Chapter Sixteen
***Penny***
Penny woke and stretched, finding that she was sore in places that morning that hadn’t been sore in a while. She couldn’t help the smile that appeared on her face at the memory of the night before, but when she slid her arm across to where Quinten should have been sleeping, it was empty. A massive wave of sadness hit her then, but before it could grow, she saw him across the cave.
When he saw that she was awake, he grabbed a cup and poured some coffee in it and crossed over to where she lay at the back of the cave. He knelt next to her, waited for her to sit up before handing it to her, then kissed her on the forehead and said, “Good morning, sleepy head.”
She smiled up at him, and said, “I don’t think I’ve slept that well in a long time,” then blushed.
Quinten laughed, then said, “Those pine boughs made a pretty soft bed.”
“That’s not why I slept good, and you know it,” she said, laughing when he blushed.
“Well, I wasn’t sure,” he said, a boyish grin spreading across his face.
“Well now that you mention it, I suppose it could have been the bed; maybe we should do a little experiment to find out,” Penny said, her face flaming red.
“What exactly did you have in mind?” Quinten asked, taking the cup from her hand and setting it down on the floor.
“Something like this,” she said, then grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him back onto the makeshift bed.
When they finally got up to make breakfast more than an hour later, Penny was filled with the kind of joy that only comes with the discovery of a new love. She knew that the joy was short-lived, that the world was waiting for them just outside the cave, but for now, she just wanted to enjoy what they’d found together. Quinten seemed just as content to let everything but them slide for the moment too and for that she was thankful.
She might have just made the biggest mistake of her life, might have just set herself up for a broken heart, but she didn’t care. What she and Quinten had shared the night before had been magical and the fact that he still wanted her this morning gave her hope, but she wasn’t naïve enough to think that everything was going to be perfect.
The man she was falling in love with hated shifters, had spent his entire life chasing them down; attitudes like that didn’t go away overnight; he’d have to learn to trust her, and that wouldn’t be easy for him. A part of her wished that she could walk away satisfied with what they’d shared, but she knew that she’d never be able to do that; what they shared was too powerful to throw away.
Hoping to extend their brief time together, she asked, “What do you think about staying here one more night? I think we could both use the break, and I really should do something about the cabin. I can’t go off and leave it like that.”
Quinten stood up and stretched. “I could use a day off that horse, but you don’t have to worry about the cabin. I took care of it.”
Penny looked at him shocked, not sure if she was happy that he’d cleaned it up or angry. “Oh, well that’s good. I guess.”
Quinten didn’t say anything for a moment, then took a deep breath and said, “I couldn’t let you go back to that terrible mess or those words on the wall. I was careful, looked for anything might give us some idea who it was, but there was nothing.”
“And the words on the wall?”
“There were written in blood, Penny,” he said, grimacing at the memory of scrubbing them off and the bodies of the rabbits behind the cabin.
“What kind?”
“Rabbit. I found them behind the cabin.”
Penny shivered, thinking of the precious lives that had been wasted, pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “I just wish all this would go away or that Justin would get back and deal with this like he’s supposed to.”
Quinten sat down next to her and put his arm around her. “That doesn’t sound much like the Penny I know; she’d never run away from a fight.”
She smiled up at him feeling better just from his touch. “No, you’re right, that’s not me. I don’t run from a fight,” she said, then wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you for cleaning up the cabin; it would have been really hard.”
“I just wanted to help, Penny. I was wrong before, and I’d like to make up for that,” he said, making her heart open to him just a little more.
“I’d like to let you help, Quinten, but right now I’m not even sure what’s going on,” she answered, then added, “But if I need you I promise I’ll ask.”
Quinten thought about that for a second, then said, “I guess that’s the best I can hope for right now.” Then he pulled her closer.
***Quinten***
Sitting by the fire with Penny, he felt cocooned from the world, and for today, that was just fine with him. His muscles still ached from the ride here and a day of rest sounded like the perfect remedy; of course having Penny in his arms made it all that much better.
Deep inside the feeling of doom had begun to grow, and although it eased when she was in his arms, he knew that she was tied to the feeling. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but he felt deep inside that they were about to face something terrible, that before they came down off the mountain, all his questions would be answered.
He didn’t share what he was feeling with Penny, saw no sense in upsetting her; after all, it was just a feeling. Instead, he cooked them as much food as they could hold, made love to her in front of the fire, and pretended that the threat looming before them didn’t exist. But that night when they climbed into the sleeping bag, he leaned up on his elbow and looked down at her, wishing that their lives weren’t so complicated.
“When we get back, this might not seem so easy for either of us, but I want you to know that it’s been the best day of my life,” he said, then kissed her.
He was tempted to make love to her again but instead wrapped her tightly in his arms, wanting their last night together to be about more than just passion. They fell asleep locked in each other’s arms, the world outside forgotten, their dreams full of each other and the love they were discovering.
