by Stella Night
She could hardly believe Dylan was holding her in his arms. Dylan Sinclair. She’d cursed that name so many times she’d lost count. All she’d ever thought about after he left was how terrible he’d made her feel.
She’d never thought about how much he’d suffered. It never occurred to her that he’d been torturing himself over all the things he’d seen and done. She never considered all the guilt he felt.
Rory herself was feeling guilty, too. She’d come to Dylan’s home because he was a warrior. She hadn’t seen him in the last four years but she’d heard his name plenty, whispered in hushed tones like a legend.
The man cast a long shadow through the shifter community. If Dylan the Peacekeeper showed up somewhere, the bad guys would run and hide. It always sound like exaggeration to her, but she’d seen the reaction of the man who’d attacked her yesterday. The bald man almost wet himself with fear at the sound of Dylan’s name.
Rory had come to Dylan to use him for her own selfish reasons. She wanted the myth, not the man. But he was a man. A man she loved, and a man who needed her as badly as she needed him. All those years she cursed him for never coming back to her. It never once occurred to her to go find him. That he needed her help.
Dylan kicked the bedroom door open so hard it slammed against the wall. Rory thought the door would shatter. Liquid heat rushed through her veins, knowing how badly he wanted her.
He threw her onto the bed. She bounced with a yelp. The movement loosened the towel on her body. It opened up slightly, exposing more flesh to Dylan’s hungry gaze.
Rory felt her skin go hot. She sat up on the bed.
“I just realized something,” she said. “You’ve never seen me naked before.”
Dylan grunted in surprise. “No, I guess not. That’s my own damn fault.”
His hands grabbed the edge of the towel and lifted her to her feet. Then he ripped the towel from her body, revealing her bare skin. She inhaled a sharp breath, surprised at Dylan’s eagerness. He was so dominant, so forceful. Rory couldn’t believe how much it turned her on.
She’s always been attracted to Dylan’s strength, his power. For years, she wondered what he would be like in a more intimate setting. She was finding out, and so far, he was better than she’d imagined. Now that he’d stopped fighting his desires, Dylan had taken total control of the situation. Rory couldn’t have been more excited.
He looked down at her, passion blazing in his eyes. “It was worth the wait,” he groaned, his voice thick with desire. “You are gorgeous.”
He grazed his fingertips down her cheek, sending shudders through her. His hands trailed down until they found her breasts. She bit her lip and sighed as he cupped her breasts gently with his strong hands. His palms were rough against her skin, scraping maddeningly over her nipples.
She moaned, helpless to hold back the sounds of her arousal. She felt an intense ache between her legs. Her thighs clenched together to still that wild, pulsing desire.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Rory said breathlessly.
“I can barely believe it myself.”
“It feels like an impossible dream.”
“Then let’s never wake up,” Dylan said, and planted a kiss on her lips.
Rory grabbed at the hem of his shirt. They broke apart just long enough for her to pull the shirt over his head. She ran her fingers over the hard lines of his abs, marveling at how solid they were. The man was made of steel. Every part of him, including the thick length straining against his jeans.
Rory reached out to touch him. He grabbed her wrists and gently, but firmly pushed them behind her back. He leaned his head close to her, so close his warm breath tickled her ear.
“Not yet,” he whispered, his voice low. “I’ve waited so long for this. I want to feel you first.”
She wasn’t sure what he meant by that. With one hand, he pinned both of her wrists behind her. With the other, he caressed his fingertips up her thigh, trailing slow, lingering circles over her skin. The feel of it made Rory’s legs quiver.
She moaned, and Dylan smothered the sound with a tender kiss.
His hand slid slowly up her leg, letting the anticipation build. Rory could feel the heat building up inside her, aching with need. Her hips squirmed, desperate for sensation. All the while, Dylan kept her hands trapped, unable to move.
Dylan was in total control of her body, dominant and sure. Every tender graze of his fingers along the sensitive flesh of her inner thighs made her need more.
Finally, he brushed his finger along her lips and she almost burst right then and there. Her knees quaked with the feeling of his strokes.
He dipped a finger inside her and she groaned with pleasure. Rory shifted her hips against his hand, eager for more. Her body leaned against his, needing support. She savored the feeling of her skin against his, feeling closer to him than she’d ever felt before.
“This feels amazing, Dylan,” she breathed.
“You feel amazing,” he said, his voice low and enticing. “So hot and wet for me I can’t stand it.”
He pressed his palm against her clit. The pressure sent her pleasure soaring to dizzying heights. He continued to stroke her, rocking his palm against her with every movement, pushing her ever closer to the delicious edge.
