Lycan Contempt

by S. K. Yule

  Brady nodded. “I’m sorry for what I did. You and Georgia aren’t like most people. You care about others, even others you’ve never met. I’d like to come back when Krista is better. I’d like for the two of you to meet her. She’s a wonderful woman.”

  “I know Georgia would like that, and so would I.

  Take care.”

  “See ya around, Kish. Tel Georgia bye for me.”

  Brady turned to leave, but stopped. “Don’t fuck it up with her, okay? She’s special. Don’t blow your chance at happiness.”

  “I’l try not to. Believe me, I wil try not to.”

  Kish watched Brady disappear into the darkness before putting the shovel, lighter fluid, and matches back in the garage. He puled out his cel phone. It had barely enough signal to get a cal out, but it would do. He dialed information and soon had the number he needed. He then caled the number he got from information. A woman on the other end answered and he told her he needed to get in touch with Sanctuary.

  She asked him a bunch of questions about his species that only a lycan would know before patching him through. He figured if any human mistakenly got through on the number, they’d think the person on the other end was a loony tune. He talked to someone named Brent Fals and made arrangements for Wade to be picked up.

  After giving detailed directions and the key code to his shelter, Brent promised Wade would be taken care of within twenty-four hours. Once Wade was gone, he’d change the key code and his shelter would be safe once again. He stuffed the phone in his jeans pocket and went back inside.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “You can’t be serious,” Henry said to Georgia.

  “You just met him.”

  “I am serious. We have a connection. I don’t know how to explain it other than the old love-at-first-sight scenario.” She knew Henry and Joey were protective of her, but she was an adult after al and could make her own decisions.

  “The guy is a little on the strange side,” Joey said.

  “A little on the strange side? If I’m not mistaken, some people view you two as a little on the strange side. How does that make you feel when that happens?” She crossed her arms over her middle, a clear sign of her aggravation.

  “Okay, maybe that was uncaled for, but he’s different, Georgia,” Joey insisted.

  Joey was right about Kish being different, but it didn’t automaticaly make him a bad guy just because he was. Her friends were not normaly judgmental, and she was certain they were being so now out of concern for her wel being, but Kish being different wasn’t grounds to have him condemned.

  “So what? Everyone is different.”

  “His eyes glow when he looks at you. That is more than everyone else’s different,” Henry said.

  “What? How in the heck do someone’s eyes glow?”

  Holy shit. Did they? She couldn’t sit here and say they didn’t for sure because she had no way of knowing a detail such as that unless someone told her. How did she explain that one when she didn’t know how to? Was it a lycan trait? Damn, but she needed to talk to Kish.

  “I don’t know, but they do,” Joey argued.

  “Maybe it was just a reflection of light.” Georgia frowned. “Besides, if that’s the only thing you can find that you don’t like about him, I realy don’t think that’s much at al.”

  “Okay. Let’s try this one then,” Henry said. “He’s one of the biggest motherfuggas I’ve ever seen in my life and the whole right side of him is covered in scars.

  That kind of makes you wonder what kind of things he’s been involved in to sustain such injuries.”

  Georgia laughed. “Realy? Scars must be tied to crime somehow? Maybe he had an accident. Did that simple explanation ever cross your mind? Besides, when has it ever been right to judge someone from scars or handicaps?” She wasn’t going to tel them what happened to Kish. He’d entrusted her with that information, and if he ever decided to tel Henry and Joey, so be it. She would not betray his trust.

  “Al right, al right, I see your point, but it doesn’t change the fact that the scars, which I am not judging him by, only add to his hugeness and scare factor,”

  Henry said.

  “The scars are pretty ugly, Georgia. They are the kind that wil make people talk,” Joey said.

  “The scars are pretty ugly?” she repeated incredulously.

  But before she could admonish Joey about that particular remark and how hurtful and insulting it would be to not only Kish but her as wel, a door slammed.

  “Uh-oh,” Henry and Joey said in unison.

  “What?” she asked, hoping like hel she was wrong about what had just happened.

  Turns out, she wasn’t.

  “I have to go after him.” She got up from the couch and started for the front door.

  “Georgia, it’s dark out there. You can’t go wandering around in the dark by yourself,” Henry said.

  “Watch me.” She felt for her coat hanging beside the door, puled it on, and zipped it up before fishing her gloves from the pocket.

  “Georgia!” Henry and Joey said at the same time.

  She tugged at the door. “Do no try to stop me, and do not folow me.”

  She puled the door shut behind her and shivered as the cold hit her ful force. It didn’t matter to her that it was dark. It was always dark for her.

  “Kish?” She paid attention to her footing so she could find her way back. She should have brought Lucy with her, but she’d been in a hurry to find Kish and hadn’t wanted to go back to her room for the harness. “Please answer me, Kish,” she caled out.

  Another thirty feet ahead, she found the first tree.

  “Damn it, Kish. Please. It’s not what you think.”

  “Sounded exactly like what I think.” His voice rumbled close beside her.

  She jumped, stil amazed at how quietly he could move. “No. It wasn’t.”

