by Stella Night
But his eyes kept drifting back to the woman sleeping on his couch.
He felt torn. Clearly, she needed help. Dylan would do anything to keep her safe, no matter what trouble she had gotten herself into. That wasn’t the problem.
The problem was that he was afraid of spending time with her. Just being around her drove him crazy. Aurora made him feel things that no other woman made him feel. She always had.
Hell, she’d only been back in his life for an hour or so, and he could already feel his resolve fracturing. Every time he looked at her, another crack formed.
It didn’t matter that he promised himself he would never be with her. It didn’t matter that he promised himself to stay away from her. All those promises were hollow and meaningless when she was around. The smartest thing he could do was send her away.
But how could he protect her if he sent her away? He was strong enough to fight anything that might threaten her, except his own love for her. When it came to resisting her, he was weaker than a kitten. But he knew he had to resist his feelings after what he’d done.
Aurora twitched in her sleep and groaned like she was having bad dreams. Those were something Dylan knew a lot about. He could put the past behind him when he was awake, but at night, things were different. At night, all the bad memories haunted him and there was no running away.
He felt the urge to take her in his arms and comfort her. Maybe he could soothe her troubled sleep. His strong arms could protect her from any shifter threat. Perhaps they could keep her safe from her nightmares, as well.
He shook his head, banishing the fantasy. There was no way he could do it. Just the sight of her felt like torture. The feeling of her in his arms would be too much. It would be impossible for him to keep his promise to stay away. Especially when he didn’t want to keep that promise.
For now, he would simply keep her safe from any physical threats. It had to be enough. He couldn’t trust himself with more.
He kept watch over her the rest of the night, wrestling with thoughts and feelings he wished he didn’t have.
***
Rory’s eyes blinked open to see Dylan sitting across the room from her, staring out the window at the brightening dawn. He had stayed up all night making sure she was safe. It made her heart melt to know he was still willing to protect her like that.
Dylan always made her feel safe, ever since they’d met when they were children.
Dylan’s family sent him to stay with Rory’s family during the summers. Their fathers had both grown up in the Stone Bear Clan before Dylan’s father moved away to marry into the Bear Haven Clan. The men had been best friends, and Rory guessed their parents wanted to keep that friendship between the families alive.
Dylan had always treated her kindly when he was around, kind of like a little sister. But Rory never thought of him as an older brother. Even when he was younger, he had been way too handsome for that. It had started as a childish crush, but over the years, it turned into something deeper. Something real.
It wasn’t just that Dylan was big and strong. Although, those were certainly some of his better qualities. He was also protective and thoughtful. Dylan always knew how to make her smile, no matter what else was going on.
But that was the old Dylan. The Dylan she’d known growing up. He changed when he came back from his military service. He was darker somehow. The light inside him had dimmed.
She’d seen it on his face when he got back and broke the news to her that Hunter had died. His face wore the same expression as she watched him from her spot on the couch. There was a brooding quality to him, like there was a dark cloud over his soul. It broke her heart to see him that way.
Despite the changes to his personality, he was handsome as ever as he gazed out the window with his emerald green eyes. The gold light of the rising sun cast hard shadows on his sharp cheekbones and rugged jaw. The tight t-shirt he wore outlined the ridges of his corded muscles.
A warm thrill rippled through her as she looked at him. It was a familiar feeling. She’d been feeling it ever since she was old enough to know what those feelings were. Her desire for him had never died, even when he told her they could never be together.
Dylan had dropped that bomb on her right after he told her about her brother’s death. The moment she needed Dylan’s comforting presence the most was the moment he’d pushed her away.
She’d been furious. She told him she never wanted to see him again, and she had meant it.
But that had been four years ago. The sight of him now warmed her more than the fire still burning in the fireplace and more than the heat of the rising sun.
He turned away from the window and looked at her. Their eyes locked, and she felt an electric thrill crackle in the air between them. It sent a shudder through her. She wondered if he felt it too.
“How’d you sleep?” he asked, his voice a soft rumble like distant thunder.
He seemed hesitant, almost nervous. It wasn’t an expression she was used to seeing from Dylan. He’d always been cool and confident, but now he was different. She realized the man she knew was gone. The new man sitting before her intrigued her. She was very interested in getting to know him better.
“I slept well, thank you. Did you stay up all night?”
Dylan stood up from his chair, showing off his imposing height. He placed his palms on the small of his back and stretched. The hem of his t-shirt lifted, exposing the hard lines of his of abdominal muscles. The firm ridges formed a “V” shape just above his low hanging jeans.
Rory felt her insides clench at the sight.