“Kiss me,” she begged between ragged gasps of air.
Dylan slanted a kiss across her lips. She felt so connected with him, so loved. It was exactly what she needed for that final push.
White light exploded in her brain, erasing all rational thought. Pleasure pulsed through her like stunning waves of light, filling her with intense satisfaction.
Dylan released her hands and gathered her up in his arms, holding her close to him as pleasure quaked through her body.
When she could think again, she looked up at the man she thought she’d never see again, still amazed that she was standing naked in his bedroom being cradled in his arms.
“That was so much better than anything I imagined,” Rory said. “I need more. I need all of you. Make love to me.”
***
Dylan looked down at her, naked, beautiful, and unashamed. It was an image he’d pictured for years. Although after everything that had happened, he never imagined it would become a reality.
He never imagined she could feel anything but anger towards him. The affection she showed now was sweeter than honey. The urge to take her right then was overwhelming, but what she was asking was too much. It was too soon. He wanted her with every fiber of his being, but he didn’t want to rush anything. Especially with the guilt of his last secret still weighing on him.
“Make love to me,” she whispered again. “I’ve waited all these years for you. I want you to be my first.”
Her big dark eyes looked up at him, desperate and needy. But all he could think of was the shocking admission that she’d never been with a man.
He’d wondered about that. A part of him had always hoped she had waited for him and that she was still untouched. Not that it would have mattered to him. Dylan had been with plenty of women. None of them had meant anything to him. In fact, all it ever did was remind him that he could never be with the woman he actually wanted to be with. And it always reminded him how perfect Rory was compared to other girls.
Still, it felt good to know she had waited. Like all the years he spent pining over her had been worth it. Like the connection they had was real.
It took a great effort to deny her, but he had no choice. It wouldn’t be fair to her, taking that final gift from her, unless she knew the truth. And now was not the time to tell her.
“I don’t want to rush things,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Rush things? We’ve waited forever for this moment. If anything, we’re taking things too slow.”
Dylan clenched his fists at his sides. The desire he felt for her was overpowering. It screamed in his brain to forget morality, to forget right and wrong. It told him to take the woman he loved, hard and fast. To t
ake her and make her his mate.
He grabbed her hands in his, trying hard to ignore her naked, quivering body in front of him. A thin sheen of sweat glistened on her skin, making her glow in the dim light through the blinds. She looked radiant. Sexy. Inviting.
He wanted to devour her body and make her his. It was like she was made for him. And she was waiting for him, begging him to do it.
“Aurora, I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in this life. I need you so bad it’s burning me up inside.”
“Then take me,” she urged.
“I can’t. I need to be sure everything is right. I want to be sure you don’t regret it.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, like she thought he was lying to her. He tried to keep his expression neutral, or as neutral as possible considering the girl of his dreams was standing naked in front of him.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
He nodded. “I’m sure. When the right time comes, we’ll know it.”
She bit her lip and looked away, like she was trying to figure out what had just happened. Dylan was still trying to figure that out himself. But deep down he knew. He wasn’t being honest with her. He didn’t know if he could ever be completely honest with her.
And until that day came, he couldn’t be with her. Not like this.
Aurora grabbed his t-shirt off the floor and shrugged it over her head. Then she rushed from his room without another word.
Dylan sank onto his bed, exhausted and frustrated. It took all of his willpower not to go after her.
Instead, he sank down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. Dylan couldn’t give Aurora what she wanted, but maybe he could give her something she needed. Her father’s killer was still out there. If Bishop was involved, Dylan couldn’t just stand by while he walked around free. Justice needed to be served.
He grabbed his phone and punched in a number. After a couple of rings, his younger brother Xander picked up.
“Yo, Dylan,” Xander answered, sounding cheerful as usual. “It’s only been two days. You missing me already?”
“I need a favor. You remember Aurora Hendrix?”
“Mm hmm. How could I forget an ass like that?”
Dylan growled into the phone. “Not now, Xander.”
His brother laughed. “Sorry, I know how protective you’ve always been about her. What’s up?”
“Well, she’s here.”
“At your house?”
“Yeah.”
Xander whistled through his teeth. “You tapped that yet?”
“Can you stop fucking around for two seconds? This is serious.”
“Sorry,” Xander replied, actually sounding like he meant it for once.
“She’s in trouble, man. I need to you find out what’s going on over at the Stone Bear Clan.”
“I can make some calls. No problem.”
“Good. And Xander, I need you to keep this quiet. Keep the Society out of it.”
“Sure thing. Can I ask why?”
“I’m not too sure myself. Hit me up if you hear anything.”
“Will do.”
“Thanks, brother.”
