one of the cowhands who regularly drove cattle from pasture to pasture.
Kyle nodded to the other male. “You back for a while?”
“Hopefully longer.” Jackson touched his hat brim in a polite salute to Arianna. “Aiden wants me to oversee breeding Diamond, the quarter horse he just bought from the Blakemore pack. Champion barrel racer, with good bloodlines.”
Her eyes widened. “Diamond? Isn’t that Lexie Walter’s mount?”
“Blakemore alpha sold it. Aiden paid a good price, too.”
Kyle remembered Lexie from her visits to the ranch when she’d taken riding lessons from Jackson. A pretty, petite Lupine, she and Jackson had been good friends.
He’d been stacking hay in the barn when he’d seen Lexie push Jackson away after a very heated kiss. She told Jackson she didn’t have time for romance. She planned to become a barrel racing champion, take college classes and remain a virgin for a long, long time..
“Lexie’s not going to be happy, not with the world championship competition coming up. How is she going to ride without a mount?” Arianna shook her head.
“Maybe she’ll find another mount that offers other, more interesting sport.” He tossed down the grass stalk. “Lexie’s gone wild. Someone needs to take her in hand.”
A determined glint entered the cowboy’s hard gaze, one Kyle had seen in the mirror himself. Lexie Walters wasn’t going to remain a virgin for long.
They watched Darius toss the rope to Jackson to take over the paces. Climbing over the fence, Darius jumped to the ground and joined them.
“Look who’s back.” The pack beta engulfed Arianna in a tight hug. “Want to go for a ride on a real wild male?”
Possessive male jealousy bit Kyle. This was Darius, his friend, but also the pack player. Very softly, he growled.
Darius looked amused as he released Arianna. “Dial it down, hunter. No need to lift your leg. Just a friendly hello between friends.”
Arianna smirked. “Kyle’s the only wild male I want to ride.”
“Yeah, well, he’s not broken yet. But I’m sure you’ll tame him,” Darius teased.
“I hope not.” Her gaze softened as she looked at Kyle. “I like him wild.”
For that alone, he kissed her. When they broke apart, Darius sighed.
“Whole damn pack is pairing off. First Dale, now you. I should start looking for a mate before Aiden kicks me out for being the only single male.”
Kyle snorted. “You’ve banged every single woman from here to California. The day you settle down with a mate, I’ll tattoo your name on my ass.”
Expecting a snarky retort, he was stunned to see grief shadow his friend’s face. “I had a mate. Lost her years ago. But life doesn’t always turn out as you expect.”