“It’s fine,” he said. “I didn’t want any more unwanted visitors.”
“You always made me feel safe. Maybe you haven’t changed as much as I thought.”
He shot her look. “What does that mean?”
She sat up on the couch and met his gaze. “You know what it means. Or are you going to pretend you weren’t a changed man when you came back?”
“Yeah, I came back different. Of course, I came back different. But it wasn’t just being a soldier that changed me.”
“Then what was it?”
“You know what.”
“Hunter,” she said. It wasn’t a question but a statement.
Dylan crossed his arms over his broad chest and nodded. Rory had to look away from the distracting way his biceps bulged beneath his shirt.
“You weren’t the only one hurt by Hunter’s death,” Rory said. “He was my brother.”
Dylan’s eyes flashed with fury. “He was my brother, too. Maybe not by blood, but still.”
Rory jumped off the couch to stand face-to-face with Dylan. “And after he died, when I needed you the most, you pushed me away.”
“Yeah I did. So what the hell are you doing here? Running away from an angry boyfriend?”
“Bishop is not my boyfriend.”
“He seems to think you two are supposed to be mates. Did your father set that up?”
“My father is dead.”
Dylan’s eyes narrowed. “I haven’t heard anything about that.”
Rory tried to blink away the tears that suddenly stung her eyes. “It just happened a few days ago. He’s not even in the ground yet.”
“Aurora, I’m so sorry,” Dylan said, his voice softening.
He reached out tentatively, as if to comfort her. She slapped his hand away.
“Don’t touch me.”
He yanked his hand back as if he’d been burned. Rory felt ashamed for acting so petty, but Dylan had been casting some wild accusations at her without having the first clue about what was going on.
Besides, the wound of her father’s death was still too fresh.
“I can’t believe you think my father would set me up with a man like Bishop. Bishop is the reason he’s dead.”
Dylan’s brow furrowed and he took a step towards her. “Bishop killed your father?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t understand. Bishop’s family has al
ways been close to your family. And sure, Bishop himself turned out to be a prick, but I never thought he’d be capable of murder.”
“Neither did I. He blind-sided us all.”
“Tell me what happened.”
“This all started when Bishop approached my father about taking me for his mate. Bishop had made it clear that he wants to be the next leader of the Stone Bears, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.”
“So taking you as his mate would make him leader of the Stone Bears?”
“You remember the rules for Alpha are different in my clan than in yours, right?”
Dylan nodded. “In the Bear Haven Clan, the strongest bear takes the position as Clan Leader. Well, the strongest in terms of leadership, which is why my brother Noah is Alpha. In your clan, leadership is more like royalty. It’s an inherited position.”
“Right. The Alpha position can be challenged, but that sort of thing is frowned upon. I know other clans think our ways are weird or that they make us weak.”
Dylan shrugged. “I’ve been to a lot of different shifter groups. Everyone seems to choose their leaders differently. Sometimes it’s the strongest. Sometimes it’s the Omega who’s in charge. Some folks literally have kings and queens.”
“Yeah, my father is Alpha.” She stopped and grimaced. “Was Alpha. After Bishop murdered him, his children are next in line. With Hunter gone, I’m the next leader. Whoever my mate is becomes the next Alpha male.”
Dylan scrubbed a hand over his face. “If Hunter had come back instead of me, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Rory’s heart ached at the regret and pain in Dylan’s voice. Maybe she’d been unfair to think Dylan wasn’t just as hurt by Hunter’s death as she was. Maybe he’d been hurt even more.
“I didn’t mean to suggest that this is your fault, Dylan. Not at all. I was just stating it as a fact.”
Dylan nodded, but she had the feeling he didn’t believe her. It hadn’t been her intention to hurt him like that. Dylan was so strong physically, it was hard to remember that he could feel any pain at all.
“So your father said no to the match up?” Dylan asked.
“Of course he said no. You knew Bishop growing up. He was a mean, spiteful child, and he grew up to be a cruel, brutish man. My father would never have agreed to it. The day after my father said no, he was poisoned.”
“By Bishop?” Dylan asked, his fists clenching.
“I didn’t think so at first. I didn’t think even Bishop was that psychotic. But after my father died, Bishop approached me and tried to take me as his mate. By force. That’s when I ran.”
Dylan growled and his green eyes flashed gold, like he was fighting the urge to change. “That son of a bitch. I’ll kill him.”
Rory couldn’t help but feel a surge of gratitude at Dylan’s anger. “Thank you, Dylan. I knew you would protect me, even after everything that happened between us. It’s why I came to you. But we can’t strike back just yet.”