  “Realy? Because I distinctly heard you say ‘the scars are pretty ugly.’ Was I mistaken? Last time I checked, my hearing was amazingly accurate.”

  “Yes, I said that, but I didn’t say that. I was repeating what Joey said. I was upset. I repeated what he said to him in hopes he’d see how ridiculous he sounded. They were both trying to convince me that you aren’t right for me, that I couldn’t possibly be in love with you since I just met you.”

  He sighed loudly. “This is the type of thing I was talking about. You wil get sick of people saying things like what Joey and Henry were saying about me.”

  “As wrong as they were, Henry and Joey were being extra critical and extra harsh because they are worried about me. They were wrong to say those things, but I know them, and I don’t believe either one of them were trying to be cruel. Neither one is that shalow, Kish. Honestly, it was a big misunderstanding.”

  He didn’t respond, and she worried he may have left. “Are you stil there?”

  “Yes.”

  She folowed his voice and reached her hand out until she touched his chest. “Aren’t you cold?” He didn’t have a coat on.

  “Do I feel cold?”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  “One of those pesky lycan traits.”

  She slowly trailed her finger up over his colarbone to his neck then to the right side of his face where she laid her palm against his cheek. “I don’t think your scars are ugly. I would never think such a thing. You are gorgeous, and I quite truthfuly couldn’t give a rat’s ass what other people say about you.”

  “Georgia . . .”

  “Come back in with me, and let me show you how sexy I find you.”

  “What about your friends?”

  “I don’t care what they think either.”

  She tentatively held her hand out to him and almost cried in relief when his big fingers tangled with hers.

  They started back to the house.

  “If I ever catch you roaming the woods at night by yourself again, I’m going to spank that pretty ass of yours.”

  His whispered words se
nt shivers through her body. “I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to a spanking in my life . . . until now. I might just have to test that theory in the near future.”

  She laughed when he groaned. “Don’t tease me, Georgia. You could get hurt out here.”

  She shook her head. “Not with you around.”

  When they got back inside, Henry and Joey were arguing in the living room.

  She cleared her throat, took her gloves off, and stuffed them in the pockets of the coat before hanging it by the door.

  “Kish,” Joey said. “I’m sorry. I don’t usualy say such asinine things. I was simply worried about Georgia. Which is stil no excuse for what I said. I overreacted.”

  “Yeah,” Henry said next. “I was so wrapped up in trying to protect Georgia, I didn’t think before I said some horrible things. I didn’t mean them. Please forgive me.”

  After a couple tense, silent moments, Kish finaly spoke. “I care about her too. I won’t hurt her.”

  “Yeah, I think we’ve finaly realized that. We’re going to turn in now before we make bigger asses of ourselves.” Joey hugged Georgia. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

  “I’m sorry too. I would never intentionaly do anything to hurt you.” Henry hugged her next.

  “I know you two were worried about me. And I know you don’t normaly judge people like you did Kish. You were simply trying to protect me. But don’t do it again because Kish means the world to me, and I won’t take kindly to anyone who hurts him.”

  Kish’s sharp intake of breath bothered her. Had no one taken up for him in the past? Had no one cared enough about him to stand up for him?

  “And it goes without mentioning that you two are my best friends, and I’d be devastated if you couldn’t accept the choices I make in my life.”

  “If he makes you happy, we’re happy. Right, Joey?”

  “Absolutely,” Henry answered.

  “But don’t forget that friend thing comes along with the privilege of concern for your wel being,” Joey said.

  “That goes both ways,” she agreed. “But concern and insult are two different things.”

  “Agreed,” Both Henry and Joey said in unison.

  “Now that you’ve forgiven me, I think I’l go to bed. It’s been a long couple of days. Good night.”

  Joey yawned loudly.

  “Me too. Good night, Georgia.” Henry kissed her on the cheek and she smiled.

  “Good night,” she said.

  “I need a hot shower, but I have to take Lucy out first.”

  “I’l take her out for you. Go take your shower,”

  Kish said.

  He stil seemed distant. It pained her that she’d hurt him, given him doubts about her feelings for him.

  She was beginning to understand how deep the obviously careless way women had treated him in the past had affected him. She believed she was starting to earn his trust, but she’d have to be careful with him.

  He was one of the strongest men she’d met, but his heart was delicate. She barely kept a giggle from escaping. How he’d love to hear that. Nonetheless, she believed it to be the truth. She supposed he might come across as intimidating to others. His size alone would intimidate most, but he was kind and considerate and had been nothing but respectful of her and her needs.

  She wanted to show him how much she loved him, how much she cared about his feelings, and prove to him that she would always stand by his side.

  However, this was something that would take time.

  Earning someone’s trust didn’t happen over night, but if he gave her the chance, she would do so no matter how long it took. But would he give her that chance?

  She went to her room and got a change of clothes.

  For the first time in a long time, she wished she had some sexy lingerie to wear, but she’d only brought sweats and Tshirts. After al, she hadn’t been expecting to do anything for a whole week other than relax, spend time with Henry and Joey, and try to keep warm. Fashion had been the furthest thing from her mind when she’d packed for this trip.