“Hey man, are you okay? You sound kind of fucked up.”
Dylan exhaled a heavy breath. “I don’t know what I am right now. Maybe a bastard. Maybe a saint.”
“I don’t know what that means, but if you need me to come by, just say the word.”
“I’ll let you know. Just get me that info.”
Dylan ended the call and laid back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Aurora had asked him not to get the Society involved for some reason. He didn’t like going behind her back like this, but there was something she wasn’t telling him.
Dylan needed to find out what. And he had to be prepared for anything, which meant making another phone call he didn’t want to make.
He slid open the bottom drawer of his night stand and pulled out a different cell phone. This phone only had one phone number saved in it. Dylan tapped the screen and the phone began to ring. Someone picked up on the other end but didn’t speak.
Dylan took the initiative. “Gideon, it’s Dylan. I need your help.”
Chapter 5
Rory stayed in the guest bedroom for the rest of the day. She couldn’t stop thinking about what happened between her and Dylan. She needed to process things in her head before she could face him again.
Things had started so passionately. So perfectly. Then he’d pulled away from her. She couldn’t help but be reminded of four years ago. Dylan had pulled away from her then, too, and she’d hated him for it.
But now she knew why. She couldn’t totally blame him for acting the way he did. Hunter telling him to stay away from her was a big deal. Dylan and Hunter had been close. She could understand why Dylan would try to honor her brother’s last words to him.
What she couldn’t understand was why Hunter had said those words. Why would her brother have disapproved of them getting together? Was it because Dylan was a soldier? All those things Dylan had told her about being the villain, was all of it true? Had Hunter seen those same demons in Dylan and wanted to protect her from him?
She didn’t think so. It just didn’t feel right. It was all so confusing.
She had the feeling there was more to the story. Like there was something Dylan wasn’t telling her. Or maybe she was just projecting her own issues on Dylan. Rory was keeping a big secret herself so maybe it made her think that Dylan was keeping secrets, too.
These thoughts raced through her head for the rest of the day. Around sunset, she went looking for Dylan, but he was sound asleep in his bedroom. He hadn’t slept the night before so Rory decided not to bother him.
She found her clothes folded and laundered in the bathroom. Apparently, Dylan had done laundry while she hid away in the guest room. It was a sweet gesture. She made a mental note to thank him later.
She slipped out of Dylan’s t-shirt and into her clothes. Then she grabbed something to eat from the kitchen and settled down in the living room.
She decided to stand watch at the window and make sure none of Bishop’s men showed up to surprise her and Dylan. Whatever had knocked down all the trees around Dylan’s house had done her a favor on guard duty. Things were pretty clear from the house to the tree line a few hundred meters away. The back of the house was protected by the cliff face so no one was coming from that direction.
Defensively, it was perfect. Rory wondered if Dylan had cut the trees down on purpose for that very reason. If so, it made a sort of practical sense, sacrificing beauty for safety. It was ugly out there but any intruders would have trouble keeping themselves hidden.
She settled down into the same chair Dylan sat in the night before. She looked out the same window he looked out of. At some point, she drifted off.
She awoke to a roar. Dylan came storming into the living room shirtless and raging. Rory called out to him but he didn’t seem to hear her. His eyes were crazy and far away. Before she could react, he rushed out of the house and shifted into bear form.
Rory watched him from the window, her heart racing. Had Dylan sensed someone out there? Had Bishop and his boys come back?
Dylan ran straight towards the tree line, crashing through fallen trees and splintering them into toothpicks. Rory couldn’t believe the raw power that Dylan displayed. He moved like a freight train, brutal and unstoppable.
Then what she saw confused her.
Dylan disappeared into the trees, but she noticed the tree tops shaking, like a great wind was blowing. But it was only in one particular spot.
Then she saw a tree fall from the forest into the clearing. All she could think of was that Dylan was knocking the trees down. It was entirely possible for a bear to uproot a tree, but the trees in this forest were ancient and strong.
Dylan would have to be stronger than she’d ever imagined if he was able to bring these trees down. And if that’s what he was doing, Rory’s question was why? Dylan had stormed from the ho
use like a man possessed. What the hell was going on?
She decided to find out.
Rory scrambled over the splintered debris, following the path of destruction left in Dylan’s wake. A sick feeling of panic twisted in her gut. She’d never seen Dylan like this.
He had the wild look of a crazy man. There was no recognition in his eyes. No trace of the man she knew or the man she loved. Those eyes had been empty of everything except rage.
Was this the side of Dylan he’d tried warning her about? The devil, the boogie man, the grim reaper? Was this the killing machine everyone in the world seemed to fear?