“Why the hell not? No one tries to hurt you and gets away with it.”
“Because I have no proof. It’s just my word against his.”
“Your word is all I need,” Dylan said, violence dancing in his eyes.
“We have to do this the right way. You work for the Society. You know how these things work. We need evidence before we can do anything.”
“So let me call the Society. We can have people over at your Clan by this afternoon.”
Rory put her hand on Dylan’s arm. She felt his muscles jerk at her touch, as if he’d been shocked.
“Please, Dylan, no. I don’t want anyone else involved just yet.”
“That’s crazy. This is my job. Let the Society help you.”
She shook her head, fear coursing through her. Dylan had to listen to her on this. Everything depended on it.
“You said my word is all you need? Well, I’m asking you to trust me. We handle this on our own first, okay?”
He frowned at her, studying her face for answers. She kept her expression as neutral as possible. Finally, he nodded.
“I’ll trust you, for now. But if I don’t think we can handle it, I’m calling in the cavalry.”
A wave of relief flooded through her. She didn’t like lying to Dylan, even after what he’d done to her all those years ago. Still, she couldn’t tell him the truth about her father’s death. If he knew what part she had to play in it, he would turn her over to the Society himself.
Chapter 3
Jets of hot water cascaded over Rory’s tired muscles. She turned in lazy circles beneath the steaming shower, letting it hit every aching inch of her. The water washed away the grime from her escape, but Rory wished it could wash away her conflicted feelings about Dylan.
Dylan was cold to her now, but she was sure he had loved her once. A part of her hoped that he still did, but she couldn’t be sure. Maybe he was fighting his feelings for her, the way he had a long time ago.
It started the way young crushes do. Dylan was her brother’s handsome friend, and young Rory couldn’t get enough of him. He was always bigger and stronger than the other boys. Naturally dominant.
But he’d always been gentle with Rory. Even when her brother teased her mercilessly like older brothers do, Dylan would step in and stick up for her.
As she got older, her silly little schoolgirl crush turned into so much more. She knew without a doubt that Dylan was the man for her. When she dreamed about getting married and finding a mate, she always imagined it would be Dylan.
Eventually, she managed to catch Dylan’s eye. But then, like now, he always seemed to hold back, even when it became clear that he returned her affections.
Dylan told her that they couldn’t be together because Rory was his best friend’s sister. Dylan felt like it would be a betrayal of Hunter’s trust and brotherhood to get involved with his little sister.
Rory never gave up. She knew they were right for each other, even if Dylan refused to admit it. Then Rory found out that Dylan and Hunter had volunteered to be a part of some super secret military squad. They wouldn’t be able to tell her what they did or where they went. She would have no idea if they were even alive or dead between missions.
Just like that, the two most important men in Rory’s life would be gone for at least five years. There was no guarantee that either one of them would make it home.
Then it happened. Right before Dylan and her brother had to leave, Dylan finally admitted that he returned her feelings.
He kissed her then. Just one kiss before he left. It was the single best kiss of Rory’s life.
After that one shared moment of intimacy, Dylan asked Rory to write to him while he was away. He told her that knowing she was waiting for him would help him get through whatever challenges he would face. It would give him something to hold onto. A reason for him to stay alive.
So she had written to him. All the letters went to some military office in Washington. They would forward her letters to whatever godforsaken country Dylan was stationed in. And Dylan would write back.
He said things to her in those letters that he never said in person. Things he couldn’t say in person. Given time to think, he was able to articulate all the feelings and emotions that he truly felt for her.
He loved her, plain and simple. They made plans for the future. At first they felt like fun little fantasies. Just idle dreams to get them through the long years apart. But as time went by, their plans became more specific and more definite.
Rory had no doubt Dylan meant the things he said. She believed they would be together forever.
Then a month before Dylan and Hunter were scheduled to return home for good, Dylan’s letters stopped. She had no idea what was going on. For all she knew, Dylan was dead.
That month was torture. Her imagination ran wild and of course she thought the worst. When she finally learned the truth, in some ways it was even worse than she feared.
Dylan came home at the end of his service and told her
the bad news. Her brother never made it back from his last mission.
Dylan couldn’t tell her any details about what happened, although that hadn’t mattered to Rory. Only one detail mattered. Her brother was gone.
She missed her brother desperately. He’d been older than her by a couple of years, the same as Dylan. She looked up to him like little sisters do. Hunter always seemed so smart and confident. So in control. If he was here, none of these problems would have happened.
Damn the military, she thought. They’d taken her brother away from her for five years, and he never came back. And her brother wasn’t the only man Rory lost. Somehow, she’d lost Dylan, too.