  She took her things to the bathroom and brushed her teeth after starting the water in the shower. When she finaly stepped under the steaming spray, she sighed in relief. Kish’s shower was awesome, for lack of a better word. The temperature was perfect and the various sprays coming from above and in front of her hit in al the right places.

  There was a ledge in the corner of the shower, and after washing her hair and body, she sat on it and leaned against the wal to let the spray massage her.

  This was heaven. But soon, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She was not alone, and the only person she knew capable of getting close to her without making a noise was Kish. Or could it be something else? Other lycans had been in the area.

  Would they have the ability to sneak up on her as wel?

  “Kish?” Silence greeted her.

  She stood, turned off the taps, and reached for the towel she’d hung beside the shower before getting in.

  She wrapped it around her and stepped out.

  “Is that you, Kish?” Silence again. She giggled. A nervous habit she’d nearly forgotten she had until this moment. “Is someone there?” Nothing. “You’re scaring me. Please answer me.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  He watched her as she reached for the white towel and wrapped it around her. This was the first time he’d seen her completely nude, and the beauty of her curves rendered him speechless. She was different from the women he’d dated in the past, from the kind of women he thought he preferred.

  He had been wrong about skinny women. They didn’t hold a candle to his Georgia. His Georgia.

  Everything about her caled to him. Her green eyes.

  Her ful, naturaly pouty lips. Her golden skin. He watched a water droplet run down the inside of one curvy thigh, and he ran his tongue along his bottom lip, yearning to folow that path with his mouth. But the direction he wanted to go was not down. It was up, up to the golden curls nestled between her thighs.

  He ached to taste her, to breathe her essence deep into his lungs, to imprint an intimate part of her upon his soul for always.

  Finaly, he realized he was scaring her and gave himself a mental slap. “Don’t be afraid.” She jumped, and he cursed under his breath.

  “Kish, you scared me half to death. Why didn’t you answer me?”

  He cleared his throat. “Sorry, sweetheart, but you took my words away for a moment. You are beautiful.” He wanted to touch her, kiss her, claim her, but he needed to show her something first. If she could accept him for what he realy was, then just maybe they had a shot, just maybe he could find a way to give her his heart, a heart he’d vowed to never give to another again. It was almost as if he had no choice with Georgia, though. He not only wanted her, but he needed her. Every time she was near, he felt whole, at peace, wanted . . . loved.

  She blushed and he chuckled. “No need to be embarrassed.”

  “I’m not.” She lifted her chin in defiance.

  He smiled. “Okay then. You’re not.”

  She giggled. “Okay, I guess I was a little bit. I’m not used to men watching me while I shower.”

  That was a sobering moment. He frowned and clenched his fists at the thought of another man seeing her naked. A serious rush of jealousy hit him hard.

  “I should hope not because if I ever catch another man watching you shower . . . Wel, I can promise that it wouldn’t end wel for him.”

  “Why are you watching me?”

  “Seriously? Why wouldn’t I want to watch you?

  You take my breath away.”

  She blushed again. “You don’t strike me as the Peeping-Tom type, Kish. Is something wrong?

  Lucy’s okay, isn’t she?”

  “Yes. I gave her some fresh water and she’s curled up on the couch.”

  “Thank you for taking care of her. But you aren’t fooling me. I can hear that something is wrong in your voice.”

&
nbsp; “No.” Yes. He was about to show her the wolf, and if she freaked out, he didn’t know what he’d do.

  He wanted her to accept him, al of him, and al of him included his wolf.

  “Uh-huh. Why don’t I believe you?”

  “I need to show you something.”

  “Oookay.”

  “I promise you there is no reason to be scared.”

  “Wel, I wasn’t scared until you just said that.

  Funny thing. When people say there is no reason to be scared, there is usualy a huge ass reason to be scared.”

  He sighed. This was not going how he’d planned.

  And how the fuck exactly did you plan it to go when you turned into a wolf for her the first time?

  “Kish?”

  He took her hand before he had time to think on it further and led her to the tub. “Sit here.”

  She sat on the edge of the tub.

  “This is one time when someone tels you not to be scared that there is honestly no reason to be scared.

  Trust me. Okay?”

  Georgia nodded slowly, but he could tel by the frown that tugged the corners of her lips down that she was worried.

  He stepped back and let the wolf come to the surface. He let the change come slow this time. Hair sprang through every pore of his skin. Claws shot from his fingertips. Canines elongated. Muscles contorted and reshaped. He was so used to shifting he’d forgotten how painful it used to be at one time.

  One time, long, long ago. Within moments, he went from standing in front of Georgia on two feet to staring at her from four paws.

  He slowly walked to her. When he reached her side, he nudged the hand that rested next to her right thigh. She jumped, but didn’t make a sound or try to flee. She slowly reached toward him.

  “Kish?”

  She laid her hand, palm down, on his head. Her fingers instantly curled through his fur. He had a nearly overwhelming urge to lie down and rol over so she could scratch his bely.

  “I told you not to be afraid.”

  “How did you do that?”

  “The talking or the shifting?”

  “Um, I guess both.”

  “We have to have some way of communicating in wolf form, and I told you I was a lycan. Or did you already forget that one?”