When they woke the next morning and walked out of the cave, it was to find the sky filled with dark, heavy-looking clouds, the air full of the smell of moisture. “Looks like there’s snow coming, and soon,” Penny said, looking at the sky.
“Should we still go?” Quinten said, not liking the look of the clouds slowly oozing across the sky.
Penny stepped farther out of the cave and spun in a circle as she watched the clouds. “I don’t think so; this snow is only a few hours away. If it catches us on the trail, it could be a very long night, even with your magic. We’d better stay here. Hopefully it’ll move through fast, and we can leave tomorrow.”
“Will the horses be okay out here?” Quinten asked, pointing to the trees where they’d tethered them.
Penny looked at the sky again. “I think we’d better take them to the barn; there’s no sense leaving them out in the storm when they could be safe and sound inside.”
“Do you want to move to the cabin?” he asked, thinking she might be tired of sleeping on the ground.
Penny gave him a silly grin. “And leave the comfort of our little cave? No way.”
“Well then we’d better get some firewood; there’s not much left,” Quinten said, then added, “But breakfast first.”
It took them several hours, but by the time the snow started falling, they’d gotten the horses moved to the barn and a huge pile of firewood stacked against the wall of the cave. Penny had decided not to go near the cabin; the smell of the shifters was still strong, and she didn’t want to think of them until she had to.
By the time they walked into the cave, they were both wet and cold; the snow, once it started, had come down heavily had covered them in only a few minutes. “It’s a good thing we didn’t leave,” Penny said, pulling off her wet coat and draping it across a rock.
“Yeah, it’s really coming d
own out there,” Quinten said, struggling to get his wet coat off.
By the time they got all their wet clothes off, they were both shivering. Quinten threw some more wood on the fire, which had burned down while they’d been gone, and soon a little heat began to fill the cave. They sat together shivering as the fire began to grow, but then Penny jumped to her feet.
“I almost forgot that I promised to show you something when we got here,” she said, grabbing a lantern.
Quinten knew where she was taking him when they headed for the back of the cave, he’d found the little passageway the day before, but he didn’t say anything. When they got to the end of the passageway, Penny lit the lantern and stepped through a hole in the rock and for just a second, he thought that she’d disappeared. It was a strange and shocking feeling that quickly vanished when she put her head through the opening.
“Are you coming?” she asked, a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes.
“Not yet,” he said, with a grin, earning him a playful slap and then a kiss when he grabbed her and pulled her back out of the opening.
“Come on, I can’t wait to show you this,” she said, pulling him through.
Once inside, the only light was from the lantern she’d set in one corner. But it was enough to show him the steaming water that cascaded down the walls to form a pool right in the center of the cave. It was warm and misty inside the cave and when he took a deep breath of the heavy air, he smelled not only the minerals in the water, but Penny.
She smelled like campfire and the outdoors and something slightly sweet that he couldn’t name, and when she looked at him, her green eyes glimmering in the darkness, he was filled with the sudden knowledge that she was meant to be his. That shifter or not, she’d been created to be his and his alone, that no matter the consequences, they’d be together forever.
As this knowledge seeped into his soul, he watched her take off each piece of her clothing, the light of the lantern creating interesting shadows on her body, and he realized that he’d never been happier than he was right at that moment. He’d found the woman he’d love for the rest of his life, and whether she liked it or not, he’d find a way to protect her from the evil he sensed around her.
Chapter Seventeen
***Penny***
Penny could see the desire in Quinten’s eyes; she knew that look so well already, but she didn’t recognize the other look that suddenly appeared on his face. At first, it looked almost like anger, but then it slowly changed, his face softened, and his eyes took on a strange look. She’d only meant to tease him a little, but clearly, she’d done something more than that.
He was so intently focused on her that for a second, she began to feel afraid that she’d done something wrong. But then he crossed the cave in only a few steps and pulled her into his arms so hard that the breath was forced out of her lungs, sending a thrill through her. His mouth came down on hers hard enough that she was sure that her lips would be bruised, and kissed her until she was sure she’d pass out.
When he released her and stripped off his clothes, she could do nothing but stand there and stare at him as he peeled away the layers to reveal the strong, muscular body she’d begun to know so well. Desire raced through her, tendrils of pleasure that spiraled out of control when he grabbed her again and crushed her naked body to his, her breasts pinned against his hard chest.
He threaded his hand into her hair and pulled her head back and lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her with a fierceness that she’d never felt before. When she tried to move, he held her tighter, pinning her to his body with his arm as his mouth ravaged hers. She was sure that she’d faint if he didn’t let her breathe, but then he pushed her away from him and stood staring at her panting with desire.
Pleasure rushed through her at the sight of his swollen penis, and this time when he grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, she grabbed him in both hands and stroked him. He growled and bent her back so his mouth could claim a swollen nipple with his teeth, the gentle bite he gave her sending new and intense waves of pleasure through her.
When he switched to the other nipple, his hand came up between her legs, and he drove his finger inside her, and instantly her body began to clench around him. He growled and slid his finger in and out of her several times, making her cry out with pleasure before grabbing her by the hips and shoving her over to the wall of the cave. He took her hands and put them on the wall of the cave, then ran his hands down her back and grabbed her hips again.
Anticipation thundered through her, her body desperate for what she knew was coming, but she still wasn’t prepared when he entered her with one powerful thrust of his hips. He was hard and throbbing, filling her deeply, his fingers digging into the flesh of her hips, and he drove himself into her over and over, possessing her as no man ever had.
When he reached around and found her swollen button, she cried out in pleasure, and he groaned and drove himself deeper inside her. With each thrust of his powerful hips and each movement of his finger, he took her closer to the edge, only letting her fall when he was ready. Her orgasm was so powerful, he could feel her body clenching around him and knew that he’d come to the end of his endurance.
Grabbing her by the hips again, he drove himself into her until she was screaming with pleasure and another orgasm shook her body, then he let go and emptied himself inside her. The force of his pleasure so intense, he cried out her name over and over, and his body spasmed and bucked. When it was over, he felt ashamed of the way he’d treated Penny, but she turned in his arms and kissed him, then pulled him into the steaming water.
When they’d found a little ledge to sit on, he pulled her into his arms and said, “I’m sorry, that wasn’t what I’d planned at all. I hope I didn’t hurt you.”
Penny snuggled deeper into his arms. “I’m tougher than that witch; you’ll have to try harder next time.”
They soaked in the steaming water for a long time, letting it work its magic on their tired and sore muscles. When they finally emerged, Quinten grabbed Penny’s clothes and raced back through the little tunnel and straight for their bed. When she tried to get them from him, he grabbed her and threw her down on the bed and kissed her.
When they finally came up for breath, he said, “I think you might have issued a challenge back there in the hot springs, and I never back away from a challenge.”
Later that night, Penny woke in Quinten’s arms to see the snow still falling outside. It had been different with him tonight, as if a barrier had been lifted between them and all that was left was pure emotion. He’d taken her in a way he never had before, as if she belonged to him, as if she was his to do with as he pleased, and she found that she liked it.
She’d never have let any other man treat her the way he had, but she’d never loved another man the way she loved Quinten. As strange as it was, she’d fallen in love with him, and knew that there was no going back. All she could do now was hope that he loved her too and that when he found out that she’d lied to him, he wouldn’t be too mad.
Now she wished more than ever that she’d just been honest with him about the wolf-shifters because that little lie was going to come back and haunt her. Tomorrow she’d have to tell him the truth, admit that she’d lied and hope that he’d understand why she’d done it. But for tonight, she was going to enjoy being wrapped in his arms, safe and secure.
***Quinten***
When he woke the next morning, it was to an empty place beside him, but then he smelled bacon and smiled. Penny had never cooked for him before, and he found that he liked the idea even if it tasted terrible. Stretching, he discovered that his muscles weren’t sore anymore, which surprised him considering what he and Penny had been doing for the last two days.
He took his time getting up, enjoying the idea that he’d have breakfast and coffee as soon as he did. When he sat down by the fire, Penny looked up from the pan of bacon she was watching intently and smiled at him. “Good morning; breakfast is almost ready.�
�
There was a strange edge to her voice, and for a second, he wondered if something was wrong, but then she stood up and breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, I didn’t burn it, so we’re doing good,” she said, taking the bacon out of the pan and cracking eggs into it. “I’ll get you some coffee in a minute.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll get it,” he said, starting to get up, but she glared at him, so he sat back down.
“You’ve been cooking every meal; I think it’s my turn.”
Quinten still thought that something was a little off, but he sat back down and waited. In only a few minutes she handed him a steaming cup of coffee fixed exactly like he took it and a huge plate of bacon and eggs. “It looks amazing. Are you sure you didn’t lie to me when you said that you couldn’t cook?” he asked.
Penny got a strange look on her face. “No, I promise I didn’t lie,” she said, a little too quickly.
Quinten was becoming surer that there was something going on, but Penny smiled and took a big bite of her breakfast, made a big show of chewing it, then swallowed. “See, it didn’t kill me; it won’t kill you.”
They ate in silence for a while, but Quinten noticed that Penny wasn’t eating, she was mostly pushing the food around on her plate and long before it was gone, she got up and put the plate in their dish tub. When she began to fuss around in the little kitchen he’d set up, he knew for certain that something was wrong.
He finished his breakfast as quickly as he could, hoping that once he was done, she’d tell him whatever it was that had her so upset. She took his plate and put it in the kitchen, then came over and sat down next to him by the fire. She poked at it a few times, then put some more wood on, clearly stalling for time.
Finally, she turned to him, her eyes full of sadness and said, “I haven’t been completely truthful with you.”
Quinten (Fairplay Shifters Series Book 3) Page 10
